FOXBOROUGH — Sunday was another training camp day dominated by the Patriots defense.
Jacoby Brissett’s group couldn’t get much going as things continued to ramp up, and Drake Maye delivered a forgettable practice, too. However, a rookie wideout found the highlight reel again, a bit of stability formed at tackle, and there was plenty more to glean.
Here are seven takeaways from a beautiful Sunday in Foxborough:
BetMGM BET UP TO $1,500! BONUS BET REFUND AFTER A LOSS
STATES: AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA. Visit BetMGM.com for Terms and Conditions. 21 years of age or older to wager. MA Only. New Customer Offer. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets. Bonus bets expire 7 days from issuance. In Partnership with MGM Springfield. Play it smart from the start with GameSense. GameSenseMA.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org. US Promotional Offers not available in New York.
1. Offense stuck in the mud
Things were particularly ugly to start 11-on-11 drills on Sunday.
Brissett’s first three pass attempts were an overthrown checkdown to Rhamondre Stevenson, an incompletion to totally-covered JuJu-Smith Schuster — more on him in a moment — and an accidental strip sack from Deatrich Wise.
Ultimately, Brissett went 8-for-13 in competitive periods and Maye 12-for-16, per colleague Mark Daniels’ charting, but those numbers look better than the actual product. Maye needed to re-huddle at one point and his ball placement wasn’t the sharpest it has been. In a 7-on-7 drill, Joe Milton III threw the most perplexing interception of the summer thus far, hitting linebacker Joe Giles-Harris in the chest with a pass.
2. JuJu can’t separate
In the race for the final wide receiver spot, Smith-Schuster is falling behind his teammates.
The highly-priced veteran is struggling mightily to get open, no matter the drill. Smith-Schuster didn’t record a catch during team periods — Marcus Jones slapped his aforementioned target away — and only won one of his four reps in 1-on-1s, which are geared towards offensive players. Smith-Schuster beat rookie Marcellas Dial Jr., but lost reps to Alex Austin, Shaun Wade and Christian Gonzalez. He just isn’t getting separation, nor is he winning jump balls.
3. Baker makes play of day
For the second consecutive practice, rookie Javon Baker delivered a highlight reel grab.
In 1-on-1s, the fourth-rounder ran past Mikey Victor on a go route and hauled in a 50-yard pass from Brissett with a Willie-Mays-style basket catch. As the crowd erupted after the reception, Baker threw the football up in the air to celebrate — then in an amusing rookie moment, had to go track the ball down because it had bounced away.
“Jacoby threw a great ball,” Baker said. “Just having fun with the fans and bringing new energy.”
4. Tackles finally stick
For the first time this summer, the Patriots used the same starting tackles in back-to-back practices. Caedan Wallace manned left tackle while Chuks Okorafor lined up opposite him on the right side. After playing right tackle at Penn State, Wallace said he’s acclimating to life at left tackle.
“Every day I get more and more comfortable,” Wallace said. “With every meeting, with every practice, I just gain more confidence in my skills.”
It’ll be interesting to see if the tackle combination holds true on Monday, as it’s slated to be the first fully padded practice of the summer.
“I’m excited,” Wallace said. “Shells are cool, but when you put the pads on, it’s real. So I’m excited to get after it and be able work with the guys we have here and really, it’ll be my first real NFL practice. So I’m excited for it.”
5. Returners come into focus
For the first time in training camp, the Patriots worked on punt returns. Predictably, All-Pro Marcus Jones was the first man up, followed by Jalen Reagor, Pop Douglas K.J. Osborn and Ja’Lynn Polk.
In other special teams news, the kickers had a stalemate on Sunday. Both Chad Ryland and Joey Slye had four kicks with identical results: Misses from 32 yards, and then makes from 37, 40, and 42. Slye’s missed field goal made a thunderous boom as it clanged off the upright.
6. Some firsts for camp
Sunday also saw a couple firsts: The first scuffle of camp broke out after an Antonio Gibson run during an 11-on-11 period. It was difficult to see the combatants — such is life on a run play — but David Andrews wound up without a helmet on. Nobody was ejected. The first penalty lap of camp was also doled out to rookie Layden Robinson following a false start.
7. Barmore still out
Christian Barmore’s absence is beginning to become a bit more concerning, as the star defensive tackle missed practice again. Barmore hasn’t participated in a session since Day 1 last Wednesday. Marte Mapu was also out on Sunday, but arrived a half hour into the practice and was relaying signals for the defense during team periods. Antonio Gibson returned from the NFI list, while Kendrick Bourne, Cole Strange, Jake Andrews and Sione Takitaki remain on the PUP list. Bourne wore his jersey and stretched with his teammates before jogging down the the conditioning fields to rehab there.
