FOXBORO, Massachusetts – Jerod Mayo admitted he will be excited Thursday night when he stands on the familiar sidelines of Gillette Stadium for the first time as head coach.
Of course, he knows it’s just an exhibition game, the first of three preseason games for the New England Patriots before the season opener in Cincinnati next month. But it’s still his first game as head coach.
Mayo also recognized that this type of game is more about the players, especially those looking for playing time or on the edge.
Before the Patriots host the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night, here are eight players to keep an eye on in the game.
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Let’s start with the obvious. Maye will make his first (preseason) NFL appearance on Thursday. And it will be especially meaningful for him against the Panthers, the team he grew up watching and cheering for.
More importantly, it’s a great opportunity for him to showcase his athleticism and ability to make big plays that have taken a back seat during training camp.
You have to admit he’s struggled a bit, but the Patriots defense has tried to limit big plays, force him to read the opposition’s tactics and make checkdowns. The red jersey he wears prevents the defense from hitting him, which severely limits his ability to break through.
That changes on Thursday night and he has a great chance to put some of the early problems of training camp behind him.
.@DrakeMaye2 looks like a Road to Glory bot 😂@JBrissett12 | @EASPORTSCollege pic.twitter.com/ir5ehdob1M
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) 3 August 2024
Although Chukwuma Okorafor was absent from recent practice (he is unlikely to play Thursday night), Wallace, the team’s third-round rookie, was still on the second team offensive line.
But he’ll likely get plenty of playing time on Thursday. Mayo said he wants to have the team’s starting five players largely locked in after the second preseason game, so Wallace doesn’t have much time left to earn a starting spot, and he’ll need to put in a good performance against the Panthers.
The rookie may not have been the team’s most reliable wide receiver, but he has made the most explosive plays, and for a team that ranked near the bottom of the NFL in big plays a year ago, that was a much-needed boost.
But Baker also made silly mistakes and dropped a few balls. Now, folks around the organization are excited to see how he implements their coaching tips from the practice field to the game. He doesn’t need to catch many balls for Thursday to be a success, but a big catch down low would be a nice moment — and would catapult him further up the rankings.
Running backs
There’s no need to focus on just one running back when there are so many who could use a good game. Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson probably won’t play much, but the competition for the No. 3 position is wide open.
Kevin Harris will likely get the most opportunities, but Ja’Mycal Hasty will also get a few appearances. The Pats could use one of those to win the contest for good.
He has been a little quieter in training camp than you would expect from someone suddenly starting on the defensive line. With Christian Barmore out indefinitely, Ekuale will fill the role closest to Barmore’s, ideally attacking the passer from the inside.
It’s OK if he struggles in the running game. The Patriots know where his strengths lie. They just want to see him attack the quarterback on Thursday night.
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He quietly played well enough at the end of last season to get the coaching staff’s attention, and now they want to see if that was a fluke or if Austin can become a reliable NFL cornerback.
His training camp went pretty well, but he lost one of the top three spots behind Christian Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones, and Marcus Jones. However, those three all struggled with injuries last year, so the No. 4 cornerback job is still important. Right now, Austin can only lose that job.
On the other hand, Lowe benefited from Okorafor’s injury and has been the starting left tackle in the last few training sessions.
Still, the O-line is far from set. The Patriots have used different rotations throughout training camp — primarily at the tackle positions — so Lowe still has to play well to keep that job. But he goes ahead of Wallace in the rankings on Thursday and has a big opportunity ahead of him.
The former second-round pick had the best training camp of his professional career, but it’s still a long way from Week 1. The problem for Thornton was never how he looked in seven-on-seven or team drills in late July.
His problems have been staying healthy and translating his success to the field. On Thursday, he must avoid injuries and continue playing like he has the past few weeks. However, Thornton was limited in practice on Tuesday with what he described as a soft tissue issue, so it’s unclear if he will even play against the Panthers.
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(Photo: Eric Canha / USA Today)
