New England Patriots: 10 Thoughts Following the Preseason Opener

The 2011 NFL preseason has official started and the New England Patriots kicked it off in a boom with a 47-12 thrashing of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Granted, this was just a meaningless exhibition game and the Jaguars were obviously not prepared to match New England. However, New England did what they had to do and most importantly, they executed.

Here are 10 thoughts following New England's preseason opener.

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Brian Hoyer Increased His Trade Value

Back-up quarterback Brian Hoyer played to the best of his ability tonight and, quite frankly, he was pretty darn impressive. 

Hoyer went 15-of-21 for 171 yards while tossing one touchdown and posting an 111.4 quarterback rating.

I was extremely impressed with Hoyer's ability to control the team's first-team offense. Hoyer made all the right throws and simply hit the open receiver with high-percentage passes.

In a recent ESPN article discussing who will be the next Kevin Kolb, a back-up quarterback who is highly sought after to be given a shot at a starting job, ESPN Insider Chris Sprow placed Hoyer at third likely to emerge as a hot commodity:

"

'The guy Belichick trusts if Brady got hurt' sounds more comforting than a State Farm commercial. Personnel folks around the league have taken notice. And given that Matt Cassel has proven his skills aren't limited to the New England system, Hoyer's mere existence in that role is currency.  

"

There is no doubt in my mind that Hoyer is well on his way in receiving a possible chance at being a team's starting quarterback in the near future. 

Taylor Price Could Pass Brandon Tate on the Depth Chart

Brandon Tate has been non-exsistent throughout the preseason so far and second-year wide receiver Taylor Price has made the most of it with his stellar performance against Jacksonville. 

Price stole the show as he reeled in five passes for 105 yards and one touchdown. 

In a press conference following the game, Price had this to say: 

"

I feel a lot different. I am putting the time in, the work in, and knowing the playbook so much more after a year. I am getting more comfortable with the quarterback. I just feel so much better.

"

New England will enter the season with Chad Ochocinco, Wes Welker and Deion Branch as the team's top wide receivers. If Price wants to be a contributor on the team this year, then he's going to have to battle it out with Tate and Julian Edelman as a receiving come-off-the-bench for sub-packages. 

The potential is there for Price and he could be an impact role player in 2011. 

Stevan Ridley Took Multiple Strides Forward

Who would have thought that Stevan Ridley would kick off his preseason with a three touchdown performance? 

Ridley ran for a solid 64 yards on 16 carries while scoring twice and was a legitimate threat in the passing game as he reeled in seven balls for 47 yards and one score. 

After getting a good look at Ridley, I have come to a conclusion that he is a well-rounded running back who is good, but not great at everything. 

The rookie out of LSU definitely has power, as he's been compared to Sammy Morris and BenJarvus Green-Ellis, but the one thing that I noticed is that he can change speed in a matter of a split-second—I was really impressed. 

Ryan Mallett Was Near Perfect

The 74th overall selection of Ryan Mallett in this year's draft was arguably the most shocking pick of them all. However, tonight, Mallett gave a glimpse as to why Bill Belichick drafted him with a high draft pick.

Mallett was simply unreal as he completed 12 of his 19 passes for 164 yards while throwing one touchdown. 

The rookie out of Arkansas did a tremendous job leading the team's offense in the second half as New England put up 28 points with Mallett under center.

The one note that sticks out at me the most, is how Mallett handled himself in a mock "two-minute drill" in the third quarter. Mallett kept himself calm and collected as he rushed the team to the line in a no-huddle offense. 

All in all, Mallett has a big arm and made some passes tonight that the average NFL starter simply couldn't make. 

Darius Butler Struggled and Could Be on the Cutting Block

After watching tonight's game, there was nothing that Darius Butler did that impressed me. 

The third-year player out of Connecticut was simply not effective in coverage and was often times at the wrong end of a reception. 

I wouldn't be surprised to see Butler's name being thrown around on the cutting block in the next few weeks. 

Nate Solder Fit in Nicely

How would I rate Nate Solder's debut as a New England Patriot? Pretty solid.

It appeared that Solder made all the right blocks and did a pretty nice job at protecting Brian Hoyer's and Ryan Mallett's blindsides. 

Following the game, Solder had this to say: 

"

I did some good things tonight, but you always have things to work on...Obviously, I have lot to learn and a long ways to go. 

It's a process. It’s funny how much I have to learn, there's so many little things that a rookie has to learn...It’s good to have an opportunity; you get more comfortable with every snap. I had a few tonight and that helped me get comfortable.

"

There's a zero-percent chance that Solder will be the team's starting left tackle come Week 1, but it's definitely assuring to know he's well on his way in becoming the left tackle of the future. 

New England Played a 4-3 the Entire Night

As expected, New England played in a 4-3 defense rather than their traditional 3-4 alignment.

All throughout training camp, the Patriots have been aligning with four-down linemen, something that New England would only use in sub-packages. However, it appears that Bill Belichick wants to incorporate it more in 2011.

New England was obviously effective in the 4-3, as they recorded four sacks and allowed Jacksonville to only 193 total yards of offense. 

Dane Fletcher Played Like an Animal

The second-year inside linebacker out of Montana State played like an absolute animal against the Jags.

Dane Fletcher came into the game as the team's starting inside linebacker and tallied up five total tackles. 

One of the most notable tackles that Fletcher recorded was when he perfectly read his pulling guard and met Jacksonville running back Rashad Jennings in the backfield for a loss. 

Fletcher may not emerge as a starter in 2011, but he'll definitely be in the discussion as a rotational linebacker. 

Why Didn't Chad Ochocinco Play?

It's kind of obvious why Tom Brady didn't play—because rookie Nate Solder would be protecting his blindside. But why didn't Chad Ochocinco play?

Ochocinco still has a lot of work to do and could have definitely benefited in playing a few series tonight just to get his feet wet in New England's offense in a real game situation.

It's certainly safe to expect both Brady and Ochocinco to start in the team's second preseason against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Jermaine Cunningham Took a Positive Step Forward

Jermaine Cunningham's stats may not be too impressive, as he only recorded one sack, but he was definitely putting pressure on the quarterback. 

Cunningham appeared to be doing just fine in a down-linemen position in New England's 4-3 alignment. However, there is still a lot of work to be done in order for him to be effective this year. 

If Cunningham is going to succeed this season, he's going to have to get better at getting off of blocks faster.