FOXBORO — Bill O’Brien might show to be the Patriots’ savior this season, even when just for his Xs and Os.
But via the beginning of coaching camp, O’Brien may already be working brief on fishes and loaves.
As the Patriots expanded their more and more intelligent offensive playbook Friday, three of their 5 finest pass-catchers actually got here up empty. Through three coaching camp practices, huge receivers Kendrick Bourne and Tyquan Thornton and tight finish Mike Gesicki have but to catch a single go throughout aggressive staff drills. Meanwhile, sixth-round rookie wideout Demario Douglas caught 4 Friday — by himself.
It must be famous the Pats offense continues to function inside the tight confines of the purple zone towards a protection that expects go and rolled over 10 starters from final season. But if Gesicki, Bourne and Thornton fail to play to their potential, the schemes and recreation plans O’Brien attracts up gained’t matter. Football is a recreation of matchups.
Not to say, the Patriots are already lean at offensive deal with. That is anticipated to limit O’Brien’s potential to name longer-developing go performs and result in an emphasis on the brief passing recreation. However, executing in tight quarters — because the Pats have skilled and seen — requires speedy and constant separation. And none of their receivers excel at uncovering inside 5 yards of the road of scrimmage.
Time to panic? No, no, no. The Patriots have but to placed on full pads, make a single deal with or play a preseason recreation. The NFL summer season is lengthy.
But particular to Bourne and Thornton, time is ticking. They disillusioned final season, and the group is betting a minimum of certainly one of them will ship as a serviceable No. 3 receiver.
As for the excellent news? Matt Judon and Rhamondre Stevenson returned to follow in full capability, one defensive again dominated 11-on-11s and one other pass-catcher delivered the Play of the Day.
Here are the Herald’s full follow observations.
Attendance
Absent: DL Christian Barmore, RB/WR Ty Montgomery
Limited: LB Terez Hall
Non-contact jersey: LB/S Marte Mapu
PUP: OL Mike Onwenu, S Cody Davis
Non-Football Injury: DaMarcus Mitchell
Non-Football Illness: OT Calvin Anderson
Notes: Judon and Stevenson returned to principally full participation after spending Thursday’s follow on the decrease conditioning subject. Stevenson took his common snaps in staff intervals, whereas Judon rotated in late with the beginning protection throughout 11-on-11s. He additionally participated in all prior drills.
Barmore missed his first follow of the summer season for unknown causes, whereas Montgomery sat out after injuring his decrease left leg in follow Thursday.
Play of the Day
Hunter Henry plucks a TD
After a day devoid of highlights, the Patriots wasted little time producing an enormous play in Friday’s follow.
Mac Jones took his opening snap of 7-on-7s from the 20-yard line, seemed left and lofted an ideal ball to Hunter Henry working down the sideline with Adrian Phillips in his hip pocket. After crossing the objective line, Henry made a quarter-turn spin again towards the ball, snatched it over Phillips’ head with each arms and tumbled backwards for a rating. The crowd roared.
Player of the Day
DB Jonathan Jones
Kyle Dugger intercepted Mac Jones on the primary two days of coaching camp, however the most effective follow efficiency by a defensive again up to now got here Friday.
Jones registered two go breakups, blanketing DeVante Parker on a curl route in 11-on-11s after which punching the ball out behind the top zone to finest Parker once more three snaps later. In reality, Jones out-fought Parker on the latter play, a nook route the place Parker tried to raise for a contested catch however couldn’t time it nicely. Jones didn’t enable a catch on both of his different targets on staff drills, ending an ideal 4-for-4 in protection.
Matthew Judon explains early limitations in Patriots coaching camp
QB Corner
Note: The passing stats under have been tallied throughout aggressive 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 intervals solely. The stats in parentheses characterize the quarterbacks’ camp-long efficiency.
Mac Jones: 8/16 (19/40, 2 INTs)
Bailey Zappe: 7/17 (21/43)
Trace McSorley: 6/12 (13/30)
Studs
CB Christian Gonzalez
Another day, one other go breakup.
The first-round rookie lower off a number of routes, strapping himself to the Patriots’ finest receivers. He beat Tyquan Thornton, working a brief in-cut, for a go deflection, his second in as many days. Gonzalez allowed only one catch on three targets, a innocent checkdown.
WR DeMario Douglas
The sleeper of coaching camp to date.
Douglas, a 5-foot-8, 192-pound spark plug within the slot, caught 4 passes on 5 targets in staff drills. The rookie continues to rep with the starters in 11-on-11 intervals, although most of his receptions got here courtesy of Bailey Zappe.
Duds
WR Tyquan Thornton
As a subject stretcher, Thornton’s recreation is not precisely constructed for the red-zone work the Patriots have stored busy with via three days. But as a former second-round decide who stands at 6-foot-3 and is anticipated to make a Year 2 leap, he have to be higher. There’s no excuses for zero catches, not to mention two of your three targets leading to go breakups.
WR Kendrick Bourne
Bourne edges Gesicki for his dishonor as a result of he has a reference to Mac Jones and expertise in elements of the brand new offense. Also, he bobbled his solely goal, a back-corner incompletion with Gonzalez in protection.
Offensive notes
- A greater day for Mac Jones. He opened along with his glowing landing to Hunter Henry, his first of three completions in a gap 7-on-7 interval. The different completions discovered JuJu Smith-Schuster on a shallow cross and DeVante Parker throughout an prolonged, scramble-drill play.
- His incompletions have been the results of a Kendrick Bourne bobble, go breakup in entrance of Tyquan Thornton and miss to Parker.
- In 11-on-11s, Jones had two passes damaged up and completed 2-of-5. His solely connections have been with Rhamondre Stevenson on checkdowns. Later, although, he hit Parker on a curl, focused Henry three straight instances for a pair catches and missed Mike Gesicki on a slot fade ultimately zone to shut his follow.
- While Jones solely accomplished 50% of his passes, he took fewer sacks than he did Thursday, an necessary enchancment. As for Zappe, 4 of his seven completions have been shallow cross throws, and he took three “sacks.”
- Top targets in staff drills: Demario Douglas 4/5, Tre Nixon 2/5, Hunter Henry 3/4, DeVante Parker, Pierre Strong 2/3
- Drops: Tre Nixon
Patriots’ JuJu Smith-Schuster not directly compares Mac Jones to QB greats
- Earlier in camp, Jones mentioned “trust” was going to be an enormous phrase in coaching camp. Thus far, Henry is the one pass-catcher to reward his belief constantly. Parker has been hit-and-miss, whereas JuJu Smith-Schuster was held to 1 catch Friday.
- Douglas not solely impressed along with his manufacturing, however his quickness was evident in a 1-on-1 drill that pitted ball carriers towards would-be tacklers in area. He escaped Jack Jones untouched on one rep.
- In the backfield, Stevenson once more led off all staff intervals. Strong and Kevin Harris cut up the reps behind him, with Ty Montgomery sidelined. Harris’ time ought to are available in padded practices, as he seems each little bit of his listed 225 kilos.
- Tough day for the backup tight ends on targets: rookie Johnny Lumpkin, Anthony Firkser, Scotty Washington and Gesicki mixed for one catch on six targets.
- Sixth-round rookie receiver Kayshon Boutte has accomplished nothing via the spring or summer season to encourage perception he’ll make the staff but. Quarterbacks have been 0-for-2 when focusing on him Friday.
- During particular groups intervals, the quarterbacks labored completely with the tight ends after which added Smith-Schuster, Parker, Bourne and Thornton for throwing classes supervised by Bill O’Brien.
- Early in follow, because the beginning offense repped performs versus the scout-team protection, O’Brien was hands-on with each single place group as Bill Belichick seemed on. O’Brien has been actively concerned with each space of his new offense.
- During aggressive staff intervals, O’Brien blended in new personnel teams outdoors of the usual 11 personnel (three receivers, one working again, one tight finish) and 12 personnel (two receivers, one working again, one tight finish) seen via most of camp.
Defensive notes
- Starting and second-string personnel throughout staff intervals: defensive linemen Davon Godchaux, Christian Barmore, Lawrence Guy, Deatrich Wise, Keion White, Carl Davis and Daniel Ekuale; linebackers Ja’Whaun Bentley, Chris Board, Mack Wilson, Jahlani Tavai, Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings and defensive backs Kyle Dugger, Adrian Phillips, Jalen Mills, Jabrill Peppers, Christian Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones, Myles Bryant, Jack Jones and Marcus Jones.
- Interceptions: None
- Pass breakups: Jonathan Jones 2, Isaiah Bolden 2, Marcus Jones, Gonzalez, Mills, Joshuah Bledsoe,Calvin Munson
- Would-be sacks: Team, Tavai, White, Jennings
- Matthew Judon’s return to close full participation was the story from follow, however via three days it is the secondary.
- Jonathan Jones locked down all opposing receivers throughout staff drills, Christian Gonzalez is becoming in seamlessly and Marcus Jones continues to bounce between outdoors nook and nickelback. Marcus Jones out-fought Hunter Henry for his go breakup, and the elder Jones beat DeVante Parker twice.
- Gonzalez has allowed 4 catches on eight targets to date in camp and notched a pair of go breakups. Some of his finest reps, although, have denied targets; performs when he is both jumped in-breaking routes or jammed receivers to pressure Mac Jones to look elsewhere. Gonzalez is a pure.
- Jack Jones repped with the second-team protection for a 3rd straight follow, a great indication the employees intends to maintain him there till it will probably depend on his availability for the common season.
- Seventh-round rookie cornerback Isaiah Bolden bought picked on all through staff drills, however held up pretty nicely. He allowed three catches on seven targets and recorded two go breakups. One of his different incompletions was dropped by meant goal Tre Nixon.
Christian Gonzalez proving to be precisely what Patriots wanted early in coaching camp
- At security, Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers appear firmly entrenched with the starters, whereas Adrian Phillips has drilled with the primary and second-team models and Jalen Mills is a mainstay on the second-string protection.
- Josh Uche once more changed Judon to begin staff drills, teaming with defensive linemen Davon Godchaux, Lawrence Guy and Deatrich Wise up entrance. Gauging any of Patriots’ go rushers will not be potential till gamers don full pads on Monday.
- Second-round rookie Keion White noticed a couple of first-team reps, however once more began with the second unit Friday.
- Early in follow, the defensive backs drilled extra sophisticated red-zone coverages towards bunch formations to organize for the extra advanced route combos they confronted from O’Brien’s offense.
Special groups
- Kick returners: Demario Douglas, Ed Lee, J.J. Taylor
- Kickoff staff: Nick Folk/Corliss Waitman, Matthew Slater, Brenden Schooler, Chris Board, Kyle Dugger, Jonathan Jones, Adrian Phillips, Mack Wilson, Olakunle Fatukasi, Ameer Speed, Isaiah Bolden
- Nick Folk closed follow by kicking subject objectives, simply as he did Wednesday. His place competitors with fourth-round rookie Chad Ryland, who went 6-for-6 kicking between 30 and 48 yards on Thursday, continues.
Extra factors
- Safeties coach Brian Belichick has not been current for any of the coaching camp practices thus far. Cornerbacks Mike Pellegrino and defensive play-caller Steve Belichick, who as soon as coached safeties, have mixed to deal with his duties.
- The Patriots are off Saturday and can return to follow Sunday at 12:30.
Source: www.bostonherald.com