6 things to watch for in Patriots’ preseason opener vs. Washington

After weeks of coaching camp, Mike Vrabel and the Patriots will lastly kick off preseason motion on Friday night time after they tackle the Washington Commanders at Gillette Stadium. Kick-off is about for 7:30 p.m.

Past Tom Brady’s statue unveiling in Foxborough forward of the sport, there ought to be lots to maintain tabs on as New England appears to be like to set the foundations for what may very well be a bounce-back marketing campaign in 2025.

Right here’s six storylines value following on Friday night time.

Who will play?

It stays to be seen simply what number of of New England’s anticipated starters will take to the sphere on Friday — or log greater than just some snaps through the crew’s preseason opener. 

Washington head coach Dan Quinn famous Wednesday that Commanders star QB Jayden Daniels is not going to play on Friday after getting loads of his reps throughout Wednesday’s joint apply in Foxborough.

Vrabel, however, mentioned well being may be the lone determinant as to which gamers will see motion for the Patriots. 

“I’d say most everyone that’s wholesome ought to anticipate to play within the recreation. How lengthy they’ll play, I don’t know,” Vrabel mentioned Wednesday. “However we’ve got to organize to play in soccer video games and put together to win soccer video games. So, that’s the mentality that we’re going to take.”

Even when it’s only for a drive or two, Drake Maye expressed pleasure to shake off among the rust and see some recreation motion on Friday. 

“Yeah, I feel preseason’s a time to go on the market and get the jitters. In actual life, after I’m dwell, it’s completely different for me having the ability to get tackled and get hit. So, it’s good to go on the market and sort of really feel like dwell bullets are flying round and sort of not have that first snap of the season.”

Past how Maye fares underneath possible restricted snaps, there ought to be ample alternative for New England’s different QBs in Joshua Dobbs and Ben Wooldridge to guide a number of drives.

How will the offensive line fare?

If the Patriots need to take a significant step ahead in 2025, their offense goes to wish to indicate some semblance of stability. 

They could have the quarterback in Maye, but it surely stays to be seen if the crew has the personnel in place to maintain the second-year QB off the turf. 

Friday ought to mark the primary trial by hearth for a Patriots offensive line that has some potential — but additionally a number of query marks concerning inexperience and a dearth of depth.

New England’s rookies ought to get some prolonged run on Friday, headlined by beginning left deal with Will Campbell. It’s been an up-and-down camp for Campbell to date, however the fourth general decide within the 2025 NFL Draft bounced again with a powerful exhibiting throughout crew drills towards Washington on Wednesday.

Protecting the pocket clear and steering stress away from Maye, Dobbs, and Wooldridge can be one other welcome step ahead for Campbell.

Rookie guard/heart Jared Wilson also needs to have an awesome alternative to construct off a powerful camp with reps subsequent to Campbell at left guard, whereas 2025 seventh-round decide Marcus Bryant ought to cut up reps with Demontrey Jacobs at proper deal with — particularly with veteran Morgan Moses possible dominated out.

One space to maintain tabs on is the middle place, as Ben Brown leapfrogged veteran Garrett Bradbury and earned first-team reps throughout a number of stretches of Wednesday’s apply.

Which wideouts can struggle their means off the roster bubble?

At this stage of the preseason, the one Patriots huge receivers who’ve seemingly secured a spot on the Week 1 roster are Stefon Diggs, DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins, and Kayshon Boutte. 

Getting these 4 some snaps can be a welcome sight (particularly Diggs), though it’s unclear how a lot they are going to be utilized in a preseason opener. 

The actual competitors is brewing additional down on the depth chart, as a number of wideouts are desperately attempting to make a case to keep away from the looming roster cuts that await.

Specifically, 2024 picks Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker want to start out stacking collectively sturdy days of camp in the event that they need to proceed enjoying in New England. Baker has began to pop a bit extra in apply, even incomes some first-team reps throughout Tuesday’s walkthrough, however Polk has been very quiet this week. 

With Kendrick Bourne sidelined on account of harm, each Polk and Baker may transfer previous him on the depth chart by making a number of performs on Friday. 

His spot on the roster is safe, however 2025 third-round decide Kyle Williams may additionally transfer previous a quiet week of camp with a bounce-back effort on Friday.

Can the Patriots restrict turnovers? 

Vrabel wasn’t thrilled on Monday when requested a few turnover-heavy scrimmage final Friday through the Patriots’ in-stadium apply. 

“Yeah, the turnovers — I assumed we did some actually good issues, tried to indicate them that,” Vrabel mentioned. “The turnovers are actually going to get us beat. We had some passes that ought to have been caught.

“We had some – I’d say, choices, proper? I feel.  … And Rhamondre, while you make an awesome minimize and also you break by, know that each crew within the league, and hopefully ours is a type of groups, that the blokes are coming to the ball they usually’re going to come back and hammer it they usually’re going to play full tilt to the deal with. “

Given the clear deficiencies nonetheless current on New England’s roster, the Patriots can’t play with hearth this season and switch the ball over in essential conditions — a flaw that was prevalent all through a pair of four-win seasons in 2023 and 2024. 

Past Maye’s decision-making on Friday towards the Commanders protection, there will likely be loads of eyes on prime working again Rhamondre Stevenson, who coughed up a fumble last week and was knocked for seven of them in 2024. 

Given how reliant the Patriots will likely be on the run recreation this season, New England wants its No. 1 again to carry onto the ball — or run the danger of getting his beginning spot supplanted by dynamic rookie TreVeyon Henderson.  

The kicker competitors

It’s been a neck-and-neck race for the beginning kicker spot between rookie Andy Borregales and veteran John Parker Romo.

Wednesday’s joint apply marked the primary time both kicker missed a field-goal try in shut to 2 weeks, with Romo going 3-for-4 on his makes an attempt. Borregales — chosen within the sixth spherical of the 2025 NFL Draft — went 4-for-4 on makes an attempt between 33 and 52 yards.

Each Romo and Borregales have been spectacular out of the gate, with Borregales possible the chief within the clubhouse for the beginning position, given the draft capital New England spent so as to add him to the crew. 

Nonetheless, that beginning spot may come all the way down to which kicker fares the perfect throughout preseason motion.

Can New England’s backup corners proceed to impress?

With beginning corners Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis sidelined by accidents, all eyes will likely be on how New England’s subsequent crop of corners maintain up transferring ahead, particularly in the event that they’re thrust into elevated roles as soon as regular-season play begins. 

DJ James has been one of many prime gamers to date throughout camp, with the previous Seahawks 2024 sixth-round decide inflicting loads of complications throughout 11-on-11 drills with sticky protection and a number of move breakups. 

Alex Austin can be coming off of a powerful efficiency on Wednesday towards Washington, batting down a move from Jayden Daniels ultimately zone to maintain a Commanders landing off the board. 

With Marcellas Dial now sidelined for the yr with a torn ACL, New England’s depth chart is already getting examined within the secondary. A few of these fears will likely be alleviated if backups like Austin and James can proceed to indicate out. 

 

Conor Ryan is a employees author protecting the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Pink Sox for Boston.com, a task he has held since 2023.