Patriots 15 - Ravens 16

Wow that was bad

Horrible even.

Circumstances prevent a putting a positive spin on the recap of the game here, so if you’re a diehard Pats fan wanting to know what happened, here’s the scoop: The Pats have a lot of work to get ready for the season opener. Or at least they do when the backups are running the show.

Ok, that’s not really fair to say, it was just one game. Yes, an ugly one. Surprisingly the Patriots almost found a way to win despite turning the ball over 5 times.

Thursday night was all about the Ravens looking like they played their first string against the Patriots second, third and fourth string units. No Tom Brady, no Randy Moss, no Wes Welker, no Matt Light, no Sammy Morris resulted in the Patriots having no rhythm.

Even with the first team offensive line the Patriots looked pedestrian at best, and downright horrible at worst. It looked worse than a bad Steve Grogan day when the offensive line was sick with the flu. It was ugly, it was humbling, it was a glimpse into the future without Tom Brady and it hurt to watch.

If Tom Brady gets hurt this team is in real trouble. The coaches know that, which is why the game was all about evaluating the backups. The future – based upon observations from the game – lies in Kevin O’Connell, Matt Gutierrez and LaMont Jordan on offense. It also lies in Jerod Mayo, Shawn Crable and Pierre Woods on defense. Of those six players, four were NOT on the team last season.

Weekend Camp Wrap
News and notes from the weekend’s practice sessions at Gillette Stadium

Three Return From PUP
Wide receiver Wes Welker, cornerback Ellis Hobbs and rookie linebacker Bo Ruud returned to practice on Saturday afternoon after the Patriots removed the three players from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.

New Face In Town
The Patriots signed free agent offensive lineman Barry Stokes on Saturday. A free agent who played for the Miami Dolphins (1998), Green Bay Packers (2000-01), Cleveland Browns (2002-03), Atlanta Falcons (2005) and Detroit Lions (2006). Stokes was with the Lions in 2007, but did not participate in any games.

Clement To I/R
Offensive tackle Anthony Clement was placed on the injured reserve list Saturday with a knee injury. Clement joined the Patriots as an unrestricted free agent after spending the past two seasons with divisional rival New York Jets.

Welker Active But Rusty
Welker participated in most of the afternoon’s practice, though he appeared to be a bit rusty at times. Short routes, quick cuts, the 5-foot-9, 185-pound receiver was able to do them all. Welker did manage to have a couple of passes deflect off his fingertips – usually the kind of aches Welker was well known for making last season.

On Sunday, Welker turned in a better performance. He said that after putting the first day back jitters behind him, things went more smoothly on Day 2.

Mayo Official
The Patriots just announced that they signed their first round pick Jerod Mayo officially. Offensive lineman Lavdrim Bauta, was released to make room for Mayo on the roster allowing the Patriots to meet the 80-man roster limit.

The signing of Mayo today was widely considered a mere formality after a report surfaced earlier in the Boston Globe that the rookie linebacker agreed to terms with the team. The addition of the team’s first round pick will gladly be welcomed by the defense as they work hard to get the Tennessee product up top speed. Though Mayo is listed third on the depth chart at inside linebacker, what we’re hearing is that he could be challenging for a starting spot by the end of camp.

Veteran Tedy Bruschi weighed in on the linebacker unit earlier today.

Right now we’re incomplete,” Bruschi said describing the linebacker unit. “When Mayo gets here then our core will be complete and we’ll all be in meetings together and getting better out on the field together.”

Bruschi didn’t take exception to Mayo’s absence; he simply described it as the sooner he arrives the sooner he can start learning what to do with the rest of his teammates.

“That’s the difference between being in your 13th year (Bruschi is in his 13th season) and your first year. Veterans know what to expect, know the adjustments. That’s why I’m hoping he gets here as soon as he can so he can partake in that process.”

defense? / Getty Images" class="imgcaption floatr" style="float: right;" />In the latest edition of our "Camp Checklist" previews for the upcoming Patriots season, the Boston Herald’s John Tomase talks about the young defensive players on the Patriots with Michael Felger. While the Patriots defense is a very veteran crew, there is some youth that has experience, along with a promising group of rookies. As you see in the list below, some guys like Vince Wilfork and Ellis Hobbs are starters (Pro Bowler in Wilfork’s case). James Sanders and Mike Wright have been impressive part-time players. Pierre Woods has been a very good special teams contributor, and should see more time in the regular rotation with Eric Alexander.

The key to the growth of the young D centers around 1st Round Pick Jerod Mayo. All signs through the national experts season previews and mini-camp point to a fairly big contribution from Mayo from the get-go.

Here is a look at some of the young talent on D for the Pats:

26 years-old: Vince Wilfork, Pierre Woods, Mike Wright, Eric Alexander

25 years-old: LeKevin Smith, Ellis Hobbs

24 years-old: James Sanders, Brandon Meriweather

23 years-old: Shawn Crable, Terrence Wheatley

22 years-old: Jerod Mayo