The New England Patriots' first preseason game was pretty boring, at least from an offensive perspective, but there were a few moments of excitement when rookie quarterback Malik Cunningham entered the action late in the fourth quarter.
The former University of Louisville star completed three of four pass attempts for 19 yards and also picked up 34 yards on the ground. The Patriots' lone touchdown of the night came on a 9-yard run by Cunningham where the QB showed off his fantastic athleticism against the Houston Texans defense.
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Unfortunately for the Patriots, this play was one of the few notable moments from the offense in a 20-9 loss at Gillette Stadium.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was very complimentary of Cunningham in his postgame press conference.
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"Yeah, did a nice job," Belichick said. "Showed some poise out there, some toughness. Moved the team. That was nice. Did a nice job."
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Cunningham's touchdown drew plenty of reaction on social media, including from Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Both Jackson and Cunningham played at Louisville.
It'll be interesting to see if Cunningham makes the 53-man roster before the regular season. He got some snaps at wide receiver Thursday night before playing quarterback. He's also gotten reps at wide receiver in training camp. The Patriots could maybe try to sneak him onto the practice squad, but that would result in the rest of the league having a chance to scoop him up on waivers.
There are still plenty of camp practices and two more preseason games left before Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles, so a lot could change over the next couple weeks, but Cunningham looks like a player worth developing so far.