The Patriots’ biggest practice of the summer thus far wrapped just after high noon, and it was a very good day for New England as they hosted the Washington Commanders. Josh McDaniels’ offense hummed along with the exception of a few drops, and the Patriots pass rush showed some fire in individual competitive drills. Let’s dig into the nitty-gritty of the single joint practice between these teams:
UP
Drake Maye
Maye had a solid, B+ day going against the Commanders’ defense. He connected with his binky targets several times, (Hunter Henry, DeMario Douglas), and looked efficient in McDaniels’ classic offense in 11v11s. His accuracy was on point, even if his receivers’ mitts weren’t always, (more on that, later). He also looked to receiver Mack Hollins numerous times in red zone work and found him for a well-timed touchdown. Hollins has made an immediate jump up the depth chart since coming off the PUP list and missing most of the offseason through last week.
“We’re Tar Heels, so the chemistry’s already there. It doesn’t even matter,” Maye joked after practice.
Maye’s lone interception came on a tipped pass last in practice, and was secured by Washington cornerback Mike Sainristil.
Kayshon Boutte
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Boutte had the catch du jour. Mid-practice, Maye threaded the needle to No. 9 for a contested catch and beautiful touchdown.
Boutte’s starting to emerge as a downfield threat, and that’s a receiver type the Patriots have sorely missed in recent seasons. He also got a bit chippy with Washington cornerback Marshon Lattimore. That fracas, however, had nothing on another dustup that bloodied Vrabel’s cheek a few series later.
Rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson got into some sort of disagreement with Washington players that escalated into a dog pile with Vrabel underneath. An official had to let him know his face was bleeding afterwards, on the sideline.
“I saw it. Somebody said it was like the Trump gunshot wound,” Maye said, laughing, after practice. “So I was laughing at that. He was solid, breaking down the huddle. I’m not sure what happened or when it happened, but he said, ‘Don’t worry about it, we’ll see it on film.’”
Pass rush in 1v1s
Are we seriously breaking down 1v1 reps? Against the Commanders, yes. Good news: Christian Barmore looked like the Kool-Aid Man bursting through his reps.
“Our coaches tell us, every day, ‘Every time you get a 1-on-1, you must win. So that’s the goal, every time you see it. So it’s almost like war. It’s about everything. You take that personally, especially on the D-line,” he said after practice.
Defensive lineman Khyiris Tonga also had a great rep and continues to flash throughout training camp. Isaiah Iton had a monster rep that caught coaches’ eyes, as well.
DOWN
Receivers’ mitts
If Josh McDaniels’ offensive scheme looked like a finely-tuned machine overall, the receivers – at times - had a few screws loose. These examples may be nitpicking, but Douglas and Henderson both had bad drops during 11v11 periods.
Mack Hollins had a strong day overall, but had two drops of his own, including a would-be touchdown in competitive team periods.
On the upside, UDFA Efton Chism had three solid catches from backup quarterback Josh Dobbs after suffering a brutal drop in the Patriots’ in-stadium scrimmage last week.
(Notable) veteran participation
Right tackle Morgan Moses was extraordinarily limited today.
He was in attendance, but did not take part in competitive drills, so seventh-round rookie Marcus Bryant got a ton of reps in team periods.
Vrabel described the approach with Moses, the team’s eldest player:
“[We] just want to be smart and make sure that everybody's plan is the best one for them to be prepared for the season. So, Morgan will do a little bit today, won't do much, and then we'll see where he is at the next opportunity, which would be Friday.”
Wide receivers Kendrick Bourne and Stefon Diggs were both absent at the beginning of practice. Diggs took the field partway through the day and competed in team periods.
Carlton Davis was limited, while Christian Gonzalez was present and working off to the side.
Jayson Tatum’s boot…
…Was a no-show at today’s practice, where Tatum was one of many prominent guests. So yes, this is actually a positive note. The Celtics star, who suffered an Achilles rupture just a few months ago, was out and about without a boot. He signed autographs for fans and took a nice video with Maye. Other guests included Jon Bon Jovi and Danny Amendola.