What to watch for when the Patriots host the Commanders in Week 9

FOXBORO -- The Patriots really should win on Sunday. The 3-5 Commanders are coming to town after dealing away two of their best defensive players (heck, two of their best players overall) in Chase Young and Montez Sweat, and don't seem all that interested in winning football games anymore. 

The Patriots do seem like they are interested in winning, refusing to trade away any players at the deadline despite their 2-6 record, but they just don't seem capable of doing so. Especially when "winnable" games are in front of them.

A home game against the Saints in Week 5 was seen as very "winnable," but the Patriots were throttled 34-0. That embarrassing home beatdown caused any lingering confidence in the team to completely evaporate. The fact that it was followed by a disappointing road loss to the dumpster fire Raiders ended any hope of a marginally successful season. Even an encouraging win over the Bills two weeks ago feels empty after the Dolphins dismantled the Patriots last week in Miami.

Now the Commanders are in town, and if the Patriots can't beat them in their own building, we can really start to question if they could even beat the local college teams. This weekend should be a win, but that hasn't meant anything over the last nine weeks. 

We continue to watch because it's football and no one can look away from a train wreck, and here's what we'll be watching for when it gets underway at Gillette Stadium.

Who assumes Bourne's identity?

The Kendrick Bourne bounce-back season was one of the few bright spots on the offense. He reemerged as the team's top receiver and was back to making some big plays for New England in enjoyable fashion.

Unfortunately that faucet of positivity was turned off last weekend when the team's leading receiver was lost for the rest of the year to a torn ACL. Now Mac Jones has to find a new favorite target. 

Demario Douglas is on the path to becoming that, but he is a much different player than Bourne. He remains the most dynamic player and is an explosive threat to break a big play. But the diminutive Douglas is five inches shorter than Bourne and can't make the same catches as he was.

It'd be great if JuJu Smith-Schuster could snap out of his waking slumber and do... anything. Yes, he caught a touchdown against Miami last weekend, but that was his only grab of the day and his first touchdown of the season. The Patriots were expecting a lot more out of him when they handed him an $8.5 million salary over the next three years -- including $16 million guaranteed.

DeVante Parker fits in that category too, but he's sidelined with a concussion. Tyquan Thornton is actually taller than Bourne but 20 lbs lighter, and has shown no signs that he's ready to make a difference on an NFL offense. The 2022 second-round pick was inactive last week in Miami.

The Patriots better hope that Jalen Raegor is ready to make plays consistently. If only there were another receiver on the roster that possesses big-play capability...

A little bit of Boutte

Oh wait, there is another receiver on the roster with big-play capabilities. But Kayshon Boutte has been locked in Bill Belichick's doghouse since the end of the team's Week 1 loss.

We get it; the rookie couldn't get a second foot in bounds against the Eagles and that was a pretty big mistake. It likely cost the Patriots a massive upset victory that could have changed the entire season.

But it's been nearly two months since that gaffe and Boutte hasn't appeared on a game day roster since. At this point, at 2-6, what do the Patriots have to lose by sending the sixth-round pick back out there?

Some relief for Mac and room to run

Seriously, if the Patriots can't protect Mac Jones and open up space for their running backs this weekend, Belichick should just send out a football sled for the final eight games and see how it goes.

The Commanders traded their two best and most-feared pass rushers in Young (six sacks on the year) and Sweat (5.5 sacks). With those two commanding a ton of attention, the rest of the Washington defense was able to get another 13.5 sacks, putting the Commanders in a tie for the fifth-most in the NFL. Without them... we shall see.

Washington also isn't very good at stopping the run, allowing 117.4 rushing yards per game and 4.2 yards per carry -- both of which rank 21st in the NFL -- so Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott should be able to make some things happen on the ground. 

The Pats' offensive line may be shorthanded with left tackle Trent Brown likely out with ankle AND knee issues, and that would be a massive loss. But if the line can't handle this Washington defensive front, again, put some jerseys on a football sled and see if that works better.

Don't let Howell turn this into a shootout

Because we all know the Patriots cannot win a shootout. The Patriots have scored 29 points once this season. The Commanders have lost two games where they scored over 30 points.

Sam Howell has completed 67 percent of his passes and has 13 touchdown passes on the year, thanks to his solid array of weapons in Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, and tight end Logan Thomson.

But the second-year QB still makes a lot of mistakes when pressured, and has the second-most interceptions with eight. And he's pressured a lot, leading the NFL with 41 sacks this season. (And we thought Mac Jones was taking a beating.)

The Washington offensive line allowed just one sack last week against Philly, but it's a group the Patriots defensive front must take advantage of this weekend. 

We get you ready for Sunday's Patriots-Commanders game at 11:30 a.m. with Patriots GameDay on WBZ-TV, and after the game switch over to TV38 for full reaction and analysis on Patriots 5th Quarter!