‘It’s Alive!’ Patriots Camp: Offense Gets Hot; Day 4 Notebook

The New England Patriots offense ventured outside of the red zone while a pair of rookies made their mark on Day 4 of training camp practices at Gillette Stadium.

FOXBORO — The New England Patriots placed a great deal of emphasis on conditioning in their return to the practice fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium on Sunday.

Just one day after hosting ex Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott for a free agent visit, the Pats looked to spark what has been a struggling offense, while also looking to make an already formidable defense even stronger. 

With the pads set to make their first appearance as part of the team’s training camp apparel on Monday, the Patriots practiced in shells and shorts on beautiful summer day in Foxboro. 

Here are some of the highlights from Day 4 of Pats training camp practices: 

Roll Call 

Sixth-round rookie receiver Kayshon Boutte and fourth-round rookie offensive lineman Jake Andrews were absent form practice, each respectively marking his first missed camp session.   

After missing Friday’s practice due to the brith of his new child, defensive back Christian Barmore returned to practice. 

Hybrid runner/receiver Ty Montgomery remained absent, as he continues to tend to an ankle injury. Montgomery’s status remains “day to day,” per coach Bill Belichick. 

As has bene the case since the start of camp last 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. 

Quarterback Snapshot

Mac Jones completed 10 of 14 passes in 11-on-11 team drills, with the focus shifting away from the red zone. Despite some issues with evading pressure in the red zone, Jones was able to finally connect with tight end Mike Gesicki on two “touchdown” passes in the open field. The Pats starter fared much better in the two-minute drill segments, connecting on scoring strike in short-yardage to receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, while running in another. Jones celebrated his rushing touchdown with a brief, yet crowd-pleasing rendition of the ‘Griddy’ dance.

Bailey Zappe connected on 12 of 16 passes, turning in perhaps his best practice of camp to date. The Western Kentucky product tossed two aesthetically-pleasing touchdown passes to receivers Tre Nixon, Jalen Hurd, as well as a throw slightly behind rookie Demario Douglas, which the Liberty product athletically caught over cornerback Marcus Jones in coverage. The second-year quarterback threw the afternoon’s only interception, a pass intended for tight end Scotty Washington picked by defensive back Jalen Mills in the end zone. 

Lastly, Trace McSorley also saw his largest sample size of action this week, completing 9 of 11 throws during team drills. 

Offense Observations

Having worked almost exclusively in tight scoring windows for the past three practices, the Pats offense ventured out of the red zone for team drills. In their best camp performance, the offense stretched the field, with both Gesicki and receiver Tyquan Thornton earning their first catches during organized team drills. Both Jones and Zappe operated with greater freedom and accuracy, allowing the unit to exhibit a true rhythm.

Rookie Demario Douglas continues to look like New England’s “diamond in the rough” within the 2023 Draft class. The rookie’s agility and athleticism has been on full display thus far. Despite his 5-8, 180-pound frame, he projects as a solid slot receiving prospect. Douglas displays a knack of anticipating the manner in which his defenders attack him. Yet, even more of an impressive surprise has been the skill he has shown to evade tacklers when he has the ball in his hands in open space. Douglas’ acceleration and speed has been an asset against the Pats defenders, and might be his best weapon against teams which mistakenly play him in soft coverage. 

For the second consecutive practice, veteran offenisve lineman Conor McDermott aligned at right tackle, seeing the majority of his time with the starters. Free agent acquisition Riley Reiff had taken those snaps during the first two sessions last week. McDermott, who was a standout performer for New England during OTAs, will be a player to watch during padded practices. 

Defense Observations

Marte Mapu made his presence felt at linebacker by earning consecutive would-be sacks of Mac Jones during 11s. During New England’s four camp sessions so far, Mapu has demonstrated his versatility by lining up in various spots on the field, including an off-the-ball role next to Ja’Whaun Bentley, and the deep safety spot a few times as well. With padded practices set to begin, Mapu’s aggression and physical style of play will be put to the test. 

Per usual, New England’s defensive backfield was the best unit during Sunday’s session. Rookie Christian Gonzalez broke up a “would be” touchdown pass from Jones to Smith-Schuster. Jack Jones, getting his first camp looks with the starting unit, also contributed a pass breakup. In addition to earning the day’s only pick, Jalen Mills saw time at free safety, along with Adrian Phillips. 

Up Next

The Patriots are expected to hold their first padded practice on Monday at 9:45 a.m.

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