For all of the expectations being thrust upon the shoulders of Drake Maye in New England, the same level of pressure is being placed on J.J. McCarthy in Minnesota.

And with both quarterbacks on the practice field in Minnesota on Wednesday for the joint session involving the Patriots and Vikings, it was the second-year quarterback with NFL playing experience who looked better.

“I thought Drake Maye had the better day,” Patriots insider Phil Perry said on Early Edition on Wednesday. “No turnovers, so 13-for-21, took a bunch of sacks, but doesn’t give it to the other team.”

Perry went into more detail on the Patriots Talk Podcast.

“I can tell you I saw a very easy, a very easy Marcus Jones interception, where it looked like the receiver went one direction, J.J. McCarthy threw it in another, and it just was right to the Patriots’ cornerback,” Perry said. “Jabrill Peppers had a great, athletic pass breakup on what was probably an underthrown deep ball to Jordan Addison. Marcus Jones in coverage there again.”

Perry added some more color to the Peppers play on Early Edition: “[McCarthy] is not lacking for arm talent. He has plenty of arm, but on that particular play, just didn’t give it enough and allowed for what might be deemed a turnover-worthy kind of play deep down the field throwing into double coverage.”

Perry admitted that he was focused more closely on the Patriots’ offense than the Vikings’, but noted that Maye adapted well to some of the fronts that Brian Flores threw at the New England offensive line.

“If we had to choose … it sounds like Maye had the better day than McCarthy, and in large part because he took care of the football. This is something that’s been an issue for Drake Maye of late, and he saw a lot of pressure today,” Perry said. “Still, no picks, which is something Mike Vrabel has to be happy about.”

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With Maye being the No. 3 overall pick last year and McCarthy being taken No. 10 overall, the two quarterbacks are sure to be compared with each other for years to come. Caleb Williams (No. 1), Jayden Daniels (No. 2), Michael Penix Jr. (No. 8) and Bo Nix (No. 12) round out that QB class at the top of the ’24 draft, too. Maye and the Patriots beat Williams and the Bears last season, and they’ll see Penix and the Falcons in Week 9 this year. This preseason, though, Maye is seeing Daniels and McCarthy in consecutive weeks in joint practice. Maye largely held his own last week compared to Daniels, but he has the early advantage over McCarthy after one of two practice sessions ahead of Saturday’s preseason game.

Perry noted that four of the Vikings’ six sacks came in the Patriots’ first 10 plays, and that for the most part, the Patriots turned in explosive plays when they were actually able to protect the quarterback.

“This was a knockdown, drag-out slugfest between the Patriots’ offense and the Vikings’ defense,” Perry said. “And the reason I say that, just haymakers everywhere. If there wasn’t a Vikings sack — and there were a bunch of them — then there was a Patriots explosive play. That just sort of felt like how the practice went. It was almost an all-or-nothing type of affair.”

Also in this episode:

Drake Maye’s numbers from practice

Phil breaks down the Patriots defense

Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye speak more about Maye’s leadership

Is Mike Vrabel ratcheting up the pressure as camp goes deeper?

How did everyone else look?