Tag: anfernee jennings

WATCH: Patriots LB smiles while helping up hopeless-looking Caleb Williams

It was pure dominance by the Patriots’ defense

New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings was having fun against the Chicago Bears on a day when the defense ruled. The defense recorded nine sacks and 13 quarterback hits on the afternoon.

Jennings had a stellar day, recording four tackles and two sacks on the afternoon. He helped lead the charge for a unit that was all over Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams from start to finish. In many ways, it was a return to form for the Patriots defense.

Cameras caught the end of one play where Jennings had a huge grin on his face while helping a hopeless-looking Williams off the ground. He continued to smile and gave Williams a pat on the helmet after helping him up.

The sack and smile were a microcosm of what was a celebratory day for the Patriots.

They picked up their third win of the season and established their dominance on defense. The team still has work to do, but Sunday was a step in the right direction.

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Patriots rising LB emerging as veteran leader for the team

DeMarcus Covington comments on the growth of Patriots LB Anfernee Jennings

New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings is turning into a leader for the organization, as they look for somebody to step up at the position following big departures.

Two key pieces from last year’s linebacker group in Josh Uche and Matthew Judon are no longer with the Patriots. That has left two huge holes on defense for the team. However, Jennings appears to be stepping up to the challenge.

The Alabama product signed a three-year, $12 million contract extension with the Patriots back in March. He has recorded 39 tackles and half a sack so far this season, after recording 66 tackles a year ago.

Patriots defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington has been impressed with Jennings both on and off the field.

“I’m seeing a player who’s growing into a leader for us.” Covington told media members.

Jennings’ emergence as a veteran leader could be extremely important. The Patriots organization is undergoing a youth movement on both sides of the ball, and Jennings could be one of the new leaders to help forge a new path to success.

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33 days until Alabama football kicks off the 2024 season

We are almost there!

In 33 days, Kalen DeBoer will usher in a new era of Alabama Crimson Tide football, replacing the legendary [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] as head coach in Tuscaloosa.

Coach DeBoer and the Crimson Tide will take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on Aug. 31 to kick off the 2024 college football season inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.

At Roll Tide Wire, we will count down the days until Alabama football takes the field.

With 33 days remaining, we look at a former standout linebacker for the Crimson Tide, [autotag]Anfernee Jennings[/autotag].

Jennings played in Tuscaloosa from 2015-19, totaling 193 tackles, 33.5 tackles for loss, and 14.5 sacks.

Jennings is currently a member of the New England Patriots.

Redshirt freshman defensive lineman Hunter Osborne currently wears No. 33 for the Crimson Tide.

Projected market value for Patriots’ top pending free agents

The Patriots have multiple in-house free agents they might want to re-sign. Here’s what it could cost them.

Big decisions loom on the horizon for the New England Patriots heading into free agency.

They’re sitting pretty right now with roughly over $100 million in available salary cap space, but they are also a team bogged down with various holes and upgrade needs on their roster.

Free agency isn’t just about paying big money to load up on outside talent. It’s also about keeping the talent you already have to ensure some continuity. Not everything was bad with the 4-13 Patriots, and this isn’t a situation where the organization is looking to throw the entire team away.

There were pieces that stood out as potential parts of an eventual solution in New England. and it now falls on Patriots executive Eliot Wolf and the front office to figure out ways to keep those pieces intact.

Today, we’re taking a closer look at the Patriots’ top free agents and their projected market values, according to PFF.com and Spotrac.com.

25 best free agent targets for the Patriots in 2024

Here are the 25 best free agent options for the Patriots

The New England Patriots are expected to be aggressive in free agency this offseason in an effort to fill multiple holes on their roster.

It’s no secret that the onus for the 4-13 finish in 2023 falls predominantly on the offensive struggles. There’s a need to fill at every offensive position for New England, most notably at quarterback, wide receiver and offensive tackle.

However, don’t think for one second that the defense will go ignored. That unit was one of the best in the NFL last season, and it kept the team in games that would have otherwise turned into blowouts.

If the Patriots hope to remain competitive in 2024, they’ll need to continue adding defensive playmakers to keep games close. In no particular order, here are the 25 best potential free agent targets for the Patriots:

Stock up, stock down for 12 Patriots players heading into Week 8

Who’s stock is up, and who’s stock is down in New England?

The 2023 season hasn’t gone as expected for the New England Patriots.

Those that expected the team to be competitive in the AFC East are likely surprised to see them sitting at 2-5 with little hope of competing for a playoff spot.

But even the team’s biggest skeptics didn’t expect to see them sink to the bottom of the division with talks of them being in line for a top-five pick in the 2024 NFL draft. There’s obviously the possibility of things changing with the Patriots coming off a huge upset win over the Buffalo Bills.

If they can somehow beat the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, the schedule will lighten significantly, and they’ll have a real chance to start racking up wins. It’s a long-shot chance that’s heavily dependent on the players’ ability to elevate their game down the stretch.

Let’s take a look at the stock report for 12 Patriots players ahead of their Week 8 clash with the Dolphins. Who’s up and who’s down in New England?

Studs and duds in Patriots’ surprising comeback win over Bills

Who were the Patriots’ studs and duds in Sunday’s win over the Bills?

Somehow, someway, the New England Patriots managed to do the unthinkable by knocking off the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium.

Not only did the Patriots upset the odds, but they delivered a crucial blow to a division rival that has big-brothered them for the last two seasons. The win on Sunday put an end to the Patriots’ four-game losing streak to the Bills, while also breathing new life in their season overall.

It was a complete team effort with the defense creating opportunities, the offense putting points on the board and special teams consistently making big plays to put the Patriots in position to pull off the upset.

You won’t find many duds on this list, despite it being far from a perfect game for the Patriots. The defense had some tackling issues, and Kendrick Bourne coughed up a bad fumble. But the team was still able to come away with a big win in the end.

Let’s take a look at the studs and duds of the game:

Patriots’ top 10 defensive players in Week 5, per PFF grades

These were the Patriots’ top-10 defensive players in Week 5, per PFF grades

Defense is about the only hope the New England Patriots have left this season, and that couldn’t have been more evident than Sunday’s 34-0 blowout loss to the New Orleans Saints.

It was another afternoon of horrific turnovers for the offense with one being a pick-six after a poor throwing decision from quarterback Mac Jones. The Saints dominated the battle of field position and time of possession by a 39:34-20:26 margin.

The defense didn’t really have much of a chance in the game.

Keep in mind, it’s also a defense that lost two of its best players, cornerback Christian Gonzalez and linebacker Matthew Judon, to injuries in the previous week. The good news is the unit continued to fight valiantly, even when clearly facing an uphill battle.

There was still tremendous effort on display for a team that currently looks like one of the worst in the NFL. Unfortunately for the Patriots, defensive effort alone doesn’t win football games. At some point, the offense has to find ways to execute and put points on the board.

Let’s take a look at the top-10 defensive players from Sunday’s game, per Pro Football Focus grades.

Patriots’ top 10 defensive players in Week 3, per PFF grades

Here are PFF’s highest-graded defensive players for the Patriots in Week 3.

Another defensive masterclass for the New England Patriots earned the team their first 2023 regular season win on Sunday. They pummeled the New York Jets offense (as is usually the case) in a 15-10 road victory.

Three games into the season and it’s already clear that the Patriots have one of the best defenses in the league. Keep in mind, this has been a team playing with only one of their starting cornerbacks. Jonathan Jones, Jack Jones and Marcus Jones have all been out with injuries.

That has left the bulk of the work to rookie first-round draft pick Christian Gonzalez, Myles Bryant and Shaun Wade. Gonzalez’s sudden emergence into one of the league’s top corners has obviously been a huge help, along with the pressure the Patriots have been able to get up front.

It was like a full-on WWE session in the Jets’ offensive backfield with quarterback Zach Wilson getting body-slammed and rag-dolled by Patriots defenders through four quarters.

Today, we’re ranking the top-10 Patriots defenders in Week 3 by their Pro Football Focus grades. It’s important to note that we haven’t taken snap count into consideration for this particular list.

So while a player like linebacker Matthew Judon was the obvious MVP of this game, he wasn’t given a top-10 PFF grade.

Patriots Week 2 inactives: Jonathan Jones OUT, Mike Onwenu IN vs Dolphins

Jonathan Jones, Trent Brown and five others have been ruled out for Sunday’s game.

There was a mixture of good and bad news with the New England Patriots inactives list ahead of Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins.

Let’s start with the good news.

The Patriots will have their two starting guards, Mike Onwenu and Cole Strange, available for the first time in the season. Wide receiver DeVante Parker will also be active in the game.

However, New England will be without top cornerback Jonathan Jones and rookie wide receiver Kayshon Boutte. That will leave rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez and second-year defensive back Marcus Jones as the top players tasked with defending Dolphins wideouts Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

Left tackle Trent Brown being out is also a big problem for the Patriots. Along with rookie offensive lineman Sidy Sow, Brown has been listed with a concussion throughout the practice week. So there were doubts he’d suit up and play.

The Patriots already have Calvin Anderson manning the right tackle position. So it’ll be interesting to see how they cover up the huge vacancy in the protection role for quarterback Mac Jones’ blindside.

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