EAGAN, Minn. - Practice No. 15 - the first of two joint practices with the Vikings - is in the books. Let's run down all you need to know: all the stats, 3 up/down, 1-on-1s (we have video this time), and odds and ends:
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
Patriots offense, Vikings defense exchange haymakers: Before practice, Mike Vrabel said his offense was going to face a big challenge from Brian Flores' defense.
"They do a lot," Vrabel said. "They communicate; they disguise very well. They'll show you something and then rotate to another coverage. There's ability to pressure players from all three levels, from the front, from the linebackers and from the third level. So, you'll get different personnel groupings that we'll have to be ready for. We'll get different movements, run pressures and coverages where the quarterback has to be aware, whether it's man or some kind of rolled trap coverage that we have to be careful about where we're throwing the football."
Drake Maye and the Patriots saw all that and more as Flores threw the kitchen sink at the Patriots.
How'd they do?
It was a mixed bag. In Maye's 26 dropbacks, he was sacked six times (23%). But Maye also hit big touchdowns to Mack Hollins and then TreVeyon Henderson (70-yard TD on second play of a two-minute drill). Maye completed 13 of 19 for 2 TDs and 6 sacks.
"I think it was good for us," Maye said. "It was good for us to see a defense that does a lot of things. They got us a few times; I felt like we got them. So, it’s good for us to see that and experience a new defense that’s very different from Washington and very different from our defense."
The pressure seemed come from a variety of spots, but mostly the left side and up the middle. It's tough to tell, but I had Will Campbell for two sacks, Jared Wilson for one, Garret Bradbury for one and then a few unblocked rushers.
"Some good, some bad," Bradbury said after practice. "You know, Coach McDaniels is big on getting 11 on 11, you know, and this defense, you gotta find those 11. But it was good. I was excited to come up here just football reasons, because it's a good test. You've got to apply your rules and see what the defense is giving you. Because when we blocked it up, there were some big home runs. Finishing that two minute with a 70 yard touchdown was pretty sweet, too.
"I mean, this is as confusing as it's going to get all year. You know? I think it was strategic by Coach, we were able to come up here and we want to see this, you know, because teams are going to do some of this, they're not going to do it every play, like maybe they do, but I think it's really good.
"We had some different plays with some different alerts, and you gotta re-Mike it, and then I gotta get the call out to the rest of the guys. But it's good practice. It's phenomenal. So when we, like I said, when we did execute it, when we did have 11 on 11 and give Drake time, it was positive, awesome. So and that defense knows that's, I mean, listen, if you're going to have seven, eight guys on the line, you line and we're gonna block it out, there's gonna be holes. And so we got to give them that time and find those holes."
How it went down for the offense in team periods:
Maye complete Henderson left flat
Henderson draw 5 yards
Maye complete bubble to Douglas, who had the ball jarred loose
Maye incomplete to Douglas on roll to the right
Gibson middle for 3
Dobbs sacked by Richmond
Shane Watts run 3
Hasty run 4
Maye incomplete to Kyle Williams deep, he was open but overthrown
Jared Wilson sack
Maye complete to Diggs on a decent in cut
Henderson stuffed
Dobbs intercepted on out route to Hollins by McGlothern for pick 6
Hasty 2 yards
Watts with big run but holding downfield
Maye sacked LB Cashman
Maye sacked OLB Dallas Turneras free runner
Maye complete to Douglas short
Maye complete to Hooper, 7 yards
Dobbs complete to Baker
Dobbs sacked by Ingram-Dawkins
Dobbs complete Chism quick game 6 yards
Dobbs complete Baker, who made a nice leaping grab of a ball behind him
Maye complete to Williams on a 7-yard out route
Maye touchdown to Hollins, who was wide open and then punted the ball into the stands to "bring energy)
Maye incomplete to Williams on a ball that nearly picked off by Byron Murphy
Maye complete screen to Henderson
Maye sacked by LB Cashman
Henderson 5 yards
Maye complete to Douglas on a nice little play
Gibson stuffed, hold on Bradbury
Maye incomplete screen to Douglas on an ugly looking jump pass by Maye
Maye scramble but Patriots penalty for illegal procedure
Dobbs complete to Hollins, playaction
Dobbs complete to Hasty
Dobbs incomplete to Chism on a hot route when he didn't turn around in time
Hasty stuffed
Watts run
Dobbs complete to Chism on a tight ball over CB Vaughn
Gibson run 3
Maye complete to Douglas on nice play over the middle
Maye sacked while completing pass to Boutte
Maye incomplete to Chism
Two minute
Maye complete Henderson, jump pass
Maye touchdown to Henderson, 70 yards, wide open
Dobbs incomplete to Baker
Dobbs incomplete to Baker
Dobbs intercepted to Chism by Jay Ward, pick 6
45 seconds left near midfield
Maye complete to Diggs short out of bounds
Maye sacked and Bradbury hold
Maye incomplete to Boutte, short left
4th and 11, Maye incomplete deep to Hollins against all-out blitz, not close
Maye said it's on him to help the line as well.
"I think the guys, at times, up there in front, I think I can help them out and be more demonstrative about where I want to send them and where I want them to go," he said. "Really, I think we blocked it up when we got it right. I think there's times where they're going to get us. That's what he does. He tries to create chaos, and I think that's good for us to see and know. Sometimes at the line, you may not know, ‘Hey, is this guy coming, or they're just bluffing that?’ So, it's good for us to see it, and I think it's great for us to learn from."
Defense shows well: I watched the offense the entire time but speaking to other reporters, it seemed like the Patriots' defense generated a lot of pressure against JJ McCarthy and the Vikings' offense. There was only one loud roar, and that was on a screen pass that went the distance. One Vikings reporter I respect said the Patriots' secondary was flagged liked 10 times in the first 20 plays (that might have been in 1-on-1s and 7 on 7).
TAKING ATTENDANCE
Physically unable to perform list: None.
Non-football injury list: None.
Red non-contact jerseys: None.
Returned to practice:
Out: CB Christian Gonzalez, LB Jahlani Tavai, WR Kendrick Bourne, WR Ja’Lynn Polk, RB Rhamondre Stevenson, DE Elijah Ponder, TE Hunter Henry, LB Marte Mapu, CB DJ James,
Limited: DT Christian Barmore,
New injuries: None.
DRESS CODE
Full pads (sixth day)
LENGTH OF PRACTICE
Just under two hours.
QB STATS
Team periods
Drake Maye: 13 of 19, 2 TDs, 6 sacks.
Josh Dobbs: 6 of 11, 2 INTs, 2 sacks
Ben Wooldrige: None.
OTHER STATS IN TEAM
Fumbles: Demario Douglas.
ONE-ON-ONES
Each offensive lineman went back-to-back reps against the same opponent. 1s vs. 1s.
Morgan Moses 2-0 vs. Dallas Turner
Mike Onwenu 0-1-1 vs. Jonathan Allen
Garrett Bradbury 1-1 vs. Harrison Phillips
Jared Wilson 0-1-1 vs. Javon Hargrave
Will Campbell 1-0-1 vs. Jonathan Greenard
That's a good result for Campbell against a good player.
Marcus Bryant 1-1, decisive loss vs. Bo Richter
Cole Strage 2-0 vs. Jonathan Harris
Ben Brown 2-0, decisive win vs. Taki Taimani
Caeden Wallace 0-2, decisive vs. Jalen Redmond
Vederian Lowe 0-1-1 vs. Gabriel Murphy
Here's the video of the first two rounds.
THREE UP
RB TreVeyon Henderson: Keeps showing up with big plays. He's not a running back, he's a playmaker.
RT Morgan Moses: Was 2-0 in his 1-on-1s and didn't appear to give up much pressure.
QB Drake Maye: When he wasn't being sacked, Maye seemed to handle all the blitzes and coverages well. Never really put the ball in danger (outside one play to Murphy that looked like a communication). And he completed a lot of his "sacked" plays, including a nifty one-footed pass to Boutte.
THREE DOWN
C Garrett Bradbury: Had two holds and had a hand in a few sacks during team.
LG Caeden Wallace: Got worked in his two 1-on-1 reps.
ODDS AND ENDS
- Drake Maye, Mike Vrabel and Mack Hollins helped out in the Team Massachusetts vs. Team Minnesota Special Olympics flag football game after practice. Harrison Phillips helped out with the home team.
- The Vikings were without WR Justin Jefferson, FB CJ Ham, OLB Andrew Van Ginkel, S Harrison Smith and DL Levi Drake Rodriguez.
- Carlton Davis said "hell yeah" he'll be out there Week 1. He said he's still dealing with something, but wouldn't disclose the ailment.
- Cole Strange got benched after a bad team rep for a bit.
- LG Tyrese Robinson and RG Sidy Sow rotated in with the 2s.
- Vrabel addressed Kyle Dugger's demotion and didn't avoid the question. "I think just making sure that he's where he needs to be and understanding the coverage concepts and everything we do," he said. "Keep working and keep progressing. A lot of this is the guys that have earned a right to take a look with that first unit, and again, there'll be different lineups and different things, so just focus on the reps that you get. Right now, his attitude's been great, and he's had a long recovery in the offseason. He's been out there, and he's continued to get better and work, and I think the more that he practices, the better he's going to feel and the more that it's going to translate onto the football field."
- Robert and Jonathan Kraft, along with Vrabel, visited with former Patriots defensive coordinator Brian Flores before practice.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Thursday, August 14: Joint practice at Vikings, 1 p.m. ET
Friday, August 15: OFF
Saturday, August 16: Patriots at Vikings, 1 p.m. ET