Mac Jones acquired a ton of snaps within the Patriots’ closing coaching camp session of the summer time on Wednesday, which makes us surprise how a lot (if in any respect) we’ll see the beginning QB in Friday’s third and closing preseason recreation in opposition to the Tennessee Titans.
Jones might actually use some extra dwell reps, however he’s had a powerful summer time, and it may not be price risking him behind an offensive line nonetheless lacking key starters resulting from accidents.
Jones performed 41 complete preseason snaps final summer time (16 in Week 2 and 25 in Week 3). He performed 18 snaps in Saturday’s preseason recreation in opposition to the Green Bay Packers.
Do we see not too long ago injured gamers?
Patriots tight finish Hunter Henry and cornerback Christian Gonzalez didn’t end observe Wednesday after struggling obvious accidents. Henry landed awkwardly after a completion late in observe. It regarded like he wished to go again into the beginning lineup however received pulled again. He sat out of the remainder of crew drills however didn’t get a lot consideration from the coaching workers.
Gonzalez appeared to injure his left foot or ankle whereas defending a completion from backup quarterback Bailey Zappe to undrafted rookie vast receiver Thyrick Pitts. Trainers labored on Gonzalez’s foot/ankle till the completion of observe. He did stroll off the sector however didn’t look fully comfy doing so.
It doesn’t appear overly good to place both participant on the sector Friday. Based solely on how damage every participant regarded in observe, Henry appears extra more likely to play. But with Mike Gesicki nonetheless recovering from his personal damage, Henry needs to be put in bubble wrap till Week 1. The Patriots merely can’t afford to lose him.
Marte Mapu debut?
Patriots rookie linebacker/security Marte Mapu shed his crimson non-contact jersey earlier than Saturday’s preseason recreation in opposition to the Packers however didn’t play within the recreation. It can be enjoyable to see him in motion as soon as earlier than the season begins.
Mapu is listed as a linebacker however warms up with defensive backs. He made a leaping go breakup in Wednesday’s observe. The younger defender lays the lumber as a tackler and usually makes athletic performs within the defensive backfield.
Ask anybody on the crew about Mapu, they usually’ll rave. He might wind up taking part in a giant function on the 2023 squad whether or not that’s within the field as a security/linebacker hybrid or serving to the crew exchange Devin McCourty in a deep function.
The 6-foot-3, 230-pounder is a novel participant even on a squad that already options security/linebacker hybrids in Kyle Dugger, Adrian Phillips and Jabrill Peppers.
Malik Cunningham at QB
One of the unlucky penalties of the Patriots and Packers agreeing to droop motion in Saturday’s preseason recreation after Isaiah Bolden was carted off the sector on a backboard was rookie Malik Cunningham didn’t get into the sport as a quarterback. He did play vast receiver, the place he was focused 5 instances with no catch.
Cunningham remains to be combating for a roster spot. If he can electrify the offense as he did in opposition to the Houston Texans in Week 1 of the preseason, then it might be robust to maintain him off of the 53-man roster. But the conversion to vast receiver has not gone easily sufficient to justify a spot on the squad.
Third-stringer Trace McSorley isn’t making the crew. We’d prefer to see Cunningham again up Zappe on Friday in opposition to the Titans to get a full have a look at how he can play quarterback.
The Patriots do want to contemplate that Cunningham can be priceless to mimic Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts on the scout crew within the two weeks main as much as Week 1.
Ezekiel Elliott snaps
The veteran working again stated Wednesday after observe that he’s able to play. We’ll discover out on Friday if head coach Bill Belichick agrees.
Elliott might use some precise dwell reps earlier than the season begins. He received eight touches in observe Wednesday, however there was no tackling to the bottom. It is sensible to relaxation Rhamondre Stevenson — since he performed Saturday — and provides Elliott a couple of sequence at working again earlier than turning it over to Kevin Harris, J.J. Taylor, C.J. Marable and perhaps Pierre Strong.
Progress on O-line
There’s a world during which guards Cole Strange and Mike Onwenu are prepared for Week 1, and a number of the offensive line considerations are assuaged. But the Patriots are at present placing rookies Atonio Mafi and Sidy Sow within the beginning offensive line group, and the outcomes have been combined, to place it properly.
Veteran Riley Reiff seems to be able to fill in at guard if Strange or Onwenu aren’t prepared, however that would go away a gap at his projected place of proper deal with. Sow didn’t look prepared final week.
Strange has been current at observe however not carrying pads or taking part. Onwenu was activated off of the bodily unable to carry out listing Wednesday however hardly did something in observe. Swing deal with Calvin Anderson stays on the non-football sickness listing.
By the time the Patriots observe once more, they’ll solely have two weeks to prepare for the common season. Unless Mafi and Sow can enhance dramatically, the Patriots should hope Strange and Onwenu could be prepared quickly.
Everything else
Don’t count on to see rookie vast receiver Demario Douglas, who’s been restricted in observe this week, however fellow rookie wideout Kayshon Boutte is approaching robust … It feels unlikely that the Patriots will hold a 3rd tight finish on their preliminary 53-man roster, however Anthony Firkser has had some moments since Gesicki received injured … It can be good to see the Patriots’ run protection maintain up higher and for the entrance seven to get extra strain on Friday. Neither looks like a significant space of concern as soon as the season begins, however each areas had been missing in opposition to the Packers … Injuries to Gonzalez, Bolden and Jonathan Jones — plus Jack Jones’ unsure standing — make cornerback a place to observe. Shaun Wade has been a reasonably constant playmaker in camp, and Belichick referred to as rookie Ameer Speed “a developmental player” this week.
Source: www.bostonherald.com