FOXBOROUGH – Competition took the night off here at New England Patriots training camp, sacrificed inside Gillette Stadium for logistics.
Friday evening’s “Blue vs. White” walkthrough scrimmage had more to do with the players and staff understanding where they need to be and when they need to be there as it pertains to Thursday night’s upcoming preseason opener vs. Washington.
Cam vs. Mac might have been the actual matchup, but in essence, both had the night off as receivers jogged, defenders walked and the few thousand season-ticket holders sat and watched the athletes in shorts without pads or even shells.
Where do you sit? Where and when do you stand on the sidelines? How are personnel packages dispatched?
School was certainly in session.
HIGH NOTES
Of all the Patriots on the field not named Cam Newton or Mac Jones, the one drawing a lion’s share of the fans’ attention was veteran linebacker Dont’a Hightower.
The Alabama product, a two-time Pro Bowler, sat out the 2020 season with a Covid-19 opt-out, and he was certainly missed both on the defense and in the hearts of Patriots’ fans. He understood that and had the point driven home on Friday night.
“Yeah. Well, I guess it is a little bit different for me than everybody else because everybody else got to experience the empty stadiums and stuff," Hightower said. "To me, it was a little bit of a smaller crowd than what I am used to, but it just feels good.
"I can definitely tell from everybody else what they went through last year as far as not really having any fans. Things were definitely a little weird. It’s good to see everybody’s face, as we have this face-to-face communication. I think everybody is just kind of enjoying.”
Hightower looks great. He’s trim, almost sleek looking, and all reports are that his body – one that has absorbed the brunt of eight NFL seasons in the firing line – feels great.
Still, there is the physical toll of the NFL game, and it took a second for him to get used to the collisions this past week in training camp.
“Maybe (last year helped) a little bit, but once you start hitting and getting the shit knocked out of you, I think all that stuff and those great thoughts and vibes and stuff kind of go out the window,” Hightower said. “It’s football. You realize that when you sign up for it and other than that first day and sign for that physical to start training camp, after that 100% kind of goes out the window. I enjoyed the year off that I had and the nicks and veins that you get — not saying I am looking forward to them, but I appreciate them a little bit more.”
(Olindo Longo for BSJ)
MAC’S MIND GAMES
One hidden benefit from Hightower’s return to the locker room was on display, even under walkthrough conditions.
Hightower repeatedly bumped pre-snap in and out of different gaps, showing blitz at times and not showing it in others, to provide a challenge for the rookie QB's mental acuity.
As much as Friday night’s work was about looks, it helps to have a guy like Hightower on the field, planting potential football mine fields out there for the rookie to solve.
THE MIGHTY QUINN
The busiest guy on the Gillette Stadium turf might have been rookie kicker Quinn Nordin, who kicked field goals and PATs for both squads in the 24-23 “thriller.”
“He’s got a strong leg. Other than that — that is about all I can tell you right now,” said Hightower.
With journeyman Nick Folk, at 36, on the roster, it’s clear that Nordin will be allowed ample opportunity in camp, the upcoming joint practice sessions with the Giants and Eagles and the three preseason games.
Nordin, who has always had a huge leg, showed off his accuracy hitting all 10 attempts from 22 to 57 yards. Nordin made three kicks over 45 yards: 48, 55 and 57 yards.
Safety and special teamer Adrian Phillips added, “He’s got a leg on him.”
HURRY UP AND WAIT
Learning the mechanics of the “hurry-up, no-huddle, two-minute offense” certainly was a point of emphasis.
For an event that could certainly annoy a coaching staff, whose time is limited in getting a team ready for the season, Bill Belichick was determined to get something out of the session.
Perhaps other less meticulous coaching staffs might overlook some of this, but the Patriots, if anything, remain detail-oriented in all facets of the game.
JONNU ON FILM
Free agent tight end Jonnu Smith seems to have immersed himself in Boston culture, and admits, he used the drama genre of the film industry to familiarize himself with the region.
Smith mentioned movies shot here like “The Departed” and “The Town,” as tools for his Boston education.
“I consider myself a ‘movieologist’, so I watched a lot of movies that were filmed in Boston. One of my favorites ones was ‘The Departed.’ Right? You know what I’m saying? So I kind of already knew Boston had a lot of history,” Smith, who came over from Tennessee in the offseason. “That was one of my favorite movies. I’m 25, right. I know that movie came out a long time ago, but I kind of just watched that movie with my wife a couple months ago. I didn’t even know I was coming to New England at that time. Just from watching that movie, I just realized how much Boston had a lot of history to it.
“The Town. The Town was a good one. There were two. Ben Affleck right? That was a good one. But just being able to watch some movies man, so I kind of was developing some of the Boston taste a little bit."
Looking at Smith, who caught 41 balls for 448 yards and eight TDs in 2020, there really isn’t a physical comparison to Patriots tight ends of the past.
At 6-foot-3 and 248 pounds, Smith is probably expected to be the more physical of the two with Hunter Henry playing the more finesse role.
Smith, without pads at the workout, actually looks a bit leaner than expected, but he is absolutely a specimen. He could best be described as a streamlined Ben Watson with a much more athletic package.
He’s ready to get into a bit more serious action.
“They’re going to use my ability, man, to help this team be in the best position possible. I consider myself a guy that can do a lot of things at the tight end position and you know, whatever it may take to help this team win, that’s what I’m going to do,” Smith said.
“That’s been great. Just building that chemistry (with Henry), feeding off each other when we’re making plays. Bringing that two tight end set and just trying to take it to another level, man.
“Whatever it will take to help us win, whatever I have to do. I’m just excited to be able to use my ability to its fullest potential. Even touch some areas where maybe I do some things I’ve never done before. Kind of scratch the surface here and see what lies beneath.”