New England Patriots: 8 Observations from Preseason Finale vs. New York Giants

With the 2011 NFL preseason officially in the rear-view, Bill Belichick's focus is now firmly on trimming an 80-man roster to just 53 by Saturday at 4:00 PM. 

In that regard, there weren't many developments, though one player in particular solidified his roster spot, after fighting an uphill battle from the wrong side of the roster bubble at the start of training camp. 

Several key players suited up for the first time all preseason on Thursday night, and several others were left back at home. 

Here are eight key observations from the game.

Erik Frenz is the co-host of the PatsPropaganda and Frenz podcast. Follow Erik on Twitter. 

Starters Suit Up on Offense

The Patriots sent quarterback Tom Brady out for 18 snaps in the first half of Thursday night's game, and sent most of their first-team offense onto the field to get some reps.

They opened up in a three tight-end set, but receivers Deion Branch and Chad Ochocinco also played in the first half.

The move was indicative of Belichick's displeasure with how things went in the game against the Detroit Lions, and was the proverbial Listerine to wash the bad taste out of their mouths heading into the regular season. 

Matthew Slater May Have Earned a Roster Spot

With a 64-yard catch-and-run in which Slater really turned on the jets and split the Giants secondary, Slater flashed the speed we're used to seeing out of Brandon Tate. It's just a coincidence that the two are locked in a roster battle for the final spot at wide receiver.

Tate took the reps as the top punt returner with Julian Edelman on the bench, but Slater made a few nice special-teams tackles, as is his specialty. His ability to contribute on three special teams units makes him a valuable addition to the roster.

As a result of that, Slater is likely safe from the cutdown. Tate, on the other hand, may be in some trouble.

Safety Rotation Continues

There have been a lot of moving parts at safety all preseason and training camp, and tonight was no different. The starting duo on the back end was Patrick Chung and Josh Barrett, who hadn't even played up until tonight.

Sergio Brown filled in for Chung when the third-year safety went down with an injury, and James Ihedigbo played in the second half before exiting with his own injury.

Brandon Meriweather played exclusively in the second half, and while the move could be considered a message by the coaching staff, it may have also been a tactical move to find their best combinations at safety.

Meriweather has been in the league for four years, and the coaching staff likely knows what they're going to get out of him, so it's not as important to get an evaluation on him as it is for a guy like Barrett.

Patrick Chung Is the Glue That Holds the Secondary Together

In the midst of a secondary in flux, Patrick Chung was a key component all night long. He played in most of the personnel packages at safety and made his presence felt early by recovering a fumble on the Giants' first offensive play from scrimmage, returning it to the one-yard line.

He also contributed with two tackles and added two assists.

Belichick has raved about Chung's work ethic already this preseason, telling the media just days ago that, "You really can't outwork Chung. He's here early, he stays late, he's in top condition, he can play all the plays you need him to play."

We saw that a lot last season, with him contributing on defense and special teams, but injuries at cornerback forced him to play a bit in the slot, where he's less comfortable.

Shane Vereen's First Game

Third-round pick Stevan Ridley set the bar high with his early preseason performances, and second-round pick Shane Vereen had his opportunity to answer the bell on Thursday night. He had some ups and downs, and was flagged for a chop block for a 15-yard penalty on his very first play.

It also appeared as though Vereen missed a blitz pick-up that resulted in a sack on Brian Hoyer and a fumble. He was also brought down for a loss on a 4th-and-1.

On the plus side, Vereen looked solid on runs up the middle, which was a noted drawback on his scouting report coming out of Cal.

He showed his value in the passing game with a nice block in protection, and also had a nice eight-yard catch on the outside, adjusting to a floater thrown by Ryan Mallett and winning a one-on-one match-up for the catch.

It could be a slow start for Vereen while the team gets him caught up in the offense.

Albert Haynesworth's First Game

Haynesworth was the first to say on Thursday night that landing with the Patriots was "a career-saver." He had a chance to breathe new life into his career, playing 16 snaps, with seven coming in the first quarter and nine in the second.

It's worth mentioning that he looked winded after five consecutive snaps in the second quarter, and got caught standing up on at least one play. He had something to prove, though, and he wouldn't let exhaustion prevent him from doing just that.

He got gashed for a 17-yard pick-up, but he came back the next play to fight through two blockers and make the tackle, grabbing the runner by the ankles and stopping him for a short gain.

Expectations may have to be tempered for the first few weeks of the season as Haynesworth gets into game shape.

Shaun Ellis' First Game

A refugee from the New York Jets, Shaun Ellis has played all over the defensive front in his decade-plus in the league. Tonight, he started as the team's left end in a four-man front.

He didn't take long to make his presence felt, getting pressure a few times and even getting a sack of Giants quarterback David Carr at the end of the first half.

Ellis' role expanded to sub package defense. That role had been previously occupied by Mark Anderson, who didn't dress for Thursday's game.

This was an important game for Ellis to get under his belt, to prove that he still had it in him to get after the quarterback, despite being offered the veteran minimum by the Jets and despite starting training camp on the PUP list.

Interior DL Dominated by Giants Second-String Interior OL

The Giants played mostly with second-string offensive linemen, but they were able to get a solid push up the middle and open up some holes for the Giants rushing attack. The Giants running backs averaged 5.52 yards per carry against the Patriots' defensive front.

For a unit that is mostly brand new, the defensive front looked like a lot of what we saw back in 2009 when they ranked 23rd in yards per rush allowed (4.4).