FOXBOROUGH — Takeaways from the Patriots’ training camp practice Tuesday, a two-hour session that was the final workout before Thursday’s preseason opener against Carolina: 1. A sloppy day in the rain. After four straight practices in near-100-degree heat, the Patriots got a break with the weather, with temperatures in the upper 60s and rain falling steadily.
It was a good opportunity to practice in wet weather, and as veteran defensive end Deatrich Wise noted, “When days like this happen, we’re so full of energy, so full of stamina that these seem like light days.” What they weren’t was especially sharp. The Patriots had done a good job of cutting down on mistakes the last few practices, but they struggled to stay composed in the rain.
Advertisement There were fumbles early by Jacoby Brissett and Kevin Harris. Bailey Zappe got the ball knocked out of his hand by Trysten Hill. Brissett hit running back JaMycal Hasty in the backside with a pass.
And Drake Maye was ugly in an 11-on-11 drill, going 0 for 4 passing with a tipped interception and a fumbled snap exchange that sent backup center Atonio Mafi to the bench. On the one hand, this is what practice is for — making mistakes, learning to play through different weather, and so on. On the other hand, it wasn’t the best way to close the opening stretch of camp.
2. Two unheralded receivers are thriving. We’ve seen plenty of Patriots receivers thrive on the practice fields but struggle once the lights come on.