FOXBORO — This was a second chance.
Drake Maye started to walk away from the action after 1-of-6 showing in the Patriots’ final team period Tuesday. But instead of calling on Bailey Zappe or Joe Milton to finish the 11-on-11 drill, as they had the previous five practices, the coaching staff put Maye back on the field.
Three snaps versus the third-team defense. Let’s see what you’ve got.
Maye followed with a quick completion into the flat, one harried scramble and an outside hand-off.
That was Maye’s day.
Far from mayday, but unquestionably a third straight disappointment authored by the future of the franchise. Maye has been gun shy — completing multiple passes longer than 10 yards in just half of the team’s practices — and scattershot. Maye barely hit 50% of his passes during initial 1-on-1s, throwing against one defender and no pass rush.
Three times in camp, Maye has been forced to stop and reset either his huddle or an entire play due to pre-snap problems. Rookie mistakes, surely, but the Patriots must be hoping some growth will soon follow what have been extended growing pains. Their off day Wednesday feels well-timed.
Elsewhere at Tuesday’s padded practice, Matt Judon was missing, Ja’Lynn Polk made the play of the day, Keion White took no prisoners, a young defensive back starred in Jabrill Peppers’ absence and the starting offensive line continues to settle.
Here are the Herald’s complete practice observations:
Absent: OLB Matt Judon, S Jabrill Peppers, C David Andrews
Non-participants: S/LB Marte Mapu, TE Jaheim Bell
Limited: DL Davon Godchaux
Non-contact jersey: WR DeMario Douglas, CB Shaun Wade
PUP: WR Kendrick Bourne, LB Sione Takitaki, OL Cole Strange, C/G Jake Andrews
Notes: Judon was fully absent after mostly sitting out Monday’s practice, when he confronted director of player personnel Matt Groh. Andrews missed his second straight practice due to a personal issue, but is not expected to be out long-term, per sources. Peppers and Bell didn’t participate after being limited Monday. Like Mapu, they watched part of practice. Peppers wore a sleeve on his left leg.
Douglas donned a non-contact jersey for the first time in camp, and is dealing with a hand injury. He participated in 7-on-7s, but not full-team periods.
Ja’Lynn Polk high-points a touchdown
During opening positional drills, the wide receivers drilled sluggo routes: slant-and-gos. Playing catch with the quarterbacks, they burst straight upfield for five yards or so, then angled inside for a few steps before taking off straight upfield again looking for a deep ball. Most passes in the drill were completed.
Thirty minutes later, that groundwork paid off for Ja’Lynn Polk.
Polk beat backup cornerback Marco Wilson on this exact route for a 20-yard score during 7-on-7s midway through practice. Jacoby Brissett lofted a perfect ball toward the front left pylon of the end zone, Polk rose up and snatched it, maintaining possession through his fall to the ground.
Touchdown.
DL Keion White
A wrecking ball in a football uniform.
White has arguably been the Patriots’ best player in training camp, and strengthened his case Tuesday. White tallied another run stuff and two pressures playing all across the defensive line during team periods. He also thrived for most of 1-on-1 pass rush, beating Mike Onwenu for the final rep of practice.
The former second-round pick is tracking for a breakout year.
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: 8-of-15, sack (57-of-81, INT, 8 sacks)
Drake Maye: 8-of-15 (54-of-86, 2 INTs, 5 sacks)
Notes: In a classic case of stats not telling the full story, Brissett was far and away the better quarterback Tuesday, despite posting an identical completion percentage.
Brissett delivered the three best throws of practice: the 20-yard touchdown to Polk, another 20-yard score to Hunter Henry down the seam in red-zone work and a deep cross to K.J. Osborn he layered between two zone defenders, allowing Osborn to sprint into the downfield window for a catch. Meanwhile, Maye didn’t complete a single pass longer than 10 yards downfield.
In fact, five of his eight completions during team periods were checkdowns and/or to receivers in the flat. Downfield, Maye missed a wide-open Osborn, running another sluggo route, during 7-on-7s for a would-be touchdown. He punctuated his day with a so-so fade throw that backup corner Shaun Wade knocked away from Javon Baker, forcing the entire offense to take pushups.
Before then, Maye zeroed in on fellow rookies Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, but went 1-of-5 targeting them in the last 11-on-11 period. He had two bad misses, two other passes broken up (including Wade’s) and hit Polk on a shallow cross. Chemistry, like development, will take time.
Drake Maye watch: Patriots rookie QB struggles again in second day in pads
S Joshuah Bledsoe
A sixth-round pick in 2021, Bledsoe has logged just 32 snaps in his NFL career and remains firmly on the roster bubble this summer. But with Jabrill Peppers out, he stepped in and stepped up Tuesday.
On the second snap of 11-on-11s, Bledsoe knocked down a Brissett pass over the middle intended for Hunter Henry. Later, he stopped a potential touchdown to Austin Hooper. Bledsoe smothered Hooper at the catch point in the end zone and was instantly swarmed by nearby teammates after deflecting the pass away.
WR Ja'Lynn Polk
No one had more catches in team periods than the second-round rookie, who caught passes from all three quarterbacks and finished with four total. Polk hasn't matched the flash of fellow rookie Javon Baker, but he has been steadier. He brought both steak and sizzle on Tuesday.
Run-blocking
Yikes.
None of the Patriots' offensive units managed much success on the ground, yielding run stuffs on seven of 16 run plays (excluding scrambles and a fumbled hand-off). This marked a significant step back from Monday, when Rhamondre Stevenson, Antonio Gibson and Kevin Harris all hit long runs.
QB Drake Maye
Rough day for the rookie, even if his mistakes weren't as glaring as those on Monday when he went 3-of-11 with an interception.
Can JuJu Smith-Schuster prove he still deserves Patriots roster spot?
