The final game of the season between these two cellar dwellers will act as a punctuation mark on how they're handling their brand-new franchise quarterbacks.
Washington will take a conservative approach, holding out Jayden Daniels in the final game. He's shown more than enough to convince them he's the answer going forward, and the Commanders have plenty of other problems to address heading into the season.
New England, meanwhile, has waffled throughout the preseason about whether they're actually having a real quarterback competition or not. They went into the season with a solid plan of Jacoby Brissett as the starter and Drake Maye waiting in the wings, but now they'll once again play quarterback roulette in their final game in DC.
Game Details
Fixture: New England Patriots @ Washington Commanders
Date and Time: August 25, 2024 @ 8:00 PM
Location: Commanders Field, Landover MD
New England Team Review
No one knows what the plan is to get Drake Maye onto the field this year. At first, it appeared simple; there would be no QB competition, and if Brissett stumbled and the Pats felt he was ready, Maye would be the obvious option.
Now there is a competition. Or maybe there isn't. It depends on who's speaking to the media on a given day, and what the party line happens to be that day. Meanwhile, Maye continues to improve, and given that we're going to see him, Brissett, Joe Milton, and Bailey Zappe at different points in the game, perhaps we can get another sliver of information from his performance.
It's a spectacular muddle at the moment, and there's really no sense trying to figure it out. The best thing to focus on is the roster churn and upcoming cuts, so we'll talk a little more about that in the "Who to Watch" section.
Washington Commanders Team Review
Washington, meanwhile, knows exactly who will be playing quarterback when they open the season in Tampa Bay. Jayden Daniels looked smooth as silk during his preseason appearances, so the Commanders are expected to keep him under wraps for their final game against the Pats.
They did make a significant move this week, though, and it will have an impact on Daniels' future. They traded a 2022 first-rounder to the Eagles for a third-round pick and two seventh-rounders, and Washington also sent a 2025 fifth-round pick to Philadelphia. It was a clear sign that the Eagles are going all in on this season, while the Commanders are looking to the future to possibly get a wideout who's a better fit with Daniels.
Who to Watch
New England Patriots
If this spin-the-wheel collection of quarterbacks can actually complete enough passes, keep an eye on the Patriots receivers. It's an unimpressive group to date that turned even more unsettled this week when OC Alex Van Pelt told the media that speed merchant Tyquan Thornton would probably make the roster.
This was definitely news to Jalen Reagor and Kayshon Boutte, both of whom have had far better camps than Thornton. It's yet another muddle that New England has to sort out, and if you're looking for another, keep an eye on kicker Joey Slye to see if he can keep his camp lead over last year's fourth-round pick, Chad Ryland, who continues to struggle.
Washington Commanders
With Daniels out, make sure you hone in on the Washington defense. Tua Tagovailoa marched the Miami Dolphins up and down the field on them in his first preseason cameo this week, so there's plenty of fixable film to review.
Washington also has kicker problems, amazingly enough. Riley Patterson missed a pair of makeable field goals in their 13-6 loss to Miami, and given the closeness of the score, they could easily have been looking for work after Tuesday's roster cutdowns.
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