In preparation of their preseason opener on Thursday, the New England Patriots hosted the Indianapolis Colts on the practice fields on Tuesday. The two teams got together for a two-hour joint session behind Gillette Stadium, an intense affair that saw multiple big plays being made on both sides.
To recap practice, please head over to our Patriots training camp notebook. In the meantime, here is who caught our eye for better or worse.
Standout of the day
QB Tommy DeVito: Drake Maye had a good overall practice, but we give
DeVito the edge as our “standout of the day” in part because unlike the starter he managed to end his own one-minute drill with a touchdown. That play — a laser to Eli Raridon for six — was not the only strong one the Patriots’ QB2 had on Tuesday, though.
DeVito also hit some deep shots down the field, connecting with Kyle Williams and Mack Hollins for big plays. No matter who was in the lineup with him — Efton Chism and Hunter Henry also caught passes from him — he made sure to found them. It was another impressive outing from a player who was buried on the depth chart during his first year in New England in 2025, but has a stranglehold of the No. 2 spot right now.
“It’s a different world,” said DeVito about his development since last sesaon. “It’s one thing to be in the classroom and be in it and learn and everything, but it’s another thing to get reps. Because last year, I didn’t get any reps in the offense; my first rep was during OTAs. So, to be able to actually take everything from the classroom and bring it to the field — physically learn mistakes — that’s personally how I learn my best. So, it’s good for me.”
Other performances of note
QB Drake Maye: The Patriots’ starting quarterback did not have a perfect day — his final pass in a one-minute drill was underthrown and picked off — but he still can feel good about it. Maye, after all, looked very good early on and threw big-play passes to A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs and tight ends Hunter Henry and Eli Raridon. Overall, he completed 15 of 23 pass attempts with that INT during 11-on-11 work, and went 4-of-6 in 7-on-7s.
WR DeMario Douglas: Even though he was the target on Drake Maye’s ill-fated pass attempt late during the one-minute drill, Douglas had another productive practice. He looked very good during 1-on-1s, with his speed, quickness and leaping ability an issue for the Colts’ DBs. Furthermore, he was Maye’s favorite target during the one-minute segment that ended with the interception; before the pick, Douglas caught two of his QB’s passes.
TE Hunter Henry and TE Eli Raridon: The Patriots’ top tight ends had a busy day right out of the gate, with both actively involved during an early-down portion. Maye had two big-play connections with Henry, one on a wheel route and the other down the seam. He also hit Raridon on a play-action crossing pattern for a sizable gain. The pair also produced with Tommy DeVito running the show: both caught touchdowns from the backup QB, including a tight-window touchdown throw to Raridon.
Run defense: Christian Barmore was a limited participant, and maybe his absence contributed to the issues, but the Patriots run defense did not have its best day. The Jonathan Taylor-led Colts very much dictated the flow on the ground from start to finish. Not all was bad — Dre’Mont Jones had a tackle for loss against Taylor at one point — but there is obvious room for improvement, especially and unsurprisingly on the edge.
CB Kobee Minor: With Christian Gonzalez absent for undisclosed reasons, Minor was elevated to a starting role opposite Carlton Davis replacement Kindle Vildor. However, the sophomore struggled to take advantage of the opportunity: he was flagged for defensive pass interference on a deep pass attempt and subsequently pulled in favor of rookie Karon Prunty.
Other players worth mentioning include edge defender Elijah Ponder, who had a strip sack during 11-on-11s. Meanwhile, safety John Saunders Jr. registered an interception against Colts backup QB Riley Leonard during the same segment. Elsewhere, Will Campbell went a perfect 2-0 during his 1-on-1 battles with edge Arden Key.
Tuesday’s joint sessions in the books, the Patriots will not hit the practice fields again until the weekend. Of course, in between, they are set to take on the Colts in both teams’ preseason opener. Kickoff at Gillette Stadium is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 13.
