FOXBORO -- On a smoking hot day, the Patriots offense finally found its stride a little during a two-hour practice. Now by “stride” I mean kind of a walking stride. Better than ambling. Definitely not stumbling. But not running or sprinting either.
They were efficient, organized, productive and made more good plays than bad in 11-on-11s and 7-on-7s (which really are the main reps that matter for conversational purposes). They also kept the horrendous, “WTF was supposed to happen there?” plays to a very small minimum.
Were there chunk plays? Not really. Deep downfield completions? No. There were curls, checkdowns, seam throws, comebacks and crossers galore. A lot of the work done was underneath. But it was the first time in this camp where there was a continuous feeling that it was more than a fair fight between offense and defense.
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Phil Perry has more on the specific stats in his Drake Maye Report, but here’s a quick glance at who was up and down in our daily Stock Watch.
MORE PATRIOTS
Stock Up
Matthew Judon, outside linebacker
We wondered on Thursday whether Judon would take part in a padded practice given his still-unsettled contract situation. We got our answer Friday. Yes.
Judon was out there for the whole deal and took reps with the starters. And they were vigorous reps. He wasn’t just going through the motions. It’s worth noting that last summer, Judon didn’t take part in any full-contact work until August 4 when his contract was adjusted. This year, despite being palpably more miffed, he’s been more involved in workouts.
Jacoby Brissett, quarterback
Brissett’s hold on the starting job remains firm because his play remains so steady. He was 16-for-26 with no picks (though he nearly had one on a throw in the seam to a covered Austin Hooper).
Brissett made nice use of his backs (Antonio Gibson in particular) on screen throws and capped the day with a fantastic, lasered seam throw to DeMario Douglas to cap a two-minute drive that went for about a 25-yard touchdown. One thing worth noting about Brissett is he has more than enough arm strength in terms of velocity especially.
DeMario Douglas, wide receiver
I could have gone with safety Jaylinn Hawkins (2020 fourth-rounder for the Falcons; started 16 games in 2022) who kept showing up in coverage in both 1-on-1s and team work. I could have gone with corner Marco Wilson, who has impressed in coverage on consecutive days and came up with a deft breakup on the previously mentioned throw to Hooper and another on Maye. Could have gone to the running back Gibson, who was really a handful in 1-on-1s and has fit in nicely in this Alex Van Pelt offense.
Instead, I’ll go with Pop.
Time after time, Douglas seems to find himself with nobody near him in coverage. Part of that is play-design; most of it is just pure elusiveness and route-running. He caught five passes in 11-on-11 including the touchdown.
He changes the geometry of the offense because he needs extra attention, so it’s probably no coincidence that as he becomes more integrated (he’s been dealing with a hand issue) the offense is looking better.
Stock Down
Running game
Too many plays stacked up at the line with no apparent push nor seams available for the backs to hit. The Patriots spent more time throwing by a significant amount, but the run game is a yawn right now. With no tackling-to-the-ground and linemen going at about 70 percent and not driving folks, you have to give some leeway in jumping to full conclusions. But it’s not inspiring.
I’m keeping an eye peeled for goal-line and inside-the-5 run game work. The Patriots haven’t done it yet and it’s the most physical portion of camp. If they can’t get jack done in that circumstance, I’ll be alarmed.
Austin Hooper, tight end
An easy drop during 1-on-1s, another on a tight end screen (high throw) and the intended target on a near pick. I’ve seen worse days, for sure, but Hooper wasn’t quite stellar on Friday.
Marcus Jones, cornerback
Didn’t do anything wrong. Just injured and unable to participate today.
I was going to have Calvin Anderson as my final stock down. He got hurt and was down for a while and walked slowly off. But the big offensive lineman was back on his feet about 20 minutes later and playing right guard. Which is a big “stock up” given the heat and the fact he gutted it out to get back there despite being dinged.