FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The Patriots dialed it back for their Thursday afternoon session, practicing in shorts and shells for the first time since last Friday. Here are some observations from the practice:

Brady sluggish. Tom Brady came out strong in training camp, zipping throws around the yard from the outset. He’s remained largely sharp since, but struggled on Thursday. He made a number of uncharacteristic throws, missing on his targets and forcing the issue on an interception by safety Steve Gregory. It’s not a sight Patriots fans are used to seeing from the soon-to-be-35-year-old quarterback.

Gregory steps up. Veteran safety Steve Gregory had his most active practice to date, breaking up at least three passes and intercepting Brady on a ball thrown over the middle. Gregory looks reactive and fluid enough to move around in the back half of the field to be a sufficient ball-hawking free safety. He did drop another would be interception, but continues to get his hands on balls.

Opportunity day. The Patriots practiced in just shells, and scaled back the workload from previous days of practice. It looked like the coaching staff made a concerted effort to budget reps for some of the younger, less experienced players. There wasn’t a major standout performer from that group, but receiver Britt Davis logged another solid effort.

Play of the day. Veteran receiver Donte’ Stallworth streaked down the right side of the field, gaining a slight edge on both cornerback Ross Ventrone and safety Josh Barrett, before leaping in the air to corral a Tom Brady throw. Both Barrett and Ventrone were able to gain enough ground as the ball approached, leaving Stallworth in a competitive catch situation. He ably went up to high point the long toss, drawing cheers from the crowd.

Cunningham in coverage. On Wednesday, Bill Belichick spoke about the adjustments a player faces when making the switch from either a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme as a defensive end. In the case of many, they end up moving from a 4-3 college end to a 3-4 outside linebacker. Jermaine Cunningham aligned as a 4-3 end in college, where he finds himself now in the Patriots’ primarily 4-3 scheme, but still found himself in coverage of running back Shane Vereen. He showed some reactive movements and poise in sticking with the quicker, faster back.

Belichick huddles up again. For the second time in training camp, Belichick huddled his team up pre-practice. A coach can do this for a number of reasons, perhaps to re-emphasize a message he had conveyed during a team meting earlier in the day.

Ridley flexes power. We’ve seen Stevan Ridley flash a number of impressive traits with the ball in his hands during training camp, but the second-year runner drew attention in a different manner on Thursday. During an individual period drill, Ridley displayed good pop in a blocking drill, forcefully and explosively hitting the one-man sled with a compact stroke.

Extensive medium red zone work. In perhaps the longest period of the practice, the offense and defense squared off for extensive action in the medium red zone (around the ten yard line and in) in a 7-on-7 drill. One thought as it relates to the Patriots offense in this area: with a condensed field to work with, receivers who can create space become even more dangerous. Defensive backs have natural boundaries to help them create leverage, but opposing players such as Aaron Hernandez, Wes Welker and Julian Edelman will remain a challenge. Each displayed precise route running and separation ability.

Hernandez takes handoffs, aligns in backfield. We’ve yet to see Aaron Hernandez take a live handoff during training camp, something he did towards the end of the 2011 season. He did, however, work with Tom Brady during a post-practice cool down session on taking a handful of handoffs. Extra point thought on Hernandez: Brady recently lauded his body control in an interview with Sirius XM radio, noting his ability to work into his cuts at full speed and maintain his balance. This skill could pay off most in the red zone.

Attendance report. Players not spotted on the field: fullbacks Spencer Larsen (unknown) and Tony Fiametta (unknown); tight ends Visanthe Shiancoe (unknown) and Jake Ballard (ACL); offensive linemen Brian Waters (did not report), Matt Kopa (unknown), and Jamey Richard (concussion); defensive linemen Jonathan Fanene (unknown); linebacker Tracy White (unknown); and safety Will Allen (unknown). ... Players in T-shirts and shorts: receivers Brandon Lloyd (unknown) and Jeremy Ebert (leg); tight end Daniel Fells (leg); offensive linemen Logan Mankins (ACL), Sebastian Vollmer (back), Markus Zusevics (pectoral), and Nick McDonald (unknown); defensive lineman Myron Pryor (shoulder); cornerback Alfonzo Dennard (hamstring); and safety Nate Ebner (unknown). ... Players remaining in red jerseys: receiver Matthew Slater and safety James Ihedigbo.