What the Patriots' Preseason Finale Reveals About Special Teams and Roster Cuts
The final game of the NFL preseason is not about the final score. For the New England Patriots, that meant a 37-13 loss to the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. The score mattered less than what the game showed about players competing for jobs.
Special teams moved to the front
Special teams took centerstage. Cleveland kicker Andre Szmyt connected on field goals from 35, 47, and 23 yards, and he converted all four of his extra-point attempts. New England kicker Andy Borregales answered with field goals from 26 and 33 yards and made his lone extra point. For two kickers in an August audition, those reps are the job interview.
NFL.com's game center lists the game as Preseason Week 3 and includes the full replay. The matchup at Huntington Bank Field gave coaches a clean look at players on the edge of the roster. The ESPN scoring summary shows the Browns won. The kicking line shows why special teams mattered just as much as the final margin.
How the Browns pulled away
Cleveland's quarterbacks did most of the work. Dillon Gabriel threw three touchdown passes, including two to Luke Floriea (6 and 14 yards) and another to Ahmani Marshall (7 yards). Tommy DeVito added a 45-yard scoring pass to Kyle Williams. Davon Booth ran 8 yards for another touchdown. Those plays put space between the teams, and they also gave individual players a strong last statement.
For New England, the value was different. The Patriots entered the game with a 1-0-1 preseason record, according to the Cleveland Browns' official box score. Cleveland entered at 0-2. A record like that can make a coaching staff more willing to experiment, but every snap still counts.
What a preseason finale is really for
The important part is what comes after the final whistle. Roster decisions sit right around the corner. Specialists and other roster hopefuls often see more work in this game because it is the last chance to make an impression. A kicker who makes three field goals in a road stadium gives his coaches a strong argument. A quarterback who throws three touchdown passes gives himself a final highlight.
None of this guarantees a roster spot. The Browns' win and the Patriots' loss are only one data point. But for players who have spent the whole summer fighting for a place on the 53-man roster, the preseason finale is the last chance to make the evaluation easy. That is why special teams, not the score, became the takeaway.