New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots defense could not sustain its momentum from Wednesday in Thursday’s joint practice with the Minnesota Vikings.
Minnesota’s starting offense controlled much of the day, as rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy completed 16 of 20 passes in team drills and connected on 11 straight throws during one stretch, according to Doug Kyed and Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald. His afternoon included a late touchdown that capped a sharp two-minute drive.
New England played without safety Jabrill Peppers and cornerback Christian Gonzalez in 11-on-11 sessions, and the Vikings capitalized. Jordan Addison, Aaron Jones and T.J. Hockenson each found openings, while the Patriots’ pass rush produced little after dominating the previous day.
“It’s okay, it happens. We’ll go back to the drawing board, correct what we’ve got to correct and move forward,” safety Jaylinn Hawkins said, according to the Herald. Linebacker Harold Landry said, “in this league, you’re never going to come out and somebody is just going to roll over for you.”
Minnesota’s physical front and varied looks challenged both sides of the ball, with protection issues also hampering quarterback Drake Maye, according to Nicole Yang of the Boston Globe. McCarthy extended plays when necessary, taking advantage of breakdowns in containment and delivering well-placed throws into tight windows.
Head coach Mike Vrabel reminded the defense after practice that “we haven’t arrived. We’ve got a lot to work towards, and we’ve got to keep on going to our goal,” Hawkins said, as transcribed by Bob Socci of 98.5 The Sports Hub.
With just under three weeks before the opener, the Patriots still have time to correct course, but Thursday underscored that consistency will be just as important as raw talent in defining their early-season identity.
