Preseason Week 4 Patriots vs Giants: Three Stars of the Game

Honorable Mentions: Running back James White, Injury gods. White didn't really show anything that we didn't already know of his ability, but he was certainly fun to watch. He collected 12 touches for 52 yards, which is exactly the output to expect out of his role. He's grown a lot as a player from last year. Injury gods get a hat tip because nothing bad happened.

Third Star: Edge defender Rufus Johnson; It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Johnson has been the most productive edge defender for the Patriots during the preseason. He pushes the pocket, he creates pressure, and best of all he uses his length to finish plays. He's behind a stacked depth chart with Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich, Jabaal Sheard, and two mid-round rookies, but he's seemingly surpassed Geneo Grissom in the depth chart. He was, again, a disruptive force against the Giants.

Second Star: Running back LeGarrette Blount; While Blount is suspended for the first game of the season, he made the most of his opportunities in the preseason. He ran as well as he could behind an absolutely atrocious offensive line. What makes Blount a star is the new skill that he's picked up: Blount is now a threat to catch the ball out of the backfield. The bruising back picked up 4 receptions for 54 yards, to go with his 24 yards rushing. If he continues to catch the ball, he could very well pick up over 1,200 yards from scrimmage.

First Star: Edge defender Trey Flowers; In short, Flowers is the steal of the draft. He was an absolute menace against both the pass and the rush, blowing up plays in the backfield, knocking down passes, and hitting the quarterback. He lined up at 3-4 outside linebacker, 3-4 defensive end, 4-3 defensive end, and 4-3 defensive tackle. He succeeded at making noise from each of those spots. Flowers is technically fourth on the depth chart, but the Patriots are going to have to find a way to keep him on the field.