Patriots
A number of starters will not be anticipated to play, however there can be loads to observe for on Thursday evening in Foxborough.
![New England Patriots wide receiver Demario Douglas (60) makes a catch during an NFL football practice, Friday, July 28, 2023, in Foxborough, Mass.](https://bdc2020.o0bc.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Patriots_Football_43590-1-64d40891b2570-768x432.jpg)
After shut to 2 full weeks of training-camp practices, the Patriots will lastly start their preseason slate on Thursday after they host the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium. Kick-off is slated for 7 p.m.
As is custom with most preseason openers, it’s anticipated that Mac Jones and plenty of different anticipated starters won’t play towards Houston.
However even when Invoice Belichick and his employees could be digging deeper into the Patriots’ roster on Thursday, there may be nonetheless loads to maintain tabs on because the competitors to make the 53-man roster ramps up within the coming weeks.
Right here are some things to maintain tabs on in Foxborough on Thursday evening.
How will the O-line maintain up?
The state of New England’s offensive line stays probably the most urgent query going through the Patriots throughout coaching camp.
And though Mac Jones seemingly received’t be beneath heart on Thursday, how New England’s O-line fares towards an opponent can be price monitoring.
Granted, it’s robust to gauge the effectiveness of New England’s projected prime unit with so many starters out of fee.
Mike Onwenu stays on the PUP listing, whereas Cole Stange has been hampered over the past week after showing to tweak one thing throughout a blocking drill on the primary day of padded practices.
Beginning left deal with Trent Brown returned to aggressive drills on Tuesday, though he seemingly wasn’t going to get reps on Thursday anyway.
However given how skinny New England’s O-line already is, sturdy performances from rookies like Atonio Mafi, Sidy Sow, and Jake Andrews — together with second-year execs Kody Russey and Chasen Hines — ought to be famous.
The Patriots would possibly must depend on these youthful O-linemen before anticipated, given the assorted accidents which have already hindered New England’s beginning squad up entrance.
Can second-year working backs make strides?
It’s clear that the Patriots want so as to add reinforcements behind Rhamondre Stevenson, on condition that the featured again was all however run into the bottom as the focus of the group’s offense in 2022.
However with Ty Montgomery nonetheless banged up and free-agent targets like Ezekiel Elliott unsigned, these obligations are at present anticipated to fall on the shoulders of second-year backs Kevin Harris and Pierre Sturdy.
Harris has earned a heavy share of snaps on New England’s second-team offense, whereas Sturdy has loads of potential as a pass-catching, third-down again. If one (or each) of Harris and Sturdy pop throughout preseason motion, they may set themselves up for key roles behind Stevenson on the depth chart.
Will rookie wideouts proceed to construct?
It’s one factor to persistently stack good practices towards teammates throughout coaching camp.
But when rookie receivers like Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte wish to take one other main step ahead of their improvement, they should showcase their skills towards an opposing protection in an actual recreation setting.
Douglas has arguably been New England’s most constant offensive playmaker throughout camp. MassLive’s Mark Daniels tweeted on Tuesday that Douglas is the present chief in receptions to this point throughout camp with 23 — greater than different established skills like JuJu Smith-Schuster (21) and Hunter Henry (21).
Douglas’ route-running and stop-and-start acceleration have made life depressing for Patriots defensive backs throughout each 1v1 drills and aggressive, full-squad practices. Let’s see if Houston’s protection has any luck slowing down the 2023 sixth-round choose.
A fellow 2023 sixth-round choice, Boutte has come on as of late. The previous five-star recruit out of LSU has made probably the most out of added reps amid Tyquan Thronton’s prolonged stoop, reeling in one of many prime catches of coaching camp with a one-handed snag of a Malik Cunningham move on Monday.
If Douglas and Boutte proceed to make performs, each might warrant spots in what’s trying like a fairly crowded receiver room in Foxborough. For New England, that could be a great downside to have.
Will Malik Cunningham get reps at QB?
With Mac Jones seemingly sitting Thursday’s recreation out, it’s anticipated that each Bailey Zappe and Hint McSorley will see heavy reps towards Houston.
However what about Malik Cunningham?
The previous standout QB at Louisville is at present making an attempt to carve out a task in New England as a large receiver. However over the previous few practices, the 24-year-old Cunningham has taken increasingly more snaps again at his standard place at quarterback.
Maybe the Patriots had been simply utilizing Cunningham as a scout-team possibility as they ready for Houston. However Cunningham’s athleticism and dual-threat capabilities give New England’s QB grouping an added dynamic that has popped throughout his restricted time beneath heart at coaching camp.
If New England actually desires to see what they’ve in a participant like Cunningham, Thursday would possibly stand as their greatest shot.
How will the protection matchup towards C.J. Stroud?
Though a number of the standard suspects on protection seemingly aren’t going to swimsuit up on Thursday, New England’s second-team protection and youthful contributors ought to have a tricky take a look at in entrance of them in Houston QB C.J. Stroud.
Stroud, drafted by the Texans with the second-overall choose within the 2023 NFL Draft, is a poised pocket passer who routinely carried out an aerial assault throughout his two years as Ohio State’s QB1.
Search for rookies like CB Isaiah Bolden and DE Keion White to get loads of probabilities to try to gradual Stroud down.
Fellow 2023 draft choose Marte Mapu has routinely stood out throughout coaching camp as a first-team linebacker, nevertheless it stays to be seen if he can be cleared to play on Thursday.
Mapu has participated in each minicamp and all of coaching camp whereas carrying a pink, non-contact jersey following offseason surgical procedure to restore a torn pectoral muscle.
Can Tyquan Thornton begin to assert himself?
Rookies like Douglas and Boutte will attempt to proceed to raise their rising inventory on Thursday evening throughout recreation motion.
Second-year wideout Tyquan Thornton goes to try to acquire some much-needed traction in what has been a largely disappointing camp to this point.
Even together with his elite pace, Thornton has struggled to make an influence throughout aggressive drills in camp. The 2022 second-round choose has spent most of follow with Zappe and the second-team offense.
Considerations over Thornton’s body (6-foot-2, 185 kilos) and skill to battle via contact will proceed to linger till he exhibits that he can persistently separate himself from defensive backs and get open.
A powerful exhibiting on Thursday towards Houston can be a much-needed step in the fitting route.
Who will get a leg up in kicking competitors?
Rookie Chad Ryland and incumbent kicker Nick People have traded probabilities (or, properly … kicks) all through camp to this point, and count on issues to ramp up between the 2 particular teamers on Thursday.
Though People — New England’s go-to kicker since 2019 — has been very regular in his position, Ryland gives the next ceiling on the place due to his superior leg energy.
As long as the 2023 fourth-round choose can keep away from severe lapses in execution, one has to assume that the newcomer has a leg up over the 38-year-old People.
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