Patriots to watch in preseason opener vs. Texans
FOXBORO -- While the days may be getting shorter, at least football is in our future. Our very near future.
The Patriots will play an actual game -- not a real game, but a game nonetheless -- Thursday night when they host the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium for their preseason opener. And though the results don't count, there are plenty of reasons to watch this exhibition football game, from New England's new offense to a whole bunch of promising rookies and young players.
With Bill O'Brien now in charge of things on offense, the whole operation is expected to run a lot faster -- and hopefully, a lot smoother -- than it did last seaon. The defense should remain a strong unit, and after a woefully embarrassing season on special teams last year, that should also be better this year. We'll get our first glimpse of all three of those phases in game action Thursday night.
If you are hoping to see Mac Jones, his new weapon JuJu Smith-Schuster, and defensive starters like Matthew Judon and Kyle Dugger, you are likely going to be disappointed. New England's starters aren't expected to play Thursday evening.
But fret not. There are plenty of exciting young players to watch in our first look at Patriots football in 2023.
Demario Douglas
The receiver out of Liberty has been one of the most talked-about Patriots throughout training camp. He's absolutely burning guys in 1-on-1's and making New England's talented corners look silly at times. Everyone loves an underdog, and the bandwagon for this sixth-round pick is mighty packed.
It will be nice to see him in action against an opposing defense for the first time.
Kayshon Boutte
While Douglas has grabbed most of the headlines, Boutte has been turning a lot of heads as of late too. The LSU product was seen as a first-round talent until injuries and a poor combine made his draft stock crater, causing him to fall to the sixth round.
But he's been making plays in practice the last few weeks and is getting a lot of folks excited in New England.
Highlight reel play: WR Kayshon Boutte a one-handed leaping catch in the end zone from QB Malik Cunningham.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) August 7, 2023
Boutte, the sixth-round pick from LSU, has made one play in each of the last handful of practices that make you take notice.
Tyquan Thornton
While Douglas and Boutte are trending upwards, Thornton is going the other way. The second-round pick in 2022 hasn't done much on the practice field and is getting outshined by others at his position.
Bailey Zappe
Chances are Mac Jones won't be playing given the state of the offensive line in front of him. If he plays, it will be a nice peek into how things are going under new OC Bill O'Brien, but the Pats probably won't take that risk.
So we should get plenty of Bailey Zappe on Thursday night, a chance to see how he looks heading into his second NFL season.
Malik Cunningham
The quarterback-turned-receiver got a lot of work at QB on Monday for the first time of training camp. Was that to give the New England defense a new look, or could Cunningham be in line for some playing time under center on Thursday night?
Cunningham was a dynamic passer and runner at Louisville, and maybe we'll get to see what he has to offer against the Texans. No offense to Trace McSorley, but it would be much more interesting to watch Cunningham in action Thursday night.
Christian Gonzalez
The 17th overall pick is expected to step right into New England's No. 1 corner role. And he's expected to fill that role well after an impressive camp.
On Thursday night, we get to see him line up against actual opponents and not his teammates.
Keion White
Yes, another rookie. There are 18 of them on the New England roster, so this list was bound to include a bunch of them.
New England's second-round pick, White could make an immediate impact on the edge. He's an absolute tank at 6-foot-5 and 290 pounds, so he'll be hard to miss out there.
Marte Mapu
The rookie is Mr. Everything on defense, playing all over the place in practice. Mapu's versatility will make him a key player in the Patriots' matchup-heavy defense.
He's been wearing a red no-contact jersey throughout camp, so he may not play Thursday.
Jack Jones
Second-year corner Jack Jones has had quite the summer. He's got his legal troubles stemming from being arrested for trying to bring loaded guns onto a flight at Logan, and just last week he was booted from practice for getting a little too feisty during a drill.
On Thursday night, it will be all about football for the 25-year-old. He had an impressive rookie campaign and if his off-the-field matters don't get in the way, Jones figures to be the No. 2 corner across from Gonzalez.
Kevin Harris and Pierre Strong Jr.
Rhamondre Stevenson can't do it all out of the backfield, so until the Pats sign a veteran running back, it'll be up to these two second-year rushers.
Anyone on the offensive line
It's been tough on the offensive line this summer. Mike Onwenu remains on PUP. Trent Brown hasn't practiced much. Cole Strange has been out for the last week with an injury.
At least the Patriots will get a good look at what guys like Riley Reiff, Conor McDermott, and Kody Russey, along with rookies Jake Andrews, Atonio Mafi, and Sidy Sow. Andrew Stueber and Bill Murray will also be called upon to protect quarterbacks on Thursday.
Tune in to Thursday night's Patriots-Texans preseason game on WBZ-TV -- your official station of the New England Patriots! Pregame coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. with Patriots GameDay, kickoff is set for 7 p.m., and stay tuned for Patriots 5th Quarter after the game. You can also catch Devin and Jason McCourty's special "Twincast" of the game streaming on WBZ.com!