The Patriots struggled without Brady once again, falling to Tampa Bay 27-10 last night. Matt Cassel looked better than he did in the first preseason game, which isn't saying much. He was 6 for 10 with 57 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT. He still looked stiff, deliberate, and telegraphed. He doesn't do anything to deceive defenses, and that results in tipped balls, passes being broken up, and interceptions.
Kevin O'Connell didn't look good either. The most impressive thing about O'Connell are his quick feet, which is a bad sign for an NFL quarterback. He was 6 for 15 with an interception.
Welker and Moss both played, and both looked as good as they did last year.
Jerod Mayo and Shawn Crable again had solid performances. Mayo led the team in tackles with 7. Crable made 4 tackles, including a sack.
CJ Jones had a good game. He caught two passes for 31 yards. He returned a kick 20 yards, and averaged 13 yards on his two punt returns.
As a team, the Patriots were dominated in almost all aspects of the game. The Buccaneers outrushed them (170 yards to 56), and controlled time of possession (37:58 to 22:02). The Pats were 3 of 11 on 3rd downs, and turned the ball over twice.
When do you start to worry? Not yet. It's preseason, folks, remember that. The NFL MVP hasn't been under center, yet. The defense has been full of part-timers struggling for roster spots. If Brady doesn't play in Friday's game against Philadelphia, or the Patriots have another awful game; then it will be time to worry.
Source:
ESPN.com
Photo Credits:
AP Photo/Carl Roberts
AP Photo/Chris O'Meara
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