J.J. McCarthy under the microscope at Vikings training camp
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Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
6 takeaways from Day 2 of Patriots-Vikings joint practices
The New England Patriots concluded their second day of joint practices with the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday, having been given a real test this week. Both the Vikings' offense and defense provided challenges for the Patriots, and as expected, things went well, while the team struggled in other areas. So, here are the key takeaways from the second day of joint practice with the Vikings: *Information in this piece provided by the Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan and Doug Kyed, NBC Sports Boston's Phil Perry, and MassLive's Mark Daniels 1. Mike Vrabel Jumps in the Middle of a Fight... Again During a scuffle between the Patriots and the Washington Commanders in last week's joint practice, head coach Mike Vrabel jumped in to try and break it up, but ended up on the bottom and even came up with a streak of blood on his face. And on Thursday, he jumped right in again between New England and the Vikings, and once again ended up on the bottom of the pile. Oh, and not to mention it was Vrabel's 50th birthday. With that, he told reporters there is only one kind of cake he wants. 'There's one answer, it's carrot cake,' Vrabel said. 'There's one answer. There's no hemming and hawing.' 2. Another Rough Day for Will Campbell Will Campbell certainly had his hands full during joint practices, and Thursday was no different. The rookie left tackle was battling Pro Bowl edge rusher Jonathan Greenard and gave up two sacks during team drills. 3. Ben Brown Makes The Move to Left Guard After having some struggles during the first day, Jared Wilson didn't take part in the second day despite being present in pads. He was even photographed leaving the field early. In his absence, Ben Brown filled in at left guard, continuing to work with the top unit. 4. Drake Maye to Kayshon Boutte Hail Mary Drake Maye has been having some success in the two-minute periods to end practice on both days of joint practice. One day after hitting TreVeyon Henderson on a wheel route, with the rookie running back taking it for a 70-yard touchdown, Maye connected with Kayshon Boutte on a Hail Mary. This came after Maye was sacked twice, which forced a fourth-down situation. But, he sent the ball deep for Boutte, and the receiver didn't disappoint. 5. J.J. McCarthy vs. The Patriots Defense J.J. McCarthy took advantage of the Patriots' missing Christian Gonzalez, giving the cornerbacks a lot of trouble. Despite nice pressure from New England's defensive line, McCarthy was able to make plays and connect with his receivers, including nice plays to T.J. Hockenson and Jordan Addison. 6. Attendance Not participating: CB Christian Gonzalez, WR Ja'Lynn Polk, LB Marte Mapu, RB Terrell Jennings, RB Rhamondre Stevenson, LB Jahlani Tavai, WR Kendrick Bourne, TE Hunter Henry Returned: TE Hunter Henry, ED Elijah Ponder Limited: S Jabrill Peppers, CB D.J. James Left Early: OL Jared Wilson What's Next? The Patriots will face off against the Vikings in their second preseason game on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET at U.S. Bank Stadium. Minnesota head coach Kevin O'Connell announced that J.J. McCarthy will not play, and Sam Howell will start instead. Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook. This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: 6 takeaways from Day 2 of Patriots-Vikings joint practices
USA Today
39 minutes ago
- USA Today
6 takeaways from Day 2 of Patriots-Vikings joint practices
The New England Patriots concluded their second day of joint practices with the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday, having been given a real test this week. Both the Vikings' offense and defense provided challenges for the Patriots, and as expected, things went well, while the team struggled in other areas. So, here are the key takeaways from the second day of joint practice with the Vikings: *Information in this piece provided by the Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan and Doug Kyed, NBC Sports Boston's Phil Perry, and MassLive's Mark Daniels 1. Mike Vrabel Jumps in the Middle of a Fight... Again During a scuffle between the Patriots and the Washington Commanders in last week's joint practice, head coach Mike Vrabel jumped in to try and break it up, but ended up on the bottom and even came up with a streak of blood on his face. And on Thursday, he jumped right in again between New England and the Vikings, and once again ended up on the bottom of the pile. Oh, and not to mention it was Vrabel's 50th birthday. With that, he told reporters there is only one kind of cake he wants. 'There's one answer, it's carrot cake,' Vrabel said. 'There's one answer. There's no hemming and hawing.' 2. Another Rough Day for Will Campbell Will Campbell certainly had his hands full during joint practices, and Thursday was no different. The rookie left tackle was battling Pro Bowl edge rusher Jonathan Greenard and gave up two sacks during team drills. 3. Ben Brown Makes The Move to Left Guard After having some struggles during the first day, Jared Wilson didn't take part in the second day despite being present in pads. He was even photographed leaving the field early. In his absence, Ben Brown filled in at left guard, continuing to work with the top unit. 4. Drake Maye to Kayshon Boutte Hail Mary Drake Maye has been having some success in the two-minute periods to end practice on both days of joint practice. One day after hitting TreVeyon Henderson on a wheel route, with the rookie running back taking it for a 70-yard touchdown, Maye connected with Kayshon Boutte on a Hail Mary. This came after Maye was sacked twice, which forced a fourth-down situation. But, he sent the ball deep for Boutte, and the receiver didn't disappoint. 5. J.J. McCarthy vs. The Patriots Defense J.J. McCarthy took advantage of the Patriots' missing Christian Gonzalez, giving the cornerbacks a lot of trouble. Despite nice pressure from New England's defensive line, McCarthy was able to make plays and connect with his receivers, including nice plays to T.J. Hockenson and Jordan Addison. 6. Attendance Not participating: CB Christian Gonzalez, WR Ja'Lynn Polk, LB Marte Mapu, RB Terrell Jennings, RB Rhamondre Stevenson, LB Jahlani Tavai, WR Kendrick Bourne, TE Hunter Henry Returned: TE Hunter Henry, ED Elijah Ponder Limited: S Jabrill Peppers, CB D.J. James Left Early: OL Jared Wilson What's Next? The Patriots will face off against the Vikings in their second preseason game on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET at U.S. Bank Stadium. Minnesota head coach Kevin O'Connell announced that J.J. McCarthy will not play, and Sam Howell will start instead. Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
4 standouts from Day 2 of Patriots' joint practices with Vikings
The New England Patriots battled it out with the Minnesota Vikings for a second straight day at Thursday's joint practice between the two teams. There was a heavier focus on red zone work during the competitive team periods, and the Vikings seemed to get the better of the Patriots in this practice. Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy was missing All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson and still managed to carve up the Patriots' defense. Perhaps the most concerning part of the practice was the poor offensive line performance, particularly on the left side. It's important to note that the Vikings were a playoff team with 14 wins last season. Even without Jefferson, they are loaded at the skilled positions, and they have one of the best defenses in the NFL. This was always going to be a tough out for a young Patriots team. Here were the four standout players from Day 2 of joint practices with the Vikings: WR Efton Chism III Efton Chism III was the clear standout working with the second-team unit for the Patriots. The undrafted rookie wide receiver has come on strong in the last two weeks of training camp practices, and he kept that momentum going against a Vikings defense that mostly held the Patriots in check. He had a strong connection with veteran quarterback Joshua Dobbs throughout the day. DT Christian Barmore On a day when J.J. McCarthy had his way with the Patriots' defense, veteran defensive tackle Christian Barmore was credited with two sacks at Thursday's practice. It was one of the few positive performances for a unit that didn't have many answers for the Vikings' offense. When healthy, Barmore is one of the best defensive tackles in the league. He clearly wasn't going down without a fight. WR Kayshon Boutte Patriots second-year wideout Kayshon Boutte connected with Drake Maye for the play of the day to close out the practice. He hauled in a 40-yard bomb from the young quarterback with three defenders in the vicinity, resulting in multiple Patriots players running onto the field to celebrate. It was a highlight-reel play that lifted some of the stench from a tough training camp practice. QB Drake Maye This wasn't the best showing from the Patriots' offense, but Drake Maye wasn't at fault for those issues. There wasn't much separation from receivers, and the offensive line was a complete disaster. Yet, Maye still completed tight-window throws and didn't turn the ball over. His best throw of the practice was the Hail Mary touchdown connection with wideout Kayshon Boutte to end the session. Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook. This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: 4 standouts from Day 2 of Patriots' joint practices with Vikings
