Tag: Josh Uche

Patriots’ top 10 defensive players in Week 16, per PFF grades

Here are the 10 highest-graded Patriots defensive players in the win over the Broncos, per PFF.

Despite having key players out of the lineup, the New England Patriots were suffocating defensively against the Denver Broncos.

There was nowhere to run or breathe for Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson, who was constantly hit and harassed by the Patriots’ powerful and underrated defensive front.

Defensive tackle Christian Barmore led the charge with three sacks and four quarterback hits. He dominated up front and made it incredibly difficult for Wilson to settle in the pocket. It’s no surprise that the four highest-graded defensive players by Pro Football Focus were on New England’s defensive front.

The unit has overperformed all season, even in the absence of leading pass-rusher Matthew Judon. Defense remains the calling card for the Patriots, and in many ways, that continued to prove to be the case on Sunday night against the Broncos.

Here are the 10 highest-graded defensive players for the Patriots in Week 16, per PFF.

Studs and duds in Patriots’ Week 15 loss to Chiefs

Who were the studs and duds for the Patriots in Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs.

The New England Patriots put up a valiant fight against the Kansas City Chiefs, but in the end, it wasn’t enough to upset the defending Super Bowl champions on Sunday.

There were some clear similarities to this week and the Patriots’ stunning win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last week.

The offense came out firing on all cylinders in the first half and then crashed into a wall for the last two quarters of the game. It wasn’t a perfect effort defensively, but the unit did do enough to give the Patriots a fighting chance in this game.

Perhaps the only difference was Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense consistently putting up points on the scoreboard. Even after stalled drives, they still found a way to march down the field and score points when they really needed it. That wasn’t the case for Bailey Zappe and the Patriots, unfortunately.

Here are the studs and duds from the game:

Studs and duds midway into Patriots’ 2023 season

Here are the 2023 midseason studs and duds for the Patriots.

At the very least, the New England Patriots came into 2023 expecting things to be better than the disastrous 2022 season.

The offensive line wasn’t going to magically improve overnight, and even with the signing of Bill O’Brien as the team’s new offensive coordinator, there clearly wasn’t enough offensive talent for the unit to take flight completely.

But could they hover enough off the ground to matter with the hardest schedule in the league? So far, the answer has been a resounding no with the team sitting at 2-8 and the worst record in the AFC.

It has been a nightmare season filled with more downs than ups for the Patriots. The scariest part is the nightmare isn’t over. There are still plenty of games left to play before closing the curtains on 2023.

Here are the studs and duds for New England at the midway point of the season:

Ranking 8 most disappointing players for Patriots in 2023

Who are the eight most disappointing Patriots players so far in 2023?

An all-around disappointing season for the New England Patriots has led to an endless blame game from outsiders. Who is most responsible for the Patriots’ current predicament—the coaches, quarterback, receivers or offensive line?

The easy answer is there’s no singular individual responsible for the team imploding and falling to 2-8 on the season. It takes a village to create the colossal failure the Patriots have become this year.

With that said, there are certain players that have disappointed more than others. These are the players that were expected to play major roles in helping the Patriots turn things around from last season.

Yet, those expectations have only led to further disappointment for a franchise that’s unrecognizable from the perennial contender that reigned during the Tom Brady era.

Here are the eight most disappointing players for the Patriots this season:

5 Patriots to watch in Week 9 vs. Commanders

5 Patriots to watch for this weekend’s game vs. the Commanders.

The Washington Commanders (3-5) have had an interesting week. On Tuesday, Washington traded starting defensive ends Montez Sweat and Chase Young at the NFL trade deadline. Losing two notable starters would lead one to believe the Commanders were punting on the remainder of this season. That’s not the case, as head coach Ron Rivera and quarterback Sam Howell believe this team is still capable of making a playoff push.

Next up for the Commanders are the New England Patriots (2-6). These arent the same Patriots Washington will remember from 2019. Yes, legendary coach Bill Belichick is still on the sidelines, but quarterback Tom Brady is long gone. This New England team is struggling while still trying to find an identity.

But Washington hasn’t beaten the Patriots since 2003 — when Steve Spurrier was head coach. And there have been some ugly losses over the years.

As the Commanders prepare for Week 9, here are five Patriots you should get to know ahead of Sunday.

Seahawks were ‘pretty deep’ in talks for Patriots edge before Leonard Williams deal

According to a report by Albert Breer at Sports Illustrated, the team engaged in trade talks on several different edge rushers first, including Josh Uche of the Patriots.

The Seahawks finally landed a difference-maker for their defensive line, a feat they’d been attempting to accomplish since last season ended. Their trade for Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams gives their roster a serious boost where it was most needed and should help them close the gap with the other NFC contenders – specifically the Eagles, who have more star DL than anyone should know what to do with.

Seattle considered other options too, though. According to a report by Albert Breer at Sports Illustrated, the team engaged in trade talks on several different edge rushers first, including Josh Uche of the Patriots.

“The Seahawks really did look at a lot of different options before trading for Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams, who’s a big, reliable, disruptive piece for their defensive front. And much of their efforts had been focused on edge-rushers, with talks going pretty deep on players like New England’s Josh Uche…”

Something to file away in case Uche becomes available in the future. For now, the Seahawks should be considered one of the big winners coming out of the trade deadline. A win over the Ravens this week would prove they are fully ready to make a Super Bowl run.

More Seahawks Wire stories

53-man roster tracker: Leonard Williams wearing No. 99

Power Rankings: Titans take huge jump, Seahawks up 4 spots

Ranking all 32 NFL starters by their QBR going into Week 9

Instant analysis of quiet trade deadline for Patriots

The trade deadline came and went without a peep from the Patriots. So, what now?

Well, that was underwhelming.

The trade deadline came and went with no movement whatsoever for the 2-6 New England Patriots.

There was a report that the team called the Washington Commanders to check on the price for defensive end Chase Young, who was ultimately traded to the San Francisco 49ers, but outside of that inquiry, it was complete silence for the Patriots.

Bill Belichick’s decision to sit pat shouldn’t come as a surprise considering a head coach is typically never going to make tanking a priority. The only difference this time around is the fact that the coach is also in charge of the personnel decisions.

Perhaps the only shocker is the fact that the team didn’t move linebacker Josh Uche, who is seeing less reps on the field. He’s also playing on an expiring contract, which means he’ll have a chance to go wherever he chooses in free agency.

As for the Patriots, Belichick will continue to fight the good fight—no matter how hopeless it seems—and try to win as many games as possible the rest of the way.

It won’t help the team’s chances of securing a higher draft pick in 2024, but it could put more games in the win column for Belichick, who continues the chase for the all-time wins record for an NFL head coach.

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Patriots reportedly didn’t plan on selling at trade deadline

The Patriots reportedly weren’t planning on selling at the trade deadline.

The New England Patriots might not be that active at the trade deadline, per FOX Sports’ Henry McKenna.

“The Patriots weren’t planning on selling at the trade deadline, a team source told me last week,” McKenna posted on social media.

There is one player that could potentially be traded away, per NFL insider Albert Breer, and that player is pass-rushing outside linebacker Josh Uche.

“So my understanding is they’re listening on everybody,” Breer said, when appearing on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Zolak & Bertrand” last week. “I think the one guy that has come up the most as a potential guy that could get moved is Josh Uche.”

Perhaps even more notable than the team considering moving Uche is the fact that they seem to have a quiet deadline planned.

It may be a bit disappointing to fans that New England might not be active at the deadline. The team has a lot of holes to fill. Although they have some solid young pieces, the future looks to be a bit rocky for the organization, if they fail to upgrade their roster.

But for now, they do have Uche, who is only 25 years old and entering the prime of his career. He still has tremendous potential and upside, which makes him a great trade candidate.

If he can’t help the Patriots, there’s a strong possibility he can help another team for the right price.

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Patriots Week 8 inactives: JuJu Smith-Schuster IN, Josh Uche OUT vs Dolphins

Who’s in and who’s out for the Patriots and Dolphins on Sunday?

The New England Patriots are much healthier heading into Sunday’s Week 8 clash with the Miami Dolphins.

They have officially listed both wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and defensive end Keion White as active for the game, after both missed last week with a concussion.

There was no quarterback controversy this week with Malik Cunningham returning to the practice squad, Will Grier being inactive and Bailey Zappe serving as the top backup option behind Mac Jones. Meanwhile, the Patriots caught a big break with the Dolphins ruling out four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Xavien Howard the same week the team activated Jalen Ramsey.

That’s one less ball-hawk in the defensive backfield that Jones and company has to worry about. Dolphins safety Jevon Holland will also be inactive for this matchup. Here’s the full list of inactives for Sunday’s game:

The Patriots are 0-5 against the Dolphins with Tua Tagovailoa in at quarterback. They managed to break a four-game losing streak to the division rival Buffalo Bills last week.

We’ll see if they can keep the upset train rolling on the road against the Dolphins in Week 8.

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Sorting which players are and are not available at the NFL trade deadline

What NFL and team insiders have said about the trade availably of several players often speculated or desired as Lions trade targets

The NFL’s trade deadline hits at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. In the days leading up to the deadline, speculation about what the Detroit Lions will do is hitting a fever pitch.

There are dreams of landing a major name, of being splashy buyers at the deadline. Other lower-level players have also been the object of desire and the occasional rumor. But are any of those potential targets actually available for Lions GM Brad Holmes even if he wanted to pull off a deal?

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The latest insider updates on some of the more popular names are a good reference for viable availability on the trade market. How much credibility you wish to place in the various sources culled here is up to you.