Tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET on CBS the New England Patriots will kick off their 2014 preseason against the Washington Redskins, who will begin the process of implementing new offensive coordinator Jay Gruden's offense. Live stream the game by clicking this link; Patriots fans can listen to the radio broadcast on 98.5 The Sports Hub, while Skins fans may tune in to ESPN 980.
Patriots fans will have to wait to see Tom Brady until next week, as the veteran is sitting in favor of backup Ryan Mallett. Brady said the reason for sitting out is an unusually high number of practice reps during the week rendering the preseason game reps extra.
"We got a ton of reps," Brady said earlier this week. "[Monday], I'd say it was probably 80 or 90 reps. [Tuesday] was probably pretty similar. Typically you don't get that in a given week."
Mallett is not only going to start, but will play extensively according to reports. The Patriots drafted another quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, in the second round this year, which raised eyebrows. Tonight's extended showcase could be intended to show off Mallett to potential suitors in need of a starter or depth.
Despite 2014 being Mallett's fourth NFL season, he's only appeared in four regular season games; he is 1-of-4 for 17 yards in those games with one interception and zero touchdowns.
His competition, Garoppolo, piled up massive stats in his senior season at Eastern Illinois. Garoppolo threw for 5,035 yards and 53 touchdowns while tossing just nine picks. He also ran 70 times; while he only picked up 62 yards he displayed a nose for the end zone with four scores on the ground.
Many fans will be tuning in to see how Robert Griffin III looks rather than to scout Mallett though. Griffin won't be limited by the knee brace he wore all of last season, and Gruden has pledged to enhance Griffin's overall game as a passer.
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