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[New England Patriots]

Patriots vs. Dolphins Friday injury report: Keion White, Christian Gonzalez out for Week 2

The New England Patriots will visit the Miami Dolphins without the top arrivals from the 2023 draft class.

Keion White and Christian Gonzalez have been ruled out for the AFC East opener. While the defensive end remained a non-participant for three consecutive practices due to an illness, the cornerback has yet to return since sustaining a hamstring injury in July.

Head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed both game designations during his final press conference of the work week.

Here’s the early, final injury report ahead of Sunday’s 1 p.m. ET kickoff at Hard Rock Stadium.

OUT​

Patriots​

• DE Keion White (illness)
• CB Christian Gonzalez (hamstring)

Dolphins​

• TBA

White played 29 snaps off the defensive edges in Week 1 and had a hand in a pair of tackles. The former No. 46 overall pick is now set to miss his first game since his rookie year. That could lead to veteran outside linebacker Anfernee Jennings having a Sunday role after beginning 2025 as a healthy inactive. As for Gonzalez in the secondary, he is now set to miss his second in a row. The former No. 17 overall pick and reigning second-team All-Pro has been a non-participant since his hamstring injury arose during first padded practice of training camp.

QUESTIONABLE​

Patriots​

• OT Morgan Moses (foot)
• LB Marte Mapu (neck)

Dolphins​

• TBA

Moses logged all 71 snaps for the offensive line last weekend against the Las Vegas Raiders. He returned for back-to-back practices after missing Wednesday’s work in Foxborough with a foot injury. Rookie seventh-rounder Marcus Bryant would be next up at right tackle in the event the 34-year-old is unable to go, per Vrabel, with 2024 starter Vederian Lowe providing a backup option. And at the off-ball linebacker level, Mapu also stands as questionable after being a partial participant in recent days because of a neck issue. The Sacramento State product handled 68.9 percent of the workload on special teams to begin September.

Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/new-engl...ury-report-keion-white-christian-gonzalez-out

 

[New England Patriots]

Zak Kuhr to serve as Patriots’ defensive play caller vs. Dolphins

The New England Patriots will indeed be without their defensive coordinator this week. As head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed on Friday, Terrell Williams will be out for the team’s upcoming matchup with the Miami Dolphins due to the undisclosed medical situation he is currently dealing with.

In Williams’ place, inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr will serve as defensive play caller.

“Zak Kuhr will call the game defensively,” Vrabel said during a press conference at Gillette Stadium.

“I’ll help him like I always do, but I’m excited for that. I think we’ve been prepared all week for that, for the preparation, for the game planning. All the phases of first and second down, what this team wants to try to do and how we want to try to defend them, and the keys and the plan on third down or short yardage in the red zone. It was a good week of preparation.”

For Kuhr, replacing Williams is nothing new. The 37-year-old already served as a stand-in defensive coordinator in the spring, after a medical scare forced Williams to work remotely from his home in Detroit.

Kuhr originally joined the Patriots alongside Vrabel earlier this offseason. Before their reunion in New England, they already crossed paths at Ohio State and with the Tennessee Titans. Most recently, he served as a defensive assistant with the New York Giants.

Overall, as Vrabel noted on Friday, Kuhr’s experience as a coach is quite diverse.

“Going back to just having been an offensive coach, and I watched him work at Ohio State, and when we were able to get him to Tennessee, how quickly he translated that knowledge to defense, how quickly he learned defense and what an asset he was defensively for us, especially coming from some of the college game and as some of those trends started to make their way to the National Football League, some of the spread, the RPO or things like that, he really became an asset for us defensively.” Vrabel said.

“He did our red zone stuff for us in Tennessee, and then continued to grow, continued to understand what we were doing. Then, watching him work in the spring, work in front of the guys and prepare them in the spring, and through training camp until Terrell was back, that’s what I saw: I saw a lot of maturity, a lot of growth, but also a lot of knowledge.”

The Patriots’ game against the Dolphins will kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 14, at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.

Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/new-engl...fensive-play-caller-terrell-williams-dolphins

 

[New England Patriots]

‘Always organized’ Harold Landry setting the tone for Patriots’ pass rush

Few players in recent memory had a more impressive New England Patriots debut than Harold Landry.

A free agency pickup in March, Landry registered 2.5 sacks in the season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Patriots ultimately ended up losing that game, but the outside linebacker’s performance was still impressive and put him atop the NFL leaderboard in sacks after Week 1.

For his position coach, however, none of that came as too much of a surprise. Speaking to reporters at Gillette Stadium earlier this week, Mike Smith said that Landry’s performance against the Raiders was merely a continuation of training camp.

“He’s got explosive get-off. He was mixing in his power, making these guys set him normally, and just how aggressive he plays,” Smith said. “He’s a smart guy, he knows how to rush, he knows how to set them up. He’s a student of the game. He studies. We talk about it all week, what the game plan is. He executed what Harold does and I just loved how he mixed up some things and just keeps those tackles honest.”

A second-round draft pick out of Boston College in 2018, Landry started his career in Tennessee under then-Titans head coach Mike Vrabel. In his seven seasons in the AFC South, including one missed entirely due to a torn ACL, he registered 55 sacks in a combined 103 regular season and playoff games.

Even though he had only one Pro Bowl nomination to show for, Landry was a reliable member of Vrabel’s defense both on and off the field. Now a member of the Patriots via the three-year, $43.5 million offseason deal he signed with the club, he continues to display the same traits.

This has allowed him to set the tone for the New England pass rush as a starter on the edge and a team captain.

“We go over pass rush and we go over tackles and the offensive line, and we all get together and ask him, ‘How do you see who we’re playing this week?’ He reads off his report, and he’s detailed,” explained Smith.

“He’s a smart kid. You can tell he puts the time in. As a coach, you can tell the guys that don’t put the time in, and that’s how we build our plan. Let’s get on board. Let’s all get on the same page. There’s a lot to it. There are protections, there are chips, there are thumps — there are going to be a lot of different things that go with that. But he’s having that plan. He’s just always organized. He hit me last night at 10 o’clock about something; about this move, about that move. That’s why guys like him have some success.”

In Week 1, Landry’s success was one of the few positives to take away from New England’s 20-13 defeat. It also was something to build off of moving forward, and to serve as a blueprint for the rest of the defense.

Landry, after all, is a veteran in the Vrabel system and as such uniquely familiar with what it asks of the players. This, in turn, allows the 29-year-old to lead by example, something he does day in and day out, according to his position coach.

“He might not be the most vocal guy, but the way he works and the way he prepares, he’s always full-go in practice” Smith said. “He’s always doing the right thing, all that type of stuff. He might not be the vocal leader, but that’s OK. He’s going to do it by the way he plays.”

Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/new-engl...ld-landry-setting-the-tone-patriots-pass-rush

 

[New England Patriots]

Sunday Patriots Notes: Drake Maye needs to relax (and so do we)

A short memory will be crucial for the New England Patriots this week.

Having lost its season opener 20-13 to the visiting Las Vegas Raiders in rather uninspiring fashion, the team of head coach Mike Vrabel will travel to Miami to take on a Dolphins squad that also started the season with an L. With both teams under some pressure already at this early stage in the season, any lingering issues from Week 1 could become a problem; as Vrabel himself said, this is a true test for the culture he is trying to build.

Naturally, our focus this week was on both of those games. For anything else not covered previously, let’s clean out the notebook. Welcome to this week’s edition of our Sunday Patriots Notes.

Drake Maye needs to relax​

Last week’s game against the Raiders was not Drake Maye’s finest hour as a quarterback. He did pass for a career-high 287 yards and a touchdown, but he also tossed an interception, had a fumble, and struggled with ball placement and poise in the pocket.

In short, he was far from perfect. In the NFL, however, perfection can be a fluid concept; you can play what effectively amounts to a perfect game as a quarterback but still miss throws or make bad reads. Being spot-on on every play is a noble goal, but as Mike Vrabel pointed out, it is nothing that is realistic.

For Maye, that is something he needs to realize as well.

“I think that he wants to be, at times, perfect, and I need to get past that. We all have to get past that,” said Vrabel. “You need to be precise and not perfect. If you make a mistake, it’s the reaction that you have to the mistake that everybody sees, and then they’re like, ‘Oh, wow, that was a mistake.’ We have to clean our reactions up. Our responses have to be much better. Then getting into the flow because you see really good timing and precision and accuracy. Then we see some other misses. But I don’t ever concern myself with that.

“I just want the better performance, more consistent, and continue to grow as a leader and make sure that there is a command to what we’re doing, that ‘This is the situation, this is the play.’ Those are the things that I’m focused on.”

The third overall selection in last year’s draft, Maye was thrown into the fire early in his rookie season. He did spend the first five weeks of 2024 as a backup to Jacoby Brissett, but then-head coach Jerod Mayo and his staff eventually decided to make the switch to the youngster.

Since then, Maye has been New England’s undisputed QB1. He also has had the weight of a franchise and an entire fan base’s hopes on his shoulders ever since.

It is clear that the 23-year-old wants to live up to the expectations. Doing so, however, will require him to learn to deal with the pressure and readjust his stance toward perfection.

“He is a guy that is super hard on himself,” said wide receiver Stefon Diggs. “We are pulling for him, we just got to continue that positive reinforcement and that positive encouragement. Quarterback is a very hard job so letting him know that you got his back and going to be available for him is going to be key in our success.”

“There are things that are going to happen in every game — especially at that position — that aren’t going to be perfect,” added offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. “It’s really hard to play a perfect game at any spot, let alone that spot.”

One of the most experienced coaches on Vrabel’s staff, McDaniels has been part of six Super Bowl-winning teams and worked closely with the greatest quarterback of all time for almost two decades. He knows what he is talking about.

Now it is on Maye to heed those words of wisdom.

We need to relax​

The NFL is a results-based business, and now more than ever before the narratives surrounding those results are magnified and multiplied. Whether it is social media, sports talk radio, podcasts or even our little community here, fans and media members alike have massive forums to voice their opinions and set expectations.

There is nothing inherently wrong with that, but when it comes to Drake Maye in particular, a readjustment of sorts might be necessary. Yes, he was a first-round draft pick. Yes, he is playing the most important position on the field. Yes, the fate of the franchise is very much in his hands on every offensive play.

While all of that is true, so are the facts that Maye is still only the seventh-youngest player on the Patriots’ roster, the second-youngest starting quarterback in the NFL, and has not yet started a full season’s worth of football in the league. Today’s game against the Dolphins will be his 14th career start, and only his second in the offense coordinated by Josh McDaniels.

“We have to understand it’s his first game in our system,” the Patriots’ OC said earlier this week.

It is easy to look at the results as a measurement for Maye’s development, and there is indeed some value to it as well. However, the Patriots drafted Maye with a long-term plan in mind: they did not expect him to be an all-word QB right out of the gate, but rather to develop into a capable starter and viable face of the franchise further down the line.

When or if that will happen remains to be seen. In the meantime, however, we as fans, writers, podcasters and the like all might be wise to need to add a measure of patience to our assessment of the young passer.

Same play, different results​

The Patriots trading wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk to the New Orleans Saints closed the book on what was ultimately a disappointing tenure for the former second-round draft pick. Early on, however, the Washington product did show quite a bit of promise: Polk ran with the starters for much of his rookie training camp, and over the first quarter of the season was given a big role in the offense.

Then came a play that seemingly was a turning point for his time in New England.

Late during the Patriots’ Week 5 game against the Dolphins, he appeared to catch what would have been a go-ahead touchdown. However, a review of the play showed that he had not gotten both of his feet down in bounds and the play was overturned and ruled an incomplete pass. New England lost 15-10.

Polk’s trajectory after that play stands in contrast to another Patriots WR, Kayshon Boutte. Then a sixth-round rookie, Boutte had two potential catches wiped out in his 2023 debut versus the Philadelphia Eagles because he could not get both feet down in bounds; the second of those plays came on a crucial fourth down that sealed New England’s 25-20 loss.

Boutte, however, recovered from those miscues. It did take him a while to do so, but he eventually entered the starting lineup as a sophomore and has not looked back since. In terms of playing time, catches and receiving yards, he is New England’s current WR1.

Polk, on the other hand, has not shown much of a bounceback before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in the preseason opener. As a consequence, he is now a Saint just 17 months after getting drafted.

Christian Barmore’s impact​

As noted above, the NFL is all about results. The easiest way to measure those is through the use of statistics — from passes completed, to touchdowns scored, to tackles and sacks, to field goals made. Those get the job done to a large degree, but they are far from the be-all and end-all of player evaluation.

Christian Barmore is a perfect example of that. On the stat sheet, the veteran defensive tackle had five tackles in the Patriots’ Week 1 loss to Las Vegas and was credited with one quarterback hurry.

However, his impact went far beyond what the numbers suggest. Barmore did all that despite being double-teamed or chipped on more than 90 percent of his snaps, the third highest-such rate in the NFL for interior linemen.

Lmao Barmore is ridiculous pic.twitter.com/jRnAqv2cya

— Brett (@Brett_Pats) September 13, 2025

Having a player who occupies two offensive players on nine out of ten plays cannot be underestimated. The trickle-down effect is obvious: it creates one-on-ones elsewhere. With players such as Milton Williams or Harold Landry also in the lineup, this leads to a “pick your poison” scenario for an offense.

For the Raiders, that poison was Barmore. Williams and Landry, meanwhile, were able to wreak havoc against the offensive line for much of the day — something Miami also might be looking at on Sunday, particularly given that the team will be fielding an entirely-new right side of the line.

Challenges of playing left-handed QBs​

The right side of their offensive line is a particular concern for the Dolphins because their quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, is left-handed. His right is therefore his blindside. Having a lefty QB does not just change things for the offense, though, but the defense as well.

“You train all these boots most of the time where they’re going to go, and you start matching the hand, trying to match the hand of a right-handed quarterback, and then all of a sudden, you come out, he throws the first one with his left hand, you put your right hand up and it whizzes over you,” said Mike Vrabel. “It’s like the time I came through into college to try to block a punt, and I roughed the punter because I realized I didn’t know he was left-footed. Came up the middle, probably gave him a hit pointer, but it was a 15-yard penalty.

“It’s just a good reminder of how it’s hard to train it, and we can train it in pre-practice with the coaches and things like that, just making sure that the ball will come out quick. He has had some passes tipped. I wouldn’t say that he’s the leader in the clubhouse, but he’s certainly not adverse to having some of those, and we just have to be able to try to do that, try to catch one of them, or affect some of these passes in the best way that we can.”

Players only​

The Patriots’ opening day loss to the Raiders was a disappointment, but it was a far-cry from Miami’s Week 1 performance. The team of head coach Mike McDaniel stood no chance against the Indianapolis Colts, losing 33-8 in a game that was not as close as the final score suggests.

The Dolphins turned the ball over three times, all courtesy of their quarterback, while also giving up points on all seven of their defensive series. From start to finish, this game was a true blowout — one that prompted the team to take an unorthodox measure given how early in the season it is: the Dolphins held a players-only meeting earlier this week.

“Just staying locked in. Losing the way we did Week 1, it can be discouraging,” said linebacker Jordyn Brooks. “Just kind of making sure that everybody’s together.”

Accountability between the lines​

The Patriots did not resort to drastic measures like these after their Week 1 defeat, but their leadership was still in the spotlight. For wide receiver Mack Hollins, that is exactly how it should be.

“That’s one of the biggest jumps teams make when players start holding each other accountable,” he said at his Gillette Staddium locker this week. “It’s a players game, no matter how you want to construe it. There are only players inside the line, and if players aren’t going to hold each other accountable, then nobody will. It just comes from a different spot when you’re a player that’s injured or on the sideline or a coach, whatever it may be. If you’re not in the lines, you’re not holding guys accountable, it’s tough.”

Anfernee Jennings, next man up​

A starter on the defensive edge the last two seasons, Anfernee Jennings opened 2025 as a healthy scratch: he was one of the seven players made inactive for the Patriots’ season opener versus Las Vegas. With Keion White out for Week 2 due to an illness, however, the sixth-year man is set to make his debut.

“Anfernee is very ready,” said Mike Vrabel. “I had to make a tough decision last week, we could only have so many guys active, and so I’m excited to see Anfernee play. He’s always been prepared and taken advantage of his opportunities. He’ll continue, I would imagine, to do that on Sunday: play hard, play physical and be ready to go.”

Moments of silence​

The killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at an event at Utah Valley University dominated the news cycle this week. The horrific nature of the event and the issue of gun and political violence in the United States has been well-documented and in a forum such as this needs no additional discussion right now.

What should be debated, however, is the NFL’s reaction.

The following night, on the 24th anniversary of 9/11, the league opted to hold a moment of silence in honor of Kirk at the Packers-Commanders Thursday night game. It furthermore has allowed teams to decide themselves whether or not to follow suit ahead of the games on Sunday and Monday. The league is trying to walk a fine line, but decisions such as these invite criticism and deserve to be scrutinized.

There is no denying Kirk was an influential figure who helped shape political discourse in the U.S., but he was but neither an elected official nor in any way had close ties to the NFL. Honoring him is therefore quite unusual, and that is before adding his inflammatory rhetoric to the conversation. We are not going to amplify his statements — you can read into some of them here — but let’s just say that a league that is around 60 percent black and displaying “End Racism” slogans on its fields and helmets holding a moment of silence for Kirk is nothing short of bizarre.

Week ahead​

The Patriots will fly back from Miami later on Sunday, and then return to their typical in-season rhythm:

• Monday, Sept. 15: Mike Vrabel media availability, player media availability
• Tuesday, Sept. 16: Day off
• Wednesday, Sept. 17: Practice, Mike Vrabel media availability, player media availability, injury report
• Thursday, Sept. 18: Practice, player media availability, injury report
• Friday, Sept. 19: Practice, player media availability, injury report
• Saturday, Sept. 20: Pre-game walkthrough, practice squad elevations
• Sunday, Sept. 21: Game day vs. Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium (1 p.m. ET)

Outside of those set dates, we also expect some more roster movement. The Patriots, after all, currently have one spot open on their 53-man team. Linebacker/special teamer Mark Robinson seems like a prime candidate for promotion after being a game-day elevation from the practice squad each of the first two weeks of the season.

Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/new-engl...ts-notes-drake-maye-needs-to-relax-nfl-week-2

 

[New England Patriots]

Rhamondre Stevenson has late father on his mind after standout outing against Dolphins

For Rhamondre Stevenson, Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins was more than just a return to form or the first victory of the season. It was a performance that his late father, Robert, would have been proud of.

Speaking to reporters after the New England Patriots’ 33-27 win at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, the veteran running back had his dad on his mind.

“It feels great,” Stevenson said. “It’s been tough on me for the last couple of months, but just putting my best foot forward and just knowing what my Pops would want me to do.”

Stevenson’s father passed away in March at the age of 54, prompting him and the team alike to adapt to a new normal. He was granted a flexible schedule during offseason workouts to mourn his dad’s death, and received consistent support from head coach Mike Vrabel and running backs coach Tony Dews.

Last Sunday against his hometown Las Vegas Raiders, he played his first game without his father watching. A week later against the Dolphins, he looked like the back of old again — and then some: the 27-year-old had a crucial role in the Patriots’ win, gaining 54 yards on 11 carries and adding both a career-best 88 receiving yards on five catches and a two-point conversion.

His 142 scrimmage yards rank fourth among his 59 career games, and are the most he has had in a single game since his 2022 sophomore season.

“He probably would have loved this game,” Stevenson said about his father. “Just remembering that and just remembering the things he would say and just keep going. Yeah, I think he’ll be proud of today.”

After the game, Stevenson was among the six Patriots awarded game balls from head coach Mike Vrabel. However, as he made sure to point out, the bigger picture was more important than his individual success.

“It just shows our toughness. It shows we can do it for four quarters,” Stevenson said. “Don’t be a front runner. Don’t only be good when things are going good. Adversity is going to happen, so just fighting back against that and becoming victorious, that’s huge.”

Stevenson knows what he is talking about.

Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/new-engl...nson-late-father-patriots-dolphins-nfl-week-2

 

[New England Patriots]

Patriots position grades from their win over the Dolphins: D-line gets the job done

The first win of the New England Patriots’ Mike Vrabel era was a thriller. Taking on the Dolphins in Miami, the first-year head coach and his team emerged with a 33-27 victory from what was a back-and-forth division battle.

The Week 2 shootout saw several noteworthy performances, for better or worse, and an improved Patriots team across the board. A look at our weekly grading chart, however, shows that not every part of the team played an equal part in New England breaking its five-year losing streak in Miami.

Patriots position grades for Week 2​

Quarterback: Drake Maye has 14 starts under his belt now, and Sunday’s might have been his best one so far. The sophomore looked significantly more comfortable and decisive with his reads, cut down on the unforced errors that plagued him in Week 1, and showed the dual-threat talent that made him a first-round pick last spring. Both of his touchdown passes were impressive as was his scoring run, while his third down conversion to Rhamondre Stevenson saw him combine poise, pocket movement and touch. There were plenty of positives to build on. | Grade: A

Running back: After last week’s pass-heavy game script, the Patriots made an effort to get their running backs more involved. They did, and the group delivered. The star of the show was Rhamondre Stevenson, who looked like the player of old as a runner while also setting a new career mark with 88 receiving yards. The only blemish might have been rookie TreVeyon Henderson struggling in pass protection and finding limited success on the ground. | Grade: B

Wide receiver: Mack Hollins and Kayshon Boutte both found the end zone, while Stefon Diggs was again actively involve in the mix. Overall, however, the group had a quiet day against a Dolphins secondary that fielded several “break glass in case of emergency” options at cornerback. Supposed go-to receiver DeMario Douglas in particular continues to be quiet, catching just one 8-yard pass all day. | Grade: C

Tight end: The tight end group saw a similar level of involvement as the wide receivers, meaning that there were positive moments but the contributions were far from consistent. It was encouraging to see Austin Hooper finish with three catches for 38 yards, but Hunter Henry was quiet outside of one catch and an illegal shift penalty. The run blocking was also a bit mid. | Grade: C-

Offensive line: Going against a talented defensive front, the Patriots’ new-look offensive line did its job. Drake Maye was pressured on 22.5 percent of his dropbacks, a clear improvement from last week’s 39.2, and despite being sacked on three occasions generally had enough time and space to make proper reads without a sped-up process. The run blocking also was solid for the most part, allowing New England to gain an average of 4.1 yards per scripted run. One area to clean up, though: penalties. The group was flagged five times, including three Morgan Moses false starts. | Grade: B

Defensive line: Even though they did not overwhelm the Dolphins’ makeshift offensive line, the Patriots defensive line played a pretty good game overall. The pass rush can best be described as quality over quantity: Tua Tagovailoa was taken down five times, with all of those sacks coming on either third or fourth down, including Milton Williams’ game-clincher with less than a minute to go in the fourth quarter. New England also was solid against a potent Miami run game, with one 18-yarder by wide receiver Malik Washington as the only big play given up on the ground. | Grade: A-

Linebacker: It might be too early to ring the alarm bell on free agency pickup Robert Spillane, but the team captain another rough outing against Miami. His pass defense was suspect, as was his tackling: Spillane missed five of eight tackle attempts. He was in good company in that regard, with Christian Elliss also missing three. Not all was bad for the group, though. Marte Mapu had an interception, while both Spillane and Elliss looked good playing downhill versus the run. | Grade: D+

Cornerback: Going up against a talented wide receiver group headlined by Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the Patriots’ cornerbacks had to operate without Christian Gonzalez for a second straight week. Needless to say, having the All-Pro in the lineup would have helped. With him absent, however, the group had its fair share of issues. Gonzalez’s nominal replacement, Alex Austin, found himself on the wrong end of the stick particularly often: he surrendered a team-worst 98 yards and a touchdown on seven targets before seeing his responsibilities change in favor of Marcus Jones. | Grade: C-

Safety: Even though New England managed to reduce the number of “X-plays” given up, they were still a problem overall. That was in part because of the safeties, and in particular rookie Craig Woodson, being late to diagnose and react to certain reads and route combinations. More experience will help with that, but there were definitive issues on Sunday. | Grade: C-

Special teams: The Patriots’ special teams operation continues to run hot and cold. On the one hand, the group surrendered a punt return touchdown, had four penalties and missed a pair of missed extra points. On the other hand, rookie kicker Andy Borregales finished strong, Bryce Baringer averaged 68 yards on his two punts, and Antonio Gibson took a kickoff back 90 yards for a touchdown. | Grade: C

Overall, the Patriots can feel good about their performance in Miami. There is plenty to clean up, and some individual performances deserve scrutiny, but the game was step in the right direction after a disappointing season opener. Now, it’s all about making the necessary adjustments and keeping momentum alive against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3.

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How would you grade the Patriots’ performance in Week 2, though? Do you agree with our assessment? Please head down to the comment section to discuss.

Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/new-engl.../patriots-position-grades-dolphins-nfl-week-2

 

[New England Patriots]

Ex-Patriot Ja’Whaun Bentley signs with Steelers ahead of Week 3 bout

Six months after getting released, former New England Patriots captain Ja’Whaun Bentley has found a new team. It’s the one the Patriots are going to host at Gillette Stadium in five days.

As first reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN, Bentley is joining the Pittsburgh Steelers’ practice squad.

Bentley, 29, originally entered the NFL as a fifth-round draft selection by the Patriots in 2018. After ending his rookie season on injured reserve (but still earning a Super Bowl ring), the Purdue product developed into a core member of New England’s linebacker group and defense as a whole.

Over his seven seasons in New England, Bentley appeared in 83 regular season games and a pair of playoff contests with 69 total starts. A four-time captain for the organization, he registered 515 combined tackles to go with 10.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, a pair of interceptions, and a fumble recovery.

Despite his experience as well as role as a starter and defensive signal caller, Bentley was let go by the Patriots shortly after they hired Mike Vrabel as their new head coach. Officially released in late March with a failed physical designation stemming from the season-ending pectoral tear he had sustained in Week 2 of the previous season, he remained without a team throughout the summer and into the 2025 regular season.

Now, New England’s Week 3 opponent has pulled him from the open market. Bentley will be joining another former Patriots captain, Jabrill Peppers, in the Steel City.

The Patriots’ upcoming game against the Steelers is scheduled for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff on Sunday, Sept. 21.

Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/around-the-nfl/109350/patriots-steelers-sign-jawhaun-bentley-nfl-week-3

 

[New England Patriots]

The stats we are using at Pats Pulpit, explained

In order to help you get a better understanding of the New England Patriots and their opponents, we use plenty of statistics. However, without proper explanation, those are merely numbers on a screen and nothing that has any real meaning.

So, here are a few of the stats we are using explained for better understanding. The basis of those statistics is work done by outlets such as rbsdm.com, ESPN Analytics, Pro Football Focus and FTN, among others.

Points/Game: How many points a team scores or surrendered on a per-game basis. The number does include special teams scores.

Yards/Game: How many yards a team either gains or surrenders on a per-game basis.

EPA: Short for Expected Points Added, it measures how a play impacts the team’s chances of scoring based on situational expectation. A positive number means that a team or player performs above that expectation in a given situation and is more likely to get points as a result, a negative that they fail to do so and are less likely to consequently score.

DVOA: Whereas EPA ultimately looks at the immediate impact a play has on a team’s chances of scoring, DVOA — Defense-adjusted Value Over Average — assesses performance relative to league average in the same situation. The higher the number, the better a play was and vice versa.

Success rate: A measure of how successful a play was relative to down and distance. There are different definitions out there, but we are going with the one used by rbsdm.com: success rate is the percentage of plays earning a positive EPA.

Scoring %: The percentage of drives ending in a score.

Giveaways/Takeaways: The count of possessions changing via either interception or fumble.

Turnover %: The percentage of drives ending in either giveaways or takeaways.

Net yards/Attempt: Passing yards minus sack yards divided by dropbacks.

CPOE: Completion percentage above expectation. It essentially measures completion percentage while factoring in the difficulty of a throw based on factors such as receiver separation, air yards and situation.

Adjusted sack rate: It measures sacks per pass attempt adjusted for down, distance, and opponent. The lower the number, the better.

Pass block win rate/Pass rush win rate: Those two meassures evaluate the rate at which offensive linemen can sustain their blocks. Blocking 2.5 seconds or longer is considered a win for the O-lineman, anything below that number is considered a win for the pass rusher.

Run block win rate/Run stop win rate: Several factors imapct those numbers. A run stop is considered successful if a) a defender beats his blocker, b) disrupts the pocket or running lane by pushing his blocker backward, c) contains a runner in a way that forces him to adjust his running lane, or d) records a tackle within 3 yards of the line of scrimmage. A successful run stop is a loss for the blocker and vice versa.

Adjusted line yards: In its essence, this is the same as yards per carry but for the offensisve line. Depending on a play’s outcome, responsibility is assigned either to the line or the ball carrier. Factors such as down, distance, situation and opponent are considered and the numbers normalized.

Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/new-engl...ysis/109366/patriots-statistics-explained-nfl

 

[New England Patriots]

Patriots stats roundup: Milton Williams is a game-wrecker

The New England Patriots are back in the win column, and for the first time in a calendar year do not own a losing record. Now sitting at 1-1 after Sunday’s 33-27 victory over the Miami Dolphins, they have started trending up after what was a disappointing season opener.

Of course, it it far too early to tell what kind of team the Patriots are developing into and whether or not they will be able to push for a playoff spot when all is said and done. What we do know, is that there are several promising areas to build on and a lot of weaknesses and issues still left to be addressed.

Add all of that up, and you get a team that is a middle-of-the pack squad across the board and accordingly ranked 18th in net points (-1) on the season.

The graphic above illustrates where the Patriots lie relative to the other 31 teams in the NFL. Offensively, they are looking quite solid so far and seemingly taking a step forward after their underwhelming 2024 campaign. The defense, on the other hand, has had its problems during the early parts of the season.

A closer look at both areas, plus a split into the run and pass games, illustrates this.

For a more detailed explanation of the numbers presented in this breakdown, please click here.

Offense​

Category	Number	Rank
Points/Game	23.0	14th
Yards/Game	334.5	13th
EPA/Play	0.096	12th
DVOA	2.2%	16th
Success rate	44.1%	17th
Scoring %	40.0%	15th
Giveaways	1	7th
Turnover %	5.0%	19th

With two games in the books, the Patriots are one of the NFL’s most average offenses. Whether it is points, yards or the various efficiency metrics, the unit of coordinator Josh McDaniels is not far removed from the middle of the league in any category.

The only one that truly stands out is the number of giveaways, which has New England tied for seventh in the league. However, there is a caveat: based on turnover percentage — i.e. the rate of drives ending in turnovers — the team is only ranked 19th. Then again, the sample size is not necessarily an accurate predictor of future success or failure in any of those categories.

Still, as noted above, some early trends can be seen. And one of them is the passing offense looking fairly decent.

Category	Number	Rank
Yards/Game	243.5	9th
Net yards/Attempt	6.4	11th
Dropback EPA	0.252	8th
Pass DVOA	34.7%	8th
Success rate	48.8%	9th
YAC/Reception	4.8	16th
Adjusted sack rate	9.4%	22nd
Pass block win rate	55.0%	25th

As can be seen, the team’s passing attack is in the top third int the NFL in both volume and efficiency. It goes without saying that Drake Maye’s career performance against the Dolphins in Week 2 — when he set several new career marks while completing 83 percent of his passes for 230 yards and a pair of touchdowns — plays a big part in that. The goal will be to build on that performance, while simultaneously also improving in the pass protection department.

If the Patriots can do that, they seemingly have the foundation in place to take another step forward. Look no further than the numbers posted by their starting QB.

Category	Number	Rank
Attempts	69	12th
Completions	49	6th
Completion %	71.0%	6th
Yards	517	9th
Yards/Attempt	7.5	12th
TDs	3	10th
INTs	1	12th
Sacks	7	23rd
EPA/Play	0.241	8th
CPOE	6.3	8th

Whether you look at volume or efficiency stats, Drake Maye is a top third quarterback in the NFL through two games. Despite his pass protection not always being up to the task, as already outlined above, he has repeatedly managed to put the Patriots in a competitive position and played the best single game of his career against Miami in Week 2.

That said, it might be time to be a bit of a Debbie Downer here: neither the Dolphins nor the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1 are fielding top-tier pass defenses. Time will therefore tell how much of Maye’s hot start was aided by the opposition.

Category	Number	Rank
Yards/Game	91	23rd
Yards/Attempt	3.9	22nd
Rush EPA	-0.232	29th
Run DVOA	-6.3%	16th
Success rate	34.1%	27th
YCO/Run	2.62	19th
Run block win rate	73.0%	11th
Adjusted line yards	4.64	5th
Run stuff rate	13.0%	4th

The Patriots want to be balanced on offense, and they did accomplish that goal in Week 2 against Miami. However, the overall success so far this season has been limited: New England’s ground game, mostly with Week 1 pulling it down, is ranked near the bottom of the league in several categories. Not among those: the ones evaluating blocking. Statistically, the Patriots have been better blocking the run than the pass so far this year.

Defense​

Category	Number	Rank
Points/Game	23.5	19th
Yards/Game	373.5	25th
EPA/Play	0.099	25th
DVOA	27.3%	30th
Success rate	44.9%	20th
Scoring %	40.0%	16th
Takeaways	2	11th
Turnover %	10.0%	12th
Missed tackles	25	31st

Not all has been bad for the Patriots on the defensive side of the ball so far — more on that in a second — but overall the unit has not been up to the challenge. The big issues have been big plays and missed tackles, as evidenced by the statistics. New England has been comparatively OK at keeping opponents off the board, but the overall performance has left a lot to be desired.

That said, there is one area that truly stands out above the rest: New England’s run defense has quietly been one of the best in football.

Category	Number	Rank
Yards/Game	58.5	3rd
Yards/Attempt	3.0	3rd
Rush EPA	-0.245	4th
Run DVOA	-27.4%	5th
Success rate	26.3%	1st
Run stop win rate	39.0%	1st
Adjusted line yards	2.77	2nd
Run stuff rate	38.0%	1st

New England has been stout against the run, particularly because of two men: Milton Williams and Christian Barmore. The two starting defensive tackles, who have been on the field for a respective 73 and 71 percent of defensive snaps so far this season, have anchored the Patriots pass defense. Their win rates in the running game reflect this, with Williams ranked fourth in the NFL (63%) and Barmore seventh (54%).

While the quality of opposition can again be questioned, there is no denying that the two high-priced defenders did what they are being paid to do: dominate. That is also what they are doing in the pass rushing department.

Williams’ pass rush win rate (23%) is clearly the highest among interior defensive linemen. Meanwhile, both Harold Landry III (20%; 18th) and K’Lavon Chaisson (18%; 19th) are ranked in the top 20 on the edge. Barmore is missing from the top of the NFL leaderboard here, but there is a simple reason for that: he is facing one of the highest double-team rates among all NFL defensive tackles, and therefore helping free up the likes of Williams and company.

And yet, despite all the disruptive talent up front, New England’s defense and particularly its pass defense have been lacking. So, what gives?

Category	Number	Rank
Yards/Game	315	32nd
Net yards/Attempt	8.4	29th
Dropback EPA	0.263	28th
Pass DVOA	56.4%	30th
Success rate	53.8%	29th
Sacks	9	1st
Adjusted sack rate	12.2%	2nd
Pass rush win rate	43.0%	9th

Despite being among the best pass-rushing units in the league, the Patriots’ pass defense as a whole has been bad. This mostly falls back on the two categories mentioned above, big plays and missed tackles, but also due to individual struggles in the secondary and especially at linebacker.

New England needs to find a way to fix those. Of course, getting Christian Gonzalez back will certainly help the entire unit.

Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/new-engl...109348/patriots-analytics-nfl-week-2-dolphins

 

[New England Patriots]

Patriots rooting guide, open thread, and more for NFL Week 3

Time flies. It is already Week 3 in the NFL, and the New England Patriots are trying to get their first home win of the season. Standing in their way are the Pittsburgh Steelers, who, like the Patriots, are entering Sunday with a 1-1 record.

That game is our main focus this week. For the other 15 matchups, meanwhile, here is who to root for and how to watch.

Thursday​

8:15 p.m. ET​

Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills: Go Dolphins! The Patriots just beat Miami, so they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker and would simultaneously see their strength of victory increase. Also, if New England wants to make noise in the AFC East and possibly challenge for the division crown, Buffalo needs to lose some games. | Amazon

Sunday​

1 p.m. ET​

Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers: Go good game! The Patriots have both teams on their schedule, so it really makes no difference who wins this game. | FOX

Green Bay Packers at Cleveland Browns: Go Packers! We could keep an eye on strength of schedule here, but in the end the NFC team beating the AFC team is the way to go. | FOX

Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars: Go Texans! Both teams are in the AFC, but neither is on New England’s schedule. So, let’s root for the one with the worse record at the moment. | CBS

Cincinnati Bengals at Minnesota Vikings: Go Vikings! Again, a classic case of AFC versus NFC. | CBS

Los Angeles Rams at Philadelphia Eagles: Go good game! This should be a fun game, but not one that has any direct impact on the Patriots. | FOX

New York Jets at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Go Bucs! Both teams are on the Patriots’ schedule, but only one of them is in he AFC. It’s the one we’re not rooting for here. | FOX

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans: Go… Titans? The second all-AFC South battle involves the 2-0 Colts and the 0-2 Titans, the latter of which are on the Patriots schedule. From an SOS perspective, rooting for Tennessee would be one way to go here. | CBS

Las Vegas Raiders at Washington Commanders: Go Commanders! AFC versus NFC, you know the drill. | FOX

4:05 p.m. ET​

Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers: Go… Chargers? In the grand scheme of things, this makes sense if L.A. were to win the division and the Broncos would compete with the Patriots for a wild card spot. It’s only Week 3, though, so just go with whatever you feel like. | CBS

New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks: Go Seahawks! The Patriots are the proud owners of a Saints 2026 seventh-round draft pick. The more losses for New Orleans, the better for New England and that particular selection. | CBS

4:25 p.m. ET​

Dallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears: Go good game! It’s two NFC teams not on the Patriots’ schedule, so it really doesn’t matter. | FOX

Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers: Go good game! Same as above. | FOX

8:20 p.m. ET​

Kansas City Chiefs at New York Giants: Go Giants! Not only does the AFC versus NFC perspective come into play, the Patriots also have the Giants on their schedule — a win for them is a win for New England’s tiebreakers. Also, New England owns to of the Chiefs’ picks next year. In the unlikely caseeve Kansas City sits at home come playoff time, a worse record would benefit the Patriots. | NBC

Monday​

8:15 p.m. ET​

Detroit Lions at Baltimore Ravens: Go Lions! You’ve heard it before, so one more time this week: NFC over AFC. | ESPN/ABC

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Now it’s your turn. Who are you rooting for this week? And what do you think about the games as they unfold? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts and discuss.

Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/new-engl...patriots-rooting-guide-open-thread-nfl-week-3

 

[New England Patriots]

Blitz-heavy Steelers might want to change plans against Patriots QB Drake Maye

Throughout the years, the Pittsburgh Steelers under head coach Mike Tomlin have followed a fairly simple yet effective approach to playing defense. Their goal is not to reinvent the wheel or be overly exotic, but rather to win with consistency and high-level execution.

As a consequence, they repeatedly rely on zone coverage in the backend coupled with an aggressive rush plan up front. One big part of that plan so far this season is using extra rushers to attack the pocket: Pittsburgh is ranked fourth in the NFL with a blitz rate of 39.3 percent.

The Steelers have found success with their blitz-heavy approach. Even though they have only registered three sacks, tied for 25th in the league, their 26.2 percent pressure rate is the sixth best in football through two games. Based on those numbers, it would make sense for the team to again rely heavily on five- or six-man rushes against the New England Patriots and sophomore quarterback Drake Maye on Sunday.

However, Maye has proven himself quite capable of performing in such situations. In fact, he has been one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks versus the blitz this year.

Drake Maye vs blitz, per PFF:

– 27 dropbacks (8th)
– 120.4 passer rating (7th)
– 12 conversions (T-4th)
– 2 TD-0 INT (T-2nd; J. Love, 3-0)
– 2.44 sec average time to throw (9th-fastest)

> No TO-worthy plays, 1 sack taken pic.twitter.com/dLixIooVwY

— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) September 18, 2025

In games against the Las Vegas Raiders and Miami Dolphins, Maye has been blitzed on roughly one third of his dropbacks (32.1%) and put up some very good numbers along the way. He completed 16 of 23 pass attempts (69.6%) for 173 yards with a pair of touchdowns and no interceptions.

Given his success, Pittsburgh might want to change its plans. However, given the team’s insistence on playing its established defense come hell or high water, that seems unlikely — at least to a significant degree.

Still, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin knows that Maye has the potential to make his team pay for not being on top of its game on Sunday.

“He does a really good job of extending plays and making plays with his legs,” Tomlin said. “The weeks where quarterback mobility is a factor that usually has your attention from a rush and coverage perspective. You have to be real solid in the rush to eliminate downhill escape lanes, etc. You have to be ready to cover, extend it as they utilize their legs to extend plays, and that’s certainly been an asset of his game since he’s been in the league.”

Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/new-engl.../patriots-steelers-game-plan-blitz-drake-maye

 

[New England Patriots]

Tackling headlines Patriots’ X-factors against the Steelers

Do you remember the last time the New England Patriots won back-to-back games? The answer is November 2022, when the team of then-head coach Bill Belichick won three in a row. A lot has happened in Foxborough since then, and most of it not necessarily positive.

This Sunday, however, the Patriots will finally get another shot at breaking their almost three-year drought without consecutive victories. In order to do so versus the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers, however, they will need to build on their win over Miami last week and also come out on top as far as the game’s X-factors are concerned.

X-factor vs. Steelers: Tackling​

The Patriots’ tackling issues over the first two games of the season have been well-documented, and have prompted the team to put a special emphasis on it this week. Whether that emphasis will lead to improved results remains to be seen, but the team is under pressure to perform this week.

Not only is having the second most missed tackles in football an issue in itself, the unit of stand-in defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr also will go up against a team well-equipped to exploit them: Pittsburgh entered Week 3 ranked first in the NFL total yards after catch (320) and in yards after catch per reception (7.6). That success does not extend to the running game — 20th in yards after contact per run (1.6), 25th in total yards after contact (65) — but the point still stands.

Missed tackles are a sure-fire way to get into trouble against Pittsburgh’s offense.

The Steelers are the only team with over 300 yards after catch, thanks largely to Jaylen Warren and DK Metcalf

No team has missed more coverage tackles than the #Patriots, largely due to their LBs

Whether it's execution or the depth chart, something's gotta change for NE pic.twitter.com/HyjefM4JWS

— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) September 17, 2025

While the Patriots have had their fair share finishing tackle attempts so far, head coach Mike Vrabel is not ready to push the panic button yet — in part because he was happy with his team’s performance in practice. He did, however, acknowledge the challenge that Pittsburgh presents.

“The only thing that matters now is how we tackle in the game. How we’re able to tackle [Jaylen] Warren, Jonnu [Smith] and DK [Metcalf] and [Calvin] Austin and those skill players, that’s what matters,” he said. “There was a lot of times of good tackling and then some – I think probably other than [De’Von] Achane, I can’t really think of a missed tackle that led to some significant gain. So, that means we’re swarming to the football. There’s good evidence of that, which will always help miss tackles.

“e have to be able to not miss as many tackles, but also track what those lead to. The yardage, the amount of yardage that they lead to. So again, we’ve continued to practice it. We’ll continue to work it and look for positive results on Sunday.”

Other X-factors this week​

OT Morgan Moses: The Patriots’ right tackle has been up and down so far this season, but the team will need him on his A-game come Sunday. Waiting on the other side of the line of scrimmage, after all, will be four-time first-team All-Pro T.J.Watt. The former NFL Defensive Player of the Year has been relatively quiet so far this season, registering no sacks and only three quarterback pressures, but his potential for disruption is obvious.

Blitz pickup: We already mentioned the Steelers’ willingness to send extra rushers before, but it needs to be emphasized again in this forum. Pittsburgh’s is a blitz-heavy defense, and the Patriots need to be ready across the board. That means Drake Maye making good decisions with the ball in the face of potential pressure, and the blockers properly identifying and reacting to five or more players attacking the pocket — both from the line and the second level.

The #Patriots and 49ers are t-2nd in tackles for loss or no gain vs run. The Steelers' aggressive front is 1st.

TJ Watt leads a deep group of edge-setters, and there are young playmakers on the IDL alongside Cam Heyward

Blocking LB Patrick Queen will also be a major key pic.twitter.com/A1igKrUNu7

— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) September 18, 2025

DT Milton Williams: With Christian Barmore drawing double teams at an above-average rate, Milton Williams is getting some one-on-one opportunities and making the most of them. If he gets his chances again come Sunday, the Patriots need him to continue doing what he does: be stout against the run, and a menace as a pass rusher. If he can do both those things against the Steelers, they should have a hard time finding an offensive rhythm.

Second-level coverage: Starting linebackers Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss have not just been in the spotlight because of missed tackles, but also due to the fact that they have had a hard time in coverage so far this season. Unfortunately for them, the task at hand will not be getting any easier: Steelers tight end and former Patriot Jonnu Smith is one of quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ top targets, and leads the team with nine catches, while running back Jaylen Warren tops the team with 108 receiving yards.

CB Carlton Davis III: Aaron Rodgers also loves himself some DK Metcalf, and why would he not? The first-year Steeler is a classic WR1 on the outside due to his combination of size and speed. Rodgers has targeted him 13 times through two games — most on the team — and will likely continue looking his way early and often come Sunday. If he does, the Patriots need to be ready and able to match his physical play style. With Christian Gonzalez still a question mark after being limited all week in practice, New England might turn to fellow starter Carlton Davis to be the primary coverage corner opposite Metcalf.

S Craig Woodson: One of the bigger problems the Patriots defense has had this season is safety Craig Woodson learning the job on the fly. The fourth-round rookie has performed admirably, but his diagnosing route combinations or reacting quickly to patterns has been uneven and contributed to some big plays given up downfield. A quarterback of Aaron Rodgers’ ability and experience might want to test the youngster from the get-go. Woodson better be ready for arguably his biggest test yet.

Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/new-engl...109536/patriots-steelers-x-factors-nfl-week-3

 

[New England Patriots]

Pats Pulpit Debates: What is your favorite Julian Edelman moment?

The New England Patriots will welcome two new members into their Hall of Fame this weekend: former head coach Bill Parcells will be inducted on Saturday, as will be longtime wide receiver Julian Edelman. Both are deserving of the honor, but there is no denying that one produced a lot more noteworthy moments worth revisiting.

And that is precisely the subject of this week’s Pats Pulpit Debates question:

What is your favorite Julian Edelman moment?​

First some picks from our staff (copy-pasted straight from the Pats Pulpit Slack this time around for maximum Edelman appreciation vibe), and then it’s up to the comment section for your picks.

Matt St. Jean: I mean… Double pass

Slot Machine Player: The IncrEdelCatch.

Marima: So many… but have to go with the double pass. Second dynasty hinges on that play.

Matthew Rewinski: Hipster Pick: that third-and-forever in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl 49, Jules is going across the field on an in-breaker and immediately gets his shit rocked by Kam Chancellor coming downhill, but he pops right back up after almost not technically being down and he’s still scrapping for yards after the catch and running his mouth.

(the right answer is either the double pass or the catch, I’m just having fun)

Marima: It’s a great choice, lol

Matt St. Jean: It says a lot about how many plays he made that his literal Super Bowl winning TD hasn’t been mentioned yet

Marima: Tharold Simon got abused

Matthew Rewinski: Jules and Brady playing hot potato and yelling at each other before Brady spikes the ball is also a classic

Matt St. Jean: Edelman mic’d up asking Brady if he was in the endzone after the punt return with Your Love playing in the background

Marima: Goosebumps, still

Matthew Rewinski: How about Jules covering Anquan Boldin in the AFC Championship and scrapping and jawing with him every other play? IIRC Boldin’s stats were good, but Edelman definitely annoyed him in the process

Pat Lane: Probably the double pass, but that catch in SB49 was so incredible. If the Patriots have to punt there, they almost certainly lose, and he’s getting destroyed by one of the hardest hitters in the league. Just insane. I also think the best description of who Edelman was is the fact that he’s the only player other than Travis Hunter last week to play 20+ snaps on offense and defense in the same game, and he did it in the AFC Championship Game, a game where he had a catch, two tackles, and a forced fumble.

Matthew Rewinski: I guess we should probably mention that he was the freaking Super Bowl MVP, since somehow that hasn’t even come up yet

Bernd Buchmasser: That mic’d up moment, when Slater asks him if he’d been voted MVP was just pure bliss.

I’d probably also go with that Super Bowl 49 third-and-long catch, though. No conversion, possibly no Dynasty 2.0. But also, a special shoutout to his on-the-fly fumble recovery touchdown one play after the Buttfumble in 2012. The cherry on top of what might be the funnies sequence in NFL history.

---

Now, it’s your turn: What is your favorite Julian Edelman moment? One of those mentioned above, or a different one altogether? Please scroll down to the comment section below to share your answers, thoughts, and more.

If you want to know how to sign up to join the debate, please click here.

Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/new-engl...ots-discussion-favorite-julian-edelman-moment

 

[New England Patriots]

Patriots elevate Mark Robinson, Kobee Minor from practice squad for Week 3

The New England Patriots will have reinforcements on special teams against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The organization elevated linebacker Mark Robinson and cornerback Kobee Minor from the practice squad ahead of Sunday’s matchup at Gillette Stadium. Both previously reverted last week.

Robinson, 26, has played 26 snaps in the kicking game through matchups with the Las Vegas Raiders and Miami Dolphins. Three tackles have arrived in the process. The 5-foot-11, 235-pound core linebacker signed to the practice squad in Foxborough shortly after its formation in August. He will now face the team that drafted him.

The Steelers selected Robinson in the seventh round of the 2022 class. Pick No. 225 overall out of Presbyterian, Southeast Missouri State and Ole Miss has appeared in 40 games since then. His career includes 48 tackles, one sack, three forced fumbles and four starts on defense.

Minor, 23, made his NFL debut as part of the punt return unit last weekend. Chosen in the seventh round of the 2025 draft at No. 257 overall, “Mr. Irrelevant” had paced all Patriots cornerbacks in defensive downs during the preseason. He signed to the practice squad after clearing waivers at the league’s cutdown deadline.

Following stops at Indiana and Texas Tech, the 5-foot-11, 188-pound Minor finished his 45-game collegiate run at Memphis last fall. His 2024 brought 38 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles and six passes defensed.

Three elevations are permitted per regular season before requiring a move to the 53-man roster to take the field. The final standard call-up is in the rearview for Robinson. Another still lies ahead for Minor.

Cornerback Christian Gonzalez has been downgraded to out for Sunday, while New England’s final injury report also saw tight end Jack Westover and defensive end Keion White listed as questionable.

Kickoff at Gillette Stadium is set for 1 p.m. ET.

Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/new-engl...on-kobee-minor-practice-squad-week-3-steelers

 

[New England Patriots]

Patriots vs. Steelers: Pittsburgh takes 7-0 lead following Rhamondre Stevenson fumble

The New England Patriots have not won two straight games since November 2022. While head coach Mike Vrabel is not concerned about the past, it’s a streak his team will look to break as the Pittsburgh Steelers come to Foxboro on Sunday.

“There’s a lot of stats here, guys, that I’m not familiar with, nor am I concerned with,“ Vrabel said Wednesday. ”The focus is trying to build some consistency, which would then lead to confidence, and continue to build on what we did, improve the things that we have to fix and then continue to eliminate some of the things that we feel like could get you beat.“

Follow along down below on Sunday live from Gillette Stadium.

Live score: Patriots 0 : 7 Steelers​

Sunday, Sept. 21, 1 p.m. ET | Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA | Broadcast information | Inactives | Game day roster

First Quarter​

The Patriots elected to receive to kick things off on Sunday with Drake Maye and the offense. Appearing to go three-and-out, an illegal contact penalty gifted them a fresh set of down. They were not able to capitalize, however, as the ensuing handoff resulted in a fumble by Rhamondre Stevenson that Pittsburgh recovered.

Aaron Rodgers’ first drive of the day started at their own 46-yard line after the fumble. The Steelers needed just three plays — including back-to-back touches to Jaylen Warren for 20 total yards — to move into the red zone. Set up with a third-and-goal, Alex Austin was flagged for a questionable pass interference to put the ball at the one, where a flip to Kenneth Gainwell resulted in a score. [Patriots 0 : 7 Steelers]

Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/new-engl...e-updates-score-news-game-details-open-thread

 

[New England Patriots]

Patriots back Rhamondre Stevenson after two-fumble performance: ‘We need him’

Ball security concerns are back on the menu for Rhamondre Stevenson.

Stevenson, who led all NFL running backs with seven fumbles in 2024, put the ball on the ground two times against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Both of them were recovered by the opponent, thus playing a major role Patriots’ 21-14 loss in Week 3.

The two turnovers set the tone for New England on a five-giveaway day, but both head coach Mike Vrabel and quarterback Drake Maye expressed their support for Stevenson afterwards.

“He’s one of our best players. There’s nothing that I think he can do that would change my view of him as a player, as a teammate. He does everything the right way,” said Maye.

“He knows just as much as we know: ball security is the No. 1 thing as a running back. He’s had a great season and a great last weekend. That’s this league. One week you play a heck of a game and he was on the right track this game, and that happens. He knows just as much as anybody else. I just pump him up, be there for him, and I know we need him throughout the season.”

Stevenson entered the 2025 season off a few challenging months both on a professional and personal level, but there was optimism inside Gillette Stadium that he would be able to return to form under new head coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. He was quiet in the season opener against Las Vegas, but followed it up with one of the most productive games of his career — a 142-yard outing in a win over Miami in Week 2.

The arrow was pointing up for Stevenson at that point, but Sunday’s performance against the Steelers was a step back again. It also was a frustrating development considering his history of ball security issues dating back to his 2021 rookie year.

“We were so excited about him and everybody is excited about him, the fans are, and we know what his capabilities are,” said Mike Vrabel. “We’ve got to get him back. We need him. We absolutely need him. You see what he was able to do for us last week, his ability to make some plays.”

Sunday’s fumbles were the 15th and 16th of Stevenson’s career in the NFL. Dating back to the start of the 2024 season, he has fumbled the ball every 30th touch, on average.

The Patriots know they need to improve that number, and his ball security as a whole.

“We’ll just have to look at the technique and we’ll have to look at the ball security,” added Vrabel. “We’re going to need him. We need his ability, but we also need to take care of the football. It’s a long answer to tell you that I’m not really sure 20 minutes after the game what we’re going to do, but we need him because he helped us win the game last week, and it was a different story today.”

Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/new-engl...patriots-rhamondre-stevenson-fumbles-steelers

 

[New England Patriots]

Mark Robinson, Kobee Minor revert to Patriots’ practice squad following Week 3

Mark Robinson and Kobee Minor reverted to the New England Patriots’ practice squad on Monday after serving as standard elevations against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The 21-14 loss at Gillette Stadium saw the linebacker as well as the cornerback have a hand in the kicking game.

Robinson, 26, is now at the NFL limit in elevations after getting the call-up for three consecutive weeks. His next appearance would require a 53-man roster transaction. The 5-foot-11, 235-pound core linebacker played 11 snaps on special teams against the organization that drafted him on Sunday. He has played 37 snaps in that phase this September, totaling three tackles.

Signed to the practice squad entering Labor Day weekend, Robinson arrived from the AFC North. The Steelers selected the former Presbyterian, Southeast Missouri State and Ole Miss transfer in the seventh round of the 2022 class at No. 225 overall. Through 41 career games, he has logged 48 tackles, one sack, three forced fumbles and four starts on defense.

Minor, 23, has one elevation remaining after back-to-back appearances for the Patriots. The 5-foot-11, 188-pound rookie cornerback has played six snaps on special teams thus far. Picked in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL draft at No. 257 overall, the latest “Mr. Irrelevant” signed to the practice squad in August following the cutdown deadline.

By way of Indiana and Texas Tech, Minor finished his 45-game collegiate journey at Memphis. During his fifth year of eligibility last fall, he notched 38 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles and six passes defensed.

A spot on the active roster has remained open in Foxborough since the waiving of cornerback D.J. James.

“I mean, if we need to find a 53rd guy,” Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said last week when asked whether the the plan was to fill it. “It just gives us a little bit of flexibility, I think.”

Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/new-engl...t-patriots-practice-squad-nfl-week-3-steelers

 

[New England Patriots]

How do Patriots plan to fix ball security issues? ‘Practice the crap out of it.’

Turnovers were the story of the day for the New England Patriots against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. The team of head coach Mike Vrabel gave the ball away on five separate occasions during its 21-14 loss, including twice inside the Pittsburgh 5-yard line.

It is no secret that that is not a winning formula in the NFL, and something the Patriots need to do better. How are they going to improve, though? For Vrabel, it all starts with practice and an understanding that ball security is not just a one-person job.

“We’ve got to continue to practice the crap out of it,” he said during a press conference at Gillette Stadium on Monday. “We also have to do a better job of protecting said person with the ball, whether that’s the quarterback, whether that’s the running back or the receiver. We’re all responsible for the security of the football. It starts with the person who has it, and then it falls upon the people that are blocking.”

The Patriots looked solid in the turnover department the first two weeks of the season. Outside of a Drake Maye interception in Week 1 — a play that did prove to be a turning point in New England’s loss to the Raiders that day — the team did not give up the ball.

However, Sunday’s outing quickly catapulted the team up the NFL leaderboard. The Patriots are now tied for second in the league in giveaways, a ranking they share with their upcoming Week 4 opponent, the Carolina Panthers.

For New England to return to its winning ways against Carolina, a repeat of the Steelers game cannot happen. After previously emphasizing “X-plays” and tackling in practice, the focus will therefore now shift to ball security.

“We’ll continue to rep it,” Vrabel said. “If we have to put two hands on the football, when we’re going through there, that’s what we’ll have to do. The only thing I know how to do is to continue to practice it and work it. But then also, maybe it’s not so much the person that you see, it’s the one you don’t see. There were a few opportunities that we can show them here in a little bit of that. Yes, the person is responsible for taking care of the football, but the other people also have a critical job in ball security.”

Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/new-engl...2/patriots-ball-security-practice-mike-vrabel

 

[New England Patriots]

Jets sign linebacker Mark Robinson off Patriots’ practice squad, per report

After reaching the elevation limit, Mark Robinson will be heading to a 53-man roster elsewhere in the AFC East.

The New York Jets signed the core linebacker off the practice squad of the New England Patriots on Tuesday, as first reported by NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero.

Robinson, 26, had reverted the afternoon prior after serving as a standard call-up for the third consecutive week. Under the collective bargaining agreement, his next appearance would have required an official promotion to the active roster.

The 5-foot-11, 235-pound Robinson saw 37 snaps on special teams during his stint in Foxborough. He had a hand in three tackles after agreeing to join the practice squad entering Labor Day weekend.

Entering the NFL in the seventh round of the 2022 draft at No. 225 overall, Robinson spent the past three campaigns in the AFC North with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The product of Presbyterian, Southeast Missouri State and Ole Miss stands 41 games into his career.

He has tallied 48 tackles, one sack, three forced fumbles as well as four starts on the defensive side of the ball.

Head coach Mike Vrabel’s Patriots have held an open spot on the active roster since cornerback D.J. James was waived following the season opener. Now, there’s an open spot on the practice squad.

The Carolina Panthers visit Gillette Stadium next Sunday. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET.

Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/new-engl...3-man-roster-patriots-practice-squad-afc-east

 

[New England Patriots]

Patriots DC Terrell Williams remains in limbo heading into Week 4

The New England Patriots are planning to operate without their nominal defensive coordinator for a third straight week. According to head coach Mike Vrabel, the plan is for Zak Kuhr rather than Terrell Williams to lead the team’s defense into its upcoming Week 4 matchup with the Carolina Panthers.

“Right now we’ll just, I would say moving forward, kind of be where we were last week. That’s where I would anticipate it being this week,” Vrabel told reporters on Monday.

Williams and Kuhr both joined the Patriots alongside Vrabel this offseason, getting hired by the new head coach as defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach, respectively.

The defensive structure was already put to the test in March, in the aftermath of Williams suffering a medical emergency that forced him to spend several months working from his Detroit home. During his absence, which ended ahead of training camp in July, Kuhr served as New England’s stand-in DC.

He resumed that role after Week 1, when Vrabel announced that Williams would miss additional time due to “unforeseen ongoings” not related to his prior medical condition. Even though he has since returned to the facility, the 51-year-old missed the Patriots’ games against and Miami and Pittsburgh and seems like a realistic candidate to have to sit out another contest on Sunday versus the Panthers.

“We’ll kind of see where things are here going forward in the next couple of days. Terrell’s around, we’ve just got to make sure that we’re trying to build some consistency with how we do things,” said Vrabel before adding some potentially ominous remarks.

“His health is first and foremost. That’s critically important. Again, just making sure that the consistency is there so that we know what to account for and plan for. I don’t want to say that it’s fluid, but we’ll see where things are, and if he’s going to continue to help us. I just don’t know, based on the availability, what that’s going to look like. So, the communication and everything that we’ve been doing over there has been good. His ability to help us has been really good, but I also don’t want to go back and forth. I don’t think that that’s good for anybody either.”

Even though both his long and short term status is in limbo, Williams remains the Patriots’ official defensive coordinator for now.

Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/new-engl...nsive-coordinator-terrell-williams-nfl-week-4