Earlier this week, former Viking and current Patriots center Garrett Bradbury was asked what his new offensive teammates should expect when facing Minnesota’s defense coordinated by Brian Flores in their upcoming joint practices.
“I’ve seen some offenses (go) in there for joint practice with not a lot of game planning and it’s an absolute disaster,” Bradbury said of Flores’ array of unpredictable fronts, coverages and blitz packages.
On Wednesday, Bradbury’s fellow Pats got to see for themselves, and in a long and competitive practice at Minnesota’s TCO Performance Center experienced their share of misplays. Pop Douglas lost a fumble. Backup quarterback Josh Dobbs threw a pair of pick-sixes. Starting quarterback Drake Maye was frequently pressured.
But in no way was their performance disastrous. In fact, more than once, when blocks held up and Minnesota’s coverage broke down, the Pats delivered the long ball.
Maye first connected with a wide open Mack Hollins deep down the middle during an 11-on-11 period. Then, in a practice-ending, two-minute period, Maye laid the ball out to the left, where an uncovered TreyVeon Henderson snagged it in stride and raced to the end zone.
A short time later, Bradbury, who was among the first teammates to celebrate with Henderson, spoke again about going against Flores’ defense. This time, while looking back.
“Some good, some bad,” he said, noting that the Vikings, who practiced without safety Harrison Smith and linebacker Andrew Van Ginkle, have experienced some turnover on their defensive line. “It’s a good test. You’ve got to apply your rules and see what the defense is giving you, because when we blocked it up there were some big home runs. Finishing that two-minute (drive) with a 70-yard touchdown was pretty sweet.”
Overall, Bradbury thought that Maye handled himself well, particularly with his presnap adjustments.
“This is as confusing as it’s going to get all year,” Bradbury said. “I think it was strategic by Coach (Mike) Vrabel to come up here and we want to see this. Because teams are going to do some of this. They’re not going to do it every play like maybe they do. But I think it’s really good.”
As Vikings defenders moved around, often crowding the line before the snap, the quarterback had to change the play, reset the protection and, with Bradbury’s help, communicate it.
“I can help them out with being more demonstrative with where I want to send them,” Maye said. “We blocked it up and we got it right, (but) I think there’s times where they’re going to get us. That’s what (Flores) does. He tries to create chaos. I think it’s good for us to see and know…it’s great for us to learn from.”
That learning experience continues on Thursday, which, following Wednesday’s emphasis on long yardage situations on second and third downs, is expected to include extensive red-zone work.
Hollins provides energy boo(s)t
Before scoring his aforementioned touchdown, receiver Mack Hollins sensed the need for a kickstart to the Pats’ offense. He had seen some negative plays, like the Douglas fumble that led him to note how many Vikings surrounded the loose ball. At the same time, Hollins hadn’t heard or felt the kind of reaction he expects from teammates following positive plays.
So, when the opportunity presented itself after running wide open under Maye’s deep pass, Hollins caught the ball, carried it across the goalline and booted it to the top rows of bleachers overlooking the end zone.
“I didn’t like the energy,” Hollins said, “so I decided to punt the ball in the end zone.”
In a game, Hollins’ action would draw a penalty and fine. After Wednesday’s practice, he might hear from his head coach Mike Vrabel. For Hollins, “that type of fine, not a take-it-out-of-my-pocket fine” is worth making his point.
“Energy’s important. What I learned from a coach early in my career is that execution fuels emotion,” he said. “If you’re doing things right, usually the energy is pretty good. When you’re doing things wrong, usually the energy is not too good. So if you see good plays happening, up the energy.”
Hollins believes that energy is essential for the Pats to establish their desired identity.
“Everything that we preach are the four things that are our standard as a team, our identity as a team,” he said. “Effort and finish; taking care of the ball; details, techniques, fundamentals; and making great decisions.
“We had a ball on the ground today. I don’t think we finished as well as we could. Yeah, we were making big plays but were guys chasing after them? Were our teammates surrounding the guy with the ball or was it more Vikings?”
When Henderson scored toward the end of practice, offensive linemen Garrett Bradbury and Will Campbell led a trail of teammates to an end zone celebration. Still, Hollins wasn’t satisfied.
“That speaks volumes to what they’re doing, but also speaks volumes to, ‘Why isn’t the receiver group down there first with him?” he said. “How do we get all the rest of the guys down there?”
Maye addressed Hollins’ energy demands, comparing a road joint practice to away games awaiting on the Pats’ regular season schedule.
“This is how away games are, you’ve got to bring your own energy, and I think the guys responded well at times,” Maye said. “But I still think we, as a team, can do a better job of bringing energy and having some energy when our guys make a play.”
Cornerback Carlton Davis, who’s been on a slow track from the sidelines at the start of training camp to limited work of late, appeared in an 11-and-11 period after leaving the field momentarily early in Wednesday’s practice.
“I felt like I had a pretty decent day,” said Davis, who continues to consult with trainers and coaches about his progress and expressed hope to be more involved in Thursday’s practice.
However, when asked if he is fully healthy, Davis said that he continues “dealing with something, for sure.
“But I’m still ready to play right now. I don’t care what’s going on. Like if it was Week 1, I’d be playing. They’re just being smart about it and we are going through the process.”
Ahead of the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul, flag-football teams of Special Olympians from Massachusetts and Minnesota attended Wednesday’s practice. Afterward, they staged a game inside the adjacent stadium, with Drake Maye leading the Bay State squad against the host squad coached by Vikings defensive lineman Harrison Phillips. Mike Vrabel was the referee.
Phillips, who has been active in community work dating to his early career with the Buffalo Bills, was impressed to see the Patriots head coach sticking around to officiate. But not surprised.
“After I was nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award (for the) first time, (Vrabel) actually reached out to me and congratulated me,” Phillips recalled. “I thought it was a really cool thing to see a coach of his nature reach out to a kid that he’d never met before, just because of what I was doing off the field.
“Before practice today we shared a quick moment and he wasn’t asking anything about me on the field. He was asking about the things I was doing off the field. He kind of looked me in the eye and said, ‘If there’s ever anything I can ever do to help you and your foundation please let me know.’”
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