While Romeo Doubs was tearing it up and making highlight-reel plays at Patriots training camp Saturday, the secondary was busy giving up touchdowns left and right, raising some serious red flags as they prep for their next preseason game. After a 13-13 tie with the Colts in their opener, the team hit the practice field again, but the focus quickly shifted to some seriously lopsided matchups.
This Receiver Is Coming Alive, But the D-Line Just Took a Hit
Seriously, has anyone seen what Romeo Doubs is doing out there? The dude is straight up *coming alive* in these recent practices. On Saturday, he was making highlight-reel plays like it was nothing, hauling in multiple touchdowns and snagging contested catches over the defense. Remember that one-minute drive by Drake Maye? Doubs pulled off an insane grab over Charles Woods for a touchdown, all after Kayshon Boutte dropped a massive gain that put them in the red zone. Coach Vrabel sounds pumped, saying Doubs is “trending in the right direction” as everyone figures out the new offense. That’s big-time positive energy right there.
But it wasn’t all sunshine and touchdowns. Edge rusher Dre’Mont Jones walked off the field early with the training staff. That’s never what you want to see. Rookie Gabe Jacas stepped right in opposite Elijah Ponder, though, and he looked sharp, getting several run stuffs in team periods. Good on him for making the most of the opportunity, but losing Jones even for a bit is a tough break.
Patriots Cornerbacks Are Getting Torched Left and Right
Okay, so the defense side of the ball, specifically the cornerbacks, had a rough day. With Christian Gonzalez sidelined due to a slight injury that Vrabel confirmed isn’t contract-related, it was Carlton Davis and Charles Woods stepping up as the starting corners. And they got *smoked*. Davis gave up multiple touchdowns in both 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 red zone reps. Then, to cap it all off, Kayshon Boutte beat him during the one-minute drill, setting up another touchdown.
Woods, even in a red non-contact jersey, also struggled, getting beaten a few times himself, often by the unstoppable Romeo Doubs. This is a real concern, guys. If your starting corners are getting absolutely carved up in practice, what’s going to happen when the real bullets fly?
Kicker Bounces Back, Injuries Keep Piling Up
It wasn’t all bad news for special teams, at least. Kicker Andy Borregales had a nightmare preseason opener, missing three field goals. But on Saturday? He totally bounced back! Reunited with longsnapper Julian Ashby, who missed the first game due to injury, Borregales drilled all six of his attempts, working on those skinny field goal posts. That’s a huge confidence booster and exactly what you want to see.
Now, for the QB stats from practice: Drake Maye went 1-for-5 in 7-on-7 drills and 10-for-16 in 11-on-11. Tommy DeVito was sharper in 7-on-7, going 4-for-4, but slipped to 6-for-13 in 11-on-11. Behren Morton managed 2-for-3 in 11-on-11.
The injury report is still a laundry list. Beyond Gonzalez, names like Kobe Prentice, Eric Butler, Chad Muma, Niko Lalos, Xavier Holmes, Andrew Rupcich, Ben Brown, Kyle Dixon, and Christian Barmore were all absent. Rupcich and Brown both got hurt in Thursday’s game, with Brown out for the rest of preseason. The team had to sign two new offensive linemen, including Darrian Dalcourt, just to cover. Christian Elliss was limited, and Harold Landry III and Brenden Schooler are still on PUP/NFI.
The Patriots have another preseason game coming up and two joint practices with the Eagles next week. They desperately need to tighten up that secondary and get healthy, especially if they want to build any momentum heading toward Week 1. This team has some serious questions to answer before kickoff.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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