10 Thoughts Following the Pats' Preseason Finale

The New England Patriots wrapped up their preseason Thursday night with an 18-17 loss against the New York Giants. 

Granted, this was the fourth and final preseason game, and let's keep in mind that the results of the game are almost meaningless and the only things that we can learn is how the players perform in certain situations.

There were several things to notice from the team's loss against the Giants and I will give you 10 of them.

Here are my 10 thoughts following New England's loss against the Giants. 

Albert Haynesworth Finally Played and Made an Impact

Can you believe it? The long-awaited debut has come and gone, and Albert Haynesworth was an immediate impact for the Patriots.

Haynesworth came out and played a solid 16 snaps for New England as he finished the game with two tackles. 

Haynesworth described his debut with the Patriots following the game: 

"

It was great...I need to knock off a lot of rust. I've kind of been just rusting, sitting in D.C. So, I need to get back, get back to that playing form when I was with the Titans.

"

If Haynesworth continues to get better every day, I am expecting to see him start alongside Vince Wilfork as the team's defensive tackles in their 4-3 alignment. 

Tom Brady and the Starters Had a Good Chunk of Plays

Tom Brady and New England's starters played a good chunk of time against the Giants Thursday night. In fact, Brady compiled a total of 18 snaps for the Patriots as he went five-of-nine for 116 yards. 

As New England played their first team entering the second quarter, the New York Giants rested their starters and started with their second team. 

Chad Ochocinco Walked Away with Just One Catch

Will Chad Ochocinco ever make an impact with the Patriots this season? I'm seriously starting to wonder.

Sure, Ochocinco had one catch for nine yards against the Giants in limited time, but seriously, he still looks lost.

New England's first game of the regular season is 10 days away and Ochocinco is going to have to pick it up fast as he's going to be an integral part of their offense moving forward. 

Shaun Ellis Recorded a Sack

Long-time New York Jet Shaun Ellis recorded his first sack as a New England Patriot Thursday night as he brought down David Carr for an impressive seven-yard loss.

In New England's 4-3 defense, Ellis will be likely starting as one of the team's defensive ends and he should flourish and cause major issues for opposing quarterbacks. 

Shane Vereen Played for the First Time and Was Shaky

Shane Vereen can finally leave Gillette Stadium knowing that he got his first game under his belt as a member of the New England Patriots.

Vereen had his moments, but overall was shaky—but that's expected from a rookie.

The rookie out of Cali ran for 34 yards on 11 carries while reeling in one pass for eight yards.

Vereen is projected to be a contributor in New England's passing game as well as being a typical featured running back. It is unclear if he'll see any time as a rookie in 2011 with BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead as the team's top two running backs. 

Matthew Slater Played Far Better Than Brandon Tate

If it's going to come down to keeping either Brandon Tate or Matthew Slater, I'd gladly take Slater over Tate.

Not only is Slater a decent wide receiver and a quality return man, but he's also a contributor to the kick/punt cover teams. Stater recorded two tackles for New England on special teams last night as well as recording one pass for an incredible 64 yards.

New England Has Major Depth Issues on Their Offensive Line

Outside of New England's starting offensive line, the team has major issues at protecting the quarterback.

When the starting offensive line left the game against the Giants, it simply all went down hill as the team allowed a horrid amount of eight sacks.

New England should make a play for a veteran lineman once teams make their final cuts entering the regular season. 

Brandon Meriweather Is Still Struggling

I am not the least bit impressed with Brandon Meriweather, as he's yet to get any better than he was when he was a rookie five years ago. 

Meriweather played all of tonight's game with the second-team defense as Josh Barrett got the start ahead of Meriweather.

Barrett recorded three tackles, one more than Meriweather. 

With James Sanders being cut, New England now lacks depth at their safety position—Meriweather is going to have to take his game to another level in 2011. 

Antwaun Molden Impresses in His Patriots Debut

Antwaun Molden was claimed off waivers earlier this week from the Houston Texans and was thrown right into the mix with against the Giants Thursday night.

Molden appeared in New England's sub-packages and played very well as he finished the game with two passes defended. 

It is unclear if Molden will make the team's final roster, but Bill Belichick must like something about him as there's a reason why he was claimed off of waivers and thrown onto the field immediately. 

Ryan Mallett Played Like a True Rookie

Let's just say that Ryan Mallett made several rookie mistakes Thursday night against the New York Giants.

Not only was Mallett sacked five times, but he completed only six of his 16 passes, which was good enough for a dreadful 37.5 percent.

Luckily, Mallett didn't throw any interceptions but didn't throw a touchdown as well. 

Mallett is pretty much an intern with the Patriots—he's a student behind Tom Brady and Brian Hoyer. The talent is there, it's just a matter of him developing and being groomed into an NFL quarterback.