With Mayo not participating in practice the past three days, and veteran James Anderson a bit banged up and not expected to play, this is the type of opportunity third-year linebacker Darius Fleming has been waiting for. The former Notre Dame product who missed the first two years of his career with the 49ers because of knee injuries, has been playing both on the line and off the line, and this week was integrated more into the top special-teams mix. He’s making a hard push for a roster spot and based on circumstances that have unfolded outside of his control, he should have a nice opportunity to show what he can do Friday night.
Key areas for New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles – ESPN Boston
Good guy to watch tonight, and he could be in there sooner than later assuming Mayo isn’t playing. Sometimes I find myself more excited in the second half to see the guys going all out to make the team than the guys who are just going through the motions to get ready for the regular season.