Love impresses in second preseason game, Packers and Patriots game suspended in 4th due to injury
FIRST ALERT UPDATE: Isaiah Bolden released from hospital and will travel home with his team
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WSAW) - Jordan Love recovered from an early fumble to throw a touchdown as the Packers and Patriots preseason game was suspended prematurely when Patriots player Isaiah Bolden was carted off the game on a stretcher. The Patriots released a statement saying he had feeling in all his extremities and was taken to a local hospital for further tests and observation.
“There’s a lot of good work we had over the last couple of days, but it’s hard to think about much of that,” said Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. “Just hoping that young man is going to be okay.”
After Love and the offense fumbled a snap on the opening possession to allow New England to score, Love finished his night 5/8 with 83 yards and one touchdown.
In addition, rookie kicker Anders Carlson hit a 52-yard field goal at the end of the first half for his second field goal of the preseason. He is 2/2 in-game action so far.
Another notable performance was Kingsley Enagbare, who is battling for the outside linebacker spot while Rashan Gary recovers from his ACL injury. Enagbare had two sacks, including a strip sack and fumble recovery. Backup quarterback Sean Clifford was 13/19 with 137 yards.
RECAP:
The Packers’ offense opened the game with the ball and struggled on the first drive. After finding trouble moving the ball, an errant snap from center Josh Myers sailed past Jordan Love and was recovered by the Patriots.
The Patriots would score on the ensuing possession after a pass interference call on Carrington Valentine inside the ten-yard line gave the Patriots a new set of downs. Rhamondre Stevenson scored on a short one-yard run to give New England a 7-0 lead.
After the two sides traded punts, Love finally got his big play on a 42-yard completion to Romeo Doubs near the sideline. It was initially ruled incomplete but overturned after a challenge.
Later in the drive, Love threw a pinpoint pass to rookie Jayden Reed for a 19-yard touchdown, completing a five-play, 93-yard drive. Jordon Love and the offense did not return to the field after three offensive possessions.
Mac Jones and the Patriots were looking for a response when Kingsley Enagbare strip-sacked Mac Jones and recovered the fumble. It was Enagbare’s second sack of the game.
The Sean Clifford-led Packers offense drove 62 yards down the field for their second straight touchdown drive, with Patrick Taylor scoring the touchdown on an eight-yard run.
Just before the half concluded, Patriots backup quarterback Bailey Zappe hit Kayshon Boutte on a slant route for a 44-yard touchdown, tying the game.
However, Clifford and the offense drove the team into field goal position, and rookie kicker Anders Carlson hit a 52-yard field goal to give the Packers at halftime. Carlson has been struggling in practice during training camp.
Both offense’s struggled in the second half. Each team punted on their opening possessions of the half. However, a long Patriots drive that took up 8:49 saw them drive 88 yards for a touchdown. Zappe scrambled for a six-yard touchdown run to vault New England in front.
The game abruptly ended prematurely after Isaiah Bolden was carted off the game on a stretcher.
The New England Patriots posted on social media an update on Isaiah Bolden’s condition.
Bolden was held overnight at a local hospital in Green Bay for observation.
On Sunday, the Patriots shared that Bolden has been released from the hospital and will travel back with the team.
A statement from the team reads:
“After undergoing a series of evaluations and being held for overnight observations, Patriots cornerback Isaiah Bolden has been released from the Aurora Bay Medical Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he was transported to after sustaining an on-field injury in the fourth quarter of Saturday night’s preseason game between the New England Patriots and the Green Bay Packers. Isaiah will travel with the team today. We thank the medical staff at Aurora Bay Medical Center for their overnight evaluations, as well as the Patriots and Packers medical staffs for their immediate on-field response and care in transporting Isaiah to a nearby hospital. Due to the circumstances surrounding the abrupt and unexpected ending to last night’s game, the Patriots will return to Foxborough today. The joint practices that were scheduled with the Tennessee Titans on Tuesday and Wednesday are cancelled. The team will train in Foxborough this week and fly to Nashville on Thursday for Friday night’s game.”
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