Patriots Training Camp Day 4 Notebook: Defense Wins Day
In this story:
FOXBORO — The New England Patriots concluded their first week of training camp practices with a ‘calm before the storm’ atmosphere.
In their final ‘ramp-up’ before padded practices begin on Monday, the Patriots opened the field a bit beyond the red zone for Saturday's session. With a robust crowd on hand for another pleasant summer day in New England, the Pats continued their preparations for the upcoming 2022 season.
Here are some noteworthy observations from day 4 of Patriots training camp practices:
Roll Call
Both defensive end Deatrich Wise, Jr. and quarterback Brian Hoyer were once again absent from Saturday’s practice.
Rookie running back Pierre Strong was a limited participant for the fourth straight day.
Safety Jabrill Peppers, running back James White and cornerback Jonathan Jones remain on PUP (physically unable to perform).
Rookie offensive linemen Chasen Hines and Andrew Stuber, as well as defensive back Myles Bryant are currently on NFI (non-football injury).
Quarterback Snapshot
Day 4 of training camp practices was largely unkind to the Patriots quarterbacks. New England’s defense, particularly the secondary, continuously won the positional battles and consistently made plays. Mac Jones had arguably his weakest performance of the week, completing only six of 12 passes with one interception in 11-on-11 drills. Jones fared only slightly better in 7-on-7s, connecting on 8-of-13 passes.
In the spirit of being generous, rookie Bailey Zappe’s showing on Saturday may be best described as ‘uneven.’ The Western Kentucky product has demonstrated great arm strength on his throws. However, he still needs work when attempting to connect with his receivers in the short-to-intermediate areas of the field. Zappe finished the day completing 3-of-8 passes in 11-on-11s, and 4-of-9 in 7-on-7s.
Breaking-up is fun to do
The Patriots secondary turned in a strong day of coverage, taking away both Jones’ and Zappe’s preferred first reads. As a result, the Pats linebackers and edge rushers were easily able to find their way into the backfield, thus keeping the quarterbacks on the run.
Cornerbacks Jalen Mills and Terrance Mitchell once again took the majority of the reps as the two top options at the position, and rightfully so. Mitchell continued his stellar camp performance by contributing two pass breakups in coverage on Saturday, while Mills turned in a highlight-level knock-away against receiver Jakobi Meyers. Veteran corners Justin Bethel and Joejuan Williams each contributed one pass breakup, as well.
Rookie Jack Jones logged some notable time with the Pats starters, but had some difficulty keeping pace with some of his targets, including receiver Tyquan Thornton. Jones did get the better of Thornton on one occasion, reading the route and breaking up the pass intended for the rookie wideout.
Dugger, Meyers deliver ‘Plays of the Day’
Though safety Kyle Dugger has struggled at times in coverage throughout camp, he delivered the defensive ‘play of the day’ on Saturday. The Lenoir-Rhyne product slipped in front of wideout DeVante Parker to intercept Jones’s pass. The Pats starter attempted to make the throw on the run, but Dugger maintained his position and read the play to earn the pick.
Day 4 failed to produce many offensive highlights. However, receiver Jakobi Meyers furnished the morning’s top catch. Meyers powered through the coverage of both Terrance Mitchell and Shaun Wade for an athletic touchdown grab on the pass from Mac Jones.
Jennings makes his presence felt
Linebacker Anfernee Jennings enjoyed a solid day on the defensive side of the ball, aligning both on the edge and inside. The Alabama product routinely beat his blockers and often found himself in the offensive backfield, as a result. Should he secure a roster spot in 2022, Jennings projects to play the strong-side edge against the run game, while also moving around the second level. The Patriots will need to help him develop more pass rush moves to be more effective in that role. However, he looks to be off to a great start in that regard during the early stages of camp.
The Patriots will enjoy a day off on Sunday, with their first practice in pads expected to take place on Monday, Aug 1. Practice is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. on the Gillette Stadium practice fields in Foxboro. Once again, practice will be open to the public, with gates opening at 8 a.m.
