FOXBORO — Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and assistant quarterbacks coach Evan Rothstein huddled at midfield during the final minutes of Tuesday’s practice.

Given the performance they had just witnessed, it’s hard to imagine they were simply chit-chatting.

Drake Maye had just taken three would-be sacks in four plays, killing his two-minute drill. Jacoby Brissett took two “sacks” in his two-minute drill, which stalled late. In all, Patriots quarterbacks were “sacked” 11 times on 44 dropbacks, a full quarter of the time in their joint session with the Eagles.

The Pats could hardly run the ball. And they suffered from three false starts, a bad snap and separate procedural penalty.

According to Mayo, success this season is about “laying the foundation.” Offensively, his foundation right now is a leaky mess.

The Eagles proved it. Because of the dozens of snaps the Patriots’ starters took against a legit contender, Tuesday’s practice was the team’s most telling of the summer. The story it told was that of an offense that’s facing serious – and all-too-familiar – problems in pass protection.

Now, the Pats did have their moments: Maye connected deep with fellow rookies Javon Baker and Ja’Lynn Polk early on, including one 7-on-7 drill. DeMario Douglas finished with four-plus catches for a third straight day. Brissett hit a couple throws under pressure and on the move.

But the offensive line’s performance ensured those were only flashes instead of building blocks for steady, successful drives. Through three weeks of camp, it’s clear sustained success will be impossible until the Patriots can block. Right now, they have four proven, starting-caliber linemen and have less than a month to develop a fifth.

Time will tell with this O-line, just as it did taking a snapshot Tuesday.

Elsewhere at practice, the Patriots’ defense stood up to an explosive Eagles attack, a rising edge rusher collected multiple sacks, the kickoff team had an unexpected star, Christian Gonzalez went head-to-head with A.J. Brown and Christian Barmore popped by for the first time since he was diagnosed with blood clots.

Here are Tuesday’s complete practice observations, with contributions from the Herald’s Doug Kyed and Zack Cox.

Attendance

Absent: DL Christian Barmore, TE Hunter Henry, S/LB Marte Mapu

Non-participants: DB Jonathan Jones, DB Marcus Jones, CB Shaun Wade

Limited: C David Andrews

PUP: WR Kendrick Bourne, LB Sione Takitaki, OL Cole Strange

Notes: Both Joneses appeared in full pads for warmups, then left with Wade. Marcus Jones hasn’t practiced in 12 days, and Jonathan Jones has now been out a full week. Henry missed his second consecutive full practice, though Mayo said he does not expect him to be out long-term.

Andrews yielded some of his first-team snaps to new backup center Nick Leverett in team periods.

Play of the Day

Drake Maye hits Javon Baker deep

Patriots rookie wide receiver Javon Baker makes a catch during training camp in Foxboro. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)

After practice, Maye said he’s been targeting Baker deep because he’s made plays on those type of routes. Well, Baker made another on Tuesday.

After gaining a step on Eagles cornerback Avonte Maddox down the right sideline, Baker tracked a deep, on-target Maye throw and caught it over his right shoulder, before sliding for what would have been a 30-yard gain in 7-on-7s. It was one of the longest completions Maye’s had all of camp, and potentially a promising sign for his growing chemistry with the fourth-round rookie.

Player of the Day

OLB Oshane Ximines

This is no preseason flash in the pan.

Ximines repped with the Patriots’ top defense for stretches of 11-on-11s, tallying 1.5 sacks and a drawn holding penalty on the day. Last week, he made waves in the team’s preseason opener and continues to apply pressure in practice. On Tuesday, facing the best offensive line he’s seen all summer, Ximines starred again.

QB Corner

Note: The passing stats below were tallied during competitive 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 periods only. The stats in parentheses represent the quarterbacks’ camp-long performance.

Jacoby Brissett: 18-of-30, 2 INTs, 4 sacks (137-of-208 — 66.8%, 6 INTs, 21 sacks)

Drake Maye: 12-of-18, 6 sacks (114-of-190 — 60%, 5 INTs, 18 sacks)

Notes: Maye started a perfect 9-of-9, finding six different receivers in a 7-on-7 drill, then Ja’Lynn Polk twice and Douglas twice underneath in a full-team drill. He played with a rhythm and decisiveness that had been spotty in recent days, then got buried by Philadelphia’s pass rush. For a full accounting of Maye’s day, read the Herald’s separate story on his performance Tuesday.

As for Brissett, who took all of the snaps behind the starting offensive line, he opened 10-of-11 over three team periods. He took one sack, with Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham beating Chukwuma Okorafor. And slowly, it all fell apart from there.

During an 11-on-11 tight ed-zone period, Brissett went 1-for-2 with a Rhamondre Stevenson checkdown and defensive pass interference penalty that negated an incompletion for Austin Hooper down the seam. His last throw was a perfect back-shoulder toss back to Hooper, who lost the ball as he went to the ground and handed an interception to Eagles linebacker Zack Baun.

Drake Maye, Patriots offense starts hot in joint practice with Eagles before O-line crumbles

In the next red-zone drill, Brissett hit one of two passes intended for Hooper and threw a near pick that Jalen Reagor broke up in a crowd of Eagles. With two 11-on-11 periods left, he took back-to-back sacks after a short completion to back-up tight end Mitchell Wilcox, fired incomplete for Tyquan Thornton who couldn’t unstick from Darius Slay’s tight coverage on a hitch route, then a dig, overshot Hooper deep and tossed an interception to backup linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. while looking for K.J. Osborn.

The play-by-play of his two-minute drill was as follows: Hooper short catch, incompletion to Hooper, Douglas catch over the middle, sack, Reagor catch amid double coverage, an Eagles penalty for too many men on the field, Douglas short catch, incompletions to Hooper, Reagor and Osborn, then a sack.

Studs

WR DeMario Douglas

It doesn’t matter if he’s facing his own defense or another, Douglas doesn’t stop popping. He caught all five targets in team periods, trailing only tight end Austin Hooper (six on 12 targets). Douglas is sure-handed and almost always open.

Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas (3) makes a catch while being covered by Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell during a joint practice in Foxboro. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)

DT Daniel Ekuale

The Patriots’ replacement for Christian Barmore looked like his stunt double for one practice, recording multiple run stuffs and pressures. More on Ekuale later.

S Jabrill Peppers

Peppers was a force from start to finish. He crashed the line, thwarted multiple run plays, tallied a half-sack and chirped a talented Eagles offense throughout.

Duds

CB Marco Wilson

The fourth-year corner allowed six catches during team drills, worst among all Patriots defensive backs. He also got whistled for a hold in 1-on-1s and allowed a catch on his other rep.

OL Atonio Mafi

Mafi got smoked in 1-on-1 pass rush and had another bad snap with Maye. The Patriots may have found a backup center, converting career guard Nick Leverett, but they do not have a No. 3 option.

OT Calvin Anderson

Anderson went 0-3 in individual pass rush drills, allowed a “sack” of Maye on his first dropback of 11-on-11s and played left tackle on the line that allowed Maye to get sacked three times at the end.

Offensive notes

Top targets in team drills: TE Austin Hooper 6/12, WR DeMario Douglas 5/5, WR K.J. Osborn
Drops: Hooper
1-on-1 receiving drill winners: Hooper 3-0, WR Ja’Lynn Polk 2-1
1-on-1 receiving drill losers: TE Jaheim Bell 0-3, WR Kayshon Boutte 1-2
Top offensive line: LT Vederian Lowe, LG Sidy Sow, C David Andrews, RG Mike Onwenu, RT Chukwuma Okorafor
1-on-1 pass rush drill winners: OG Layden Robinson 2-1, C/G Nick Leverett 2-1, OG Liam Fornadel 2-1
1-on-1 pass rush drill losers: OT Calvin Anderson 0-3, G/C Atonio Mafi 0-3

Patriots tight end Mitchell Wilcox, right, makes a catch in front of Philadelphia Eagles cornerback James Bradberry IV on Tuesday. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)

Quarterbacks

Behind Maye and Brissett, sixth-round rookie Joe Milton went 1-of-2 around three handoffs. Bailey Zappe took a sack and had a pass batted at the line.
Based on Tuesday’s reps, Brissett could play the least of the quarterbacks in their preseason game against the Eagles. But that’s if the Patriots allow Maye to take snaps with their starting offensive line.

Running backs

Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson both hit their best runs on outside zone plays and tosses. Stevenson twice found space cutting back on a designed run to the right, while Gibson flew up the left side on one toss.
But that was mostly it for the Patriots’ top backs. Neither of them could punch in a touchdown in the tight red zone, either, when the offense set up shop at the 4-yard line.
As receivers, Stevenson caught both targets, Gibson was 3-of-4 and JaMycal Hasty had a single catch.
Hasty may be catching Kevin Harris in the race for the No. 3 job. He started multiple team periods next to Maye with the second-team offense.

Wide receivers

The Patriots’ starting outside receivers are slowing down. Eagles corner Darius Slay blanketed Tyquan Thornton on his only targets, forcing him into an 0-for-2 showing in team periods, while K.J. Osborn had a single catch over 11-on-11s.
Osborn’s last target, a Brissett end-zone toss at the end of his two-minute drill, was batted away. Outside of screen passes, Osborn has four catches in the last four practices.
Meanwhile, Ja’Lynn Polk had two catches in team drills and a marvelous diving grab during 1-on-1s. If there’s anyone ready to replace Osborn or Thornton, it’s the second-round rookie.
Javon Baker’s only catch in team periods was his 7-on-7 Play of the Day. He also went 2-1 in 1-on-1 drills.
After Baker’s grab, Jalen Reagor made the most impressive grab in camp, rising above a crowd of Eagles to save and extend Brissett’s two-minute drill at midfield. He was largely quiet outside of that grab, though, and continues to run mostly with the second unit.
Kayshon Boutte had two receptions – running a comeback and a drag route, both thrown by Maye – and lost most of his 1-on-1 reps.

Patriots rookie receivers Ja’Lynn Polk, Javon Baker shine in Eagles joint practice

Tight ends

Even if he begged, Austin Hooper may not have received more passes than he saw Tuesday. His 12 targets in team drills marked a new high for all pass-catchers in training camp.
Brissett seems to have an affinity for his tight ends, connecting early and often with Hunter Henry and now his replacement. Most of their incompletions were deep.
With backup veteran Mitchell Wilcox disappointing lately, La’Michael Pettway briefly got a promotion to the first team, running with Hooper in a snap of two-tight end personnel. Wilcox finished with one catch, and Pettway didn’t grab his only target.
Down day for rookie Jaheim Bell. He went catch-less in team periods and didn’t win a single 1-on-1 rep.

Offensive line

Vederian Lowe started at left tackle for an eighth straight practice, and the Patriots rolled with the same top lineup for a third consecutive day.
Again, the results were not good. Even two of the best linemen, Sow and Onwenu, were in the area of allowed sacks during team periods and suffered a bad loss in 1-on-1 pass rush.
Right tackle Chukwuma Okorafor allowed at least one sack, and hasn’t played left tackle in almost three weeks. Third-round rookie Caedan Wallace repped behind him with the lackluster second-team line, while left tackle Calvin Anderson struggled mightily.
There was one bright spot: rookie guard Layden Robinson. He handled his business in 1-on-1 pass rush and may be overdue for a look with the top group, if the Patriots are willing to move Onwenu to right tackle.

Defensive notes

Starting and second-string personnel during team periods: defensive linemen Davon Godchaux, Deatrich Wise, Keion White, Armon Watts, Daniel Ekuale, Trysten Hill, Sam Roberts and Jeremiah Pharms Jr.; linebackers Matt Judon, Jahlani Tavai, Ja’Whaun Bentley, Raekwon McMillan, Josh Uche, Anfernee Jennings, Christian Elliss, Joe Giles-Harris, William Bradley-King and Oshane Ximines; defensive backs Kyle Dugger, Jabrill Peppers,Jaylinn Hawkins, Christian Gonzalez, Alex Austin, Isaiah Bolden, Azizi Hearn, Marco Wilson, Marcellas Dial, Dell Pettus and Brenden Schooler.
Interceptions: None
Pass breakups: Gonzalez, Austin, Dial, Hawkins
1-on-1 coverage drill winners: CB Mikey Victor 2-1, Dugger 1-0
1-on-1 coverage drill losers: Wilson 0-2, Gonzalez 1-2
Would-be sacks: Ximines 1.5, Dugger, Uche, Peppers 0.5

New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers arrives for a recent training camp practice in Foxboro. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)

Defensive linemen

Daniel Ekuale, the Patriots’ 1-for-1 replacement for Christian Barmore, proved himself further Tuesday. He started every period and paired two run stuffs with a couple hurries in 11-on-11s.
Ekuale and Davon Godchaux appear to be the new rock upon which the Patriots will build out their defensive front. After Ekuale’s initial stop, Godchaux stopped Eagles running back Saquaon Barkley in an ensuing 11-on-11 period.
The jump is a critical one for Ekuale, who previously had filled a third-down specialist role for the Patriots. But the coaches seem to have bigger plans, with defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington saying Monday in Barmore’s absence: “We’re going to do what we do.”
Overall, the Patriots had a handle on Philly’s multi-faceted, option run game; an encouraging sign for a defense that doesn’t see many of those looks in practice.
Around Ekuale and Godchaux, Keion White flashed more as a run defender than pass rusher, and defensive tackle Trysten Hill got pushed through on a longer inside run.
Jeremiah Pharms Jr., one of the stars of the Pats’ preseason finale, continues to rep consistently with the second team, as Hill, Armon Watts and others rotate around him.

Linebackers

Oshane Ximines appeared to be the most disruptive edge rusher on a per-snap basis Tuesday, but Matt Judon remains a force unto himself.
Judon flushed Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts from multiple pockets. His coverage, though, was suspect, including a couple times where Judon found himself deep downfield and one rep where Barkley beat him for a wheel-route touchdown catch.
Did Joshua Uche receive a promotion? The struggling Uche ran with the Patriots’ top two units, drawing a holding penalty and even stuffing an option run. He also had another pressure.
Jahlani Tavai forced one Hurts scramble coming off the edge. He started with Judon and Ja’Whaun Bentley.
Backup inside linebackers Raekwon McMillan and Christian Elliss both contributed to run stuffs. Both players are headed toward securing roster spots, especially with their special teams work.

Matthew Judon runs through a drill during Patriots training camp last Sunday. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)

Defensive backs

Rough afternoon for the Patriots’ young corners. A.J. Brown ate against everyone, catching 10 balls on 11 targets, per the Herald’s charting.
No one suffered more than Marco Wilson, who followed Alex Austin as the starting cornerback in team periods opposite Christian Gonzalez. Austin gave up catches on his first two targets.
Gonzalez finished with one pass breakup, but also surrendered multiple grabs before the Eagles strayed from his side of the field late.
Isaiah Bolden, again, was the team’s starting nickelback in base personnel. When the Patriots’ top defense moved to three-safety personnel, Jaylin Hawkins took the field in Bolden’s place, followed by Joshuah Bledsoe.
At safety, Hawkins (pass deflection) and Kyle Dugger (sack) both made splash plays around catches they allowed in tight coverage. Peppers was the best of this bunch.
Sixth-round rookie Marcellas Dial and Azizi Hearn started with the second-team defense at corner, with Brenden Schooler, Dell Pettus and A.J. Thomas rotating at safety, among others.

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Special teams

Kick returners: DeMario Douglas, Isaiah Bolden, Ja’Lynn Polk, Antonio Gibson, JaMycal Hasty, Kevin Harris
Kick return team: Brenden Schooler, Christian Elliss, Raekwon McMillan, Jaylinn Hawkins, Oshane Ximines, Mitchell Wilcox, William Bradley-King, Anfernee Jennings, Hasty
Kickoff team: Chad Ryland/Joey Slye, Jahlani Tavai, Marco Wilson, Marcellas Dial, Schooler, Elliss, McMillan, Ximines, Jennings, Hasty, Bolden
McMillan made the special teams play of the day, knocking an Eagles blocker back into kick returner Isaiah Rodgers and forcing a fumble during one rep of kick coverage.
McMillan’s play made the entire Patriots sideline light up, then led into the only scrum of practice, when Joshua Uche, repping on the backup unit,

Extra points

Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore appeared at practice for the first time since his blood clots diagnosis was announced more than two weeks ago. Teammates said that was the first time they had seen him in-person since Barmore left the team for treatment.
Tuesday’s practice was the last open to the public this season. Attendance forced some fans to watch from the Gillette Stadium walking ramps that overlook the practice field. The reported number was 11,476.
Ex-Patriots receiver Deion Branch visited, walking onto the fields midway through practice.