Defense stops Commanders QB Jayden Daniels late – Boston Herald

FOXBORO — A head coach on the bottom of a pile.

Two rising star quarterbacks.

Clutch protection within the ultimate seconds.

The Patriots’ joint follow with the Commanders featured just a little little bit of all the pieces Wednesday. Each groups went head-to-head over two hours on the follow fields exterior Gillette Stadium, the place in the long run Drake Maye, Mike Vrabel and Co. appeared to achieve an higher hand regardless of a late interception

Backup cornerback Alex Austin kncoked away Jayden Daniels’ ultimate throw, an end-zone toss on fourth-down that ended a interval began on the 25-yard line with 45 seconds left. Earlier than then, the Pats protection tallied a number of sacks, and their quarterbacks carved up a lackluster Commanders secondary.

For the entire Herald’s offensive takeaways Wednesday, click here.

For the entire defensive takeaways and an attendance report, comply with alongside.

Attendance

Absent: WR Kendrick Bourne, OL Caedan Wallace

Non-participant: CB Christian Gonzalez, OLB Ok’Lavon Chaisson, LB Jahlani Tavai

Restricted: WR Stefon Diggs, CB Carlton Davis, OT Morgan Moses

Notes: Diggs arrived late, lacking opening particular person drills and stretching. He participated in later group durations, each 7-on-7s and 11-on-11s. Moses and Davis sat out drills after preliminary stretching. Gonzalez, Chaisson and Tavai all walked the sector in avenue garments.

Bourne continues to overlook time with a left foot harm. He’s not anticipated to follow this week. Like Bourne, Wallace has additionally been out since final Friday’s in-stadium scrimmage.

Patriots joint practice offensive takeaways: QBs shine vs. Commanders

Studs

CB Kobee Minor

Mr. Irrelevant, the final choose in April’s draft, loved his greatest follow of the summer season with a pair of go breakups, together with one late in an abbreviated 2-minute drill for the Commanders offense.

DB Marcus Jones

The diminutive cornerback held his personal exterior and at his regular spoit at nickeback. Jones additionally tallied a sack.

Duds

S Kyle Dugger

The Patriots’ longtime robust security allowed a number of catches in group durations, constantly a step behind supposed receivers. Dugger, once more, repped with each the primary and second-team defenses.

DL Keion White

White was a relative non-factor in group durations and had a tough exhibiting in 1-on-1 go rush.

Defensive notes

High personnel throughout group durations: defensive linemen Milton Williams, Christian Barmore, Keion White, Jeremiah Pharms Jr., Khyris Tonga and Joshua Farmer; linebackers Robert Spillane, Christian Elliss, Jack Gibbens, Marte Mapu, Harold Landry, Anfernee Jennings and Truman Jones; defensive backs Alex Austin, Marcus Jones, DJ James, Kobee Minor, Miles Battle, Jabrill Peppers, Kyle Dugger, Jaylinn Hawkins, Craig Woodson and Marcus Epps.

Interceptions: N/A

Go breakups: CB Kobee Minor 2, LB Robert Spillane, CB Alex Austin, S Craig Woodson

Would-be sacks: OLB Harold Landry, OLB Anfernee Jennings, OLB Elijah Ponder, CB Marcus Jones

Defensive linemen

• Christian Barmore set the bar for this group, tallying a number of pressures in group durations and large wins throughout 1-on-1 go rush.
• Khyris Tonga, the group’s No. 3 defensive sort out and a coaching camp star, went unbeaten throughout particular person go rush.  Tonga nearly lifted one Commanders O-lineman off the bottom in that drill and rotated in with the starters.
• Fellow defensive sort out Milton Williams additionally put a Commanders lineman on skates throughout particular person go rush drills, however was much less disruptive in 11-on-11s.
• Not a terrific day for Keion White, who misplaced the sting on a couple of run performs and badly in 1-on-1 go rush.
• Backup defensive tackles Joshua Farmer and Jeremiah Pharms Jr. every had moments in group drills: Farmer with a run stuff and on the spot recognition of a display go, whereas Pharms Jr. had one stress.
• Second-year defensive sort out Isaiah Iton loved an up-and-down day, leaping offsides throughout particular person and group drills, notching a run stuff and monster win in 1-on-1 go rush.

Linebackers

• Let’s begin on the sting, the place the Patriots acquired out-leveraged repeatedly by the Commanders’ beginning offense on perimeter runs. White and Harold Landry each let working backs unfastened for lengthy beneficial properties.
• Backup exterior linebacker Anfernee Jennings, an elite run defender, continued to take snaps instead of Ok’Lavon Chaisson, who missed his third straight follow. Jennings earned his would-be sack by not giving up on an prolonged play.
• Inside linebacker Robert Spillane made one of many few notable performs, leaping right into a passing lane to bat Jayden Daniels throw into the air halfway via an early group drill.

Defensive backs

• How about these younger corners? Alex Austin ended Jayden Daniels’ final interval, knocking away an end-zone go on fourth-and-six to power a would-be turnover on downs.
• Austin took reps at exterior cornerback with the highest protection and nickelback with the second-team unit, as Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis sat out one other day of group drills.
• Marcus Jones and second-year nook DJ James fashioned the initially beginning tandem exterior in 11-on-11s. Jones, the group’s beginning nickelback, kicked inside when the protection fielded three cornerbacks.
• The Patriots’ safeties all struggled in 1-on-1 protection, one thing the brand new teaching workers will ask extra of them than earlier regimes. Nobody had a more durable day on this division than Kyle Dugger, who repped with the highest two defenses.
• Dugger, Jabrill Peppers — who periodically manned the slot — and Jaylin Hawkins began group durations, with rookie Craig Woodson rotating in.  Hawkins allowed a number of catches.
• Hawkins and Marcus Jones fashioned a pleasant double-team on an incompletion within the ultimate interval towards Washington’s beginning offense; displaying the kind of chemistry the Patriots will want if this protection is to achieve its full potential.