FOXBOROUGH — The Patriots’ performance against the Rams last night is why the results of preseason games must be taken with a grain of salt.
After their win last week in Atlanta, observers near and far were toasting the Patriots. After their loss last night, it isn’t time to bury them, it is just another example of how the preseason can sometimes be misleading.
New England’s starters played into the third quarter and Tom Brady was opposing rookie quarterback Sam
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Bradford, but the Rams left Gillette Stadium with a 36-35 victory.
They also left Bill Belichick at a loss for words.
“We didn’t run any plays. We never had the ball. In a game of no defense, we had less,’’ was Belichick’s succinct summation.
St. Louis accumulated 462 total yards to 288 for New England, held the ball for nearly three-quarters of the game (43:46), and converted 11 of 17 third-down chances to just 2 of 7 for the Patriots.
The Patriots’ offense struggled in the first half, with three possessions that ended without gaining a first down.
“The first half, we didn’t play our best,’’ Brady said. “We just couldn’t stay on the field offensively, and defensively they just couldn’t get off the field. We weren’t complementing each other very well.’’
Running back Sammy Morris agreed.
“Terrible execution across the board,’’ he said. “That’s the worst of it, really.’’
Conversely, St. Louis strung together scoring drives of 10, 8, 7, 9, and 15 plays — the final one with third-string quarterback Thaddeus Lewis under center and with most of New England’s first-team defense still on the field.
“They came out and executed, but as for us we were flat, we didn’t execute and we just didn’t play well,’’ safety James Sanders said. “From the start of the game — besides the opening kickoff — from then on, at least defensively, we weren’t playing up to the standards that we hold.’’
Things got off to a promising enough start for the Patriots as Brandon Tate took the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. It was the first time since last preseason, when rookie Julian Edelman took a punt back against the Eagles, that New England had scored a return touchdown.
But St. Louis, with Bradford making the start in place of injured A.J. Feeley, wasn’t down for long. Known for his accuracy at Oklahoma, Bradford worked with precision on his first drive, completing all four of his passes to three different receivers for 48 yards during a 72-yard touchdown drive.
New England then had its first three-and-out. Of note during that possession, and the rest of the game: Laurence Maroney did not take the field. Morris started and got the bulk of the first-team carries.
