What to KnowThe Patriots and Giants are closing out the preseason on Thursday night.While many starters aren’t playing, there will be opportunities for players at the bottom of the roster to make a final case to survive cutdown day.For whatever it may be worth, both teams entered the contest with 2-0 records. The winner will take a pristine 3-0 preseason record into the regular season.
To some football fans, the preseason is everything. To many football fans, though, the preseason doesn’t exactly carry the same juice as the regular season.
Wherever you may stand on the matter, the reality for the Patriots is simple: The preseason will be over by the end of the night.
For most of the starters on both sides of the football, Thursday night’s matchup with the Giants will be a spectating affair. But for a lot of players on both rosters, these 60 minutes will represent the last game opportunity to prove roster worthiness. With the bubble being razor thin in a number of areas for the Patriots, a strong (or poor) performance against the Giants could be the difference in making the roster or looking for a new job.
That’s the painful reality of the NFL, and that’s what’s at stake in this one.
Check out our Patriots-Giants live blog for everything you need to know from the preseason finale.