Pats Pulpit
With 12 training camp practices in the rearview mirror, it is officially time for game action. The New England Patriots will take on the Washington Commanders in their preseason opener Friday night.
According to head coach Mike Vrabel, all healthy players are expected to see playing time against Washington, which should set the stage for limited action for quarterback Drake Maye and the starting offense. The expectation from the Commanders, however, is that the starters will spend the night on the sideline.
As for who we will be watching closely Friday night at Gillette Stadium, there are 10 players on our radar.
One roster spot could be up for grabs among three young options in the Patriots wide receiver room. Each of the three should see plenty of action Friday night, while any who play deep into the fourth quarter could shed light on their standing on the depth chart.
From where things seem to stand now, Baker and Chism are the frontrunners for the sixth wide receiver spot. Baker’s skillset and flashes of talent makes him a strong fit on the roster, but he’s still searching for consistency in his second season. Chism, meanwhile, had a strong bounceback week after an uncharacteristic drop in last Friday’s scrimmage by hauling in an over-the-shoulder diving touchdown on Monday and then posting four receptions in full-team work in the joint practice with Washington.
The strong summers from Baker and Chism (as well as their contributions on special teams) have seemingly left Ja’Lynn Polk climbing an even steeper hill to make the team. Since returning from injury, the 2024 second-round draft pick has had a quiet start to camp and could use a strong preseason.
New England’s all-rookie left side of the offensive line — that features Will Campbell at left tackle and Jared Wilson at left guard — will get their first live game action on Friday night. While the Commanders defense does not feature a high-octane pass rush and blitz packages are typically relatively vanilla to open the preseason (unless you have Wink Martindale on the sideline), seeing how the duo holds up will be among the top storylines Friday night.
Behind Campbell and Wilson, seventh-round rookie Marcus Bryant has firmly entered the running with Demontrey Jacobs to be New England’s top swing tackle. Bryant has plenty of experience playing both the left and right side and spent time with the top offensive line this past week at right tackle. With limited tackle depth, Bryant should see plenty of snaps versus Washington.
While Keion White, Harold Landry, and K’Lavon Chaisson have led the way for New England’s defense along the edge, the competition behind them has ramped up in recent weeks. Undrafted rookie Elijah Ponder showcased his ability to get after the passer at Cal Poly and his speed to turn the...
