3 Patriots Who Stole the Show in the Preseason Opener

The Patriots left much to be desired in their preseason opener, falling 20-9 to the Houston Texans on Thursday night. It wasn’t New England’s desired outcome, especially with the Gillette Stadium faithful seeing their team score just three points through the first three quarters.

A good portion of the starters didn’t play, but that doesn’t mean the outcome was any less disappointing. Even if losses don’t mean much in the preseason, the Pats still needed to do more to leave fans feeling encouraged heading into the 2023 NFL season.

While there weren’t many bright spots during the loss to the Texans, a handful of Patriots did their best to steal to show with hopes of eventually cracking the 53-man roster.

There’s still a lot of work to do, but here are three Patriots who stole the show in the team’s preseason debut.

Patriots Preseason Standouts

1. Keion White

Being a second-round pick comes with a lot of pressure and Keion White proved that he can handle the spotlight against the Texans.

White made sure that his physicality was felt throughout the contest. The 6-foot-5, 290-pound defender was challenging Houston’s offensive line all night long, displaying his motor and never-say-die attitude that made him a popular draft pick among Patriots fans in April.

It seemed like White was making an impact on every snap he took. Whether it was putting pressure on C.J. Stroud or causing havoc in the backfield, he did his best to prove to the coaching staff that he deserves to be on the final roster come September.

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It’s one thing to impress Patriots fans with his versatile play, but it’s another to earn a rave review from Bill Belichick. Everyone knows how tough that can be — especially for a rookie.

Belichick told reporters during the post-game scrum that he’s noticed just how much White has improved over the spring and throughout training camp. He also added that the staff would review the game tape, but all signs point to his being impressed with the rookie’s showing.

If White can follow up on this performance next week, the sky is the limit for the former Georgia Tech product.

2. Malik Cunningham

Unlike White, there weren’t a ton of expectations for Malik Cunningham entering the preseason. After all, he was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Louisville who went from racking up 2,941 passing yards and 19 touchdowns in 2021 to 1,568 yards and eight TDs last fall.

However, the Patriots didn’t add Cunnginham due to his play in the pocket. It’s his legs that make him a dangerous threat, highlighted by his 3,179 rushing yards and 50 TDs on 618 carries over five seasons with the Cardinals.

It didn’t take long for Cunningham to show what he could do on the ground, averaging 6.8 yards on five carries. He also found the end zone with 1:54 remaining in the game, marking New England’s lone TD of the night.

Furthermore, the 24-year-old didn’t look too out of place in the pocket, going 3-of-4 to the tune of 19 yards.

It’s going to be interesting to see how the Patriots will use him going forward. With Bailey Zappe poised to be the backup QB once again, the team planned on using Cunningham as a wide receiver this season. Having said that, his impressive performance might lead to some reconsideration.

Perhaps Cunningham has a future where he’s the Pats’ version of Taysom Hill — someone who’s primarily used in the passing/rushing game but can fill in under center when needed.

Regardless, the hype surrounding Cunningham will only grow if he has another exciting showing next week.

3. Jalen Mills

Devin McCourty’s offseason departure opened up a gaping hole atop New England’s safety depth chart. One way that Belichick & Co. are attempting to fill it in is by converting veteran cornerback Jalen Mills to a safety role.

It can be hard for any player to change positions — especially for a 29-year-old veteran like Mills. The good thing is that the DeSoto, TX native didn’t look out of place at safety against Houston.

Mills made his biggest play of the night during the first quarter when he intercepted Texans QB C.J. Stroud, who was targeting wideout Tank Dell. It was an important takeaway as the Patriots wound up scoring a field goal on the ensuing drive.

Along with his interception, Mills also recorded three tackles (two solo) and even defended a pass. If you didn’t know he spent the majority of his career as a cornerback, you’d assume he was a natural safety.

Will Mills perfectly replicate McCourty’s impact on the field? Probably not, but he doesn’t have to. The Patriots just need a safety who plays consistently and rises up to make plays when need be.

As long as Mills can be competent in that role, there’s no reason to believe that he can’t be a starting safety this fall.

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