New England Patriots football is finally back!

After a long wait, we get to see the Patriots back on the playing field. It's a long way until the regular season but this is the New England's first chance of showing what they've been working on in training camp.

New England Patriots (0-0) vs Houston Texans (0-0)
Date: Thursday, August 10
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Gillette Stadium | Foxborough, MA
Betting odds: Texans -3.5, Over/Under 37.5
How to watch on TV: NFL Network, CBS (Local)
Streaming: FuboTV, YouTube TV, Network apps, etc.

Will the Patriots play the starters?

Highly unlikely, despite Patriots head coach Bill Belichick not having commented on it yet. However, when asked about whether he would see time, Deatrich Wise said: “even though I want to be playing, I don’t think I will," when asked on Tuesday. 

Expect backups mostly today.

Who gets first-team reps at kicker? 

All training camp, the Patriots have seen rookie Chad Ryland and veteran Nick Folk compete for the starting role. It will be interesting to see if they split time, or if it will be the rookie after Belichick said the "players who are least experienced" are going to get the most time on Thursday. 

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3 Players to watch

• WR Demario Douglas: The rookie should get plenty of work on Thursday night after impressing during training camp. Despite being a late round pick, Douglas has taken advantage of every opportunity and is making himself indispensable to the team.
• WR Kayshon Boutte: While he got off to a slow start during training camp, Boutte has truly shown what he is capable of during the last few practices. He and Douglas are fighting for a roster spot, and although there is a possibility that they could carry both receivers, it's still important to do all they can to make an impression. 
• QB Malik Cunningham: While Belichick said that Cunningham was going to be used mainly as a receiver when he was signed, the undrafted free agent out of Louisville seems to be going back to his college position. Throughout the last few days of training camp, he has taken a few snaps, so the question is will we see Cunningham at receiver or in the pocket on Thursday? 

More Patriots news ahead of the game

• Patriots Training Camp Takeaways: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12
• Patriots reportedly fill final roster spot with former Bills linebacker
• Patriots' Trey Flowers placed on physically unable to perform list
• Patriots’ Bailey Zappe wants one thing ‘get out of the way’ in preseason opener
• Patriots' Trent Brown answers the question on his limited participation in training cam

Patriots reportedly fill final roster spot with former Bills linebacker

The Patriots hosted four linebackers for workouts on Wednesday.

Featured image via Sophie Weller – A to Z Sports