FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had one more repetition to take in 7-on-7 passing drills during Friday's second practice of training camp, and he wanted to make it count.
When it didn't, he lifted the helmet off his head with two hands, raised it up and then fired it to the ground. One of the ear pads in the helmet popped out from the force.
Brady's show of emotion was one notable storyline from the two-hour-plus practice that took place mostly during a light, steady rain.
"He's been competitive even when we're just working out," tight end Martellus Bennett said of Brady. "It's fun, because he plays at such a high level that you have to match that level. You know, oil and vinegar don't mix. You just want to make sure that you rise to the top when he rises to the top as well."
Brady's helmet toss came after a play in which rookie receiver Malcolm Mitchell had flashed open on the right side. There wasn't a defender close to Mitchell and it looked like it would be an easy touchdown, but a team staffer -- whose job is to hold a paddle in the air to disrupt throwing lanes -- swatted the pass away.
It was unclear if Brady's frustration was a result of him not getting the throw over the paddle, or the fact the paddle was aggressively used in a way that might have been hard for a defender to replicate in a game.
Regardless, Brady's reaction drew a reaction from the announced crowd of 6,979, and then Brady stewed a bit more as practice continued. Earlier, a familiar chant of "Brady! Brady! Brady!" was heard from the crowd after a touchdown pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski.
With Brady's fire the springboard to look deeper at practice, here is a quick-hit recap of what we saw (and heard):
Center competition bears watching: Second-year player David Andrews was part of the top group on the offensive line, replacing Bryan Stork. That's a similar rotation to spring practices and Stork will probably be back in the pivot Saturday, followed by Andrews on Sunday. What this tells us is that line coach Dante Scarnecchia views that spot as a competition between the two, and he'll give them both a chance to prove they're worthy of the job.
Flip-flopping QB reps: One day after Brady took the initial repetitions in 7-on-7 drills, and Jimmy Garoppolo then took the top reps in 11-on-11 drills, the coaching staff flipped the script. So Brady took the top 11-on-11 reps Friday, and Garoppolo was first in the 7-on-7 passing drills. Each received the same amount of snaps (17) in team drills when the competition level was clearly high and the defense was playing to break up the pass. Rookie Jacoby Brissett only received 12 reps, as he didn't get a second series in the 7-on-7 portion, which was the same way it unfolded on Day 1.
What's on the set list? It was an eclectic mix of music, beginning during team stretching and continuing in team drills. Here is what we heard:
"Trap Queen," Fetty Wap
"Boys of Fall," Kenny Chesney
"It's My Life," Bon Jovi
"Elevation," U2
"Sandstorm," Darude
"All Summer Long," Kid Rock
"Adventure of a Lifetime," Coldplay
"Sweet Home Alabama," Lynyrd Skynyrd
Underrated play of the day: A big part of training camp is working on technique, and I watched second-year cornerback Justin Coleman get lauded for his work jamming receiver Chris Hogan at the line of scrimmage. Coleman seemed to surprise Hogan with the force of his jam, not allowing him to get into his route. That served as a reminder to me that before top draft pick Cyrus Jones is penciled in for the No. 3 cornerback spot, he has to go through Coleman, who has made me take notice on two separate occasions through the first two days of camp. He also made a nice play on the ball Thursday in the end zone on a pass intended for receiver Keshawn Martin.
Richards as personal protector: Special teams are always a big part of Patriots practice, and punt coverage was the primary emphasis Friday. Second-year safety Jordan Richards (2015 second round) stepped in for Olympian Nate Ebner as the personal protector, and rookie Kamu Grugier-Hill (sixth round, 208th overall) was a top gunner opposite of Matthew Slater.
Extra points. Practice finished with players running the conditioning hills on the far end, which is a nice way to introduce this fine story from Phil Perry of Comcast SportsNet. ... Receivers Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola -- both of whom opened camp on the physically unable to perform list -- were spotted in the distance as they ran aggressively on the hills. ... Gronkowski shared his disappointment Thursday about some dropped passes in practice, and he had another Friday in individual drills. The wet football was a problem for others as well. ... Belichick, a water bottle and why the field-goal unit was soaked.
The best throw of the day might have been Brady to first-year receiver DeAndre Carter on a 15-yard left-to-right crossing route to the sideline on Brady's first rep in 7-on-7 passing drills. I wrote one word in my notebook: "Wow!" ... Brady was intercepted by safety Duron Harmon in 7-on-7 drills, which was the first interception of camp, on a high-arcing pass intended for Martin in the end zone. ... Cornerback Darryl Roberts created the second interception of camp, getting his hand on a Brissett pass intended for Carter and tipping it into the air for linebacker Kevin Snyder to corral. ... Receiver Chris Harper had one of the catches of the day, a diving touchdown from Garoppolo. ... Veteran receiver Nate Washington, who was spotted throwing up Thursday, did not practice. ... Dan Kraft, one of owner Robert Kraft's four sons, was present for the final part of practice.
SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE: Practice at 9:15 a.m.