FOXBORO, Mass. (WPRI) — The New England Patriots took the practice field Monday for week two of training camp, this time wearing full pads.
Players wore just helmets and had limited contact last week as part of the NFL’s ramp-up period.
CB Jonathan Jones and SS Jabrill Peppers took the field for the first time after starting on the PUP list, while backup QB Brian Hoyer was absent for the third straight day of practice.
The offense showed some struggles during 11-on-11 drills. At one point, QB Mac Jones got picked off by newly acquired CB Terrance Mitchell.
The team has not named an offensive or defensive coordinator, so the question of who will call the plays still remains. Since the departure of Josh McDaniels in the offseason, head coach Bill Belichick has been working with the first-team offense alongside Joe Judge and Matt Patricia.
“All of the coaches, all the way across the board, we all kind of work together,” Patricia said Monday. “Coach Belichick obviously helps us a lot too. It’s a big divide-and-conquer.”
Linebackers coach Jerod Mayo said Belichick being more involved with the offense hasn’t changed anything on the defensive side.
“Bill, he’s a football coach as well, so he kind of bounces around … special teams, offense, defense. He’s all over the place, but we’re still doing what we normally do,” Mayo said.
The Patriots’ training camp is free and open to the public. Weather permitting, outdoor practices will be held through Friday. Gates open at 8 a.m. and practice begins at 9:30 a.m. each day except Friday, when the team will hold its annual in-stadium practice for season ticket members at Foxboro residents at 7 p.m.
The Patriots will host the New York Giants for their first preseason game on Aug. 11, followed by the Carolina Panthers on Aug. 19. They’ll wrap up the preseason on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders on Aug. 26, then kick off the regular season against the Dolphins in Miami on Sept. 11.
