The New England Patriots’ public training camp run wrapped up with a lively second day against the Philadelphia Eagles, and the session was loaded with red-zone work and touchdowns. Over the two-hour practice, the defense made some noise, but Marcus Jones was the name that kept rising to the top.
Jones came away with two interceptions off Eagles starter Jalen Hurts on Thursday after already snagging one pick on Wednesday. His first takeaway came after pressure from Milton Williams that would have been a sack in a game, with Jones jumping on a tipped catch.
The play was blown dead before he could finish it off for a touchdown return. Later, he undercut a sideline throw meant for Dontayvion Wicks and got both feet in bounds after a toe-tap along the boundary.
The team captain was the clear standout of the day.
A.J. Brown also kept showing up, even with Drake Maye throwing both of his interceptions in Brown’s direction.
Brown worked mostly against first-team All-Pro Quinyon Mitchell and had plenty of success. He opened with a one-handed, toe-tap touchdown grab in the corner of the end zone during 1-on-1 drills, then added three more touchdowns against Mitchell in 2-on-2 work.
Brown later drew a pass interference flag against his former teammate and finished with two more catches in full team periods.
Up front, Milton Williams continued to look like the Patriots’ most dependable defensive lineman. He was active against both the run and the pass, getting the kind of pressure that would have turned into a sack before Jones’ first interception and helping on a tackle for loss against Saquon Barkley. Cory Durden also made his presence felt, giving the Patriots more disruption at the line with a would-be sack and a hold drawn on a two-point try.
Elijah Ponder turned in a stronger day than he did Wednesday and helped lift the Patriots’ edge play overall. The second-year player generated steady pressure while going up against one of the league’s top tackle pairings, logged a would-be sack in 11-on-11s, and even got a pass breakup near the goal line while carrying a wheel route.
There were other names worth noting, too. Kayshon Boutte and Kyle Williams each had productive moments and scored eye-catching touchdowns from Tommy DeVito.
Kindle Vildor saw time as a starting corner opposite Carlton Davis. On the other side of the ball, young tackles Will Campbell and Caleb Lomu had mixed results, with Campbell continuing to see Jalyx Hunt challenge him as a pass rusher and Lomu giving up a would-be sack in 11-on-11s while also struggling in 1-on-1 work.
With the joint practices now finished, the focus shifts to Saturday’s preseason game at Gillette Stadium, set for 7 p.m. ET.
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Patriots Face A New Doubt About Mike Vrabel And Drake Maye
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Cowherd was skeptical that New England can simply roll last years success forward and suggested the team looks more like a wild-card outfit than a Super Bowl contender. Even so, he had high regard for the Vrabel-Drake Maye partnership, ranking it among the leagues better coach-quarterback pairings and putting it sixth overall, which is part of what makes the Patriots next step such an intriguing one. [Read more 🡒]