Patriots Camp: Big Day for Boutte, Mac, Zappe; Day 7 Notebook

After losing the majority of their previous rounds, the New England Patriots offense finally scored a decisive victory over the defense during their seventh training camp practice.

FOXBORO — Following a scaled-down session on Tuesday, the New England Patriots were back in action for their eight practice of training camp.

Not only did the Pats practice in full pads, but they also participated in one-on-one drills for the first time this season. Offensive lineman Riley Reiff and Sidy Sow provided optimism for those seeking marked improvement along the Pats o-line, while rookie Keion White reminded everyone that the team’s defense has all the tools to be a formidable force. 

Still, the story of the day was New England’s offense, which was the better of the two units by a comfortable margin. 

Here are a few of the day’s highlights from another sunny and comfortable morning in Foxboro. 

Roll Call

Offensive lineman Cole Strange, hybrid runner/receiver Ty Montgomery and linebacker Terez Hall were once again absent from practice. 

Despite having been limited participants for a significant portion of camp practices, left tackle Trent Brown and running back Rhamondre Stevenson were present and wearing full pads. However, shortly after warmups began, both Brown and Stevenson headed to the conditioning field, as did receiver Tyquan Thornton. 

Linebacker Matthew Judon, who has also been limited, was present, but neither dressed in pads nor participated beyond warmups on Wednesday. 

Offensive tackle Michael Onwenu and special teamer Cody Davis — who remain on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list — and offensive tackle Calvin Anderson— who continued his time on the non-football illness (NFI) list — were also absent and have yet to practice with the team during camp.

Quarterback Snapshot

The Pats quarterbacks put on a mid-week show, which featured some of their best collective work to date. 

Mac Jones completed 13 of 15 during team drills, with a handful of scoring strikes to receivers DeVante Parker and JuJu Smith-Schuster, as well as tight end Hunter Henry.  Jones’ best throw of the session came on a jump-ball completion to Parker for 18 yards. Jones not only demonstrated pinpoint control on this throw, but also in several short and intermediate yard gains. Jones continues to show greater command of the offense with each passing day, especially with Bill O’Brien allowing Jones more control at the line of scrimmage. He was equally effective in the red zone, completing 3 of 4, with two “touchdown” passes coming under pressure. 

Bailey Zappe was not to be outdone, turning in his best performance of the summer. Zappe connected on 11 of 13, including a 35-yard completion to receiver Tre Nixon with cornerback Jack Jones providing coverage. The Western Kentucky product seemed to sense his need to elevate his game, and clearly did so on Wednesday. Despite taking a “would-be” sack during red zone drills, Zappe delivered a solid day on the field. 

Trace McSorley also looked sharp in his completions, connecting on 6 of 8 in team drills. McSorley threw the day’s only interception to rookie cornerback Isaiah Bolden. The Pats seventh-rounder showcased his athleticism by diving to pick off the pass intended for new Pats receiver Thyrick Pitts. Just one play earlier, Pitts caught his first pass in a Patriots practice uniform from McSorley over the middle. 

Offense Observations

Though New England’s offense has shown flashes of its potential at various points throughout camp, they had yet to put together a stellar performance from start to finish … until Wednesday morning. 

The Pats not only enjoyed a standout day from both quarterbacks, but their pass catchers also consistently won their battles in team drills, as well as one-on-one exercises. New England’s pass catchers appear to be aware of the negative media coverage surrounding them, and responded in a big way. Both Parker and Smith-Schuster injected a bit of much-needed swagger into their step, while Henry continues to be Jones’ most-trusted target. 

With Thornton seeing his most of his work on the conditioning field, rookie receiver Kayshon Boutte took full advantage of his opportunity. The LSU product — still wearing the shoulder pads he donned as a member of the Tigers — won both of his one-on-one reps against cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Jonathan Jones. Boutte also shined in 11-on-11 drills, connecting with Mac Jones on a 15-yard strike along the sideline. Though injuries and engagement questions cloaked his final college season in uncertainty, Boutte showed that his dynamic skill set translates well at the pro level.   

Defense Observations

Despite the offense getting their first “win” of the training camp battles, the defense had plenty of “sharp-eye” worthy highlights. 

The starting unit had their best stretch in the red zone by first breaking up a play-action pass, then stopping running back Kevin Harris in consecutive goal-line runs during 11s. After having surrendered a few big plays to the Pats passing offense, the team’s top preventive demonstrated their resilience, while showcasing both tenacity and strength. Middle linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley was a key component in the defense’s goal-line stand, in both recognizing the read and coordinating his teammates placement on the field. 

New England’s rookie defenders continued to perform at a high level, with linebacker Marte Mapu and defensive end Keion White making plays against the second-team offense. Mapu contributed a pass breakup, while Isaiah Bolden showed off his skills by breaking up a pass, along with the aforementioned interception. Christian Gonzalez provided tight coverage throughout the day, but struggled a bit when matched up with receiver DeVante Parker. 

Up Next: 

The Patriots will return to the practice fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday for their eighth training camp practice.

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