The Patriots will take to the Gillette Stadium field once again Thursday night for the second contest of preseason action, this a battle with the Bears team that's been in Foxborough for joint practices all week.
It's a second straight week for the home crowd to take a gander at the 90-man bunch that will be trimmed down to New England's regular season roster in the coming weeks.
With training camp officially closed and the final two preseason games on the road at Carolina and the New York Giants, it's also the last time home fans will see the Patriots prior to the Week 2 home opener against the Dolphins one month from today on Sept. 18.
The Boston Globe has five things to watch for in tonight’s matchup with the Bears. The Globe practice report notes that the Patriots and Bears took it pretty easy on Wednesday in the third day of joint workouts. While the "priority" this summer has been Jimmy Garoppolo and the focus is on Tom Brady, the Globe looks at rookie Jacoby Brissett preparing for his key role on the quarterback depth chart.
The Boston Herald offers up its own five things to watch in tonight’s game. The Herald has Brissett talking about his “dream” opportunity in New England. Meanwhile, the Herald has Brian Hoyer talking about what he learned from his time as Brady’s backup with the Patriots.
Stop us if you've read this before…the* Providence Journal has five things to watch in tonight’s game against the Bears. The *ProJo also takes a look at Hoyer’s thoughts on his time in New England as well as Brissett looking ahead to his time in the same backup role.
ESPNBoston.com says that Martellus Bennett’s arrival in New England could cut into Rob Gronkowski’s value…in terms of fantasy football. In more real world news, ESPNBoston.com says that Jabaal Sheard is among the many Patriots not expected to play in Thursday night’s battle with the Bears. ESPNBoston.com also takes a closer look at Brissett.
ESPN drops the Patriots to third in its NFL Power Rankings, down from the No. 1 spot New England occupied after the draft this spring.
WEEI.com writes about DeAndre Carter’s pursuit of a roster spot, a battle that’s driven by a promise the receiver made to his late brother. WEEI.com declares that Brissett is indeed the best option as the Patriots No. 3 quarterback. Among WEEI.com's notes from Wednesday's light practice with the Bears is the return of Olympian Nate Ebner.
CSNNE.com says that the NFL league office's motto should be “do as I say, not as I do.” CSNNE.com takes a look at a small but symbolic ritual that Dante Scarnecchia has brought in his return to the New England offensive line.
The *Chicago Sun-Times *says the Patriots passing attack is the perfect test for the Bears young secondary.
The Chicago Tribune says the Bears can thank the Patriots for elevating their play this week.
MassLive.com looks at the returning Patriots defensive backs looking to build the secondary heading into 2016.
