5 things to watch in Patriots preseason finale vs. Giants

FOXBOROUGH – The 2025 NFL season is almost upon us.

For the Patriots, the final steps of this preseason include Thursday night’s preseason finale against the New York Giants and then the NFL’s cut-down day on August 26.

This final preseason game will likely be reserved for the reserves.

This week, Mike Vrabel was asked about playing Patriots starters in New York. With the team having a short week, after playing in Minnesota last Saturday, the coach said they would manage the team’s reps. Vrabel also noted that he’ll give certain players more reps in the team’s final practice on Thursday.

“I think with a quick turnaround, I think we’ll have to just manage some of those reps,” Vrabel said. “But yes, obviously, try to have a plan. Quick turnaround. These are going to be two important days here. We’ve got to get back out here. We’ll be in the red zone (Monday). And then there will be a group of guys that get a lot of reps (Tuesday) that are going to be good, important reps. So, based on how that goes, that’ll tell me a lot for Thursday night.”

On Tuesday, most of the Patriots’ starters got the bulk of the reps. Drake Maye finished that practice 15-of-24 in team drills. That marked the most passes Maye threw in a training camp session this summer.

In the event Maye and the starters don’t play in the preseason finale, there are still a handful of things to keep an eye out for. Here’s a look:

Pass catchers

The Patriots are hurting at the receiver position. This week, the team was without Kendrick Bourne, Javon Baker, Efton Chism III, Kyle Williams, and Ja’Lynn Polk. That left starters such as Stefon Diggs, DeMario Douglas, and Mack Hollins playing with the backups.

This also means the Patriots will rely on such players as John Jiles, Jeremiah Webb, and Phil Lutz a whole lot on Thursday night. Although it’ll be interesting if any veteran receivers play, this is a good opportunity for these unknown receivers to step up.

The Patriots also didn’t have backup tight end Jack Westover this week. He’s been the team’s third tight end. His absence will lead to more opportunities for Gee Scott Jr., Jaheim Bell, and C.J. Dupree. We’ll see if any of them take advantage of this situation.

Offensive line competition

Most of the Patriots offensive line is set with Will Campbell, Morgan Moses, Garrett Bradbury, and Michael Onwenu. It appears that Jared Wilson will be the team’s starting left guard – at least we think. That’s where it starts to get fuzzy.

Ben Brown looks like the top backup center and guard, but in the last practice took starter reps at both positions. Marcus Bryant appears to be the top swing tackle. Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess. Vederian Lowe looks to be ahead of Demontrey Jacobs on the tackle depth chart. Other backup guards battling include Cole Strange (also playing center), Caedan Wallace, and Sidy Sow. We’ll see if anyone separates themselves against the Giants.

Under-the-radar gems

At this point, we believe that undrafted rookie receiver Efton Chism III and undrafted edge rusher Elijah Ponder will make the Patriots’ 53-man roster. Both have had strong summers.

It’ll be interesting to see if any other under-the-radar players will emerge from Thursday night’s game. This is a perfect opportunity for someone to finish strong since most starters aren’t expected to play. There could be spots to win for players such as cornerback Kobee Minor, safety Dell Pettus, defensive tackle Kyle Peko, cornerback Isaiah Bolden, and defensive end Truman Jones. We’ll see if anyone can earn a roster spot with one final push before cut-down day.

Veteran bubble players

It’s never a good sign when a veteran player is on the field in the second half of a preseason game. That’s why it’s been noteworthy that Kyle Dugger and Anfernee Jennings played the entire second half in the Patriots second exhibition game against Minnesota.

Both players had good moments – Dugger with an interception and Jennings with 2.5 sacks. However, it doesn’t seem like either is in the Patriots’ current plans. We’ll see if things change on Thursday in New York, but it wouldn’t be a good sign if both players are on the field in the fourth quarter.

Considering Jennings didn’t practice this week, he likely won’t play — but keep a lookout for any veterans who do.

Kicker competition

This one is coming down to the wire. The Patriots liked Andy Borregales so much that they made him the highest-drafted kicker in this year’s draft. That made him the clear favorite in the team’s kicking competition. However, Parker Romo has been the more consistent kicker this summer.

Romo hit a 57-yard field goal in the first preseason game. Borregales missed a 57-yard field goal in the second. Romo has also connected on a higher percentage of kicks in camp. We’ll see if Borregales can make one final push in New York.