The fourth preseason game is a lot of different things to a lot of different people.
Oftentimes to stars and starters, it’s another summer night of watching football from the sidelines.
For other guys on track to make the back end of the Patriots roster it’s a final tune-up before the Sunday night regular season opener against the Steelers.
In some cases the fourth and final preseason game could represent the last time a player will snap on a helmet in game action, a dream of a career in football sacked by the reality of the business.
And then there are the guys still on the bubble, both in terms of the final roster and in regards to staying relevant in the world of the NFL as possible practice squad options or, at the very least, worthy of another summer of fighting it out for reps and roles a year from now.
In many ways, the fourth preseason game is what you make of it. Put differently, it is what it is.
In New England, for the 15th consecutive year, it’s a matchup between the Patriots and the Giants, this one at Gillette Stadium.
Here are an oversized handful of storylines to keep an eye on in the final preseason action of the summer.
Who plays? – A year ago, Ted Karras was basically the only offensive player set to make the 53-man roster who played in the finale, while a decent number of backups on defense saw action against the Giants. A total of 50 Patriots did not play in that game. In 2017 there were a couple notable names on each side of the ball that suited up, but 52 New England players did not play. Back in 2016, though, the bulk of the high-end Patriots on both sides of the ball, including Tom Brady, saw action in the finale when only 14 players failed to play. As with so many things, we’ve seen Bill Belichick handle playing time in the finale many different ways over the years. Though that changed last year, it seemed for a while that when the team was preparing for a traditional Sunday opener, as is the case this year, rather than a Thursday night opener, more starters were likely to play in the finale. We’ll all have to tune in on Thursday night to see if Brady, Dont’a Hightower and other top New England players who’ve really only seen action in one preseason game this summer get another cameo to prepare for the Steelers.
QB 2 be or not 2 be – Whether they play or not, Brady and the starters almost certainly won’t be on the field too long. After that, one of the first things to keep an eye on will be the backup quarterback. Rookie Jarrett Stidham replaced Brady in the third preseason game and finished it out. He’s had an impressive summer that could see him push veteran backup Brian Hoyer not only for the No. 2 job but possibly right off the roster. Of course interpreting who plays and for how long could be debatable. If Stidham plays the whole game does that mean he simply needs the reps as a raw rookie and Hoyer is locked in as the backup because Belichick knows what he has in the journeyman veteran? Or would that be a sign that they are getting Stidham ready to be the lone backup? Could Hoyer be a trade option for a team like, say, the Luck-less Colts? The quarterback is and always will be worth watching, even/especially in the fourth preseason game.
Cutting the line – New England reportedly swung trades on Wednesday for a couple backup offensive linemen in potential swing tackle Korey Cunningham and versatile guard/tackle Jermaine Eluemunor. While it would seem like a crazy-quick turnaround for those guys to dress and play against the Giants, you never really know. Despite the late arrival, both might be destined for the roster at a thinning line position. Beyond the newcomers’ potential debuts, it’s also worth watching the guys they could be passing up on the depth chart such as Cole Croston, Dan Skipper and James Ferentz to see if those vets can make one final push to stick around.
Gunner – Despite opening camp as arguably the last man on the roster and a true camp body, Gunner Olszewski has made a name for himself this summer in Foxborough. The undrafted Division II defensive back has been at his best as a punt returner, a role that just so happens to be wide open in New England. Assuming he’s back from the injury that sidelined him late last week, Thursday night he might get his most reps at receiver. Could Olszewski make a shocking run at a roster spot or at the very least a job on the practice squad? Or, will he be one of those “remember when” training camp names to be forgotten? It’s getting harder and harder to bet against Gunner.
Hold on – Given that they don’t have backups and rarely get injured, three guys almost certain to play in the finale are specialists Stephen Gostkowski, Jake Bailey and Joe Cardona. The most important to watch in that group is the rookie punter Bailey, but not for his booming balls. He had a horrific hold last week that saw the laces exactly where you don’t want them, leading to Gostkowski’s third missed field goal of the preseason. Bailey needs to get on the same page with his veteran kicker and long snapper now, so something like a missed kick isn’t an issue when the games matter. It’s a three-man unit, but Bailey needs to get up to speed with his veteran coworkers.
Wide-eyed vets – Most expect Julian Edelman, Josh Gordon and Demaryius Thomas to be key cogs in the Patriots receiving corps this fall. None of the three has stepped on the preseason game field this summer. All are off NFI/PUP and practicing with the team. While Edelman wouldn’t seem to need any game action to be ready for the opener against the Steelers, Gordon (coming off a suspension that cut short his 2018 season) and Thomas (recovering from a torn Achilles suffered last December in Houston) might be a different story. Would the risk/reward be worth it to get the two veterans on the field to knock off a little rust? If so, does that mean playing time early on with Brady? The receiver position has a lot of questions entering the new season, most that won’t be answered on Thursday night. Still, it might be nice to see Gordon and Thomas show they still have something left in the tank.
Trade bait? – Just because a guy doesn’t play, doesn’t mean he’s a lock for the roster. There have certainly been guys in the past who have watched the preseason finale only to be cut a day or two later. There is also the possibility that a guy remains on the sideline to stay healthy as a possible trade candidate. While the Patriots have already made a couple deals sending draft picks for linemen, it would seem quite possible given the depth of the New England roster that trades sending veterans elsewhere might come to fruition in the next day or so. It’s certainly much harder to trade an injured player, so keep an eye on guys who don’t play but may not make the roster at spots like cornerback, linebacker and defensive end as would-be trade candidates.
What else ya got? – Finally, every player on the field is worth watching to see if they can extend their football dreams, either in New England or elsewhere. Whether it’s on offense, defense or in the kicking game, guys should and will be selling out to try to lengthen their careers. Belichick often practices “gotta have it” plays for the critical points in games, well every snap tonight could be of the “gotta have it” variety for the guys on the field. Standing out in the fourth preseason game may not be enough to suddenly steal a roster spot, but it could be enough to keep hope NFL hope alive for individual players. That’s a lot of pressure and a lot of motivation.
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