Patriots

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots running back James White, a three-time Super Bowl champion, announced his retirement from the NFL on Thursday ...

The Patriots didn't seem to be counting on White's return in 2022, having signed veteran Ty Montgomery as a free agent in the offseason to potentially fill his "passing back" role. "James defines the term consummate professional," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said in a statement. Congrats on the perfect career @sweetfeet." "He's a soft-spoken leader who has led by example ... As great of a player as James has been for us, he's an even better person. "James White has always been one of the most reliable and dependable players on the field," Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement. He suffered a hip injury last September that ended his season and required surgery.

James White delivered one of the signature performances in Patriots history when he vaulted the team to a Super Bowl comeback over the Falcons.

He was missed as the Patriots had just two more games where a RB caught six-plus catches in the next 15 games. In 2018, White finished with team records in receptions (87) and receiving yards (751). His seven receiving touchdowns that season also tied the Patriots team record (Larry Garron in 1964). Last season, White caught 12 passes (six in each) in the first two games before suffering a season-ending hip injury in Week 3. He was a multi-year team captain and one of the most respected, best team players I have ever coached.” Along with being a longtime captain, White also put up historic numbers in the playoffs. White caught 72 passes during the 2019 season.

Patriots quarterback Mac Jones and most of the team's starters aren't expected to play in Thursday night's preseason game against the Giants, sources told ...

The Patriots' preseason opener is expected to mostly feature rookies and backups vying for roster spots. Then the following week, the team flies to Las Vegas for joint practices with the Las Vegas Raiders and a final preseason game against them. The Patriots have joint practices next week with the Carolina Panthers followed by a preseason game with them.

NFL Network's Mike Giardi reported Thursday that Jones and most starters will not play in the preseason opener versus Giants, per sources informed of the ...

Bill Belichick likely believes those joint practice reps will offer a better setting for Jones and the offense to work on their issues. Still, given the Patriots reported struggles in a new offense, with Matt Patricia running things, it's notable that Jones, et al. It's not a surprise when coaches sit key players for most, if not all, of the preseason action.

The writers of Patriots.com give their takes on the latest Patriots news and preview the team's upcoming game.

At the start of camp a majority of the burning questions of the team were about the defense but now after two weeks of practices the tables have turned towards the offense who lacks consistency and a rhythm needed to move the chains. The execution of the offense. The installation of the new offense is a process so I'm hoping Thursday night we will see a little proof of the pudding. Take the word surprise with a grain of salt, but LaBryan Ray seems to be the signature UDFA that the Patriots will out of the woodwork to make the roster this season. Obviously, losing Ted Karras and Shaq Mason meant that there would be some changes in the trenches but I wasn't expecting the line to be struggling as much as they have in training camp. He obviously can't be credited for all of the D-Line's success at camp, but it should be noted that the group seemed to get the best of its offensive counterpart most every day. The receiver managed to use his right hand to get some separation and then spin around in time to simultaneously get up for the ball and pull it down with his left. Davon Godchaux. He's brought a lot of energy to the defensive line and the defense as a whole. We'll see if they continue along this path but I have to admit I was surprised to see the attempt. It was a perfect read by Dugger, who also showed off his explosiveness as an athlete to beat the throw to Parker and take off the other way. That first contested catch he made on Day 1 really set the tone for the rest of camp, and Tuesday was another strong showing to keep him fresh in our memories. Otherwise, give me Mac Jones. Yes, the offense has had their struggles, but Mac has shown good ownership and delivered some awesome throws to just about all of his weapons.

There are plenty of reasons for fans and critics to wonder why Mac Jones isn't playing in the Patriots' preseason opener. But Tom E. Curran put himself in ...

Taking the bubble off and splashing around the deep end for four seconds just to say they did it? "This really isn’t a game plan, what plays we run against the Saints or what they run against us and that kind of thing, trying to create advantages or use schematics to give your team an advantage," Belichick said. We’re just trying to get better, the Saints are trying to get better, and how can we help each other do that?" The reality for the Patriots right now is that they are up to their calves in the shallow end with this new offense. So could the Patriots offense benefit from 10 snaps against the Giants? Sure. Does the risk of getting a starter injured in a meaningless game that’s doesn’t have the same structure of a managed joint practice outweigh the benefit? It is fair to wonder why Jones and the rest of the front-line players will get most of the night off.

Tonight, the Patriots make the team's preseason debut, facing the Giants at Gillette Stadium at 7 p.m.. Patriots starters will reportedly not play: When the ...

On this day: In 2009, the Red Sox defeated the Tigers 7-5 thanks to a pair of Mike Lowell home runs. It was Bill Belichick’s first (preseason) game in charge of New England, and it was also the first NFL action for newly-drafted Tom Brady. Who did the Patriots play that day? The Patriots’ remaining preseason schedule includes games against the Panthers (Aug. 19) and the Raiders (Aug. 26). New England opens the regular season on Sept. 11 in Miami against the Dolphins at 1 p.m.

Former Patriots defensive lineman Danny Shelton signed a contract with the Kansas City Chiefs after his recent release from the New York Giants. New England ...

The deal is reportedly for one-year and worth up to $9 million. The base value is $13 million, including $4 million guaranteed, with the rest tied to playtime incentives. NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero has reported White’s contract as being for $5 million [$2.5M average-per-year] with $500,000 guaranteed. The Patriots and offensive tackle Trent Brown have agreed to a two-year deal. He was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury his rookie season and never appeared in a game for New England. Miami Dolphins (1:00pm) Week 8: @ New York Jets (1:00pm) Week 6: @ Cleveland Browns (1:00pm) He also scored the only game-ending touchdown in Super Bowl history. Week 2: @ Pittsburgh Steelers (1:00pm) Week 1: @ Miami Dolphins (1:00pm) That's all I can tell you right now.”

New England drafted White in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Wisconsin, and the running back played all eight seasons of his career with the ...

He was a multi-year team captain and one of the most respected, best team players I have ever coached.” James became a part of the Patriots’ family while in New England and while his presence in our locker room will be missed, we are happy for James and his family as they embark on a new adventure.” “Reflecting on my nine years in the NFL and all the sacrifices it took to get here, there are many people that were just as much part of this journey.”

The New York Giants and New England Patriots kick off the first full week of the 2022 NFL preseason on Thursday Night Football at 7 p.m. ET on NFL Network.

Then running back Gary Brightwell was taken down on a carry by linebacker Tae Crowder, who did some jawing after the play. Defensive players took exception to Barkley’s level of force during a “thud” tempo period. Maybe the defense is just that good. The incompletions mounted. You’ll need to be in team territory to watch on the team websites or apps. He was a multi-year team captain and one of the most respected, best team players I have ever coached.” So Thursday will be more about evaluating players further down the depth chart as they battle for roster spots. So perhaps Thursday’s preseason opener comes at a good time for the Patriots, who welcome the New York Giants to Gillette Stadium. Based on warm-ups, the Patriots will rest most of their starters tonight. Darrian Beavers taking Blake Martinez's spot in the starting lineup. The Giants, who were 4-13 last season, are led by new head coach Brian Daboll with first-round picks in edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux and offensive tackle Evan Neal. The Patriots had other news earlier today with running back and Super Bowl hero James White's retirement.

R.J. White revealed his NFL Preseason 2022 best bets for New England Patriots vs. New York Giants on Thursday.

Giants on Thursday? And which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Patriots picks, all from the NFL expert who's 29-17 on his last 46 picks involving New York, and find out. He's only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine. Another fourth-round pick could be a factor for the Patriots on the ground, where Pierre Strong Jr. rushed for over 1,000 yards in three of his four seasons at South Dakota State and had his best year in 2021, when he ran for 1,673 along with 18 touchdowns. Davis Webb also figures to get some playing time Thursday, and he is familiar with new head coach Brian Daboll since they were together in Buffalo for the last three seasons while the latter served as offensive coordinator. Jones, who was limited to 11 games in 2021 due to injuries, played well against the Patriots last postseason, as he completed 17-of-22 pass attempts for 135 yards and a touchdown with one interception. Here are several NFL odds and trends for Patriots vs. Before locking in any Patriots vs. - Giants vs. Patriots odds at Caesars Sportsbook, while the Over-Under for total points scored is 34. Kickoff from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. New York is a 1.5-point favorite in the latest Giants vs. New England hasn't fared well in the 30 meetings, however, losing 19 of them, including 11 of the last 16.

James White has been one of he New England Patriots' best players since joining the team as a fourth-round draft pick in 2014.

That means that only one member of the team might receive the dreaded phone call next that he’d been cut. Regardless of who will fill his massive shoes, White has been as reliable as any member of the New England offense and replacing him will not be easy. White was not only one of the Patriots’ most experienced players, he also was a team captain each of the last four seasons. White’s retirement also has a financial impact on the Patriots: according to Miguel Benzan, their salary cap space will increase by $405,000 and is now at $5.48 million. James White has been one of he New England Patriots’ best players since joining the team as a fourth-round draft pick in 2014. As is the case with the potential captains, there are some candidates for this role as well: free agency acquisition Ty Montgomery helped fill it in training camp, while White was still on the PUP list, with fourth-round rookie Pierre Strong Jr. looking promising as of late as well; Rhamondre Stevenson and J.J. Taylor are also in the mix.

Although there was optimism of his return this upcoming season, Patriots running back James White, announced his retirement from the NFL on Thursday.

“James White has always been one of the most reliable and dependable players on the field. While soft spoken, he brought exceptional leadership and competitive toughness to the team. There’s no doubt he will end up in the Patriots Hall of Fame in the near future. James became a part of the Patriots’ family while in New England and while his presence in our locker room will be missed, we are happy for James and his family as they embark on a new adventure. And now one of his teammates will have big shoes to fill in his retirement. In the eight seasons spent in New England, James White became a fixture on the Patriots’ offense.

Here are five key takeaways from the Patriots opening preseason game of the 2022 season.

Some of it is to be expected with backups in the preseason, but after an excellent start in training camp practices, their play dropped off against a live opponent. Making plays and getting off the field will continue to be a key defensive focus. They'd show some improvement in the second half as the Giants dipped further into their depth chart, forcing a punt and getting a red-zone stop on ensuing possessions late to maintain the one-score game. But moving forward they were bending and breaking, allowing an 11-play, 86-yard drive, and later in the second half they'd allow a nine-play, 51-yard touchdown drive as the D wasn't making consistent plays to get themselves off of the field. Things would turn around early in the second half as the rookie started to get comfortable. The Patriots defense has long preyed on takeaways and Terrance Mitchell showed why he intrigued the team in free agency by punching the ball out and forcing the game's first turnover.

It appears the Patriots are having their own version of The Apprentice as they seek to replace Josh McDaniels as the play-caller for the offense.

Hoyer went 5-of-8 for 59 yards and a touchdown, while Zappe was 3-of-9 for 16 yards. When Bailey Zappe replaced Hoyer on Thursday night, quarterbacks coach Joe Judge took over the play-calling duties. On three series with Zappe in the first half, the Patriots had 12 plays and 13 yards.

The two sides have quite the preseason history between them, as Thursday's matchup will mark the 17th straight year (not counting the 2020 season which was ...

With under five minutes remaining, the Giants started their drive with a 19-yard gain by Antonio Williams. After Ronnie Perkins later broke up a second-down pass, the Giants converted a third-and-three on a completion to Jashaun Corbin. Despite an offensive holding penalty that put New York behind the sticks, they responded with a play-action rollout to Austin Allen for a first-down. A deep incompletion to Kristian Wilkerson, in which he looked for a pass interference, and a completion to Strong for no gain however forced the Patriots to punt. A pair of handoffs to Pierre Strong and completions to Tre Nixon, as well as a short completion to Lil’Jordan Humphrey, had the offense on the move. Zappe went right back to Wilkerson the very next play for an eight-yard completion, which Pierre Strong followed with a nine-yard run hitting a cut-back lane opened by Arlington Hambright. After a string of incompletions, Zappe found Lil’Jordan Humphrey on a 20-yard touchdown pass to take the lead. Searching for a go-ahead score, Wilkerson hauled in a completion on the left sideline and drew a face mask penalty that tacked 15-yards on and moved the ball past midfield. The rookie quarterback connected with Tre Nixon on a 36-yard completion, then came back to Nixon on a 32-yard completion down the left sideline several plays later. In their first drive of the second half, the Davis Webb led Giants had no issues moving the ball down the field, and got some help by cornerback Joejuan Williams who extended the drive with a penalty. After a long incompletion to Tyquan Thornton, which drew an illegal contact, Hoyer struck on a similar play to Kristian Wilkerson the very next play for 33-yards. Giants circus catch on a ball that was redirected up into the air and caught by James. Several plays later, James beat Joejuan Williams near the goal line for a score. After winning the coin toss, the Giants elected to put the offense on the field first. The Giants were able to strike on a pair of run-pass options plays for big gains, but stalled down near the goal line settling for a field goal. With Bailey Zappe now under center, the Patriots offense was not able to take advantage of the turnover.

The New England Patriots kicked off the 2022 preseason Thursday night at Gillette Stadium against New York Giants. A 23-21 loss followed for head coach Bill ...

And in between, third-year defensive back Myles Bryant returned his first punt since high school up the right sideline for a gain of 30 yards before grabbing his next for 15 yards on the run. The aforementioned J.J. Taylor then checked in for an average of 23 yards per through three kickoffs and gained seven yards on a single punt return. He recorded six tackles and dove for a pair of near-interceptions in the next hurdle of his ACL recovery. There to recover it was Butler in his second tour with the organization he first joined as an undrafted tryout in 2014. Roberts worked as a catalyst on New England’s lone sack and went on to log three pressures. Josh Uche followed up on the next series with a sack on Giants starter Daniel Jones after recording a trio last fall. A quarterback sneak and a backfoot toss for go-ahead points would also be in the cards for Zappe, who landed in the fourth round and has since landed jersey No. 4. Herron, the team’s top swingman in 2021, was flagged for two false starts and jogged off midway through the fourth quarter with lower leg issue. Last year’s third-round pick out of Oklahoma and fifth-round pick out of Michigan looked to make up for redshirt time. The record-setting transfer from Houston Baptist to Western Kentucky completed 19-of-32 passes for 205 yards with two touchdowns and a tipped interception from the sidearm. Pierre Strong Jr., who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.37 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine, handled six carries for 25 yards in his debut. Patriots running back James White announced his retirement Thursday morning, ending a tenure that included three Super Bowl rings, four captainships and a place on the franchise’s All-Decade team.

Players of the game · LB Darrian Beavers (3 tackles, 1 TFL) · RB Gary Brightwell (9 touches, 59 yards) · WR Richie James Jr. (3 rec., 44 yards and 1 TD) · RB ...

7 7 7 7 7 AP Photo/Charles KrupaThe Giants outgained New England 418-308 (total yards). New York held the Patriots to 4-of-11 on third down and 0-for-1 on fourth down.

The starting quarterback's absence from the New England Patriots' preseason opener opens the door for veteran Brian Hoyer and rookie Bailey Zappe to see ...

Despite having the night off from on-field competition, Jones will be keeping a close eye on his teammates, as the team adapts to a new-style offense. With the departure of both former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree to Las Vegas, Hoyer’s tutelage will be crucial for Jones’ continued development. Conversely, Hoyer’s presence with the team should not be dismissed as mere roster-filling.

The intentionally short-handed Patriots opened preseason play against the Giants on Thursday with a 23-21 loss, as Graham Gano nailed a field-goal as time ...

“I’ve only been here for four or five months and only known him for that long,” Zappe said. “The more times I come to the sideline, talk to my coaches, talk to my teammates about what they saw, what they’re seeing, and just going back on a drive and just having that next-play mentality,” Zappe said. “There’s a lot of things we’ll learn from tonight and work on this week and try and improve next week in the next game opportunity we have,” Belichick said. “… Honestly, all of them can do many things, and we have a great receiving corps.” For me, having known James all the way back to 2017, I can honestly say the most dependable teammate I’ve ever had. “There’s not enough complimentary things to say about James or we’d be here all night and still have time left over. Matt Patricia appeared to be calling plays when Brian Hoyer was in the game. Afterward, however, he settled in and made several nice throws in the second half as the Patriots took a late lead. He also impressed Mike Golic Jr., who noted the savagery of playing without gloves or wrist tape. “Again, we’re all going to learn from things. Kevin Harris punched in the touchdown on a three-yard run. The Patriots answered as the first-quarter came to a close, however — capping off an eight-play drive by Brian Hoyer that resulted in a touchdown by rookie wide receiver Tyquan Thornton whose intriguing preseason continued.

BOSTON -- The Patriots officially got their preseason underway on Thursday night. It was ... most certainly a preseason game.

He later hauled in a 36-yard pass to open the second half, then caught a 32-yarder on the opposite sideline later in the drive. ... Rookie running back Kevin Harris plunged into the end zone from the 3-yard line for a touchdown on the opening drive of the second half. He also converted a QB sneak on a third-and-1, which is a prerequisite for all Patriots quarterbacks for the rest of eternity. This one ended with a lob pass to Lil'Jordan Humphrey for a touchdown to put the Patriots up 21-20. WR Tre Nixon dropped a pass on a third-and-2 on the opening drive, forcing the Patriots to punt. But he got his feet wet in the end zone, which has to be a good feeling for any rookie in his first NFL action. The Patriots gained five yards on six plays for Judge's first two series, going three-and-out on both -- and narrowly avoiding a safety on the first. (Hoyer underthrew it a bit, which may be a common occurrence with a player as fast as Thornton.) The play didn't count, due to an illegal contact penalty on New York, but it could have been a big gain. The "mystery" of who's calling the offensive plays appears to be solved, with Matt Patricia shouldering those duties on the first two drives of the game, when Hoyer was under center. Yet he did play in this game, which makes a lot of sense. Mitchell was one of the few free-agent additions this past offseason, while Butler is obviously stepping back into football after sitting out for all of last year. So this wasn't really a look at "the Patriots' offense."

Here are the winners and losers from the New England Patriots preseason opener against the New York Giants.

It’s a tough way for him to kick-start the preseason with so much riding on these next three weeks of football. Perhaps it was something in the air because Hoyer was clearly dropping dimes. The main thing that stood out was his willingness to take shots downfield. Wilkerson needs to make more plays like this to open up more opportunities for himself in the offense. This is the most important preseason of Joejuan Williams’ NFL career. It was still an incredible play that highlighted a strong performance from Humphrey, who caught the second-most passes behind Kristian Wilkerson—six passes for 62 yards and one touchdown. So it was a great sign to see him take that success and put it on display in an actual game situation. So it’s no surprise he was ready for the moment when it came. It wasn’t an absolute disaster on the field, and the Patriots did have multiple players step up to make plays for a unit that has been heavily scrutinized this week. He was back at it again in Thursday’s preseason opener by serving as a reliable target for Brian Hoyer and Bailey Zappe. Granted, it wasn’t all pretty from rookie Bailey Zappe, and there are surely some throws he wishes he could have back. Uche will be a big part of that effort for a younger and faster Patriots defense.

Related: Instant analysis from Patriots' 23-21 preseason loss to Giants.

It was not the performance he was looking for as he continues to battle Cajuste for the third tackle spot, and walked off with what appeared to be a right leg injury late in the game. Winner: CB Shaun Wade. With the Patriots in a full-blown cornerback competition, Wade impressed in his action Thursday night. He continued to live in the Giants backfield afterwards, recording a pressure and drawing a holding penalty on back-to-back plays. The receiver had an impressive touchdown, showcasing an impressive break out of his route and beating a hold in the process. Roberts had an early pressure that resulted in a Josh Uche sack in the first quarter. Humphrey, who had a strong past week of camp, caught Zappe’s long touchdown of the night - beating his man one-on-one in a cover zero look.

The New England Patriots drop their first preseason game of 2022 to the New York Giants, 23-21.

Williams is clearly trailing much of his competition for a roster spot on the perimeter. Strange’s turn of Giants’ defensive end Jalyn Holmes helped to spring a 5-yard run by running back J.J. Taylor on the Patriots' first scoring drive. While Hoyer was given the first two series, Zappe would take the ball for the remainder of the evening. Having become the predominant story surrounding the team for nearly the entirety of the offseason, all eyes in Gillette Stadium were on the Patriots' play-calling situation. The rookie also showed some toughness by fighting off a would-be holding penalty from cornerback Aaron Robinson. Thornton logs the first touchdown of the Pats preseason, giving his team a 7-3 lead. Rookie receiver Tyquan Thornton drew an illegal contact penalty on Giants safety Andrew Adams advancing the ball to midfield.

James White, who scored the game-winning touchdown in the New England Patriots' historic comeback win over Atlanta in Super Bowl 51, announced his ...

With the Patriots down by 25 points, White scored two TDs and had a 2-point conversion run to send the game to overtime. While soft-spoken, he brought exceptional leadership and competitive toughness to the team.” The 30-year-old White was trying to work his way back from hip surgery that abruptly ended his 2021 season. New England trailed 21-3 at halftime, and teammates said a speech by White in the locker room helped spark the comeback. “James defines the term consummate professional,” Belichick said. White set Super Bowl records for points scored in a game (20) and receptions (14) as the Patriots rallied from a 28-3 third-quarter deficit to beat the Falcons 34-28 on Feb. 5, 2017, the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history.

The Patriots fell to the Giants on a last-second field goal, but there were some bright spots for sure, including rookie Bailey Zappe.

New England's run game was a positive takeaway from Tuesday's practice as it started to find success with the outside zone scheme. He made up for that miscue late in the fourth quarter with a 20-yard TD pass to Lil'Jordan Humphrey (six catches, 62 yards) that gave New England the lead. The former Baylor standout showed off his impressive route-running by battling through a defensive holding penalty for the TD. Joejuan Williams was burnt for a touchdown, then got beat later in the game and called for a facemask. Third-year edge rusher Josh Uche sacked Giants QB Daniel Jones early on, and Anfernee Jennings laid a huge hit on Jones on third down to force a field goal during the first drive of the game. It also provided a glimpse at the players who could see their roles increase in the 2022 season.

Get a recap of the New York Giants vs. New England Patriots football game.

That’s all part of the process,” he said. Then, after rookie Zappe was inserted in the second quarter, Judge took over the headset. Starting left guard Shane Lemieux played the opening series before leaving with a toe injury. Linebacker Mack Wilson had five tackles and was credited with a quarterback hit. It wasn’t all positive for the Giants, though. “We stalled there in the red zone.

The backup receivers flashed. · Tyquan Thornton is the real deal. · Rookie defensive linemen show off some impressive skills. · Bailey Zappe finds a groove.

You never want to see anyone go down with an injury that is going to prevent them from competing for a roster spot, and it looks like the Patriots missed out on that last night. He has a long way to go to leapfrog the guys ahead of him on the depth chart, but the Patriots haven’t seen a guy as athletic as him and fellow linebacker Mack Wilson in a very long time. Some of the storylines of training camp has been who the Patriots’ offensive play-caller is going to be and how their scheme adaptations would look on the field. That was the case in this game. He was all over the field and had some really nice open field tackles. The second-rounder has never lived up to his draft stock, and has consistently played poorly when given opportunities. McGrone almost had a few interceptions, simply because of his athletic abilities and hustle to the ball. He did have a bad interception, but he showed some good poise, and made nice plays moving around in the pocket. After he missed virtually all of his rookie season recovering from a torn ACL, we finally got to see the athletic second-year linebacker on the field. Ray had a few nice run stuffs, and played almost every position on the line while holding his own no matter where he lined up. Kristian Wilkerson had some really nice catches, and Lil’Jordan Humphrey was open across the middle for what felt like the entire second half, showing great concentration on his nice back-shoulder touchdown catch. Although almost no starters played, and they lost, it was great to see the team back out there.

What stood out during the Patriots' preseason opener against the Giants? Here's five observations from the game.

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Most starters took a seat in the first game action of the season against the New York Giants.

“We prepared all week for multiple pressures that the Giants were going to give us, and that was one of the occasions that we practiced for. With three seconds left in the first, Hoyer rolled to the right and hit Thornton for a 2-yard touchdown. Jennings drew the start over Josh Uche. Uche, however, notched the game’s first sack at 13:50 of the first quarter. Prior to the Patriots second drive, Hoyer checked in with Patricia and Judge before taking the field. After the first series, Hoyer checked in with Patricia and Jones on the sideline. Hoyer started and played the first two series. The rookie opened up the third quarter with a nice scoring drive. Tackle Justin Herron was flagged for two false starts in the first half. Of course, things with the Patriots are never that easy. The speed was evident, but Hoyer’s deep throw was late and forced Thornton to slow down. Although he stood next to quarterbacks coach Judge, who also had a headset and play sheet, it appeared that Patricia was the man calling the plays into Hoyer, who started the game. Instead of Mac Jones, the Gillette Stadium crowd saw Brian Hoyer start and Bailey Zappe finish this contest.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and select players comment on their preseason game against the New York Giants on Thursday, August 11, 2022.

"It was great, just to go out and put it on the field in a game perspective. "Everything. Getting to learn from a guy like James White – you don't always get that opportunity at this level, so just to have somebody like that that I could look at as a mentor, and somebody to guide me through my early process of being a player in the National Football League. He taught me a lot of things on the field, obviously. So, I just feel very fortunate to have spent a little bit of time with him and had the opportunity to learn from him and grow as a player and develop in this league." I feel very fortunate to have spent the time – even though it was a short amount of time – being able to learn from him and understand how to truly be a professional football player and how to play in this league. Some of us leave good ones, some of us leave not so good and some of us leave great legacies and when I think about James White, I think he left a tremendous, tremendous legacy here, not just for what he did on the field. I got to see how he approached a day and I got to watch a guy just like James White. Very similar to how Kevin Faulk came in here and have the same kind of career in a way, but approach the day very similar to how Kevin approached it and why he was able to play so long and the different things. When I think about all the things that we hope to embody here, all the things that I hope to embody as a dad, as a husband, as a teammate, as a friend, James embodies all of that. James is - he loves to laugh, he loves to smile and something would happen in the meeting room or in the facility and I would come back to his locker and be like 'James man whatever whatever happened,' and we would just sit there and laugh. A lot of these guys, I don't think they really know now how blessed they were to have the opportunity to see him work and to see how he conducted himself in meetings and everything. We all loved him, and I want to wish him well in the next chapter and just say how much I respect him and how fortunate I feel to have played with him. BZ: Yeah, we prepared all week for multiple pressures that the Giants were going to give us, and that was one of the occasions that we practiced for. We had a couple injuries and a couple substitution issues, but overall, those are more – it wasn't the operation, it was a guy being heard or a substitute because that caused some other substitution things, so we can clean that up a little bit, but I thought we were on the ball quickly, had plenty of time to operate.

Kristian Wilkerson (46 snaps, eight catches, 99 yards), Tre Nixon (51 snaps, four catches, 81 yards) and Lil'Jordan Humphrey (44 snaps, six catches, 62 yards, ...

"Yeah, we prepared all week for multiple pressures that the Giants were going to give us, and that was one of the occasions that we practiced for," said Zappe. "It came to fruition. But on Thursday night, all three made the most of their chances and showed how they might be able to add new elements to the Patriots attack. "Something we work on constantly is, especially for those young guys, just teaching them how to get vertically into the defense, and when they do it you have to reward them and throw them the ball," said quarterback Brian Hoyer. "I know I underthrew the one to Tyquan [Thornton] a little bit, but came right back and hit K-Dub [Kristian Wilkerson], and obviously we continued to do it over the night. The newest addition of the group is Lil'Jordan Humphrey, who has come on in recent practices with multiple catches, and those performances carried over into the game. The Patriots opened their 2022 preseason with a last-second loss to the Giants, but it was a trio of young receivers that made some of the game's biggest impacts. Need to limit the drops, be better on blocking, help out on special teams until I can get where I really want to be to help this team win."

The best photos from a preseason Week 1 game between the New York Giants and New England Patriots -- a game won by Big Blue.

All offseason, there has been speculation about who will call offensive plays for the New England Patriots when the 2022 season begins.

The team does not have an official defensive coordinator, either, and for a while did not confirm who was calling the defensive plays on game days. As for what that might mean will happen when the regular season starts, Bill Belichick was predictably tight-lipped. During the team's first preseason game against those same Giants, it appeared that Patricia was calling the plays when Brian Hoyer and the first/second-team offense were on the field, while Judge called plays with the deeper backups.

The Super Bowl hero appeared on the NFL Network show Friday, one day after announcing his retirement from the NFL. Here's what we learned.

I was itching to be out there my rookie year, didn't get the opportunity, but that next year, I want to do whatever I could to get out there and contribute and I ended up getting my opportunity and I just wanted to take it and run with it." I went and finished the rep, jogged back to the huddle, and Coach Belichick was like, 'Come here, White. Come here, White. The bigger they are, the harder they hit.' I was like, 'What?' " Got a rep, a run the previous play, ran down the field, and I didn't know I had the next rep so I was pretty gassed. Obviously, it wasn't just my play that got us back into it, but I wanted to do whatever I could to scratch and claw to get us back in it. I jogged back to the huddle. I think a lot of people really realize that a lot of coaches coach a lot of different positions before they get their, quote unquote, main job. Obviously, my first year, I didn't really get the opportunity to play, but I saw those veteran guys and all that hard work they put in to make it to a Super Bowl my rookie year and win it. I just wanted to do whatever I could to fight, scratch, and claw to help us get back into the football game. A lot of coaches coach a lot of different positions before they end up being the offensive coordinator -- they can coach on the defensive side of the ball at first. "But for me that was my first opportunity to play in the Super Bowl and I definitely didn't want to go out like that. Unsurprisingly, White tried to pass the shine on to Dont'a Hightower instead. The former New England Patriots running back announced Thursday that he's moving on to the next chapter of his life after an impeccable 8-year career.

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick had high praise for one player, following the team's 23-21 preseason loss to the New York Giants.

As always, it’ll be a tough process for Belichick when whittling down the roster. Opportunity is clearly knocking right now with a Patriots roster facing a lot of question marks, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. It was an impressive bounce-back performance by the former seventh-round pick out of Central Florida, after an ugly drop in the first half had him shaking his head.

Defensively, the Patriots rolled out a few starting-caliber players, including Malcolm Butler, Mack Wilson and Terrence Mitchell. The first drive that was a ...

An 8-yard sack by Uche was able to push New York deep into their territory and coverage by Raekwon McMillan on a deep sideline pass forced the Giants to punt for the first time. The Giants’ first drive stalled at the Patriots’ 7-yard line, which ended in a Graham Gano field goal. Other than a few long passing plays from quarterback Daniel Jones, the defense was able to stifle the offensive starters.

The New England Patriots take on the New York Giants in a preseason game at Gillette Stadium on Thursday, August 11, 2022.

Tom E. Curran and Ted Johnson identify the New England Patriots players who stood out and impressed them the most in the team's 2022 preseason opener ...

"You wonder if those are the plays that are what keeps him out of these games. "Although he had a nice sack and he was getting into the backfield, there was a reverse run to his side and he completely missed it, and there was a big gain on his side. And then also, (linebacker) Anfernee Jennings, you saw him getting into the backfield wreaking havoc out there." He had one of the best preseason games I've seen a defensive lineman have. I thought (rookie cornerback) Jack Jones was around the ball constantly, and that's exactly as he was built to be," Curran said. "I thought (linebacker) Cam McGrone also around the ball played with great speed.

DT Sam Roberts. Roberts may have been the most consistent defensive lineman in last night's game. He registered six tackles, two solo, was disruptive in the ...

He was able to plow through the line for a touchdown, which was nice to see, but in an already crowded backfield, Harris didn’t do a whole lot to distinguish himself as a unique talent. G Cole Strange. I couldn’t tell you a single thing about Strange’s performance last night, which is the highest compliment I can give an offensive lineman. RB Kevin Harris. I may be being a bit harsh singling Harris out like this, but I had fairly high hopes for the rookie coming into this season and was fairly unimpressed with the reps he got. But in terms of a hot start, he came up short. He over-pursued a few times, but had a great night overall and could soon find himself as the third DE in 3-4 fronts. The good news is that Zappe is a rookie with no starting expectations on him whatsoever, and the improvement between his first rep and his last was already significant, so there’s no need for panic.

It was only the first preseason game, but as long as they kept score, Daboll was going to try to win it. And that's just what he did in his head coaching debut.

Rookie Joshua Ezeudu also saw time with the first team in place of Lemieux and did not allow a single pressure on 27 pass block snaps, according to PFF. Bredeson went 38 pass blocking snaps without surrendering a pressure. I think the offensive line has been doing a great job, and the running backs have been getting downfield." While he did lose a fumble early in the second quarter, Collin Johnson led the team with seven receptions for 82 yards. James also caught the team's only receiving touchdown, finishing with a 150.0 passer rating generated. The offensive line has already taken a few hits since the start of training camp. Barkley touched the ball five times (four carries, one reception) for a total of 21 yards with one broken tackle. Antonio Williams led the way with nine rush attempts for 61 yards (6.8 avg.) and the team's lone rushing touchdown. I thought he did a good job." After the game, coach Brian Daboll and players spoke to the media. Daboll has not officially announced who will do it during the regular season, but he liked what he saw from Kafka up in the booth against the Patriots. It was only the first preseason game, but as long as they kept score, Daboll was going to try to win it. While the team's healthy starters saw limited playing time, most of the snaps were taken by second and third team.

Rookie wide receiver Tyquan Thornton has a ton of speed, but there's a lot more to his game than being fast, and we saw evidence of that in the Patriots' ...

Thornton has been one of the most impressive offensive players in training camp so far. "I feel like I've experienced that (physicality) in my time here with the Patriots," Thornton said. But the more impressive aspect of his performance versus the Giants was the way he physically fought through contact to get open.

It was clear that once Zappe got a couple series under his belt, he looked much more confident than he did at the start of the game.

“Yeah, kind of just as the game went on, like you said, you just get more and more comfortable,” Zappe said. New England scored on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Zappe to Lil’Jordan Humphrey, capping a 9-play, 69-yard drive with just under five minutes to go. “[Zappe] showed a lot of grit,” Hoyer said.

The Boston Renegades of the Women's Football Alliance were invited to Gillette Stadium on Friday to be honored after winning their fourth-consecutive ...

Sport is one of the few things that build community and bring people together. "They had four (in a row)." "I've found in life that people do amazing things that aren't really recognized or appreciated for the hard work and sacrifice.

After an incredible eight-year career and three Super Bowl rings, James White's retirement announcement inspired an outpouring of praise for the running ...

But in the comments, mentions, and quote tweets of White's announcement, the compliments and well wishes from current and former Patriots players, NFL opponents, media, and fans seemed to have no end. Outpourings of praise came after White released his statement. Along the way, he carried himself as a silent leader, family man, and one of the most reliable players in Patriots history.

James White, reliable running back who won three Super Bowls, gets post-retirement praise from Bill Belichick and teammates.

“And just to be able to be in the facility with him, be able to see how he carried himself and kind of learned many things from him and how he prepared. If he wants to come coach someday, I’m sure we would love to see him in the locker room.” He’s a great dude, always had a smile on his face and brought good energy to the team.”