The Patriots have held 11 practices in training camp so far, but players have really been looking forward to Wednesday's session. For the last two weeks, they've only been able to hit each other on the practice field, in addition to taking some hits from the coaching staff in drills.

That will all change Wednesday, when Patriots players will finally get to lay some licks on someone other than their teammates. On the 12th day of camp, the Washington Commanders will be in Foxboro for a joint practice behind Gillette Stadium.

The Pats and the Commanders will have just one joint practice ahead of Friday night's preseason opener at Gillette Stadium. Coaches love the joint sessions because they can control most of the action while still having players do their thing in a simulated game setting. Players love it because they get to lay some real, actual hits ahead of the exhibition slate. 

"It's going to be really good for us," safety Kyle Dugger said of the joint session Tuesday. "It's really good to compete against someone else and see different things we haven't seen yet. It will be really good to sharpen our tools."

But aside from the violence players will get to experience (or dish out) on the field, Wednesday will be an important measuring stick day for the Patriots. The Commanders were one win away from making the Super Bowl last season, and are poised to make another deep run with a loaded roster that includes top talent on both sides of the ball. The Commanders of last season are essentially what the Patriots want to be; a team with a talented young quarterback with developing weapons around him, and a strong defense that makes opposing teams work for every yard.

It was during last year's joint practice with the Eagles where New England's lack of talent -- especially compared to Philadelphia's -- became crystal clear. This year's joint session with the Commanders will be a good indication of where the Patriots are compared to one of the best teams in the NFC ahead of the regular season.

"Anytime you get a playoff team that comes and practices against you, we're playing to see how we measure up," Jabrill Peppers said Tuesday. "It's a great opportunity for us."

For the New England offense, Drake Maye will get to go against a solid Washington defense. We'll see what Will Campbell can offer at left tackle, and how the rest of the offensive line shakes out. We might also get to see how Maye's crowded receiving corps matches up against a secondary they don't see every day, and whether Rhamondre Stevenson can hold onto the football against another defense. If not, we should see plenty of rookie TreVeyon Henderson out of the New England backfield.

As for the Patriots defense, they'll have to go up against the talented and versatile Jayden Daniels, which is still no small task even if it's the practice version of the reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

"It's a very different style of offense," linebacker Christian Elliss said of the Commanders. "You have to worry about the QB run game, you have to worry about the option. It's something I'm excited about; it reminds me of college ball almost. It's just different."

For players battling for a spot on the roster, Wednesday's practice is their best chance to impress coaches ahead of Friday's preseason game. Coaches put the joint practices on the same level as -- if not slightly above -- preseason games, so players on the bubble need to show out and make the most of their opportunity.

"The advice on joint practice is to treat them like games," said third-year defensive end Truman Jones, who will participate in his first-ever joint practice on Wednesday. "Another team is coming into our stadium, our facility, so take that very seriously. ... I'm preparing for it like I would a game or any preseason game."

Any fisticuffs expected between Patriots-Commanders?

While joint practices bring about some great competition, they also tend to bring out a lot of emotion. That emotion occasionally leads to some extracaricular post-whistle activities among players, which is when tempers begin to flare and punches might fly.

New England behaved in last season's joint practice, but two years ago the Patriots and the Packers engaged in several bouts during a joint session in Green Bay. Vrabel wants his team to practice like it's going to play on Sundays, but that also means he doesn't want to see any dumb, unnecessary penalties that could cost the Patriots 15 yards. 

Players who fight during joint sessions are usually given the boot and sent to the showers early. The Patriots aren't anticipating any fisticuffs on Wednesday, but you never know when guys are trying to make plays and jobs are potentially on the line.

"I know from experience – it's usually teams going right out the gate or on the second day. We only have one day with them, so hopefully we can keep it about football and I think both teams will walk off happy," Elliss said Tuesday.

Saying hello to some old friends

While the competition should be fierce Wednesday, the Patriots will welcome back a few old friends in Jonathan Jones and Deatrich Wise. Both were team captains last season and won Super Bowl rings during their time in New England, but signed with the Commanders over the offseason.

"I'll be watching close when their defense is out there," Dugger said of his former teammates. "Maybe a little bit of trash talk. But it's all love though."