FOXBORO — It’s hard to square how a quarterback with two interceptions and a sack in one practice could strengthen his grip on a starting job.

Here’s how Jacoby Brissett did so Saturday.

Brissett went 9-of-14 with a pick during competitive 11-on-11 periods, including another two-minute drill he capped by firing a touchdown pass in the final 10 seconds. Following Friday’s late, dramatic strike to DeMario Douglas, Brissett snapped the ball outside the 5-yard line with a second left on a running clock Saturday, backed away from pressure and lobbed a prayer over the middle for Hunter Henry.

Touchdown.

Brissett also hit Henry on two deep strikes during a previous hurry-up drive, when he uncorked a potential deep touchdown to Jalen Reagor. But Reaglor lost a battle at the catch point to Azizi Hearn whose deflection inside the end zone triggered a tip-drill interception for roaming safety Jaylinn Hawkins. That interception was the only blemish for Brissett during the Patriots’ most telling, pressure-packed series, during which he finished 6-of-7 with a pick.

Meanwhile, Drake Maye’s final two-minute drill went nowhere. Literally, thanks to some bad luck, bad help and missed chances.

On his final drive, Maye fired a throwaway, overshot Javon Baker on deep incompletion, then watched his third-down pass sail by a slipping JuJu Smith-Schuster and his final pass get batted down at the line. Earlier in practice, Maye went 2-of-4 — hitting a tight end in the flat and rookie Ja’Lynn Polk on a comeback route that nearly sailed wide — to set up a 50-plus yard field goal.

Overall in full-team periods, Maye went 3-of-9 with four sacks and one pass drop. All day, he played behind third-string tackles, while most of his receivers synced up to have some of their worst and/or quietest practices of the summer. But Maye, around a productive 7-on-7 period in the red zone with two sweet touchdowns, looked sometimes hesitant and other times harried.

He double-pumped, whipped a checkdown out of reach, got lucky on his longest completion and had a presence about him that was absent virtually all of spring and last week. Not that Maye is facing any pressure behind him on the depth chart (fellow rookie Joe Milton finished 2-of-8 with a sack), or wouldn’t benefit from a healthy supporting cast. But Brissett entered Saturday’s practice — a humid, padded session lasting more than two hours — with a sizable lead.

That lead grew by the time Brissett left the field.

Elsewhere at practice, Matthew Judon fully participated again, an unknown defensive tackle dominated, the running game continued to stall, a speedy receiver was missing and the kicking competition continued.

Here are the Herald’s complete practice observations:

Absent: OT Calvin Anderson, S Joshuah Bledsoe, TE Jaheim Bell

Non-participant: S Marte Mapu, DB Marcus Jones, WR Tyquan Thornton

Limited: OT Chukwuma Okorafor

Non-contact jersey: CB Shaun Wade

PUP: WR Kendrick Bourne, LB Sione Takitaki, OL Cole Strange, C/G Jake Andrews

Notes: Thornton was the only surprise absence from this group, but the former second-round pick is not expected to be out long-term, per a source. Thornton has a rough injury history, losing several games to broken bones each of the last two summers; something the team has been mindful of during camp.

Anderson missed his first practice after suffering a lower-leg injury Friday, when he returned to action. Jones and Bledsoe missed their second straight practices, respectively, while Mapu and Bell haven’t suited up in more than a week. Okorafor participated in initial stretching, but sat out all team periods for reasons unknown.

Hunter Henry’s one-handed sideline snag

Jerod Mayo waved the play off, calling it a sack after the whistle had blown. But when a catch is this good, it can’t go overlooked.

Aligned in the left slot, Henry immediately gained a step on Kyle Dugger early in Brissett’s initial hurry-up drill. He angled left on a fade route, with Dugger now attached to his right hip. Realizing he had just enough separation, Henry looked back for the ball, flipped around 180 degrees toward the sideline and shot out his right arm as Brissett’s pass fell, snatching it for a one-handed grab.

The best catch of camp.

TE Hunter Henry

What a practice.

Henry scored the Patriots’ final touchdown to punctuate a successful two-minute drill, made a highlight-reel grab, added another catch on a deep crossing route and finished with four receptions on the day. He’s still got it.

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: 11-of-18, 2 INTs, sack (75-of-101, 3 INTs, 12 sacks)

Drake Maye: 6-of-14, 4 sacks (67-of-110, 2 INTs, 11 sacks)

Notes: Let’s start with the good for Maye.

After getting swarmed for three sacks on his initial three dropbacks, he steered the offense toward a long field goal attempt over a two-minute drill. That possession featured a missed flat throw to Kevin Harris, flat completion to tight end Mitchell Wilcox, connection with Polk on a comeback route that Polk saved with a full-extension grab as he fell to the turf and a throwaway after firing a spike.

Later, in red-zone 7-on-7s, Maye would have scored three touchdowns on four dropbacks had Wilcox managed to maintain possession on an inside throw that split two safeties. He also rifled a score to Polk on an in-breaking route during the same period and flashed anticipation when he found Javon Baker in the back left corner on a corner route.

Good stuff.

Then, trouble found Maye again in red-zone 11-on-11s. He dumped an easy shallow-cross pass to Osborn after several seconds in the pocket, took a “sack” courtesy of Keion White and a hand-off, which led to his 0-of-4 two-minute drill at the end.

Unlike prior practices, Maye dared to strike downfield Saturday, including his overthrow of Baker at the end. That’s encouraging, even if Brissett remains far ahead in this department thanks to his Henry completions, go-ball to Osborn and an opening deep cross to Wilcox. Downfield aggression, accuracy in the intermediate area and processing speed are the widest gaps between the two passers right now.

How Patriots’ defense responded to Jerod Mayo’s latest challenge

DL Trysten Hill

Two run stuffs, a sack and a fourth-down batted pass in team periods is one heck of a day for any interior D-lineman, let alone one pushing for a roster spot. Hill was at the center of another excellent day of run defense, and one of the best practices by any defender to date.

WR K.J. Osborn

Osboron's best practice as a Patriot featured a team-high five catches -- three from Brissett and two from Maye -- around a drop. The last of those catches was a 35-yard gain on a go route down the right sideline that carried the offense downfield during Brissett's last hurry-up drive that started with just 56 seconds. Osborn beat rising second-year cornerback Alex Austin on the play.

S Jaylinn Hawkins

Hawkins followed his tip-drill interception by ranging over for a clean pass breakup during 11-on-11 red-zone work late in practice. The veteran has come on strong the last few days, especially with Marte Mapu still sidelined.

WR JuJu Smith-Schuster

Based on his nine practices to date, and physical struggles last season, I don't see any path for Smith-Schuster to make this team. He dropped a touchdown pass from Milton and slipped on the only target Maye gave him. He can't separate anymore or reliably catch the ball, the two biggest demands of any receiver.

TE Austin Hooper

During 7-on-7s, Hooper stopped running an in-breaking route when he felt Austin grab him from behind. That allowed Austin to jump the pass for Brissett's second interception of the day, and the easiest pick of camp. Hooper went without a catch in team periods.

Patriots’ DeMario Douglas playing it smart with training camp injury