NFL Preseason Week 4
New England Patriots (2-1) at New York Giants (1-2)
7:00 PM, NFL Network, 98.5 FM The Sports Hub
At 7:00 PM tonight, the Patriots will wrap up their preseason with one final game against the New York Giants, in the team's first of two visits to the new Giants Stadium this season.
While starters don't typically play in the preseason finale under head coach Bill Belichick, don't expect that tonight. According to the coach, the starters will be playing tonight. The reason is probably to get that bad taste out of their mouth's from last week's game against the St. Louis Rams. Tonight's game will be especially important for the defense, who let rookie quarterback Sam Bradford tear them to shreds last week.
We don't know how long the starters will play tonight, so I have a feeling they will play until Belichick deems their performance sufficient. It could be one quarter, it could be two, it could really be anything.
No matter how long the starters actually play tonight, this will be the last chance for many bubble players to prove themselves. While Bryan Hoyer will certainly see some snaps, I would also expect Zac Robinson to get some time. The second string offensive line will get another chance to gel. Young defenders such as Tyrone McKenzie and a hopefully healthy Jermaine Cunningham may get some run. There will be a lot of secondary storylines to watch, and hopefully we can get some finality on the team's depth issues.
Greg's Prediction: Patriots 24 Giants 17