Patriots vs. Saints: 6 Patriots players to watch

We are hours away from kickoff between the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints, the first live action Patriots football in the better part of seven months. Here are six Patriots players to keep your eyes on in the preseason opener.

Let’s start by looking at the quarterback position.

6. Jimmy Garoppolo/Jacoby Brissett

Although they are obviously two different people, for the sake of this article we are combining Garoppolo and Brissett.

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Keep an eye on how Garoppolo carries himself in the first preseason game. While a good or bad performance won’t make or break Garoppolo’s starting chances, the fact remains that he must act like the Week 1 starter. As such, Garoppolo will be expected to lead a few scoring drives and make prudent decisions with the football.

Conversely, Brissett will be playing with nothing to lose, which could benefit him greatly. A poor showing in his first NFL action, albeit exhibition, wouldn’t keep Brissett of the roster. However, a surprise performance would up the ante a bit and put additional pressure on Garoppolo (that’s a good thing).

Next: 5. Malcolm Mitchell