Storyline: It’s pre-season game number two for the Patriots as they host the Chicago Bears at Gillette Stadium. After a spirited two days of joint practices, the two teams appear ready to play. 

Tom Brady will make his 2016 debut tonight but the focus will once again be on Jimmy Garoppolo who played the first half last week and finished 11-18 for 168 yards. Expect Garoppolo to play two quarters with rookie back up Jacoby Brissett playing in the second half. 

The offensive line and the defense will also be focal points this week. The offensive line struggled at times last week while the defense excelled. 

It’ll be interesting to see if the line can turn it around and plays better this week or if the defense top last week’s performance. 

Here are things I’ll be watching for tonight.

1. How Long Will Brady Play? I can’t imagine Brady playing more than a couple of series, although with Bill Belichick, you never know. He might play a quarter. Either way, it’ll be interesting to see what type of playing shape Brady is in. 

2.  Can Jimmy G Build Off of Last Week: I don’t  think Garoppolo played bad last week but he certainly didn’t play well. There will plenty of things to work on this week. Garoppolo needs to find a way to build off last week’s average performance against the Saints. 

3. The Offensive Line: The offensive line struggled last week, especially Nate Solder who played for the first time in 10 months. I’m curious to see what line combinations offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia trots out there tonight as he tries to find the 7 to 8 lineman he wants to keep. 

4. Who Will Shine This Week: Last week, defensive backs Trey Flowers, Cre’von LeBlanc and Jonathan Jones shined. Who will shine this week? We’ll find out tonight which player or players gets the coaches attention and makes a push to make the team. 

5. The Receiver Battle: I’m curious to see if anyone gets the leg up tonight in the race for the fifth receiver spot. Will Malcolm Mitchell play and build off of last week’s performance? Will Aaron Dobson follow up last week’s performance with another strong performance? Tonight is yet another opportunity to provide some clarity in this camp battle.