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5 things to watch for during the Patriots’ preseason finale against the Giants
Thursday's contest marks the end of the preseason. Here's what to keep an eye on.
Rejoice, football fans. The Patriots’ regular-season opener is less than three weeks away.
New England will close out the preseason on Thursday in New Jersey against the Giants, and there’s plenty to keep an eye on in that game.
The Patriots enter the preseason finale 2-0 under head coach Mike Vrabel.
Rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson has been stellar, scoring in both games with a kick return for touchdown in the opener and a 9-yard rush last week against Minnesota.
Undrafted rookie receiver Efton Chism has been one of the biggest storylines of the preseason, snagging a pair of touchdown catches and putting himself in the conversation about who should make the 53-man roster.
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Don’t expect to see much of those two, or quarterback Drake Maye either. Here are five things to keep an eye on, instead, as the preseason wraps up.
The middle of the offensive line
Pencil in Will Campbell, the No. 4 overall pick, as the starter at left tackle. He has earned high grades for his performances over the first two preseason games, and there isn’t much for him to prove Thursday night.
Morgan Moses, 34, hasn’t played a single snap in the preseason yet, so don’t watch for him.
Keep an eye out for the interior of the offensive line. Center has been a question mark with veteran Garrett Bradbury leading the way. Botched snaps have been prevalent in practice. The Patriots have given Cole Strange and Ben Brown opportunities to mix in at center.
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Left guard has been a bit of a struggle. Rookie Jared Wilson has been the starter for most of camp. He struggled in the preseason opener and played with the second team last week as he worked his way back from a minor injury.
Mike Onwenu is as solid as it gets for this team at right guard, but the depth at both guard spots has been shaky.
Keep an eye on the pressure (or lack thereof) coming up the middle.
Veterans playing late
One of the more intriguing storylines this season has been veteran players who were valued contributors to this team not too long ago, playing late in these preseason games.
Kyle Dugger and Anfernee Jennings made big plays in the second half last week, but having them out there at all was surprising. The Patriots are reportedly open to trading both players.
As cutdown day creeps closer, keep an eye out for veterans who typically wouldn’t be out there in the second half of preseason games.
It’s usually not a good sign for their prospects of making the team.
The return game
Credit to special teams coach Jeremy Springer, lightning-quick return men Henderson and Marcus Jones, and all the blockers here: The Patriots’ kick and punt return teams units have looked great so far.
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Henderson’s 100-yard return against Washington set the tone.
Jones looked like he had only the punter to beat on a 37-yard return last week. Jeremiah Webb almost broke a kick return for a touchdown.
New England’s returners have been explosive during this preseason, and whether that stays the same or changes could be noteworthy.
Life on the EDGE
The Patriots appear deeper at the EDGE rusher spots than they were last season with the additions of Harold Landry and K’Lavon Chaisson.
Add in an improved Keion White to the mix, along with rookie Bradyn Swinson as well as 25-year-old Truman Jones, and this Patriots’ pass-rush could be interesting.
Jennings had three sacks last week, but he’s an established and productive veteran who was going against players who won’t be starting for Minnesota.
New England’s depth at this spot seems like it’s on the verge of squeezing Jennings out, but Vrabel noted Jennings’s competitiveness and production despite the roster crunch at his position.
New England had one of the least-productive pass-rushes in the league last year, so bringing pressure off the edge will be a key factor for them.
Here’s the kicker
This might be the last opportunity for Andy Borregales to catch Parker Romo in the kicker battle.
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Romo hasn’t missed a kick over the first two games, and he nailed a 57-yarder which could prove to be a separator between him and the competition.
Borregales, whom the Patriots drafted in the sixth-round, has made two of his three field-goal attempts with the only miss coming from 50-plus yards.
The competition has been tight during practices, but if we’re going off of what happened in the games, Romo has a slight upper hand.\
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