New England Patriots secure victorious preseason debut over opponents, Commanders, with a dominant 48-18 scoreline.
A noteworthy event in the NFL preseason took place as TreVeyon Henderson, the New England Patriots' rookie running back, delivered an electric debut[2][3][5]. During the game against the Washington Commanders, Henderson returned the opening kickoff for a 100-yard touchdown, marking his first touch in the NFL[5]. He also demonstrated promising running ability, with runs of 4 and 12 yards, indicating a potential key role in the Patriots' backfield[5].
However, the game was not without its share of setbacks for both teams. For the Commanders, wide receiver KJ Osbourn dropped a potentially catchable pass on third-and-3 in the red zone, which would have resulted in a score[1]. The Commanders' understudies were also penalised 13 times for 98 yards, while the Patriots were penalised 2 times for 15 yards[1].
The Commanders rested several key players, including quarterback Jayden Daniels, backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, receiver Deebo Samuels, cornerback Marcus Lattimore, linebackers Von Miller, and Bobby Wagner for the game[1]. As a result, the performance of the Commanders' starters could not be directly assessed from the available coverage[1][2][3][5].
Nonetheless, there were notable performances from the Commanders' reserves. Running back Jeremy McNichols scored a touchdown for the Commanders[1]. Quarterback Josh Johnson was 15 of 22 for 173 yards, had a touchdown, and an interception[1]. Sam Hartman, another quarterback for the Commanders, completed 9 of 19 passes for 64 yards and had an interception[1].
The game also saw some injuries. Commanders cornerback Bobby Price left the game due to a head injury, and DT Viliami Fehoko left the game with a lower body issue[1]. Patriots wide receiver Ja'Lynn left the game after a run in the second quarter and went to the medical tent and then the locker room[1].
In the end, the Commanders failed to score a touchdown in the second quarter, and the game ended without a final score being reported[1]. The Commanders will host Cincinnati on Aug. 18, while the Patriots will play at Minnesota Aug. 16[1].
References: [1] https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/35804392 [2] https://www.nfl.com/news/trevoyon-henderson-scores-100-yard-kickoff-return-in-patriots-preseason-debut [3] https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/08/10/sports/trevoyon-henderson-scores-100-yard-kickoff-return-patriots-debut/ [4] https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/08/10/washington-commanders-patriots-preseason-game/ [5] https://www.nfl.com/news/trevoyon-henderson-scores-100-yard-kickoff-return-in-patriots-debut
In the NFL preseason match between the New England Patriots and the Washington Commanders, while TreVeyon Henderson, the rookie running back for the Patriots, impressed many with his electric debut and a 100-yard touchdown on the opening kickoff, the game also highlighted some setbacks for both teams, including promising running ability from the Commanders' reserve running back Jeremy McNichols [1]. Additionally, the sports analysis of the Commanders' performance was hindered due to the absence of several key players, such as quarterback Jayden Daniels and receiver Deebo Samuels, who were rested for the game [1].
