Mallett Shines in Patriots Preseason Opener

The NFL preseason is never all that exciting, however, with the recent lockout consuming the majority of the year, this preseason just feels different. In fact, we are lucky there was even a game on Thursday, as for a very long time it looked like the 2011 season was in jeopardy.

Thankfully, Football is back and the Patriots kicked off the first game of this preseason with a 47-12 beat-down of the Jacksonville Jaguars. At times, it almost seemed unfair.  Tom Brady didn't take a snap Thursday and he certainly didn't have to.  Brian Hoyer and 2011 Third Round pick Ryan Mallett, led the Pats offense and lit up the Jags defense all night.  

The night did not start out that well as 2010 standout Aaron Hernandez fumbled the ball on the first offensive possession of the game.  Hernandez had two drops on the night, and that will certainly not go over well with Bill Belichick, first preseason game or not.

The Jags actually jumped out early to a 6-0 lead after two field goals. However, the Patriots then outscored Jacksonville 47-6 over the remaining 3 quarters of play.  

Among the highlights on Thursday:

-The standout performance by Stevan Ridley, who was a scoring machine against the Jags.  Ridley ran 16 times for 64 yards, and caught the ball seven times for 47 yards.  He also had 3 touchdowns on the night and impressed many in his Patriots debut.

-The Patriots defense did not allow a touchdown on Thursday.  

-#96, Jermaine Cunningham, sacked Jacksonville's backup QB in the first quarter, which ignited the crowd and the Pats sidleline.  Pass rush is one of the things the Patriots sorely lacked in 2010.

-Ryan Mallett was the most impressive part of the Pats offense, as he fired several rockets and on his first offensive drive in a Patriots uniform, he went 6 of 8 for 79 yards. The drive was capped by a one yard TD run by Ridley.  On his next offensive possession, the former Arkansas QB continued to show why many believe he may be the eventual successor to Tom Brady.  Yes, it's the first preseason game, and yes, Mallett threw against the second and third string of the Jags at one point, but he was composed.  He threw bullets and he showed great game poise, a trademark of a great Quarterback.  Once more, time will tell as to how high Mallett can rise as a QB in the NFL. Learning from the greatest Quarterback in the history of the NFL is a great way to start.

The majority of the Patriots regulars did not play at all on Thursday. Besides Brady, missing in action during the game were the newly formed wide receiving trifecta of Wes Welker, Deion Branch, and Chad Ochocinco. They didn't need to play, and with the truncated off-season, it's better safe than sorry, as there are still 3 preseason games for the starters to get some game time.

The Patriots played a good overall game on Thursday, and with the 47-12 thumping of the Jags, they have about as positive a start as you could ask for, preseason or not.  

Bottom line, Football is back!  The Patriots are back and so far... they look good.  

They will practice again on Saturday, and also Sunday, from 1:30-4:00 p.m.  These practices will be open to the public.  Fans are encouraged to call the training camp hotline at (508) 549-0001 or check Patriots.com for updates.

The Patriots play their next preseason game on the road, as they travel to Tampa Bay to take on the Buccaneers. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.