Things To Look For In Week 2 Of Preseason
After 6 months of waiting for preseason football, waiting 11 days for our second Patriots game of preseason has also seemed like an eternity. here are some things to look out for on Monday Night Football against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Big Attitude: After all the reports of scrapping in practice, I expect to see some big hits from the Patriots on defense and special teams, and a lot of trash talking all round. This team seems to have developed a strong attitude after the Super Bowl loss to the New York Giants, so expect them to take out some frustration on the Eagles.
The Offensive Line: Last game against the New Orleans Saints, the offensive line look very shaky. It'll be interesting to see how they deal with the likes of Jason Babin and Trent Cole on the Eagles D-Line. Tom Brady was under pressure and on the turf a lot more than we liked last time out, so we shall see what progress has been made. If Logan Mankins plays a series or two, that should help things.
Can The Defense Continue Their Rise?: The secondary is, as everyone knows, the Patriots weak spot. Against a strong receiving group and a pretty good Quarter Back in Michael Vick, it'll be a good tester for the secondary. Can rookies Chandler Jones and Dont'a Hightower continue to improve after good starts last week? It'll be particularly interesting to see how the likes of Hightower deal with Vick's mobility, and the general impressive play of LeSean McCoy.
The Running Game: Last week, both Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen impressed in the backfield, with Ridley looking good for the starting role. However, with his leg issues, it could be a chance for the others to come out and shine, if Ridley can't play or has limited opportunities tonight.
Hopefully, things in the Patriots camp will become a lot clearer after tonights game with another tough NFC opposition.
The Offensive Line: Last game against the New Orleans Saints, the offensive line look very shaky. It'll be interesting to see how they deal with the likes of Jason Babin and Trent Cole on the Eagles D-Line. Tom Brady was under pressure and on the turf a lot more than we liked last time out, so we shall see what progress has been made. If Logan Mankins plays a series or two, that should help things.
Can The Defense Continue Their Rise?: The secondary is, as everyone knows, the Patriots weak spot. Against a strong receiving group and a pretty good Quarter Back in Michael Vick, it'll be a good tester for the secondary. Can rookies Chandler Jones and Dont'a Hightower continue to improve after good starts last week? It'll be particularly interesting to see how the likes of Hightower deal with Vick's mobility, and the general impressive play of LeSean McCoy.
The Running Game: Last week, both Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen impressed in the backfield, with Ridley looking good for the starting role. However, with his leg issues, it could be a chance for the others to come out and shine, if Ridley can't play or has limited opportunities tonight.
Hopefully, things in the Patriots camp will become a lot clearer after tonights game with another tough NFC opposition.
