Mac Watch, Day 5: Patriots offense has a ‘meh’ first day of full pads

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

FOXBORO — If you were hoping for a step forward from Mac Jones and the Patriots offense in their first fully padded practice, you might want to be more patient.

Jones went 10-of-15 with an interception overall in team drills during Monday’s practice in Foxboro. He went 5-of-9 with the INT in 11-on-11 drills, which is where the offense has looked notably shaky, as compared to 7-on-7. It’s not all on Jones – the coverage has generally been tight and DBs have been making plays on the ball – but the second-year quarterback certainly has room to improve upon what he’s shown.

Fans and media in attendance finally got to see Jones take more deep shots down the field, including a fairly competitive 1-vs-1 session between wide receivers and cornerbacks. Nelson Agholor, DeVante Parker, rookie Tyquan Thornton, and Tre Nixon all completed catches from Jones, while Jakobi Meyers had one clang off his hands.

Jones’ deep balls appeared to travel about 50-55 yards when he took shots near the end zone. It’s possible he added a yard or two to his arm, based on that drill.

Sports Hub Underground | Patriots training camp, Bruins, and more

It’s safe to say that Jones and the offense had an inauspicious start to full 11-on-11 drills. On the very first play … right tackle Isaiah Wynn committed a false start. He had to take a lap for his troubles.

On the very next play, the offense got the snap off fine, but Jones instead threw an interception right into the bread basket of cornerback Terrance Mitchell. It’s hard to tell without knowing the actual play-calls, but it appeared to be a miscommunication between Jones and Thornton. Mitchell simply sat and his zone and the throw went right to him, as Thornton ran over the top. So it certainly seemed like the rookie made a rookie mistake.

That was Jones’ only passing rep of that first 11-on-11 period, as the team mixed in runs with passes throughout. But he responded well to the interception, completing nine of his next 10 passes, including a 4-of-4 session with the starting offense facing the starting defense.

Easily the highlight of the next 11-on-11 period, and the practice overall, was a deep shot from Jones to DeVante Parker that the receiver reeled in after toasting cornerback Malcolm Butler in coverage. Parker has made some plays with his hands and body control in the red zone so far in camp, but Monday was the first glimpse at his 1-on-1 ability in the deep part of the field.

Parker told Evan Lazar of Patriots.com after practice that the Patriots’ offensive terminology is “about the same” as 2019 in Miami, when he played for Brian Flores. It sure seems to have been a plus for him. Parker looks like it’s already clicked for him and he’s ready to make dynamic plays for the Pats’ deeper receiving corps.

Jul 29, 2022; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) walks onto the field before training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

Unfortunately, once again, Jones and the offense didn’t close well in 11-on-11. That was thanks mainly to Butler, who bounced back from allowing a big play to Parker by breaking up a corner fade on the first play of the final 11-on-11 red zone period. Butler also broke up a pass toward the end zone intended for Thornton.

Side note: Butler appears to be in a legit competition with Mitchell and rookie Jack Jones for the second starting cornerback spot opposite Jalen Mills. It’s possible that either Butler or Mitchell could find themselves on the outside looking in by the time final roster cutdowns arrive.

Back to the offense. Jones did complete a shallow crosser to tight end Jonnu Smith, who beat Devin McCourty in coverage. Either Smith is ready to take a big step forward after a disastrous first season in New England, or the Patriots have real issues covering tight ends. Perhaps a little of both.

The third incompletion of this period was a throwaway, tossed purposely toward the feet of running back Rhamondre Stevenson.

Final Thoughts

Jul 29, 2022; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) walks onto the field before training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

Five practices into camp, Jones has shown vast improvement in terms of his knowledge of the offense and comfort running it … in 7-on-7. The biggest difference between those drills and 11-on-11 is the presence of a pass-rush. So Jones has plenty of room for improvement standing in the pocket and delivering accurate balls, on time, when he has defenders bearing down on him.

One thing I’ve noticed, and this could simply be a coincidence, is that Jones’ throws to the corner of the end zone were at times overthrown last week, but underthrown on Monday. Butler nearly picked Jones off on an underthrown fade intended for Thornton. It seems like Jones is working on getting the right touch on those throws. Plenty of time to figure that out, but that’s one particular area of the offense that is worth monitoring at practice in the days ahead.

Two areas where Jones has shown noticeable improvement are deep balls and throwing on the run. He got good air under the ball in the 1-on-1 drills, and the play of the day was a deep shot to Parker. Jones will have no shortage of big-play threats between Parker, Thornton, and Agholor. But it feels like Parker is the only one who’s consistently on the same page with him.

Communication issues have occasionally popped up in team drills, but they seemed to be more on the receiver than Jones. They’ll need to work those kinks out in order to avoid potentially back-breaking mistakes in real games.

Leftover Notes…

Wide receiver Tyquan Thornton during Patriots training camp on July 28, 2022. (Syndication: The Providence Journal)

— Thornton continues to rotate in with the first team offense, a good sign overall for the rookie’s potential to contribute meaningful snaps to the offense in his first year. He posterized cornerback Joejuan Williams, who seems to be on the roster “bubble” at best, in a 1-on-1 drill, contorting and falling backward to reel in a deep ball from Jones in the back corner of the end zone.

— Ty Montgomery continues to get looks as a third-down back and kick returner. Montgomery, Nixon, Stevenson, and Kyle Dugger appear to be competing for the kick returner role.

— Joe Judge is officially listed as the quarterbacks coach for the Patriots, but he was spotted working closely with pass-catchers during a drill practicing what looked like wheel routes and screens. Mac Jones threw the ball in this session. Receivers coach Ross Douglas, receivers/returners coach Troy Brown, and offensive assistant Evan Rothstein were also present during this period. It’s certainly been a collaborative coaching process on that side of the ball.

— Cornerbacks Jonathan Jones and Myles Bryant, and safety Jabrill Peppers all returned from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

Sports Hub Patriots Podcast | Training Camp Day 4 with Mike Dussault

Be sure to keep checking back for the newest Mac Watch after every training camp practice. And click here for complete Patriots training camp coverage at 985TheSportsHub.com.

Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. You can also email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.