There’s so much wrong with the Patriots’ offense right now that outlining everything they did wrong on Monday just feels like overkill.
The run game isn’t working. Receivers, despite showing flashes in 1-on-1s against defensive backs, have been struggling to separate when they’re all on the field together. As a result, Mac Jones finally crossed the threshold from "frustrated" to "bad" Monday, looking flustered and sloppy in the pocket and missing throws he's normally solid with.
It was so bad that David Andrews held an animated offensive-only meeting on the field after practice, with the receivers staying on the field for their own huddle after the rest of the team had gone.
The whole offensive operation simply looked...well...offensive.
So, how about some good news for once?
Specifically, New England's highly drafted receiver from this year’s draft is starting to look like he can and will do more for the Patriots this year than people expected.
Tyquan Thornton had his best practice yet since joining the team, dazzling with a combination of impressive speed, quickness, and route-running savvy.
During 1-on-1 drills against defensive backs, he won cleanly off the line of scrimmage against Malcolm Butler and opened up massive separation with his 4.2 speed. But a late throw on the deep ball allowed Butler to recover and break up the throw. On his next rep, he embarrassed Terrance Mitchell with a stop-and-go route, which left him so wide open Mitchell never had a chance to get back into the play.
Thornton carried that momentum over into later team drills, where he saw significant time with the first-team offense. He turned fellow rookie cornerback Jack Jones around on an out route on one rep early in practice, then executed a good scramble drill to open up for Mac Jones along the sideline for a first-down conversion.
He also repeatedly pestered Jones during a two-minute drill to end practice, using the threat of his speed to snap off several comeback routes before beating him deep toward the end zone — Jones tripped him up for a probable pass-interference penalty on the play.
After watching the offense at large bumble through a whole day of practice, seeing Thornton, whom many saw as a massive question mark, shine through the shade offers the barest glimpse of positivity.
