Image courtesy of ESPN
Kickoff: Finally, the end of the preseason. Now, in fairness, the last few years without Brady have made the preseasons far more interesting than when he was here – those Brady preseasons were absolutely useless – but I think the players, coaches, fans and media are all ready for real football. Once tonight’s game against the Titans (8:15 start) concludes, we’ll be on the road to Week 1.
1st Down: There’s a few questions that still need to be answered tonight. First and foremost, what do they do at receiver? Does Kayshon Boutte make the team? Demario Douglas is probably a lock at this point and since he was injured during the week, don’t expect to see him in this game. The other rookie on the other hand, he’s got a chance to lock up a spot with another good performance. Douglas has passed Tyquan Thornton on the depth chart, but if Thornton is banged up still and can’t play tonight, I think the Pats find a way to keep him around whether it be IR or something else. They’re not going to admit failure on a pick that quickly. Boutte is probably the only guy that can still show off in this final preseason game. Ty Montgomery returned this week but hasn’t practiced much, I doubt we see him tonight too, but I do think he ends up on the roster.
2nd Down: Another interesting spot is the third tight end role. Is it Matt Sokol or Anthony Firkser? Both guys should get plenty of run tonight with (maybe?) Bailey Zappe and (definitely) Trace McSorley. For our purpose, we’re hoping the Harvard Man makes the team, but Sokol hasn’t really done anything to not get the job, Both guys are good blockers and have shown they can catch when given the opportunity. It’ll be interesting to see how much each guy plays tonight and in what scenarios.
3rd Down: Can Kevin Harris or JJ Taylor maintain a spot? Luckily for both of them, Pierre Strong hasn’t done much lately and with Zeke joining the team, it’s a crowded backfield. Stevenson, Zeke, then who? That’s the question New England needs to answer. JJ Taylor always finds a way to stick around it seems. Don’t forget about guys like Malik Cunningham – who could see a ton of different roles on Friday night – and CJ Marable could push for a practice squad spot if he has a big performance.
4th Down: Speaking of Cunningham, it’ll be fascinating to see how much they try and have him do tonight, or if Bill Belichick and Bill O’Brien let him get more reps at QB. I have a feeling they won’t want to show a ton of that in a meaningless game, which means we’ll see more of him at receiver, possibly coming out of the backfield and on special teams. My ideal scenario for him in two or three years is that he can be what Kordell Stewart was when he first came in the league before the Steelers ruined him, but right now it’s hard to justify giving him one of the 53 spots. Practice squad? Maybe.
Extra Point: Fittingly, we left the kicker and punter competition for our “extra point.” It’s a true tossup between Nick Folk and Chad Ryland at this point based on the opportunities they’ve been given throughout camp and the other preseason games. Many think the team will keep two kickers. I wouldn’t hate it, but at this point, Ryland clearly has the bigger (albeit not always accurate) leg and the team also spent a fourth round draft pick on him. Keep your eyes on them tonight, that’s arguably the biggest battle on the team. Next in line would be the punter competition. I’m still a believer that Bill Belichick will ultimately go with the lefty in Corliss Waitman, but Bryce Baringer has a ridiculous leg and both guys have had good and bad days this summer. Who would’ve thought special teams could be this fun?
Final Drive: All in all, after last year’s summer disaster this has been a very good camp for the team. The O-line injuries are worrisome, but with Onwenu returning this past week to practice there’s hope. With two weeks to go until the opener, there’s reason to believe if that unit is healthy, then this offense can put up points. The defense should be Top 5 bare minimum. This team is going to be better than people think.
Prediction: No prediction for this one. It’s the last preseason game. A score literally does not matter. Just get out healthy and let’s start looking ahead to Brady Day and the opener with Philly on September 10th.