Patriots defense excels while offense struggles and other key observations from joint practice with the Eagles
FOXBOROUGH – The New England Patriots had their most important practice of the preseason on Tuesday, hosting the Philadelphia Eagles for a joint practice. Throughout the past few weeks, it's been clear that the defense didn't miss a beat and will continue to dominate. And while the offense has made some steady improvements, going up […]
FOXBOROUGH – The New England Patriots had their most important practice of the preseason on Tuesday, hosting the Philadelphia Eagles for a joint practice.
Throughout the past few weeks, it's been clear that the defense didn't miss a beat and will continue to dominate. And while the offense has made some steady improvements, going up against a top-tier defense like the Eagles showcased how much more work is needed.
A to Z Sports was at Gillette Stadium for the entire session, so let's get into some key takeaways.
1. Patriots have something special in Ja'Lynn Polk
After last season, it was clear that the Patriots needed some additional offensive weapons. And despite their efforts in free agency, the team looked towards the draft to remedy this.
Enter former Washington star Ja'Lynn Polk.
The rookie receiver has had a great camp, proving to be a very reliable presence on the field.
And during joint practice, he had one key play that had everyone impressed. And we also have to shout out rookie quarterback Drake Maye, who placed the ball perfectly for Polk.
2. Patriots O-Line couldn't hold their own against Eagles D-Line
The offensive line has been and continues to be an area of concern for the New England Patriots heading into the 2024 season.
And it was even more apparent when they were forced to go up against the Eagles talented defensive line.
It was the Eagles pass rush that was able to blow through the line with way too much ease.
The Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan specifically calculated exactly how many "sacks" Philadelphia recorded.
"#Patriots QBs got "sacked" on (11) of 48 dropbacks in team periods today against the Eagles," Callahan wrote. "An uncool 20.8% of the time."
3. FIGHT
Things got a little chippy during kickoff drills, leading to a situation on the field.
Things started to build after Anfernee Jennings knocked an Eagles returner to the ground, and Philadelphia's sideline was not happy.
Afterwards, Joshua Uche got hit late on one of the plays and appeared to get into it with TE E.J. Jenkins.
From there, the entire Eagles sideline rushed over. But no punches were thrown and there were no ejections.
But Thursday will be interesting considering Mayo said that if a player is involved in a fight, there will be consequences. As he stated, if you're a starter, you're playing the entire preseason game. If you're not, you're not playing in the preseason game.
4. Austin Hooper bounces back after rough play
With Hunter Henry sidelined, it has meant that tight end Austin Hooper has been getting the majority of reps in practice. But during one of the red zone drills, Brissett's pass hit off Hooper's hands and bounced out, allowing for Eagles linebacker Zach Baun to grab it for the interception.
However, he was able to bounce back with a touchdown pass in the back of the end zone over Eagles CB Avonte Maddox. And Hooper also drew a defensive hold during the 11-v-11 drills.
5. Christian Barmore makes an appearance
For the first time since being diagnosed with blood clots, Christian Barmore made an appearance during joint practice. The defensive tackle came out in a sweatshirt and shorts, watching from the sidelines.
And Davon Godchaux explained that this was the first time the team had seen him since the diagnosis.
6. No snaps for Maye with starting O-Line
Jerod Mayo said that Drake Maye would get a lot more time this week after only playing one drive in the team's first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers.
But one thing that really stood out was that despite getting a ton of reps in joint practice, he didn't get any time with the starting offensive line. And that was probably the reason for his rough end to practice where he was sacked over and over again.
But considering he wasn't playing with the starters, the rookie still had some promising moments.
7. Very little time for Zappe and Milton
At the very end of practice, Joe Milton III and Bailey Zappe got a few team reps. But for the most part it was all Maye and Brissett.
8. QB Stats
11v11s
Brissett: 12/24, 2 INT
Maye: 6/12
7v7s
Brissett: 5/6
Maye: 6/6
9. Highlight catch for Javon Baker
Maye hit Baker deep along the right sideline during a 7-on-7 drill against Eagles CB Avonte Maddox. It was an impressive over-the-shoulder grab.
During that period, Maye finished 6/6 and managed to connect with six different receivers.
10. Pass Rush looked solid against Eagles OL
The Patriots pass rush was putting a lot of pressure on the Eagles offensive line and because of that, quarterback Jalen Hurts had to leave the pocket a few times to try and avoid a sack.
After practice, Lane Johnson spoke about going up against the Patriots defenders.
"They're stout and very strong," Eagles tackle Lane Johnson said. "(Jabrill) Peppers smacked a couple of guys to get things going early. They do a good job moving guys around and they take advantage of matchups. If you're not real sound with your technique they're going to take advantage."
