New England Patriots: 6 Observations from Preseason Win vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

For the New England Patriots, there aren't many better ways to start the season than with a 47-12 drubbing of your opponent, even if it is just a preseason game.

Yes, just a preseason game. Calm your jets, people, this doesn't mean the Patriots are going to the Super Bowl. 

Let's take this game for what it's worth, which was an opportunity to evaluate some overall strengths and weaknesses of the team as well as some specific players.

With that, let's take a look at some things that stood out from a Patriot's perspective.

Stevan Ridley

There's just no other acceptable way to start this slideshow.

Ridley was easily the offensive star tonight. The rookie out of LSU paired two impressive stat lines to come up with 16 carries for 64 yards and two touchdowns along with seven receptions for 47 yards and another touchdown. 

Any doubts that surrounded his speed were shattered as he utilized his hard running style and change of speed fundamentals to create space, fool defenders and/or just bowl the opposition over altogether.

Not a bad start for the third-rounder.

A Night of 2s and 3s

Notable players riding the sideline were Tom Brady, Chad Ochocinco, Wes Welker, Deion Branch, Vince Wilfork, Devin McCourty and Jerod Mayo.

So it diminishes the importance of the 47-12 blowout win, but it was the preseason, so umm...it was already not important.

This also gave Bill Belichick a chance to evaluate some of the guys he's less familiar with. He knows what guys like Brady, Branch, Welker et al. will bring to the team. He knows they will make the team.

He doesn't know, however, what to expect from the rookies, the undrafted free agents and others.

Defensive Alignments

The talk of the town for the past two weeks has been the potential switch from a 3-4 alignment to a more standard 4-3 front.

The Patriots have practiced in the 4-3 almost exclusively throughout training camp, and that shone through tonight as they lined up almost exclusively in the 4-3 against the Jags.

Don't let tonight's alignment fool you into thinking the switch is on. In fact, on at least two occasions the Patriots lined up in their more traditional 3-4 alignment.

The use of the 4-3, for now, can be attributed to the evaluation stages of training camp and the preseason.

What better way to evaluate than to allow players to do what they're most comfortable doing now, while still teaching them the fundamentals and philosophies of the 3-4 defense in separate off-field sessions?

Third Down and Red Zone Defense

The New England Patriots had an almost historically bad third down defense last year, allowing a conversion rate of 47 percent.

If tonight's game was any indication, that number could turn around this year. The Patriots allowed just 3-of-13 third down conversions for a rate of 23 percent.

Of course, tonight's game may not serve as any indication, because it was a preseason game of "scrubs vs. scrubs."

The confidence a team can gain from a performance like that, though, can be infectious and can carry over into regular season action if they are able to build on their success and correct their mistakes.

Most importantly, the Patriots defense stymied the Jaguars offense in the red zone, holding them 0-for-4 on their tries within scoring range. 

Dane Fletcher

Hate to say I told you so, but a second player to put in focus would be second-year linebacker Dane Fletcher. Filling in at middle linebacker for the injured Brandon Spikes, Fletcher shined tonight. His five total tackles don't do him justice on the night.

The former undrafted free agent out of Montana State had a couple of nice quarterback pressures of Blaine Gabbert in the first half and a couple of his tackles were plays he blew up in the backfield for a loss.

His best fit has always been as a 4-3 middle linebacker, and with the Patriots featuring that front as their "base" defense tonight, that allowed him to play to his strengths and really make an impact tonight. 

Taylor Price

Veteran receivers Deion Branch, Wes Welker and, of course, Chad Ochocinco have made it difficult for some of the young wide receivers to make the roster.

With five receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown, Taylor Price had a solid game to prove he's worthy of one of those highly coveted roster spots.

He had a nice touchdown grab—a highlight catch where he tiptoed the back of the end zone while securing the ball with his fingertips.

Another notable play came on a Ryan Mallett pass on third down, where the rookie quarterback found Price near the left sideline, and the young receiver was able to stutter-step his way into open space and break a big gain.

We could be looking at an up-and-comer in the making in the Patriots receiving corps.