What to watch for when Patriots kick off preseason vs. Giants
FOXBORO -- After two weeks of training camp and a dozen practices of hitting each other, the Patriots get to set their sights on someone else on Thursday night. Football is back in New England, with the Patriots opening their preseason slate against the New York Giants at Gillette Stadium.
We're still a month away from some real football, but we're getting closer. And Thursday night's preseason opener should give us somewhat of a glimpse of what is ahead.
Unfortunately, not much has gone well or looked good in camp for the offense thus far. And we may not get our first look at the actual Patriots offense for another week, with Mac Jones and most of the team's starters expected to sit out the exhibition tilt against the Giants.
That would be a big bummer, but there is plenty to watch for when the Pats get things going Thursday night.
The Offensive Line
The offensive line has been rather offensive in camp. They've struggled to block. They've struggled to open holes. They've struggled to protect quarterbacks.
It has had a frustrating trickle down to the rest of the offense. The struggles of the line and offense as a whole prompted David Andrews to call an offense-only meeting after Monday's practice, and the long-time captain was extremely fired up as he addressed the team.
Andrews at center is the only continuity along the line from last season. Isaiah Wynn is likely moving from left to right tackle, with Trent Brown moving from right to left. Ted Karras is gone, with rookie first-round pick Cole Strange getting thrown right into the fire at left guard. Shaq Mason is also gone, leaving Michael Onwenu to take over at right guard.
Pass protection hasn't been great in camp, and the line has had issues in New England's new zone-blocking scheme. Add in Matt Patricia coaching the offensive line for the first time -- ever -- while also potentially handling offensive play-calling duties, and it's going to be a long and interesting (and potentially frustrating) season for the Patriots O-Line.
Maybe things will look better in game action, when there's an actual opponent on the other side and instincts take over. Or, maybe it's for the best that Mac doesn't play just yet...
The New Guys
There's a bunch of them, but the two we're most intrigued about catch passes. It'd be nice to see new receivers DeVante Parker and Tyquan Thornton in game action on Thursday night, as both have been rare bright spots on offense over the last few weeks.
Parker gives the Pats a veteran receiver who can go up and get the ball. Thornton is a rookie who has some absolutely blazing speed and he's been turning heads (and breaking ankles) in camp.
And since Mac may be a spectator, we should get an extended look at fourth-round pick Bailey Zappe, who threw 62 touchdown passes and nearly hit 6,000 passing yards for Western Kentucky last season.
Strange is also on the list, considering he'll be starting in Week 1, and rookie corners Marcus Jones and Jack Jones could be in line for some serious playing time during the season.
We'll also be looking to see what Mack Wilson can bring to the linebacking corps after being acquired from Cleveland for Chase Winovich.
And how about a new old guy making his return to the Patriots? We'll save that for the next section.
Big Question At Corner
J.C. Jackson is gone, leaving Jalen Mills to take over as the No. 1 corner. He played well at the end of his first season in New England last year, but he didn't look like a top corner. Maybe that will change after a year in the system.
But the big question is who will be the No. 2 corner opposite Mills. We could get an early idea if the first team defense takes the field Thursday. Veterans Malcolm Butler (welcome back) and Terrance Mitchell are competing for the gig, with Mitchell picking off a pair of passes in camp so far. The two Joneses could also make a case for a shot opposite Mills.
The Pass-Catching Back
We know that Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson will lead the charge out of the backfield. But with James White announcing his retirement on Thursday, the Patriots have no clear-cut pass-catching running back.
That will start to get sorted out in the coming weeks. Ty Montgomery, Pierre Strong, Kevin Harris and J.J. Taylor are all vying for time out of the backfield, and showing off their ability to haul in a wheel route and break some tackles will certainly help their cause.
Tune in to Thursday's Patriots-Giants preseason game on WBZ-TV -- the flagship station of the New England Patriots! Pregame coverage begins at 6:30pm with Patriots GameDay, kickoff is set for just after 7pm, and after the game stay tuned to Patriots 5th Quarter!
