Patriots: RB Brandon Bolden remains on the bubble heading into final cuts

A look at how a few bubble players for the Patriots fared against the Giants on Wednesday night.

By Nick Underhill

Aug 30, 2012 at 1:07 am ET • 1 min read

Brandon Bolden gave it everything he had. He worked hard, listened to instruction and performed on the field. The New England Patriots' undrafted running back proved that he can play at this level and believes he should survive Friday's final roster cut, but he'll still be able to sleep at night if he happens to get clipped.

"I know that I left it all out there," Bolden told reporters after Wednesday's 6-3 loss to the Giants. "Just giving 110 (percent), as much as I could. Just trying to make it work."

Bolden was a mix of good and bad against the Giants. Serving as the primary back during the first half, he ran for 59 yards on 15 carries behind a makeshift offensive line compiled of second- and third-string players.

But he also fumbled a second-quarter punt, shining a light on the ball-protection issues that plagued Bolden throughout camp. It may not matter, though, since he wouldn't be asked to serve in that capacity during the regular season.

"I had big expectations for myself," Bolden said. "It was just going in and trying to maximize every opportunity, each and every time."

He'll soon find out if it was enough.

Here's a look at a few other players fighting for roster spots fared against the Giants:

DE Jermaine Cunningham: The former second-round pick needed a big game after a somewhat inconsistent preseason. He responded with a pair of sacks on three quarterback hits and also drew a holding penalty. The performance should be enough secure a roster spot.

DE Trevor Scott: If it comes down to a decision between Cunningham and Scott, Cunningham likely comes out ahead. But Scott made sure that he was going down with a fight by recording a sack and two tackles for a loss.

LB Niko Koutouvides: Fighting for a spot as a special teamer and linebacker, Koutouvides had a strong game (eight tackles) and was responsible for leading the defensive huddle, but he suffered a wrist injury during third quarter that sent him to the locker room. If the injury proves serious, it could knock him off the final roster.