Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots take on the New York Giants at 7:30 p.m. EDT on Thursday night at Gillette Stadium in the preseason finale for both teams.
Event: New York Giants vs. New England Patriots, NFL Preseason Week 4.
Date/Time: Thursday, September 1, 2011 - 7:30 p.m. EDT.
Broadcast Info: Thursday night's game between the Patriots and Giants will be televised locally on Channel 4 (CBS). The game will be aired on WBZ-FM 98.5 The Sports Hub, the flagship station of the New England Patriots.
Storyline: If Thursday night's match-up between the Patriots and Giants were a regular season game, there would actually be a pretty good storyline. You've got the Boston-New York rivalry going. Eli Manning put himself in the same class as Tom Brady, so there's that myth to disprove. Plus, BC's own Mark Herzlich is returning to the area.
Unfortunately, this is a preseason game, and the uneventful fourth and final one at that. Tom Brady and the starters may not see playing time, despite their poor showing in the supposedly important third preseason game against the Lions last Saturday.
For the Patriots, this will be the final chance for some UDFA's and other players on the fence to prove that they deserve a roster spot. With that being the case, it will be interesting to watch various position battles.
On the Giants side, it's a similar situation. Herzlich has reportedly been looking solid for New York, and is making a strong case to make the roster. Keep an eye on his, as with a little work, he could easily be a starting linebacker.
Even though there are still roster spots to be determined, don't expect this to wind up as one of the greatest games of the decade.
Follow along with Thursday's game with our stream and blog, Pats Pulpit.