New England Patriots preseason schedule announced
The New England Patriots preseason schedule for 2018 has been released.
The New England Patriots are busy at work preparing for the 2018 NFL Draft. The draft will provide a good opportunity for the Patriots and other teams in the NFL to add more talent to the roster.
For New England, the draft has been an important time in the offseason. They have done very well during the draft under Bill Belichick and will look to continue that trend this year.
After picks are made, fans are eager to see the newest additions to their team on the field. The regular season doesn’t begin for another five months, but there are opportunities to see them before then.
There are offseason workouts and training camp. The first time to really see the players in action is in the preseason. Preseason games are a drag for some, but it is the first chance to see rookies take the field and for veterans to make an impression to make the roster. Now, we know when those games will be.
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The Patriots full preseason schedule was released this week. New England will be going up against some familiar faces this year in the preseason.
In Week 1, the Patriots will be hosting the Washington Redskins. In Week 2, New England will host the Philadelphia Eagles in a rematch of Super Bowl 52. The stakes won’t be anywhere near as high, but there will be some players motivated for this one.
After that, the Patriots will head on the road to finish up their preseason. In Week 3 the Patriots will pay a visit to the Carolina Panthers. This is the game many people put the most stock into, as it is the one that starters and regulars usually get the most playing time in.
In Week 4 the Patriots will travel to face the New York Giants in what has become an annual game. This will be the 14th consecutive year that the Patriots and Giants face off in the final game of the preseason.
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ESPN’s Mike Reiss notes that the Patriots like to have joint practices to increase the intensity during camp. New England and Washington had one in 2014, so there is a possibility it could happen again with Jay Gruden. A joint practice with the Eagles in Week 2 would also draw some attention.