Second Week Of Patriots Training Camp Means Here Come The Pads

By: Steve Atkinson

The Patriots begin their second week of training camp this week. For the first four days last week, we saw them in shorts without pads. Now, comes the real test with pads beginning this week. We will see Matt Patricia probably continue to call plays to Mac Jones with Bill Belichick heavily involved in the offense. Mac has done really well this offseason and got into shape. The receivers around him look to be off to a good start. But the real test will come this week.

The number one wide receiver for the Patriots is DeVante Parker who has been the standout so far during training camp. The Patriots acquired Parker from the Dolphins in exchange for a third-round pick in 2023. The Patriots also got a fifth-round pick also. Parker is injury prone but if he stays healthy, he can be a huge factor in the RedZone and late in games. I expect more out of Kendrick Bourne also who during this offseason has built up the chemistry with Jones and I expect him to be a standout during training camp.

For Mac Jones to silence the noise about how a second-year quarterback needs an actual offensive coordinator he’s going to have to be impressive during these padded practices. The Patriots will have to rely on Jones to bail them out of games this year like they did when Brady was here. The question is can Mac bail the Patriots out late in games and cover up the holes around the team, especially on defense? We will obviously have to wait and see but I think he can just the way he handles himself. He’s very humble and wants to be perfect on every play. Jones spoke the other day about the improvements he’s made this offseason.

“ I think just evaluating what I wanted to get better at whether that be footwork, where the ball location is on certain throws, just trying to learn how to hit every throw in different ways and then obviously, you have to apply that during the season. The offseason is great, but you want to take what you learn and apply it and being able to use it in games, is the reason you do it. It’s the reason you work hard. I know a lot of guys on our team have worked really hard and just seeing that, us growing together is going to be good, but we have a long way to go and today is just the start.”

Bill Belichick doesn’t seem to be slowing down and is really involved in the offense. He wants to make sure things go right with his second-year quarterback. There is some pressure on Belichick to have a good season or he may be on the hot seat if the Patriots go 6-11. There will always be the Brady factor also no matter what. The Brady factor will be there until Belichick either gets or wins the Super Bowl with Mac Jones. Bill Belichick said last week that the practices without pads was the continuation of spring practices and that training camp begins Monday.

“Yeah, it’s good to get started. We’ve been practicing since the offseason program back in April and then that ramped up, so this is kind of a continuation really of the spring workouts. And as I said, training camp next Monday when pads come on. But for the next four days this is really like phase three.”

With the first preseason game on August 11th, there is much anticipation for the football games to get started. There is a lot of hype with the team and there should be. Second-year quarterback looking to make a leap. Have a potentially dynamic offense that has the potential to fill the holes on defense. All doing it without an offensive or defensive coordinator.