FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – It was two days of solid work for the New England Patriots as they welcomed the Philadelphia Eagles for two joint practice sessions ahead of the second preseason game. And on Thursday, to wrap things up, there was a heavy emphasis on the red zone.
Drake Maye had his shining moments, but also had some plays he would certainly like back and the same goes for Philadelphia.
So, let's get into the takeaways:
1. Marcus Jones is a machine
Cornerback Marcus Jones continued the Patriots' strong showing, adding two more turnovers during Thursday's practice. Both came on throws from Jalen Hurts, with one a pick-six and the other a toe-tap at the goal line.
"I feel like we're always trying to get turnovers," Jones told reporters after practice. "I'm a hard critic of
the DB room, so I feel like, you know, there's always room for improvement."
2. A.J. Brown fared better in 1-on-1s
A.J. Brown came ready to fight back during the one-on-one period to start practice, getting revenge against Quinyon Mitchell. The star receiver made an impressive one-handed toe-tap catch in the back left corner of the end zone, which the officials ruled out, but based on the video, it seems like he might have managed to get both of his feet in bounds.
Brown went on to win three times during the 2-on-2 session, all of which were against Quinyon Mitchell. He also scored a touchdown over the Eagles cornerback in 11s.
However, his efforts during the team period were up to the standard he set on Wednesday, catching just two of five targets.
“He continues to make plays, and we got to find ways to get him the football,” Maye said after practice.
3. Drake Maye throws two interceptions
Maye was intercepted twice during the team periods, with both of those coming on balls that felt forced to Brown. The first one was in the red zone, with Maye looking to hit Brown at the top of the goal line, but he was undercut by Eagles cornerback Riq Woolen. It likely would have resulted in a pick-six in a game.
Then, Maye targeted Brown later in the practice, but the pass was deflected/ripped out of the receiver's hands, and Philadelphia linebacker Jalyx Hunt made an impressive diving leap to catch it.
4. Tensions were A LOT higher
While there was only one minor scuffle during Wednesday's practice, Thursday saw intensity ramp up. There were a few different moments where some were pushing and shoving after the whistle, and with that, the most action was between the Patriots' defense and the Eagles' offense.
At one point, cornerback Marcus Jones was seen grabbing the facemask of Eagles wideout Dontayvion Wicks, which led to them both having to be separated. Christian Barmore was also spotted in the middle at one point, but nothing ever got to be too serious.
5. Hasaan Haskins emerging as RB3
The third running back spot has been one that's open for grabs all summer, with the depth chart changing constantly. It began with Lan Larison looking like he was leading the way, but then Terrell Jennings returned and immediately slotted back in behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson. But Jennings was placed on season-ending IR, which was followed by an impressive performance by Jam Miller in the opening preseason game.
However, as things stand right now, these past few practices have shown Hasaan Haskins getting the reps behind Stevenson and Henderson. Specifically, on Thursday, he had two nice runs during the team period, including one for a touchdown.
6. Quarterback stats
Drake Maye: 10/18, 4 TDs, 2 INTs
Tommy DeVito: 8/17, 3 TDs
7. Attendance
Absent: Christian Gonzalez, Ben Brown, Xavier Holmes, Chad Muma, Kyle Dixon, Kobe Prentice
PUP/NFI: Harold Landry, Brenden Schooler
Returned: Christian Barmore
8. Other notes
- Both DeVito and Maye led a 2-minute drive at the end of practice that resulted in a touchdown followed by a missed two-point conversion. Maye was picked off on his first attempted drive, but he got another opportunity, which is when he scored.
- Caleb Lomu spent a lot of time at right tackle, allowing a sack during 11s with the top unit, as it appeared to be a load-management day for Morgan Moses. He also worked at left tackle with the backups.
- Country singer Kenny Chesney made a guest appearance at practice, walking up with Mike Vrabel before going over and hugging Robert Kraft.
- Elijah Ponder recorded two would-be sacks during the team drills.
- Kyle Williams had a nice 40-yard touchdown catch from Tommy DeVito over Eagles (and former Patriots) CB Shaun Wade
- Kyle Williams and Lan Larison were the top two kick returners.
What's next?
After six straight days of practice, the Patriots will have a well-deserved day off. They will then take the field on Saturday for their second preseason game against the Eagles, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. ET.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: 8 takeaways from Day 2 of Patriots joint practice with Eagles
