FOXBORO — Training camp is over.

The Patriots opened the final chapter of their summer Wednesday with a padded, regular-season style practice. That practice will lead into two more on Thursday and Friday, plus several meetings as the team prepares for Sunday’s preseason finale at Washington like a real game.

The Patriots’ stated goal is to treat this week as a dress rehearsal, so by the time they begin gearing up for their season opener at Cincinnati, they will be familiar with their in-season routine. To that end, Jerod Mayo gave starting players starting reps at Wednesday’s practice, and pitted them against third- and fourth-stringers, who formed scout team units designed to simulate the Commanders’ offense and defense.

Offensively, Jacoby Brissett took 18 starting reps alongside the Patriots’ offensive starters in competitive team periods. Drake Maye saw three, his first starting snaps of the summer. He took one in the opening 11-on-11 drill, and two in the waning moments of practice. All three were hand-offs.

In previous weeks, Maye’s brief stint with the first-team offense would have hinted at a potential rise up the depth chart. But after 18 practices, any and every on-field indication points to Brissett earning the starting nod Week 1 — even Wednesday’s change. Because unlike training camp workouts, regular-season practices typically afford backup quarterbacks a few snaps with the starters in the event they’re called on as an injury replacement come game day.

So, considering Maye took those snaps Wednesday, Brissett for now appears to be on a fast track to not only start this weekend, but Week 1.

Elsewhere at practice, the offense lost a key starter, two defensive backs grabbed interceptions, a newly-signed free agent flashed and the kicking competition might be over.

Here are the Herald’s complete practice observations:

Returned: C Nick Leverett

Injured: OT Vederian Lowe

Absent: DL Christian Barmore, TE Hunter Henry

Non-participant: OLB Joshua Uche, OT Calvin Anderson, OLB Oshane Ximines, TE Mitchell Wilcox, S/LB Marte Mapu

Limited: CB Shaun Wade

Non-contact jersey: LB Raekwon McMillan

PUP: WR Kendrick Bourne, LB Sione Takitaki, OL Cole Strange

Notes: Lowe, the Patriots’ starting left tackle, walked off the field during the first few team periods. He was spotted holding his lower back as he departed. Without him, the Patriots started third-round rookie Caedan Wallace in his place.

Leverett, the Patriots’ backup center, was the only player to miss Monday’s practice and return to full participation. All others, except Henry, were present in street clothes. McMillan donned a red, non-contact jersey for the first time in camp. He missed a few team drills last week.

Anderson, Uche and Ximines haven’t practiced since the team’s last preseason game. Wilcox has sat out three straight practices, while Henry’s missed six in a row. Mapu has been out since the first week of training camp.

Note: The passing stats below were tallied during competitive 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 periods only. The stats in parentheses represent the quarterbacks’ camp-long performance.

Jacoby Brissett: N/A (161-of-246 — 65.4%, 6 INTs, 28 sacks)

Drake Maye: N/A (143-of-229 — 62.4%, 5 INTs, 21 sacks)

Notes: Practice opened with an 11-on-11 period involving changing play speeds and personnel between snaps. Most of the ensuing team drills featured one starting unit against a scout team, creating a significant competitive advantage, and/or they were run at less than full speed.

Overall, both Brissett and Maye completed more than 70% of their passes in team periods, but due to the inconsistent level of competition, their raw passing numbers should not be weighed the same as past practices.

Between the two, however, Maye was sharper, making it five straight — or, at worst, four of the last five practices — he’s out-performed Brissett, who tossed a pick to rookie cornerback Marcellas Dial on his first dropback of 11-on-11s. He also had another pass intercepted on a throw into double coverage.

During 7-on-7s, Maye hit multiple downfield passes against a second-team defense. Later, in full-team periods, he also kept the ball on a couple option run plays, a sign his preseason touchdown against the Eagles may have been a preview of coming attractions.

OT Caedan Wallace

The rookie tackle not only ran with the starters in Vederian Lowe’s place, he went 2-0 during 1-on-1 pass rush. Wallace scored a win against Anfernee Jennings on his first rep. Great day for the kid.

DL Daniel Ekuale

Arguably the surprise of camp, Ekuale has kept his starting spot next to Davon Godchaux ever since Christian Barmore was ruled out indefinitely. On Wednesday, he beat Mike Onwenu twice during 1-on-1 pass rush and was on the scene for a couple run stuffs in team periods.

Duds

K Chad Ryland

The former fourth-round pick went 1-of-4 at the end of practice, missing from 45, 49 and 53 yards away. He’s clearly fallen behind veteran journeyman Joey Slye, who’s also been better from 50-plus yards away through all of camp.

QB Jacoby Brissett

It wasn’t an outright terrible practice, but considering his first pass found a rookie cornerback and he hasn’t out-played Maye in more than a week, Brissett deserves his place here.