Patriots Camp Report 08.14.19: Defense struts its stuff but receiver ranks thinned

(Donald Page/Tennessee Titans)

NASHVILLE —Practice No. 12 (I'm not counting the walkthrough yesterday) is in the books and it was a spirited affair with the Titans. Let's run it down...


Patriots have issues in the heat, are losing receivers: It has very hot when the sun was out (that was often), and the Patriots didn't seem to deal with it well. They were very quiet during the practice, while the Titans were constantly up and into it. David Andrews, who has been dealing with an illness, had to take a knee a few times and got sick. LT Dan Skipper had to leave at one point. But it was worse at receiver where both Phillip Dorsett and Maurice Harris left the field and didn't return. Toss in TEs Stephen Anderson and Matt LaCosse being out, and the ranks were thinned. At one point, Brady was even throwing passes to Ryan Davis.

Both teams got after it: The joint practices with the Lions were basically glorified games of pattycake for two days, although the second day had its moments. Didn't have to worry about that with the Titans and so many ex-Patriots on the others side of the field (Mike Vrabel, Malcolm Butler, Dion Lewis, Logan Ryan, etc.). It took about five minutes into the first competitive period for Michael Bennett and Taylor Lewan — both known as prickly — to