The Patriots are on the road this week to play their final preseason game against the Commanders, a team they’ve gotten to know very well over the years before the regular season begins. In fact, Sunday’s game will be their 24th preseason meeting, making them New England’s third most-faced preseason opponent.
Both teams are in the midst of rebuilding, with new head coaches and rookie quarterbacks and hopes to improve after a disappointing 2023 season. Curiously, the Patriots and Commanders finished the season 4-13, good enough for last place in their divisions, with the main difference being Washington’s offense.
With Jayden Daniels out of the game, the NFC East team intends to be competitive again and take on the perennial division winners, the Eagles, to make the playoffs, while the Patriots are simply aiming for a better finish than last year.
It will be an important game for both teams as the deadline to reduce the roster to the final 53-man squad is Tuesday, August 27. This game is their last opportunity to make an impression and hopefully secure a spot on the roster.
The Patriots vs. Commanders game will be featured on NBC’s Sunday Night Football this week. It will be broadcast nationally on the network and for Boston residents, it will be available on NBC 10 Boston.
If for some reason you can’t watch the broadcast on cable, there are other options available to catch the action.
The NBC app and NFL+ will also stream the game live. Both apps can be downloaded on mobile devices and computers. Overseas fans can visit Patriots.com for special coverage on the team’s website for Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Brazil.
And as always, you can listen to the game on 98.5 The Sports Hub with live commentators Bob Socci and Scott Zolak.
After having the McCourty twins and Scott Zolak in the locker room for two weeks during the Patriots’ first two preseason games, this week we have Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth in the locker room, with Melissa Stark as a sideline reporter.
