Packers vs. Patriots, Preseason Week 1: Game Thread #1

We have been waiting for almost seven long months, but Green Bay Packers football has finally returned. Tonight, the Packers suit up against the New England Patriots in Foxboro as both teams open their 2015 preseason schedule.

Tonight's game should feature little in terms of star power, as neither team is expected to play many starters for more than a drive or two. Tom Brady, coming off a hearing regarding his deflated footballs-related suspension on Wednesday, is not slated to play at all.

Which Packers will and won't plan on defense will be worth watching. Several players have been working through injuries over the past week or so at all levels on the defense; most recently, Mike Daniels and Letroy Guion have sat out practices on the defensive line, while defensive backs Damarious Randall, Sean Richardson, and Demetri Goodson missed Tuesday's practice.

Don't expect to see the team give away much of anything in the way of offensive or defensive schemes tonight. The focus here will be mainly on player evaluation for the bottom half of the roster, and Ted Thompson needs to see all the snaps he can out of his young players over the next four games.

Join the APC family in the comments for the first game thread of the 2015 preseason!