FOXBOROUGH, Mass — The New England Patriots held their final practice of the week on Friday, with only a walkthrough scheduled for Saturday ahead of their home opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Coming off a tough loss to Seattle, New England is looking to get back on track and get a major win over a tough Steelers team that includes quarterback Aaron Rodgers and outside linebacker T.J. Watt.
Here's what we learned on Friday:
Key Patriots starter misses three straight days of practice
Cornerback Carlton Davis was once again missing from the media-attended portion of practice on Friday, putting his status for Sunday's home opener in serious doubt. If he's unable to go, it will likely mean increased roles for Charles Woods and Marcus Jones, who will play opposite Christian Gonzalez.
"He'll be questionable,"
Vrabel said. "We'll have to see how he comes in here tomorrow. We'll continue to evaluate, and then if the designation changes, we'll update everybody."
Offensive tackle Dametrious Crownover also missed every day of practice this week, and when the official injury report came out, he was listed as out, while Davis, Ben Brown, and Dre'Mont Jones are all listed as questionable.
Charles Woods ready to step up
With Davis' availability seriously in doubt, that likely means Charles Woods will step in and play opposite Christian Gonzalez.
"Well, he had a full camp with us this year. He's got some multiplicity, got some versatility," head coach Mike Vrabel said. "He plays outside, plays inside, works hard in the kicking game. So, I think he just continues to improve, is ready to go. He prepares as a starter. I think he has a great energy. I like being around Woodsy. He's got a good demeanor to him, and I know that if he has to go in there, he'll be ready to go."
Woods also expressed confidence in his abilities, knowing he has what it takes to step up and rise to the role.
"Every week, no matter where I'm at on the depth chart or my role going into the game, I always prepare like a starter," he told Patriots Wire. "That's my mentality going into every week is to prepare like a starter because you never know."
Mack Hollins' connection with Drake Maye
With A.J. Brown sidelined, a lot of the focus this week has been on Mack Hollins, as the wide receiver is expected to take on a bigger role offensively. It was clear Drake Maye felt confident throwing to him in the last game after Brown went down, and now they are going to need him more than ever.
On Friday, Vrabel highlighted the connection between the two.
"There's nothing more important than the quarterback-receiver. They're able to think alike. And I've always said if I was a receiver, I'd probably want to know where the quarterback wanted me and how he wanted me to get there," he explained. "Mack works hard at that. He's got great energy and was a big part of our success last year. He worked hard to get back from injury to make it there to the last game. But I would imagine that he'd be a big part of our success going forward."
Stephon Gilmore aigns a one-day contract
Stephon Gilmore has officially hung up his cleats and signed a one-day contract to retire as a member of the Patriots.
"Just impressive. Just great patience, great speed and reaction," Vrabel said of his play. "Never looked too stressed. I think that was always a thing. He just always looked smooth and under control. Yeah, we didn't throw for many yards that game, but he was somebody that we always had to be aware of and know where he was at, whether that was in Indianapolis or here. I'm excited to have him here with us and retire a Patriot. It was good to see him at practice, see his son and meet him.
DaQuan Jones, who recently signed with the Patriots, briefly spent time with Gilmore as the two were both on the Carolina Panthers for the 2021 season, and the defensive tackle took a moment to reflect on the type of player the cornerback truly was.
"Just how he carries himself. He's a pro's pro through and through, and I think he did everything right," Jones told Patriots Wire. "Just having someone like that on the field who can command the secondary like that... He's had a hell of a career, and I'm happy for him."
Jones also compared him to a current member of the Patriots team.
"Him in the locker room and around, he's more of a quiet guy. He's someone who just takes his craft very seriously, and I think we have a corner on this team like that. Number zero," he explained, referring to Gonzalez. "So I think those guys are more preserved in these areas on the field. I think you can see their personalities and how they play and their competitiveness to go out there and compete at a high level."
Extra Points
- Caleb Lomu's Weekend Update: "Good. I wouldn't say as good as the first week, but it was good. It was good." —Patriots HC Mike Vrabel
- Defense's Having More Film On Drake Maye: We have to be ready. Like I told our players. T.J. Watt's going to be on the right, and Cam Heyward's going to be somewhere in the middle. I mean, T.J.'s going to be on an edge, and Cam's going to be over one of the guards. But they obviously have other players. My point is, we're going to have to block them. We're going to have to get open. And if it's a man game, we'll have to adjust. If it's a Cover 2 game, we'll have to make sure that we're prepared for that. And if it's a Cover 4 game, if it's a simulated pressure game or whatever front they come in. We can try to guess, but I don't think you can just all say, "Hey, I know that they're going to do this." You have 60, 57 snaps from last week, or whatever it was, to go off of. —Patriots HC Mike Vrabel
- Did Stephon Gilmore consider signing a 3-day contract to play this weekend? "I could."
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: What I’m hearing at Gillette Stadium: Friday talk (Week 2)
