FOXBORO, Massachusetts — As a head coach, Jerod Mayo acknowledged that he will be thrilled to be on the well-known Gillette Stadium sideline on Thursday night.
Yes, he is aware that this is only an exhibition and that the New England Patriots will play three preseason games before opening the regular season in Cincinnati the following month. It is, however, his first game in charge of the team.
Mayo also realized that players, particularly those on the bubble for a roster spot or searching for playing time, are the real focus of this type of game.
So before the Patriots host the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night, here are eight players to watch in the game.
Let us begin with the most apparent. On Thursday, Maye will play in his first NFL preseason games. Furthermore, since he grew up watching and supporting the Panthers, it will have even more significance for him.
More importantly, it is a fantastic chance for him to show off his big-play skills and athleticism, which have been neglected during training camp.
Although he has not exactly starred, the Patriots defense has been working to minimize big plays, make him analyze the opposition’s plan, and push him to take checkdowns. He can not be touched by the defense because of his crimson jersey, which limits his ability to scramble.
That all changes on Thursday night, and he has a great opportunity to get past some early-camp setbacks.
.@DrakeMaye2 looking like a Road to Glory bot 😂@JBrissett12 | @EASPORTSCollege pic.twitter.com/ir5ehdob1M
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) August 3, 2024
Despite Chukwuma Okorafor’s absence from recent practices (he is unlikely to play on Thursday night), third-round rookie Wallace has continued to be a part of the second-team offense.
However, he should see a lot of playing time on Thursday. Wallace has a limited amount of time to establish himself as the starting quarterback, so he needs to perform well against the Panthers. Mayo stated that he expects the team’s front five to be largely established by the second preseason game.
Despite not being the team’s most dependable wide receiver, the rookie has produced the most spectacular plays. And that has been a much-needed boost for a squad that finished last in the NFL in terms of big plays a year ago.
However, Baker has also had a history of careless errors and occasional drops. People in the organization are now curious to see how he applies their coaching principles in a game setting. For Thursday to be successful, he does not need to come down with several receptions, but a huge downfield grab would be a great moment and would further propel him up the depth chart.
Running backs
There are many other running backs that could use a strong performance, so there is no need to single out one. Antonio Gibson and Rhamondre Stevenson are unlikely to get much action, but there is a lot of rivalry for the No. 3 spot behind them.
The majority of opportunities will likely go to Kevin Harris, although Ja’Mycal Hasty should see several carries. One of those would allow the Pats to win the game hands-down.
Despite being a surprising starter on the defensive line, he has been a little quieter in camp than you might expect. Ekuale will fill the role most akin to Christian Barmore’s now that Barmore is absent for an extended period of time, ideally pursuing the passer from the interior.
If he struggles against the run, that is acceptable. The Patriots are aware of his areas of strength. All they want to see on Thursday night is him going after the quarterback.
At the close of the previous season, he performed well enough in the background to draw criticism from the coaching staff. They now want to find out if Austin can develop into a dependable NFL cornerback or if that was an anomaly.
Despite having a strong training camp, he is boxed out of a top-three spot behind Marcus Jones, Jonathan Jones, and Christian Gonzalez. Nevertheless, the No. 4 cornerback position is still crucial because all three of those players have struggled with injuries in the last year. Austin’s job is currently to fail.
In contrast to Wallace, Lowe has benefited greatly from Okorafor’s injury and has started the previous several practices at left tackle.
The O-line is still far from decided. Throughout training camp, the Patriots have often used various rotations, namely at the tackle spots, so Lowe will still need to perform well to maintain his position. However, he has a significant opportunity and is ranked higher on the depth chart than Wallace when he reports on Thursday.
Even if this training camp has been the greatest of the former second-round pick’s professional career, Week 1 is still a long way off. For Thornton, it was never about how he appeared in full-team or seven-on-seven drills in late July.
Maintaining his health and translating his achievements onto the field have been his problems. He needs to stay healthy and continue playing the way he has been playing lately on Thursday. With what he described as a “soft-tissue injury,” Thornton was limited at practice on Tuesday, so it is uncertain if he will even play against the Panthers.
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(Photo: Eric Canha / USA Today)
