Tag: Dont’a Hightower

Dont’a Hightower, Deatrich Wise return to practice ahead of Week 7 vs. Jets

It has been a tough week for injuries, but there’s some good news.

The New England Patriots had another long injury report for their second practice in Week 7 ahead of a matchup against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. New England saw two players, DL Deatrich Wise (knee) and LB Dont’a Hightower (elbow/ankle), get upgraded to limited participation on Thursday.

Otherwise, the report was the same as Wednesday. Three Patriots did not participate due to injuries: DT Davon Godchuax (finger), CB Jonathan Jones (ankle) and CB Shaun Wade (concussion).

New England had 13 players who were limited: Hightower, Wise, DT Christian Barmore (shoulder), LB Ja’Whaun Bentley (ribs), RB Brandon Bolden (thigh), S Kyle Dugger (knee), K Nick Folk (left knee), LB Brandon King (thigh), OG Shaq Mason (abdomen), DB Jalen Mills (hamstring) and S Adrian Phillips (back).

The upgrades for Hightower and Wise should increase their chances of playing in a big play. As for Godchaux, Jones and Wade, it seems hope they will play is dwindling. Jones’ potential absence helps explain why the Patriots decided to promote Myles Bryant to the active roster this week.

New England and New York kick off at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

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5 Patriots miss practice with injuries, 11 limited ahead of Week 7

There were 16 Patriots in total on the injury report to start Week 7. That’s … not great.

The New England Patriots had an enormous injury report ahead of Week 7 against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium.

Five Patriots did not participate due to injuries: DT Davon Godchuax (finger), LB Dont’a Hightower (elbow/ankle), CB Jonathan Jones (ankle), DL Deatrich Wise (knee) and CB Shaun Wade (concussion).

Godchaux, Hightwer and Jones are starters for the team with Wise being a top rotational player. Wade has yet to play for the team after they traded for him earlier this offseason.

New England also had 11 players who were limited: DT Christian Barmore (shoulder), LB Ja’Whaun Bentley (ribs), RB Brandon Bolden (thigh), S Kyle Dugger (knee), K Nick Folk (left knee), LB Brandon King (thigh), OG Shaq Mason (abdomen), DB Jalen Mills (hamstring) and S Adrian Phillips (back).

That group of limited players did not include RB Damien Harris, who was dealing with a rib issue in Week 6, or QB Mac Jones, who took a substantial hit from Cowboys DE Randy Gregory during Sunday’s game.

New England kicks off against New York on Sunday at 1 p.m.

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Why Dont’a Hightower compared Jamie Collins to Matthew Judon

Jamie Collins managed one sack on just three snaps in his 2021 debut.

Three snaps. One sack.

That’s what Jamie Collins’ 2021 debut for the New England Patriots looked like on paper. The linebacker entered his third stint with the team last week after the Detroit Lions cut Collins on Sept. 29 and he joined the Patriots on Oct. 6. He immediately made an impact with practically no playing time against the Houston Texans in Week 5. It showed that — even after more than a year away from New England — Collins is plenty familiar with the team’s playbook, scheme and way of doing things.

Collins, who still leads the Lions in run stuffs, logged his sack in the fourth quarter amid the team’s comeback from a 13-point deficit.

“It’s like two (Matthew) Judons, bro,” linebacker Dont’a Hightower said when asked about Collins’ return on Wednesday. “I know ya’ll probably don’t even see that side of Jamie, but he brings a lot of positive energy. It’s great to have him back, his work ethic and everything he brings.”

It seems like the comparison between Collins and Judon goes beyond playing style — where they’re actually quite different. It’s more about personality.

“Oh yeah, that’s my dog,” Judon said of Collins. “We’re going to be vibing. He brings a positive spirit and a good energy, even if he doesn’t talk a lot. … He’s very chill, relaxed, mild-mannered. The dude just knows how to make plays.”

Collins’ stint in Detroit ended on a low note, with the linebacker struggling in a matchup against the Green Bay Packers. He joined the team when coach Matt Patricia was in place, and Collins seemed to fall out of favor with the new leadership group, which includes coach Dan Campbell. The same was true of Collins’ tenure with the Cleveland Browns, who replaced coach Hue Jackson with Gregg Williams during the linebacker’s three-year stint. After both trips away from New England, he returned to the Patriots, where he started his career as a second-round draft pick.

While his time away from the Patriots has been turbulent, his production with the Patriots has been impressive.

“I think we’re similar, but like I said, that dude is so crazy athletic,” Judon said. “(He played) three plays, and he had a sack. And when we put him in more, he’ll be a lot more productive. I don’t want to take anything away from Jamie by saying he’s something like me. He’s his own player and his own man. Jamie has been playing good football for the Patriots longer than I’ve been in the league. It’s going to be nice to have him playing alongside me.”

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Rodney Harrison hesitant to buy into ‘slow’ Patriots linebackers, Jamie Collins

“It doesn’t seem like they’re slow, and I love those guys and have so much respect for those guys, but yeah, they are slow.”

The ‘Boogeymen’ are back for the New England Patriots, right?

With the re-signing of Jamie Collins and the current roster of Dont’a Hightower, Kyle Van Noy, Ja’Whaun Bentley and Chase Winovich — it seems like it.

Former Patriots safety and NBC analyst Rodney Harrison is still unsure of this defense and doesn’t think the linebacker group will be the same as they were in 2019.

“You’re spot on. It doesn’t seem like they’re slow, and I love those guys and have so much respect for those guys, but yeah, they are slow,” Harrison said on WEEI’s “Merloni & Fauria” on Thursday. “When you start watching LaVonte David, you start watching Devin White move and blitz and move from sideline to sideline, it’s night and day difference.

“And that was the thing that really stood out to me. I’m like, ‘Look how fast and athletic Tampa Bay linebackers look.’ And the Patriots linebackers, the defense just looks slow. It’s always kind of looked like that, and it starts with those backers, man. Those guys have experience and things like that, but that’s something the Patriots definitely need to upgrade a little bit moving forward. That’s speed.”

Collins has been known for his speed throughout his time in the league, but Harrison even believes the newest addition won’t be the same as before.

“I don’t think it’s anything that — it didn’t move me any when they said they were signing Jamie Collins,” he said. “Maybe [Bill] Belichick can get that fire back in him and he’s probably the only coach that knows how to really utilize him. I don’t know, man. This might be it for Jamie. He needs to show that he can still play, that he still wants to play.”

The biggest downfall of this defense going forward will be the absence of Stephon Gilmore — which will put real pressure on J.C. Jackson to hold his group together.

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Tom Brady details the ‘best part’ of his return back to Gillette Stadium

Tom Brady enjoyed this most while returning to play the Patriots at Foxborough.

Tom Brady did his best to keep emotions in check heading into the Week 4 matchup against the New England Patriots in Gillette Stadium.

It was a monumental moment for a legendary quarterback who spent two decades and won six Super Bowls with the team. The nostalgia, familiar faces and emotions involved were inevitable throughout the week prior and especially on Sunday night. The Buccaneers pulled away with a thrilling 19-17 victory, but Mac Jones put up a fight for rookie going against Brady.

On Brady’s Sirius XM Let’s Go! podcast, he dove into his favorite part of the night.

“If there’s one thing I take from [Sunday] night, I had some questions about what was my experience going to be like. I got to see some people after the game that I just love so much. The best part of the night was having the game over and seeing them,” he said, transcribed by WEEI. “And understanding that no matter how we compete, my relationship with those people transcends wins and losses. And yeah we want to win, absolutely. I think the process of trying to win is what’s most important. Winning and losing is icing on the cake, and for the winner. What you have to do as an athlete is you have to put as much as you can into it.

“… The hugs, the handshakes, the congratulatory messages, all the different things that I heard really in the end to me is what continues to motivate me and inspire me.”

One thing he didn’t enjoy was playing against his former teammates.

“Let me just say, it’s nothing I prefer to do,” he said. “It’s not as enjoyable as some people would think. I look over and I think about Matt Slater out there, and I look at Kyle Van Noy, and Dont’a Hightower, and Devin McCourty, and I look at David Andrews, and Shaq Mason. Just some amazing people that I’ve gone to war with. The reality is, sports, sometimes you go different places and now you’re on the other side of it and on the other sideline. You want those guys to do so well because you know how important it is to them. You know how much it means to them.”

It’s finally time for both teams to get past the anticipation and move forward with the rest of their seasons ahead.

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Patriots made this critical, uncharacteristic mistake on Saints’ final touchdown

The Patriots made a crucial mistake against the Saints that very seldom happens.

The New England Patriots very seldom beat themselves in the past two decades.

Opposing teams come in to a game against the Patriots knowing they can’t make mistakes or they’ll pay for them. Bill Belichick’s teams are typically sound with their discipline and focus. In a 28-13 loss to the New Orleans Saints, this wasn’t the case.

Jonnu Smith’s dropped catch that resulted in an interception returned for a touchdown was the first big moment where the Patriots shot themselves in the foot. The game went from an 11-point lead to an 18-point lead within seconds.

Mac Jones, who struggled mightily against the Saints’ pass rush, had to play from behind in the second half and he struggled to produce. The Saints had the ball with three minutes remaining and put together a drive with intention to seal the game by securing a two-score lead.

The Patriots made it much easier on Tayson Hill’s game-sealing touchdown by having only ten defenders on the field, as Bob Socci pointed out on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Toucher and Rich.”

And this was the result.

This was one of many mental and disciplinary errors that surrounds this new and growing Patriots team. If there’s any shot to beat Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next week, the Patriots can’t make any of these mistakes.

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10 burning questions ahead of Saints-Patriots in Week 3

Saints vs. Patriots: 10 burning questions ahead of Week 3’s matchup, with @Patriots_Wire:

The New Orleans Saints have an opportunity to notch a rare win against the New England Patriots, who have beaten the black and gold in two of their three meetings during the Sean Payton era.

Both teams are in unfamiliar rebuilding phases, with Jameis Winston working to prove last week’s disappointing loss was a fluke while Mac Jones hopes to continue building confidence in his abilities. With the shadows of two Hall of Fame quarterbacks hanging over the game, each passer is feeling some pressure.

Ahead of the game, I linked up with Patriots Wire managing editor Henry McKenna, who shared his insight in a question-and-answer session. He floated five queries my way and I sent mine in kind. Here’s what we learned about both squads:

Dont’a Hightower was brutally honest about the worst part of his return to football

Dont’a Hightower’s answer is actually pretty hilarious.

New England Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower was not afraid to share his feelings on returning to work. Hightower, a COVID-19 opt-out, did not participate in the 2020 season due to personal reasons.

He’s clearly happy to be back and playing football — he’s also clearly not thrilled about every part of his job. Hightower was asked about the hardest part of returning to the NFL after a year off. His answer might resonate with people who have also returned to the office over the last few months.

“Lot of meetings. There’s no lie in that. Meetings are the worst part of coming back to football,” Hightower told reporters Wednesday.

Hightower’s brutal honesty gave life to a little comedy.

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Patriots LB Dont’a Hightower focused on improving with Jets ahead

Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower knows he needs to play better.

In lieu of the New England Patriots’ 17-16 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, linebacker Dont’a Hightower knows that he needs to be better.

Hightower recorded four combined tackles and was able to help the linebacker unit to an extent. But, with the Miami contest being his first game in 20 months, there is still a lot of work to be done.

As the Patriots prepare to face the New York Jets on Sunday, Hightower knows that he needs to be better if New England wants to have success. He said as much in speaking to the media on Thursday.

“We didn’t get the win, that’s the most important thing,” Hightower said. “Win or loss, I always look for room for improvement, and that’s obviously there. I pride myself on being, not the smartest guy, but I definitely want to push up my awareness as far as situational awareness goes.

“Just all around, I want to play better, obviously. It’s coming along, but obviously I want to play a lot better, be a little bit more impactful.”

With New England facing off against rookie Zach Wilson under center, Hightower will have an opportunity to make more of an impact against a rookie quarterback.

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