Drake Maye absolutely went off on the Eagles’ top defense yesterday, torching them for his first 13 completions across four periods during the Patriots’ first joint practice. This wasn’t some soft walkthrough, folks, this was a full-pads, two-hour grind fest under the high 80-degree sun, designed to be a true measuring stick for Mike Vrabel’s squad. When your rookie QB is picking apart one of the league’s elite units like that, you know something special is brewing early.
Maye Was Unstoppable, Leading a Critical Drive
Maye’s performance was nothing short of dominant. He hit a bunch of downfield throws, finding A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas, and Kayshon Boutte multiple times. But it wasn’t just about the completions; it was about the control. Maye ended his day with a 1:05 left on the clock, ball around the 20-yard line, and coolly led a drive that proved they could get points when it mattered. Even with a first-down drop by Doubs, Maye kept his cool. He hit Douglas and Mack Hollins to get across midfield, then a short pass to Hunter Henry set up Andy Borregales for a 52-yard field goal. Boom! Right through the uprights. You love to see a young QB command the field like that in a high-stakes setting against a legitimate defense.
Competitive Fire and Early Season Challenges
These joint practices are all about finding out what you’ve got, and Vrabel explicitly called this an “intentional” opportunity against a “very good football team.” The competitive fire was definitely there. We even saw a minor dust-up during a live field goal unit, with Eagles defensive lineman Jalen Carter throwing a punch, and Gabe Jacas taking exception to an earlier block. But overall, coaches Vrabel and Nick Sirianni seemed pleased with how things played out.
Of course, no practice is without its challenges. The Patriots were missing a few key guys, with Christian Gonzalez, Xavier Holmes, and Ben Brown all absent. Channing Canada departed early due to injury, and Greg Van Roten was limited, not participating in full team periods. But it wasn’t all bad news: Chad Muma and Kyle Dixon were back on the field, though Harold Landry III and Brenden Schooler are still rehabbing and not expected for Week One. Vrabel stressed they’re working hard to get back, but for now, they won’t be playing in the game this week.
This session was all about full-field work, with tomorrow slated for red zone action. If Maye can bring this same heat in the red zone, the league is going to have a serious problem on their hands. Keep an eye on what happens in tomorrow’s practice, because these early-season measuring sticks are telling us a ton about what this team might be capable of.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pats Pulpit.
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