FOXBORO — Here was the excellent news from Thursday’s observe exterior Gillette Stadium, the place temperatures soared into the mid 90s and the Patriots hoped their passing recreation would take flight, too.
Jakobi Meyers stays as dependable as ever. He caught all 5 passes in group intervals and routinely snaked into open house over the center. Jonnu Smith, the co-star of the Patriots’ rebuffed two-tight finish package deal, grabbed a team-high six passes over his finest observe of coaching camp.
Now to the unhealthy information: their efforts weren’t sufficient to pull the Pats offense out of its now week-long hunch. Blame for that hunch — aside from the calendar, as a result of let’s not overlook that is coaching camp — largely belonged to the opposite broad receivers, who couldn’t shake protection downfield.
DeVante Parker, the group’s projected No. 1, has three catches whole this week. That’s 4 practices, together with the group’s first three padded classes of the summer season, the place he’s been out-paced by just about everybody. Meyers and Smith devoured up targets at present as a result of they run the most secure routes for Mac Jones, who felt nearly impatient as he tried to ascertain some momentum in 11-on-11 intervals.
Jones settled for a number of flat, slant and quick-out throws, most of which discovered his slot receiver and No. 2 tight finish. Easy-bake offense.
Oh, and the Patriots nonetheless can’t run the ball. On Thursday, the beginning offensive line allowed three run stuffs and two sacks to the beginning protection in 16 head-to-head snaps, whereas Jones had two different incompletions attributable to strain.
But there was progress. Precious progress for a Patriots offense transitioning not solely to a brand new receiving corps, play-caller and offensive coordinator, however philosophy. It wants time.
Here are the Herald’s full observe observations:
Attendance
Returned: S Devin McCourty, CB Malcolm Butler, S Jabrill Peppers, QB Brian Hoyer, DL Deatrich Wise, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
Injured: LB Jahlani Tavai (proper leg)
Absent: OLB Matt Judon, TE Dalton Keene
Limited: DL Deatrich Wise, RB Rhamondre Stevenson
Non-contact jersey: None
PUP: RB James White
NFI: OL Chasen Hines, OL Andrew Stueber
Notes: Judon missed his first observe of the summer season. McCourty, Butler, Stevenson, Peppers, Hoyer, Wise and Humphrey all participated in positional drills. Only Peppers sat out Wednesday’s observe solely, when the others labored on a separate subject and conditioned. Hoyer threw his first passes in group drills since Day 1 of camp.
Play of the Day
Tre Nixon’s end-zone seize
Mac Jones’ closing completion of observe was a uncommon sight.
He rifled a back-corner throw to second-year wideout Tre Nixon, who had escaped Malcolm Butler working alongside the again of the top zone. Nixon toe-tapped on his manner out of bounds for the primary and solely landing of the Patriots’ closing 11-on-11, red-zone interval.
There was a low bar for highlights Thursday, however some days, that’s simply coaching camp
Player of the Day
WR Jakobi Meyers
As talked about, Meyers inhaled targets throughout 11-on-11s. Five targets, 5 catches, no drawback. But the main points of his day have been even higher.
Meyers gained on a nook route, an over, a drag and slant throughout group intervals. He beat quite a lot of teammates, together with rookie cornerbacks Marcus Jones and Jack Jones, whom he dumped in earlier n 1-on-1s. A whole efficiency from a younger receiver rounding out his recreation.
QB Corner
Note: The passing stats beneath have been tallied throughout aggressive, full-speed intervals of 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 solely. The stats in parentheses characterize every quarterback’s passing totals for coaching camp.
Mac Jones: 18/23, drop (119/163, 4 INTs, 4 drops)
Brian Hoyer: 2/4 (N/A (8/14, INT)
Bailey Zappe: 5/9, drop (65/100, 2 INT, 3 drops)
Studs
TE Jonnu Smith
Smith thrived throughout group intervals and 1-on-1s in opposition to the safeties. Thursday marked his finest observe of coaching camp.
His solely hiccup was a flat route he ran incorrectly throughout an 11-on-11 interval halfway via observe that triggered Mac Jones to throw broad. Jones had made a pre-snap hand sign to Smith’s three-receiver, possible indicating a change within the route mixture that had been referred to as. Smith later copped to turning the fallacious manner, and rebounded instantly.
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OLB Josh Uche
Uche was the one participant to go unbeaten throughout 1-on-1 move rush. He beat backup left deal with Yodny Cajuste twice and tossed one other backup, Yasir Durant. Uche additionally took occasional reps with the first-team protection in Judon’s absence.
Duds
OLB Ronnie Perkins
Perkins went 0-2-1 throughout particular person move rush drills. Once seen as a candidate to begin, the second-year edge rusher appears to be settling right into a reserve position with older gamers, together with Uche surpassing him in group intervals and out-performing him in 1-on-1 drills.
WR Nelson Agholor
Agholor dropped his solely goal throughout group intervals, an extended ball down the best sideline in opposition to Jack Jones that clanged off his fingers. Agholor additionally allowed Malcolm Butler to leap his second of three targets throughout particular person drills for a move breakup.
Offensive notes
- Mac Jones’ total numbers in group intervals — 18-of-23 — belie what was one other tough day for the offense. Below is a play-by-play of his 16 snaps in opposition to the beginning protection.
- First interval: Play-action completion to Damien Harris within the flat, slant completion to Jakobi Meyers, sack, run stuff, throwaway, slant completion to Tre Nixon, display screen move to J.J. Taylor for no achieve, run, incompletion to Jonnu Smith.
- Second interval: Run stuff, sack, shallow cross completion to Smith, run stuff, incompletion to Smith, landing move to Nixon, Taylor drop.
- Against the second-team protection, Jones went 9-of-10, together with three straight completions that coated greater than 10 yards within the air: a wheel-route throw to Smith, nook route, an over-route move to Meyers and Ty Montgomery beating Marcus Jones on a nook route.
- The Patriots have but to push the ball downfield a lot via eight practices, a perform of so-so separation, spending vital time within the pink zone and their incapacity to carry up in safety throughout long-developing play-action passes.
- Top targets in group drills: Jonnu Smith 6/8, Tre Nixon 4/7, Jakobi Meyers 5/5, J.J. Taylor 2/3, Josh Hammond 2/3
- 1-on-1 broad receiver winners: DeVante Parker, Tre Nixon
- 1-on-1 broad receiver losers: Tyquan Thornton
- Drops: Agholor, Nixon, Taylor
- 1-on-1 move rush winners: OT Justin Herron, C David Andrews
- 1-on-1 move rush losers: OL James Ferentz, OL Yodny Cajuste
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- With Rhamondre Stevenson restricted for a 3rd straight observe, Taylor and Ty Montgomery break up the second-string reps behind Damien Harris.
- Rookie working backs Kevin Harris and Pierre Strong, who participated for the primary time, have been non-factors in group drills.
- During 1-on-1s in opposition to the cornerbacks, Parker went 2-0 with a curl-route completion versus Justin Bethel and back-shoulder reception in opposition to Terrance Mitchell. Otherwise, he went catch-less.
- Birthday boy Kendrick Bourne did not see a single move throughout 7-on-7s or 11-on-11s.
- Rookie Tyquan Thornton misplaced a 1-on-1 battle with Jonathan Jones and had a single catch in group intervals. His potential to carry up in opposition to press protection deserves monitoring.
- Like the wideouts and corners, the tight ends and safeties went head-to-head in 1-on-1 drills early in observe. Hunter Henry beat Devin McCourty, then misplaced to Kyle Dugger, who undercut his out-breaking route.
- Henry and Smith took roughly a dozen snaps along with the beginning offense, a mirrored image of the workers’s dedication to taking part in via two tight ends.
- Up entrance, Arlington Hambright (proper guard) and James Ferentz (middle) have been the primary to switch the starters throughout group intervals. Hambright has been a nice shock, each in 11-on-11 settings and particular person move rush. He went 2-1 on Thursday.
- Hambright’s alternative is tied to a sluggish begin for proper guard Mike Onwenu, who at 350 kilos could also be ill-suited for the Patriots’ new zone-running scheme. As for Ferentz, starter David Andrews continues to ramp up after lately getting cleared to observe.
- The Patriots proceed to cross-train Isaiah Wynn, their new beginning proper deal with, at left deal with with the backup O-line.
Defensive notes
- Starting and second-string personnel throughout group intervals: defensive linemen Davon Godchaux, Christian Barmore, Lawrence Guy, Henry Anderson, Carl Davis and Daniel Ekuale; linebackers Ja’Whaun Bentley, Raekwon McMillan, Mack Wilson, Jahlani Tavai, Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings and defensive backs Devin McCourty, Kyle Dugger, Adrian Phillips, Jalen Mills, Malcolm Butler, Terrance Mitchell, Jonathan Jones and Myles Bryant.
- Interceptions: None
- Pass breakups: Shaun Wade
- Would-be sacks: Team 2, DaMarcus Mitchell
- 1-on-1 protection winners: Malcolm Butler, Jalen Elliott
- 1-on-1 protection losers: Myles Bryant
- 1-on-1 move rush winners: Josh Uche, Christian Barmore
- 1-on-1 move rush losers: Ronnie Perkins, Anfernee Jennings
- Anfernee Jennings stuffed Matt Judon’s spot within the beginning protection, an enormous leap for the 2020 third-rounder who missed all of final season as a result of damage. Jennings had a subpar observe in 1-on-1 move rush, however set a robust edge throughout group intervals.
- Fellow 2020 draft decide Josh Uche additionally rotated in throughout from Henry Anderson, who continues to carry down the alternative edge whereas Deatrich Wise ramps up. Ronnie Perkins additionally took a number of less-than-memorable reps at exterior linebacker.
- Undrafted rookie edge rusher LaBryan Ray delivered probably the most stunning rep of 1-on-1 move rush to date, swimming underneath Trent Brown and beating him cleanly.
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- Fellow undrafted rookie DaMarcus Mitchell earned his first would-be sack in a group setting, coming inches away from wrapping up Bailey Zappe. Mitchell, who’s a core particular teamer candidate, was additionally caught leaping offsides and despatched for a penalty lap.
- In the center, defensive tackles Davon Godchaux and Lawrence Guy have been within the neighborhood of each run stuffs through the closing 11-on-11 interval. Anderson and Guy teamed for the primary, whereas Godchaux whooped middle James Ferentz to earn the second.
- The Patriots offense discovered barely extra success with their play-action boot passes Thursday, however Ja’Whaun Bentley wasn’t fooled on Jones’ second try. Bentley hurried him into an underhanded throwaway.
- By all accounts, Bentley and Raekwon McMillan have a agency grip on the beginning inside linebacker jobs, adopted by Mack Wilson and Jahlani Tavai.
- Tavai suffered a seemingly severe proper leg damage on the finish of observe, laying flat on his again for a full minute earlier than staffers helped him stroll to the close by medical tent.
- It was a quiet day in protection, save for Shaun Wade’s deflection of a Bailey Zappe move supposed for Tre Nixon over the center, Wade’s third move breakup of camp.
Special groups
- Kick returners: Rhamondre Stevenson, Marcus Jones, Kyle Dugger, Damien Harris
- Harris ran at half-speed throughout his return reps, which have been taken in a second interval
- Starting kickoff group: Jake Bailey, Matthew Slater, Justin Bethel, Cody Davis, Devin McCourty, Harvey Langi, Adrian Phillips, Ty Montgomery, Mack Wilson, Jahlani Tavai and Myles Bryant.
Odds and ends
- Newly-signed rookie linebacker Nate Wieland wore No. 59.
- The on-field temperature hit 93 levels on the finish of observe, setting a brand new excessive for coaching camp.
- The Patriots will maintain their annual in-stadium observe Friday evening for season ticket holders and Foxboro residents solely. Practice will begin at 7 p.m.
Source: www.bostonherald.com