Patriots Take On Jaguars in First Preseason Game

The Patriots will see their first bit of competitive football action of the 2011 season in Foxborough on Thursday night. Even though it is only the preseason; Patriot fans couldn’t be more excited to see their Pats and the Jags tee it up.

It will be interesting to see how some of the new Patriot acquisitions perform; especially Chad Ochocinco, who has recently gotten a lot of attention in his quest to find a place to live in the Boston area. Hopefully, we will be able to see some glimpse of how he will contribute to the Patriots offense.

Unfortunately, we probably won’t be able to see newly acquired defensive linemen Albert Haynesworth and Shaun Ellis in action. Both players have been unable to practice; Haynesworth for undisclosed reasons; and Ellis doesn’t appear to be 100% healthy.

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Number one draft pick Nate Solder should get the start at left tackle. Running back Stevan Ridley should see a lot of action. Getting to see quarterback Ryan Mallet play in a game situation will bring a lot of curiosity to Patriot Nation. Will the strong arm rookie show the skills that should have gotten him drafted in the first round?

There will be a lot of other players looking to show their skills in hopes of eventually making the final roster. Hopefully, Thursday night will show Bill Belichick and his staff who are the keepers and who are the ones who will have to find work elsewhere?

Kickoff time is 7:30 PM EDT at Gillette Stadium.

By: Ryan K. Lee
ProFootball-fans.com New England Patriots Correspondent