New England Patriots
Three straight interceptions made a rough ending during the two-minute drill portion of practice.
Drake Maye during Patriots training camp. AP Photo/Charles Krupa
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Drake Maye, offense finish strong and other takeaways from Day 9 of Patriots training camp
FOXBOROUGH – Thursday’s Patriots practice ended on a high note for the defense after the secondary produced three interceptions during team drills late in the day.
Drake Maye was picked off twice in a row — once when Marcus Jones jumped a short pass to Kayshon Boutte, and again when Kevin Byard made a play on a throw to Hunter Henry in the end zone. John Saunders then intercepted a pass from Tommy DeVito.
Before that, Maye had completed the bulk of his short passing attempts and had a couple of overthrows on deeper routes. It was a rough end to a shaky day for the quarterback.
Left tackle Will Campbell was a limited participant. He was wearing a brace on his arm and he was not available for team drills. Carlton Davis and Romeo Doubs remained out.
Christian Gonzalez and A.J. Brown continued to display competitiveness during their matchup, making plays and jawing back and forth as they continue to push each other.
Here are five takeaways from the action.
A surprise at left tackle
With Campbell out, the Patriots had Marcus Bryant taking first team reps at left tackle. Bryant, a 6-foot-7, 320-pound swing tackle in his second season, played just 19 offensive snaps last season as a rookie.
New England turned to Vederian Lowe last year when Campbell went down with an MCL injury. Campbell eventually returned after being sidelined for several weeks.
The most interesting piece about Bryant’s reps on Thursday was that it was him instead of first-round pick Caleb Lomu. Lomu played left tackle in college, but the Patriots kept him working with the second-team at right tackle on Thursday while Bryant filled in for Campbell.
Lomu has worked in at a variety of positions this summer — both tackle spots, and a little jumbo tight end. Coach Mike Vrabel said Lomu will also play some guard at some point this summer.
This was Campbell’s first absence of training camp. Seeing Bryant at left tackle instead of Lomu seemed noteworthy.
Gonzalez, Brown go at it
Brown and Gonzalez have leaned into their matchup, not just competing hard but also talking back and forth.
There was a moment where the pair nearly had to be separated after a particularly spirited discussion.
“I was just trying to pull A.J. out [of the situation],” Boutte said. “On to the next. I heard him say something about ‘you’re a grown man’ so I just let it go before it got to far.”
Gonzalez said the competitiveness has been helpful as both players prepare for the season.
“It’s good on good,” Gonzalez said. “He’s a No. 1 receiver in this league going up against a No. 1 corner. That’s how it’s going to go. It’s football at the end of the day. There’s never disrespect or anything. We’re just battling and getting each other better.”
“He’s going to face corners like that who are going to yap at him and try to get in his head and I’m going to face receivers like that who are strong and will come right back at me, so it’s great work for the both of us.”
Maye struggles at the end
The difficult ending to practice wasn’t entirely Maye’s fault, Boutte said, but the mistakes came at the end when the Patriots were practicing two-minute drills. The pressure was on, and the defense stepped up.
“It’s a two-minute situation,” Boutte said. “Obviously you’re trying to win the game, so three interceptions we can’t fully blame the quarterback.”
“We can take accountability on the route alignments and stuff like that. It takes all 11 (players), not just one man but as an offense we’ve got to be better.”
Boutte said Jones made a great play to get under him for the interception. Byard, who led the NFL in interceptions last year, snagged his first one of training camp.
Maye completed his first three passes of the drive, including a completion to Brown for a decent gain. But his final two throws wound up in the defense’s hands.
Jacas continues to prorgess
Rookie linebacker Gabe Jacas received a handful of first-team reps on Thursday, with Dre’Mont Jones and Elijah Ponder also getting looks with the starters on the edge.
Jacas is still working through his return to play plan, and the Patriots are a week away from their preseason opener against Indianapolis.
Being on the field is key for the rookie who missed OTAs and minicamp. Being out there with the first teamers, even in a limited capacity, seems like a step in the right direction.
Returner pairings
The Patriots are continuing to work through their plan for who will return kicks this season.
On Thursday, there were two returner pairings that seemed to get the bulk of the reps: Lan Larrison and Efton Chism, along with Kyle Williams and Terrell Jennings.
Jennings recently returned from a brief stint on the NFI list. Williams has appeared to slide down the depth chart early in camp, but his speed may cause the Patriots to give him another look as a returner.
Larrison is battling with Jennings, Jam Miller, and Myles Montgomery for the third running back spot. Both Chism and Williams made the 53-man roster last year. Williams had more opportunities at receiver, playing in all 17 games and catching 10 of his 21 targets.
Kick returner was Chism’s primary role last year. He led the Patriots in kick return attempts (16) and yards (383) last season. Williams was third in both categories (11 attempts, 290 yards). Williams had the higher average in yards per return with 26.4 compared to Chism’s 23.9.
Khari A. Thompson
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
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