5 things to watch when Patriots play Washington Commanders

FOXBOROUGH – The Washington Commanders sent a clear message during Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline – they’re on to 2024.

That day saw Washington trade arguably their best players, defensive ends Montez Sweat and Chase Young, in two separate deals for a second and third-round pick. After selling, the Commanders look to be tanking with an eye on next year’s draft.

That brings us to Sunday.

Coming off a disappointing loss in Miami, the Patriots didn’t make any trades at the deadline. Instead, the 2-6 Patriots push forward with their roster as is and look to rebound against the 3-5 Commanders. This matchup feels like a great opportunity for the Patriots to get in the win column.

Of course, that was also said when they faced the Las Vegas Raiders, who just fired their head coach, and the New Orleans Saints. The Patriots lost both matchups and showed everyone that they could lose to anyone in the NFL.

We’ll see if the Patriots can ‘get back on track’ against a team clearly looking to the future. Here are five things to watch in Sunday’s matchup between the Patriots and Commanders:

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Patriots receivers

Life isn’t going to get easier for the Patriots offense. Their leading receiver, Kendrick Bourne, is out for the season due to a torn ACL. DeVante Parker is also expected to miss this upcoming matchup due to a concussion. That means someone is going to have to step up and catch passes for the Patriots. Demario Douglas now becomes the team’s No. 1 receiver. He’s been a draft steal but is about to see a lot more attention.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Patriots can find some life with JuJu Smith-Schuster. Their biggest free agent signing has been relatively invisible this year. The injuries to Bourne and Parker also lead to more opportunities for Kayshon Boutte, Jalen Reagor, and Tyquan Thornton.

Mac Jones

As noted above, it’s not going to get easier for Mac Jones. His security blanket, Bourne, is gone. Still, Jones has a perfect opportunity to pad his stats against an already weak Commanders defense. Not only did they trade away their two best pass rushers, but this unit is statistically among the worst in the NFL. Washington ranks 29th in yards allowed per game, 30th in passing yards allowed per play, and allowing a whopping 28.5 points per game. That’s 31st in the NFL.

This game is ripe for a Jones breakout. If it doesn’t happen and if Jones and the offense can’t find success against the Commanders, it’s going to be a rough, rough rest of the season.

Terry McLaurin

Remember back in 2019 when the Patriots drafted N’Keal Harry in the first round? Sorry to bring up the bad memory, but Bill Belichick is about to get another reminder on Sunday. This Commanders team showcases the very impressive Terry McLaurin. A third-round pick in 2019, McLaurin represents a big missed opportunity for the Patriots.

Despite having poor quarterback play, McLaurin has finished with over 1,000 yards receiving in each of the past three seasons. Considering he was a core special teams player at Ohio State, it’s still a surprise the Patriots didn’t draft this Pro Bowl receiver in 2019. We’ll see how he looks against Belichick’s defense on Sunday.

Sam Howell vs. Patriots secondary

Is Sam Howell a good quarterback? We’re about to find out. Howell heads into this matchup ranked sixth in the NFL in passing yards (2,146) and is tied for sixth with 13 passing touchdowns. The 2022 fifth-round pick is off to a solid start and has an impressive group of receivers to throw to in McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, and Jahan Dotson.

The Patriots secondary is coming off a rough game against Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins. Multiple breakdowns led to embarrassing touchdowns. It would be nice to see the likes of J.C. Jackson and Jack Jones rebound on Sunday. We’ll see if happens.

Can Rhamondre Stevenson keep running angry?

It hasn’t been the easiest season for Rhamondre Stevenson. Coming off the best season of his career, the Patriots starting running back heads into this matchup ranked 30th in rushing yards (307) and is averaging 3.2 yards per carry. Stevenson, however, has shown signs of life recently. He had some solid angry runs in Miami. The game before, he led the Patriots downfield in their comeback win over Buffalo.

Stevenson has a great opportunity on Sunday. The Commanders rank 21st in rushing defense allowing 117.4 rushing yards per game. Opposing running backs are averaging 4.21 yards per carry against Washington. That also ranks them 21st. We’ll see if Stevenson can take advantage of this situation.

Prediction: Patriots 20, Commanders 16