Patriots training camp notebook: In-stadium scrimmage for Day 9

Author Alex Barth

August 6th, 2021 9:04 PM

For their ninth training camp practice, the Patriots moved inside Gillette Stadium. It was the first of two planned in-stadium practices this summer.

Friday night was set up as a scrimmage, with players from each position being evenly split into two teams. Cam Newton led one squad, throwing to a group that included Nelson Agholor, Jakobi Meyers, N’Keal Harry, and Hunter Henry. Mac Jones was paired with Kendrick Bourne, Jonnu Smith, Isaiah Zuber, and Tre Nixon.

The pace of Friday’s practice was as slow as we’ve seen so far this summer. Players were just in helmets, jerseys, and shorts – not even ‘shells,’ or half pads. There was virtually no contact along the line of scrimmage, with receivers and defensive backs jogging through their assignments.

Given that pace, there’s few if any true evaluations that can be made from Friday’s session. It was, in the strictest definition of the term, a football practice. The focus wasn’t on the plays being run, but everything happening in between. Play calling, substitutions, personnel packages – making sure everybody knows where they need to be and when they need to be there.

From pregame stretching to a shortened ‘halftime,’ procedure was the key. Belichick seemingly wanted to simulate a gameday environment.

Here’s more news and notes from Friday’s in-stadium session…

• Clock management

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  That included a focus on situational football, mainly a two-minute drill. In the most consequential reps of the evening, each quarterback let a drive starting from the opponents 35 yard line, with 1:20 remaining on the clock. Although players were moving at half speed during the play, the clock-management element was real. Most of the throws targeted players on the sidelines, guys ran back to the line of scrimmage between plays, and there were even a couple of spikes to stop the clock.
  
  Newton got the first turn, and drove his unit to the 11 yard line with six second left. After clocking the ball, instead of bringing on the field goal unit, they tried one more shot to the end zone. J.C. Jackson jumped in front of Jakobi Meyers, picking the ball off with one second on the clock.
  
  Jones went next, and was able to finish the drive. He hit Jonnu Smith up the season from about 20 yards out to pick up the score with 10 seconds left.

• Player of the day

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  Given the tempo of the practice, opportunities for true football evaluation were few and far between. That being said, you can't kick field goals at half speed, and UDFA kicker Quinn Nordin made the most of his opportunity.
  
  With Nick Folk not participating for the second practice in a row, Nordin received all of the field goal reps, and hit every kick. He was 10-of-10 on the night, maxing out from 57 yards.
  
  Given Folk's strong 2020 season and Nordin's inconsistency in college - he hit 72.4 percent of his 58 career field goal attempts at Michigan - Folk's job seemed relatively safe at the start of camp. However, Nordin has certainly given the team plenty to think about, with Friday night capping a trio of strong performances.

• Taking attendance

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  The Patriots had two new absences on Friday night. Running back Brandon Bolden and safety Adrian Colbert each missed their first practice of the summer.
  
  Ted Karras, Devin Ross, Christian Barmore, Akeem Spence, Raekwon McMillan, D'Angelo Ross, and Nick Folk were all non-participants as well. Cody Davis, who missed Thursday's practice, was back on the field.
• Fans return to Gillette Stadium

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  Friday night's practice was the first Patriots event inside Gillette Stadium to host fans since the COVID-19 Pandemic. The last time Patriots nation saw their team in their stadium was Jan. 4, 2020 - 580 days ago.
  
  Welcoming fans back was a theme of the night from the stadium entertainment aspect of the evening. That was highlighted by owner Robert Kraft speaking to the crowd during the simulated halftime, calling them the "backbone" of the Patriots.

• Notable Quotables

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  David Andrews on what he's seen from Dont'a Hightower this summer: "He's just Dont'a Hightower. He's a great player, and a better teammate at times. So glad to have him back."
  
  Dont'a Hightower on the Patriots' linebacker room: "A big shift in generations than in the past. I think the youngest guy just turned 21 — Cam [McGrone]. Just to hear him say that, I was like, ‘What?’ But, it’s a great room. We have great energy. We have a lot of great leaders. Great vibes in that room. The guys in that room come to work. With some of the older guys and even some of the guys who don’t necessarily know the system as well as me or Kyle [Van Noy], or [Ja'Whaun] Bentley - but the room is great because guys want to learn. It’s not dull, it’s not morning. [Coach Jerod] Mayo does a great job of keeping everyone on their toes. It’s one of the more — I would say the room has more energy than in year’s past that I have been around."
  
  Adrian Phillips on playing with a year of experience in the Patriots' system: "I think the main thing is just being in the system a year longer. Last year I was kind of - I wouldn't say 'training wheels' program - but I was still trying to learn everything, probably like halfway during the season. I was still trying to learn everything. So now, with it being the new year, I'm a lot more comfortable, the calls are coming a lot more quicker, a lot more easier. And it's just - I feel comfortable. It's great."
  
  Jonnu Smith on his favorite Boston movies: "Man, I watched a lot of - I consider myself a ‘movieologist’ - so I watched a lot of movies that were filmed in Boston. One of my favorites ones was The Departed. So I kind of already knew Boston had a lot of history, you know what I’m saying? That was one of my favorite movies. I’m 25. I know that movie came out a long time ago, but I kind of just watched that movie with my wife a couple months ago. I didn’t even know I was coming to New England at that time. Just from watching that movie, I just realized how much Boston had a lot of history to it. There are a couple more movies I can’t think of off the top of my head, but that was one of my favorites that stuck out. Just from watching those movies; it’s going to come to my head...The Town. The Town was a good one. There were two. Ben Affleck, right? That was a good one. But just being able to watch some movies man, so I kind of was developing some of the Boston taste a little bit. Then wound up coming out here, man, it was kind of like ‘Dang, OK, this is where this happened, this is where that happened.’ It’s just been a great feeling, man. Just being able to adjust to the city. I grew up in Philadelphia, know what I mean? So it’s kind of similar, you know what I mean? It’s just a good feeling out here, man."

For more on Friday night’s Patriots practice, check out the latest training camp recap podcast featuring 98.5’s Matt Dolloff.

MORE: Chase Winovich nearing a return?

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Author Alex Barth

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