FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Thursday’s New England Patriots practice was similar to Wednesday’s: non-competitive and heavy on scouting/game preparation. There wasn’t much to read into it.
However, the practice did see a notable change for the top offensive line and increased starter’s reps for Drake Maye. The rookie quarterback enjoyed another good practice and outperformed Jacoby Brissett for much of the day, but Brissett delivered when it mattered most.
Let’s get into everything that stood out during Thursday’s Patriots practice.
Patriots Practice Observations for Thursday, Aug. 22
Attire
Full pads.
Attendance
The following players were absent from practice:
- OL Cole Strange (PUP)
- DT Christian Barmore
- LB Joshua Uche
- LB Oshane Ximines
- OT Vederian Lowe
- DT Armon Watts
- TE Mitchell Wilcox
Henry missed his seventh consecutive practice due to a leg/foot injury. Lowe missed his first due to a reported oblique injury suffered Wednesday. Mitchell missed his second consecutive practice due to a leg injury.
Vederian Lowe is dealing with a minor oblique injury, per source.
Will be interesting to see what happens with the Patriots offensive line
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) August 22, 2024
Barmore and Strange both remained out and are candidates to sit out the entire season
The injury details for Watts, Ximines, and Uche remain unclear.
Here are some additional injury notes:
- Kendrick Bourne, Marte Mapu, Sione Takitaki, Calvin Anderson, and Hunter Henry were present but were limited and didn’t participate in team drills.
- Linebacker Raekwon McMillan didn’t wear a non-contact jersey after wearing one on Wednesday.
Offensive Line Shakeup
The top takeaway from practice: Mike Onwenu repped as the top right tackle for the first time all summer. He’d previously either repped as the second-unit right tackle or subbed in as the top RT when he wasn’t working as the No. 1 right guard.
Is this a permanent change, or solely a result of Lowe being sidelined? We’ll have to wait and see.
This was the top offensive line grouping, from left to right: Chukwuma Okorafor, Sidy Sow, David Andrews, Layden Robinson, Mike Onwenu
This was the second grouping: Caedan Wallace, Michael Jordan, Nick Leverett, Layden Robinson, Mike Onwenu
Kellen Diesch also saw work at left tackle with the Maye offense.
Patriots’ QB Battle
I typically use this section to share quarterback stats from the 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 periods. But with either the defense or offense playing off cards for all but two team periods, I’m instead listing each quarterback’s reps with the starting offense in 11-on-11s.
Jacoby Brissett
Starter’s reps: 22
Brissett again repped as the clear No. 1 quarterback, with his starter’s reps dwarfing Maye’s. That said, it was another spotty practice for Brissett, who nearly threw a pick to Dell Pettus and was late on a few other throws. He hasn’t been good lately.
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Brissett finished on a high note, though. During a late one-minute drill, the only truly competitive period of practice, Brissett went 3-for-4 while setting up a 47-yard Chad Ryland field goal.
Drake Maye
Starter’s reps: 6
Maye’s six reps with the starting O-line, including David Andrews, were three more than what we saw on Wednesday and represented a new high. However, it was hard to tell whether the uptick had anything to do with the quarterback competition or with preparing for Sunday’s game against the Washington Commanders.
Regardless, Maye was decisive and accurate and outperformed Brissett for much of practice. But his one-minute drill, which featured the backup O-line, didn’t go anywhere as Maye threw an interception to defensive tackle Trysten Hill on the first play. It was a funky sequence, with the ball tipped by Pettus before Hill came down with it.
Joe Milton III
Starter’s reps: Zero
No notes.
Bailey Zappe
Starter’s reps: Zero
No notes. Zappe, like Milton, spent most of practice playing off cards.
Best and Worst Performances From Thursday’s Patriots Practice
WR Jalen Reagor | STUD
Reagor caught four passes during team drills, including two on Brissett’s one-minute drive. One of those receptions was a fantastic diving catch that preceded a Brissett spike.
Reagor’s been solid all summer, and it’s hard to envision him not earning a roster spot.
WR Ja’Lynn Polk | STUD
The rookie was everywhere on Thursday, finishing with a team-high six receptions in team drills. Polk seemingly never has a bad practice, and it might not be long before he locks down a starting role.
S Dell Pettus | STUD
The undrafted rookie safety continues to make a push for a roster spot. Pettus was impressive again on Thursday, nearly picking off a Brissett pass and contributing to Hill’s interception. He’s active, tight in coverage, and versatile.
MORE: Simulate the NFL Season With PFN’s Playoff Predictor
G Liam Fornadel | DUD
Fornadel committed what feels like the millionth botched snap by a Patriots center summer. You basically can bank on one each day.
QB Jacoby Brissett | DUD
This probably is unfair to Brissett, as he finished strong. But one series doesn’t erase what was an underwhelming practice to that point. Brissett continues to leave the door open for Maye.
K Chad Ryland | DUD
Kicking competition update: Ryland went 3-of-5, while Joey Slye went 3-of-4. To Ryland’s credit, his 47-yard field goal went through the skinny uprights. Bonus points.
Overall, Ryland is 39-of-52 this summer, whereas Slye is 43-of-52. This competition is probably over.
Assorted Patriots’ Notes and Highlights From Thursday’s Practice
- This was the longest practice of the summer, although the joint practice with the Philadelphia Eagles was close. Thursday’s session ran for nearly two and a half hours.
- Jerod Mayo made the defense run a lap during an 11-on-11 period. Looked like a substitution issue.
- Tyquan Thornton saw more reps with the starting offense. So did K.J. Osborn.
- Here are additional highlights from Thursday’s practice. The Patriots will practice again on Friday before taking Saturday off.
🚀Joe Milton ➡️ Tyquan Thornton pic.twitter.com/RgfEkBthe4
— Sophie Weller (@sophieewellerr) August 22, 2024
Rhamondre Stevenson feels confident in how the #Patriots run game has developed this training camp.
“It’s come along pretty well.”
—#pats #nfl
Patriots coverage powered by @PrizePicks @Gametime pic.twitter.com/YIKtRjd5Yu— Patriots on CLNS Media (@PatriotsCLNS) August 22, 2024
Drake Maye ➡️ Tyquan Thornton pic.twitter.com/gZaw8ga8Nt
— Sophie Weller (@sophieewellerr) August 22, 2024
Alex Van Pelt says there’s still a chance for Drake Maye to start Week 1, but “there’s a process for how you bring a rookie quarterback along, so I think that’s important to remember.”
—#patriots #pats #nfl
Patriots coverage powered by @PrizePicks @Gametime pic.twitter.com/3Krb1hWpk2— Patriots on CLNS Media (@PatriotsCLNS) August 22, 2024
David Wallis has got speed 💨 pic.twitter.com/rN9Nn5j2mA
— Sophie Weller (@sophieewellerr) August 22, 2024