Seven Patriots Players To Watch In Preseason Game Vs. Packers

After a pair of contentious, competitive and productive joint practices this week in Green Bay, the Patriots and Packers will square off Saturday night in a preseason game at Lambeau Field.

Here are seven New England players we’ll have our eye on during that exhibition:

QB Mac Jones (No. 10)
Head coach Bill Belichick hasn’t said whether the Patriots’ starters will play Saturday night after sitting out last week’s preseason opener. But history suggests they’ll see at least some action. Last year, Jones and company played two series in the second preseason game, which also followed a round of joint practices. If they stick to that blueprint, we’ll get our first real look at Jones running Bill O’Brien’s new offense in a game setting. The third-year quarterback enjoyed one of the best training camp practices of his NFL career Thursday and looks far more confident than he did in Matt Patricia’s deeply flawed scheme last season.

RB Ezekiel Elliott (No. 15)
It would be a mild surprise if Elliott played in this game since he’s only had a few days to learn the playbook and hadn’t practiced in seven months before this week. But the coaches were willing to give him a handful of full-speed reps during Thursday’s joint practice, so perhaps they’ll do the same Saturday to let the former Cowboys star knock some of the rust off. Elliott seems to be fitting in great so far, with teammates and coaches raving about the type of impact he’s had already.

QB/WR Malik Cunningham (No. 16)
Cunningham was the story of New England’s otherwise dull preseason opener, subbing in at quarterback in the fourth quarter and immediately leading an impressive touchdown drive. He also saw reps at wide receiver earlier in the game and practiced at both positions this week, plus work on special teams. Will the Patriots give him a longer look behind center Saturday night? How much he plays, and which players are around him when he does, could tell us a lot about how the team views the exciting undrafted rookie.

OT Sidy Sow (No. 61)
Sow appears to be the current leader in the Patriots’ wide-open right tackle competition, repping with the offensive regulars all week and impressing teammates and coaches with his improvement. Veteran left tackle Trent Brown, who’s spent time outside of practice helping Sow in his transition from college guard to NFL tackle, said the fifth-round rookie has “made leaps and bounds these last couple weeks.” Position coach Adrian Klemm praised Sow’s intelligence and said he’s “starting to develop some competitive poise.”

TE Anthony Firkser (No. 86)
The dislocated shoulder Mike Gesicki suffered in practice this week placed a spotlight on New England’s four reserve tight ends. The Patriots need someone to step up behind Hunter Henry until Gesicki returns, and Firkser is a prime candidate. The Harvard product has 115 career catches across five seasons with Tennessee and Atlanta and looked solid in the joint practices.

DE Keion White (No. 99)
White was a flat-out beast against Houston in his preseason NFL debut, and he wowed observers in Green Bay before suffering an injury that prevented him from finishing Thursday’s practice. That ailment very well could sideline the second-round rookie Saturday night, but if he does play, he’ll be impossible to miss.

CB Christian Gonzalez (No. 19)
Gonzalez’s first preseason game was a mixed bag, much like his first NFL summer as a whole. The first-round draft pick hasn’t immediately looked like a dominant cover man, but his athleticism is obvious and his potential enthralling. We’ll be looking to see how he fares against Green Bay’s talented young wideout tandem of Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs. The Patriots’ early-season schedule is littered with matchups against top-tier receivers, and Gonzalez looks poised to be an instant starter.