The Patriots returned to the practice field on Sunday for the first time since the preseason opening win over Carolina. Jerod Mayo eased his troops back into action after the brief layoff as the players didn't even don helmets until about 25 minutes into the practice following an extensive warmup period.
When things did kick off after some positional and 1-on-1 work, the offense worked with a quicker tempo from what we've seen most days. It wasn't always overly successful, but there was less time between snaps than was the case last week, and both Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye were able to run a bunch of plays in an 11-on-11 setting.
The defense once again displayed tight coverage for most of the afternoon, and the pass rush was a going concern for the quarterbacks as well. With little time to find secondary reads, both Brissett and Maye were forced to take a good deal of short checkdowns in order to keep the ball moving.
The biggest bright spot for the offense was DeMario Douglas, who continues to be the receiver who gets open more consistently than the others. Wearing his normal white jersey for the entire practice, he was free twice downfield to lead off 7-on-7 periods, but Brissett was unable to connect on his while Maye found him on a deep over route for an easy completion.
Later in full team work, Douglas caught three straight short passes from Brissett, injecting some life into an otherwise stagnant attack.
As for the rest of the receivers, particularly the young ones, they received a boost of confidence over the weekend when veteran JuJu Smith-Schuster was released.
"It was a decision between Eliot [Wolf] and myself, really to give the younger guys an opportunity to go out there and get more reps and show what they can do," Mayo said before practice.
While Smith-Schuster was repping with lower groups throughout camp, it did give more opportunities for rookies Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, as well as Kayshon Boutte.
"I feel like we're all fighting for a job," Boutte said after practice. "It's definitely an opportunity for us and we just have to go out and compete."
Smith-Schuster's release ends the disastrous decision to replace Jakobi Meyers with the veteran via free agency last season. Smith-Schuster received limited reps with frontline players this summer after a disappointing year in Foxborough last season. The veteran was expendable after falling behind K.J. Osborn, Jalen Reagor and Tyquan Thornton on the depth chart, and that showed again on Sunday.
Thornton and Osborn made some plays working with both quarterbacks, most notably Osborn's diving catch in the end zone on an out route from Brissett.
"We're all getting evaluated every time we're on the field," Osborn said. "It's really important for all of us, not just the young guys, to come out every day working hard."
Beyond the opportunities for the wideouts, here are one man's observations from Day 12 of training camp.
*The extended layoff did little to change the PUP list as Kendrick Bourne (knee), Sione Takitaki and Cole Strange (knee) remain out. Christian Barmore (blood clots), Marte Mapu and Marcus Jones also remain out while rookie linebacker John Morgan missed his first practice of camp. Mapu and Jones were on the field periodically but did not take part in the practice. Long snapper Tucker Addington was in a red, non-contact jersey while Joe Cardona, who did not dress for the Panthers game, was in his normal white jersey.
*Hunter Henry was in full pads but did not take any reps in the 11-on-11 work. The tight end appeared to get up slowly after a play in practice on August 6 and did not dress for the Panthers game. He took part in positional drills only.
*Barmore's absence has created some opportunities on the inside of the defensive line and Jeremiah Pharms took advantage of his reps in the preseason opener against Carolina. Pharms, who has been in the Patriots organization for the past two seasons, saw action in 12 games in 2023. The 6-2, 300-pound defensive tackle isn't built in Barmore's mold but is considered more of a run-stopper. Against the Panthers he flashed some play-making ability as well as he broke through for a sack against Carolina's Jack Plummer and finished with four tackles in 22 productive snaps. "I want to work the same whether [Barmore's] here or not," Pharms said after practice. "I'm glad I'm part of this group. I'm trying to take that next step, and I feel like I'm getting better mentally and physically. Every time I put a helmet on it matters.
*Trysten Hill, another defensive tackle looking to create a role, has also flashed at times in camp. Hill, a former second-round pick in Dallas, is entering his sixth season after finishing the 2023 campaign with the Patriots. At 6-3, 310, Hill is definitely more of a run-stuffer and has only 1.5 sacks in 32 career games. But while taking reps with and in place of Davon Godchaux in the middle, Hill has shown the occasional ability to get penetration. He was quiet against Carolina, finishing with just one tackle in 25 snaps.
*There was a crew of officials on hand for practice, led by referee Shawn Smith. Side judge Boris Cheek was watching closely during positional drills for receivers as they caught fades in the bac corner of the end zone. He let the players know when they successfully had two feet in bounds on their catches.
*The zebras dropped their share of flags during the day, with a couple of holding calls negating plays for the offense. It was tough to tell the guilty party, but it appeared as if Chuks Okorafor was called for one. The defenders did not go unpunished as well. Jahlani Tavai was called for illegal contact during a 1-on-1 drill against the running backs and argued his case to back judge Dino Paganelli. Christian Gonzalez spent some time discussing a potential penalty later in practice after a pass interference flag was dropped. The refs also made it easier to determine whether or not a receiver was in bounds on plays close to the sidelines as they negated a handful of would-be completions.
*One late team period ended with Joey Slye coming on after Maye led a choppy two-minute drive. Slye connected on roughly a 55-yarder to end the period on a high note. Shortly after, Mayo had both kickers alternate on kicks ranging from about 38-52 yards as he instructed the entire team to make life as difficult on the kickers as possible. Coaches and players were waving their hands in front of holder Bryce Baringer while music blared from the speakers. Slye handled the situation well, connecting on 3 of 4 with the miss coming from beyond 50. He made his second attempt from the same distance. Chad Ryland made his first two but missed both of his long-range attempts to close practice.
*In addition to Boutte and Pharms, Okorafor, Douglas, Osborn, Kyle Dugger and Christian Eliss all spent time chatting with the media after practice.
*The Patriots will be back on the practice field on Monday with the workout scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Practice is open to the public and gates are set to open at 10 a.m.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
