3 Players to Watch in Patriots' Preseason Finale vs. Commanders

The New England Patriots take on their last preseason bout of the year on Sunday night.

Aug 15, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) looks to pass during the second half against the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

The New England Patriots are getting one last go at some exhibition action before the coming NFL season as they look to take on the Washington Commanders tonight at FedEx Field. We'll get one last look at this 90-man roster before this team takes on the regular season, and there are a few key names to watch in the process.

Here are three players to watch as the Patriots head into their final preseason matchup of the year:

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May 11, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots guard Layden Robinson (63) speaks to the media after practice at the New England Patriots rookie camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Layden Robinson

The Patriots may be in for a small adjustment on their offensive line as tackle Vederian Lowe recently suffered an injury this past week to take him out of practice-- effectively giving fourth-round rookie Layden Robinson some extra first-team snaps in camp at guard.

As we enter the final preseason game of the year vs. the Commanders, we may get to see Robinson in a bit of an extended role with the first team unit than we have in the past two weeks, potentially giving us some foreshadowing as to what's to come for week one on the offensive line.

By playing the Texas A&M product at guard and shifting Mike Onwenu to the right tackle spot, the front lines can look a bit more rounded out and readily equipped to service whoever starts at quarterback vs. the Cincinnati Bengals.

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Jul 24, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Tyquan Thornton (11) runs after making a catch during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Tyquan Thornton

The Patriots made some headlines this past week when reports surfaced hinting at third-year WR Tyquan Thorton getting the nod as New England's starting X receiver, effectively setting the stage for the former second-round pick for a breakout campaign compared to his first two seasons in the league.

As Thorton matches up in his final preseason bout, he'll have a chance to find some added chemistry between either Jacoby Brissett or Drake Maye, depending on how his snaps are divided. He's yet to make much of a dent in the preseason action up to this point, as he's only brought one target for no gain his way through two games, but Sunday's game vs. the Commanders presents a new opportunity.

Look for the former Baylor product to have an improved showing on Sunday compared to his previous two.

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Aug 15, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws a pass against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Drake Maye

It's hard to talk about the Patriots' preseason action without mentioning Drake Maye, who's gearing up for another prime opportunity to stand out in his last of three preseason games. We know the third-overall pick will be in line for more snaps than we saw in his matchups vs. the Carolina Panthers, and with the starting QB job seemingly up for grabs according to Coach Mayo, this will be the most important game he's seen in the NFL yet.

The Patriots' plan could be as simple as letting Maye get some reps in this preseason matchup before sitting him for some time for a short time in the regular season and starting him soon after. However, if he shows out to be the clear best QB in the room from week one and ahead of his development schedule, that plan might have to adjust.

The hope for Maye in his preseason finale tonight will be to see some looks with the first team on offense to begin to gel with his starting receivers and offensive line group. The sooner the UNC product gets comfortable in this offense, the quicker we could see him on the field when the games start the matter.

Look for Maye to have a statement game on Sunday night to send a message to the team that passed him up at the second-overall pick.

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