Tag: Brandon Bolden

Raiders new RB Brandon Bolden honored grandpa by wearing his number, following his footsteps

RB Brandon Bolden followed his grandpa’s footsteps to play for Raiders, honored him by wearing his number

Thursday, Raiders new running back Brandon Bolden took to the podium sporting a number 85 Raiders jersey. Being that he is a running back, it was certainly not going to his number with the team. It isn’t his number. That number for the Raiders belonged to his grandfather, Frank Pitts, who wore it for the Raiders in 1974.

“This is big for me,” said Bolden of signing with the Raiders. “For those who don’t know, last year I changed my number from 38 to 25 to honor my grandfather.”

Pitts played wide receiver for ten NFL seasons, the first nine of which with the Chiefs and Browns. He wore the number 25 in those seasons. But when he came to the Raiders, they already had a guy wearing that number. Dude by the name of Fred Biletnikoff. So, Pitts switched to number 85. Thus the jersey that Bolden was sporting at his intro press conference.

“When I had an idea that I could possibly come here and I talked to my family about it, my grandmother ran to the back and first thing she did was like ‘you have to wear this shirt when you go up there and sign your contract’.” Bolden continued. “Because without him and my family’s support, I wouldn’t be here today or even playing football. I was a baseball player my entire life, so, to be here and part of this organization as he was, this is phenomenal for me. Just the history behind the team and that he’s part of the history makes it more important to me, so I’m excited and glad. I can’t even get the words out. I’m very excited to be in black and silver.”

Currently the number 25 for the Raiders is worn by safety Tre’von Moehrig.

Raiders add former Patriots RB Brandon Bolden

Another familiar face for Josh McDaniels as former Patriots RB Brandon Bolden joins the Raiders

Make it nine out of ten seasons now Josh McDaniels will have Brandon Bolden in his offensive backfield. The veteran running back is coming over from the Patriots according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Bolden went undrafted out of Mississippi in 2012 and signed with the Patriots. After six seasons, he was cut and signed with the Dolphins. One season in Miami and he was back in New England where he spent the past two seasons.

Despite his long NFL career, he doesn’t have a lot of tread on his tires. He has just 283 carries with nine career starts, averaging 4.6 yards per carry.

Last season he had nearly as many catches (41) as he had carries (44).

He joins a backfield with Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake both returning. Last season with Jacobs and Drake on the roster, it was Peyton Barber who was the third back. So, Bolden would take over those duties barring any other additions to the roster.

Free agency: How hard should Patriots push to re-sign James White?

The 30-year-old has some youth to contend with in the Patriots’ backfield.

Things looked bleak in Foxborough after James White suffered a season-ending hip injury in Week 3 against the New Orleans Saints.

Rhamondre Stevenson hadn’t yet hit his emergence and Brandon Bolden wasn’t viewed as a viable option to replace White. Damien Harris was the lead back, and executed his job, but he wasn’t enough to carry an offense that was supposed to be run-heavy. Mac Jones needed support from his rushing attack to help control the pace and slow things down in the pocket.

Fast-forward to the present — Harris and Stevenson turned out to be an incredible duo and Bolden seamlessly took over the third-down back role. The Patriots finished the year as the No. 8 team in rushing yards (2,151) and they accumulated 24 rushing touchdowns.

So, with White entering unrestricted free agency at the age of 30 — where does that leave him?

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Brandon Bolden reflects upon his year on and off the field on Instagram

“To see what I’ve seen and been through all that I have, i appreciate all of you,”

New England Patriots running back Brandon Bolden had the most successful season of his NFL career, maintaining the high standards he’s set for himself as a special teams player while also contributing on offense more often as a ball-carrier and pass-catcher.

He did all that in a season where he revealed he beat cancer in 2018, a process that was no doubt challenging mentally. Perhaps that’s why he released an emotional statement in January.

“This was a really special team with extremely special people. I appreciate every man that stepped foot in that locker room. You guys really made an old guy feel kinda young. To see what I’ve seen and been through all that I have, i appreciate all of you and extremely proud to not only call y’all my teammates but my fam. Love y’all boys and I wish nothing but the best to all of you,” Bolden said on Thursday.

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Brandon Bolden feels optimistic that Tom Brady could make return to NFL

Brandon Bolden isn’t buying the fact that Tom Brady will remain retired.

After 22 seasons in the NFL, Tom Brady decided to move on and retire.

The 44-year-old had one of his best statistical seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021 and his reasoning for retirement isn’t performance-related. Brady is ready to spend time with his family and put his legendary football career behind him.

But, of course, there’s going to be speculation that Brady could have an itch strong enough to continue playing. On his Let’s Go! podcast with Jim Gray, Brady recently left the door open on a possible return to the league.

“You know, I’m just gonna take things as they come,” Brady said. “I think that’s the best way to put it and I don’t think anything, you know, you never say never. At the same time I know that I’m very, I feel very good about my decision. I don’t know how I’ll feel six months from now. …  But I try to make the best possible decision I can in the moment, which I did this last week.”

While speaking with CBS Sports, Brady’s former teammate Brandon Bolden said he’s not buying the fact that Brady will stay retired.

“I was — I don’t wanna say bummed out — when he retired, but I was like, ‘Dang,’ because I wanted to see how far he could set the bar,” Bolden said. “(But) I’d probably put the percentage of a comeback above 50, because you can just never rule out Tom Brady.”

Brady continuing to play in the NFL doesn’t seem to be farfetched by any means.

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Patriots RB Brandon Bolden reacts to controversial penalty in loss to Dolphins

Brandon Bolden carried a humble approach with his response to this controversial penalty.

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One of the more controversial calls during Week 18 in the NFL was an unnecessary roughness penalty against New England Patriots running back Brandon Bolden.

On 4th-and-three, Miami Dolphins punter Michael Palardy attempted a fake and slid down just short of the first down in front of Bolden. It appeared that Bolden had helmet-to-helmet contact in real time, but he only made slight contact with his shoulder pad.

The officials stuck with their call on the field and the Dolphins finished that drive with a field goal, putting them up 17-0 in the first quarter. Miami ended up winning the game with a score of 33-24.

Following the game, Bolden spoke about the play and was very humble in his reaction.

“I went in there, and I was trying to get the ball off of him,” Bolden said. “But I did not touch him at all. That’s just how it goes sometimes — ball don’t bounce your way every time. They call what they call.”

He was then asked if these type of plays should be reviewable.

“In a perfect world, yeah,” he said. “But, you know, that’s not what happened. So, we just gotta play the game of football as it’s being called. We just didn’t get that one.”

The Patriots now await their opponent in the first round of the playoffs.

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Redemption for Brandon Bolden as the New England Patriots get on the scoreboard

New England Patriots running back Brandon Bolden was flagged for a penalty on a fake punt. He redeemed himself on this rushing touchdown.

Bill Belichick is known for having some favorite players.

One of them is reserve running back Brandon Bolden, who sees time both on offense and on special teams for the New England Patriots. Following the trade of Sony Michel earlier this season, and with a focus on the running game around rookie quarterback Mac Jones, Bolden has taken on more of a role with the Patriots offense this season. He entered play on Week 18 with 37 carries for 180 yards on the ground, along with 39 receptions for 385 yards and a touchdown.

As noted, he also plays a role on special teams, and it was there where the veteran found himself in a little bit of controversy early against the Miami Dolphins. With Miami facing a fourth down, the Dolphins decided to fake the punt, and Bolden found himself face-to-face with the scrambling punter.

That’s when this happened:

Bolden was flagged for unnecessary roughness, and instead of the Patriots taking over in Miami territory, the Dolphins kept possession. Both Bolden and his head coach were incredulous, but the call was allowed to stand. Miami would tack on a field goal at the end of the extended possession to take a 17-point lead.

Bolden, however, would get a little redemption on the Patriots’ ensuing drive:

While Bolden typically is used as a receiver and on draw plays, here the Patriots run him behind fullback Jakob Johnson. Miami fits this run really well from a defensive standpoint, and Bolden is forced to make a cut behind the line of scrimmage. But he picks up the first down by evading the initial defender, and then cuts to the left side of the field behind blocks from Nelson Agholor and Jakobi Meyers, and races into the end zone for his first rushing touchdown of the season.

And perhaps some well-deserved redemption from the earlier penalty.

Patriots RB Brandon Bolden reveals he was battling cancer in 2018

“It never stopped me from doing anything. It didn’t hinder me from anything.”

New England Patriots running back Brandon Bolden has widely been considered “an inspiration” to those around him.

Bill Belichick explained why Bolden was an inspiration for a multitude of reasons earlier in December, but he didn’t discuss one major factor. The 31-year-old announced on Instagram that he had cancer in 2018, and that he beat it.

He spoke with reporters later that day and went into depth about it the timing of his post on Instagram.

“I really didn’t have a reason for it,” Bolden said, transcribed by WEEI. “I actually had made that video [Wednesday] night because I was going through pictures, just kind of reminding myself. That was back in 2018, I was diagnosed with cancer, it’s like [inaudible] carcinoma. I got it removed in 2018 and still was cancer free at the beginning of this season. I feel fine and everything else.

“It was just one of those moments where I was messing with my son and my little brother about this, I actually looked in the mirror and I was like, ‘I’ve got my full face back’ and that’s what made me go through the pictures and everything else. Just to show like I had cancer and I didn’t think I was going to play another down in the NFL and here I am three years, going on four years, after having the surgery and still working strong. It was kind of one of those inspirational type deals for me because that took a lot. It was a lot of naysay from doctors and everything else and then I am here to prove people wrong and grow and get stronger.”

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He was diagnosed following the Patriots’ Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

“[I] lost the majority of function on the right side of my face and continued to play,” he said. “It was just my face, it wasn’t the rest of my body so I was OK with it.”

While revealing that only a few people knew about it, Bolden wanted to remain discreet.

“I don’t ever talk about it. I rarely talk about it,” he said. “It never stopped me from doing anything. It didn’t hinder me from anything. It was just one of those things me and my family dealt with and just kept pushing and kept everything as normal as possible.”

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Bill Belichick provided an lengthy answer on why the Patriots are ‘very fortunate to have Brandon (Bolden)’

Bill Belichick continues to like what Brandon Bolden brings to the table.

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick is a fan of running back Brandon Bolden. Signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Patriots in 2012, Bolden has been a consistent staple in the Patriots running back room, spending all but one of his 10 NFL seasons in New England.

Bolden signed with the Miami Dolphins in 2018, but returned to New England the following season, signing a two-year deal.

This season, he has been a favorite target of quarterback Mac Jones, and has helped mentor the quarterback, as the latter goes through his first season in the NFL. On the year, Bolden has recorded 30 carries for 169 yards. He has also been a valuable target in the passing game, recording 34 catches for 303 yards and a touchdown.

Ahead of Saturday’s game with the Indianapolis Colts, Belichick was not afraid to praise Bolden on Thursday during a press conference.

“He’s a good personality that blends that serious, competitive, business side with enjoying the process and enjoying what we do and giving us some of his best performances at the most critical times and biggest games when we need them most. And he’s always done that, whether it’s a couple plays a game, or catching five or six passes in a game, or taking over James [White]’s role this year. He’s always ready to go. He’s dependable, he’s consistent. Everybody knows we can count on him whether that’s in the kicking game or offensively catching a ball, blitz pick-up, running the ball.”

Bolden’s versatility may come in handy, as the New England Patriots begin to make a playoff push with a rookie quarterback under center. Bolden is no stranger to the postseason, having played in 16 postseason games in his career.  with new faces on both sides of the football, Bolden’s steadfast presence will be welcome.

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Bill Belichick further explains Patriots run-specific game plan vs. Bills

“We were able to manage the game the way we did and that worked out all right for us.”

Bill Belichick played the game of his dreams on Monday night.

In a to-the-wire 14-10 win over the Buffalo Bills, the New England Patriots threw the ball three total times due to winds that hit up to 55 MPH. Mac Jones had two completions for 19 yards and the Patriots had 222 rushing yards on 46 attempts. It was old school football that led to some security at the No. 1 spot in both the division and conference for New England.

Belichick joined WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” on Monday morning and further elaborated on the unique game plan.

“Again, I think if it had been a different type of game and we would have needed to throw there in the fourth quarter then we would have thrown,” he said. “We were able to manage the game the way we did and that worked out all right for us.”

The Patriots were playing chess and they utilized the second and fourth quarter in which the wind was against their backs. Those would have been the times to let Jones loose as a passer, but they stuck to the ground game faithfully.

“We were talking about that last night. We can use our whole passing game. All the pass plays we have, they haven’t seen,” Belichick said jokingly.

“I think anytime you play a team almost in succession like we do here, twice in three weeks, or whatever it is, you just have to be careful and realize that even though it’s the same two teams, it’s not the same game. There will be players who play in the next game who didn’t play in this one and probably vise-versa. The game will take a different course and the conditions will probably be different too, so [that will probably have] something to do with it. We’re starting all over at that point and when we get to them, we get to them. It’s Indy first, but we can’t assume that things are going to go like they did last night. It will be a completely different game.”

The Patriots have a bye week and then they’ll play the Indianapolis Colts, with the Bills coming to Foxborough shortly after. As Belichick said, the next game could and likely will look much different.

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