FOXBORO — Through five practices, the Patriots’ quarterback competition has a clear leader.
It’s Jacoby Brissett.
Brissett has taken all of the starting reps during team periods and enjoyed his best practice of the summer Monday, going 10-of-11 with two sacks during competitive team periods. Drake Maye simultaneously suffered through his worst practice as a Patriot and produced one completion against two sacks during 11-on-11s. Not great.
The good news for Maye: there’s still three weeks left.
As Brissett pulled further ahead Monday, the Patriots ran the ball surprisingly well over their first padded practice this summer. Running backs Rhamondre Stevenson, Antonio Gibson and Kevin Harris all ripped off long gains during team drills, despite rushing behind a backup center and a rookie at left tackle. It helped that the Pats’ top defense had holes to begin with.
For the first time in training camp, outside linebacker Matt Judon missed an entire practice during his contract dispute. He watched initial stretching in street clothes, then left after an early chat with Jerod Mayo and returned for an animated, mid-practice talk with director of player personnel Matt Groh before leaving again. Meanwhile, disgruntled defensive tackle Davon Godchaux sat out most team periods, as his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, put pressure on the Patriots through his attendance and a long chat with Groh.
When Godchaux was absent, that left the Pats without their two best defensive tackles (Christian Barmore is out indefinitely), and often a top safety. Jabrill Peppers missed 11-on-11s due to a new lower-body injury that required two visits to the trainer’s table. Oh, and outside linebacker Joshua Uche got kicked out of practice after a post-play scrum late in the team drills.
Elsewhere, the entire offense took a penalty lap, two receivers made highlight reel catches, rookie O-linemen starred in 1-on-1 pass rush and Kyle Dugger snatched an interception.
Here are the Herald’s complete practice observations:
Absent: C David Andrews, S/LB Marte Mapu
Non-participant: OLB Matthew Judon, TE Jaheim Bell
Injured: S Jabrill Peppers
Limited: WR DeMario Douglas, DL Davon Godchaux
Non-contact jersey: CB Shaun Wade
PUP: WR Kendrick Bourne, LB Sione Takitaki, OL Cole Strange, C/G Jake Andrews
Notes: Judon wore street clothes during stretching, left the practice fields, then returned and left again. Godchaux participated in positional work and the final 11-on-11 period, but didn’t wear leg pads. Peppers dealt with an apparent lower-body injury that kept him out of team drills.
Starting center David Andrews missed his first practice of training camp for unknown reasons. Douglas is still limited by a minor hand injury, Mapu sat out his third straight practice, and Bell missed his first.
Javon Baker climbs the ladder
Another day, another Javon Baker highlight.
Late in 11-on-11s, the Patriots’ fourth-round rookie receiver leapt over two closing defenders — cornerback Alex Austin and safety Jaylinn Hawkins — for a spectacular grab 30 yards downfield. Baker had taken off on a go route down the right sideline, but stopped just in time to leap and pluck Jacoby Brissett’s pass out of the air on a line. The Patriots’ social media team waited just a matter of minutes before posting it
QB Jacoby Brissett
The best performance by any quarterback so far in camp.
Brissett found Baker deep, then dropped one in the bucket for Tyquan Thornton, who also beat Alex Austin’s tight coverage for a big gain during 11-on-11s. Brissett threw in rhythm and showed calm in muddy pockets. But enough about that.
Going 10-of-11 in pads just about says it all.
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: 10-of-11, 2 sacks (49-of-66, INT, 7 sacks)
Drake Maye: 3-of-11, INT, 2 sacks (46-of-71, 2 INTs, 5 sacks)
Notes: Brissett hit passes at all three levels during an opening 7-on-7 period, finding four different receivers while Maye found two teammates and Kyle Dugger on an interception. After Maye went 2-of-6 in that drill, he made three straight hand-offs and took a sack during the team’s initial, run-focused 11-on-11 period. Over the final full-team sessions, Maye went 1-of-4, including a contested slant throw and one drop, then misfired over the middle and took a sack.
The rookie missed behind and ahead of receivers and struggled in crowded pockets. Maye is struggling to throw with a proper base in those situations, which has affected his accuracy. As for Brissett, his 6-of-7 showing during full-team periods included two deep strikes and completions to all the Pats’ starting tight ends and receivers.
OL Mike Onwenu
The Patriots’ best offensive linemen went 3-0 during 1-on-1 pass rush, stoning Josh Uche twice and the powerful Keion White on another rep. Onwenu also paved the way on two long runs that gashed the Patriots’ starting defense off the right side. Whether he’s at tackle or guard, Onwenu is making an impact.
WR Tyquan Thornton
Is this former second-round pick finally coming around?
Thornton had a rare strong practice in pads, showing off his improved strength and focus making not one, but two over-the-shoulder grabs during team drills. Both came from Brissett, who has worked regularly with the 6-foot-3 speedster on the first-team offense. Thornton finished with X catches overall.
QB Drake Maye
Sheesh.
In the opening 7-on-7 period, Maye went 2-of-6 with an interception. He followed that performance with one completion over two 11-on-11 drills: a slant to Javon Baker that was nearly broken up. Maye had multiple bad misses and took a couple sacks. Chalk it up to growing pains.
Patriots rookie QB Drake Maye experiences growing pains in first padded practice
OLB Josh Uche
Thanks to his elite speed rush and burst off the line, Uche typically dominates 1-on-1 pass rush. Not Monday.
He went 0-3, losing twice to Onwenu and projected starting tackle Chukwuma Okorafor. If that wasn't bad enough, Uche and Okorafor got tangled after one play later in team periods, and Uche got kicked out.
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