Patriots Football is finally back! Well, in the form of a preseason game.
And although the preseason might not be everybody's favorite time of the year, there's still so much that can be learned from it. Roster hopefuls are finally going up against some real competition. The preseason is where players who can make an impact on the team separates themselves from players who may never see the field again.
Training camp this year has already shown us some surprising stand outs, like Wide Receiver Kristian Wilkerson, who has been having an incredible camp. But there are still lots of impactful decisions that need to be made that could become clearer in the next few weeks, against the Football Team, Eagles, and Giants.
On Thursday, the Patriots are expected to minimally play their starters. Although they might be put in for the first few drives, Bill Belichick is known for almost never using his starters in the preseason. This will be a huge game for Patriots roster hopefuls, as the Washington Football Team will be playing their starters, as their coach Ron Rivera said.
This should be some great competition for first-round QB Mac Jones, camp standout Kristian Wilkerson, and fourth-rounder Rhamondre Stevenson, who in my opinion has been having one of the most underrated camps out of any of our players.
Wilkerson has had one of the best camps I've personally ever seen. He's been Mr. Reliable for both QBs, always being open for them to throw to him. In team drills, and positional drills, Wilkerson has really stood out.
Although Stevenson may not stand out in team drills, in full contact 11v11s, he's broken out multiple runs where he ran right through our defense, while needing 4 players to take him down. Now should be his time to shine, against a top defense like Washington's, I'd expect him to have a very solid day on Thursday.
Looking on the other side of the ball, it will be good to see how CB Michael Jackson can perform against Washington. Jackson has been having a great camp, especially in the last few days, where he's racked up multiple PBUs and an INT. Look out for Jackson now that he'll be going up against some top competition, like WR Terry McLaurin.
And finally, look out for K Quinn Nordin, who has been extraordinary in camp. From the two in-stadium practices, Nordin went a combined 14/14, including one from 57, and another from 55 yards out. Nordin, who is in a position battle with Nick Folk, who went 26/28 last season, has shown that he really could beat out Folk for the job, who had a great season last year.
Overall, Thursday's game should be fun. Fans will finally be back in the stands for the first game since January 4th 2020, and it will be the first time Pats fans get to see Mac Jones, TE Jonnu Smith, LB Matt Judon, and many other big names in their full Patriots uniforms for a game day
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