New England Patriots: 3 Standouts from Preseason Week 3 vs. Panthers
Preseason Week 3 has come and gone for the New England Patriots. Certain players showed promise leaving them as standouts for possible roster spots.
Week 3 of the NFL preseason is seen as the biggest and most important of the exhibition games as the starters play the most of any game in the preseason. It serves as a tune-up for some while certain players have a shot at winning a job. When it comes to the New England Patriots, every player with an opportunity can earn a spot that allows them to make an impact.
On Thursday night, the Patriots helped usher in Week 3 of the preseason as they held their home-opener by welcoming Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers. And while Newton had to leave early due to injury, New England still got the better of the matchup, winning 10-3.
With this being an important week of the preseason, it’s critical to look back at the performances from Tom Brady, who made his debut, and the rest of the team and see who impressed. These are the three standouts for the New England Patriots in Week 3 of the 2019 preseason.
3. Sony Michel, RB
A few weeks ago, Sony Michel was considered the player to look out for whenever he was able to play. This was his first action of the preseason and he looked even better than last year, which is saying a lot. Michel seemed quicker, more agile and like a complete back overall. While his statistics have him sitting at 10 carries for 38 yards, he was far better than that.
3.8 yards per carry isn’t much to write home about for a running back. However, the taps shows that Michel had a run of over 20 yards called back due to a holding penalty that marginally (if at all) affected the second-year back’s run.
Michel had nothing to prove coming into this game and was by far the lead back of this backfield. It would have been nice to see Michel a little in the passing game as reports have said he was working on it during training camp. But seeing him this fresh and loose two weeks before kickoff should excite all the fans.
What might be even better than the cuts he displayed following his knee injury is that he was willing to run through anyone in his way for more yards. Michel was just 69 yards off of 1,000 in his rookie campaign, a number he’s certainly eyeing in the 2019 season and should get to running like this.