Patriots News: Pats-Eagles scrum it up in spirited session

Aug 19, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins (13) makes a catch against Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Ambry Thomas (38) during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Patriots-Eagles joint practice was a complete success. I liked that both teams are strong and good foils for the other. It feels the team can learn more from these past two sessions than it will when the teams face off Saturday night for their preseason Week 2 matchup.

Another positive was seeing the controlled feistiness from both sides. Players push a play too far and teammates respond, but within reason - short of a brawl and the ensuing fines, which would turn into costly penalties in a real game. Controlled aggression is a good thing to see from your team. The competitiveness is there, plus the willingness to improve is always a good sign. At this point, that's really what I'm looking for in this roster-building stage. Here's to an injury-free game on Saturday. We'll see which bubbles" rise to the top.

TEAM TALK

• Paul Perillo's Day 20 Blogservations: Patriots defense responds in the red zone.
• Evan Lazar shares 17 takeaways from Drake Maye and the Patriots offense from joint practices. QB Drake Maye was mostly sharp when you combine the two days of joint practices; Although pass protection was solid, the Pats run game was more of a grind...; More. /Worth the read.
• Transcript:Drake Maye (Plus 8 min. video)
• Press Conferences:Marcus Jones, Caleb Lomu, K.J. Britt, Joshua Farmer, Eli Raridon.
• Exclusive Interview (The Insiders) A.J. Brown talks with Sal Paolantonio after joint practices. (3 min.)
• Photos: Patriots-Eagles joint practices, Day 1 and Day 2.
• Training Camp-Cast:Defense punches back, Two-minute drills, Recapping joint practices. (9 min.)
• Patriots Unfiltered: Direct from Patriots second joint practice with the Eagles. (1 hour)
• Player Poll:How many 10 yr. olds would it take to stop you from scoring a touchdown? (1.25 min. video)

LOCAL LINKS

• Alex Barth tells us 7 things to watch when the Patriots face the Eagles in preseason Week 2.
• Andrew Callahan tells us everything we saw and learned on Day 2. Play of the Day: Marcus Jones' goal-line INT, QB corner, Studs & Duds, Offensive notes, Defensive notes, Special teams; More. /Detailed read.
• Mark Daniels gives us 7 takeaways from Pats-Eagles Day 2 joint practice. Eagles punched back, Romeo Doubs continues to ascend, Maye forced it to A.J. Brown, Marcus Jones goes off; More!
• Alex Barth's Camp Notebook: A physical joint practice with the Eagles on Day 20. While there was no full-on fight' players came together in large scrums and had to be separated multiple times.
• Ryan O'Leary notes the Eagles just gave the Patriots a wake-up call in the red zone, an area they've vowed to improve.
• Zack Cox looks at how the team responded to Mike Vrabel's challenge in second Eagles joint practice.
• Karen Guregian writes how the Drake Maye-A.J. Brown connection is electric, but still a work in progress.
• Zack Cox explains how top draft pick Caleb Lomu endures growing pains at joint practice.
• Jake Seymour highlights Drake Maye on how he is growing with WRs AJ Brown and Romeo Doubs in his second season under Josh McDaniels.
• Doug Kyed highlights Drake Maye acknowledging his up-and-down performance on Day 2.
• Tom E. Curran spotlights Rhamondre Stevenson who has had unbelievable' training camp.
• Sara Marshall relays Eagles Pro Bowl tackle Lane Johnson, who had a lot of positive things to say about Will Campbell. "You can see him just getting better. ...he looks thicker, he looks bigger, he's healed up from his knee injury."
• Ethan Hurwitz thinks a Kayshon Boutte trade to the Texans would make plenty of sense, following a season-ending injury to starting WR Jayden Higgens.
• Doug Kyed's Patriots Mailbag: What did joint practices say about Super Bowl hopes?
• Michael Hurley believes the preseason is becoming a complete afterthought, a trend for years now, coinciding with the rise of joint practices.
• Lance Reynolds talks with fans at camp who share high expectations for the Pats this year.
• First Annual Joint Pod: A loaded lineup of Patriots personalities, podcasters, media members, and diehard fans for one massive Patriots roundtable. (2 hours)

NATIONAL NEWS

• Charean Williams (ProFootballTalk) A.J. Brown, Jalen Hurts speak for the first time since Brown left.
• Albert Breer (SI) Emptying the Eagles notebook from Training Camp.
• Mike Kadlick (SI) How the Texans can replace Jayden Higgins, Plus 10 other things you may have missed across the NFL this week.
• Diante Lee (The Ringer) The five archetypes of the modern NFL Cornerback: From the man coverage stars to the ball hawks and risk-takers, this is your complete guide to the best players at this important position. Christian Gonzalez included. /Good read.
• Tyler Sullivan (CBS Sports) Ranking top 30 NFL players age 30 and over. No. 28 Kevin Byard.
• Mike Clay (ESPN) Ranking the best, worst positional groups for 2026. Patriots: QB 11th, RB 19th, WR 9th, TE 13th, OL 14th, EDGE 25th, Off-ball LB 12th, CB 6th, Safety 2nd, Overall 4th. /This math ain't mathing.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) On grass vs. turf, NFL clings to the injury-rate statistics.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) NFL says more than 200 players want to participate in Olympics - only 32 will be permitted to do so.