What to watch for

Five things for Patriots' fans to look for tonight in Foxborough

Preseason football usually delivers all the excitement of a tax seminar, but there will be plenty of things worth keeping an eye on tonight when the Patriots meet the Ravens in the exhibition opener for both teams.

“We’ve had 18 practices so far and they mean a lot, but the games mean a lot, too,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said earlier this week before Tuesday’s practice. “We’ll all see how everybody does on Thursday and that'll be where they're getting hit and situations change from play to play.”

With that in mind, here are five things for Patriots’ fans to watch for:

1. Who gets the majority of snaps at quarterback. The backup QB competition will really start to take shape tonight. Matt Cassel is the incumbent No. 2, but has struggled at times this summer, throwing interceptions and looking a bit overwhelmed. Despite the fact he has done little to distinguish himself in camp thus far, No. 3 Matt Gutierrez could push Cassel for the job. And as long as he stays out of trouble and keeps developing, rookie Kevin O’Connell appears to be a lock for the practice squad.

Belichick said he likes the way all three have been performing thus far. He said this week he was “confident” in Cassel, called Gutierrez “probably as hard a working player as we have on this team” and said O’Connell “has made improvement since the spring.”

2. Who gets the majority of snaps at cornerback. Don’t look for much of No. 1 cornerback Ellis Hobbs III — he recently came off the physically unable to perform list, and will likely sit for at least one preseason game as he gets back to full speed. That means defensive backs like veterans Fernando Bryant, Lewis Sanders and Jason Webster or rookies Terrence Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite should all get plenty of audition time tonight.

3. The backfield. There suddenly appears to be an abundance of bodies in the backfield: at running back, there’s Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris, LaMont Jordan, Kevin Faulk and BenJarvus Green-Ellis. At fullback, there’s Heath Evans and Kyle Eckel. The numbers game will likely come into focus here — if the Patriots decide to stick with all of the veterans (sorry, BenJarvus), they could end up affecting how many tight ends make the squad. That could force them to say so long to Marcus Pollard or Stephen Spach, putting them on that shadow roster, part of a group that’s always a phone call away in case of emergency. (Think Marcellus Rivers last year.) Or, if they end up keeping an extra tight end, someone like Jordan could end up on that same shadow squad.

“There’s competition wherever you go and at every position we have out here,” Maroney said of the numbers game. “There’s always competition. We have Kev, we have Sammy, we have Heath, we have Eckel, we have BenJarvus, and now, we have LaMont. So there’s always going to be competition, no matter what position you are.”

4. Tank Williams or Jerod Mayo. So far, the two have been given every opportunity to become the heir apparent to Junior Seau at inside linebacker. Williams, a converted safety, has been working inside next to veteran Tedy Bruschi through much of camp. The 28-year-old Slater has struggled at times going up against bigger offensive linemen, but it will be interesting to see how he fares in game action, albeit in an exhibition. As for Mayo, the rookie has lined up on the inside with the second defense next to veteran Victor Hobson most of the time through camp, and has managed to hold his own. However, like Williams, it will be interesting to see how he holds up in game action.

5. Special teams. On a team stocked with veterans, this appears to be the best spot for a fringe or rookie to make his mark. Thus far, rookie Matthew Slater has impressed as a return man, and with Hobbs likely sidelined, could get plenty of chances tonight. (Jordan could also see work as a kick returner.) In addition, safety/wide receiver Ray Ventrone has performed well during camp, and will likely continue to get plenty of chances on kick and punt coverage.

“I need to do well [on special teams] to have a chance,” Ventrone said. “Special teams is my thing.”