FOXBOROUGH – The Pats were back on the practice field late Sunday afternoon after having a couple days off following the first preseason game against Houston.
With joint practices set for Green Bay this week and preseason game No. 2 in Lambeau on Saturday, the team only went for about 45 minutes to an hour. Here’s what we saw from one end of the lower practice field (no hill today)…
-With practices now closed to the public, the players brought their own energy during stretch period. I also happened to catch Damascus Mitchell launching a missile to one of the assistants during the warmup period. if things don’t work out with Mac, Zappe, McSorley or Cunningham they might have an ace up their sleeve with the big man.
-Just seconds after starting indy period, lightning came and the skies opened forcing the team back inside for about 45 minutes as reporters went to the media workroom or waited it out in their cars.
-New absence for Pierre Strong today. Cole Strange was back, but I didn’t see him do much. Jonathan Jones, Ty Montgomery, Bill Murray, Mike Onwenu, Cody Davis, and Trey Flowers didn’t practice as well.
-Once we were able to get back out there, the team was working on 11-on-11 stuff down by the far end zone. Malik Cunningham was not in a red non-contact QB jersey, but did get more reps along with Mac down there, taking his before Zappe took his. This might be an early-in-his-career Kordell Stewart situation where it starts with some packages for him and then grows. At this point, if he continues to impress the rest of the preseason, you strongly have to consider making him the backup and Zappe the emergency QB, just so you can get him into games.
-Mac thew an absolute dime to Mike Gesicki down the left sideline, the first of two big completions between the two today. It was at this point I agreed to another 12+ TD bet from him, this time with Brian Hines from SB Nation/Pats Pulpit. I believe.
-During various kickoff work it was Marcus Jones and Kayshon Boutte back there (I may have missed someone else on the far end away from us) but it feels like it’s probably Marcus Jones’ job and then everybody else at this point.
-More 11-on-11 a bit later on. Mac’s drive went screen to Gesicki, handoff Stevenson, quick slant Gesicki, Kyle Dugger blows up a bubble screen, another big completion to Gesicki down the left sideline, overthrow on a deep ball to Gesicki with Peppers and Phillips. Zappe went quick out to Anthony Firkser, out to Demario Douglas, quick slant to Bourne, quick slant to Firkser, throw away.
-Nick Folk hit a field goal from 40 and continues to get all the “real” kicks in practice for some mind blowing reason.
-More kickoff work and another field goal from Folk from 40-ish yards before 11-on-11 in the red zone.
-Interestingly, Mac and Cunningham switched off on snaps here against the majority of the “one’s” defense. Mac hit Hunter Henry for a TD in the back of the end zone and deVante Parker made a great leaping grab in the back right corner of the end zone against Jack Jones. Mac also had a play action TD to Bourne and another to Henry. Henry punted the ball towards the stadium after as he and Mac celebrated. Cunningham’s reps were mostly runs. Zappe got minimal reps in this period with the “threes.”
-Flowers was off by himself getting work in on the sleds while this was going on. Hopefully, he’s ready to go Week 1.
-One two minute drive for both Mac and Zappe closed out the day. Mac’s drive ended with Christian Gonzalez intercepting a pass in the back right corner intended for JuJu Smith-Schuster, high pointing the ball and coming down with it. Zappe’s drive wasn’t much better but ended with a final Folk field goal.
Overall, it wasn’t a huge workload day again. The team will (probably?) be in pads on Monday before departing for Green Bay. The joint practices are ultimately a going to be a huge litmus test for the Pats this week and I’d guess we see the starters in the preseason game. We’re still in the dog days a bit here, but the light at the end of the tunnel that is the regular season is getting closer and closer.