Tag: Mack Wilson Sr.

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

Who were the highest-graded Patriots defensive players in the loss to the Dolphins?

The New England Patriots defense could not handle the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, as they were defeated by a 31-17 margin.

Sure, the defense had moments of success, but by and large, this was a game that saw the unit struggle overall. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa passed for 324 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Running back Raheem Mostert carried the ball 13 times for 46 yards and a touchdown.

Tyreek Hill was the receiver of the afternoon, catching seven passes for 121 yards and a touchdown.

The Patriots defense had no answers for the potent Miami offensive attack. The Dolphins being on the field for nearly 36 minutes of the game didn’t help matters, either.

Here are the top-10 highest-graded defensive players for the Patriots in Week 8, per Pro Football Focus.

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 6, per PFF grades

Here are the Patriots’ top defensive players in Week 6, per PFF grades.

Defense has been the saving grace for the New England Patriots at a time when there isn’t much to feel good about with the team. That continued to be the case in Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

The unit held the Raiders’ rushing attack, including Josh Jacobs, to under 100 yards. They also shut down All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams, who finished the game with only two receptions for 29 yards.

Even with all of the injuries on the roster, the Patriots defense still stood up to the road challenge and gave the team a chance to win. But it still wasn’t good enough.

Linebacker Jahlani Tavai had another big game after snagging a pop-up interception on Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. He also tied Jabrill Peppers, who delivered the vicious hit that caused the initial pop-up interception, in total tackles.

Christian Barmore was also a big-time disruptor along the defensive front in swatting down passes, clogging up running lanes and generating pressure up the middle.

Here are the top-10 Patriots defensive players in Week 6, per Pro Football Focus grades.

Patriots’ 5 biggest needs this offseason

Here are the Patriots’ five biggest needs that must be addressed in the offseason.

The New England Patriots finished 2022 by missing the playoffs for the second time in three years, an outcome that is well below the standard the Patriots are used to seeing over the last 20-plus years.

The Patriots are into full 2023 planning mode and looking for talent to round out a much-improved roster and coaching staff for next season. That’s coupled with the scheme changes that are sure to come from the hiring of Bill O’Brien as the new offensive coordinator.

There is clearly a lot of work to be done. Here are the Patriots’ biggest needs in the offseason.

3 crucial positional matchups to watch in Patriots-Bills game

3 key positional matchups to keep an eye on in Thursday night’s game.

Fresh off a Thanksgiving night loss at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings, the New England Patriots will be faced with another tough opponent in a division rivalry game against the playoff-contending Buffalo Bills on Thursday night.

If the Patriots wish to make the playoffs, they likely need to win four out of their next six games to do so. It’ll be a tall task with at least two of those matchups coming against the Bills, who are clearly one of the best teams in football.

Let’s take a look at the key positional matchups that could sway the outcome of this ever so important Week 13 game.

Winners and losers in Patriots road win over the Steelers

There are more winners than losers this week for the Patriots

A gutsy road win over the Pittsburgh Steelers was the New England Patriots’ response for laying an egg in the season-opener against the Miami Dolphins at South Beach.

And they should be proud of it.

Yes, the Steelers have all sorts of problems happening on the offensive side of the ball, and the defense was playing without star pass-rusher T.J. Watt. But Pittsburgh’s defense is still clearly an elite unit coming off a game where they forced Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow into five turnovers.

Being able to go on the road and beat a well-coached team like the Steelers in a hostile environment is an impressive feat regardless.

Seeing as this is the Patriots’ first win of the season, we’re going to do something different this week and not name any losers. It was a team-earned victory, and they’ll need to be even better when hosting the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3.

Here are the winners from Sunday’s game against the Steelers.

Odell Beckham Jr.’s former teammate recruits him to Patriots

Mack Wilson Sr. is putting in some work to bring his former teammate to the Patriots.

The New England Patriots players have been doing some of the “heavy lifting” when it comes to recruiting this offseason.

Matt Judon has led the charge by recruiting over a dozen players on Twitter — none of which came to the Patriots. Jonathan Jones followed Judon’s lead following the signing of Malcolm Butler and tried to bring Stephon Gilmore back into the mix. The Patriots have receivers like Stefon Diggs, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and more to contend with twice a year.

When it comes to Patriots receivers, there is a dire need also. Mack Wilson Sr., who joined the team via trade, is doing some recruiting on his own.

Wilson Sr. played 2.5 seasons with Odell Beckham Jr. and he gave it a shot to bring the star receiver to Foxborough.

Mac Jones, who would benefit from a receiver like Beckham Jr., clearly approves of the attempt.

The 29-year-old is a free agent, but he tore his ACL in the Super Bowl and could miss more than half the season.

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