It was another day of non-padded red zone work for the New England Patriots in Day 3 of training camp on Friday.
Coach Bill Belichick has stayed true to his word that the team would emphasize that particular area with more of an extended OTAs feel to the first week of practice.
So those waiting to see how the new-look Patriots react to real football situations with the pads on will have to wait until next week. However, there were still things of note to take away from the team’s third day of practice, which seemed productive overall for both the defense and offense.
Here are some leftover notes from the practice:
1
Let's avoid overreacting to situational football
I’ll be the first to admit that I have some deep concerns with the Patriots’ lacking a true No. 1 receiver on the outside. And to some degree, those concerns have manifested at practice with the receivers clearly struggling to consistently separate.
However, it’s also important to note the circumstances.
The Patriots have solely worked in the red zone, which automatically means throwing in tight windows and experiencing added defensive pressure when receivers don’t immediately get open. It’s a tough spot to be in for any offense, much less an offense still working to get acclimated to a new coordinator.
We should get a better feel for where the Patriots are at offensively when the pads come on and the field opens. It’s also important to keep in mind that the Patriots are really, really good defensively.
2
There were ball-hawks everywhere in the secondary
Jonathan Jones showed why the Patriots made it a priority to re-sign him in the offseason. He was working on the outside across from rookie first-round draft pick Christian Gonzalez, and despite being undersized, he remained scrappy in coverage, sticking tight to receivers and breaking up passes.
Gonzalez also had a strong day and even managed to break up a pass as well. Marcus Jones has shown some of the same scrappiness in the backfield as Jonathan, which serves to remind people that he’s more than just a gadget player. He’s a gifted defender capable of making life difficult for opposing receivers.
— part of that is Patriots D. Jonathan Jones and Christian Gonzalez looked excellent today. The secondary as a whole is logged in
— Matthew Judon essentially was a full participant for the first time
— Rhamondre Stevenson returned after being limited yesterday
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) July 28, 2023
The Patriots might be lacking a big target, but you also have to credit the opposition for some of the early practice struggles. There are multiple defensive ball-hawks in the secondary knocking down everything.
3
No turnovers from Mac Jones
Incomplete passes are better than turnovers.
Along with improvement in the red zone, the Patriots are also aiming to get better at limiting the sort of backbreaking mistakes that put their defense in bad positions. That all starts with Mac Jones’ ability to take care of the football.
For so many years, Tom Brady was a master at taking what the defense gave him and giving up on plays that weren’t there. As the saying goes, you live to fight another day. Jones did a much better job of that on Friday after throwing an interception in each of the first two practices.
That sort of patience will go a long way in helping the Patriots become a better overall team. Their bread and butter is playing to the strength of their defense.
4
Unexpected training camp breakouts
At every training camp, there’s at least one or two players initially deemed on the roster bubble that eventually breaks away into the lock category.
Granted, we are far from deeming any such player a roster lock at this point, but there are at least two worth monitoring: rookie wide receiver Demario Douglas and veteran tight end Matt Sokol.
Douglas has already been working in with some of the top receivers on the roster. His route quickness and soft hands have elevated him on the projected depth chart as the fifth-best receiver, if training camp ended today.
Bill Belichick was complimentary of 6th-round rookie Demario Douglas, who’s been involved with the top unit in camp
Noted Douglas’ intelligence and flexibility to play inside, outside, and return
Coach seems high on the work the entire #Patriots rookie class has put in thus far pic.twitter.com/jEwdXM30si
— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) July 28, 2023
Meanwhile, Sokol has continued to stick out as the top choice for the No. 3 tight end role behind Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki in an offense that also has Johnny Lumpkin, Scotty Washington and Anthony Firkser.
5
Things remain thin at running back
Ty Montgomery, who suffered an injury at Thursday’s practice, was absent on Friday, which puts even more pressure on a Patriots running backs room that has thinned after the team’s release of veteran James Robinson back in June.
It was reported on Saturday that Ezekiel Elliott is in town for a visit. So help could be on the way if a deal gets done.
Pierre Strong Jr. stepped up behind Rhamondre Stevenson to help fill the void. The Patriots also have second-year running back Kevin Harris on the roster.
Montgomery is considered “day-to-day” with his injury, according to coach Bill Belichick. But then again, he’s also 30 years old and already coming off an injury-riddled 2022 season. The Patriots need help at running back, and they need it as soon as possible.
