This time of year, Patriots practices can only be described in one way.
A daily blue-and-white blur of football.
Any number of position drills, individual instructions, 7-on-7 sessions, full-team periods, special teams reps, big plays and small ones all take place outside Gillette Stadium, often simultaneously. Not even the coaches, all of whom are locked into a specific position group at any given moment, can fully process what’s happened in practice. It’s why they spend every afternoon and/or evening of training camp reviewing the day’s film.
Without the benefit of film, spectators eager to learn about the Patriots should come up with a game plan. Determine any areas of interest, and focus there.
Except in an unprecedented summer for the Patriots, the options are aplenty. Perhaps too plenty.
So here are the top 10 things to follow down in Foxboro:
Quarterback 1st-team reps
The fastest way to learn who will replace Tom Brady won’t be zeroing in on how Cam Newton or Jarrett Stidham performs this summer. It will be how the pie of first-team reps is split between them.
Early on, the Pats can be expected to split reps with the starting offense evenly between Newton, Stidham and Brian Hoyer. Down the road, for the sake of competitive advantage, they’re unlikely to name a starter until they absolutely must in Week 1. In between, they won’t have a choice but to tip their hand with how they divide their first-team reps late in camp.
Whomever has an edge then, during the most game-like situations a practice can offer, has the inside track to start against Miami on Sept. 13.
Sony Michel’s return
After foot surgery three months ago, Michel remains on the PUP list.
In his absence, the Pats are relying on Rex Burkhead, 2019 third-rounder Damien Harris, newly signed veteran Lamar Miller and perhaps undrafted rookie J.J. Taylor to soak up early-down reps. Barring an immediate return, Michel will again be behind in his preparation for the season, just as he was as a rookie. Except this time he’s in much greater danger of losing playing time.
If Miller, a two-time Pro Bowler and competent receiver, has returned to health, Michel should be in trouble. Should Harris excel as a pass catcher and pass protector — Michel is in definite trouble. For two seasons, he’s been a negative in the passing game, failed to flash an above-average skill and been wrapped in rightful concern over degenerative knee problems.
The longer Michel sits out, the longer his teammates have to gain ground, and the less likely it is he impacts the 2020 season. The clock is ticking.
N’Keal Harry’s development
At the very least, Harry seems to have embraced change after his clunker rookie campaign.
The former first-round pick looks trimmer compared to last year, when his season-long totals mirrored single-game stats for the NFL’s elite receivers. He struggled mightily to separate from tight coverage and beat press off the line; problems remedied by improved quickness and technique. Harry’s ceiling figures to be higher than any other Patriots wideout, aside from Julian Edelman and Mohamed Sanu; known, veteran commodities whose game-to-game production depends largely on their health.
Aside from his impressive college film and poor NFL debut, not much more is known about Harry. Now is the time to find out.
Who starts at right tackle?
According to team reporters, Jermaine Eluemunor took reps at right tackle this week, joining expected contenders Yodny Cajuste, a second-year question mark, and veteran backup Korey Cunningham. None have NFL experience at right tackle — and Cajuste exclusively played LT in college — though Eluemunor did play right guard for a short spell during his time in Baltimore. This projects as a summer-long competition.
Akin to the quarterback battle, the offensive tackle who sees more first-team reps than his competitors can be considered the favorite to start Week 1. But don’t rule out the possibility of a late trade for a more proven starter. After a disappointing training camp last year, Bill Belichick overhauled his O-line depth by striking three straight deals before the preseason finale.
This position will be vital to the offense’s success.
Goal-line periods
Six months before the Titans knocked out the Patriots in the Wild Card round with victories at the goal line last January, the Pats offense lined up and got stuffed on four rushes in their second padded practice. It was quietly foretelling.
Over the 2019 season, the Patriots posted their worst offensive red-zone numbers in more than a decade. They got pushed around in short-yardage all over the field. It was a major flaw that mostly lay at the feet of the offensive line.
The good news is starting center David Andrews has returned, and aside from right tackle, the Pats field one of the best offensive lines in the league. If one among Cajuste, Cunningham or Eluemunor pans out, they’ll be golden.
Until then, the line must get nasty. Goal-line periods are among the most critical in camp. Setting a tone for the 2020 season starts here.
1-on-1 pass rush
On to the defense.
One of the most exciting periods of any camp practice is tucked in the back corner of one field, where every 30 seconds a pair of Patriots square off in some of the most ferocious battles of the summer. If you’re looking for a scrap or a skirmish, eyes back here.
More importantly, these 1-on-1 pass rushes are educational. They’re the first hint of which players might flash in a preseason game. A year ago, it was Chase Winovich, who recorded one of the higher winning percentages in these sessions of any defensive player. Meanwhile, fourth-round guard Hjalte Froholdt struggled for most of camp, and later, it was no wonder Winovich went on to harass quarterbacks all year, while Froholdt racked up three preseason holding penalties and missed the season after suddenly suffering the Foxboro Flu.
Ja’Whaun Bentley in coverage
The new leader of the Patriots linebackers should be ready for his role.
Ja’Whaun Bentley can tackle, diagnose plays, organize the defense pre-snap and apply all he’s learned in the past from veterans like Dont’a Hightower toward the future.
But there is one area he wrestles with … pass coverage. The third-year product out of Purdue has allowed more than 73% of all NFL pass attempts in his direction to be completed. For that reason, he’s been limited to early downs. Bentley knows it, too.
Last week, he told reporters he studies several linebackers across the league to learn from them, and indicated pass defense was an area he’s focused upon.
“Maybe guys who are good in pass coverage, and try to take something from them and run,” Bentley said. “You piece things together to find what works for you. Find different styles that make you the best player you can be. That’s what I live by and will continue to.”
Kyle Dugger’s usage
Will it be up high or down low?
The Pats seem to believe Dugger can play both places, as a rare safety who carries elite athleticism and experience inside the box and back deep. There’s a reason, despite holes at wide receiver, tight end and linebacker, Belichick picked the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder first in April’s draft.
Since then, Patrick Chung has opted out, leaving less depth behind him at strong safety; a position that is essentially deployed everywhere. Chung’s old starting spot, or at least the backup position behind him, seem like natural homes for Dugger. However, there’s no clear option behind Devin McCourty, the Patriots’ longtime free safety whose straight-line speed is matched only by a few teammates, including Dugger. But remember, McCourty also coordinates an ever-shifting secondary before most snaps, too.
Which challenge will the Pats’ top pick be up to?
The rookie kicker
Alt-right tattoo controversies aside, Justin Rohrwasser will be a fascinating Patriot to watch moving forward.
He will have no competition in camp. He exudes the utmost confidence in his ability to transition from Marshall to the NFL, especially in clutch situations. Yet failure looms around the corner for every pro kicker, so how will he handle it?
Unfortunately for him, the absence of a preseason makes it impossible to know until Week 1. Until then, he will be judged by his teammates, who must choose whether to embrace or distance themselves from the rookie who’s off to an unusually rocky start.
Two-minute drills
Of all the pillars of Belichick’s program, this ranks right at the top: a player’s ability to perform under pressure. And at no position is that more important than quarterback.
Stidham showed flashes of this last August. He drove a collection of third- and fourth-stringers 99 yards to beat the Titans in Week 2 of the preseason, after a college career that included a handful of comebacks. Newton, of course, has played in a ton of big games, as a former MVP. But now, in a new environment under a new coaching staff, these drills will be the first test of his ability to beat pressure as a Patriot.
They consist of the most critical snaps of the summer, both for quarterbacks and every offensive position. It’ll soon be crunch time for everyone.
"follow" - Google News
August 16, 2020 at 05:01PM
https://ift.tt/2Y8nqIx
Patriots 2020 training camp: 10 things to follow in Foxboro - Boston Herald
"follow" - Google News
https://ift.tt/35pbZ1k
https://ift.tt/35rGyU8
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Patriots 2020 training camp: 10 things to follow in Foxboro - Boston Herald"
Post a Comment