FOXBOROUGH — The jawing started early.
As cloud cover burned off, the heat ramped up on the back fields at Gillette Stadium — and so did the intensity. In full pads, the Patriots ended practice with an extended team period that was the closest thing we’ve seen to a scrimmage thus far. There were plenty of colorful-but-not-printable words exchanged, and ultimately, the defense won the day.
Here are 10 observations from a fiery practice:
— N’Keal dials it up
After missing three straight sessions and delivering a dud on Sunday, N’Keal Harry needed a bounce-back practice.