When Patriots fans think of a matchup with the New York Giants, we think of what could have been. We get acid reflux from our stomach knowing that Eli Manning came up good in the clutch. Our stomach churns some when we remember the impossible catches of David Tyree with the ball stuck to his helmet and Mario Manningham’s sideline tight rope catch. Yes, two potential Superbowl victories were snatched away including a perfect season in 2007-2008. Anyway, after that necessary venting, the two teams will square off in the last preseason game on Sunday, August 29. Historically, it will be the 30th time in the preseason the teams will meet and the 16th straight year in the preseason final. Here are five interesting things to watch for in this game.
1. Quarterback Battle-Cam Newton played well last week against the Eagles, and it was almost certain that he would start on opening day against the Dolphins in Week 1. However, he “fumbled” the ball off the field. On Monday, Newton made headlines because of a “misunderstanding” of the Covid protocols and had to wait five days before being allowed back in the Patriots facility. According to reports, he left New England for a team-approved medical appointment but conducted tests away from NFL facilities. Therefore, Mac Jones was already nipping on Cam’s heels and this week got the chance to impress even more with 1st team reps. It leaves us to wonder how will the playing time be split among them in this game? Will Bill be more conservative with his starting quarterback knowing this is the last preseason game? It will be intriguing to watch and see how Bill manages the situation.
2. Battle for number one running back -the big news that dropped on Wednesday in Patriots universe was the Sony Michel trade to the Los Angeles Rams for a 2022 sixth-round pick and a 2023 fourth-round pick. Michel was having a good preseason but his services became a surplus to requirement with the roster stacked in-depth with Damien Harris, James White, Rhamondre Stevenson, J.J. Taylor, Jakob Johnson, and even special teamer Brandon Bolden. It will be fascinating to see if we get any clues on who is the number one guy based on usage in this last game. At this point, Rhamondre Stevenson is my pick.
3. Showcase the Pro Bowl Tight Ends-the Patriots splashed the cash this offseason on Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith. Henry missed the past two preseason games while Jonnu missed the second game and played a brief part in the first. It will be good to see the star duo get some playing time together in this final game ahead of the season. The in-game action will no doubt build chemistry for the new season.
4. Can Warring take Asiasi’s spot as backup TE?-A low-key news from earlier this week was that the Patriots picked up Tight End Kahale Warring off waivers from the Texans. Warring was selected with the 86th overall pick in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He has struggled with injuries having played only 7 games in two seasons. However, maybe a change of scenery can resurrect his career. Devin Asiasi has not grabbed his opportunity and last week finished with no catches and a ‘war’ maybe brewing with Warring.
5. Can the defense repeat a shutout? -last week the Patriots dominated the Eagles and crippled the team’s offense that played without starter Jalen Hurts. It remains to be seen whether Joe Judge will trot out his starters to play in this game but if he does it will be interesting to see if the Patriots defense can repeat the feat and shutout Jones, Barkley, and company. If they do, the defense will be ready to dominate at the start of the season.