Drake Maye finishes 2-minute drill despite heavy pressure

FOXBORO — And that’s a wrap.

The Patriots successfully closed coaching camp Tuesday with a extremely aggressive, shorts-and-shells observe that pitted their beginning offense and protection towards each other from begin to end.

Drake Maye went 16-of-25 amid a flood of stress, together with six would-be sacks. Maye completed by firing 4 completions over a end-of-game drive that began with 1:30 on the clock and ended with a made area aim; actual progress after a number of current practices featured scoreless two-minute drills and/or turnovers.

Nonetheless, Maye’s accuracy was a bit spotty behind a beginning offensive line that rotated at left guard and middle in staff drills. Veteran journeyman Ben Brown changed rookie left guard Jared Wilson and projected beginning middle Garrett Bradbury for stretches. The teaching workers has made clear it doesn’t know but which 5 offensive linemen make up their finest lineup.

The excellent news is the Pats may have a minimum of three practices after Thursday’s preseason finale on the Giants to type out their weakest place group, earlier than an extended Labor Day weekend will lead into regular-season prep.

Elsewhere on Monday, Keion White’s demotion stick, Mack Hollins made a spectacular seize, Stefon Diggs performed on the first- and second-team offenses and each kickers had been good once more.

Listed below are the Herald’s full observe observations:

Attendance

Absent: WR Efton Chism III, OLB Anfernee Jennings, WR Ja’Lynn Polk, WR Javon Baker, TE Jack Westover RB Terrell Jennings, LB Cam Riley

Non-participant: CB Christian Gonzalez, WR Kendrick Bourne, WR Kyle Williams, LB Jahlani Tavai

Notes: No modifications from Monday’s observe. Rhamondre Stevenson practiced once more in a purple, non-contact jersey. Chism’s harm shouldn’t be anticipated to maintain him out lengthy.

Play of the Day

By the point Drake Maye uncorked an extended ball for Mack Hollins on the precise sideline, inside linebacker Robert Spillane would have creamed him for a sack in a sport setting. However let’s roll the tape anyway.

Maye launched the ball greater than 30 yards downfield, in search of Hollins 1-on-1 towards the Patriots’ finest obtainable cornerback, Carlton Davis, who had the receiver boxed out towards the sideline. However unwilling to surrender on the play, Hollins stopped himself to remain inbounds and shot his proper arm out for a one-handed seize. Whereas Davis pushed him to the bottom, Hollins maintained possession for the most effective catches of coaching camp.

Participant of the Day

DL Christian Barmore: For one of many few instances this summer time, Barmore and Milton Williams performed just like the terrorizing defensive sort out duo the Patriots hope they’ll kind this season.

Barmore tallied 1.5 of their two mixed sacks and added one other stress dashing Maye from the within throughout staff drills. He was a menace, and labored seamlessly with Williams on just a few stunts that led to instantaneous stress. Barmore has been restricted for many of camp, and that plan seems to be paying off with two of his finest practices coming within the final six days.

QB Nook

Drake Maye: 16-of-25 (141-of-228, 5 INTs, 43 sacks)

Notes: No 7-on-7s. Solely a short warmup towards the scout-team protection.

Maye and the Patriots’ beginning offense had been thrown straight into aggressive staff drills versus Vrabel’s high protection and had combined outcomes.

Maye ripped his first go for a completion to Kayshon Boutte on an out route versus Davis, then missed Boutte on a slant, discovered Stefon Diggs beneath on a shallow cross and misfired for Boutte on a back-shoulder throw that cornerback Alex Austin batted away.

Within the subsequent interval, he hit brief throws to tight finish Austin Hooper and Antonio Gibson round a miss Hunter Henry that usually would have been a sack for blitzing linebacker Robert Spillane. His final three reps in that session went: deep completion to DeMario Douglas on a crosser, batted go (Milton Williams) and one other Spillane sack that negated a deep Hollins catch.

Maye continued with an incompletion affected by stress off his left facet courtesy of Okay’Lavon Chaisson, a checkdown to Hollins after a would-be Barmore sack, accomplished display screen to Stevenson and overthrow of Douglas preceded by Jabrill Peppers incomes his personal sack as an unblocked blitzer.

After a pair handoffs to begin the ultimate 11-on-11 interval, Maye linked with Douglas on one other crosser and zipped an ideal throw to Hooper down the precise seam. That led to a foul go fired behind Hollins and a brief completion to Diggs after Barmore and Williams tag-teamed Maye for one more sack. His final makes an attempt went as follows: incomplete slant throw to Hollins, Henry deep down the precise seam, an out-route completion to Douglas, overthrown deep ball for a well-covered Diggs, a swing go to TreVeyon Handerson and dump-off to Henderson in the precise flat towards stress.

Maye’s final snaps arrange a 43-yard area aim try for rookie Andy Borregales.

Studs

OLB Harold Landry: It’s been near continuous stress from Landry this summer time. That continued Tuesday with one other would-be sack of Maye, plus a separate hurry.

LB Robert Spillane: The veteran inside linebacker had two sacks a day after he intercepted two Drake Maye passes.

Duds

DL Keion White: White took a again seat to Okay’Lavon Chaisson in staff drills, operating completely with the second-string protection.

WR Kayshon Boutte: Boutte was the meant goal on the one go breakup of the day for the Patriots’ beginning protection. He caught one in every of three targets.

Offensive notes

High targets in staff drills: WR DeMario Douglas 5/6, WR Mack Hollins 4/6, WR Stefon Diggs 4/5

Drops: N/A

High offensive line: LT Will Campbell, LG Jared Wilson, C Garrett Bradbury, RG Mike Onwenu, RT Morgan Moses

Operating backs

• Prepare for a break up backfield. Rhamondre Stevenson, Antonio Gibson and TreVeyon Henderson all rotated into the beginning offense for carries and catches in staff intervals.
• Henderson ripped off the longest run of observe, a pitch behind a pulling Will Campbell off the left facet that might have gained 15-plus yards because of terrific blocking.
• Stevenson’s lone goal got here on a display screen, whereas Gibson hauled in a checkdown and Henderson secured the final two passes of Maye’s two-minute drill.
• It’s arduous to think about the Patriots hold a fourth operating again subsequent week, with JaMycal Hasty signing late in camp and certain being obtainable to re-sign to the observe squad.

Huge receivers

• DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins ran out because the Patriots’ high receivers for each interval. Notably absent: Stefon Diggs.
• Diggs labored with the beginning offense and second-string unit, as did most receivers who’ve handled extra accidents as a place group than most others on the roster.
• Nonetheless, Diggs’ place in that pecking order is curious, particularly for somebody who had bother at instances separating from younger cornerback DJ James. He caught 4 of 5 targets, together with one in site visitors the place defenders pulled up.
• It’s attainable Diggs’ load administration plan is the primary purpose behind his restricted reps, although he did take the primary reps to begin each staff interval earlier in camp.
• Mack Hollins has been a busy man. Each Maye and Joshua Dobbs like throwing at him as a 6-foot-4 goal who’s unafraid to go over the center.
• To repeat as soon as extra: the brand new workers desires to weaponize Douglas as an intermediate and deep menace. He noticed a number of targets at 10-plus yards downfield Tuesday.
• No reps for Javon Baker or Ja’Lynn Polk this week make it really feel more and more probably each 2024 draft picks are let go subsequent week.

Tight ends

• Hunter Henry caught Maye’s finest go of the day, a laser down the precise seam to maneuver the offense a minimum of 25 yards in a two-minute scenario.
• Henry’s general targets and catch numbers are down this camp, however the time and place of when Maye has focused him are most telling: two-minute and contained in the purple zone. Henry stays one of many Patriots’ most trusted targets.
• The seek for a No. 3 tight finish may prolong previous subsequent Tuesday’s cutdown date, with high backup/fullback Jack Westover missed each practices this week. Previous to final week, Westover had but to emerge from a group of different backups: Gee Scott, CJ Dippre and Cole Fotheringham.

Offensive line

• Good day for Will Campbell, who didn’t enable a sack throughout 11-on-11 intervals. He allowed one, possibly two, pressures, together with one towards Okay’Lavon Chaisson.
• Ben Brown seems to be making a push at left guard and his pure place, middle, the place he took reps in entrance of Drake Maye.
• Neither left guard Jared Wilson or middle Garrett Bradbury venture as robust pass-protectors, so the tiebreaker in Brown’s battle at each positions could also be who can hold Maye the cleanest contained in the pocket.
• Mike Onwenu uncharacteristically struggled in staff intervals, getting away with one maintain towards Milton Williams and victimized on a minimum of one sack.
• The Patriots proceed to shuffle Vederian Lowe and Marcus Bryant at each sort out spots, with Demontrey Jacobs now firmly slotted as their No. 5 sort out.
• Who backs up the Patriots’ three inside positions stays anybody’s guess. Cole Unusual, Sidy Sow, Caedan Wallace all might seemingly make the staff or any one in every of them might meet the chopping block subsequent week.

Defensive notes

High personnel throughout staff intervals: High personnel throughout staff intervals: defensive linemen Milton Williams, Christian Barmore, Keion White, Jeremiah Pharms Jr., Khyris Tonga and Joshua Farmer; linebackers Robert Spillane, Christian Elliss, Jack Gibbens, Harold Landry and Okay’Lavon Chaisson; defensive backs Carlton Davis, Alex Austin, Miles Battle, DJ James, Marcus Jones, Jabrill Peppers, Jaylinn Hawkins, Craig Woodson and Marcus Epps.

Interceptions: N/A

Move breakups: CB Alex Austin

Would-be sacks: LB Robert Spillane 2, DL Christian Barmore 1.5, OLB Harold Landry, DL Keion White, S Jabrill Peppers, DL M. Williams 0.5

Defensive linemen

• Keion White has seemingly misplaced all momentum from the beginning of coaching camp, when he was close to unstoppable. White labored completely with the second-team protection and hasn’t utilized almost the identical stress he did within the first couple weeks.
• This was one in every of Christian Barmore’s finest practices as a Patriot. Interval.
• How the Patriots leverage Barmore and Milton Williams throughout their defensive entrance might evolve right into a game-by-game choice, however the additional consideration they drew standing throughout from the Patriots’ guards allowed a pair inside blitzers to slide by the middle in staff drills.
• Subsequent up at defensive sort out: Khyris Tonga and fourth-round rookie Joshua Farmer.

Linebackers

• Hats off to Okay’Lavon Chaisson. He went from second-stringer within the spring to full-time starter Tuesday. Chaisson’s embrace of a extra bodily sport and power-rushing fashion has taken him to a brand new degree.
• Chaisson labored reverse Harold Landry, who appears to be like prepared for regular-season soccer. Landry’s first step is among the, if not the, quickest on the staff.
• Robert Spillane has bounced again from a horrible joint observe in Minnesota final Thursday, following a two-pick observe with a two-sack day Tuesday.
• Spillane was additionally energetic in passing lanes, almost deflecting a slant throw from Maye that fell incomplete because the quarterback tried to string it by site visitors.
• Following feedback exterior linebackers coach Mike Smith made earlier than observe, hold undrafted rookie Elijah Ponder in your 53-man roster projections. Ponder can be a core particular teamer, along with a depth participant on the sting.