Just before training camp began, Jerod Mayo explained how the practice schedule would fluctuate at times in terms of the length of each workout. Some might be cut short if the players appeared fatigued while others might run a bit longer if more intensity was needed.
Tuesday appeared to be a day in which Mayo felt more work was necessary. Perhaps that was due to an uncommonly sloppy day on Monday when the offense committed numerous false start penalties and was forced to run a lap just before the conclusion of the final team period.
Tight end Austin Hooper called it unacceptable, and it's possible that Mayo agreed. But for whatever the reason, the Patriots spent more time on the field on Tuesday than on any previous day, working for just under two hours and 15 minutes.
Of course, it's also possible the longer practice was simply part of the normal schedule. Either way, while there seemed to be some signs of improvement offensively, the overall performance remained uneven – and the lack of discipline and pre-snap issues persisted.
Again the offense was sent on a lap, this time for an apparent substitution issue as it appeared as if there were too many men in the huddle prior to a play late in Jacoby Brissett's final series of work. Brissett returned with one of his better throws of the day, layering a nice ball between two defenders to K.J. Osborn, who made the catch near the left sideline.
Interestingly, when Brissett next took the field following some extended work for Drake Maye, the offense goal was to execute a play before finishing with a field goal attempt. Brissett came to the line and barked out the cadence for longer than normal, using a hard count three times in an effort to draw the defense offside. Considering the problems with pre-snap penalties for the offense, it was a positive sign to see the group hold its water and remain in position with no issues.
The offense had more success on Tuesday than it enjoyed a day earlier, although it was far from perfect. The running game received some attention and Rhamondre Stevenson is encouraged by the early results. He explained his mindset of trying to find one cut before working his way downhill, which is a style that he hasn't necessarily featured thus far in his career.
Mayo has explained how the defense is generally ahead of the offense at this time of year, but Stevenson wasn't necessarily buying that theory.
"I don't agree with that," he said. "I think it should be back and forth with the offense enjoying some success and the defense having its days as well. I feel like we've been pretty competitive thus far. Now it's about stringing days together and eliminating the penalties."
Some of the moments for the offense included connections from Brissett to Ja'Lynn Polk for a touchdown in 7-on-7s and a Drake Maye-to-DeMario Douglas out for another solid gain. Rookie Joe Milton found his best rhythm of camp thus far, hitting JuJu Smith-Schuster on a beautiful slant for a touchdown. All of those plays came from within the red zone, marking the first work the offense has done in that area thus far this summer.
Beyond the uneven offense, here are one man's observations from Day 6 of training camp.
*Matthew Judon did not make an appearance on Tuesday. After entering the field without pads on Monday and having extended separate talks with Mayo as well as Eliot Wolf and Matt Groh before leaving, the pass rusher was not seen.
*No changes to the PUP list as Kendrick Bourne (knee), Cole Strange (knee), Sione Takitaki and Jake Andrews all remained sidelined. No update on Christian Barmore's (blood clots) situation and he continues to be sidelined. David Andrews missed his second straight practice and was replaced again by Nick Leverett at center. Marte Mapu continues to arrive about 30 minutes into practice and has yet to participate. He stands deep in the secondary near the sideline during 11-on-11s and relays hand-signals to the secondary as he mentally prepares on his own. Jabrill Peppers missed practice and was seen wearing a sleeve on his left leg. He appeared to be dealing with an injury before leaving Monday's practice and was unable to go. Also, rookie Jaheim Bell missed his second straight practice.
*Douglas and Shaun Wade both wore red, non-contact jerseys but took part in some competitive drills. Douglas saw his first reps in 7-on-7s while Wade was active in the secondary in both 7s and full team work. He came up with a nice pass defensed on an end zone fade from Maye intended for Javon Baker, leaping to knock the ball down before the rookie could make the grab.
*It's interesting to watch the bevy of receivers working each day with all four quarterbacks. Unlike in some past camps, the current group does not have clear-cut options and that has resulted in a variety of players flashing each day. Polk was active on Tuesday while fellow rookie Baker was less effective than he has been thus far. Smith-Schuster had enjoyed one of his better days, although he did have a bad drop near the left sideline on a perfect throw from Brissett. Otherwise he consistently got open and made some plays. Osborn also was effective against coverage, breaking free on a slant for what should have been a touchdown in 7-on-7s, only to have Brissett overthrow him. The group is still searching for consistency but pretty much everyone involved has received plenty of targets from all of the quarterbacks.
*Marco Wilson had an active day on Tuesday, with some good and some bad. First he was beaten by Polk for the touchdown in 7-on-7s, but he responded quite well. He was in the right place at the right time when he scooped up a fumbled exchange between Maye and Kevin Harris before racing for the scoop-and-score. On the next play, Wilson had excellent coverage on Baker on an out-route, knocking Maye's pass down for the incompletion. Wilson spent nearly three full seasons in Arizona before finishing the 2023 season with the Patriots for the final game. He's likely vying for a backup cornerback spot along with Alex Austin, Shaun Wade and Isaiah Bolden among others.
*The secondary featured some different looks on Tuesday with Jonathan Jones lining up at deep safety at times in a group with Marcus Jones, Kyle Dugger, Christian Gonzalez and Jaylinn Hawkins. I wonder if Mayo looks at the defensive backfield the way he described the offensive line earlier in camp when he said he was searching for the best five players. It's possible that with Gonzalez and the two Joneses along with Dugger and Peppers that Mayo feels that's the best combination and Jonathan Jones' versatility to play inside, outside and deep might allow him to use that option. Something I'll be keeping an eye on going forward.
*Both Chad Ryland and Joey Slye connected on field goals from about 42 yards out following single offensive plays designed to lead to the kicks to close practice.
*Rather than sprints on the hills, the players ran in three position groups across the field at the end of the workout.
*In addition to Stevenson, Marcus Jones, Smith-Schuster and Mike Onwenu were among those who spoke to the media after practice.
*The Patriots will enjoy their second day off of camp on Wednesday before returning to Foxborough on Thursday. Thursday's practice is set to start at 11 a.m. and is once again open to the public with gates 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
