As for specific players, here’s who caught our eye on Friday night for better or worse. Lost: QB Mac Jones. It continues to be a disappointing performance from the starting attacking unit. The heartbeat of this unit is Jones, who had perhaps the worst interception of his young career Friday night. The frustration seems to continue to grow. Winner: RB Kevin Harris. The 2022 sixth-round pick is fighting for a roster spot and has made his mark by posting the best streak by a Patriot back this preseason. Harris followed James Ferentz and plowed through an arm tackle while nearly scoring from 36 yards out. It was one of the best games New England has had in the new-look zone scheme all summer. Harris was getting the ball out late in the game, but continued to show off his powerful running style throughout the day. Winner: CB Jack Jones. After a strong spring, Jones is finally hitting the field this summer. While his aggressiveness could eventually come back to hurt him, the fourth-round draft pick continued to show off his ability to find the football. Jones threw a fumble and broke up two passes Friday night. He may not need to be relied on right away, but the rookie continues to impress out of coverage. Loser: The offensive line. The unit had some encouraging moments, but overall had a rough outing against Las Vegas. The quarterbacks, particularly McJones, were under almost constant pressure, while zone blocking continues to be a major issue in the running game. Add two holding penalties and you have another disappointing day for the unit. Winner: DT LaBryan Ray. LaBryan Ray continued to make his case for a roster spot on Friday night. The undrafted free agent bulldozed past former first-round pick Alex Leatherwood on a sack of Daniel Ekuale, showing off his strong hands once again. The previous weeks training camp is in a “play-a-day” area. Loser: RB Ty Montgomery. Stating the obvious here, as Montgomery was pulled with an ankle injury in the first quarter. Montgomery has seemed to establish a consistent role in New England’s offense as of late. The injury could be a big loss, potentially leading to more work for Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson in the passing game. Rookie Pierre Strong Jr. he could also earn more time in that role. Other players worth mentioning include Jake Bailey, who had a solid night on punts and kickoffs, and Rhamondre Stevenson, who made the most of some inconsistent blocks up front. Rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe, meanwhile, had a backside interception, and an apparent miscommunication by Terrance Mitchell and Adrian Phillips led to a long second-quarter completion. The Patriots next game will be the season opener at Miami on September 11th.
