 | | |
sports > football > patriots > blogs
« Yates sidelined |
Main
| Bill's take »
August 6, 2007
Day 10, 2nd practice
FOXBOROUGH -- Here are five observations from tonight's practice for season ticket holders and Foxborough residents (16,247 attendance):
1) Eyes on the interior backups. With center/guard Billy Yates leaving the field under his own power but with a team doctor, that elevated rookie Mike Elgin (7th round, Iowa) to the second string. At one point, while playing center, Elgin was lined up across from nose tackle Vince Wilfork and he held his own. The 6-4, 290-pound Elgin doesn't have the physical stature of players like Yates (6-2, 305), Russ Hochstein (6-4, 305) and Gene Mruczkowski (6-2, 305), but he clearly has the athleticism that the Patriots seek on the line.
2) Heads up play by Meriweather. One of the final plays of practice came in situational work, with backup quarterback Matt Cassel overthrowing receiver Bam Childress and rookie Brandon Meriweather intercepting the pass. After the interception, Meriweather took a knee, realizing the situation he was in. His team had a 15-7 lead and the opposition had just one timeout. It was a small thing, but something that will surely go a long way with the team's coaches.
3) Line breakdown. With the Patriots in 11-on-11 situational work at the end of practice, the line had some protection problems on the edge. End Mike Wright bullrushed right tackle Wesley Britt into the pocket, earning Britt a trip to the sideline as Nick Kaczur stepped in.
4) Welker shakes 'em. The energy level picked up in the early going among the spectators as receivers and defensive backs went one on one in passing work. Receiver Wes Welker generated some excitement with some sharp routes, as he worked over safety Eugene Wilson twice in a row.
5) Defense owns the day. Whether it was in 11-on-11 passing work, or the end-of-game situation at the close of practice, this was a workout controlled by the defense. Backup quarterback Matt Cassel took most of the snaps and this wasn't his best practice. One play that stands out came when Cassel locked in on Welker on a short pass across the middle, but Welker was blanketed by Mike Vrabel. As the pass arrived, linebacker Adalius Thomas stepped in for the interception.
TUESDAY LOOK-AHEAD: Patriots coach Bill Belichick is scheduled to hold a press conference at 11:15 a.m., while the Patriots have a single practice at 2:30 (open to the public). We'll plan on posting our next update after Belichick's press conference.
Posted By: mreiss | Time: 08:31:34 PM | E-mail | Link
|
|
|
