The New England Patriots closed out the preseason on a disappointing note, falling 42-10 to the New York Giants on Thursday night. The embarrassing performance didn't exactly fill Patriots fans with optimism about the team's backup situation; however, there isn't much time to dwell on that due to Tuesday's rapidly approaching 53-man roster deadline.
Even though New England left much to be desired against New York, some of head coach Mike Vrabel's players had better performances than others. That includes one veteran defensive back who silenced his critics with his best performance of the preseason so far.
Patriots S Kyle Dugger Silences Doubters with Performance vs. Giants
Veteran safety Kyle Dugger is someone who's been disappointing to watch after recovering from last season's ankle injury. He hasn't been keeping up with his fellow Patriots DBs in training camp practices, and his first two preseason appearances didn't change anyone's opinion on him, as he played to 57.4 defense and 59.1 coverage grades on Pro Football Focus.
The former 2020 second-rounder hasn't been living up to the $58 million extension he signed last year, and his underwhelming summer left New England fans wondering what the future would hold if his performance didn't improve. Fortunately, Dugger didn't let his final preseason opportunity slip through his hands.
Dugger finished Thursday night's clash with two broken-up passes and an interception, all while tying fellow S Dell Pettus for a team-high six solo tackles. It was easily the former Lenoir-Rhyne's best performance of the 2025 preseason, especially considering how he had five tackles and one INT without a pass break-up in the two previous exhibition contests.
Not only did Patriots fans notice Dugger's improved performance, but Vrabel didn't hesitate to compliment his talented safety during the post-game conference.
Mike Vrabel was extremely complimentary of Kyle Dugger postgame, saying he’s continued to improve after offseason ankle surgery:
— Tom Carroll (@yaboiTCfresh) August 22, 2025
“…I think that he’s gotten better. I think he’s improved. I think he’s feeling better. It looks like he’s feeling better on tape. And so that’s good… pic.twitter.com/OIvp6X82ot
"I think that he’s gotten better. I think he’s improved," Vrabel said of Dugger (h/t @yaboiTCfresh). " I think he’s feeling better. It looks like he’s feeling better on tape. And so that’s good to see. Those are all positive things."
Hopefully, Dugger's upward trajectory continues into the 2025 regular season. Pass disruptors like Carlton Davis III, Marcus Jones, Christian Gonzalez, and Jabrill Peppers give the Patriots a terrific opportunity to have one of the AFC's best secondaries, and Dugger playing to his potential would help change them from a projection to a reality.
Week 1's showdown with the Washington Commanders will be Dugger's next opportunity to prove himself to Patriots fans and to set the tone for the rest of his sixth NFL campaign.