FOXBOROUGH - Mike Vrabel said he didn't want any fighting during today's joint practice with the Commanders, but that didn't stop him from being in the middle of the mayhem.
After some hard contact made by TreVeyon Henderson during blitz pickup, he and the defender (believe it was Von Miller) started to roll around. That set off a swarm of bodies jumping in to defend the primaries, including the Patriots' head coach. When he emerged, Vrabel's face was bleeding, and his Director of Sports Performance, the musclebound Frank Piriano, nearly got his head ripped off by tight end Gee Scott Jr., who didn't know it was one of his own pulling him out of the fracas.
Once the calm was restored, Pop Douglas relayed this gem:
"I said, 'Coach, what's wrong with you?' He said, 'Hey, you should have seen the other guy.'"
All jokes aside, it's fair to wonder if Vrabel was actually happy the skirmish happened. It allowed him to show his players exactly what he's all about and what he wants them to be about as they shape this culture.
"That's what we're trying to build," said Drake Maye. "And it starts with the coach, starts with the head coach, intensity, bringing it every day, taking no crap when we're on the field."
"He's right there with us," laughed Hunter Henry. "I think that player comes out of him a little bit, too, but you've got to love a coach that loves to compete and has competitive juices just like us."
That helped feed a passionate fan base that filled up the bleachers, the hill, and spilled over onto the ramps leading up to Gillette Stadium. It felt different out there today. It felt like it did when Tom Brady was barking the signals and Bill Belichick was watching intently. I won't be so bold as to predict anything that comes remotely close to matching the era, but for one day at least, that buzz was back.
ON TO THE DEFENSE
We got an extended team period to start practice, and the early results were concerning. Jayden Daniels shredded the first-team defense, attacking the linebacker/safety level with a pair of completions to Zach Ertz. The first came on a crosser with Kyle Dugger and Jabril Peppers giving chase, and the second happened between the LBs (Robert Spillane was closest). There was also a quick screen thrown in there, and Daniels calmly dished the ball out with Milton Williams bearing down on him.
DC Terrell Williams couldn't have been happy with the inability to set the edge during this period either. Brian Robinson bounced outside of Peppers and Marcus Jones to rip off a solid gain as well.
On Daniels' second series, Christian Barmore swam past center Tyler Biadasz in about a half-second and either would have had the sack or real pressure, with Daniels escaping to his right and throwing the pass away. The second-year QB came right back with a quick hitter to Ertz (Jaylinn Hawkins in coverage), and then Robinson took advantage of a soft edge on the opposite side for another solid gain.
To the Pats' credit, the defense bowed up on Daniels' third go-round. Landry did an excellent job defending a zone read in which the QB hung onto the ball, then recorded a sack on the very next snap off a stunt that had him looping back inside over the center/guard area. Daniels misfired for an open Ertz (Hawkins again in coverage), and the set ended with a botched QB/RB exchange.
That positive momentum carried over into the next drive. Daniels took a deep shot to Deebo Samuel on an over route, but Jones and DJ James had it well-covered. Robinson attacked the edge on second down (Keion White's side) and ripped off a solid gain, but Landry responded by beating rookie Josh Conerly. Daniels completed the pass to Ertz, but it sure felt like a sack to me. The final snap was a run that was defended solidly by Alex Austin and White.
The backups struggled against the pass against the uninspiring Josh Johnson and Sam Hartman. I had the duo down for 7-of-9 and a pair of sacks taken (Elijah Ponder and then Anfernee Jennings on Johnson). Hartman went 5-of-5. He's not an NFL QB. Noteworthy plays, aside from the sacks, were made by rookie Joshua Farmer (run stuff and TFL on a screen), Isaiah Iton (run disruption), Jeremiah Pharms (pressure/held), Miles Battle (blew up WR screen), and Kobee Minor (PBU). Minor also got burned by Mike Strachan (pass fell incomplete).
HIGH RED ZONE
After 7-on-7s (covered by Bedard), the practice script called for team red zone work. Daniels went 1-for-3, Johnson 1-for-3, and Hartman 2-for-2. Daniels' lone completion went to Samuel in the flat (Kyle Dugger). The Pats got run stuffs from Khyiris Tonga, Christian Elliss, White and Hawkins. Spillane had a nice pass breakup, undercutting a slant route, and Battles and Craig Woodson teamed up to squeeze Luke McCaffrey out of the end zone, and I didn't think he got both feet in bounds. Elliss got lost in coverage on a touchdown to TE Lawrence Cager, Minor had a PU in the left corner of the end zone (Chris Moore was the intended target), and Woodson covered up somebody - I couldn't get a number - on the back endline, and the play resulted in an incomplete.
STRONG FINISH
The final portion of practice was situational. The ball was placed on the opponent's 25-yard line with 45 seconds on the clock. Daniels went 3-of-6. On a 4th-and-7, the QB's jump ball was denied by Austin. A couple of plays prior, Austin squeezed Moore of the back corner for another incomplete. Daniels also had to throw away a pass after excellent coverage by Jones and Hawkins on Deebo.
FOUR UP
Alex Austin: He's gonna have to play this year because Carlton Davis always missed at least a month (and is currently a limited participant in practice). Austin could be a low-end starter at this point.
Elijah Ponder: The UDFA is making a case as a pass rusher. He had a couple of pressures today, and one could have very well been a sack.
Harold Landry: He looks quick and fast.
Christian Barmore: I'm not ready to declare that he's back - the team is still managing him this summer - but there are flashes of that snap-your-fingers get-off. Barmore had a handful of disruptive reps.
THREE DOWN
LBs in Coverage: Yeah, Spillane had a pass breakup, and Elliss did a nice job on another play, but by and large, they are getting beaten with regularity, not just by the Commanders - man, did Ertz eat - but also by Henderson in everyday practices. Jack Gibbens is also guilty.
Edge Setters: It wasn't all bad, but there were several solid gains made by Washington's backs getting outside the tackle box. I'd expect that to be addressed post-film work.
Kyle Dugger: He's the same player in coverage as he's always been, and that means he's someone who can be taken advantage of.