Roche: Observations From Thursday's Patriots-Eagles Practice
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Like Wednesday's session, Thursday's Patriots-Eagles joint practice was moved up by the coaches due to the possibility of inclement weather here in Philadelphia.
Today was a much lighter day than Tuesday or Wednesday, with players in shells and shorts. After the two teams stretched they did some 7-on-7 goal line work.
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Tom Brady started the day off slow, going 0-for-4 which included a drop by tight end Daniel Fells. Ryan Mallett then stepped in and went 2-for-3 with touchdown passes to Zach Sudfeld and James Develin. Mallett did have a pass intended for Jake Ballard picked off by Brandon Boykin.
Tim Tebow stepped in as well, going 1-for-2 with an incomplete to Ballard and a touchdown to Fells. The scoring play was a nice, tight throw by Tebow and a nice grab by Fells.
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After some special teams work, it was back to 7-on-7, and Brady threw three straight completions to Kenbrell Thompkins, Josh Boyce (who made a great catch in the end zone) and Danny Amendola. He followed that up with incompletions to Sudfeld (his third drop of the day) and Fells, but closed the session with a touchdown pass to Fells.
An interesting side note that I observed following the 7-on-7 drill was Eagles defensive coordinator Billy Davis pulling Brady aside for a lengthy conversation. I can only imagine what that conversation was like -- was Davis picking Brady's brain? Asking what he saw in the Eagles' defense? Or was it more philosophical, like what had Brady seen over the last three days?
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Whatever the topic was, it looks like a smart thing for Davis -- who is in his third stint as a defensive coordinator but first year with the Eagles. I'm sure there is plenty he can learn from one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick will not address the media today, but his players will shortly after practice ends. After that, the next time we hear from them will be following their preseason debut.
With that, it's time for a shameless plug! WBZ-TV will have you covered tomorrow night, starting at 7 p.m. with a special pregame edition of Patriots GameDay. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m., and yours truly will have the call along with Christian Fauria. Matt Chatham and Steve Burton will join us from the sidelines, and Paul Perillo and Andy Hart from Patriots Football Weekly will also be on hand to share their insight and analysis. After the game, our coverage will continue on WBZ-TV with Patriots 5th Quarter live from Philadelphia.
Follow WBZ-TV's Dan Roche on Twitter @RochieWBZ.
Tune in to Friday's Patriots-Eagles preseason game on WBZ-TV and 98.5 The Sports Hub — the flagship stations of the New England Patriots. Pregame coverage begins on 98.5 FM at 4:30 p.m. and on WBZ-TV at 7 p.m..
