6 things to watch for during Patriots’ preseason opener vs. Commanders
Several players could rise up the depth chart with a strong showing on Friday.
After weeks of training camp, Mike Vrabel and the Patriots will finally kick off preseason action on Friday night when they take on the Washington Commanders at Gillette Stadium. Kick-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
Beyond Tom Brady’s statue unveiling in Foxborough ahead of the game, there should be plenty to keep tabs on as New England looks to set the foundations for what could be a bounce-back campaign in 2025.
Here’s six storylines worth following on Friday night.
Who will play?
It remains to be seen just how many of New England’s expected starters will take to the field on Friday — or log more than just a few snaps during the team’s preseason opener.
Washington head coach Dan Quinn noted Wednesday that Commanders star QB Jayden Daniels will not play on Friday after getting plenty of his reps during Wednesday’s joint practice in Foxborough.
Vrabel, on the other hand, said health might be the lone determinant as to which players will see action for the Patriots.
“I would say most everybody that’s healthy should expect to play in the game. How long they’ll play, I don’t know,” Vrabel said Wednesday. “But we have to prepare to play in football games and prepare to win football games. So, that’s the mentality that we’re going to take.”
Even if it’s just for a drive or two, Drake Maye expressed excitement to shake off some of the rust and see some game action on Friday.
“Yeah, I think preseason’s a time to go out there and get the jitters. In real life, when I’m live, it’s different for me being able to get tackled and get hit. So, it’s good to go out there and kind of feel like live bullets are flying around and kind of not have that first snap of the season.”
Beyond how Maye fares under likely limited snaps, there should be ample opportunity for New England’s other QBs in Joshua Dobbs and Ben Wooldridge to lead multiple drives.
How will the offensive line fare?
If the Patriots want to take a major step forward in 2025, their offense is going to need to show some semblance of stability.
They might have the quarterback in Maye, but it remains to be seen if the team has the personnel in place to keep the second-year QB off the turf.
Friday should mark the first trial by fire for a Patriots offensive line that has some potential — but also several question marks regarding inexperience and a dearth of depth.
New England’s rookies should get some extended run on Friday, headlined by starting left tackle Will Campbell. It’s been an up-and-down camp for Campbell so far, but the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft bounced back with a strong showing during team drills against Washington on Wednesday.
Keeping the pocket clean and steering pressure away from Maye, Dobbs, and Wooldridge would be another welcome step forward for Campbell.
Rookie guard/center Jared Wilson should also have a great opportunity to build off a strong camp with reps next to Campbell at left guard, while 2025 seventh-round pick Marcus Bryant should split reps with Demontrey Jacobs at right tackle — especially with veteran Morgan Moses likely ruled out.
One area to keep tabs on is the center position, as Ben Brown leapfrogged veteran Garrett Bradbury and earned first-team reps during several stretches of Wednesday’s practice.
Which wideouts can fight their way off the roster bubble?
At this stage of the preseason, the only Patriots wide receivers who have seemingly secured a spot on the Week 1 roster are Stefon Diggs, DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins, and Kayshon Boutte.
Getting those four some snaps would be a welcome sight (especially Diggs), although it’s unclear how much they will be utilized in a preseason opener.
The real competition is brewing further down on the depth chart, as several wideouts are desperately trying to make a case to avoid the looming roster cuts that await.
In particular, 2024 picks Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker need to start stacking together strong days of camp if they want to continue playing in New England. Baker has started to pop a bit more in practice, even earning some first-team reps during Tuesday’s walkthrough, but Polk has been very quiet this week.
With Kendrick Bourne sidelined due to injury, both Polk and Baker could move past him on the depth chart by making a few plays on Friday.
His spot on the roster is secure, but 2025 third-round pick Kyle Williams could also move past a quiet week of camp with a bounce-back effort on Friday.
Can the Patriots limit turnovers?
Vrabel wasn’t thrilled on Monday when asked about a turnover-heavy scrimmage last Friday during the Patriots’ in-stadium practice.
“Yeah, the turnovers — I thought we did some really good things, tried to show them that,” Vrabel said. “The turnovers are certainly going to get us beat. We had some passes that should have been caught.
“We had some – I would say, decisions, right? I think. … And Rhamondre, when you make a great cut and you break through, know that every team in the league, and hopefully ours is one of those teams, that the guys are coming to the ball and they’re going to come and hammer it and they’re going to play full tilt to the tackle. “
Given the clear deficiencies still present on New England’s roster, the Patriots can’t play with fire this season and turn the ball over in critical situations — a flaw that was prevalent throughout a pair of four-win seasons in 2023 and 2024.
Beyond Maye’s decision-making on Friday against the Commanders defense, there will be plenty of eyes on top running back Rhamondre Stevenson, who coughed up a fumble last week and was knocked for seven of them in 2024.
Given how reliant the Patriots will be on the run game this season, New England needs its No. 1 back to hold onto the ball — or run the risk of having his starting spot supplanted by dynamic rookie TreVeyon Henderson.
The kicker competition
It’s been a neck-and-neck race for the starting kicker spot between rookie Andy Borregales and veteran John Parker Romo.
Wednesday’s joint practice marked the first time either kicker missed a field-goal attempt in close to two weeks, with Romo going 3-for-4 on his attempts. Borregales — selected in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft — went 4-for-4 on attempts between 33 and 52 yards.
Both Romo and Borregales have been impressive out of the gate, with Borregales likely the leader in the clubhouse for the starting role, given the draft capital New England spent to add him to the team.
Still, that starting spot might come down to which kicker fares the best during preseason action.
Can New England’s backup corners continue to impress?
With starting corners Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis sidelined by injuries, all eyes will be on how New England’s next crop of corners hold up moving forward, especially if they’re thrust into elevated roles once regular-season play begins.
DJ James has been one of the top players so far during camp, with the former Seahawks 2024 sixth-round pick causing plenty of headaches during 11-on-11 drills with sticky coverage and multiple pass breakups.
Alex Austin is also coming off of a strong performance on Wednesday against Washington, batting down a pass from Jayden Daniels in the end zone to keep a Commanders touchdown off the board.
With Marcellas Dial now sidelined for the year with a torn ACL, New England’s depth chart is already getting tested in the secondary. Some of those fears will be alleviated if backups like Austin and James can continue to show out.