Tag: brenden schooler

Patriots’ special teamer Brenden Schooler earns All-Pro honors

Brenden Schooler earns his first All-Pro nod in the NFL

New England Patriots special teamer Brenden Schooler was named an All-Pro Core Teamer by the NFL Players Association on Wednesday.

Schooler was signed by the Patriots as a rookie free agent in May 2022. He has become a valuable part of the special teams unit since then, while also seeing time at the safety position.

The 2023 season saw him play in 10 games. He blocked a 49-yard field goal attempt against the Miami Dolphins in September. He also had a stretch where he recorded at least two tackles in three straight games.

Schooler’s strong play was one of the few positives in a difficult season for New England. With legendary special teamer Matthew Slater considering retirement, Schooler has proven himself more than ready to help fill the void for years to come.

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Patriots special teamer shares words of encouragement for K Chad Ryland

Patriots special teamer Brenden Schooler revealed the conversation he had with kicker Chad Ryland after Sunday’s game.

New England Patriots rookie kicker Chad Ryland had a difficult day on Sunday, missing the potential game-tying field goal as the Patriots fell 10-7 to the New York Giants.

However, special teams veteran Brenden Schooler offered words of encouragement to Ryland.

It has been a difficult season for the Maryland product to begin his career. He has a 66.7 field goal percentage. It is worth noting the distance of his kicks. He has 10 attempts from 40-plus yards, which are not exactly layup attempts.

The game-winning attempt on Sunday sailed wide left, as the Patriots fell to 2-9 on the year. When asked what he said to Ryland after the game, Schooler revealed the conversation he had with the rookie specialist.

“‘Just keep your head up,'” Schooler told NESN.com. “‘I mean, you’re a great young kicker who’s just getting started in this league. So, you’re gonna have misses and you’re gonna have makes. Just remember this feeling and move on from it, and we’ve got your back, I got your back. Everyone on this team knows you’re a good kicker. So, just keep chugging along, and you’ll get better every week.'”

Ryland obviously has room to grow and develop only one season removed from college football. He also has the dubious task of filling the shoes of Nick Folk, who was a model of consistency during his time in New England

If anything, the missed field goal was a microcosm of what has been a difficult season overall for the Patriots.

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Studs and duds in Patriots’ pitiful 20-17 loss to Commanders

Who were the studs and duds in the Patriots’ pitiful 20-17 loss to the Commanders?

Not even a Week 9 matchup with the struggling Washington Commanders could save the New England Patriots from falling to 2-7 on the season.

It’s shocking to think this is the same Patriots team that somehow knocked off the Buffalo Bills in Week 7. The team that beat the Bills must have somehow caught lightning in a bottle because the version that showed up on Sunday looked terrible on all levels.

Offense, defense and special teams—it was all bad for the Patriots.

They had an opportunity to save the game late, but a pass from quarterback Mac Jones bobbled off of JuJu Smith-Schuster’s hands and turned into an interception for the Commanders to close out the game.

It was a completely fitting ending for this version of the Patriots. Here are the studs and duds from the game for New England after their 20-17 loss to the Commanders:

10 highest-graded players for Patriots defense vs Bills, per PFF

Here are the top-10 highest-graded Patriots defensive players in Sunday’s win over the Bills

The New England Patriots defense might be banged up, but it isn’t broken.

They proved that to be the case in Sunday’s shocking upset victory over the Buffalo Bills. The Patriots’ defensive unit went toe-to-toe with quarterback Josh Allen and held one of the league’s more explosive offenses in check.

Even without key playmakers, such as linebacker Josh Uche and defensive end Keion White, the team still generated enough pressure on Allen to make him uncomfortable throughout the game.

On the backend of the defense, the cornerbacks didn’t trip over themselves when tasked with the responsibility of keeping All-Pro wide receiver Stefon Diggs from breaking the game wide open.

The J.C. Jackson trade is looking like a masterstroke move by coach Bill Belichick, while the returns of both Jonathan Jones and Jack Jones has made the unit formidable again.

Things won’t get any easier down the stretch, and we’ll see if the team can keep the momentum going. Here’s the top-10 Patriots defenders from Week 7, per Pro Football Focus grades:

Patriots’ top 10 defensive players in Week 4, per PFF grades

Ranking the Patriots’ defensive players with the top-10 PFF grades in Week 4

The New England Patriots defense was put in an impossible position in the Week 4 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

Not only was the unit battered with injuries, but it was handcuffed to an offense that turned the ball over three times and consistently put them in bad field position.

It was in no way a great performance for the defense, but they also didn’t look nearly as bad as the 38-3 score indicates. In fact, it’s surprising the score didn’t get even worse with the offense giving up two defensive touchdowns to the Cowboys.

The defense also lost two of their best players with cornerback Christian Gonzalez and linebacker Matthew Judon both going down with injuries. They’ll have their work cut out for them when attempting to bounce back in Week 5 against the visiting New Orleans Saints.

Let’s take a look at the top-10 defensive players, per Pro Football Focus grades, in the loss to Dallas.

WATCH: Brenden Schooler wows with ridiculous field goal block

This play by Brenden Schooler was unreal.

The New England Patriots needed some momentum in the third quarter, as the offense struggled for most of the evening. They were able to get that momentum via a field goal block from special-teamer Brenden Schooler.

Miami was set up for a field goal that would have extended their lead to 20-3, but Schooler had other ideas on the play. He got a running start as the field goal was being kicked and was able to block it.

He put New England in good field position with the offense needing to find its groove.

In what has been a defensive-minded type of game, the play from Schooler gave Patriots fans something to be excited about.

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Madden 24 ratings for every Patriots safety

Three Patriots safeties received an 80-plus overall rating.

The New England Patriots will be entering the 2023 season with one of the best defensive backfields in the NFL, and the ratings on the upcoming “Madden NFL 24” video game reflect it.

There are three players at the safety position for the Patriots rated 80-plus overall in the game. It’s a good thing for a unit that lost legendary defensive back Devin McCourty in the offseason.

McCourty, who rode off into the sunset in retirement, will be watching from the sidelines as players like Kyle Dugger, Jabrill Peppers, Jalen Mills and Adrian Phillips step up as defensive leaders.

Madden players, on the other hand, will love running this unit against that one friend that constantly heaves up deep throws on every play. Here are the official Madden 24 ratings for every Patriots safety.

41 days till Patriots season opener: Every player to wear No. 41 for New England

Here’s a list of every Patriots player to wear the No. 41 jersey number

The New England Patriots are officially 41 days away from the start of their 2023 regular season. So we’re continuing our countdown series today by listing every Patriots player that has ever worn the No. 41 jersey.

Patriots defensive back and burgeoning special teamer Brenden Schooler currently wears the number. It could soon become a jersey number that grows in popularity as he continues to find success within the organization.

Schooler, who is entering his second year, received high praise late last season from special teams legend Matthew Slater, who believed he was playing at a Pro Bowl level.

There have been a total of 20 players associated with the No. 41 throughout Patriots’ franchise history. Let’s take a look at every player that has worn the number.

Matthew Slater believes next special teams great already on Patriots

Matthew Slater believes the special teams star of the future is already on the Patriots.

Matthew Slater is still mulling over the decision of whether or not to retire from football, but if he does decide to step away from the sport, he’s confident the next special teams star is already on the New England Patriots roster.

When appearing on Tim Hatch Live, the special teams legend pegged Patriots rookie Brenden Schooler as a player capable of leading the unit for years to come.

“I like to shout out my guy Brenden Schooler, who I think is going to be the next special teams great for our team,” said Slater.

Along with returner/defensive back Marcus Jones, Schooler was selected to the Pro Football Writers of America’s All-Rookie Team. So he’s definitely off to a great start.

He finished the season with 14 total tackles and two fumble recoveries. His ability to step in and contribute right away was one of the few bright spots on a special teams unit that struggled throughout the season.

The Patriots are hoping there’s more where that effort came from, especially if Slater chooses to ride off into the sunset. After a disastrous 2022 season, they’ll need all of the help they can get.

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Two key Patriots players make PFWA’s All-Rookie Team

Two members of the Patriots made the Pro Football Writers of America’s All-Rookie Team.

Two members of the New England Patriots were named to the Pro Football Writers of America’s All-Rookie Team. Marcus Jones was the selection for punt returner, and Brenden Schooler was the selection for special teams player.

Jones was a versatile player for New England this season. He had a walk-off, game-winning touchdown on a punt return, along with a pick-six and a touchdown reception. He was named a First-Team All-Pro as a punt returner as well.

Schooler burst onto the scene as an undrafted rookie out of training camp. He was a valuable special teams player and created many memorable moments for the Patriots on the field.

His excitement over a forced fumble against the Cleveland Browns was one that made the rounds on social media. He attempted to give the ball to Bill Belichick, but the Patriots coach completely ignored the gesture and flat-out refused to join him in celebration. It had to be one of the funniest snubs of the 2022 season.

 

Seeing the success of both Jones and Schooler is a great sign for a Patriots team that has struggled recently. A talented 2022 rookie class gives hope for a brighter future in New England.

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