The focus after Saturday's preseason game between the Patriots and Packers was Isaiah Bolden.
Players made it very clear they were shaken by the play that led to him being carted off the field. And they made it very clear that they appreciated the league's willingness to suspend play with over 10 minutes remaining.
Remember, Matthew Slater told reporters after the game, this is preseason. It's not the AFC title game. If the players involved didn't want to go any further, why push it? Bill Belichick initiated the early ending by consulting with Slater and Packers coach Matt LaFleur. The league signed off. That was that.
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Easy call. Right call.
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It's worth noting that this particular preseason game came after two lengthy joint practices where Belichick estimated that the two teams ran close to 200 plays against one another. Another 10 minutes, particularly after Bolden's injury and how it impacted his teammates, felt superfluous.
The Patriots announced after the suspension of play that Bolden had feeling in his extremities and that he was being held overnight at a local hospital for further tests and observation. On Sunday morning, they announced that Bolden had been released from the hospital and is traveling back to New England with the team. The Patriots' upcoming joint practices with the Titans have been canceled, and the team will remain in Foxboro this week before traveling to Nashville on Thursday for Friday's preseason finale.
In the meantime, here are a handful of football observations from Saturday's game...
Stock Up
Kayshon Boutte, WR
The flash of after-the-catch explosiveness that Boutte showed on his to-the-house slant was eye-opening.
He's demonstrated excellent body control through training camp. He's made catches along the sideline, diving grabs, and he has a one-handed toe-tapper in the back of the end zone on his practice tape. But there was some burst on his touchdown grab from Bailey Zappe.
Seems as though the Patriots may have found two sixth-round rookie receivers who can play. Boutte's roster spot doesn't look as secure as fellow Day 3 pick Demario "Pop" Douglas' appears to be. But Boutte popped on Saturday. And he could make the 53-man roster conversation at this position very, very interesting.
Kendrick Bourne, WR
Bourne seems to have a chokehold on the No. 3 receiver gig in the Patriots offense.
Tyquan Thornton made an impressive diving grab Thursday, but he left the practice session injured and didn't return. And while Douglas has wowed in camp, Bourne has the kind of size and versatility that would seem to make him the choice alongside DeVante Parker and JuJu Smith-Schuster in 11-personnel situations.
He made an impressive leaping grab on an under-pressure throw from Mac Jones. He was the "pass option" on an RPO early in the game that went for a first down. And his blocking was ... forceful. He's said he feels as strong as ever -- he's noticeably bigger and stronger as he heads into his third season with the Patriots -- and he looked it on Rhamondre Stevenson's 23-yard run.
Malik Cunningham, QB/WR
The man didn't have a catch on five targets. He didn't play a snap at quarterback. So why is he trending up? It's pretty clear the Patriots see potential in Cunningham as a versatile football player.
That was on display in Green Bay. Perhaps they're trying to find out if he brings enough value as a receiver and special-teams option (he's been practicing at gunner on the punt team and returned a kickoff Saturday) to warrant a 53-man roster spot. And perhaps that 53-man roster spot would buy him time to develop as a quarterback. But they aren't trying him out in a variety of different roles for giggles. They see something in him. They're giving him opportunities. That's a good sign for his future employment with the team.
Remember when they told college-quarterback-turned-receiver Julian Edelman after he was drafted that they didn't know where he'd play but they'd figure it out?
Bryce Baringer, P
The rookie punter out of Michigan State put on a show -- albeit a brief one -- with two monster punts on Saturday. He blasted a 61-yarder and a 59-yarder. With hang time. One pinned the Packers at their own seven-yard line after a penalty. The other was returned just three yards.
After what felt like a down period in camp where Baringer was not as consistent hammering the football, he came through with an excellent preseason game No. 2.
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Stock Down
Sam Roberts, DE
To find success on the defensive line, it's not uncommon for players to live right on the line of what's permitted. Roberts crossed that line on more than one occasion at Lambeau Field.
He hit Jordan Love illegally at the tail end of the quarterback's early-game scramble. Then he got into it with Packers players after the whistle. Later in the game he was flagged for an illegal hands-to-the-face penalty. The second-year player from Northwest Missouri State has been impressive at times in camp, but Saturday wasn't his best.
Andrew Stueber, OT
The second-year tackle missed all of his rookie season injured and began this summer well down the depth chart at tackle. But because of an injury to Conor McDermott, with Calvin Anderson on the non-football illness list, and with Riley Reiff moving to guard, he found himself playing left tackle early in the second quarter in front of starter Mac Jones. Soon thereafter he was beaten cleanly by Kingsley Enagbare and Jones was strip-sacked.
That's not a position Stueber should've been in -- could starter Trent Brown have lasted another few plays as Jones' left tackle? -- but it was a missed opportunity for the young lineman.
Sidy Sow, OL
Again, it may be unfair to have an inexperienced player in this category. Especially since he's being asked to play tackle after playing guard for the vast majority of his college career. Especially since he's being asked to play in front of Jones and against the best pass-rushers the Packers had active on Saturday night. But Enagbare's bull-rush in the first quarter drove Sow back into Jones' lap and helped blow up the Patriots' second drive of the game.
There's a chance Sow is the starting right tackle for this team come Week 1 -- he's been in that spot consistently for the last week -- but they'll need more steady play from him on the edge if he's going to help New England's line hold up against the deep stable of pass-rushers the Eagles will have to offer in the season-opener.