Patriots defense gets unexpected surprise for preseason finale vs. Commanders

The Patriots will have their final preseason game on Sunday against the Washington Commanders, providing the last in-game look at the 90-man roster before the cutdown deadline two days later. It will be a big game for those on the roster bubble, especially on offense and those hoping to take on bigger roles defensively, and will be a crucial test to see how the team might fare this season.

Jerod Mayo has already made it clear that every healthy player will see the field at some point during the game, including all four quarterbacks, starting with Jacoby Brissett. It will likely determine who will be named the starter, as Drake Maye has made the race to the top of the depth chart much more competitive than some anticipated.

Defensively, there is a lot of opportunity for the younger players to step up and show they can be productive members of the roster in the effort to maintain the label of the more dominant side of the team, especially with Matthew Judon's absence becoming a prominent talking point.

Unfortunately, that won't happen against the Commanders' starting quarterback, who head coach Dan Quinn revealed will not be playing in the preseason finale.

It's a development that could be interpreted as a positive for a team in the position of the Patriots if it were the regular season. But because this is the last chance for many defensive players to show why they should make the roster, not playing against a starting quarterback might hinder their chances of looking more impressive.

Jayden Daniels' absence could be considered a positive and a negative for Patriots defense

While meeting with reporters on Friday morning, Quinn shared that Jayden Daniels, the second overall pick in this year's draft, will not be playing against the Patriots.

It was a surprising detail, considering most starters on every team will be participating in the final matchup of the summer. This will now force the Patriots' defense to play against a backup quarterback instead of proving their skills against a league starter.

While the defense can still demonstrate their skill set and value against any opposing offense, showing they can hang against starting talent in the league would hold more weight, especially for those still vying for a spot on the roster.

It also raises questions about how many starters the Commanders will have on the field in this game and how this might impact the offense's performance.

We'll have to wait and see, but this will certainly make the game a bit more interesting to watch.

More Patriots news and analysis: