FOXBORO — And that’s a wrap.
The Patriots effectively closed training camp Tuesday with a highly competitive, shorts-and-shells practice that pitted their starting offense and defense against one another from start to finish. Drake Maye went 16-of-25 amid a flood of pressure, including six would-be sacks. Maye finished by firing four completions over a end-of-game drive that started with 1:30 on the clock and ended with a made field goal; real progress after several recent practices featured scoreless 2-minute drills and/or turnovers.
Still, Maye’s accuracy was a bit spotty behind a starting offensive line that rotated at left guard and center in team drills. Veteran journeyman Ben Brown replaced rookie left guard Jared Wilson and projected starting center Garrett Bradbury for stretches. The coaching staff has made clear it doesn’t know yet which five offensive linemen make up their best lineup.
The good news is the Pats will have at least three practices after Thursday’s preseason finale at the Giants to sort out their weakest position group, before a long Labor Day weekend will lead into regular-season prep.
Elsewhere on Monday, Keion White’s demotion stick, Mack Hollins made a spectacular grab, Stefon Diggs played on the first- and second-team offenses and both kickers were perfect again.
Here are the Herald’s complete practice observations:
Attendance
Absent: WR Efton Chism III, OLB Anfernee Jennings, WR Ja’Lynn Polk, WR Javon Baker, TE Jack Westover RB Terrell Jennings, LB Cam Riley
Non-participant: CB Christian Gonzalez, WR Kendrick Bourne, WR Kyle Williams, LB Jahlani Tavai
Notes: No changes from Monday’s practice. Rhamondre Stevenson practiced again in a red, non-contact jersey. Chism’s injury is not expected to keep him out long.
Play of the Day
Foxboro, MA - Aug. 11 - Wide receiver Mack Hollins (13) of the New England Patriots makes a catch during practice at Gillette Stadium. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)
Foxboro, MA - Aug. 11 - Wide receiver Mack Hollins (13) of the New England Patriots makes a catch during practice at Gillette Stadium. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)
By the time Drake Maye uncorked a long ball for Mack Hollins on the right sideline, inside linebacker Robert Spillane would have creamed him for a sack in a game setting. But let’s roll the tape anyway.
Maye launched the ball more than 30 yards downfield, looking for Hollins 1-on-1 against the Patriots’ best available cornerback, Carlton Davis, who had the receiver boxed out against the sideline. But unwilling to give up on the play, Hollins stopped himself to stay inbounds and shot his right arm out for a one-handed grab. While Davis pushed him to the ground, Hollins maintained possession for one of the best catches of training camp.
Player of the Day
DL Christian Barmore
For one of the few times this summer, Barmore and Milton Williams played like the terrorizing defensive tackle duo the Patriots hope they will form this season.
Barmore tallied 1.5 of their two combined sacks and added another pressure rushing Drake Maye from the inside during team drills. He was a menace, and worked seamlessly with Williams on a few stunts that led to instant pressure. Barmore has been limited for most of camp, and that plan appears to be paying off with two of his best practices coming in the last six days.
QB Corner
Foxboro, MA - Aug. 11 - Quarterbacks Drake Maye (10) Joshua Dobbs (11) of the New England Patriots during practice at Gillette Stadium. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)
Foxboro, MA - Aug. 11 - Quarterbacks Drake Maye (10) Joshua Dobbs (11) of the New England Patriots during practice at Gillette Stadium. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)
Drake Maye: 16-of-25 (141-of-228, 5 INTs, 43 sacks)
Notes: No 7-on-7s. Only a brief warmup against the scout-team defense.
Maye and the Patriots’ starting offense were thrown straight into competitive team drills versus Vrabel’s top defense and had mixed results.
Maye ripped his first pass for a completion to Kayshon Boutte on an out route versus Carlton Davis, then missed Boutte on a slant, found Stefon Diggs underneath on a shallow cross and misfired for Boutte on a back-shoulder throw that cornerback Alex Austin batted away.
In the next period, he hit short throws to tight end Austin Hooper and Antonio Gibson around a miss Hunter Henry that normally would have been a sack for blitzing linebacker Robert Spillane. His last three reps in that session went: deep completion to DeMario Douglas on a crosser, batted pass (Milton Williams) and another Spillane sack that negated a deep Mack Hollins catch.
Maye continued with an incompletion affected by pressure off his left side courtesy of K’Lavon Chaisson, a checkdown to Hollins after a would-be Christian Barmore sack, completed screen to Rhamondre Stevenson and overthrow of Douglas preceded by Jabrill Peppers earning his own sack as an unblocked blitzer.
After a couple hand-offs to start the final 11-on-11 period, Maye connected with Douglas on another crosser and zipped a perfect throw to Hooper down the right seam. That led to a bad pass fired behind Hollins and a short completion to Diggs after Barmore and Williams tag-teamed Maye for another sack. His last attempts went as follows: incomplete slant throw to Hollins, Hunter Henry deep down the right seam, an out-route completion to Douglas, overthrown deep ball for a well-covered Diggs, a swing pass to TreVeyon Handerson and dump-off to Henderson in the right flat against pressure.
Maye’s last snaps set up a 43-yard field goal attempt for rookie Andy Borregales.
Studs
Foxboro, MA - June 9 - Harold Landry III #2 of the New England Patriots during mini camp at Gillette Stadium. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)
Foxboro, MA - June 9 - Harold Landry III #2 of the New England Patriots during mini camp at Gillette Stadium. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)
OLB Harold Landry
It’s been close to non-stop pressure from Landry this summer. That continued Tuesday with another would-be sack of Maye, plus a separate hurry.
LB Robert Spillane
The veteran inside linebacker had two sacks a day after he intercepted two Drake Maye passes.
Duds
DL Keion White
White took a back seat to K’Lavon Chaisson in team drills, running exclusively with the second-string defense.
WR Kayshon Boutte
Boutte was the intended target on the only pass breakup of the day for the Patriots’ starting defense. He caught one of three targets.
Offensive notes
Foxboro, MA - July 29 - Running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) of the New England Patriots makes a catch against cornerback Jordan Polk (39) during Training Camp at Gillette Stadium. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)
Foxboro, MA - July 29 - Running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) of the New England Patriots makes a catch against cornerback Jordan Polk (39) during Training Camp at Gillette Stadium. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)
Top targets in team drills: WR DeMario Douglas 5/6, WR Mack Hollins 4/6, WR Stefon Diggs 4/5
Drops: N/A
Top offensive line: LT Will Campbell, LG Jared Wilson, C Garrett Bradbury, RG Mike Onwenu, RT Morgan Moses
Running backs
Get ready for a split backfield. Rhamondre Stevenson, Antonio Gibson and TreVeyon Henderson all rotated into the starting offense for carries and catches in team periods.
Henderson ripped off the longest run of practice, a pitch behind a pulling Will Campbell off the left side that would have gained 15-plus yards thanks to terrific blocking.
Stevenson’s lone target came on a screen, while Gibson hauled in a checkdown and Henderson secured the last two passes of Maye’s 2-minute drill.
It’s hard to imagine the Patriots keep a fourth running back next week, with JaMycal Hasty signing late in camp and likely being available to re-sign to the practice squad.
Wide receivers
DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins ran out as the Patriots’ top receivers for every period. Notably absent: Stefon Diggs.
Diggs worked with the starting offense and second-string unit, as did most receivers who have dealt with more injuries as a position group than most others on the roster.
Still, Diggs’ place in that pecking order is curious, especially for someone who had trouble at times separating from young cornerback DJ James. He caught four of five targets, including one in traffic where defenders pulled up.
It’s possible Diggs’ load management plan is the main reason behind his limited reps, though he did take the first reps to start every team period earlier in camp.
Mack Hollins has been a busy man. Both Maye and Joshua Dobbs like throwing at him as a 6-foot-4 target who’s unafraid to go over the middle.
To repeat once more: the new staff wants to weaponize Douglas as an intermediate and deep threat. He saw multiple targets at 10-plus yards downfield Tuesday.
No reps for Javon Baker or Ja’Lynn Polk this week make it feel increasingly likely both 2024 draft picks are let go next week.
Tight ends
Hunter Henry caught Maye’s best pass of the day, a laser down the right seam to move the offense at least 25 yards in a 2-minute situation.
Henry’s overall targets and catch numbers are down this camp, but the time and place of when Maye has targeted him are most telling: 2-minute and inside the red zone. Henry remains one of the Patriots’ most trusted targets.
The search for a No. 3 tight end might extend past next Tuesday’s cutdown date, with top backup/fullback Jack Westover missed both practices this week. Prior to last week, Westover had yet to emerge from a collection of other backups: Gee Scott, CJ Dippre and Cole Fotheringham.
Offensive line
Nice day for Will Campbell, who didn’t allow a sack during 11-on-11 periods. He allowed one, maybe two, pressures, including one against K’Lavon Chaisson.
Ben Brown appears to be making a push at left guard and his natural position, center, where he took reps in front of Drake Maye.
Neither left guard Jared Wilson or center Garrett Bradbury project as strong pass-protectors, so the tiebreaker in Brown’s battle at both positions may be who can keep Maye the cleanest inside the pocket.
Mike Onwenu uncharacteristically struggled in team periods, getting away with one hold against Milton Williams and victimized on at least one sack.
The Patriots continue to shuffle Vederian Lowe and Marcus Bryant at both tackle spots, with Demontrey Jacobs now firmly slotted as their No. 5 tackle.
Who backs up the Patriots’ three interior positions remains anyone’s guess. Cole Strange, Sidy Sow, Caedan Wallace all could seemingly make the team or any one of them could meet the chopping block next week.
Defensive notes
Christian Barmore of the New England Patriots during mini-camp at Gillette Stadium. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)
Christian Barmore of the New England Patriots during mini-camp at Gillette Stadium. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)
Top personnel during team periods: Top personnel during team periods: defensive linemen Milton Williams, Christian Barmore, Keion White, Jeremiah Pharms Jr., Khyris Tonga and Joshua Farmer; linebackers Robert Spillane, Christian Elliss, Jack Gibbens, Harold Landry and K’Lavon Chaisson; defensive backs Carlton Davis, Alex Austin, Miles Battle, DJ James, Marcus Jones, Jabrill Peppers, Jaylinn Hawkins, Craig Woodson and Marcus Epps.
Interceptions: N/A
Pass breakups: CB Alex Austin
Would-be sacks: LB Robert Spillane 2, DL Christian Barmore 1.5, OLB Harold Landry, DL Keion White, S Jabrill Peppers, DL M. Williams 0.5
Defensive linemen
Keion White has seemingly lost all momentum from the start of training camp, when he was near unstoppable. White worked exclusively with the second-team defense and hasn’t applied nearly the same pressure he did in the first couple weeks.
This was one of Christian Barmore’s best practices as a Patriot. Period.
How the Patriots leverage Barmore and Milton Williams across their defensive front may evolve into a game-by-game decision, but the extra attention they drew standing across from the Patriots’ guards allowed a couple interior blitzers to slip by the center in team drills.
Next up at defensive tackle: Khyris Tonga and fourth-round rookie Joshua Farmer.
Linebackers
Hats off to K’Lavon Chaisson. He went from second-stringer in the spring to full-time starter Tuesday. Chaisson’s embrace of a more physical game and power-rushing style has taken him to a new level.
Chaisson worked opposite Harold Landry, who looks ready for regular-season football. Landry’s first step is one of the, if not the, fastest on the team.
Robert Spillane has bounced back from a terrible joint practice in Minnesota last Thursday, following a two-pick practice with a two-sack day Tuesday.
Spillane was also active in passing lanes, nearly deflecting a slant throw from Maye that fell incomplete as the quarterback tried to thread it through traffic.
Following comments outside linebackers coach Mike Smith made before practice, keep undrafted rookie Elijah Ponder on your 53-man roster projections. Ponder is also a core special teamer, in addition to a depth player on the edge.
Defensive backs
Carlton Davis, the Patriots’ top cornerback with Christian Gonzalez still sidelined, allowed one catch on two targets where Maye wouldn’t have taken a sack. He gave up a pinpoint throw to Kayshon Boutte on a quick out route, and blanketed Stefon Diggs on a deep ball around Mack Hollins’ one-handed grab along the sideline.
Alex Austin worked opposite Davis and sometimes in the slot, where Marcus Jones took the majority of reps. Of the three, Jones allowed the most catches.
In order, the safety rotation goes Jabrill Peppers, Jaylinn Hawkins and Craig Woodson until further notice.
Peppers should thrive in the new defensive scheme, which utilizes safeties and slot defenders as blitzers far more often than the Patriots’ old system. He had one, possibly two, sacks in team drills.
Kyle Dugger, again, was nowhere to be seen with the starters.
Special teams
Another great day for the kickers. Andy Borregales and Parker Romo both went 4-of-4 on field goal attempts between 33 and 50 yards. Borregales and Romo later made attempts just beyond 40 yards to finish end-of-game situations for the offense.
Kick returners: TreVeyon Henderson, Antonio Gibson, DeMario Douglas, Jeremiah Webb, Isaiah Bolden, JaMycal Hasty, Shane Watts
Starting kick return team: Brenden Schooler, Christian Elliss, Jack Gibbens, Bradyn Swinson, Elijah Ponder, Truman Jones, Marte Mapu, Craig Woodson, Henderson/Gibson
Extra points
The Patriots will hold a walkthrough before flying to New Jersey on Wednesday for their Thursday night preseason finale against the Giants.
The team’s next practices are scheduled for Sunday, Monday and Wednesday next week.
Originally Published: August 18, 2025 at 8:27 PM EDT