The Patriots are ready for Week 1 after preseason game against Eagles

FOXBORO — Can we get to Week 1?

The days before the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks season-opener will satisfy the desire for football more than the preseason meeting against the Eagles. The true competitive snaps against Philadelphia came over two days at Gillette Stadium’s practice fields.

Saturday, Aug. 22 was only a gameday dress rehearsal for both sides with nearly identical Super Bowl odds this summer. Drake Maye, AJ Brown and Romeo Doubs were all absent in New England’s 24-21 victory. Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith and Saquon Barkley took a similar route on a humid night in Foxboro.

Maye likely won’t play in any preseason action this summer — a benefit of coming runner-up in the MVP voting last year. New England finishes the summer at the Cleveland Browns on Thursday, Aug. 27. But the third-year quarterback can do without trial games as Tommy DeVito managed the quarterback duties again for the Patriots.

“I don't think we have a very deep team,” Vrabel said. “So, I think we have to make sure that we're preparing our football team and that we're doing everything that we can to keep our best players available. And if that means playing Thursday, part of preparation, that's what we'll do. Have not made that decision yet.

“I think obviously we always want to win. We want to win, we want to compete, but it was the competing and the fighting through some adversity and things that I needed to see from some young guys that really needed to show it pretty quickly.”

DeVito’s highlight — a 69-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Williams up the right side — provided the only true intrigue of the night. Williams and Efton Chism III represented the crowded receiver room’s first-half snaps.  

Mack Hollins, Kayshon Boutte and DeMario Douglas watched with the rest of the offense from the sideline. That likely means they’re all safe, barring a trade, from any roster cutdowns. Williams, a third-round pick last year, not making the 53-man team would add some shock factor to end the summer.

“Just want to give [Williams] as many opportunities to continue to improve and do the things that we've asked him to improve on and he knows he needs to improve on,” Vrabel said. “I love his ability outside the numbers to be able to stretch the field, and we wanted to give him some more opportunities to be able to do that.”

Chism made last year’s roster as an undrafted free agent out of Eastern Washington. He caught just three passes over eight appearances last season. Saturday night saw the shifty receiver pull in four catches for 45 yards while returning one punt.  

“That's the best possible situation you can ask for an organization,” DeVito said of the receiver group. “To have so many options, where you have to make hard decisions like that. But again, it's just a testament to the coaching and to the guys of just coming in every day, putting their hard hats on and working.”

"I try not to take any rep for granted," Chism said. "You only get so many, you don't know how many you are going to get. Even if it's in practice or in a game, just trying to go out there and leave everything out there."

New England might start Week 1 with seven receivers. There are five more days before the preseason finale and an additional three days before roster cutdowns are due. These games, for contending teams, are intended to test depth. New England’s ironing out the edges of its roster and that should be a familiar change to the region at this time in the season.

“I felt like we really competed,” Vrabel said. “The guys that were in there tonight in the game competed in the second half, and I think that’s probably the thing that I will take away for the last three or four days.”

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: The Patriots are ready for Week 1 after preseason game against Eagles