Bedard: Patriots Practice Report 08.03.26 - First defense flexes red-zone muscle on Maye, offense indoors; Lomu struggling

FOXBOROUGH — Practice No. 8 is in the books; let's run down all you need to know, including stats, 1-on-1s, play-by-play, lineup adjustments and observations:

FOUR THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

A.J. Brown dislocates left thumb, doesn't miss time: In a 1-on-1 rep, A.J. Brown and Christian Gonzalez got tangled up, which resulted in Brown injuring his left hand. He went off, got looked at and taped up, and then went right back in and finished practice. He caught 3 of 5 passes from Drake Maye in team drills after that, including a touchdown and a drop. After practice, with NFL Network, Brown said his dislocated left thumb goes back to college and is not an issue.

“Thumb out of place? You keep going," he said.

Caleb Lomu is trending in the wrong direction: Rookies on the offensive line tend to be hit and miss in camp 1-on-1 drills. It's not abnormal for them to get hot, and also very cold. For example, looking back at last year, Will Campbell started 3-6-2 with 1 decisive loss (only Mehki Butler was worse). Jared Wilson was tops on the team at 6-1-4 with no decisive losses.

Lomu, the team's first-round pick, seems to be taking the Campbell track. After starting 1-0-1 the first day, Lomu has gone 7-7 since. On the surface, that's not bad at all. But it's a little misleading since five of his seven losses have been decisive (that's 35.7% of the line's 14 total decisive losses). All five have come in the last three practices, including three on Monday to the likes of Jesse Luketa (twice), and Eric Gregory (a DT). Most of Lomu's decisive losses have come on inside moves, but he has been beaten with speed around the edge as well. Lomu seemed pretty frustrated with his performance during a break in the action, as he commiserated with veteran Morgan Moses.

Seventh-round pick Dametrious Crownover is 5-2-3 with zero decisive losses, and he was 3-1 on Monday. He's definitely working against lesser competition, but it's not like the Patriots' edge group is Murderers' Row even for the starters beyond Dre'Mont Jones, who isn't exactly dominating. I have no clue how Crownover is faring in team drills, or with the playbook, but I feel better about him in a 1-on-1 competition than Lomu right now.

Tough day for first-team offense, but second team soars: A lot of situational red zone work today, where the downs and chains were pre-determined and not linked up to the previous play. Mike Vrabel wants the offense to be improved in the red zone (and the defense as well), but it was not a good day for Maye and his crew. They were just successful on 2 of their 5 drives, and one of them was via the ground. Conversely, DeVito and the second-team offense were successful on 4 of 5 drives and put two touchdowns in a drive twice.

Here's how the drives went down for Drake Maye and Tommy DeVito.

Maye first drive: Fail

1st-10 Maye complete to Hunter Henry (good screen with Alijah Vera-Tucker leading like a track athlete)
2-7 Maye complete to Romeo Doubs
3-1 On the ball ... Stevenson RT for short gain
3-5 Maye incomplete to Brown in end zone against Prunty. I think it should have been caught. Could have been a pass breakup. Maye tosses helmet after series

DeVito first drive: Fail

1-10 Henderson stuffed by Muma
2-7 Lan Larison LG for 3
3-1 Complete to Chism
3-5 Incomplete to Boutte, drop

Maye second drive: Fail, judging by the defense's reaction.

15-yard line 1-10 Henderson RG 5
12 2-7 Henderson stuffed by Robert Spillane behind the line
10 3-5 Complete to Henry against Kevin Byrd for what would have been a first down conversion
6 3rd&goal Incomplete to Doubs, Charles Woods pass breakup

DeVito second drive: Success 2x.

Larison stuffed by Xavier Holmes
Larison stuffed by Jesse Luketa
Complete to Hollins, TD against Kindle Vildor
Complete to Chism, TD against Karon Prunty

Maye third drive: Success

Stevenson good run
Maye complete to Stevenson on broken play
Maye incomplete to Henderson vs. all-out blitz on a called screen
Maye complete to Brown, TD, easy slant against Vildor

DeVito third drive: Success.

Complete to Hollins
Terrell Jennings. LT for 3
Complete to Boutte, TD, against Channing Canada
Incomplete to Boutte, Canada pass breakup

Maye fourth drive: Success (on the ground).

10 1st-Goal Stevenson RT, TD
7 2-G Maye draw, TD
4 3-G Maye incomplete to Douglas against all-out blitz, never sees it.
5 1-G Henderson LT for 3

DeVito fourth drive: Success.

Jennings RG for 5
Complete to Hollins, TD off playaction, wide open
Incomplete to Chism, Dell Pettus PBU
Incomplete to Raridon in end zone off scramble, drop

Maye fifth drive: Fail.

9 1-G Complete to Henderson
4 2-G Incomplete to Hollins in back right corner of end zone, drop. Hollins threw helmet
2 3-G Incomplete to Brown, Gonzalez pass breakup
8 3-G Complete to Brown, slant for short gain.

DeVito fifth drive: Success 2x.

Pettus sack
Incomplete to Hollins, Canada PBU
Complete to Hollins, TD, vs. Vildor
Complete to Boutte, TD, vs. Prunty

Injuries and updates: Linebacker Christian Elliss was slow getting up after a team drill and was coaxed off the field by Mike Vrabel. Chad Muma took Elliss' spot the rest of practice. WR Kyle Williams jogged into practice in full pads toward the end of practice. DE Gabe Jacas got some spot time in some of the drills and team periods, and I'm not sure that it was planned - Jacas seemed that eager to get on the field. The coaches appeared to quickly take him off. He looked shot out of a cannon when he was out there. RB Terrell Jennings came off NFI and immediately went to No. 3 back, and No. 2 2-down back, behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson.

TAKING ATTENDANCE

Physically unable to perform list: DE Harold Landry, TE CJ Dippre
Non-football injury list: S Brendan Schooler
Red non-contact jerseys: QBs.
Returned to practice: RB Terrell Jennings, G Alijah Vera-Tucker.
Full participants: None.
Out: CB Carlton Davis (hamstring), WR Kyle Williams, OL Caeden Wallace (unknown), DT David Blay.
Limited: OT Morgan Moses.
New injuries: LB Christian Elliss, WR AJ Brown (returned to practice).

DRESS CODE

Full pads (4th day).

LENGTH OF PRACTICE

1:45 inside while it poured outside.

QB STATS

Drake Maye: 7 of 12, TD, 2 drops (1 of 1; 2 of 3, Brown drop; 1 of 2; 2 of 3, TD to Brown; 0 of 1; 1 of 3, Hollins drop).
Tommy DeVito: 10 of 15, 6 TDs, two drops (2 of 2, scramble; 1 of 2, Boutte drop; 2 of 2, 2 TDs to Hollins and Chism; 2 of 3, TD to Boutte; 1 of 3, TD to Hollins, Raridon drop; 2 of 3, 2 TDs to Hollins and Boutte)
Behren Morton: 3 of 4, INT (Prunty)

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 — I do not count those reps.

IMPACT PLAYS IN TEAM PERIODS

Fumbles: None.
Drops: Brown, Hollins, Boutte, Raridon.
Pass breakups: Charles Woods, Channing Canada 2, Dell Pettus, Christian Gonzalez.
Interceptions: Prunty (Morton).
Run stuffs: Muma (Henderson), Spillane (Henderson), Xavier Holmes (Larison), Jesse Luketa (Larison).
Pressures/sacks: Pettus.

PASS RUSH ONE-ON-ONES

Offense

Defense

Decisive bouts:

- Lomu beaten outside by Luketa

- Hudson barely got a hand on Farmer

- Butler got slapped down by Phams

- Metz beaten outside by Holmes

- Lomu beaten inside by Gregory, a DT

- Rizy pushed straight back by Pharms

- Lomu beaten inside by Luketa again

1-ON-1s, 7-ON-7S FROM GIARDI

Maye:

• A.J. Brown wins on an out route vs. Christian Gonzalez.
• Charles Woods basically runs the in-cut better than Romeo Doubs, forcing an incompletion.
• Pop Douglas beats Marcus Jones to the corner, fighting off some grabbing by Jones to make the catch.
• Mack Hollins spins Kindle Vildor around like a top on an out cut.
• Kayshon Boutte beats Gonzalez along the end line, though Gonzalez didn’t appear to finish the play.
• Douglas loses Jones off the line of scrimmage but Jones gets back in position and forces the incomplete.

DeVito:

• Nick DeGennaro catches a slant (couldn’t see defender).
• Brandon Crossley locks up Cameron Dorner, resulting in an incomplete.
• Doubs quickly beats Kobee Minor and is very open on an out cut.
• Gonzalez jams Brown at the line of scrimmage and immediately pulls up (this was the play he dislocated his thumb on). Gonzalez makes the INT.
• Kobe Prentice gets a step on the back end line, beating safety Dell Pettus.
• Boutte reels in a fade over Channing Canada. Not sure if he got his feet in.
• Boutte catches a slant against Marcellas Dial.
• Kyle Dixon wins against Charles Woods by being physical at the catch point.

7-on-7s (red zone)

• Doubs beats Gonzalez to the post. Safety Kevin Byard late coming over.
• Chad Muma makes a diving PBU on a short throw to Rhamondre Stevenson as he circles out of the backfield.
• Quick stop route to Douglas vs. zone.
• Pump and go to TreVeyon Henderson is blanketed by Christian Elliss and Maye throws the ball away.
• Beautiful ball between two defenders to Brown on the slant. Brown then swipes his arm at Gonzalez, who was on his back hip and the two have a verbal exchange.
• Hunter Henry beats Byard in the right flat.
• Canada with a PBU on a slant to Brown. Not well-thrown but Brown appeared to slip coming out of his break. Canada was good today.
• Douglas once again loses Craig Woodson on a corner route.

DeVito

• Boutte finds a hole in the defense vs. zone.
• Khalil Jacobs is all over Mack Hollins and forces an incomplete.
• Hollins on a stop route in front of Vildor.
• Efton Chism comes free on a crossing route.
• Boutte gets both feet down after catching an out route. Canada was in coverage.
• Eli Raridon gets open vs. Pettus on a short crossing route.

TOP PLAY

I thought the most impressive play was when the second-team offense loaded up with big people, ran a playaction that faked me out, and led to an easy TD for Mack Hollins.

FIVE UP

OT Will Campbell: Went 2-0 to run his record to 7-1-1 to start camp.

WR Mack Hollins: Had five catches, including three touchdowns ... but he dropped another, which he wasn't happy about. He was also one of three receivers (UDFAs Kyle Dixon and Nick DeGennaro were the others) to take part in special teams blocking drills, which illustrates Hollins' value.

OL Andrew Rupcich: The UDFA was a perfect 3-0 and has shown a lot of versatility with center and guard.

CB Karon Prunty: Has interceptions in consecutive practices, and seems to be moving up the depth chart.

OT Demetrious Crownover: Went 3-1, and looks like a very good athlete in drill work.

THREE DOWN

OT Caleb Lomu: Three decisive losses is a tough day at the offense for the rook. It appeared that the coaches sent him out for third round of 1-on-1s to give him some confidence. He was 1-1 with a decisive loss as he switched from RT to LT.

CB Kindle Vildor: Allowed three touchdowns in team periods.

Edge rushers: The three edge rushers being counted on the most right now — Dre'Mont Jones, Elijah Ponder, Bradyn Swinson — were a combined 0-4. At least Gabe Jacas won his only rep, even if it was against Lorenz Metz, the last tackle on the roster.

SCHEDULE

Tuesday: 10:15-12:15
Wednesday: Closed to public
Thursday: Closed to public
Friday: 10:15-12:15
Saturday: OFF
Sunday: OFF