FOXBOROUGH – After their first padded practice of the year on Monday, the Patriots took it easier on Monday. Day 6 of training camp saw players back in shorts and shells for a lighter session on Tuesday.
That, of course, didn’t stop the defense from trying to wreak havoc on the offensive line or from Mac Jones from persevering on this day.
With injuries piling up on the offensive line, Jones’ group included Riley Reiff at left tackle, Atonio Mafi at left guard, David Andrews at center, Bill Murray at right guard and Conor McDermott at right tackle. There were many moments when Patriots offensive linemen were overwhelmed on Tuesday.
A persistent Patriots pass rush pestered quarterbacks on this day. However, Jones still had a solid day of camp, outperforming his counterpart, Bailey Zappe. The third-year quarterback finished 7-of-10 in full-team drills. Jones started going 3-for-3 in the first period, before a tough 1-for-3 stretch in the second session. That period saw Jones miss Kendrick Bourne on what could’ve been a long touchdown.
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It was in the red zone, however, where Jones stepped up and showed ample improvement. This final period put the offense on the 10-yard line and in a situation where they’ve struggled for most of camp. Jones didn’t over complicate the situation. With a collapsing pocket, he quickly hit Rhamondre Stevenson for two passes, including one nice touchdown, to start. His next pass was deflected by Jack Jones, on DeVante Parker, but Jones did a nice job of getting rid of the ball when the pass rush was on him in what felt like under two seconds.
Henry was Jones’ favorite target on Tuesday, catching three of the quarterback’s seven completions. Jones also hit Stevenson twice as well as Kevin Harris once and Parker once. Parker made the catch of the day when he jumped over Christian Gonzalez for a 20-yard reception.
Jones ended practice with a nice touchdown pass to Hunter Henry, who was tightly covered by Jabrill Peppers. The Patriots offense looked better in the red zone – at least with Jones running the show.
There were more issues with pass protection with Zappe’s group. The second-year quarterback went 5-of-10 on Tuesday and would’ve been sacked five times. Zappe started the day 3-of-4, but struggled in the final two period. The second saw him go 2-of-4 with Myles Bryant deflecting two passes. Zappe’s group struggled mightily in the red zone. In three drop backs, he was sacked twice and went 0-for-2 with a Mack Wilson pass breakup.
Trace McSorley didn’t have as many reps on Tuesday, going 4-of-5. His only incomplete pass was an interception to safety Joshuah Bledsoe.
Patriots return to training camp on Wednesday with a 9:45 a.m. start time. The practice is free and open to the public.
