Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire

The Patriots will wrap up training camp today with a joint practice against the Philadelphia Eagles. The two teams are scheduled to face off on Thursday night at Gillette Stadium in the second preseason game.

Here are five things we will be watching for in today’s joint practice.

1. Drake Maye vs. the Eagles defense: Philadelphia’s defense will present a stiff test for Maye. It will be interesting to see if in fact he reps with the first unit both in group and team periods. Maye has shown steady improvement in training camp and a good showing today would give him and the coaching staff more confidence in terms of his development.

2. Eagles running game vs. the Patriots front seven: The Eagles have one of the top running Ames in the NFL. Head Coach Nick Siriani and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore did a great job of scheming up the running game. The addition of former Giants running back Saquon Barkley also helps. He is poised for a big season statistically. The Patriots front seven was dominant last week against Carolina was the Eagles will present a much stiffer test today and in the game on Thursday. 

3. A.J Brown vs. Christian Gonzalez: Gonzalez has had a rough camp thus far. You hope matching up against a receiver like Brown will motivate him and bring out the best in him. I am looking forward to seeing them match-up, especially in red zone situations. Gonzalez has to step up today and look like the number one corner the Patriots think he is. 

4. Battle of the trenches: I am looking forward to seeing Lane Johnson versus Matthew Judon and other edge rusher, offensive tackle match-up. I also want to see how the Patriots offensive line will fare against a talent Eagles defensive line. A defensive line this is well built and coached. The Patriots offense could be in for a long day if they do not come ready to compete. 

5. Fight watch: We all know what happened two years ago when the Carolina Panthers were in town for joint practices. It was a disaster as practice was stopped several times over fighting, including one fight that spilled into the crowd. I think both coaching staffs are going to make a more concerted effort to keep the practice on schedule and to limit the nonsense, especially after the whistle. 

Joint practices can be a valuable tool in helping a team get ready for the regular season. They can also be detrimental if fights break out and the practice need to constantly stopped. The Patriots can get a lot out of today’s practice if both teams focus on football and not fisticuffs.