ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Practice No. 9 is in the books from the Home of the Lions (complete with a mini replica of the Patriots' running hill ... how cute). Let's break it all down.
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
Jakobi Meyers is Brady's leading man right now: If it wasn't apparent before this practice on a sunny and humid day outside of Motown, we know it now — undrafted free-agent receiver Jakobi Meyers is Brady's favorite target among the receivers. He got Brady's first rep in 1-on-1s. In 11-on-11, Meyers got Brady's first target. When it came to finishing off the drive, it was Meyers who hauled in the touchdown catch. In the two-minute drill, Meyers got the first throw and helped cap off the scoring drive. Now, it wasn't all perfect. Meyers clearly faded on a crossing route when Brady expected him to stay on a path directly across the field (don't worry, Julian Edelman does this from time to time as well), and Meyers heard about it from Brady. But it's really remarkable that Meyers is in this spot in the third week of training camp.
"He's done a great job and he's taken advantage of his opportunities," Brady said when I asked him about Meyers after practice. "I think that's really what we try to stress to anybody. The football doesn't care how old you are, whether you were drafted or not. The football doesn't care how much experience you have. It just knows that when I let that ball go, it's got to be in the hands of the guy who it's intended for. If that happens to be him, it's him. If it's Julian, it's Julian. Whoever it is, it doesn't matter in football."
Don't think Tom Brady loves throwing to Braxton Berrios: Very early in practice, there were some dueling 1-on-1 sessions between the receivers and cornerbacks. Tom Brady and Jarrett Stidham took the top Patriots receivers while Brian Hoyer worked on another field. Sure seemed like Brady was cherry-picking his receivers ... and Berrios didn't seem to be a fave. Brady threw to: Meyers (3), Maurice Harris (3), Phillip Dorsett (2), N'Keal Harry (2), Berrios (1). Stidham: Ryan Davis (3), Gunner Olszewski (3), Damoun Patterson (2), Dontrelle Inman (2), Berrios (2), Danny Elting (1). Etling was the only receiver to catch passes from both QBs, and he was only with Stidham after his first toss came from Brady. Now, Brady did go to Berrios on occasion in 11-on-11, but that's when he really didn't have a choice — the coaches picked the personnel.
Not a very competitive practice: After not having a joint practice last year, the Patriots are doubling up with old friends in the Lions (Matt Patricia) and Titans (Mike Vrabel). While there is a family feel to both teams being around each other, we didn't expect the competitiveness to be so low-key. It was like both coaches told their players to go about three-quarters speed. Only saw one big hit by Obi Melifonwu. There was zero trash talking. Couldn't help but think how different this practice was compared to what we saw the last time the Patriots had a joint session — two years ago with Bill O'Brien's Texans at The Greenbrier in West Virginia. Those two practices were glorious, especially after the Patriots were pushed around in the first session. The Patriots responded the next day in an intense practice. And both sides left feeling good about what they did. This was not that. I'm not sure what it was.
TAKING ATTENDANCE
Physically unable to perform list: DB Nate Ebner, WR Demaryius Thomas, DB Ken Webster, WR Cam Meredith.
Non-football injury list: WR Julian Edelman, OT Yodny Cajuste.
Red non-contact jerseys: The QBs.
Returned to practice: None.
Full participants:
Out: TE Lance Kendricks (head), S Patrick Chung (shoulder).
Limited: C David Andrews, LT Isaiah Wynn, RB Rex Burkhead, LB Kyle Van Noy.
New injuries: None.
DRESS CODE
Full pads.
LENGTH OF PRACTICE
2:20.
QB STATS
Tom Brady: 6-9 (11-11), 6-7 (7 on 7), 9-11 (1 on 1s).
Brian Hoyer: 2-5 (11-11), 3-4 (7 on 7).
Jarrett Stidham: 3-4, INT (11-11), 2-3 (7 on 7), 7-13 (1 on 1s).
Note: I do not have the number of reps that some other writers have because I do not count when the offense is "working off cards." Those are plays when an assistant coach literally brings out a play on a card and shows it to one side of the ball. They are not running their own plays so since there are so many x-factors — including the receiver running the right route, and blockers executing correctly — so I do not count those reps.
HANDS TEAM
Fumbles: Meyers (punt).
Drops: Berrios.
Pass breakups: Jamie Collins, Duron Harmon, Ja'Whaun Bentley.
Interception: D'Angelo Ross.
TOP PLAYS
- Brady to Phillip Dorsett along sidelines and out of bounds in 1 on 1s against Rashaan Melvin.
- Brady to N'Keal Harry down the right sideline. Completely laid out. Tremendous catch.
- Harry again with a diving catch against CB Amani Oruwarive.
- Lions stud WR Kenny Golladay (whom the Patriots could have had in the 2017 third round instead of OT Antonio Garcia) had a tremendous leaping catch over Jason McCourty.
Offense
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Decisive win/loss
Marcus Cannon pancaked Jarrad Davis.
Hjalte Froholdt almost completely whiffed on Mitchell Loewen.
SHANK IT OFF
For now, there's a punting competition going on between the incumbent, Ryan Allen, and fifth-round challenger, Jake Bailey, so we're going to cover the hell out of it because Bedard's a nerd like that.
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- Both punters had one shank (Bailey's was worse) and Bailey still dominated this matchup. Allen got the first set up reps and Bailey could be seen nervously pacing back and forth waiting for his turn. It appeared he was only going to get three punts, but then Patricia extended the drill to give Bailey two more cracks.
THREE UP
LB Jamie Collins: We got the Pro Bowl rendition of Collins against his former defensive coordinator. He knocked down passes, stuffed the run, pressured the quarterback and got in throwing lanes. He's been awesome for about the last week.
Edge Shilique Calhoun: With Kyle Van Noy not taking part in practice, Calhoun was given a ton of playing time and seemed to take advantage. He constantly brought pressure from the edge.
RB Sony Michel: Overall it was a good day for the Patriots so this could have been a number of players but Michel looked vintage tearing through huge holes and, as a bonus, he continues to be more involved in the passing game and caught a RZ TD from Brady.
THREE DOWN
DT Mike Pennel: I haven't had much of an issue with his play so far but it's obvious the Patriots do because he's basically been relegated to the third team when it comes to team drills.
QB Jarrett Stidham: Held the ball forever and then threw a really bad interception. Seemed to be on the upswing at the end of last week but, now, he seems back to being a rookie.
OT Cedrick Lang: He hasn't been good to this point and now the new guy, Martez Ivey, is taking some of his backup LT snaps and doing a better job. Lang was also 0 for 2 on his 1-on-1 reps.
QUICK HITS
Just going throw out some notes from each of the different sessions involved, and you need to realize that there was often double-barrel action going on with both fields, so details are tough to keep track of. Plus, the Lions' jersey numbers absolutely suck to identify from afar. By the way, we had officials for the first time.
First team base defense was, from left to right: Gilmore, Simon, Guy, Shelton, Butler, Collins, J. McCourty; LBs— Roberts, Hightower; Safeties — McCourty, Harmon.
11-on-11 base
- It was like last season never stopped — the offensive line, with a spry Dan Skipper at LT, was opening some huge cutback holes for Sony Michel, Brandon Bolden and Damien Harris.
- Brady got tipped by old friend Tavon Wilson.
- Jarrett Stidham threw a total rookie INT: tried to go to Dorsett in the flat but was undercut by S Andrew Adams.
- Michael Bennett with a TFL, then Hightower and Bennett combined for a stuff.
- Patriots had a coverage sack of Tom Savage. David Parry and Deatrich Wise both had poor gap integrity. Elandon Roberts and Mike Pennel had a stuff.
- Gilmore had tight coverage of Melvin Jones, then gave up a reception to Travis Fulgham.
- Shilique Calhoun had a sack and a shared sack with David Harris on back-to-back plays.
- Devin McCourty came free on a blitz but J.C. Jackson was called for PI.
- Collins tackle for a loss.
- Butler blasted Kerryon Johnson in the hold.
- Savage beat Duke Dawson for a touchdown to Chris Lacy.
- James Develin called for a hold on a Michel draw.
- Michel caught a red zone TD from Brady.
- Stidham held the ball forever on two of his red zone "completions."
SCHEDULE
Tuesday: 9:15 a.m. joint practice with Lions.
Wednesday: 9:15 a.m. joint practice with Lions (likely walkthrough)
Thursday: Patriots at Lions, 7:30 p.m.