Eagles vs. Patriots: Key Players to Watch on Monday Night Football Showdown

The New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles are getting set to square off during a nationally televised Monday Night Football preseason matchup.

Both sides have great expectations for the upcoming season, and the starters have a chance to put that on display on Monday night.

Each of these teams also added a number of new players, either via free agency or the draft, many of whom may be counted upon to make a contribution at some point during the year.

Let’s take a look at a few players to watch on both the Patriots and Eagles on Monday night.

Shane Vereen, Patriots

While Stevan Ridley got the start during the first preseason contests, New England’s best rusher may be Vereen.

The second-year back out of Cal racked up a solid 64 yards on just 11 carries, outperforming the rest of the rushers on the Patriots' roster.

He’s going to get another chance to prove himself tonight against a tough Eagles D that is expected to play some starters into the second half.

Mike Vick, Eagles

The Eagles QB may be one of the most (in)famous players in the NFL, but he’s got to prove he deserves his notoriety and paycheck this season.

Vick only appeared in 13 games last season, throwing for just 3,303 yards, 18 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. His rushing stats were also down, going for just 589 yards and one touchdown in 76 attempts.

The 32-year-old QB has to prove that his window isn’t closing, that he is still one of the most electrifying athletes in the National Football League and—most importantly—that he can win playoff games for this team.

Marcus Cannon, Patriots

Cannon gave up six pressures against the New Orleans Saints in the Pats' first preseason game. That simply cannot happen, and he deserves to lose his job as the top backup tackle if it does against the Eagles.

Tom Brady is the most important player on the New England offense, and the line cannot allow the 35-year-old to take a beating if they want to make it back to the Super Bowl.

Keep an eye on Cannon, who should be playing mostly right tackle in this contest, and see if he can fend off the Eagles rushers.