The football season is officially underway, with the New England Patriots’ first preseason game – and eleven training camp practices – behind them.
While Pat’s Pulpit has been with you through it all, let’s open this week’s notebook Patriots Sunday Notes for anything that might have slipped through the net.
1. Little things: Seven snaps. One penalty. Three handoffs. Three pass attempts. That was all rookie quarterback Drake Maye saw in the Patriots’ season opener.
The limited workload was the plan for Thursday night, in part due to New England’s shaky offensive line. But while Maye didn’t get the chance to show off his playmaking gene with his legs or drive the ball forward, his seven snaps instead highlighted the work on the smaller details he’s been drilling in since signing in April.
That work included playing under center, something Maye rarely did in North Carolina’s Air Raid offenses. While his play-action pass on second down from under center was incomplete, his coming away and technique seemed improved — something that caught the eye of former quarterback and ESPN NFL Live analyst Dan Orlovsky.
“For a guy who didn’t do that in college (going under center) … very good mechanics (and) service there for Drake Maye.”
In addition to his technique under center, Orlovsky also praised many other small details in Maye’s game. These included his handoff movement and ball security on running plays, as well as his improved base at the top of his drop on incomplete passes – as the rookie often got too tight with his feet at the college level.
The former quarterback also praised Maye’s final play of the evening. On third-and-eleven, New England ran four routes to the posts – all of which seemed to be covered. Under pressure from the right side, Maye threw the ball to Kevin Harris in the flat, who gained six yards and triggered a punt.
After the game, Maye said he could have possibly moved further forward on the play – and with his athleticism, perhaps broken through the pocket to his right.
“As a rookie, you want to be involved. You look at the iPad, you look at the plays, other than that, not much is happening on the field,” he said. “Threw a block, the first attempt moved the chains, but I think on the third attempt, maybe I should have gone down the field and had some routes on the chains instead of throwing to the flat. But hey, that’s what you watch film for.”
Orlovsky, however, believed it was the right move for the newcomer.
“I think he made the right decision here,” he explained to X. “He can’t do anything, he can’t go anywhere with the ball… There’s no point trying to do more. That’s the right decision.”
While it was truly a small sample size, the improvements in Maye’s footwork and technique are a positive development at this stage. Now it’s time to see him in more extended action with the starters, something the rookie has earned over the past few weeks.
2. Rookie Snapshots: Although Mayes’ snap count was part of the plan, the seven plays (including penalties) are an outlier compared to other top picks at the position since 2021 – including fellow 2024 first-round picks Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, JJ McCarthy and Michael Penix Jr., who made their preseason debuts this Friday and Saturday:
Justin Fields: 33; Mac Jones: 33; Kenny Pickett: 32; JJ McCarthy: 32; Will Levis: 30; Trey Lance: 29; Anthony Richardson: 29; Michael Penix Jr.: 25; Zach Wilson: 22; Kyle Trask: 21; Caleb Williams: 20; Trevor Lawrence: 15; CJ Stroud: 12; Jayden Daniels: 12; Bryce Young: 11; Drake May: 7
3. Four-down fronts: As expected, there were no major changes in New England’s basic defensive strategy from previous years in Thursday’s first preseason game. However, after players hinted at a more aggressive approach and different structures on offense earlier in the offseason, New England saw an increase in four-man fronts — instead of the usual oddball formations — on Thursday night.
The looks contributed to Deatrich Wise’s early sack and pressure from Oshane Ximines, who nearly scored while rushing the safety position from the wide-nine tech.
4. Robinson’s debut: Rookie guard Layden Robinson was New England’s best offensive player, playing 45 snaps and playing both guard positions. It was an impressive debut for Robinson, who allowed just two hurries on 30 pass-blocking snaps and was impressive in the run game. While we’d prefer to keep Mike Onwenu at guard, Robinson could potentially free Onwenu up to kick back to right tackle on the outside as issues continue to crop up at the tackle position.
4. Kicker Battle: The Patriots attempted a field goal and two extra points in their first preseason game Thursday night – matching their total from last preseason and giving Chad Ryland and Joey Slye their first game of the summer in their kicking competition.
The duo took turns on each kick, with Ryland kicking the first extra point, Slye attempting a 42-yard field goal and Ryland finishing the game with the final extra point. It was a clean night for both of them, as they hit all three attempts.
“Slye and Chad, those guys compete,” Jerod Mayo said Friday morning. “Once again, the game is a small part and there’s nothing more important than practice. So we’re trying to put a lot of pressure on those kickers. It’s still an open competition and I’m excited to see who wins this contest.”
Through 11 training camps and one preseason game, Ryland currently holds a narrow lead with 26 of 29 hits, while Slye has 23 of 28 – although the latter has perhaps the most impressive kick, converting a 57-yard field goal to end a hectic situation.
5. UDFA Clock: Since first practicing in protective gear, two UDFAs have gained ground with their remarkable physicality. That continued Thursday night as running back Terrell Jennings and safety Dell Pettus maintained their positive momentum.
Jennings continued to run hard, leading New England’s backfield with 38 rushing yards (6.3 yards per carry). After averaging a career-high 4.6 yards after contact last season at Florida A&M, Jennings averaged 4.5 with two missed tackles on Thursday night. He also caught two balls for 11 yards.
As for Pettus, the safety delivered an explosive reception after a collision with a teammate, but his tough approach again flashed from behind, with four tackles, including two run stuffs.
6. Coaching credit: As much as Maye’s technique seemed to improve in limited action, Joe Milton did just as well in 20 snaps. The sixth-round pick looked more balanced in the pocket, which led to improved accuracy. As Milton said after the game, New England’s offensive coaching staff deserves credit for its work with the young players.
“I feel like the coaches and the team itself have put in a lot of work to get us where we need to be, especially at the quarterback position,” Milton said. “The OC, Coach AVP (Alex Van Pelt) and TC McCartney and Ben McAdoo are very particular about getting the details right. Your eyes don’t match your feet — and it’s about just being able to go where your feet take you and if it’s not there, just being able to keep going. So being able to trust the coaching, trust the guys around you and just trust the knowledge that they’re passing on. Just being able to be there and take it all in.”
7. Warranties: New England ultimately failed in its attempt to sign star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, but it didn’t appear to be for a lack of money. After ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported that the team offered Aiyuk a contract with an average annual salary of $32 million, Jeremy Fowler added that the guarantees in the deal were “top-notch.”
8. Sideline setup: There was a lot going on on the New England sideline on Thursday night with a 90-man roster and a larger coaching staff. Jerod Mayo stayed true to his word and acted as a CEO type on the sideline without a game plan. Two other things stood out: Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and QB coach TC McCarthy (not surprisingly) worked with the QBs and cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino on the sideline after a possession after spending the last few years in the coach’s booth.
9. Intro music: For years, the Patriots have left their locker room and taken the field to “Oh Fortuna” and “Crazy Train.” That changed Thursday night, when what sounded like an instrumental version of “Dream On” with “Let’s Go” blared from Gillette Stadium’s speakers as the team walked onto the sideline.
10. Plan the coming week: After a day off on Saturday, the Patriots are back to work in what Jerod Mayo says will be a “big week” for the team. The Philadelphia Eagles will be coming to town on Tuesday for a joint practice before the second preseason game on Thursday.
Preparations begin even earlier, as New England holds training camp practices on Sunday and Monday.
