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That message didn’t quite get through to the team, as Vrabel’s Patriots were outscored 13-3 during the 2nd half en route to a 20-13 loss.

“It’s frustrating,” Vrabel said postgame. “We have to understand how sometimes these games are going to go… We had too many missed opportunities, too many penalties, the turnover, and things that didn’t take advantage of bad football, and then were able to have bad football ourselves.”

New England got off to an anemic start, allowing a six-play, 66-yard touchdown drive before going three-and-out. The defense seized momentum with an interception on the next drive, and the offense paid off their effort with a 12-play scoring drive. The Raiders’ offense would punt on each of its next three drives, but the Patriots’ offense went on to miss a 40-yard field goal, make a 35-yarder, then go three-and-out on a botched end-of-half situation.

The second half got off to a promising start, with Drake Maye and company marching towards Las Vegas territory. But a protection lapse contributed to a Maye pick, and like the Patriots earlier in the game, the Raiders turned the takeaway into six points. Las Vegas then sandwiched a pair of field goal drives between punts, while New England kicked a desperate field goal before failing to secure an onside kick.

“They mixed in some pressure and a little bit of mixed coverage,” Vrabel said of his offense’s 2nd-half struggles. “But again, give them credit. We’ll have to come back and we’ll have to be better and more balanced and be able to run the football without making it 1st-and-20. We overcame some of those, but it was just too difficult. Again, it’s a start. Not the one that we wanted. We’ve got a long way to go, and we’re going to be resolved to get it fixed, and the people that are here are going to be committed to getting it fixed together.”

The Patriots finished the game with nine penalties for 70 yards, including multiple holds and special teams infractions. The offense went 1-3 in the Red Zone while going 4-14 on third downs, and the run game averaged just 3.3 yards on 18 carries. The defense sacked Geno Smith four times, held Ashton Jeanty to a 2.0-yard average on 19 runs, and gave up five conversions on 13 on third downs, but they also allowed 362 passing yards (including 103 receiving yards to Brock Bowers) missed too many tackles, and failed to make some key stops.

“We’ll see what kind of football team we have, what kind of leaders we have, to be able to come back in here and get to work. I think that’ll be the true test. We always talk about culture and everything else. We’ll see where we’re at as a culture and as a team and if we have guys that want to work and stick together. It’ll be a big challenge to do that.”

With the Patriots showing they still have a long way to go before returning to legitimacy, here are three players who impressed and three who disappointed against the Raiders.

3 UP

Harold Landry

Many were skeptical of Harold Landry’s ability to rush the passer after a down 2024. The first-time captain responded by posting 2.5 sacks in his first game with New England.

Landry’s first sack may have been more of a clean-up effort, and his last came on a loop inside where Milton Williams drew extra attention, but the edge rusher also had some decisive wins. Jaylinn Hawkins’ sack was due in part to a quick win from Landry against D.J. Glaze, and Landry beat the right tackle again on a bull rush for his second sack.

K'Laivon Chaisson and Harold Landry sack Geno once again pic.twitter.com/PqJcJiu2Q5

— Ben Brown (@BenBrownPL) September 7, 2025

Landry also made an impact in the run game, combined with Craig Woodson for a tackle for loss to end the first quarter.

Kayshon Boutte

Kayshon Boutte was one of the Patriots’ most pleasant surprises this summer, becoming a reliable security blanket in critical moments. That offseason work translated in the season opener, as Boutte finished with six catches on eight targets for 103 yards.

Whoa what a catch by Boutte pic.twitter.com/gBWMIEox5w

— Ben Brown (@BenBrownPL) September 7, 2025

Each of Boutte’s 1st half catches came in long yardage situations, including 24 yards on a 3rd & 10 and a pair of 2nd & 15 conversions. Boutte also hauled in two well-executed back-shoulder fades along the sidelines, and he came back into the game after suffering an injury early.

Carlton Davis

Carlton Davis lived up to his contract in place of Christian Gonzalez, most notably causing Jaylinn Hawkins‘ interception by tipping a throw to Brock Bowers.

TIP DRILL HAWK

: CBS pic.twitter.com/UY2qa7K1iq

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 7, 2025

Davis almost got a pick of his own after diagnosing a dig on 3rd & 20, and he helped set up Marcus Jones on a third down stop by aggressively triggering against a screen. The veteran’s only glaring lapse was allowing Donte Thornton to get behind him on 3rd & 20 during the Raiders’ final possession, and he still forced the receiver to make a tough catch.

3 DOWN

Drake Maye

Maye had his moments, including highlighted by a 3rd & 10 dig to Kayshon Boutte, a back-shoulder seam to Hunter Henry, and a drop in the bucket on DeMario Douglas‘ touchdown. Unfortunately, Maye’s sporadic accuracy remains a significant concern, contributing to an 80.6 passer rating.

The sophomore was amped up on the Patriots’ first drive, passing up an open Stefon Diggs for a one-yard scramble before sailing a third down throw to Douglas. Maye would go on to miss Douglas badly just before the receiver’s score, deliver a high ball to Henry that was nearly picked, throw behind Rhamondre Stevenson while trying to flick a checkdown, and miss over the middle to Mack Hollins. Maye also came close to losing two fumbles, including a scramble where Maxx Crosby chased him down, and may have walked into a sack.

Maye was hit on his interception, which clearly affected his throw, so I give him some grace there. He was also hitting his stride before the turnover, and a more balanced plan and play-calling would go a long way in making the quarterback’s life easier. That said, his failure to consistently take what was there at times is concerning and must improve moving forward.

Tackling

The Patriots were expected to at the very least be consistent tacklers under Vrabel. That wasn’t the case against the Raiders, particularly down the spine of the defense. Veterans Robert Spillane, Christian Elliss, and Jaylinn Hawkins appeared to miss multiple tackles.

These gaffs contributed to Jakobi Meyers‘ 97 yards on eight catches, and while Jeanty was kept in check, his touchdown was a prime example of insufficient tackling on what should’ve been a run stuff.

Special Teams

Coordinator Jeremy Springer’s group came up short in multiple phases this afternoon.

Both of Dylan Laube’s kick returns went for over 30 yards, including the first return of the game.

Andy Borregales made his second field goal attempt, but missed his first in a continuation of what was an up-and-down end to the summer.

Bryce Baringer was called out by Vrabel for punting just 21 yards and out of bounds on 4th & 10 with 4.53 left (though the call was still fairly questionable). Baringer ended the game averaging just over 40 yards per punt.

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“I look at press as kind of disrespectful, but I love the press… If a cornerback wanna get handsy, then we can do it. I’m not shying away from no contact.”

Boutte also opens up about his Louisiana roots, favorite home-cooked meals, and go-to NBA 2K team, offering fans a candid look at the player and the person.

Kayshon Boutte does NOT LACK confidence

“Confidence really helps you excel –– I think when you have that mentality that you want the ball, you just gotta make the catches.”@tkyles39‘s EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW w/ Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte is OUT NOW: https://t.co/G991muXceG pic.twitter.com/bBGdUCgYAX

— Patriots on CLNS (@PatriotsCLNS) September 5, 2025

EPISODE TIMELINE
0:00 – Welcoming Kayshon Boutte
0:26 – Boutte on improving conditioning and reporting in better shape
1:14 – Breaking down usage and responsibilities across WR spots
2:01 – Boutte’s mentality vs. press and off-man coverage
2:45 – Explaining his speed and winning on the deep ball
3:12 – Why confidence drives him in end-of-half situations
3:49 – Fun Q&A: Louisiana roots, food, cooking, NBA 2K, and life advice

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Here’s a look at attendance, Mike Vrabel’s most notable soundbites from his pre-practice press conference, and my thoughts on today’s Red Zone-heavy session.

Attendance

Tweet of the Day

Drake Maye to rookie Kyle Williams touchdown in 1 on 1’s.
–@CLNSMedia #Patriots #NFL pic.twitter.com/CNgtKlHJ6Y

— Patriots on CLNS (@PatriotsCLNS) August 14, 2025

Mike Vrabel’s Top Quotes of Note

On his impression of the first joint practice: “These practices are like a game – we’ve said that. There’s ups and downs. We hit some plays. They hit some plays. There’s an intermission, and again, there’s a break with special teams and then you – usually a two-minute situation at the end. So, we were able to make a play at the two-minute situation and kind of the same thing defensively. They hit some plays. We were able to have some good plays, and again, just looking for some consistency. And I think what they do defensively is a great challenge for us. To come up here without any real practice or any look and be able to have some good plays, and again, some plays that we have to improve on, but I think it’s a good start.”

On Drake Maye’s performance in the first joint practice: “I thought he did well. It’s easy to go into blender when you’re seeing a bunch of this stuff and kind of scrambling and turning one less than favorable play into a real shit storm. So, I didn’t see that. I thought he was able to process. And we didn’t execute all the time, but I didn’t see any panic from him. I thought he was able to communicate and get the things that he wanted and then hit some plays because of it. When we blocked him, we were able to make some plays and then we’ll just have to try to see what happens today and continue to go from there.”

On how Will Campbell fared against Jonathan Greenard: “Had some good plays and had some plays where he got beat inside. These are going to happen to young offensive linemen, so we’re not going to sit and evaluate every practice. I’ll let you guys do that, and we’ll go from there and just keep trying to improve.”

On if losing inside has been a repeat problem for Will Campbell: “Well, it’s come up with all of them. I don’t think that that’s just to single him out. We have to be firm in the middle and we have to stay inside-out and the quarterback has to transfer up into the pocket. So, those are all things that have to go hand-in-hand. We’ve talked about, it’s hard to block edge rushers if you give them a three-way go, which is inside over the top of you or around the edge, and then we have to force them around the edge and the quarterback has to transfer up into the pocket, and in order to do that, you have to be firm in the middle of the pocket. So, all those things have to come together. And when they do, it looks pretty good. And then when there’s breakdowns in those, or we’re not helping the guy next to us in pass rush games, or we don’t get open fast enough, there’s one thing after another.”

On WR coach Todd Downing saying you can’t confuse results with process: I don’t think that it has. I thought that, again, there’s days where the ball doesn’t find you. There’s one football. There’s five eligible receivers. The quarterback decides where he wants to go with the ball. No different than Kyle Williams. Kyle Williams is working extremely hard. Ball hasn’t really found him. He’s been open. There’s been separation. I’m not sure which day Todd said that, but the other day in the red zone, I thought that Stefon factored and looked good and keeps getting better, so I don’t think that that’s going to be always the case, right? As far as there’s a – Terrell mentioned this. Terrell Williams said this one time, ‘you can make the play without making a tackle, right?’ And that was something that you have to teach defensive linemen, is when they start trying to make a bunch of tackles, maybe they start hurting some of the people behind them and the fits and everything else because they’re trying to make a tackle, where there’s ways to do their job and really contribute to the defense without ever getting a stat. And those plays will come, just make the ones that you’re supposed to make. And I really equate that to, really, every position. But you asked about receiver, and then again, everybody wants to catch the ball, and everybody wants to score touchdowns, and those will come, and that’ll happen, and maybe on that particular day in which Todd said that, there wasn’t a ton of production from that practice day. I’m not really sure when he said that, but there’s other ways to be successful and do your job and help us win. That’s the most important thing.

On what Craig Woodson has shown: “He keeps, I think, getting better. I think he keeps learning, each day, some of the different techniques that maybe he didn’t use as much at Cal. I’ve seen him tackle. I think the special teams stuff was good. I think throwing himself in there into the fire on some of the special teams stuff was good to see. So, continue to see where he’s at just from his physicality and kind of go from there.”

On potentially moving Kyle Dugger to linebacker: “Yeah, I mean, we would consider anything to try to help the football team and help the player. That’s everything we want to try to do, is help every player earn a role and build a football team.”

Drake Maye Impresses Despite Dominant Day for Vikings

The Vikings decisively beat the Patriots during today’s joint practice.

Drake Maye stood out with one of his best performances this summer, but his supporting cast and defense struggled against Minnesota. The quarterback didn’t have any egregious misses or throws into bad looks, and the offense was humming when he had time and open targets. During 7-on-7s in the red zone, his most notable throws included finding Stefon Diggs in the back of the end one on his second read, hitting DeMario Douglas over the middle with three defenders in the area, and throwing away from coverage on a diving Kayshon Boutte grab near the sideline.

Things got rocky during red zone 11-on-11s, where Maye was under consistent pressure and had seemingly minimal options. Maye’s first three completions were short throws to Antonio Gibson and a screen to Douglas, and he scrambled on four of six plays midway through the period. Maye got back on track late with three scores to his tight ends, finding Hunter Henry wide open in the flat, hitting Henry on an 0ff-platform throw against an unblocked Jonathan Allen, and completing a tight-window throw over the middle to Austin Hooper. The quarterback also scrambled for a touchdown on his final series. Still, the pressure felt constant and Maye likely would’ve been sacked once by Allen and twice by Jonathan Greenard on wins against Will Campbell.

The offense’s performance continued to decline during full-field team drills. Douglas got wide open over the middle of the field on one rep, but turned upfield too quickly and dropped it. Maye also had to scramble when no one uncovered and was sacked on another Greenard win over Campbell.

The offense technically ended on a high note during an end-of-half situation. Mack Hollins had at least one downfield grab on a dig (also had an deep sideline target questionably ruled incomplete), and Kayshon Boutte boxed out two defenders on a Hail Mary. However, the offensive line struggled mightily. Morgan Moses gave up two would-be sacks, first on an inside rush from Allen, then around the edge against Dallas Turner, and Campbell was flagged for a false start.

The defense didn’t fare much better, with J.J. McCarthy having a huge bounce back day after a rough Wednesday.

The #Patriots defense is getting shredded today.

J.J. McCarthy is 14/16 with 5 TDs and 2 sacks in 11-on-11 periods covering the tight red zone and full-field drills. https://t.co/VIOMT3QdTa

— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) August 14, 2025

While I was focused on the offense for most of practice, I was able to watch the defense during their end-of-half period. McCarthy got the Vikings in Patriots territory on two scrambles, including a 3rd down conversion, then scored on a slant to Jordan Addison with Marcus Jones contesting.

As Josh McDaniels preaches, you either win a rep or you learn from it. In today’s case, the Patriots has a lot of learning to do on both sides of the ball. Mike Vrabel‘s squad must be more competitive in Saturday’s matchup to quell concerns about talent at certain spots, particularly receiver, offensive line, and defensive back.

Notebook

• Though they lost momentum as practice went on, the Patriots’ wide receivers dominated in the red zone during 1-on-1s and 2-on-2s. Stefon Diggs and Efton Chism were constantly open and caught multiple scores. Kyle Williams had a drop after getting open on a dig, but scored and showed some physicality on two out-breakers. DeMario Douglas had two inaccurate targets (Vrabel coached him to come back to the ball on a pass that was thrown short), but he caught a pass in the corner of the end zone with two defenders in the area. Kayshon Boutte scored on fade and slant targets.
• Javon Baker was open every time the ball came his way and didn’t have a drop, though Vrabel advised him to dance less after a 1-on-1 red zone score. His only glaring blemish was slipping on a late team red zone snap.
• Joshua Dobbs had an excellent practice after a poor performance on Wednesday. He was on-time and put the ball on his receivers consistently, highlighted by a middle-field completion to Williams against tight coverage and a honey-hole shot to Mack Hollins. Dobbs also found an open Jack Westover to score during his end-of-half possession.
• Jeremiah Webb had two impressive grabs in early red zone work, going up for a contested catch on a fade during 1-on-1s and getting open for a corner completion during 2-on-2s. I’ve been impressed by Webb’s toughness and burst.
• Elijah Ponder returned to practice after getting banged up against the Commanders.

The post Patriots Training Camp 16: Drake Maye Impresses Despite Dominant Day for Vikings appeared first on CLNS Media.

Absent/Did Not Participate: WR Kendrick Bourne, CB Christian Gonzalez, S Josh Minkins, ED Elijah Ponder, WR Ja’Lynn Polk, RB Rhamondre Stevenson, LB Jahlani Tavai

Additions: RB Demeric Brown

Injuries: OT Marcus Bryant, CB D.J. James

Tweet of the Day

Drake Maye goes deep to Stefon Diggs.
–@CLNSMedia #Patriots #NFL pic.twitter.com/qqYqqOn1Wn

— Patriots on CLNS (@PatriotsCLNS) August 10, 2025

Mike Vrabel’s Top Quotes of Note

On if he knows any players that won’t make the team and could be cut early: “Oh, I think we’re so far away from that. Me personally, I’m focused on just having another great day and continuing everything that we did on Friday. And as you can see, everybody that was healthy played in the game and gave those guys opportunities. Whether it was John Jiles or [Jeremiah Webb] Webby, the offensive linemen, some of those guys that we talked about that didn’t get to play or practice against Washington, really did themselves well when they were given the opportunity. And so, I want to continue to reward those players that treat the team well and treat them the same way they treat the team. So, as long as they’re here working and getting better, we’re going to practice them and eventually get them action in the game.”

On what stood out after watching tape of the Commanders game: “I thought we played – to continue to build the identity of playing with great effort and trying to take care of the guy with the ball. We have to tackle better, and that happens sometimes in the first live action. A lot of good stuff to teach off of there. Continue to talk about the ball security, whether it came out or not, the opportunities where we feel like the ball is in jeopardy. I thought we ran it well. I thought we took – I thought we played a clean game. I thought we took advantage of the field position, won that battle and saw the kickoff returns and how explosive that play can be. We’re going to have to cover those same kicks this year. So, did a lot of really good things, and then we just have to continue to improve the things that we talked about with the missed tackles or getting into a rhythm with the passing game and kind of just continue to progress.”

On Elijah Ponder’s performance in training camp and special teams contributions: “Elijah continues to improve, and I think that the ability to play on special teams as an outside linebacker who probably in college they don’t get a whole lot of work at is something that you’re always trying to build and develop because it is new for some of these guys. On that particular play, it’s at the point of attack and it’s a big block, and there’s going to be a lot of these that are close. And when I say close, I mean close to a penalty and close to a touchdown. And we have to coach the heck out of it. We have to make great decisions, split-second decisions when you’re at the point of attack because when they start to see that, we just have to stay square and the backs have to help us by setting some of these things up, because the alternative is now you’re starting inside the 20-yard line and defeating the whole purpose of taking advantage of the field position. So, there was a lot of good blocks there. We’ll have to see where the trends start to go on the penalties, and the more kickoffs, there’s going to be more penalties, you can imagine, and see what the League wants to do there.”

On Marcus Bryant’s performance this summer and his start against the Commanders: “I think he earned it. I think that when they switched over and he had some snaps on the left at the beginning of the training camp, I think moving him over to the right, I thought he did well, especially in the joint practices, earned that opportunity and continues to improve. He’ll have to play both sides for us, and I think he’s just a young player that is taking the coaching and was one of the players I remember when we first put pads on had really high pad level. We talked about it, we coached it, we showed him, and I think that has improved. I mean, he’s 6’6”, so first day, I guess we’ll cut him some slack, and it’s improved. That’s all we ask of the players, is that each day they continue to improve and focus on improving. So, I kind of liked Marcus. He’s kind of a happy, lucky-go kid, and I think there’s a lot of good football in front of him.”

On teaching Drake Maye how to balance extending plays and living to fight another down: “Yeah, we have to be able to protect ourselves as the quarterback of the football team. At the yard markers, at the sideline, near the line to gain and especially the goal line. I think the biggest thing is just don’t assume. Try to use the rules to your advantage, and being able to slide, whether you go feet first or whether you go head first, you’re still protected. And again, we want him to be aggressive, but just not reckless and put the ball or himself in harm’s way.”

Defense Dominates in the Red Zone

During his pre-practice presser, Mike Vrabel called out his defense for not getting a Red Zone stop against the Commanders (Washington actually went 2-3). The unit responded with a competitive practice that focused on execution in scoring territory.

Christian Elliss broke up two Drake Maye passes during 7-on-7s, including a near-interception on what felt like a forced a throw to DeMario Douglas. Elliss did push ups off to the side as penance for the missed opportunity.

Craig Woodson also came close to a diving interception of Maye in team drills, where he continued to rep with the top defense, but confirmed after practice that the ball hit the ground.

Marcus Jones and Alex Austin showed up positively throughout practice. Jones blew up a screen to Douglas, deflected a pass to Mack Hollins, and appeared to push Hollins out of bounds before he could score near the goal line. Jones also showed his closing speed to assist Miles Battle on an incomplete pass to Hollins. Austin had breakups against Hollins and Efton Chism, as well as a tackle against the latter to prevent a touchdown.

Carlton Davis impressed in his return after not participating in full speed sessions the past two weeks. He broke up a Kayshon Boutte target in the back of the end zone and smothered a Hollins fade target that sailed high.

Rookies Kobee Minor and Jordan Polk also got their hands on passes. Minor made a late breakup on a slot fade to Kyle Williams, while Polk denied a slot fade to Chism.

The Patriots’ cornerback room has been thoroughly tested this summer, but the group has impressed with their competitiveness.

Notebook

• Drake Maye had one of his shakiest practices of the summer. This was surprising given his typically on-point decision-making in the Red Zone. Maye was almost intercepted twice, throwing into at least one bad look, and might’ve forced a fade into a crowded area late. There were also a couple of high throws where it was hard to tell whether Maye missed or was trying to throw the ball away, and he wasn’t on the same page as Kyle Williams on a fade. There were highlights, like a tight-window slant throw to TreVeyon Henderson and middle-field completions to Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins. It’s also important to remember that practice is the place to make mistakes. That said, it was a notable given how rarely Maye has put the ball in harm’s way this summer.
• Hollins had another up-and-down practice while working with Maye and Joshua Dobbs. He caught three touchdowns, highlighted by a late-progression score in the back of the end zone from Maye, but also had a drop and missed a few opportunities with Marcus Jones in coverage.
• Stefon Diggs beat D.J. James on a corner and caught a dot from Maye, but dropped an easy touchdown during a two-minute drill to end practice. The veteran’s certainly had his moments, but he hasn’t been as automatic at the catch-point this summer as I anticipated. James left practice shortly after his rep against Diggs and did not return.
• Kayshon Boutte made an impressive adjustment to go up for a dig thrown slightly high and behind with Alex Austin trailing. He also beat Jones on a whip and smoked Miles Battle on an out for short scores.
• Efton Chism continues to make a strong case for the roster. It wasn’t a perfect day, but the backup offenses top target scored multiple times. Chism made the catch of the day after going up and boxing out Marcus Jones on corner thrown slightly behind him, dusted linebacker Monty Rice on a juke, and beat Brandon Crossley on a short out-breaker.
• Caedan Wallace returned to practice and repped as the backup left guard. He had a nice pull on a play action pass simulating counter.
• Javon Baker was the only offensive player working with assistant special teams coach Tom Quinn during a gunner drill. Baker, who is carving out a role for himself on special teams, recorded a tackle at gunner and on kickoff against the Commanders.
• Kyle Dugger worked with the backups behind Jabrill Peppers, Jaylinn Hawkins, and Craig Woodson. It’s been mostly bust and not much boom for the veteran as he adjusts to a new defensive scheme.
• Garrett Bradbury had a low shotgun snap that Maye had to fall on, ending a play before it began.
• Parker Romo went 4-4 on field goals today, just sneaking his final attempt inside the uprights. Andy Borregales went 3-4 after missing wide left on his final kick.
• Mike Vrabel told reporters we “might” see Christian Gonzalez in Minnesota, but “probably not in uniform” Ja’Lynn Polk is not expected to travel after appearing to re-injure his surgically repaired shoulder against the Commanders.
• Undrafted rookie Elijah Ponder appeared to injure his foot before halftime of the Commanders game, which could explain his absence.
• Per Doug Kyed, Lan Larison has been placed on injured reserve after a strong debut. Former Chief and Dolphin Deneric Prince was signed as a corresponding move.
• It was a good day for rookie offensive linemen in pass rush 1-on-1s. Per Evan Lazar, Will Campbell went 2-0 against Keion White, Jared Wilson went 3-0 against Jeremiah Pharms, Milton Williams, and Khyiris Tonga, and Marcus Bryant went 2-1 against K’Lavon Chaisson (one win, one loss) and Bradyn Swinson. Campbell struggled in a late team period against Chaisson, who returned after missing last week. Bryant left about halfway through practice.

The post Patriots Training Camp 13: Defense Dominates in the Red Zone appeared first on CLNS Media.

Absent/Did Not Participate: CB Christian Gonzalez, ED K’Lavon Chaisson, LB Jahlani Tavai, G Sidy Sow, G Caedan Wallace, WR Kendrick Bourne

Left Early: RT Morgan Moses, NT Jaquelin Roy, CB Marcellas Dial, DC Terrell Williams

Tweet of the Day

Efton Chism using his speed to create separation in 1 on 1’s. #patriots #newenglandpatriots #nfl pic.twitter.com/M30H2UdKFb

— Patriots on CLNS (@PatriotsCLNS) August 4, 2025

Mike Vrabel’s Top Quotes of Note

On his thoughts regarding five combined turnovers during the team’s in-stadium scrimmage: “Yeah, the turnovers – I thought we did some really good things, tried to show them that. The turnovers are certainly going to get us beat. We had some passes that should have been caught. We had some – I would say, decisions, right? I think. And hopefully when we ask a receiver to run a play like that, that if it’s not there, there’s other ways to get out of the play. If you continue to run, you’ve got a pocket, you can throw it away. So, those are great things to teach on in those specific instances. And Rhamondre, when you make a great cut and you break through, know that every team in the league, and hopefully ours is one of those teams, that the guys are coming to the ball and they’re going to come and hammer it and they’re going to play full tilt to the tackle. And so, cut, great cut, good job in the open field and, unfortunately we’ll have to continue to rep that and take care of football. But that’s something that – those things that you mentioned, I think, overshadow a lot of the good stuff that we did in a team setting that had the team split up and different guys working with different guys next to them.”

On Rhamondre Stevenson’s fumble during the in-stadium scrimmage: “Well, everybody has a fresh, clean slate. We like to go through those things, and some of that is technique, some of that is the second guy in. A lot of times on fumbles, if you want to talk fumbles and ball security, I’m happy to do that, but one person’s got to have the ball in their hand every play offensively, and the rest of those 10 players are going to be responsible for protecting the guy with the ball. And so, yep, there were some instances where he put it on the ground, and there were some instances where the second guy came in, and we need to eliminate the second guy from coming in by the way that we play and our play demeanor and the way that we finish. So a clean slate, everybody has a clean slate, but also, there’s things that have to change and be better at every position as we move toward the season.”

On Alex Austin’s game-sealing interception of Drake Maye during the in-stadium scrimmage: “Well, I mean, we would need to make it – if the corner is flat-footed, we probably would throw it over his head and live to fight another day. Credit to Double-A [Alex Austin]. And I like sometimes when these things come up, because now we can coach the quarterbacks to say, if the guy’s not bailing, he’s just sitting there standing flat-footed, and you go over there, it’s a yes-no, and you’re going to have to just decide. You can’t progress back and come over here to the field, you’re going to get sacked or strip-sacked. So, throw it over his head. And being able to catch that ball, Double-A, and end it and then explain to him, ‘Go down, go down, go down, we have the lead.’ These are all great things that come up and allow us to coach. And just like the drive before, we throw one in to Kayshon [Boutte], and Kayshon does a nice job to get us into field goal range, Thomas [Brown] chose to call timeout. He was the head coach, that was his decision. I told the team, ‘Hey, listen, we have a couple options. We can now go to the ball. We can clock the ball and be second down. We can center it wherever we want to center it. We can slow-clock it. We can take a knee. I can call timeout with three seconds.’ And we kicked the winner. So, those are all things that come up, and they come up organically, and it allows us to teach it and coach it. And I know that this happens. Having done this for however many years, I can show them, but until they actually are in that position – which, they’re going to come up with more than we do in two-minute – just like today, we’re going to have end of game situations, ball is going to be on the 25-yard line, there’s going to be 45 seconds, you’re going to see what the last plays are from the 5-yard line or the 10-yard line because that’s just where the ball is going to be, I would imagine. So, then we can coach those up and see what it does.

Sorry, that’s a long-winded answer. But there’s a lot of different situations that come up just by record. And I can show them, but then when they actually are in it, I say, ‘OK, now we can coach from our example.”

On the kicker competition: “Well, they both have done very well. I’m sure 19-of-21 or whatever they both are, I think they’ve gotten better and it’s a good competition and I’m glad they both got to kick in the stadium and try to get the extra points and get the end of game kicks and everything that we did. So, just trying to get the volume and try to – every day Jeremy [Springer] and Tom [Quinn] have a plan for them on how they’re going to kick.”

On Mack Hollins: “Spent a lot of time here in the offseason, locked in, engaged. Rare for a player to be able to get that much information and not practice. That’s hard. That’s hard just even thinking back when I was in those opportunities to be able to do that and still understand the details and not practicing. So, locked in, ready to go, excited to see him get out there and practice.”

On moments where Drake Maye has shown command: “Well, there’s protections, there’s – when you see something that he can help, he sees it a lot better, I think, than some other players or alignment, or if you see something, say something and don’t assume that everybody is seeing it the way that you’re seeing it. He’s got – that’s why they’re quarterbacks, they have a pretty good sense of what’s going on, they’ve got a good view. Maybe it’s rotation, maybe it’s an eyes or a step or alignment. And so, just being able for him to communicate that. I see him get guys in the right formations or tell guys, ‘Hey, you’re off the ball, you’re on the ball.’ Or, ‘Hey, you’re over here.’ Doing that quickly, as before, sometimes young quarterbacks, they’re just focused on the play, they’re focused on the cadence and not focused on sideline-to-sideline, and I think that’s starting to improve.”

Big Day for Young Pass Catchers

The Patriots’ receiving corps had an impressive outing in today’s Red Zone-focused padded practice after a shaky in-stadium scrimmage.

Ja’Lynn Polk went 4-0 during low Red Zone 1-on-1s. His first two wins came against Brandon Crossley, with Polk fighting through contact and shaking the corner on an in-breaker, then high-pointing and snatching a fade against tight coverage. Polk also beat Isaiah Bolden and Marcellas Dial handily on slants.

Kayshon Boutte and Kyle Williams also looked dominant in 1-on-1s. Boutte beat Marcus Jones twice, getting wide open on an out-breaker and catching a contested slant target. Williams looked unguardable against depth corners and shook Alex Austin on a corner route.

Drake Maye Kyle Williams in 1 on 1’s.#patriots #newenglandpatriots #nfl pic.twitter.com/KUNPCsfkq2

— Patriots on CLNS (@PatriotsCLNS) August 4, 2025

Javon Baker kept the ball rolling during 7-on-7s, hauling in three straight touchdowns from Joshua Dobbs. The talented sophomore also mossed Marcellas Dial for a touchdown during 11-on-11s, a play he’s made multiple times this summer, but later had a touchdown punched out by Crossley.

TreVeyon Henderson had two of today’s offensive highlights, catching a pair of deep scores from Drake Maye early in team drills. Henderson got wide open for his first touchdown, burning Robert Spillane on a wheel from the backfield. On the next drive, Henderson motioned out wide, beat Christian Elliss on a double-move, and tracked a rainbow to the back of the end zone. The rookie back projects as crucial part of the downfield passing game and offense overall.

Efton Chism made the catch of the day on a score later in practice score. The receiver won on a wheel against Craig Woodson, who he also shook during 1-on-1s, then sold out to make a diving catch on a shot from Joshua Dobbs. Chism also had incompletions on a pair of higher-difficulty targets he’d probably like back. Marcus Jones dislodged what looked like a touchdown in the back of the end zone (though Dobbs could’ve helped his receiver with a wider throw), and Chism failed to get both feet in along the sideline after finding space against zone coverage.

Red Zone periods were up-and-down offensively, but Boutte ended the day on a high-note for the starters. The receiver secured a desperate heave from Maye on 4th down, dragging his toes along the sideline with D.J. James on his back. This came a few plays after James locked him up on an end zone fade. Boutte’s been one of this summer’s most pleasant surprises and one of the receiver room’s most consistent performers.

Notebook

• Drake Maye had at least one overthrow today on a crosser to Hunter Henry (two high end zone throws may have been throwaways), but it was a solid bounce back from his two-interception scrimmage. There was a concentrated effort to keep his eyes downfield against the rush, with his score to Boutte being a prime example. Maye only scrambled when absolutely necessary, like on an off-platform sideline pass to Rhamondre Stevenson that may or may not have been caught.
• DeMario Douglas wasn’t very active downfield, but he was consistently open on underneath targets regardless of who lined up against him.
• Hunter Henry caught a pair of passes over the middle from Maye, including a win against Kyle Dugger and a short touchdown against zone.
• Will Campbell lost to Bradyn Swinson on an inside move during 1-on-1s last week, but stoned his longtime teammate when Swinson tried it again today. Campbell did have his hands knocked down by Keion White on his first solo rep, but looked more competitive in their next matchup.
• The Patriots’ run defense was dominant in the Red Zone, making multiple plays at or behind the line.
• Ben Brown was the top backup at left guard with Garrett Bradbury returning and Caedan Wallace out. Brown appeared to rotate with Bradbury at times during team drills, and Cole Strange was the top backup at center.
• Top tackle backups Demontrey Jacobs and Marcus Bryant flipped sides today, with Jacobs manning the blindside and Bryant to the right. Tyrese Robinson backed up Mike Onwenu at right guard.
• Vederian Lowe was the third-string left tackle after being activated off PUP.
• Elijah Ponder continues to dominate 1-on-1s. He and Swinson are buried behind veterans, but Ponder has a real shot at making the 53-man roster.
• D.J. James got his hands on multiple passes as a starter opposite Alex Austin. He was in coverage on incompletions to Stefon Diggs (corner), Kyle Williams (comeback, PBU), and Kayshon Boutte (fade), and was all over Boutte on the receiver’s toe-drag touchdown.
• Austin smothered Mack Hollins on an incomplete fade from Maye. Hollins rebounded with a contested touchdown grab during low Red Zone work.
• Mr.Irrelevant, Kobee Minor undercut and intercepted a slant to Jeremiah Webb during 1-on-1s. Joshua Dobbs on the throw.
• Khyiris Tonga batted a target for DeMario Douglas. The defender’s made the most of his opportunities and impressed as a rotational nose tackle.
• Jaheim Bell made a sliding touchdown grab at the goal line on a throw from Dobbs with with Craig Woodson contesting.
• Marcellas Dial was carted off the field during an early team period after being do. Trainers appeared to be working on his left leg.
• Defensive coordinator Terrell Williams left practice late as a precaution due to dehydration and is expected to be okay, per the Patriots. Inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr, who was interim coordinator when Williams wasn’t with the team, led the defense in his absence.
• Parker Romo and Andres Borregales went 4-4 on field goal attempts with longs of about 54, extending what’s been a scalding hot streak between the two kickers.
• Hollins lined up at Y in a four-receiver grouping during a hurry-up walkthrough, essentially serving as a tight end.
• Julian Edelman, former Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan, and former linebacker Will Compton were special guests at today’s practice. Edelman and Stefon Diggs appeared to talk route-running during a late kickoff session.

The post Patriots Training Camp 10: Big Day for Young Pass Catchers appeared first on CLNS Media.

Out: C Garrett Bradbury, CB Carlton Davis, DT Joshua Farmer, RB Antonio Gibson, CB Christian Gonzalez, WR Mack Hollins, LB Jahlani Tavai, G Sidy Sow, ED Keion White

Physically Unable to Perform: LT Vederian Lowe

Left Early: WR Kendrick Bourne, G Caedan Wallace, ED K’Lavon Chaisson

Tweet of the Day

Will Campbell on managing the highs & lows of Football

“Josh McDaniels told me a couple weeks ago. You don’t lose. You learn or you win. I’m a rookie. I’m out here learning. Some things I do in College don’t work out here.”

–@PatriotsCLNS #Patriots #NFL pic.twitter.com/yftI1DoYxe

— Patriots on CLNS (@PatriotsCLNS) August 1, 2025

Turnovers Galore During In-Stadium Scrimmage

The Patriots’ in-stadium practice revealed two things about New England: the defense’s emphasis on turnovers is paying off, and the offense has work to do.

The two offenses totaled five giveaways, including four interceptions and a fumble.

Drake Maye threw two interceptions on the night. The first came on a Stefon Diggs target that was too far inside, resulting in a Kobee Minor breakup and diving grab by Robert Spillane. Maye also ended the day with what would’ve been a pick-six during a two-minute drill. It was an impressive display of awareness from Alex Austin, who jumped a hitch to Kyle Williams and slid before reaching the end zone to kill clock.

Neither interception was an egregious mistake, but they underscored a tough night for Maye’s offense. The quarterback overthrew Rhamondre Stevenson and Diggs on back-to-back low Red Zone snaps, leading to an Andres Borregales field goal. On the unit’s next drive, Maye threw the ball away three times and had an incompletion on a rare Efton Chism drop, which led to another Borregales field goal. Penalties and consistent separation were also issues.

Stevenson’s fumble was the most alarming mistake of the night. Stevenson ripped off a good gain up the middle, but had the ball punched out by Brandon Crossley with Spillane recovering for his second turnover. The error did little to quell fears over the running back’s ball security following his seven fumbles in 2024.

Jaylinn Hawkins, who was voted a captain for tonight’s matchup, came up with two opportunistic picks against Joshua Dobbs and Ben Wooldridge’s squad. The first came on an trick play with DeMario Douglas under-throwing Javon Baker deep. The second came on a Lan Larison bobble in the Red Zone.

Defensively, it was great to see New England flying to and being around the football, something Spillane emphasized while speaking to reporters. That side of the ball is going to lead this team, and the early returns have been encouraging.

Offensively, Maye’s inconsistent accuracy and penalties have popped up throughout the summer. I’d imagine both will be heavy areas of emphasis during next week’s block of practices.

Notebook

• Joshua Dobbs had the throw of the day, hitting Kayshon Boutte in the honey hole against Cover 2 for a deep touchdown. It was an impressive display of touch from Dobbs and a tough contested grab from Boutte with Marcellas Dial contesting. Dobbs and Boutte also connected on a dig during a two-minute drive that ended in a Parker Romo field goal.
• D.J. James was a step or two behind Boutte on the dig completion. He was also called for pass interference on a shot to Ja’Lynn Polk.
• Andres Borregales was perfect on three field goal attempts and an extra point. The field goals were from distances of 42 (2x) and 53 yards.
• Kyle Williams scored the blue team’s first points, getting wide open deep on a trick play.
• Christian Elliss met TreVeyon Henderson at the line of scrimmage for a run stuff.
• Lan Larison had a nice jump cut to the left side to score a touchdown from five yards out.
• A high snap from Cole Strange to Dobbs led to a dead play.
• Gee Scott Jr. caught Drake Maye’s first pass on a hitch from outside the numbers.

The post Patriots Training Camp 9: Turnovers Galore During In-Stadium Scrimmage appeared first on CLNS Media.

Absent/Did Not Participate: C Garrett Bradbury, WR DeMeer Blankumsee, CB Carlton Davis III, OL Yasir Durant, DI Joshua Farmer, CB Christian Gonzalez, ED Harold Landry, LB Jahlani Tavai, RB Trayveon Williams

Physically Unable to Perform: WR Mack Hollins, LT Vederian Lowe

Left Early: RB Antonio Gibson, G Sidy Sow, ED Keion White

Additions: C Alec Lindstrom

Tweet of the Day

Drake Maye TreVeyon Henderson #drakemaye #patriots #nfl pic.twitter.com/IwjLXjWSmv

— Patriots on CLNS (@PatriotsCLNS) July 30, 2025

Mike Vrabel’s Top Quotes of Note

On Carlton Davis’ absence: “There’s a plan. I mean, I think it’s just making sure that he’s ready to go. It’s a long season, veteran player. There’ll be guys that have different plans, like I said, whether that be Morgan [Moses] or maybe Harold [Landry III] today. Really just trying to put this thing all together and make sure that everybody that needs to get to work for evaluation purposes, a lot of different reasons. Sometimes it is health related, but also, I feel like Harold won’t be out there or Morgan may come out for individual or some players may come out for team. Try to just give everybody what they need for the season.”

On what he’s seen from Ja’Lynn Polk since the receiver’s return: “A player that worked extremely hard to get back and to be ready to go and I feel like, just my first year with Jim [Whalen] and his staff and Frank [Piraino] and our return to play and the way that we can do their rehab and then transfer over to Frank and his staff and he knows how we practice and working on those skills and the drills that the coaches are going to have them do. So, he worked extremely hard with those guys to his credit, and then I would say that there’s been some positive things that he’s done since he’s been back. So, focus on getting back as quickly as possible. I didn’t see the mental errors, which sometimes occur when you are getting the installation but not able to go and rep it. So, we’ll see how today goes with Ja’Lynn and the rest of the guys.”

On Caedan Wallace and his transition to guard: “Big, strong, powerful kid, and just looking to put everybody in an opportunity for them to excel and a place to compete, which he’s done. I would say that he’s been headed in the right direction these last couple days since we put pads on. I think he’s gotten more comfortable. I think he’s – they all have – everybody’s going to make mistakes, but I think that there’s been a lot of really positive plays and then continue to move forward.”

On if Marcus Jones will play offense: “We need Marcus to be an elite punt returner and his ability to help the offense and be able to gain extra first downs. And so, if he can do that, which he has, we’ll start there. Marcus is – I really – he practices very hard, very instinctive, plays outside, plays inside, really getting a nice feel for that position. Asking him to blitz and coverage and just all the different looks. So, excited where he’s at and he could certainly be a candidate to play offense just because of his skill set and the way that he moves.”

On Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla: “Joe’s fantastic. I mean, I just appreciate him just from the time that I got here, reaching out. We’re probably are different personalities, and I think that that’s probably the thing I appreciate most about him. He’s always trying to learn and gain knowledge, different ways about building a team, about strategy, about scheme, about inspiring players to do their job better. So, I always love my conversations with him and I’m excited that he could come out here with his son today. His son’s a football player, outside linebacker.”

Drake Maye Gets Back on Track

Drake Maye‘s accuracy has been hit or miss this summer, but today was his most consistent padded practice. He threw just three incompletions and continued his hot streak of protecting the football.

Maye’s best throw came on a go to Kyle Williams, with the receiver beating D.J. James and catching a moon ball for six points. Maye also had tight-window completions on a crosser to DeMario Douglas and a seam to Hunter Henry, both between zone defenders.

Unfortunately, the offense’s execution didn’t always match their quarterback’s efficiency. Williams’ flashes continue to come with some duds, as two of Maye’s three completions went his way. The rookie was smothered by Alex Austin during a matchup in 11-on-11s, leading to a pass breakup. Williams and Maye also appeared to be out of sync on a backshoulder fade, a route that’s given the pair problems thus far.

Other glaring mistakes included an Austin Hooper fumble, a high snap from Cole Strange, and a false start from the right side of New England’s top line. Maye also threw a screen in the dirt and was forced to scramble during the final team period.

New England’s offense has been significantly more competitive than in training camps past, but mental errors remain an area where the unit could stand to improve.

Notebook

• Jared Wilson was the sole starter at left guard with Caedan Wallace as his top backup. Wallace told reporters Wilson is “really, really f*cking good,” calling the rookie a great athlete with three-position versatility. Wallace also shared that Wilson, along with veterans Garrett Bradbury and Cole Strange, has been helpful in his transition to guard and offers a unique perspective.
• Ben Brown was bumped to starting center with Cole Strange as his top backup.
• Will Campbell struggled in pass protection for most of practice. He beat Keion White during 1-on-1s before losing cleanly to Bradyn Swinson on an inside move. Veteran K’Lavon Chaisson then gave Campbell the work during team drills, recording two sacks and a pressure against the rookie. While it isn’t shocking to see a rookie struggle against more experienced 1st-round talent, Campbell will face similar competition on a weekly basis and could struggle early on.
• Alex Austin and D.J. James were the starting outside corners with Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis out. Isaiah Bolden and Miles Battle replaced them with the second team.
• Anfernee Jennings and Truman Jones got rare starting snaps with Keion White and Harold Landry missing most or all of practice.
• Milton Williams told reporters he’s still adjusting to the Patriots’ attacking style of defense, which emphasizes getting upfield and creating havoc. Last season, with Vic Fangio‘s Eagles, Williams focused more on reading and reacting to blocking schemes.
• TreVeyon Henderson appeared to run two downfield routes today, but didn’t receive catchable targets on either. The rookie’s speed also flashed on a draw where he quickly cut to daylight and ripped off a chunk before being pushed out by Craig Woodson.
• Jack Gibbens almost immediately recognized and shut down a screen against the backup offense. Plays like this have been a theme this summer for the veteran-heavy linebacker room.
• Marcellas Dial got the best of Efton Chism in a rare loss for the rookie receiver, deflecting a short target early in team drills. Chism bounced back by shaking Dial on an intermediate out-breaker late, but Joshua Dobbs‘ pass wasn’t catchable. Chism may be buried on the depth chart, but he consistently stands out against depth defenders.
• Elijah Ponder beat fellow undrafted rookie Jack Conley clean with a ghost move during 1-on-1s.
• Lan Larison got his first touch with the starting offense and turned a well-blocked screen (credit to Kayshon Boutte and Hunter Henry) into a big gain.
• Undrafted tight end Gee Scott Jr. has been the only young tight-end to catch my attention in camp, even if that isn’t saying much. He’s caught multiple passes and added to his total with a hitch against Isaiah Bolden while split out wide.
• The kicker competition stayed hot today, with both Parker Romo and Andres Borregales going 4-4.
• Robert Kraft and Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla were in attendance for today’s practice.

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