NEFJ Nuggets from Patriots training camp – Day 18

FOXBOROUGH – Just two days left of training camp.

The Pats took another step forward towards their final preseason game on Sunday night in Washington with practice No. 18 on Wednesday afternoon.

There was a lot of scout team work as the defense worked off cards and began to prep for the Commanders. Drake Maye took his first reps with the 1’s, but did not throw the ball in the handful of opportunities he had. Still, he continues to impress and ascend when he was able to sling it around with the 2’s.

Here’s everything I saw from the bleachers high above the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium…

-Team stretch right at 1:00, Bourne was out there with his teammates (no helmet or pads or anything), always good to see him bringing the juice when he can. It was another long indy period lasting about 45 minutes after the stretch.

-RKK rolled in at 1:33 to check things out for a while.

-First team period got going about 10 minutes before 2:00…

*Brissett – Run Stevenson, run Stevenson, INT for Marcellas Dial Jr. intended for Thornton.
*Maye – Run Gibson, run Hasty, run Hasty (maybe Jennings), RPO slant to Boutte, run Harris, run Harris.

-Reset with Brissett getting two quick reps (both handoffs) then Zappe running some scout team stuff for the defense prepping for Washington.

-Another team period…

*Brissett – Handoff and run stuff by Bentley, batted ball by Bentley, sack (missed who), completion to KJ Osborn.
*Maye – Out to Polk, screen to Polk, incomplete deep for Polk (double coverage).
*Brissett – Pass to the flat for Gibson, run Stevenson, play action rollout and completion to Polk.
*Maye – Handoff, screen to Pop Douglas, run by Jennings, completion to Hooper (play action & he sits down in zone), outside run Jennings.

-Milton took a few reps at this point and Marcus Jones had a pick on one of the last ones.

-Quick few minutes of 1-on-1’s where receivers and RB’s already had a ball and were trying to beat the guy across from them. Keion White absolutely smoked Stevenson on one of the first reps. Polk also beat Azizi Hearn and flexed on him a bit. Good physicality all around for a few minutes.

-Onto some punt work around 2:20. Marcus Jones, Jalen Reagor, Polk, Osborn, David Wallis and Pop all received.

-7-on-7 time…

*Brissett – Out to Jaheim Bell, completion to Pop, slant to Thornton, short to Pop.
*Maye – Deep in to Osborn, PBU Brendan Schooler, completion to Hooper.
*Zappe took a few reps then back to Drake…flat for Stevenson, out to Thornton, check down to Gibson, complete to Reagor on a nice post-corner, short to Osborn.
*Milton took a few reps, didn’t chart them, but after Vederian Lowe left practice earlier, both Anfernee Jennings and Shaun Wade were banged up around this point too.

-Quick bathroom trip for this guy during some more scout team stuff for Zappe. Back for another team period at 2:50, but missed Jacoby’s reps. Saw Maye’s though…

*Maye – Handoff to Stevenson, rollout and throwback to Hooper, RPO keeper, Pop drops a deep ball (post) on an absolute dime from the rookie. Pop got a hand on it but definitely could have laid out and brought it in if it was a game. What made the throw do impressive was a terrible snap from Nick Leverett too. Maye had one more run and then Alex Austin had a PBU on a screen.

-The team worked red zone at walkthrough speed a little bit more before Joey Slye and Chad Ryland went back-and-forth to end practice. Distance ranged from 35-50ish yards…rough day for Ryland going 1-4, Slye was perfect. Feels like things have shifted where it’s now his job to lose.

-Mayo sends the guys to the hill for conditioning at 3:08.

The Pats have their final two training camp practices on Thursday and Friday before traveling to Washington on Saturday.