RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 2 sourcesThe Patriots showed why they were the league’s fourth-ranked defense last season. Thursday’s practice, which was closed to the public, was not as successful for the offense.
Quarterback Drake Maye started the drill perfectly, completing all three of his attempts, before spiking the ball to stop the clock. Then, Maye threw an interception to cornerback Marcus Jones to “kill” the drive. Maye was offered a second chance by head coach Mike Vrabel but ended up with the same result. Safety Kevin Byard III got the interception, as the defense erupted in cheers and crowded around Byard to celebrate.
Despite the lackluster end, one of Maye’s passes was the play of the day as Maye perfectly hit wide receiver A.J. Brown, who had to dive to haul in the pass, in the hands along the left sideline despite tight coverage from cornerback Christian Gonzalez.
“We’re just battling and getting each other better,” Gonzalez said. “He’s going to face corners that are going to yap at him, [and] try to get in his head, and I’m going to face receivers like that that are strong and come right back at me. So, it’s great work for both of us.”
Backup quarterback Tommy DeVito then got his shot at running the two-minute drill. He got one play. DeVito threw the offense’s third straight interception, this time to safety John Saunders Jr., and Vrabel ended practice early, much to the defense’s delight.
“Especially in the two-minute drill, that was something new for me to see,” linebacker Bradyn Swinson said. “That just shows what we have and that we are just getting better every day. Everybody’s making plays; new guys are making plays every day. So that’s something that you love to see.”
Aside from the two-minute drill, Maye finished the day six-for-eight in team drills with his two incompletions coming on overthrows to receiver Kayshon Boutte and Brown. Maye’s overthrow to Brown resulted in a back-and-forth between Brown and Gonzalez since Gonzalez was the one in coverage against Brown.
The two seemed to be trash-talking the other and were pointing fingers at one another while walking back to the team and were separated to prevent any further escalation. Gonzalez noted that there’s no bad blood between the two, and it was just their competitive spirits clashing with each other.
While Boutte’s connection with Maye struggled, his connection with DeVito continued to look strong. Boutte found a soft spot in the defense downfield, and DeVito made the throw for what would have been a gain of 20 or more yards.
DeVito and Behran Morton showed off why Madden may need to increase the pair’s throw-on-the-run ratings before it releases, as both quarterbacks rolled out of the pocket to escape pressure but found their receivers to keep the drive alive.
Patriots injury updates
Wide receiver Romeo Doubs didn’t practice for the second straight day, and cornerback Carlton Davis was once again absent as he has yet to participate in practice since injuring his hamstring on July 28. Left tackle Will Campbell sat out during team drills, but it’s unclear whether Campbell suffered an injury.
With Campbell sitting out, 2025 seventh-round pick Marcus Bryant filled in at left tackle alongside the rest of the first-team players.
“Just being able to step and compete, and being able to step in for [Campbell] means a lot,” Bryant said.
As of late, during the final period of practice, the team will simulate a two-minute drill with players hurrying to the line and trying to get out of bounds to stop the clock to set up either a game-winning field goal or touchdown. The offense has performed well in those drills in past practices and consistently set kicker Andy Borregales up to hit the game-winning field goal.
When do the Patriots practice next?
Fans will get the chance to view the team again and see which side of the ball gets the upper hand on Friday, Aug. 7.
For updates and more information about training camp, visit Patriots.com .
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Patriots defense shines as offense struggles in closed practice
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