FOXBORO, Mass. — You should feel worse about the New England Patriots after Tuesday’s joint practice with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Patriots’ defense held its own against Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ offense, but Philly’s defense decimated New England’s offense. Tuesday wasn’t about Drake Maye or Jacoby Brissett; rather, it was about a woeful showing from the receivers and, especially, the offensive line.
Best Patriots Performances in Joint Practice With Eagles
Front 7 | STUD
If you’re looking for positives, look at the Patriots’ front seven. They generated pressure throughout practice and caused problems for Hurts.
Oshane Ximines had another good practice with at least two sacks, and Matthew Judon and Keion White both showed out. The Eagles made some plays, as you’d expect, but the Patriots’ defense was impressive.
The secondary also did well. Christian Gonzalez was competitive against A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, and Kyle Dugger had one of his better all-around practices.
TE Austin Hooper | STUD
I thought about leaving Austin Hooper off this list because he bobbled a pass that resulted in an end-zone pick for Brissett. But he also caught three balls and drew a holding penalty while filling in for Hunter Henry as the top tight end.
Brissett’s shown strong chemistry with Hooper throughout the summer, and that continued on Tuesday.
WR DeMario Douglas | STUD
DeMario Douglas continued his hot streak and was the only sure thing for New England’s offense. The diminutive slot weapon finished with a team-high four catches during competitive periods and was a standout during 1-on-1s. I shudder to think what the offense would’ve looked like without Douglas.
Worst Patriots Performances in Joint Practice with Eagles
Offensive Line | DUD
First, let’s look at the stats for Maye and Brissett.
Brissett
11-on-11s: 11 of 20, six sacks, three drops, two interceptions
7-on-7s: 5 of 6
Maye
11-on-11s: 5 of 9, seven sacks, fumbled snap
7-on-7s: 6 of 6
Yes, you counted 13 total sacks in team periods. Some reporters counted even more.
The offense started strong, with Brissett completing his first four passes and Maye completing his first nine. However, the second half of practice was a different story.
The low point came during Brissett’s fifth series when he went 1 of 4 with an interception and two sacks, one of which was caused by his slipping after a snap. The interception wasn’t Brissett’s fault, as K.J. Osborn dropped a catchable ball.
The same series saw the Patriots O-line commit a false start and a holding. Brissett’s final drive, a two-minute drill, also was a struggle, with the veteran QB throwing four consecutive incompletions and the line giving up another sack.
As for Maye, he was sacked six times on nine dropbacks(!!!) over his final two series. His two-minute drill went sack, sack, incompletion, sack.
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Oh, and Atonio Mafi botched another snap.
It was that bad, both in terms of penalties, pressures allowed, and run blocking. Will the Patriots keep the same combinations for Thursday night’s preseason game or throw the line back into the blender? We’ll just have to wait and see.
Drake Maye talks about his first joint practice and a rough day for the Patriots O-line pic.twitter.com/WGuQWLIU1h
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) August 13, 2024
WR Javon Baker | DUD
I was looking forward to seeing whether Javon Baker would pop against the Eagles’ defense. Instead, he turned in one of his worst practices of the summer.
It wasn’t all Baker’s fault, as the quarterbacks had little time to operate, but the rookie also committed two offensive pass interferences.
It wasn’t all bad, though, as Baker’s over-the-shoulder grab during 7-on-7s was one of the plays of the day.
WR K.J. Osborn | DUD
Osborn didn’t exactly solidify himself as one of the Patriots’ starting receivers. He caught just one pass, caused a Brissett interception, and struggled to gain separation all day. Osborn also went 0 for 2 during 1-on-1s.