The intensity is bound to ramp up when the Patriots and Packers meet for a set of joint practices this Wednesday and Thursday in Green Bay.
Given the minimal workload most starters see in preseason games, joint practices have become the most enlightening events on the NFL’s August calendar. When starters square off on the practice field, there’s no faking it; it’s a great way to measure where teams are at.
So here are 9 things to keep an eye on in Green Bay this week:
How quickly does Elliott get in the mix?
Despite not signing his deal until Tuesday morning, Ezekiel Elliott is expected to hop on his new team’s plane and participate in the joint practices, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. It’ll be fascinating to see how quickly Bill Belichick brings him along. Does “participate” just mean stretch and hang out? Or is the newly-signed No. 2 back actually going to be getting some carries right away.
Whatever the workload, all eyes will be on Elliott in a Patriots uniform.
Does a tight end step up?
The battle for New England’s No. 3 tight end spot was already one of the fiercest in training camp, but following Mike Gesicki’s injury, it’ll intensify even further. Gesicki reportedly suffered a “mild shoulder dislocation” and will be sidelined for a bit, so there are going to be even more snaps to go around.
So who will seize the opportunity in Green Bay? Anthony Firkser, Matt Sokol, and Johnny Lumpkin have all been in the mix thus far, but none of the three has really separated from the pack. There won’t be a better chance to than the one in front of them.
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How is Mac Jones vs. Packers starters?
The Patriots quarterback has looked significantly better this summer — he’s clearing the low bar from 2022 with ease — but now the competition will ramp up against a Packers secondary that registered the fourth most interceptions (17) in the league a season ago. The chemistry he’s built with newcomers like JuJu Smith-Schuster and Pop Douglas will be tested.
In that vein…
Can Patriots WRs compete with Alexander?
Patriots wide receivers have largely struggled to get separation in recent years, so Green Bay’s Jaire Alexander should present a good early challenge. Will guys like Smith-Schuster be able to shake free from the All-Pro cornerback? Or will 2023 bring more of the same?
“Jaire, he’s a really good player man. I will give that to him,” Smith-Schuster said. “He’s probably, what he would say is, a lockdown corner. All I can say is he’s a good player. I can’t wait to go against him this week.”
How much run does Cunningham get at QB?
Malik Cunningham’s snaps at quarterback have been interesting this week, as it seems like the Patriots are really taking a long look at what he could provide the offense as a change of pace. He’s come in for Jones for brief spells and run plays that seem tailored to his specific dual-threat skillset.
Will Cunningham continue to sub in for Jones for a snap or two when the starters are squaring off in Green Bay? Or was that more of a “let’s just see how this looks” situation on the backfields at Gillette Stadium?
How dire is the OL situation really?
The offensive line’s performance in the preseason opener was abysmal, but we should get a much better gauge of where they’re at in Green Bay this week. David Andrews, Riley Reiff, and Trent Brown were all given the night off against the Texans, and based on this week’s practices, all three veterans should be full participants in joint sessions with the Packers.
If Brown can find his form, it’ll be easier to feel better about this group, but rookies Atonio Mafi and Sidy Sow will still likely be heavily involved, as Michael Ownenu (PUP) and Calvin Anderson (NFI) have been sidelined for all of camp.
Will we see Christian Gonzalez vs Christian Watson?
The Patriots first-rounder has been impressive early in training camp.
So how will he fare against another team’s No. 1 wide receiver? Christian Watson won’t be mistaken for long-time Packers stud Davante Adams, but he’ll still provide an interesting measuring stick matchup for Gonzalez.
What’s Jack Jones’ week like?
Due back in East Boston District Court on Friday for a probable cause hearing, will Jack Jones have a normal workload in the joint practices on Wednesday and Thursday? Will anything change here? If Jones doesn’t need to appear in court, it will likely be business as usual. If he does, things could get a little wonky.
Ultimately it comes back to the same issue: Can the Patriots rely on Jones?
Can they keep it between the whistles?
In the past, Matthew Slater has expressed frustration with the seemingly inevitable fighting at joint practices. When players can finally hit players in other uniforms, they can take it too far. Things got particularly nasty when the Panthers came to Foxborough last summer, as there were major fights on back-to-back days and Kristian Wilkerson was knocked out cold in a special teams drill.
“You want to be smart when you have these practices,” Slater said on Monday. “We’ve seen these practices get out of hand the last couple years here and around the league. We want to be smart and use it as an opportunity to improve our football team.”
