Preseason Week 2 Patriots vs Saints: Three Stars of the Game

Honorable Mentions: Cornerback Malcolm Butler, defensive tackle Malcom Brown, running backs Dion Lewis and James White. Butler and Brown were forces against the run, while both Lewis and White showed tremendous open-field ability.

Third Star: Edge defender Jabaal Sheard; Sheard shows up on the stat sheet with just two tackles and a quarterback hit, but he was far more involved and disruptive than what those show. He helped stifle the Saints rushing attack and he generated pressure on more than a handful of passing snaps. His consistency was terrific and he gave 100% in a preseason game- which is much more than what most of the 1st team defense can say.

Second Star: Wide receiver Chris Harper; While Brandon Gibson (8 receptions/68 yards/0 touchdowns) was slightly more involved in the offense than Harper (5/69/1), Harper won over the minds of the masses with his special teams ability. He was great at returning kicks and punts, and helped set up the game winning field goal drive. Gibson ended the day in the locker room with an injury, but with the current injury status to all of the Patriots receivers, Harper's chances of making the roster are much greater after the game than they were before kickoff.

First Star: Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo; The Patriots back-up quarterback finished the day with a 28/33 outing for 269 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. While the pick was a terrible throw with really bad form, Garoppolo was on point throughout the contest. He was much more decisive than he was against the Packers and his passes were much more on target. He showed the ability to hit every single pass within 15 yards, which doesn't sound like much, but he pushed the sidelines more with plenty of success. It's clear that Jimmy is a rhythm passer and once he gets in a zone, he heats up very quickly.