Patriots Training Camp: Boutte’s Brilliant Catch, Demario Dazzles; Day 11 Notebook

New England Patriots rookie receivers Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas continue to steal the show at Pats training camp. Can it carry over into their preseason debut against the Texans?

FOXBORO — Neither rain, nor suspect protection from their offensive line could stop New England Patriots receiver Kayshon Boutte during Monday’s training camp practice. 

The Pats sixth-round rookie turned in the highlight of the day by hauling in a fully-extended, one-armed catch while falling backward into the end zone on a pass from … quarterback Malik Cunningham? 

Yes, it was that kind of day in southern New England on Monday. 

Taking solace in having read that correctly, the Patriots upped the practice ante on Monday by holding a pseudo-scrimmage, complete with NFL referees, to provide a more authentic feel as the Pats prepare for their first preseason matchup against the Houston Texans at 7 p.m. on Thursday at Gillette Stadium.

Here are a few additional highlights from the Pats 11th training camp practice from a rain-riddled Foxboro, Mass.

Roll Call

Cornerback Jonathan Jones, guard Cole Strange, swing lineman Bill Murray, running back/receiver Ty Montgomery and special teams captain Matthew Slater did not participate in practice. 

After sitting out Sunday’s session, center David Andrews returned to practice in full pads. Left tackle Trent Brown saw greater action on Monday, but was still a limited participant. 

Offensive tackle Calvin Anderson remains on the non-football illness list (NFI), while right guard Micheal Onwenu and safety Cody Davis continue their respective stays on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

Quarterback Snapshot

Mac Jones completed 12 of 18 passes during team drills. Jones looked uncomfortable at times under the protection of what was still a makeshift offensive line. Still, the 24-year-old turned in an overall solid performance. His best throw came on a 35-yard completion to DeVante Parker, in which he once again made the jumping catch over cornerback Isaiah Bolden and safety Adrian Phillips. 

Bailey Zappe connected on 11 of 20 passes with one interception, mostly in work with the second-team defense. Zappe once again struggled with both accuracy and comfort level during team drills. He was intercepted by cornerback Marcus Jones on a deep ball attempt to find receiver Raleigh Webb. However, Zappe threw behind him. 

Trace McSorley saw limited action with the third-team offense going 0 for 2 in his pass attempts. Despite the reduction in work during tea drills, he has still been the Pats primary worker with the scout team. 

Malik Cunningham, who had aligned mostly at receiver, as well as some select special teams packages, finally saw some action with the third-team offense. Cunningham completed 3 of 6 during 11-on-11 drills, including a connection to rookie receiver Kayshon Boutte, which is being heralded as “the catch” of camp, to date.  

Offense Observations

While rookie receiver Demario Douglas continues to stand out in team drills, he has also been among the most impressive players on offense when participating in one-on-one padded drills. Douglas particularly has showcased his combination of strength and speed by making an impressive catch on a short-out route with fellow speedster Marcus Jones in coverage. Though the rain looked to hamper some of the Pats receivers [both JuJu Smith-Schuster and Kendrick Bourne had notable drops,] the Liberty product was the most consistent standout among the Pats group of receivers. Both he and Boutte appear primed to see notable minutes during Thursday’s game against the Texans. 

As much of the starting offensive line remains either sidelined or limited, the Pats quarterbacks collectively found themselves under duress for much of the day. The Patriots o-line packages surrendered six “would-be” sacks on both Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe combined, while being whistled for four penalty flags. 

Defense Observations

The Patriots secondary once again proved their prowess by rising less-than-ideal weather conditions. In addition to Marcus Jones’ interception, Jack Jones continued to showcase his ability to draw a bead on the football. Jones has been credited [per tracker Mark Daniels of MassLive] with seven pass break-ups thus far, the most of any cornerback in training camp. 

In addition to providing optimal shutdown coverage along the perimeter, rookie corner Christian Gonzalez reminded Pats fans and media alike of his speed. Gonzalez drew the assignment of covering speedy wideout Tyquan Thornton, on whom the Oregon provided blanket coverage, while remaining in lock-step pursuit during team drills. 

Up Next:  

The Patriots will return to the practice fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium at 1 p.m. on Tuesday for their 12th training camp practice.

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