After taking a Saturday off, it was back to work for the New England Patriots for Day 10 of training camp practice on Sunday.
The team is slated to face the Houston Texans in their preseason opener on Thursday night. So everything they’re doing from here on out is clearly in preparation for that game.
There were several players, including multiple starters, missing from practice. Some have been on the list since the start of training camp, while others are popping up for the very first time. Here’s the full list of absences:
G Michael Onwenu
ST Cody Davis
C David Andrews
CB Jonathan Jones
ST Matthew Slater
G Cole Strange
RB/WR Ty Montgomery
OT Calvin Anderson
Offensive tackle Trent Brown did not participate in team drills, but he was on the field. Let’s take a look at six observations from Sunday’s training camp practice.
1
Patriots keep things light after stadium practice
It was another light day of work for the Patriots on Sunday, which wasn’t surprising considering it’ll be full speed ahead on Monday in preparation for Thursday’s preseason opener.
The team was back in shorts and shells in a practice that highlighted the more technical aspects of the game. Sure, there were big plays on the field, including a near 40-yard touchdown throw by quarterback Mac Jones to wideout DeVante Parker. But this also wasn’t a practice that could be considered truly competitive, either.
Mac Jones with one of his best throws of camp on a fade to Parker. Parker was open, finished it by going over Jack Jones to haul it in. TD, #Patriots from about 40 yards out.
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) August 6, 2023
The Patriots have made an effort to prioritize load management at this training camp. It’ll be interesting to see how that approach pays off moving forward for a team that dealt with a lot of injuries in 2022.
2
Extra work for Tyquan Thornton
It’s no secret that this year’s training camp has been a struggle for second-year wideout Tyquan Thornton. On Sunday, Thornton could be seen catching passes from Mac Jones after practice in an effort to keep building on that connection.
Mac Jones spent about 10 minutes after practice throwing with Tyquan Thornton, who mostly repped with Bailey Zappe today.
— Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) August 6, 2023
After a less than stellar rookie season, the second-round pick of the 2022 NFL draft was expected to break out in the offense. He was playing with the same quarterback in a much-improved offensive situation with Bill O’Brien taking over the play-calling. This should be the time for Thornton to start making strides forward, not taking steps back.
Yet, the latter appears to be happening in competitive drills with him hardly being targeted by Jones. He has the size and speed the Patriots need on the outside. So it’s no surprise that the team would want to do whatever they possibly can to aid in his development. They have a premium pick invested in this project.
3
Judon is back to doing Judon things
Matthew Judon, who is the newest recipient of a much-deserved pay bump, was back to terrorizing the offense on Sunday.
It was a completely lopsided effort in 11-on-11 team drills with Judon notching what would have been three sacks under his belt. His energy on the field obviously sparked the defense, which seemed to get the edge back over the offense in this practice.
That’s what big time players do.
Opening 11-on-11 notes:
– Mac 3/3, sacks by Judon and Bentley. He hit Parker, Douglas and Pierre Strong.
– Zappe 2/5, including a deep Bledsoe PBU. He may have been sacked by Jennings on an incomplete checkdown.
– McSorley 1/3, 2 INTs by Mapu and Bledsoe.— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) August 6, 2023
Judon is one of the most impactful players for the Patriots regardless of position. So it makes sense why the team would be cautious with his workload at training camp. They’re going to need every bit of that effort for the long haul in the 2023 season.
4
Offensive line continues to be a major problem
Matthew Judon is obviously an exceptional playmaker, but it’s also fair to mention the poor state of the Patriots’ offensive line when crediting him for those three sacks on Sunday.
The Patriots have been practicing without three of their starting offensive linemen, including Cole Strange, Michael Onwenu and Trent Brown. Center David Andrews was added to that list on Day 10. So the team was down four starters along the offensive front.
Protecting a quarterback under those circumstances is a daunting task against any NFL defense, much less one of the best defenses in the league.
The good news is that multiple players outside of the starters are getting top reps because of the absences. Rookie guard Atonio Mafi has especially benefitted from extended work right out of the gates.
5
Christian Gonzalez snags his first interception
Rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez notched his first interception against Mac Jones in 7-on-7s. The No. 17 overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft snagged an underthrown pass that was seemingly intended for rookie wide receiver Kayshon Boutte.
Christian Gonzalez intercepts Mac on an underthrown deep ball intended for Kayshon Boutte. Demario Douglas also in the area.
Potential mix-up with the route combination. Mac finishes 5/6 for the period. https://t.co/TOUzZS6YjP
— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) August 6, 2023
Granted, this play was mostly due to a bad throw from Jones, but Gonzalez is also a tactician in the defensive backfield. He has stuck with and competed against the Patriots’ starters since Day 1, and he continues to get better after every practice.
The real test will obviously come under the bright lights of actual game action. So far, however, Gonzalez is doing all of the little things right that hint towards early success.
6
Malik Cunningham still taking snaps under center
There has been talk of rookie Malik Cunningham moving to wide receiver, but the former Louisville signal-caller was also taking snaps at quarterback on Sunday.
Are the Patriots hoping to utilize him in more of a gadget role, or is he actually being considered as another quarterback down the depth chart. He would make for a more versatile third wheel over Trace McSorley.
It’s going to be fun seeing how the Patriots utilize him in preseason games. There’s a chance that we see him lining up at both quarterback and receiver at multiple points of the preseason. Cunningham’s ability to make plays with his legs is nothing short of electric.
