FOXBOROUGH — Practice No.2 of 2024 is in the books, let's run down all you need to know: all the stats, 3 up/down and odds and ends:
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
Barmore, Godchaux, Douglas and Mapu don't take part in team: It's only the second day but the Patriots are already dealing with missing some key players. Christian Barmore, who left the first practice with an injury, took part in individual but sat out the rest. Davon Godchaux, who wants a new deal, took part in the first practice fully but had the look of a hold-in today. Demario Douglas continues to take part in individual but not team. And Marte Mapu sat out team periods.
Offense finds tough sledding: A pretty practice from the offense today, and I'm not sure how much of it was about the defense. It was so bad that it appeared the offensive coaches decided to spend the final four snaps (two each for Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye) just jogging through the plays to work on execution.
The pace was brutally slow, which is not unusual with West Coast offensive coordinators. There was only one real nice completion down the field, a layered in cut from Maye to Ja'Lynn Polk, which caused Brissett to bound out to Maye and give him an 'attaboy.'
Other than that, the practice was littered with protection issues, a few route errors, a high snap from Atonio Mafi over 6-foot-5 Joe Milton and a ton of checkdowns.
How bad was it?
Out of the 22 plays between Brissett and Maye in all team periods, here is the tally:
2 scrambles
4 sacks
2 stuffs
5 times the ground
That's 13 poor plays out of 22. So the execution was poor on 60 percent of the plays.
It's very early. I'm not panicking ... yet.
Kraft, Judon talk: Robert Kraft came out to practice late and had an extended conversation with Matthew Judon. Kraft then had a discussion with Eliot Wolf. Will be interesting to see if there's some contract movement after that.
Milton, Lowe get their turns: Joe Milton got the No. 3 snaps over Bailey Zappe, and Vederian Lowe started at RT over Caden Wallace, who did mix in.
TAKING ATTENDANCE
Physically unable to perform list: C Jake Andrews, WR Kendrick Bourne, LG Cole Strange, LB Sione Takitaki
Non-football injury list: RB Antonio Gibson.
Red non-contact jerseys: QBs.
Returned to practice: None.
Full participants: None.
Out: NT Davon Godchaux.
Limited: WR Demario Douglas, RB Deshaun Fenwick, RB Terrell Jennings, DT Christian Barmore, S Marte Mapu.
New injuries: None.
DRESS CODE
Helmets.
LENGTH OF PRACTICE
1:40 under cloudy skies.
QB STATS
Team (there was one team period that was a glorified jog-through)
Jacoby Brissett: 1 for 2, 2 sacks;
Drake Maye 2-4, drop
Joe Milton 1 for 2, snap over head
7 on 7
Jacoby Brissett: 5-6
Drake Maye 6-6
Joe Milton 2-3
Bailey Zappe 2-3
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.
MAYE REPORT
Dialing down on the top draft pick in team periods.
This was Maye's series in the first team session that was a glorified jog-through:
Handoff
Scramble
Sack (Armon Watts against Sidy Sow)
run where Ja'Whaun Bentley stuffed the back through Wallace
Sack (couldn't tell who got him).
Second series:
Complete to Polk on a layered rollout to the right. Nice play
Harris run
Incomplete to Tyquan Thornton that wasn't close against Isaiah Bolden. Footwork was sloppy.
Checkdown to TE La'Michael Pettway
Drop by Jaheim Bell
HANDS TEAM
Fumbles: Mafi/Milton high snap.
Drops: TE Jaheim Bell.
Pass breakups: Jabrill Peppers, Marcus Jones, Oshane Ximines.
Interception: None.
Sacks: Armon Watts (Sow), Unknown, Joe Giles-Harris, Deatrich Wise (Okorafor).
TOP PLAYS
The only play worth mentioning, which is an average NFL play in the grand scheme of things, but Maye throwing the in cut to Polk with perfect anticipation and timing. It was good to see from Maye. That's a play you have to make as an NFL QB and shows progress. Brissett saw that, jump up, and gave Maye his props.
THREE UP
CB Marcus Jones: Seemed to get a starting nod today and had a nice pass break up. He might have been a little early on the contact.
WR Tyquan Thornton: Was busy today and executed well.
DE Deatrich Wise: Was active on the pass rush.
ONE DOWN
The offense: The entire group executed poorly.
QUICK HITS
- The starting offensive line was LT Chuks Okorafor, LG Sidy Sow, C David Andrews, RG Mike Onwenu, RT Vederian Lowe - but Caeden Wallace worked.
- Second team line was Calvin Anderson, Michael Jordan, Nick Leverett, Layden Robinson, Wallace.
- Third team: Tyrone Wheatley, Liam Fornadel, Atonio Mafi, Charles Turner, Zuri Henry.
- Jonathan Jones seemed more active in the slot today.
- Some of the starters on defense: Daniel Ekuale, Armon Watts, Keion White, Matthew Judon, Jahlani Tavai, Joe Giles-Harris, Alex Austin, Kyle Dugger, Jonathan Jones, Marcus Jones, Jabrill Peppers. Marco Wilson got some snaps opposite Christian Gonzalez. The Patriots have heavily rotated the secondary to this point.
SCHEDULE
Friday: 11 a.m. (shells).
Saturday: OFF
Sunday: 11 a.m. (shells)
Monday: 11 a.m. (pads)
Tuesday: 11 a.m.
Wednesday: OFF