☀️ Weather: Sunny
👔 Dress Code: Pads
📋 Practice Script: Conditioning, 1-on-1, 7-on-7, 11-on-11, Oklahoma drills, Punt, One-Minute
☑️ ATTENDANCE
The Patriots saw multiple linemen return in the first practice since their preseason opener.
Sidy Sow and Chukwuma Okorafor, who played against the Panthers, were full participants with the top line. Okorafor missed three sessions leading up to the game, while Sow didn’t participate in team drills on Tuesday. Matt Judon and Joshua Uche were also active during team drills after being limited recently and sitting out against Carolina.
A soft tissue injury has limited Tyquan Thornton, but he increased his workload following a brief appearance on Thursday. Though he wasn’t on the field for most team drills, he participated in one-on-ones, Oklahoma drills, and an end-of-half situation with the top offense.
DeMario Douglas shed his red non-contact jersey for the first time this summer.
Hunter Henry limped to the athletic training shed late today and left practice.
⛑️ Physically Unable to Perform
- WR Kendrick Bourne
- LG Cole Strange
- LB Sione Takitaki
🫥 Absent
- IDL Christian Barmore
🙅♂️ Limited / Did Not Participate
- SAF Marte Mapu
- CB Marcus Jones
- CB Jonathan Jones
- WR Tyquan Thornton
- LS Joe Cardona
- SAF Joshuah Bledsoe
- DL John Morgan III
🏃🏾♂️Returns
- LG Sidy Sow
- OT Chukwuma Okorafor
- ED Matt Judon
- ED Joshua Uche
🤕 Injuries
- TE Hunter Henry
📰 STORY OF THE DAY
Top Passers Shine After Limited Preseason Reps
After featuring Bailey Zappe and Joe Milton for most of Thursday’s game, New England gave nearly all today’s quarterback reps to Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye. This figures to be a theme during a week that will feature joint practices and a preseason matchup against the Eagles.
“Yeah, for all the quarterbacks, it’s a huge week for those guys to really show development,” head coach Jerod Mayo said before practice. “Drake will play more this week, for sure. But don’t forget, anytime you practice against a team, they’ll get a lot of good reps against someone else and based on that, we’ll see how they’ll play in a game.”
Both quarterbacks made the most of their opportunities, with Brissett having his best practice this summer. The veteran was nearly perfect in 11-on-11s, highlighted by a dropped go ball to Jalen Reagor, which would’ve been their second such connection on the day. While working in scoring territory, Brissett. also had anticipation throw to Reagor on a corner and completion to K.J. Osborn on a scramble drill with Christian Gonzalez trailing. The one questionable throw was an out route that Gonzalez jumped and nearly intercepted.
Maye continues to make strides with accuracy and poise, though he wasn’t perfect on the day. During one-on-ones, he dropped a wheel in the bucket to Antonio Gibson, but the ball was bobbled by Gibson and picked by Ja’Whaun Bentley.
Drake Maye with a PERFECT pass to RB Antonio Gibson
Gibson bobbles the pass and Ja'Whaun Bentley gets the INT
CLNS Patriots coverage powered by @PrizePicks @Gametime pic.twitter.com/YMn6SfWm10
— Patriots on CLNS Media (@PatriotsCLNS) August 11, 2024
The rookie’s success continued in team drills. Maye went 5-6 in 7-on-7s, including a miscommunication. He was perfect on an end-of-half drive that ended in a field goal, and most of his incompletions came on throwaways.
Maye’s best throws came on corner routes to Mitchell Wilcox and La’Michael Pettway, a crosser to Polk off a bootleg, and a high-low concept where he made the right read and targeted Javon Baker downfield. It seemed the quarterback wanted to be more aggressive in this practice, but it didn’t always work out in his favor.
A shot play against rotating coverage sailed wide of Osborn down the right sideline. Maye was nearly picked after nearly scrambling, attempting a sidearm throw into tight coverage, and having his throw tipped in the air. That didn’t discourage him, though, as he completed a nearly identical throw shortly after. Maye also deserves credit for going short on multiple dropbacks where he seemingly wanted to go deep.
Bailey Zappe and Joe Milton didn’t take the field until the 13th practice period. Zappe took three reps and threw one pass, while Milton took two reps and threw on both. Neither of their attempts were accurate.
📈 STOCK UP
DeMario Douglas
DeMario Douglas stands out in nearly every practice, but today was one of his most active days this summer. He started on a high-note in one-on-ones, making a tough contested catch against Shaun Wade and toasting Isaiah Bolden on another rep.
DeMario Douglas beats Isaiah Bolden: pic.twitter.com/I30Ntq6oOG
— Mike Kadlick (@mikekadlick) August 11, 2024
Though Douglas couldn’t haul in a deep target on the first play of team drills, he caught seven passes after the miscue and drew a penalty. All but two of those throws were from Brissett, who consistently targeted the receiver over the short middle against zone coverage. This included three straight catches during the first 11-on-11 period. There wasn’t much highlight-reel material, but it showed Brissett’s growing trust in Douglas.
Maye also found the slot machine late in his progression on an intermediate crossing route for a chunk of yards.
Offensive Line
With Okorafor back in the lineup, the top offensive line looked more competitive than in recent practices. The group, which again consisted of (from right to left) Vederian Lowe, Sidy Sow, David Andrews, Mike Onwenu, and Chuks Okorafor, gave Brissett enough time to slice and dice New England’s defense for most of the day.
The run game didn’t create the sizable holes we saw early in padded sessions, but only one run was stuffed.
Matt Judon
Matt Judon was active on Sunday afternoon after missing Tuesday’s practice and Thursday night’s game. He looked explosive in one-on-ones, batted down the first pass of 11-on-11s, and forced Jacoby Brissett after taking away Javon Baker in the Red Zone.
With Christian Barmore likely to miss significant time, Judon is as important to New England’s defensive front as ever.
📉 STOCK DOWN
Mitchell Wilcox
Mitchell Wilcox’s tough summer continued on Sunday afternoon. He dropped a contested corner target from Maye and took too long turning for the ball on a fade target in the Red Zone.
Wilcox has the most experience among New England’s depth tight ends, but he’s done nothing to set himself apart.
Chad Ryland
Chad Ryland took a step back after nailing his extra-point attempts against the Panthers. He went 2-4 on field goal attempts at the end of Sunday’s practice, including wide misses to the right from 48 and 52 yards out.
Joey Slye went 4-5 on the day, including one from over 50 yards to end an end-of-half situation.
Ryland has a slight edge in the kicker competition, having gone 28-33 compared to Slye’s 27-33.
📓 LEFTOVERS
- Christian Gonzalez’s near-interception keeps him off the “stock down” list, but the number of completions he’s allowed this summer is discouraging for a player with his talent. Osborn’s Red Zone score was the latest glaring example.
- K.J. Osborn went into depth about how he and Jacoby Brissett are trying to build chemistry, noting they had watched a lot of Amari Cooper from his time with Brissett in 2022.
- Nick Leverett subbed in for David Andrews late in practice, which has happened multiple times this summer.
- Marco Wilson and Alex Austin switched off team periods opposite Christian Gonzalez, with Wilson getting the first crack. Shaun Wade and Isaiah Bolden also rotated in the slot.
- Dell Pettus was on the field as a dime linebacker with the top defense. He also came close to intercepting a deflected pass.
- Super Bowl champion Brandon King was in attendance for today’s practice.
- Shaun Wade got a hand in to break up a deep target from Bailey Zappe to Kayshon Boutte during one-on-ones. The ball was slightly underthrown, but it seemed catchable.
