New England Patriots
Marcus Jones picked off Jalen Hurts twice, and a costly A.J. Brown miscue hurt the Patriots in the red zone.
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FOXBOROUGH — Drake Maye let out a little laugh as he reminisced about how far the Patriots have come since the Eagles manhandled them during joint practices in his rookie season.
This year, the Patriots fared much better during the two-day competition with Philadelphia. Having A.J. Brown and Milton Williams wearing navy and white this time certainly helped, but so did having a more experienced quarterback and a revamped offensive line.
“I was watching some of those plays earlier in the week,” Maye said of the 2024 joint practices. “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.”
“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.”
The Patriots made Jalen Hurts throw six interceptions over the two-day span, but struggled to stop him during two-minute drills. Brown was, for the most part, dominant against his former team, but he was the intended target on both of Drake Maye’s turnovers on Thursday. The Patriots’ offensive line held its own against one of the best defensive fronts in the league.
Thursday marked the final day of training camp. It was an eventful practice full of red zone work, highlight plays, and competitive battles. Here are five takeaways from the action.
Stellar day for Marcus Jones
Cornerback Marcus Jones earned a slice of the spotlight Thursday, nabbing a pair of interceptions against Hurts.
On the first one, he reeled in a tipped ball and raced forward into open space. If it were a game, he probably would have had a good shot at a pick-six. His instincts put him in the right place at the right time, and his speed turned it into an explosive play.
Keeping his feet in bounds on the second one took focus as he jumped a route near the sideline and managed to stay in bounds.
The Patriots were without Christian Gonzalez once again on Thursday, but Jones’s two interceptions were highlights for the secondary.
A costly miscue for A.J. Brown
A.J. Brown starred on Wednesday and had flashes of success on Thursday.
He had a one-handed catch that was ruled out of bounds during one-on-one drills.
He had three touchdowns in the red zone during two-on-twos. He was wide open on one after Quinyon Mitchell slipped. It looked like a push-off to me, but the refs didn’t call it. He also burst past Mitchell on a fade for another touchdown during that period.
He also caught a touchdown during team drills, but he was involved in a couple of plays that cost the Patriots during that period. Tariq Woolen undercut him on a short route in the end zone and picked the ball off for what easily could’ve been a pick-six.
Maye also tried to force a slant into Brown, who got his hands on it but lost control. The ball bounced high and Philadelphia’s Jalyx Hunt grabbed it for an interception. Maye took responsibility for that play after practice, saying he was late on the throw.
A few minor dustups throughout the day
Things got chippy throughout the day, but the conflict didn’t get heated enough to warrant any ejections.
The most noticeable one was when Philadelphia’s first-team offense and New England’s first-team defense formed a crowd. Christian Barmore was led away by a couple of teammates.
It was not exactly clear what led to the dustup, but things were resolved quickly and Barmore was able to keep practicing.
“That’s my brother, man. Christian is my brother,” linebacker K.J. Britt said. “That’s my guy. We hit it off my first week here and there’s not a day that we don’t talk. So, when I saw him in the middle of it, I was like I’ve got to go help my brother out.”
Romeo Doubs continues to impress
Doubs also caught a touchdown during the red zone period, making a leaping catch over Woolen for a touchdown.
Maye said seeing Doubs make those kinds of athletic plays is “comforting” for a quarterback.
“The way he moves and kind of cuts off on some routes and can kind of move his body side to side and kind of get by people is really impressive,” Maye said. “It’s really fun to watch, and he’s only going to continue getting better and better as he gets more comfortable in this offense.”
“So, I’m looking forward to him, and he has made some great climb-the-ladder catches. Just keep giving him chances to climb the ladder, and he will come down with it.”
Red Zone a work in progress
Maye went 6-for-10 in the red zone, with three touchdowns and an interception.
The red zone was not particularly friendly to the Patriots last season. They finished second in the league in points per game (28.8), but 20th in red zone conversion percentage (57.7) in terms of touchdowns.
It’s something they’ll have to keep working on, Maye said.
“I think we just got to find a way to make positive plays. I think that is the biggest thing,” Maye said. “Try to keep moving forward, and it starts with me with communication and avoiding penalties and avoiding sacks and avoiding negative plays.”
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