Patriots take on Commanders in Preseason Hoping to Set Tone for Season
It’s finally that time of year. There is real New England Patriots football this Friday at 7:30pm.
The Washington Commanders, fresh off a conference championship appearance, come to Foxborough to face the new-look Patriots. Yesterday, the two teams held a joint practice leading up to the game, where New England showed a lot has changed since last season.
The joint practice was headlined by a large scuffle that broke out when Patriots rookie running back Treyvon Henderson made a pickup block on a Commanders edge rusher, then ended up in a pile of players pushing and showing each other. Head coach Mike Vrabel jumped into said pile to separate the teams, coming out with a bloody cheek. It’s the type of hands-on leadership the Patriots lacked last year, and a signal of the culture Vrabel is bringing to this year’s team. No players were ejected, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, as that skirmish and another later in the day both ended calmly.
The weekend also serves as a reunion with many former Patriots. Three players from the 2024 team, longtime cornerback Jonathan Jones, wide receiver K.J. Osborn, and defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. signed with Washington this offseason. Wise had a good joint practice, while Jones got burned by Pop Douglass, Mack Hollins, and even Javon Baker. Personally, I hope the defensive back, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Pats, gets a warm welcome back from our fans after all he’s done for our team (ProFootballReference).
While no cuts are made after the first preseason game, there are some players that are right on the edge of the cut line. These guys need to show out in their playing time to lock in their roster spot, and some of them are big names. First of all, the wide receiver room is extremely crowded with many very capable contributors fighting to even make the team. Players like Mack Hollins, Ja’Lynn Polk, Kendrick Bourne, and Kayshon Boutte have been projected to not make the roster by different sources. Who makes it and who doesn’t could come down to who can produce on their targets from Maye and Dobbs during the preseason matchups. In addition, the safety cuts could get complicated, as Peppers, Dugger, Hawkins, Eppes, Woodson, Mapu, and Pettis all have legitimate shots to make the team.
As for who will play in the game, coach Vrabel said “Most everybody that’s healthy should expect to play” according to CBS’s Matt Geagan. The Commanders announced that Quarterback Jayden Daniels will not suit up, robbing us of a 2024 second and third pick showdown, but seeing the whole New England team this early is a treat in itself (CBSNews).