Patriots ready for competition, intensity to ramp up in joint practice with Eagles
FOXBORO -- The New England Patriots practiced without pads on Monday, but there will be plenty of big hits on the field Tuesday in Foxboro. The Pats are welcoming the Philadelphia Eagles to town for a joint practice session in Foxboro.
We're still talkin' about practice, but the competitiveness and intensity will be high when the Patriots and the Eagles share the field. These joint sessions are a favorite of head coaches and players, as it gives both teams a chance to work on whatever they want to work on in a controlled setting. They get to do so with a different team on the other side of the field and not their teammates -- a team that is seeking out big hits and not holding back.
It all leads up to Thursday night's preseason tilt between the Pats and the Eagles on Thursday night at Gillette Stadium. For the Patriots, it will give them a chance to see where they measure up with one of the best teams in the NFC.
"Excited to get another team in here – a contender team – to go up against and see where we land against these guys," quarterback Jacoby Brissett said of the upcoming joint session after Monday's practice. "I know we'll put in good work on both sides so I'm excited for that."
Brissett played just three snaps in New England's preseason opener last week against the Carolina Panthers, but his snaps in Tuesday's joint session and Thursday's second preseason game will be much more important. Drake Maye -- who also played just one series last week and is coming off a solid day at practice on Monday -- should also see some very meaningful snaps Tuesday and Thursday.
"For all the quarterbacks, it's a huge week for those guys to really show development," head coach Jerod Mayo said over the weekend. "Drake will play more this week, for sure. But don't forget, anytime you practice against a team, they'll get a lot of good reps against someone else and based on that, we'll see how they'll play in a game. That's all positions, though."
The New England defense looked a step behind on Monday, and the unit was a bit disjointed at times as they were forced to do laps for a pair of pre-snap penalties. Tuesday will be their biggest test of the summer (until Thursday night's exhibition) against an extremely talented Philadelphia offense.
Patriots coaches expect a better showing from the defense on Tuesday, and believe that having a team like the Eagles on the other side will bring out their best.
"We've been doing that against our offense but that can get a bit monotonous," explained inside linebackers coach Dont'e Hightower, who is no stranger to joint practices from his playing days in New England. "Coming out, having good fundamentals and learning from that, then coming back the next day and trying to do better than that."
"They have a well-rounded team," Patriots defensive coordinator Demarcus Covington said of the Eagles. "Up-front, running backs, the quarterback position, same thing with the receivers. So it'll be good for our guys to have that level of competition to see who can fill those voids or can help contribute to our defense this season."
Coaches love these joint sessions because of the opportunity it gives them and their players to work on different things against a team that is legitimately trying to stop them. It's still controlled by the two coaching staffs, but it's a much different look than what players get when practicing opposite their teammates.
While Monday's session was on the lighter side, the intensity will ramp right back up on Tuesday. It will also be the final time that fans can check out the Patriots before the close of training camp.
Tune in to Thursday's Patriots-Eagles preseason tilt on WBZ-TV -- your home of the New England Patriots! Pregame coverage begins at 6:30 pm with Patriots GameDay, kickoff is set for just after 7pm, and after the game stick around for Patriots 5th Quarter!