Jaguars vs. Patriots: New England's Young Stars Dominate the Jags

Stevan Ridley, Ryan Mallett, Brian Hoyer and Taylor Price all had tremendous performances in New England's meaningless thrashing of the Jacksonville Jaguars, 47-12.

The Patriots entered today's exhibition without Tom Brady, Chad Ochocinco, Vince Wilfork and several other players not in the starting lineup, which opened up doors for some younger guys to gain much-needed experience—and many of them played at a high level.

Ridley, a running back out of LSU, was simply incredible as he ran for 64 yards on 16 carries, scoring two touchdowns as well as snagging seven balls for 47 yards and one touchdown. New England's 73rd overall selection showcased his dynamic abilities as a physical runner and a solid option in the passing game.

With Brady sitting out, it opened the door for backup quarterbacks Hoyer and Mallett.

Hoyer, a third-year out of Michigan State, really did the best he could to draw interest for a potential shot at competing for a starting job elsewhere with his solid play tonight. He tossed 21 balls and completed 15 of them while scoring once and posting an 111.4 quarterback rating.

Not only was Hoyer impressive, but Mallett's performance was just as notable. The rookie out of Arkansas went 12-of-19 for 164 yards with one touchdown and finished with a respectable 108.2 quarterback rating. 

New England's offense may have been the most noticeable, but the team's defense appears to be on the right track entering 2011—especially the team's pass-rush.

The Patriots ended Thursday's game with a total of four sacks, one of those from Jermaine Cunningham, who was lining up as a defensive end in a 4-3 alignment.

All in all, New England dominated the Jaguars, but only take this game for what it's worth—it is just preseason.

The Patriots do appear to be heading in the right direction, unlike the Jaguars who seemed to be completely out-coached tonight. 

New England will have another week of practice to improve from their mistakes tonight, and they'll prepare to travel down to Tampa to battle the Buccaneers next Thursday. 

For more articles like this, check out PatriotsPlus.net. Be sure to follow  Tony Santorsa on Twitter.