FOXBOROUGH, Mass – The rain was pouring down, which forced the New England Patriots to cancel their scheduled outdoor practice and instead move things inside. Fans were unable to attend, but media could, and with that, there was plenty to see.
The Patriots had a day off on Sunday and came out ready to start the new week.
Here are the takeaways from Day 8 of training camp:
1. A.J. Brown plays through a dislocated thumb
During the 1-on-1 period of practice, Christian Gonzalez intercepted a pass intended for A.J. Brown, but it was clear the star receiver stopped running his route and was grabbing at his left hand before the rep ended. He was then helped by the medical staff briefly, but returned to practice and competed in both the 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills.
It wasn't until after practice that
Brown did an interview with NFL Network’s Inside Training Camp and revealed he had dislocated his left thumb.
"It was tough. I tried to get back into that flow state zone really quickly,” Brown said. “Obviously you’re going through some quick pain. Obviously the game is what it is. You’re going to get bumps and bruises. You have to keep going. I know it’s just practice. I’m not coming out of practice. Thumb out of place? You keep going. You keep going.”
He ended practice with four receptions on five targets from Maye, which included multiple touchdowns.
2. Gabe Jacas gets more involved
After just taking part in individual drills during his first day back at practice on Saturday, Jacas was more involved on Monday. He did the 1-on-1 drills, winning his only rep against backup tackle Lorenz Metz. Jacas also participated in 11-on-11s, taking reps with the starting defense, coming in for Dre'Mont Jones on the left side. He also played on the right side with the second-team defense.
3. Terrell Jennings returns
Jennings, who served as the third running back on the depth chart last season after Antonio Brown went down with an ACL injury, has some competition for that role this summer. But he hasn't been out with the team for the first week of practice, beginning on the non-football injury list. However, on Monday, he returned, and while he only had two carries during the team drills, he served as the top kick returner alongside Efton Chism.
4. Kyle Williams arrives to practice a little late
Kyle Williams was missing for the first half of practice, joining the team during the 11-on-11 session, but he never took any reps despite being in full uniform. The second-year receiver appeared to have suffered an ankle injury during Saturday's session, but remained on the field.
5. Charles Woods, Karon Prunty looking good in practice
Last season, Charles Woods served as the third cornerback on the depth chart, and he is picking up right where he left off. With Carlton Davis sidelined, Woods has been challenged with defending some of the team's top receivers, including A.J. Brown at times when it's not Christian Gonzalez on him. Woods finished practice with a pass breakup on a pass from Maye intended for Romeo Doubs.
But he's not the only cornerback who is impressing during camp. Karon Prunty, a rookie whom the Patriots selected in the fifth round, continues to make the most of his opportunities. And he had one of the best defensive plays of the day when he broke up a pass from Maye intended for Brown that would have resulted in a touchdown.
6. Quarterback stats
7-on-7s
Drake Maye: 4-for-8Tommy DeVito: 5-for-6
7-on-7s
Drake Maye: 8-for-13Tommy DeVito: 11-for-16Behren Morton: 4-for-4
The team period focused heavily on red-zone, so there were numerous touchdown plays during Monday's session. DeVito's top targets were Efton Chism (4 catches), Mack Hollins (3 catches), and Kayshon Boutte (4 catches). As for Morton, he had an impressive play, hitting Nick DeGennaro on a deep ball along the right sideline. Both he and Karon Prunty jumped up, with Prunty looking like he was going to intercept the ball, but DeGennaro managed to rip it out of his hands for the completion.
7. Attendance
ABSENT: CB Carlton Davis III, OL Caedan Wallace, DT David Blay Jr.
LIMITED: WR Kyle Williams
PUP/NFI: CJ Dippre (PUP), Harold Landry (PUP), Brenden Schooler (NFI),
RETURNS: RB Terrell Jennings
8. Other notes:
- At the start of practice, it was reported that defensive tackle Casey Rogers signed with the Patriots, and he was spotted out on the field, wearing No. 96. That number had been previously worn by Blay, but he was not spotted, indicating he could have been cut to clear the roster spot.
- The Patriots used loud siren sounds instead of music on the speakers when faced with 3rd-and-short situations.
- Along with Jennings and Chism, the kick returners during Monday's practice were Lan Larison, Channing Canada, Kobe Prentice, Jam Miller, and Myles Montgomery.
- Christian Gonzalez won all three of his one-on-one reps, two of which were against Brown and one which was against Kayshon Boutte.
- Will Campbell continues his dominant run in the 1-on-1s, going 2-0, beating Dre’Mont Jones and Jesse Luketa. As for Caleb Lomu, he went 3-3, winning against Luketa twice and Quintayvious Hutchins, while losing to Elijah Ponder, Bradyn Swinson and Hutchins.
What's next?
The Patriots will be back on the practice field for what is scheduled to be an outdoor practice on Tuesday, Aug. 4. It is set to begin at 10:15 a.m. ET and will be open to the public as long as weather holds up.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: 8 takeaways from Day 8 of Patriots training camp
