Tonight, the New England Patriots take the field at Gillette Stadium for their first competitive game against another team this season. Even if it’s still just the preseason and “the games don’t count,” there is still much to be decided between now and September 8 for the defending world champions.
The third week of the preseason is oftentimes the week given the most weight and importance by coaches around the NFL. While the first two weeks are more about evaluating depth options and practice squad candidates, and the fourth week is essentially the last-chance opportunity for those same players to impress their coaches, the third week is usually when the presumptive starters get a bit of work in before September rolls around.