FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Following a stretch of intense, fully padded practices, the New England Patriots dialed back the intensity ahead of Tuesday’s joining practice with the Eagles.
Monday’s 90-minute session featured sloppiness on both sides of the ball, relatively even quarterback play, and another great performance from DeMario Douglas.
Let’s get into everything that stood out on Day 13 of Patriots training camp.
Patriots Practice Observations for Monday, Aug. 12
Attire
Helmets and shells.
Attendance
The following players were absent from practice:
- LB Sione Takitaki (PUP)
- OL Cole Strange (PUP)
- TE Hunter Henry
- DT Christian Barmore
- S/LB Marte Mapu
- CB Marcus Jones
- CB Shaun Wade
- WR Kendrick Bourne
- LB John Morgan
- CB Jonathan Jones
Jonathan Jones missed his second consecutive practice. It’s unclear whether he’s suffered a new injury or is managing his knee after undergoing a minor procedure during the offseason. Marcus Jones remained sidelined due to an undisclosed injury.
Henry missed his first practice of camp after suffering an apparent leg/foot injury on Sunday.
Barmore, who recently was diagnosed with blood clots, has missed nine consecutive practices. It’s unclear whether he’ll return at any point this season.
Mapu hasn’t practiced since the start of camp. He’s watched in street clothes each day, and his injury situation remains a mystery.
Strange continues to rehab from a torn patellar tendon suffered late last season. He might sit out half the 2024 season, if not the entire campaign.
Bourne, who’s rehabbing a torn ACL, didn’t participate but watched the second half of practice in street clothes.
The reason for Wade’s absence is unknown. He didn’t appear to suffer an injury during Sunday’s practice.
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Takitaki is still recovering from an offseason knee scope, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss. The veteran linebacker previously said he wouldn’t miss a single day of camp, but he’s yet to appear in a single practice.
Here are some additional injury notes:
- Jonathan Jones and Marcus Jones both worked out on the lower rehab field.
Matthew Judon Watch
Judon was a full participant and appeared to be in great spirits. He played with a ton of energy and continued looking like someone who’s happy to be in Foxboro.
None of that changes the fact that Judon remains dissatisfied with his contract. The star edge rusher is entering a contract year — his salary doesn’t become guaranteed until after roster cutdowns — and has gone public with his desire for a new deal.
It’ll be interesting to see whether Judon participates in the joint practice, which should see a significant uptick in physical intensity.
Patriots’ QB Training Camp Battle | Day 13
(Note: I don’t track quarterback stats when the offense is working off cards.)
Jacoby Brissett
11-on-11s: 6-of-8, one sack
7-on-7s: 2-of-5
This was another solid practice for Brissett, who completed his first five passes in team periods. His best play was a touchdown throw to Jalen Reagor, who beat Christian Gonzalez on a back-line crosser. Reagor appeared to land out of bounds, but the officials ruled him in. Either way, it was a great throw by Brissett.
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He wasn’t perfect, though. There were a few poor throws during a 7-on-7 period, including two that sailed out of the end zone.
It was still a good day of work for the Patriots’ No. 1 QB.
Drake Maye
11-on-11s: 4-of-7, one sack
7-on-7s: 3-of-6
Like Brissett, Maye wasn’t asked to do much. His first two series included four handoffs, a sack, a false start, and a failed screen. He then ran a short red-zone period that finished with a TD pass to Ja’Lynn Polk on a legal pick play.
Maye did have one turnover-worthy play, as Gonzalez nearly intercepted a pass intended for Reagor. However, it was hard to tell whether Maye made the wrong read, or Reagor kept running his route when he was supposed to stop.
All in all, another up-and-down day for the No. 3 pick.
Joe Milton III
11-on-11s: 1-of-4, one sack, one interception, one drop, one scramble
7-on-7s: zero reps
Milton was intercepted by Dell Pettus, who corralled a ball tipped by linebacker Joe Giles-Harris. It was an inefficient and unproductive day for the rookie, who struggled with his limited opportunities.
Bailey Zappe
11-on-11s: zero reps
7-on-7s: zero reps
This was the first practice in which Zappe saw zero team reps. The writing might be on the wall for the third-year pro.
Best and Worst Performances From Day 13 of Patriots Training Camp
WR DeMario Douglas | STUD
The dynamic second-year slot receiver led all Patriots pass-catchers with five catches on five targets in team drills.
He’s their No. 1 receiver, even though he doesn’t fit the typical description. Douglas gets open more than anyone, has the best hands, and is the most dangerous after the catch.
When Douglas is on the field, you can squint and see a decent offense. But he needs to stay healthy.
LB Jahlani Tavai | STUD
I had Tavai for a sack and a pass breakup. He also played well against the run, though that doesn’t mean much in a non-padded practice.
Tavai’s enjoyed a solid camp since signing his contract extension and suddenly has become one of New England’s most important defensive players.
WR Ja’Lynn Polk | STUD
The rookie made three catches during team drills, with a deep sideline grab against Isaiah Bolden (Milton was at QB) representing the play of the day.
You could argue that Polk has plateaued after a fast start to camp, and he doesn’t produce many “wow” plays, but he’s been consistent and catches nearly every ball thrown his way.
Offensive line | DUD
I credited the O-line with three sacks, three stuffed runs, three false-start penalties, and a holding penalty. Other quarterback pressures might’ve resulted in sacks during real games.
It was a rough and sloppy performance from a group that must improve. Let’s see if the O-line makes a statement against the Eagles’ stout defensive line.
QB Joe Milton | DUD
It wasn’t all his fault, but 1-for-4 with an interception is what it is.
Sure, Milton was victimized by a Kayshon Boutte drop, but he made his share of his mistakes, too. He’s also fortunate that a deep shot for JaQuae Jackson wasn’t intercepted.
WR Kayshon Boutte | DUD
We’re probably being too harsh, but Boutte committed the only drop of practice and did so a day after saying he’s a lock to make the roster.
Boutte isn’t a roster lock largely because of drops, which cropped up again on Monday. He finished with one catch on three targets in team drills.
Assorted Patriots’ Notes and Highlights From Day 13 of Camp
- Tavai, Christian Gonzalez, Mikey Victor, and Azizi Hearn had pass breakups.
- Tavai and Raekwon McMillan had sacks.
- The entire defense ran a punishment lap at one point. It’s unclear why, but it might’ve been a substitution issue. The offensive line committed a false start on the next play, so it was a sloppy sequence for the Patriots.
- During the next team period, Jerod Mayo made the entire defense take a lap for having just 10 players on the field. A few plays later, rookie guard Layden Robinson ran a lap after committing a false start.
- These were the top offensive line combinations, from left to right:
First group: Vederian Lowe, Sidy Sow, David Andrews, Mike Onwenu, Chukwuma Okorafor
Second group: Calvin Anderson, Layden Robinson, Nick Leverett, Michael Jordan, Caedan Wallace - This was Lowe’s seventh consecutive practice as the top left tackle, where he also started in the preseason opener. He appears entrenched as the top LT.
- The Patriots re-signed undrafted rookie running back Deshaun Fenwick after releasing him last week.
- Here are additional highlights from Monday’s practice. The Patriots will return to the field Tuesday when they host the Philadelphia for a joint practice.
Ja’Lynn Polk nifty TD grab in warmups. pic.twitter.com/QAliBtyzKz
— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) August 12, 2024
Joe Milton III signs a fans Tennessee Vols jersey: pic.twitter.com/t6Z2RvslNr
— Mike Kadlick (@mikekadlick) August 12, 2024
Maye to Baker. Stripes says it was a catch. pic.twitter.com/m92XKSw6UG
— Mike Kadlick (@mikekadlick) August 12, 2024
John Denver’s “Country Roads” playing on the practice field speakers. Brenden Schooler approves. pic.twitter.com/4QUPmWnU9Y
— Mike Kadlick (@mikekadlick) August 12, 2024
Joe Milton with a nice pass to Ja’Lynn Polk
–#patriots #newenglandpatriots
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Patriots Coverage Powered by @Gametime @PrizePicks pic.twitter.com/rcNOC667pi— Patriots on CLNS Media (@PatriotsCLNS) August 12, 2024
Tyquan Thornton Drops an Easy Pass from Drake Maye
–#patriots #newenglandpatriots
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Patriots Coverage Powered by @Gametime @PrizePicks pic.twitter.com/s6YoVtqYC8— Patriots on CLNS Media (@PatriotsCLNS) August 12, 2024
What a catch by Jalen Reagor from Jacoby Brissett
–#patriots #newenglandpatriots
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Patriots Coverage Powered by @Gametime @PrizePicks pic.twitter.com/L4vtF7TwWY— Patriots on CLNS Media (@PatriotsCLNS) August 12, 2024
Dont’a Hightower on looking up to Coach Jerod Mayo
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“Meeting him for the first time, I didn’t want to come off as a big fanboy”
–#patriots #nfl #newenglandpatriots
Patriots Coverage Powered @Gametime @PrizePicks pic.twitter.com/bgiov5j9nD— Patriots on CLNS Media (@PatriotsCLNS) August 12, 2024
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