Arizona Cardinals

New England Patriots vs. Arizona Cardinals: Six Players to Watch

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Jimmy Garoppolo (10) New England Patriots – Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

We are a little over 48 hours from kickoff between the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals. There is no shortage of players to keep your eye on in this showdown.

Here are three New England Patriots players and three Arizona Cardinals players to keep in mind as you tune in on Sunday Night Football.

Patriots vs. Cardinals Players to Watch Number Six: Jimmy Garoppolo

Of course, everyone in the nation will be watching to see how Garoppolo fares in his first real NFL start. For the first time since the 2001 season, the Patriots will be starting Week 1 with a quarterback not named Tom Brady under center, giving this juicy interconference battle that much more glitz and glamor.

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Garoppolo may not have had the most impressive preseason, but he has logged his hours holding clipboards and carrying Brady’s pads. Surely, Garoppolo has watched a bunch of tape, kept the playbook on his person at all times and practiced enough mental reps to have some confidence going into this game.

Keep your eyes peeled on Garoppolo’s every move. These four games will serve as an extended job interview for the third-year pro (not just with the Patriots, for that matter).

Chandler Jones (55) Arizona Cardinals – Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Patriots vs. Cardinals Players to Watch Number Five: Chandler Jones

It’s always fun to watch former Patriots players face their teammates, but this encounter is heightened in intensity because it will mark Jones’ first regular season game as an NFL pro not with the Patriots. A player starting with a new team always wants to make a good first impression; add that motivation to Jones’ baseline anger toward the Patriots for trading him this offseason, and you have an exciting player to watch regardless of team allegiance.

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You can bet that Jones would like nothing more than to storm by his former teammate Nate Solder on repeated occasions and squash Garoppolo. And while we don’t want to bet against the owner of the Cardinals’ No. 55 jersey, it should be noted that Jones was an extremely streaky player for the Patriots; some games, he would post multiple sacks, but he could also go weeks at a time without sniffing the quarterback.

How Jones fares against his former teammates will be a major storyline in this game.

Danny Amendola (10) New England Patriots – Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Patriots vs. Cardinals Players to Watch Number Four: Danny Amendola

Despite missing all of training camp and the preseason, Amendola is “ready to roll” for Week 1, and Patriots fans couldn’t be happier that he managed to stay off the PUP list and join the 53-man roster. Having missed practices until very recently, Amendola is certainly a player to watch in this game. Keep an eye on his hands (will they be rusty?), route running, and general football shape and physicality. There’s a reason the NFL preseason is four games long; it takes time to get back up to speed after a long offseason.

It remains to be seen just how big of a role Amendola will have this season. Of course, injuries will dictate his playing time to some degree. But will Amendola start the season as the No. 4 wide receiver behind Julian Edelman, Chris Hogan and Malcolm Mitchell? Or will Amendola pick up where he left off last season as the secondary target after Edelman? These are all questions that will be easier to answer after Sunday night’s game.

John Brown (12) Arizona Cardinals – Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Patriots vs. Cardinals Players to Watch Number Three: John Brown

A nasty concussion suffered in late July limited Brown all preseason, but he was left off the Cardinals’ injury report this week, indicating that he will in fact be playing on Sunday night. For many of the same reasons that Amendola is a player to watch because he missed the preseason, Brown is another undersized wide receiver you should have on your radar as he gets back to full speed on the football field.

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The Cardinals’ receiving corps are talented and deep, with Brown representing the speed of the group. It will be interesting to see how the Patriots cover Brown. Will they plug nimble-footed rookie Cyrus Jones on him? What about 2015 undrafted rookie standout Justin Coleman? Or current undrafted rookie Jonathan Jones, who also boasts enough athleticism to match Brown? How the Patriots address covering a true game break in Brown will be a factor in this game, no doubt.

Jabaal Sheard (93) New England Patriots – Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Patriots vs. Cardinals Players to Watch Number Two: Jabaal Sheard

With Rob Ninkovich suspended, Sheard is the unquestioned No. 1 defensive end for the Patriots entering Week 1. Chris Long, Trey Flowers and Shea McClellin will also be factors at the position, but Sheard will lead the way.

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It is paramount that the Patriots establish a fierce pass rush in the first quarter and sustain it throughout the game to put 36-year-old quarterback Carson Palmer on his heels; Sheard will head that effort.

Additionally, Sheard will be motivated to perform because Chandler Jones will be watching on the sideline. Surely, Sheard will want to outperform his former defensive end teammate and show the NFL that the Patriots are better off with him as their top edge pass rusher, that the trade of Jones not only saved 2017 cap space but also made sense from a personnel perspective.

David Johnson (31) Arizona Cardinals – Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Patriots vs. Cardinals Players to Watch Number One: David Johnson and Chris Johnson

These two are grouped together under one heading not just because they have the same name, but because they will combine to form a two-headed backfield monster for the Cardinals in 2016. One the one hand, you have a rising star in David Johnson, a guy who is at the top of fantasy draft boards across the nation right now; on the other, you have a former star in Chris Johnson, a guy whose best days are certainly behind him but there is still gas left in the tank.

The Patriots must keep this pair in check. So far this preseason, the defensive line has been stalwart in stopping the run. A front of Malcom Brown and Alan Branch backed up by Vincent Valentine and Anthony Johnson looks like a formidable match for this duo of potent running backs, but we’ll see for sure on Sunday night. If the Arizona ground game gets going, experienced quarterback Palmer could make short work of the play-action fake and toast the Patriots.

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