After four straight days of practice, the New England Patriots decided to change things up a bit. It was scrimmage time in Foxborough, with Drake Maye’s White Team taking on the Blue Team led by his backup Tommy DeVito.
To recap the session, please head over to our Patriots training camp notebook. In the meantime, here is who caught our eye from the session.
Standout of the day
WR DeMario Douglas: Who else did you think we were going to pick? His name is in the headline of today’s practice recap, for crying out loud!
Working with backup quarterback Tommy DeVito’s team, the starting slot receiver hauled in six receptions including a pair of touchdowns: one on a slant and the other on a corner route. He also made a big play during a late-practice two-minute work, charging up the seam to haul in a 50-yard pass from DeVito that put the group into field goal range. Douglas was the top pass catcher of the day, and indeed the whole week.
Other performances of note
QB Tommy DeVito: DeVito celebrated his 28th birthday in style. The Patriots’ backup quarterback had a good day leading the Team Blue offense. With DeMario Douglas as his preferred target, he threw a pair of touchdowns while also showcasing his accuracy and arm strength on that aforementioned 50-yarder late during the session. He went a respectable 13-of-16 on the day and showed why he is clearly the No. 2 on the QB depth chart.
ED Xavier Holmes and LB Khalil Jacobs: While tight end Tanner Arkin has received most of the attention among the undrafted rookies, and rightfully so, Holmes and Jacobs are also in the midst of putting together strong training camps. The latter has a more favorable roster outlook than the former, but both boosted their case on Friday: Holmes registered both a would-be sack and a pass breakup when he batted down a screen pass, while Jacobs forced a pair of throwaways and nearly had an interception against Behren Morton.
CB Kindle Vildor: The race for the Patriots’ final cornerback spots continues to evolve, and on Friday Vildor was one of the more notable competitors. The free agency signing, who has had an up-and-down training camp so far, broke up two passes intended for A.J. Brown on the opening drive of the scrimmage.
K Andy Borregales: New England’s kicker has looked very good throughout the summer, which is why Friday was an uncharacteristic down day. Borregales missed a field goal from around 50 yards out, and he later also shanked an extra point. Both misses came to his left.
Coming off five straight practices, the Patriots will now head into a two-day weekend without any sessions scheduled. They will return to the fields behind Gillette Stadium on Monday, for a session closed to the public. The next opportunity to watch the team will come on Tuesday with the Colts in town for a joint practice ahead of the two clubs’ preseason opener.
