Practice No. 19 is in the books; let's run down all you need to know, including stats, 1-on-1s, lineup adjustments and observations from the joint practice with the Eagles:
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
Erratic day for the offense. After being declared the decisive winner on day one (what the hell does that even mean?), it sure feels like the Eagles heard the noise and ramped up the intensity. After a fast start in which Drake Maye completed four of his first five tosses, including a touchdown, the Pats’ third-year signal-caller struggled to find a decent rhythm. Part of that was the Eagles defensive line winning a lot of individual battles, but Maye was also a tick off, with several poorly thrown balls and a bad red-zone interception.
“I was just late to the football, late in the red zone,” he said of his ill-timed and poorly placed throw to A.J. Brown. “You can’t be late in the red zone down there. It’s tight, and it’s a concept that we probably need to get some more work on and just find some timing.”
Not a lot of work for the ground game. There were just a handful of touches for Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson during team periods, and nothing of note.
Despite this being an average (at best) performance on Thursday, it was hard not to compare and contrast where this organization was two years ago at this time, getting molly-whopped by the Eagles in joint practices. Then, the Pats were so far down - and about to sink even further - they couldn’t compete on any level against Philly. These last two days should solidify the notion that NE can stand toe-to-toe with one of the league favorites.
“Two years ago, I was a rookie coming in here,’ Maye recalled. “I was watching some of those plays earlier in the week. I was just laughing. I motioned somebody who was coming forward and snapped it, and then there was a penalty, and little things like that, that we were laughing about — just how far we have come. But I think they won a Super Bowl that year. I think that was, what, 2024? Yeah, they won it. So, you can see that they have a great football team, a lot of the same players over there. So, we got to continue to show our identity. I think we definitely improved in regards to 2024, that’s for sure. So, we have some ways to go, but I’m proud of the guys' effort.”
TAKING ATTENDANCE
Physically unable to perform list: DE Harold Landry.
Non-football injury list: S Brendan Schooler
Red non-contact jerseys: QBs.
Returned to practice: None.
Full participants: None.
Out: CB Christian Gonzalez, C/G Ben Brown, DE Xavier Holmes, FB Reggie Gilliam.
Limited: LB Christian Elliss, S Craig Woodson
DRESS CODE
Full pads (12th day).
LENGTH OF PRACTICE
1:45 hours under sunny skies
QB STATS
Drake Maye: 9 of 18, 3 TDs, 2 INT, 2 sacks
Tommy DeVito: 8 of 16, 3 TDs, 1 sack
Behren Morton: No team reps
IMPACT PLAYS IN TEAM PERIODS
Fumbles: Rhamondre Stevenson
Drops: Nick DeGennaro
Run stuffs allowed: Will Campbell (2x), Alijah Vera-Tucker (2x), Demetrious Crownover, Joe Michalski, Marcus Bryant.
Pressures/sacks allowed: Lomu 1.5 sacks, Tanner Arkin .5 sack and a pressure, Marcus Bryant 2 pressures, Campbell 2 pressures, James Hudson pressure, Crownover pressure, Caleb Lomu pressure
Bad Snap: Jacob Rizy
TOP PLAYS
- Operating from the 8-yard line, Maye is moved off his spot by pressure but keeps his head up and finds Mack Hollins in the end zone. Hollins had beaten All-Pro CB Quinyon Mitchell.
- A.J. Brown boxes out Cooper DeJean in the end zone, using his size and strength to fend off the talented nickel/safety. Maye had a lot of time to make this throw.
- Romeo Doubs has really sharpened his route running. He wins at the break point on a post, leaving Riq Woolen before for a short TD.
- Rough day throwing the ball for Tommy DeVito, but he perfectly executed QB boot and waltzed into the end zone.
- Kyle Williams gets vertical on former Patriot Shaun Wade and reels in a long TD pass from DeVito.
- Kayshon Boutte fends off safety J.T. Gray and makes a contested, back shoulder catch for a score.
1-on-1s (red zone)
(Maye)
- Back shoulder to Brown (Quinyon Mitchell in coverage), but the ref waved it off, saying Brown was out of bounds.
- Decisive win for Hunter Henry.
- Pop Douglas works an inside release to catch a quick throw against Cooper DeJean.
- Doubs spins Ambry Thomas like a top, pushing inside before breaking sharply out.
- Boutte is well-covered by Riq Woolen. Incomplete.
- Eli Raridon on a quick out beats Kapena Gushiken.
- A throw to Efton Chism was well-defended and broken up by a DB with his jersey rolled up.
- Mack Hollins won against safety J.T. Gray on an intermediate in-cut.
- Kyle Williams was victorious on a slant against Kelee Ringo.
- Safety Andre Sam whistled for a DPI against Jack Westover.
- DeJean locks up Douglas underneath.
- Nick DeGennaro gets over the top of Erik Ezukanma, but the throw is off target.
- Too high for Boutte (Mitchell in coverage).
- Henry pulls the ball away from the safety but is whistled for OPI.
- Chism beats Mac McWilliams on a corner route.
- Doubs can’t make a one-handed with Woolen on his hip.
- Williams runs through a hold by Ringo for an easy catch.
(DeVito)
- Tejhaun Palmer catches a quick slant.
- Chism gets late separation on Ringo. Pretty route.
- Michael Carter with a PBU on an underthrown pass to Kobe Prentice.
2-on-2s (red zone)
(Maye)
- Brown gets over the top of Mitchell and scores in the back corner.
- Carter with a PBU on a flag to Douglas.
- Hollins gets to the post on Ringo (he had a rough day).
- Bad throw to an open Chism. Incomplete.
- Nice job by Brown fighting through contact with Mitchell to make a nice hands catch.
- Brown again shrugs off Mitchell’s physicality to make a catch under the goalpost.
- Doubs to the post on Woolen.
- Thomas locks up Boutte. No throw.
(DeVito)
- Cole Wisniewski with a PBU on a post to Cameron Dorner.
- Boutte in the corner of the end zone over Marcus Epps.
- Doubs goes outside to inside on Mitchell. Nice route.
THREE UP