FOXBORO, Mass. — With 12 training camp practices in the books, the New England Patriots are still working out the kinks on offense.
Sunday’s practice offered more of the same, with shotty O-line play and communication breakdowns contributing to a shaky performance from Drake Maye. But it was a different story when Jacoby Brissett was under center, especially when he was targeting receiver DeMario Douglas.
Let’s look at the best and worst performances from the Patriots’ 12th practice.
Best Performances on Day 12 of Patriots Training Camp
WR DeMario Douglas | STUD
You can’t overstate the difference Douglas makes for this offense. Everything changes when he’s on the field, with Patriots quarterbacks able to rely on a speed playmaker who’s always open.
Douglas was a force on Sunday, finishing with a team-high six catches in competitive drills. He also made a seventh catch that was ruled out of bounds by the officials.
Douglas is a target hog in every practice. The second-year pro also continued to be a matchup nightmare in 1-on-1 drills.
Drake Maye finds Pop Douglas and he brings in a TOUGH catch while being smothered
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QB Jacoby Brissett | STUD
Here are Brissett’s practice stats:
11-on-11s: 9 of 11, one sack, one scramble
7-on-7s: 6 of 10
The Patriots were playing at a lighter pace, so the QB stats should be taken with grains of salt. Nevertheless, this was one of Brissett’s cleaner practices, one that reaffirmed the veteran as the top quarterback in camp.
Matthew Judon batted down Brissett’s first pass of team drills, but the veteran QB then completed eight consecutive passes, including four completions to Douglas.
Brissett’s top highlight was a 20-yard touchdown strike to a diving Jalen Reagor during a red-zone period. Brissett threw another TD three plays later, this time to K.J. Osborn with Christian Gonzalez in coverage.
You could say many positive things about Brissett’s practice performance this summer. However, arguably the top separator between him and Maye is Brissett’s success in situational drills, such as running a two-minute offense and working in the red zone. He’s the best quarterback in those situations, and it isn’t close.
Brissett’s biggest test will arrive Tuesday when the Patriots host the Philadelphia Eagles for a joint practice. If he shows out in that practice, the QB competition will be all but over.
WR Tyquan Thornton | STUD
It’s been an interesting camp for Tyquan Thornton, who started slow, got on a hot streak, missed time due to an injury, and is now back in the lineup. Overall, the positives have outweighed the negatives for a player who entered training camp on the roster bubble.
Thornton enjoyed another practice on Sunday, finishing with two catches in team drills (one with Gonzalez in coverage) and a decisive win during 1-on-1s. He’s stacking good practices and making a compelling case for a roster spot, something few expected.
Worst Performances on Day 12 of Patriots Training Camp
Offensive Communication | DUD
From an operational standpoint, this was one of the ugliest practices for the Patriots’ offense.
There were multiple penalties, a flag for delay of game and another for holding — both with Maye at quarterback.
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There were also multiple instances when the offense couldn’t get on the same page and had to rehuddle. A particularly sloppy stretch prompted head coach Jerod Mayo to interrupt an 11-on-11 period and gather the entire team for a mental reset.
That’s not all, though. There appeared to be communication breakdowns with pass catchers, as there were multiple Maye incompletions caused by him and the receiver not being on the same page.
It wasn’t great, and it all contributed to yet another slog of a practice.
CB Christian Gonzalez | DUD
Gonzalez continues to have a polarizing camp. It would be a stretch to say he’s been bad, but you also can’t say he’s been good. He’s been just fine, which is disappointing.
Gonzalez has been especially underwhelming during 1-on-1s, including an 0-for-3 effort on Sunday. He lost badly to Javon Baker and also was beaten by Reagor and Ja’Lynn Polk. There was also the touchdown reception by Osborn.
It’s been a while since we’ve seen Gonzalez truly be a shutdown corner throughout an entire practice.
Javon Baker gets the win in 1v1s vs Christian Gonzalez 👀
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K Chad Ryland | DUD
Practice ended with a kicking drill that was fun for everyone — except Chad Ryland.
The music cranked up. The entire team hovered over the kickers, yelling and dancing to distract them. Players called on the crowd to get in on it.
Joey Slye, Ryland’s top competition, then went 3 of 4 with makes from 30, 40, and 55 yards, with a miss from 50 yards. Meanwhile, Ryland went 2 of 4 with makes from 30 and 40 yards but missed from 50 and 55 yards out.
The kicking competition has been close, but Slye might’ve taken the lead on Sunday. Ryland must improve in a hurry.
