The New England Patriots officially kick off their preseason slate on Friday night, but you could argue this week’s joint practice sessions with the Washington Commanders are more valuable than the actual game.
Joint practices offer a unique setting for teams to simulate game-like situations. If nothing else, the starters will go head-to-head in these sessions more than we expect to see on Friday night.
If reporters on hand were keeping score during Wednesday’s competitive (and sometimes chippy) session, they would have scored more “Ws” for the home team.
After some ups and down through camp, today was a step in the right direction for the Patriots.
— Chad Graff (@ChadGraff) August 6, 2025
They were better than the Commanders on both sides of the ball. Good day for the Pats.
The Patriots reportedly stacked up well to Commanders’ talented roster
Star wide receiver Terry McLaurin was among the seven Commanders players who didn’t make the trip to Foxboro this week. Still, Jayden Daniels and company should offer the Patriots a nice litmus test to see where they’re at early in training camp.
Washington made a Cinderella run to the NFC Championship Game in 2024, and were one of the few teams that knocked off the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles during the regular season.
New England continues to make strides on offense. Per Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal, Maye tossed three touchdown passes and scrambled for another during red zone drills. It was a solid day for the Patriots’ wide receivers, with DeMario Douglas and the now-healthy Mack Hollins among the standouts.
One of the more encouraging Patriots standouts was backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs, who finished 18-for-22 passing in 11-on-11 drills.
Patriots' defense holds its own without cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis
Even with McLaurin home waiting on his contract situation to get resolved, the Patriots figured to have their hands full with Daniels, Deebo Samuel, and Washington’s explosive offense. One player who continues to take advantage of his opportunities is Alex Austin, who continued to work with New England’s first-team cornerbacks on Wednesday.
#Patriots CB Alex Austin makes a 4th-down pass breakup in the end zone to force a turnover on downs against Jayden Daniels and the Commanders’ starting offense in a team drill that started from the 25-yard line with 45 seconds left.
— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) August 6, 2025
Coverage was excellent all series.
Daniels reportedly had his way with the Patriots’ defense early in the session, but unlike last year’s brutal joint practice with the Eagles, Mike Vrabel’s group settled in. Linebacker Harold Landry and defensive back Marcus Jones both recorded sacks, and the interior defensive line group of Christian Barmore, Milton Williams, and training camp standout Khyris Tonga had moments of dominance.
“Overall, I'd say the Patriots got the upper hand over the Commanders today,” Kyed wrote after practice. “Patriots got embarrassed by the Eagles in a joint practice last year. This year was much more encouraging.”
This feels like a step in the right direction for the Patriots, who are starting to feel like a real football team again. We’ll see what happens on Day 2 of joint practices and in the preseason matchup on Friday night, but the hype train has officially left the station in Foxboro.