There was a different intensity in the air for Wednesday’s practice as the New England Patriots went head-to-head with the Green Bay Packers in their first official training camp scrimmage.
It was the first time that the starters faced legitimate competition outside of the controlled environment in Foxborough. They were right across from Lambeau Field at this particular practice taking on a Packers team that made big plays on both sides of the ball.
It did seem like Green Bay had the advantage in the competitive 11-on-11s portion of practice, but there were also some positive signs of life from the Patriots’ end as well.
Here are the players that missed the scrimmage:
OT Mike Onwenu
CB Jonathan Jones
TE Mike Gesicki
G Cole Strange
OT Calvin Anderson
RB Ty Montgomery
RB Pierre Strong Jr.
DE Trey Flowers
ST Cody Davis
LB Ronnie Perkins
C Kody Russey
Let’s jump into some takeaways from Day 1 of the Patriots’ two-part road scrimmage with Green Bay.
1
No red contact jersey for Marte Mapu
Patriots rookie linebacker Marte Mapu didn’t have on the red non-contact jersey he’s been wearing throughout training camp. That would signal that he’s finally healthy and ready to go.
Looks like #Patriots LB/S Marte Mapu is out of the red non-contact jersey. A sign he might be fully cleared.
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) August 16, 2023
It’s a good sign for a Patriots team that seemingly has big plans for the third-round draft pick. Mapu is a versatile defender with the ability to play in at linebacker or safety. His position with New England appears to be predominantly at linebacker with the hope that he can bring speed to the unit.
Even as a first-year player, his impact on the practice field has been immediate. It’ll be interesting to see if he gets any reps in Saturday’s preseason game against the Packers.
2
Ezekiel Elliott wastes no time getting to work
Newly-signed Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliott not only made the trip with the team, but he was on the field at the first joint practice. Granted, he didn’t participate in competitive work, but he did go through some running and receiving drills.
Mac Jones to new Patriots RB Ezekiel Elliott pic.twitter.com/3826oCpU5M
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) August 16, 2023
The Patriots are obviously thin at the running back position with both Ty Montgomery and Pierre Strong Jr. remaining out. So Elliott’s arrival couldn’t have come at a better time.
The team will work hard to get him up to speed with the offense enough to possibly see some on-field action soon. We’ll see if he’s able to ramp things up at Thursday’s practice ahead of the preseason game.
3
Offensive line problems are glaring
The Patriots got pummeled in the trenches.
It was another practice of their makeshift offensive line getting pushed around, and the opposing defense feasting on the quarterback. Throughout the offseason, the biggest concern for the Patriots has been the lack of an elite playmaking receiver, but none of that even matters if the offensive line can’t protect.
Mike Onwenu and Cole Strange being out with injuries is a big issue, but an even bigger issue is the depth on the unit. There’s no certainty that the starting five can stay healthy for the entire season. Will this turn into a situation of the unit imploding if it suffers injuries?
Woof.
Bailey Zappe would’ve taken 5 sacks on his last 6 snaps in a game setting working behind the backup O-line. Some pressure was instant, other “sacks” were on him for clutching the ball. https://t.co/bbZ9ru0slM
— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) August 16, 2023
There wasn’t much time to throw under center for Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe in 11-on-11s. The protection must improve significantly for the offense to even have a shot at operating efficiently.
4
The offense gets hot and then goes cold
Mac Jones went 11-of-15 throwing the ball, including what should have been a touchdown pass to wideout DeVante Parker, in the first 11-on-11s period. It was an exceptional start for a Patriots unit that looked like it had come to life. The ball was coming out quickly, and Jones appeared to be in sync with his receivers.
It was the sort of precision-fueled effort we’ve come to expect from a Patriots offense.
But the Packers started to clamp down later in the practice. They took away the short routes, and the offensive line started to falter. When things got tough, the Patriots lacked an elite receiving target that could dominate his match-up and make plays for the team. They clearly could have used a Christian Watson on their side.
After the pocket collapsed for a sack, Mac was able to get the offense into field goal range in a two-minute drills. Couple in-cuts to Bourne and JuJu. Parker also caught a sideline out.
Not a whole lot down the field for the #Patriots O. But underneath stuff has been there.
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) August 16, 2023
That doesn’t mean it was all bad for New England. They also hurt themselves with drops and just overall not being on the same page throughout the entire practice.
Long Patriots-Packers practice finally over.
Encouraging overall day for the offense. Not perfect, and penalties, drops and miscommunications wiped out some positive plays, but otherwise Patriots offense got better of Packers
Mac Jones: 18/26 two sacks, one TD
Zappe: 16/22
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) August 16, 2023
Keep in mind, this is a team working in a new offense under Bill O’Brien. They haven’t put all of the pieces together, and there are some concerns with the offensive line. But there were positive flashes of what the unit can look like when things are flowing correctly.
5
Rookie receivers continue to shine
One of the positive offensive takeaways for the Patriots is the fact that it was another strong day for rookie receivers Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte.
Douglas continued to show a knack for creating separation against defenders, and Boutte was one of the most active pass-catchers on the field for both teams.
A bright spot for the #Patriots offense was rookie WRs Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte. Boutte had four catches in opening team period that was his best sequence of the summer.
Douglas’s route-running showed out on a crosser and whip route.
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) August 16, 2023
The hope is that the arrow continues to trend upwards on the rookie sixth-round draft picks. Considering the state of the offensive line, the Patriots will need to continue to rely heavily on targets that can get in and out of their routes quickly to keep the chains moving.
6
Tough day for Patriots' defensive backfield
It was a rough day for the Patriots’ defense, particularly in the secondary with both rookie Christian Gonzalez and second-year cornerback Jack Jones giving up big plays.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love wasn’t backing down from a unit that was one of the best in the NFL last season. He absolutely torched Gonzalez on this dime throw to Christian Watson.
Jordan Love to Christian Watson BOMB 💣
Ball was right on the money. 🎯 pic.twitter.com/p68WlcfTlQ
— GBP Daily – Rob Westerman lll (@GBPdaily) August 16, 2023
Packers receiver Romeo Doubs also had a solid outing for the team.
The Patriots’ defensive front was active in getting pressure on Love with Christian Barmore showing up on plays. There isn’t nearly as much concern with the defensive front as there is with the secondary right now.
The hope is that Gonzalez will settle in at some point, and Jack Jones will step up and make plays. With that said, the defensive backfield looked like it missed Jonathan Jones on Wednesday.
