FOXBOROUGH — Practice No. 4 finished earlier today, and there was a lot to break down. Let's run down all you need to know: all the stats, one-on-one pass rushes and punting charts, 3 up/down, and odds and ends:
ONE MORE THING YOU NEED TO KNOW (After the earlier post)
Defense takes it to the offense
Everyone makes it out like this Patriots defense is the same as last season, when they were among the best in the league for most of the year (sorry about Miami). Tell someone that Jarrett Stidham was not good at practice today, and you'll met with, "Well, the defense is awesome ... everyone stinks against us."
Uh, no.
In case you didn't notice, just about every linebacker, edge player and two of the three starting safeties are gone. On Thursday, Stephon Gilmore wasn't even on the field (likely a vet day, those seem to be rotating). So you were looking at a defense that, sure, might have some good depth in the secondary, but the only repeat starters on the field were Lawrence Guy, Devin McCourty, Jason McCourty (he was part-time last year) and Jonathan Jones. The rest of the players are all new in major roles, or competing for one.
So the 1985 Bears have not been on the field.
And still, the defense just about stuffed the offense in a locker for much of Thursday's practice, and thumped them in the red zone/goal line period to end practice.
The final sequences:
Byron Cowart sack of Cam Newton.
Newton runs when no one is open.
Newton incomplete to Devin Ross.
Hoyer's pass to Gunner Olszewski was knocked way by JC Jackson.
Damien Harris stuffed by Adam Butler when he eats Korey Cunningham alive.
Harris up the middle for little.
Jarrett Stidham can't find anyone open and runs.
Harris gets into the end zone thanks to a scheme that gets the 6-6, 318-pound Cunningham one on one with 5-11, 198-pound Terrence Brooks (I should hope Cunningham would make a crushing block there).
Stidham incomplete to Olszewski ... Myles Bryant, who has been one of the worst players of camp, broke it up.
Newton pitch to JJ Taylor for a few
Newton incomplete to James White after Chase Winovich sacks him.
Hoyer is sacked by Josh Uche as Devin Asiasi can't get open.
Goal line
Harris gets in over Uche.
Hoyer complete to Jakob Johnson, but is tackled short of the goal line by sixth-round LB Cassh Maluia.
Taylor is stopped dead by 2019 UDFA LB Terez Hall.
Taylor is stopped against on the left side by Hall and Bill Murray.
P-U ... and not exactly the Purple People Eaters out there.
TAKING ATTENDANCE
Physically unable to perform list: RB Sony Michel (foot), RB Lamar Miller (knee).
Red non-contact jerseys: QBs.
Returned to practice: WR Will Hastings, WR Jeff Thomas, LB Anfernee Jennings.
Out: WR N’Keal Harry, S Adrian Phillips, CB Stephon Gilmore, RT Yodny Cajuste, DT Beau Allen, DE Derek Rivers, DL Tashawn Bower.
Limited: WR Julian Edelman.
New injuries: DT Adam Butler got up slowly at one point but stayed in.
DRESS CODE
Full pads.
LENGTH OF PRACTICE
2:00 in a relentless sun.
QB STATS
Cam Newton: 7 of 13
Brian Hoyer: 7 of 12
Jarrett Stidham: 2 of 6, 2 INTs
QB Of The Day Award: Hoyer. No one really stood out — aside from Stidham not playing well — so you pick your poison with the other two. Hoyer gets the nod due to obvious comfort. At one point, Newton alerted to another player and David Andrews turned around with a look of, "Are you sure you want to do that?"
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: None.
Drops: Gunner Olszewski (Hoyer), Isaiah Zuber (Hoyer), Dalton Keene (Hoyer), Damiere Byrd 2 (Hoyer, Newton)
Pass breakups: JC Jackson (Hoyer), Myles Bryant 2 (Stidham), Jonathan Jones.
Interception: Myles Bryant 2 (Stidham), Justin Bethel (Stidham),
TOP PLAYS
- Nice snag by Ryan Izzo to snag a slightly high Stidham crosser.
- Byron Cowart basically put Andrews on his behind in one-on-ones. That guy is strong and earning more and more time with Beau Allen still out.
- Harris had a few runs where it looked like the seas parted — like the 2018 run blocking. Most of the good stuff came from the right side of the line.
- Deatrich Wise almost swallowed Taylor on a run around left end.
- Uche had a nice TFL on Taylor.
- Eluemunor (2-0): beat Simon, beat Winovich
- Mason (1-1-1): beat Guy, lost to Guy, tied Guy.
- Andrews (1-0): beat Butler,
- Thuney (0-1): Lost to Wise
- Wynn (0-1): Lost to Wise
- Herron over Winovich
Decisive victories
- Onwenu over Thurman: Just completely stifled him off the line.
- Murray over Gauthier: The DT left him on the ground.
- Butler over Thuney: The DT got the edge on Thuney and made a quick spin move to leave him grasping at air.
- Cowart over Andrews: The DT pulled the center and got him on the ground. Wasn't good.
- Guy over Onwenu: The veteran just bullied the rookie back.
- Herron over Winovich: The edge rusher went nowhere as he tried to bend the corner. Completely controlled.
"Starting" ends: The three players most likely to play on the edge for the Patriots (John Simon, Shilique Calhoun and Chase Winovich) were a combined 1-7-2 in the first 1-on-1 sessions.
OG Joe Thuney: Wasn't his usual dominating self to start camp with a 1-2-2 record.
QB Jake Stidham: Just not good enough. He needs to cut it loose. Way too tight. Maybe he needs to dance more.
QUICK HITS
- Good to see LB Anfernee Jennings (74) and WR Jeff Thomas (75) back on the field.
- Jennings looked like he was at the first day of school and they're bringing him along slowly at linebacker.
- Thomas looks small and slight, and he looked plenty quick, but nothing like his rep or Instagram videos. He also ran the wrong route on one of his first competitive routes. Still, very early.
- Terez Hall and Cassh Maluia had back-to-back sacks at one point.
- The rookie TEs are really struggling to get open, and Keene has dropped a ton of passes.
- We might have to put Mohamed Sanu on a milk carton soon.
- Rough look for Yodny Cajuste and N'Keal Harry to miss a second day in practice. Can't make the club in the tub.
SCHEDULE
Friday: 9:15 a.m.
Saturday: Players are off