FOXBOROUGH - The Patriots continued their preparations for the Chicago Bears on Thursday, with a handful of players and both coordinators speaking with the media.

The team is in a similar spot record-wise to where they were last year, sitting at 2-7 with faded playoff hopes but veteran Jonathan Jones still senses a different energy about this new edition of the Patriots.

"We have eight more games, eight more opportunities to go out there and build, because it's been a turbulent season, and we know that," said Jones. "But at the same time, we know that we're trying to build."

The influx of youth has been a key difference this year, with seven of their eight rookie draft picks and one undrafted rookie already seeing playing time this season. Quarterback Drake Maye leads the way, but in recent games, fellow rookies like Javon Baker and Jaheim Bell are among those starting to see increased opportunities.

With just two months left in the 2024 season the youth movement is ramping up.

"You wanna put your best players out there to win each week, but at the same time, you wanna bring along your guys that you think have a future," said offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. "So it's really an opportunity for those guys to go out and showcase [if] they're gonna be a part of us moving forward."

"I see Baker getting more reps, Polk coming back after a little break and getting him involved," continued Van Pelt, before highlighting some of Baker's intriguing skillset that is just starting to show up on the game field. "[Baker]'s an explosive player. He comes off the ball extremely hard, you know, he stresses defensive backs and coverage. He's elusive, he's really wiggly at the top of the top of the routes and create separations. There's a lot to like."

The younger players have led to some inconsistent performances as they've stacked valuable experience, but those are issues the coaching staff and veterans are willing to tolerate if it leads to a rebuilt culture of a team that is competitive every week and every snap.

"We have such a young team that it's different," said Jones. "2021, 2022 you know things weren't going our way. We had a lot of older guys who are used to winning. I think there are a lot of young guys here that are just hungry, hungry to make plays. You know, no matter what the result is, they're just trying to prove that they belong and just trying to make plays."

Prepping for the Bears Offense

The Patriots will face first overall draft pick Caleb Williams on Sunday and though he's still just a rookie, the Patriots coaches and defensive players recognize that Williams is already the key piece for the Bears offense.

"Caleb Williams kind of like Houdini back there, and sometimes, you know, the things he's able to do to escape pass rush," said Jonathan Jones. "So I think that'll be a big focus for us this week, is handling him in the pocket and handling the receivers."

Williams had a knack for making big plays late in the down while in college, a skill that has shown up in the NFL as well. As a defensive back, Jones fully grasped that that's when Williams can do his biggest damage.

"He's always looking to make a big play, especially when he's scrambling around," said Jones. "He does a good job of keeping his eyes downfield. So as a defensive back, the play is not over at any point."

Defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington gave a more robust of the offense, highlighting the dangerous weapons around Williams that are all problematic threats.

"The backs are able to get downhill in the run game, and they use them on the perimeter too," said Covington, with D'Andre Swift being the lead back to concern the Patriots. "And then the skill receivers, you know, they have guys who can get open. Keenan Allen, good veteran player in the league who still has the ability to create separation too. And then DJ Moore, too. He's another go-to guy, all right. And you put the tight end in there, [Cole Kmet], he's a good combo player, pass blocking and run blocking, catching down the field and hard to tackle.

"So, very explosive offense who can do some damage,"

AVP Weighs in on Drake's Progress

As is the case every Thursday, Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt was asked for an update on Drake Maye and the areas where he's improved and what he's working on to improve.

"I think his play action pass has to improve. Just the ball handling there, we're not quite where we need to be to get the most out of it. So that's an area we've targeted for improvement," said Van Pelt. "I think the other thing for Drake is we have plays set for different looks, and then being able to respond and react if it isn't the look that we're game planning against, and knowing where to go with the ball."

Van Pelt was also sure to point out Maye's turnovers, which have come in bunches this season... three fumbles and four interceptions all came in the same two games. This past weekend, Maye's fourth-quarter fumble gave the Titans the chance to grab a late lead, a critical mistake at a critical time.

"It was a tough one, the strip sack fumble, that was a tough one," said Van Pelt. "He was getting ready to throw it. So that's going to happen, but we've got to take care of the football. It's our number one goal every week is to come away with no giveaways for them."

But Van Pelt was sure to also highlight a positive for Maye, his ability to not make the same mistakes over and over.

"Yeah, that's one of his qualities is not being a repeat offender," said Van Pelt. "He's a very intelligent guy. He learns from his mistakes. And you know, you rarely see him make them twice, that's a definite."

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