Patriots training camp Day 4: Mac Jones rebounds with perfect final period in strong practice

FOXBORO — The roller coaster continues.

Mac Jones pulled ahead of Cam Newton late in Saturday’s training camp practice, the Patriots’ fourth session of the summer. Heading into an off day, the rookie has matched Newton’s two superior practices with a pair of his own. Aside from a difficult 0-for-4 period in the middle of practice, Jones completed all but one pass in team drills Saturday — an incompletion caused by a miscommunication with Kendrick Bourne.

Overall, the Pats opened the field with several 11-on-11 periods focused on early downs and devoted two others to kickoffs, having spent three straight days already hammering the red zone.

Here are the Herald’s complete practice observations:

Attendance

Returned: LB Anfernee Jennings, LB Brandon King

Absent: OL Ted Karras

Non-contact jersey: LB Kyle Van Noy

PUP: CB Stephon Gilmore, OLB Chase Winovich, QB Jarrett Stidham, DL Byron Cowart, TE Dalton Keene, LB Terez Hall

NFI: S Joshuah Bledsoe, LB Cameron McGrone

COVID-19 reserve: TE Devin Asiasi

Play of the Day

Jones rolls right, hits Meyers for a TD

Punctuating a perfect final period, Jones escaped edge pressure by spinning and rolling to his right in a tight red-zone period. He kept his eyes downfield, and at last, after almost five seconds, an opportunity revealed itself.

Jakobi Meyers had sprung free from Jonathan Jones, running the length of the end zone from right to left. Without slowing a beat, Jones uncorked a missile and hit Meyers on the move. The third-year receiver then fell inbounds for the final touchdown of the day.

Player of the Day

TE Jonnu Smith

More solid than spectacular, Smith would have finished with a team-high five catches in team drills were it not for an uncalled defensive pass interference penalty on Adrian Phillips late in practice.

The young tight end caught passes in the flat, on a screen and a deep cross, a full display of his versatility. Don’t be surprised if Smith receives a hand-off sometime soon, either. The 6-foot-3, 248-pounder is a tackle-breaking machine.

QB Corner

Note: The passing stats below were tallied during competitive 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 periods only. Full training camp stats are in parentheses.

Cam Newton: 12/21 (31/50, 2 INTs, 3 drops)

Mac Jones: 11/16 (25/52, 2 drops)

Brian Hoyer: 11/15 (44/63, 1 drop)

Studs

S Adrian Phillips

His obvious pass interference aside, Phillips again blanketed the Pats’ tight ends, earning a pass breakup against Hunter Henry and winning another rep against Smith during a 3-on-3 passing drill. The veteran safety has arguably been the best defender in camp. Saturday’s performance only strengthened that argument.

RB Rhamondre Stevenson

Way to go, rook.

A day after making his practice debut, Stevenson caught both targets in team drills and beat Phillips during 3-on-3s. The pass, a short bullet from Newton, was perfectly placed through traffic, yet still required the rookie to keep perfect concentration and maintain soft hands. Stevenson looked like the natural pass-catcher and route-runner he was deemed to be as a prospect.

Duds

WR Marvin Hall

An uphill climb to make the final 53 got steeper for Hall, who dropped one of two targets in team drills and had the other knocked away because he couldn’t shake backup corner Dee Virgin. Hall also rotated with the kick returners Saturday, though that job is likely to be awarded to Kyle Dugger, Gunner Olszewski or J.J. Taylor.

WR Kendrick Bourne

On top of the aforementioned incompletion, Bourne struggled in 3-on-3s and finished with a single catch during team periods. Jalen Mills and backup linebacker Raekwon McMillan both earned pass breakups at his expense, though the latter may have been whistled for interference in a real game. Either way, Bourne, a projected starter, was among the least-productive pass-catchers on the field in his first poor practice as a Patriot.

Offensive notes

• Cam Newton and Mac Jones both opened against the scout-team defense during team drills, leading to 8-of-9 and 6-of-7 starts, respectively. Coverage was generally soft, and they took advantage.
• In the next team period, against first- and second-stringers, both hit walls. Newton went 2-of-6 with two poor reps and a drop. Jones finished 0-for-4, doomed by two tipped passes, an overthrow and apparent miscommunication.
• Then, Jones rebounded. He completed two flat throws, hit Kristian Wilkerson for a touchdown and found Meyers on the aforementioned Play of the Day, going 4-of-4. Newton had an overthrow, slight overthrow and well-defended pass around a couple completions.
• Overall, Jones’ catchable pass rate soared to a camp-high 69%. Newton’s fell just slightly to 66% after hitting 70% on Saturday, his personal best.
• Top targets: Jakobi Meyers (4/6), Jonnu Smith (4/5), Isaiah Zuber (4/5), Kristian Wilkerson (4/4), Hunter Henry (2/4, drop).
• Drops: Henry, Marvin Hall.
• Meyers beat Jonathan Jones three times for catches and snagged another against zone.
• Nelson Agholor cooled off after a strong start to camp, catching two passes in team drills and watching another target get batted away.
• One of N’Keal Harry’s two catches started with a quick count and unusual formation, another subtle sign the offense diversified Saturday.
• During one kickoff period, Newton and Jones threw on the side with Agholor, Smith and Henry.
• Wilkerson’s four catches impressed, though he caught two in front of backup corner Michael Jackson, Joejuan Williams and one against Jalen Mills.
• Damien Harris often led the running backs in team periods, followed by Sony Michel, who enjoyed his best day as a pass-catcher.
• Fullback Jakob Johnson has been virtually invisible through four practices.
• With Ted Karras still sidelined, backup lineman Marcus Martin rotated at center and right guard with the starting offense.

Defensive notes

• Starting and backup personnel during scout-team periods: defensive linemen Lawrence Guy, Davon Godchaux, Akeem Spence, Deatrich Wise, Henry Anderson and Carl Davis, linebackers Dont’a Hightower, Matt Judon, Kyle Van Noy, Josh Uche, and Ja’Whaun Bentley, and defensive backs Devin McCourty, J.C. Jackson, Jalen Mills, Kyle Dugger, Jonathan Jones, Adrian Phillips, Myles Bryant, Joejuan Williams and Michael Jackson.
• Notably absent from that list: defensive tackle Montravius Adams and second-round rookie defensive tackle Christian Barmore.
• Would-be sacks: Team (2), Ronnie Perkins, Rashod Berry.
  Interceptions: None.
  Pass breakups: Phillips, Van Noy, Mills, Bentley, Godchaux, Bethel, McMillan, Michael Jackson.
• Judon could have strip-sacked Newton during one team period had he been allowed to hit him.
• J.C. Jackson missed a couple periods; one to get an ankle re-taped and the other as likely a precautionary measure at the end of practice.
• Best performers in 3-on-3s: Joejuan Williams, Justin Bethel.
• The defensive backs continued to wear mitts in team drills to prevent holding and grabbing downfield.
• Barmore was not among the rookies made available to the media after practice. The second-rounder’s reps will be interesting to monitor once the pads come on next week.

Special teams

• Kick returners: J.J. Taylor, Isaiah Zuber, Tre Nixon, Marvin Hall.
• Core special teamer and backup safety Cody Davis appeared to get a finger on one of Quinn Nordin’s field goals to close practice.

Odds and ends

• The Patriots ran rookies through their annual “Slip ‘N Slide” drill before stretching, where a hose soaks one corner of the practice field and players slide through to recover loose footballs.
• Said Nixon: “It’s funny, you know, (they) kind of caught me with a curveball a little bit. … Good little way to begin to practice. It was all fun and games, and what makes football fun.”

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