The Patriots and the Commanders joined forces for a spirited practice session behind Gillette Stadium on Wednesday, one that will go down as one of the most unique joint practices we'll ever see.
We are used to seeing tempers flare a bit during joint sessions, which occasionally leads to scuffles and skirmishes breaking out. One broke out Wednesday after Pats rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson took down a Commanders pass rusher and the two started to tussle a bit.
What we aren't used to seeing is a head coach jumping into the fray and emerging bloodied, as we did Wednesday with Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. He jumped right into the mix to break it up and ended up with a cut on his cheek.
Patriots players will likely receive a talking-to from Vrabel after practice, but they all loved seeing him jump into the fracas.
"That shows a lot about our coach. He'll do anything for us. That's love, right there," receiver DeMario Douglas said after practice.
As for the football we saw Wednesday, the Patriots fared extremely well against a team that went 12-5 last season and lost in the NFC Championship Game. The Pats were manhandled in last year's joint practice with the Eagles, which was a sign of things to come in the regular season. This year, the team held its own and won its share of battles throughout Wednesday's joint session.
There was a legitimate buzz in the crowd and on the field throughout the practice, which drew the biggest crowd we've seen of this year's training camp. Overall, it was a good next step for New England against a very good football team, and you could tell players felt that way after the session. Now it's on to the preseason opener Friday night.
Here are the big takeaways from Wednesday's practice.
Drake Maye's solid day
Maye had an extremely strong day overall for the second-year QB. He made some really nice throws into tight windows the face of pressure.
Maye threw touchdown passes to Mack Hollins and Hunter Henry, and had a lovely back-shoulder scoring strike to Kayshon Boutte where the receiver beat a pair of Commanders defenders, including star corner Marshon Lattimore. Maye also had a rushing touchdown where he scanned the field for an open man before he took off and burned the Washington defense.
He was upset after he threw an interception on a ball that was tipped by Bobby Wagner and picked off by Mike Sainristil, and there were a few others times Maye held the ball too long and would have been sacked. But his interception came on a great play by the Washington defense and a future Hall of Famer in Wagner; it wasn't one of the "what were you thinking?" kind of picks.
Maye spent a lot of time chatting up Jayden Daniels before the practice, and said the two quarterbacks (who were drafted No. 2 and No. 3 in last year's draft) will always be connected.
Good Day for Dobbs too
The backup had a solid day too with touchdown passes to Hollins, Boutte, and Javon Baker. Dobbs' touchdown pass to Hollins in the back corner of the end zone was the play of the day for New England.
Late start for Stefon Diggs?
We didn't see Diggs on the field to start the practice, but he joined the team later in the morning. He took the field for a 7 vs. 7 red zone drill, and promptly caught a pass from Maye.
I'm not sure what to make of his late arrival. Maybe he was getting medical attention before he took the field, or maybe he was simply late. It doesn't seem like a big deal, considering Diggs eventually participated.
Meanwhile, receiver Kendrick Bourne, linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson, and offensive lineman Caedan Wallace were absent from the joint session. Veteran lineman Morgan Moses was present but didn't practice, as he spent most of his time on the conditioning field.
Cornerback Christian Gonzalez and linebacker Jahlani Tavai attended the practice, but both were spectators in street clothes on the sideline.
Deatrich Wise impressed with Will Campbell
We got to see old friend Deatrich Wise Jr., who signed with the Commanders in the offseason. The defensive lineman matched up a lot with rookie left tackle Will Campbell, and left impressed with the No. 4 overall pick.
Neither player dominated the matchup, and Campbell held his own. He got beat on one play, but then came back later in the play and knocked the veteran lineman down. Overall it was a good day of back and forth between the two and a great lesson for the rookie Campbell.
"Great guy, really good at using his hands. He does a good job with effort," Wise said of Campbell after the practice. "He told me on the field he wants to get better and learn, and he takes everything as a lesson. Kudos to him."
Wise said he sees a high ceiling for Campbell, and told everyone to ignore all the noise over the rookie's arm length.
"It's not about the size of the tackle, it's about the heart. He has that," said Wise.
Offensive line shuffle continues
With Moses out, the offensive line shuffle continued for New England on Wednesday. Demontrey Jacobs assumed duties at right tackle, with Marcus Bryant also rotating in with the top team. Garrett Bradbury was the starting center, but Ben Brown also got run with the top team when Bradbury was sent to the second team.
Kicker competition
On the kicker front, John Parker Romo missed his first field goal of the summer and went 3-for-4 on the day. Rookie Andy Borregales connected on all four of his attempts.
