What to watch for
Five things for Pats fans to keep an eye on tonight
With the preseason finale looming tonight — and with the understanding that the established veterans will play little, if at all — the Patriots still have a few positional battles worth keeping an eye on as they meet their nemesis from Super Bowl XLII, the New York Giants.
1. Quarterback. In New England, it always comes back to the quarterback — usually, it’s No. 12, but this preseason, it’s been all about Matt Cassel. The beleaguered backup (who has been the victim of a patchwork offensive line at times) may have a last-ditch opportunity to save his job with a strong performance. But Cassel is starting to feel the heat from Matt Gutierrez, who will likely get the start tonight as the Patriots try and decide if he can make plays against a reasonable facsimile of a No. 1 defense. If both of them struggle, the Patriots could spend cutdown day scouring the waiver wires for a quality No. 2 QB.
2. Right guard. With starter Stephen Neal now on the shelf for the first six weeks of the season, the Patriots will likely spend tonight auditioning some temporary quick fixes. Over the first three preseason games, the Patriots have started Billy Yates there twice and Dan Connolly there once. If Yates is healthy, this figures to be his spot, but if he can’t go, New England could use Connolly, utilityman Russ Hochstein (who has been slowed by injury lately) or veterans Mike Flynn or John Wellbourn.
3. Running back. Bill Belichick indicated the Patriots would have no problem going with five running backs, but with the depleted offensive line, numbers could force them to carry an extra tight end instead. That would likely mean they’d be forced to choose between Sammy Morris and LaMont Jordan, two veterans who do many of the same things. Who makes the club could hinge on their performance tonight.
4. Cornerback. With one position set in stone — Ellis Hobbs III figures to start at right corner — tonight should be the final chance for rookies like Terrence Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite, and veterans like Fernando Bryant and Lewis Sanders to audition for the starting left corner spot.
5. Safety. The Patriots experimented with multiple looks at safety in last week’s loss to the Eagles, and will likely do the same tonight against the Giants. Is newcomer John Lynch ready to push incumbent veterans James Sanders and Rodney Harrison for more snaps? And where does last year’s top pick Brandon Meriweather fit into the mix, along with Antwain Spann? We should find out more answers to these questions this evening.
