FOXBORO, Massachusetts — The only combined practice the New England Patriots had at training camp was a difficult one for the offense. Yes, the defense held its own, but the offensive production was so poor that it might potentially overshadow any gains the defense made this season.
Still, it was only one session vs the highly skilled Philadelphia Eagles. The offense undoubtedly listened to coaches all afternoon and evening on Tuesday and Wednesday regarding its shortcomings and potential improvements. Now that they are in their second of three preseason games—the game in which teams typically play their starters the longest—the Patriots will want to improve on their performance on the field.
With all of that, the Patriots’ game against the Eagles at Gillette Stadium on Thursday night will serve as a crucial yardstick. This is what I plan to watch during the game.
This or That: New England vs. Philly 🔥
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The offensive operation
Alright, so we already know that the Patriots’ offensive line is not very strong. This will not be a really good unit.
Alex Van Pelt, the coordinator, and his team cannot afford to be penalized often and find themselves in second- and third-and-long situations in light of this. Simply said, New England lacks the skill to overcome flags that cause the ball to be moved back.
However, it is precisely what has occurred thus far. During the first 17 plays of the preseason game against the Carolina Panthers, the offense was penalized four times. In addition to holding fouls and offensive pass interference against the Eagles, Mike Onwenu, Chukwuma Okarafor, and Sidy Sow—three separate starters on the offensive line—all committed false starts. Additionally, the group had to reconvene once due to a misunderstanding.
It was already going to be a struggle for this offense to consistently move the ball, and it will be even harder if it’s regularly forced back due to penalties.
Even if the offense struggles on Thursday night, all I want to watch is if the Patriots can string together a few clean series while avoiding a lot of penalties and careless errors.
Drake Maye’s performance
After seeing the backlash against the team for not playing Drake Maye for more than six snaps in the preseason opener, coach Jerod Mayo took notice. Mayo stated that he will approach things differently this time.
It is estimated that Maye will receive around two complete quarters. That will provide a far better indication of the rookie’s situation.
A big part of Maye’s appeal as a prospect is also his athleticism, which will be interesting to watch on Thursday since he will probably need to scramble a lot (especially considering the offensive line performances we have witnessed thus far). It brings us to the following:
Offensive line play
Tuesday’s offensive line practice against the Eagles was the worst I have ever witnessed from a front five. It does not matter what they try; pass protection and the run game both fail to produce results.
The players recognize its badness. It was horrible, and the coaches know it. How then do they react? We will witness that on Thursday night.
On a deeper level, I’m curious to watch three players in particular.
Vederian Lowe is the first one. Despite starting the last week as the starting left tackle, he has been the glaring weak link among the starters. He must improve.
The other one? Wallace Caedan. Wallace, a rookie selected in the third round, is most likely to start in Lowe’s place if he is to be replaced. Although he has not been good enough to warrant a starting position, Wallace appears to be the player with greater upside that you see starting in the long run, thus the drop off from Lowe does not seem to be that big.
Lastly, I am interested to watch Layden Robinson’s progress. Robinson performed admirably in the preseason opener despite being selected in the fourth round, according to Mayo. In order to strengthen the significant weakness there, the Patriots may think about shifting him to the starting right guard position if he performs well, kicking Mike Onwenu outside to tackle (even though Onwenu is slightly worse as a lineman).
A No. 3 wide receiver
Both Demario Douglas and Ja’Lynn Polk had excellent boot camps. Both of them are good targets and should have substantial roles to play provided they can maintain their fitness.
But the Patriots need a different wide receiver to step up because Kendrick Bourne seems like he might miss the season opener.
After a lackluster camp, K.J. Osborn is perhaps the most likely candidate for the major role behind those two, but things are far from decided. Despite his strong play, Tyquan Thornton has had trouble carrying over his preseason success into the regular season. Javon Baker has been patchy, but he has also had some wonderful moments. Jalen Reagor is the same. Like all of these receivers, Kayshon Boutte is likely currently outside the roster bubble, but he should have plenty of opportunities on Thursday to advance into the No. 3 receiving spot.
Which cornerback steps up?
The Patriots are more concerned with whether the top cornerback group on the depth chart can remain healthy than with how it appears. Marcus Jones missed fifteen games last season due to injury. Jonathan Jones, who turned 31 this season, missed time due to ankle and knee ailments sustained the previous season despite having stayed healthy thus far in his career.
With Marco Wilson and Alex Austin behind them, the Patriots feel pretty confident about their depth. On Thursday, Wilson will most likely receive the first opportunity, most likely with the starting. However, once Jonathan Jones is healed, a lot of their play will determine who comes off the bench as the starting cornerback.
(Photo of Drake Maye: Eric Canha / USA Today)
