Jul 29, 2022; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) throws the ball during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
For Mac Jones and the Patriots offense, day 3 of 2022 training camp was more-or-less a continuation of day 2. But at least one highlight play can be looked at as a sign of progress.
Overall, Jones was 7-of-8 in 7-on-7 drills, but the number dropped to 6-of-11 in 11-on-11. Only one of the 11’s felt “competitive,” with the players in shells and slightly ramping up the contact with just one more practice to go before full pads.
It was during that competitive red zone session that Jones threw his first interception of camp, which appeared to be a miscommunication between him and receiver Jakobi Meyers. Jones threw his hands up after the play, possibly indicating that Meyers ran the wrong route. The ball landed safely in the hands of cornerback Jalen Mills for the pick.
The best play of the day from the Jones-led offense came from tight end Jonnu Smith, who certainly has a lot to prove after a trying 2021 season. It came in a reasonably competitive 7-on-7 red zone drill, as Smith lined up against third-year safety Kyle Dugger. Jones dropped the ball perfectly over Dugger, and Smith leaped to reel it in and tapped both feet in bounds to complete the “touchdown.”
Mac Watch, Day 2: Maybe pump the brakes after Patriots offense has ugly finish
Mac Jones during Patriots training camp on July 28, 2022. (Syndication: The Providence Journal)
Mac Jones and the Patriots offense has looked borderline unstoppable in training camp … in non-competitive 7-on-7 drills. Once it turns to 11-on-11, it’s become much more of a challenge.
Jones rolled for most of Thursday’s practice in Foxboro, the second day of 2022 training camp. But that was mostly in lighter 7-on-7 sessions that were barely more physical than a walkthrough.
While Jones has generally looked confident, which is important in early non-padded practices, the offense crashed hard in a more physical 11-on-11 session to close out Thursday.
The second-year quarterback started red-hot, completing 16 of his first 17 passes in a mix of 7-on-7 and 11-on-11. Most drills, like Wednesday, focused on red zone work. One early highlight was a Hunter Henry catch on a corner fade from Jones, which was well-placed over safety Kyle Dugger in coverage.
The offense would make no such plays at the end of practice. Jones and rookie Bailey Zappe combined to go 1-for-11 in the final 11-on-11 red zone drills, which featured about as much contact and physical play that you can get without pads. They also cranked the music – which included Guns ‘n’ Roses and Drake, if you’re curious – to simulate crowd noise. That ostensibly had an effect on the offensive communication.
Jones himself went 1-for-7 in this session. Four of his incompletions could be counted as overthrows. One simply sailed out of reach from Parker, another from tight end Hunter Henry. A third was caught by Nelson Agholor, but he was clearly out of bounds. The fourth looked catchable for Kendrick Bourne, who was mad at himself after he couldn’t finish the play, but it was too far to drop in the bucket.
A Gross Injustice
Mac Jones during Patriots training camp on July 28, 2022. (Syndication: The Providence Journal)
Play-Calling
Mar 16, 2022; Atlanta, GA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and senior advisor Matt Patricia watch during Georgia Pro Day at William Porter Payne and Porter Otis Payne Indoor Athletic Facility. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
For the second straight day, senior adviser/offensive line coach Matt Patricia appeared to be the one acting as the team’s offensive coordinator. He called most of the plays, while it appeared Jones took a few play-calls from Belichick himself late in practice. Steve Belichick appears to be the play-caller on defense. Give the checkmark to Bill Jr. on that last session.