Matt Johnson
There are NFL games today with Week 1 of the preseason officially underway and it all begins with the New York Giants vs New England Patriots on NFL Network.
There’s no denying the history between these two clubs, but that isn’t an important storyline for Thursday’s Giants vs Patriots battle. Instead, everyone will be focusing on what these new-looking coaching staffs show in their first preseason game and how some of the young players perform.
Neither organization will take the field with an abundance of confidence coming out of the early weeks of training camp. Reports out of New England and New York this summer haven’t been a sign of hope for either fan base at a critical point for both franchises.
Let’s dive into the three things we’ll be monitoring during Thursday’s New York Giants vs New England Patriots preseason action.
Early pressure on Daniel Jones, threat of QB battle with Tyrod Taylor
As covered by Sportsnaut’s Jason Leach, it’s been a rough start to training camp for quarterback Daniel Jones. Entering his fourth NFL season, the new regime already protected its long-term interest by declining the fifth-year team option for 2023. Needing to prove himself to the coaching staff this summer, it’s fair to say the former No. 6 overall pick hasn’t done that.
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This is a golden opportunity for Jones. NFL teams play soft defenses during the preseason and New England’s unit isn’t nearly as talented nor is its roster as deep as we’ve seen before. With more talent around him, this would seemingly set Jones up well to rebound after a challenging summer and a strong performance would silence talk about a potential quarterback battle.
However, that’s far from a guarantee to happen. Jones ceded a few first-team reps to backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor this week (The Athletic) and he hasn’t done remotely enough against live competition to prove he should be the unquestioned starter. If he struggles and Taylor comes in and leads multiple scoring drives, NFL insiders might be right about the direction New York goes this season.
Matt Patricia under the spotlight as offensive play-caller
While Bill Belichick is still running the show in Foxborough, he experienced significant losses to his offensive coaching staff this season. When Josh McDaniels left for the Las Vegas Raiders, he took several of Belichick’s top assistants with him. Instead of hiring viable candidates with extensive experience on that side of the ball, Joe Judge and Matt Patricia were thrust into unfamiliar roles.
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Judge, who has never coached quarterbacks in his professional career, is working one-on-one with Mac Jones and serving as an offensive assistant. While it’s believed he will have some influence in the play-calling, observations from training camp indicate Patricia will primarily handle those duties.
Unsurprisingly, reports from Patriots’ practices this summer cast doubt on the likelihood of things working out. Patricia’s only experience working on this side of the ball in the NFL came in 2004 as an offensive assistant on Belichick’s staff. Outside of that, he’s only worked with defensive players.
Jones is struggling this summer, the new run scheme is having issues and there are new concerns about the offensive line. New England won’t even be facing tough competition on Thursday night, but this matchup could cast further doubt on the Patriots’ offense this season.
Rookies get their first chance to impress
This is, of course, what tonight’s New York Giants vs New England Patriots matchup is really about. We won’t see a ton of the marquee players with experience already on their belt see a ton of playing time on Thursday. However, rookies should receive plenty of snaps.
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For the Giants, we’ll be keeping an eye on several players. Edge rusher Kayvon Thibodaux and offensive tackle Evan Neal are the headliners. Both top-10 picks boast the level of talent that can help them make an impact immediately. Furthermore, they play two of the most valuable positions in the game today.
It’s also worth monitoring receiver Wan’Dale Robinson and tight end Daniel Bellinger. Robinson is one of the best standouts from Giants’ training camp and Dan Duggan of The Athletic notes that Bellinger is in a position to be atop the depth chart heading into the season.
From the Patriots’ perspective, attention will be centered on rookie Tyquan Thornton. He ran one of the fastest 40 yard dash times in recent history and there is a shot for him to become a playmaker in his rookie season. We’re also looking forward to evaluating cornerback Marcus Kones, running back Pierre Strong and rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe.
