What To Watch For During Patriots Game Tonight

Exhibition games suck, but here is what you die hard fans should be watching for...

1. WRs: I doubt Welker will play tonight, so we can leave him out of this mix, and we all know Randy Moss is awesome and in a contract year. Even Edleman has found his spot as the Welker replacement, the question is behind those guys. Holt is now gone, and David Patten retires, so it is up to the young guys to make up the difference. Tate has been good this preseason (according to reports), and I really think he will get a lot of playing time this year. The other option is the speedy Taylor Price. Watch to see how Tate and Price compare because the Patriots are going to need another deep threat other then Randy Moss.

2. The defensive line: Ty Warren is lost for the year, and that leaves a huge hole in this defense. Gerard Warren and Damione Lewis were solid pickups this offseason, but I'm really not sold on them. I like Mike Wright, but I really think of him as more of a backup, That’s why the development of second-year players Ron Brace and Myron Pryor and the assimilation of rookies Brandon Deaderick and Kade Weston is so important, because who knows what they'll get out of Derrick Burgess. Look for how the Patriots go against the run, and how they are getting pressure on the QB, because honestly right now I am really worried if they will be able to do either of those things.

3. CBs: They played well overall in the first game, and that is encouraging for this young secondary, but there are still a ton of questions. The Patriots need to cause more turnovers, and if this defensive line is going to be below average then the Patriots are really going to need their CBs to pickup the slack.

4. Offensive line: Looked good in the first game, but with Mankins out and some injuries this has to be an area of concern. Watch to see if the Patriots get a good push up front when running the ball, and how they protect Brady during any kind of deep drop. Doesn't matter who your QB is if he doesn't have enough time to make his reads.

Game starts at 8pm.