Tag: Marte Mapu

3 major contributors return to practice for the Patriots on Wednesday

The banged-up Patriots finally got some good news

New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo revealed that wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, as well as linebackers Sione Takitaki and Marte Mapu, will be returning to practice after being on the PUP list.

While fans should probably temper their expectations, Mayo didn’t rule out the possibility of those players playing in Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins.

“I wouldn’t say it’s unrealistic,” said Mayo. “We have to see how the next couple of days go.”

All three would provide reinforcements to their respective positions. Bourne has not played a down of football since last October, when he went down with a season-ending ACL injury. Mapu’s injury was undisclosed, while Takitaki is recovering from a knee scope.

Getting all three players back on the field would undoubtedly help a Patriots team trying to overcome talent deficiencies on both sides of the ball.

Bourne could especially provide a spark for the struggling offense. Before the injury, the veteran pass-catcher led the Patriots in receiving yards. That kind of talent added to the mix could be significant.

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Patriots announce seven injury moves ahead of roster cut deadline

This is potentially good news for DT Christian Barmore

The New England Patriots made multiple injury transactions ahead of Tuesday’s 53-man roster deadline.

They placed wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, guard Cole Strange and linebacker Sione Takitaki on the reserve/physically unable to perform list. Defensive tackle Christian Barmore was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list.

Linebacker Marte Mapu, defensive tackle Armon Watts and offensive tackle Calvin Anderson were placed on injured reserve.

Barmore and Mapu are both designated for returns. So the Patriots defense could be getting a huge lift down the road with the two players potentially coming back.

This is a positive sign for Barmore in particular considering he’s out indefinitely after being diagnosed with blood clots. There is no clear timetable for his eventual return, but this latest designation leaves the door open for him to return this season.

That’s great news for a Patriots defense that heavily depends on his presence up front to win in the trenches.

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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:

WATCH: Rookie LB Marte Mapu gets first NFL interception on Patrick Mahomes

Patriots rookie Marte Mapu arrives on the big stage by picking off Patrick Mahomes.

New England Patriots rookie linebacker/safety Marte Mapu had his coming-out party in Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs, after intercepting quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the second quarter.

Mapu, a third-round draft pick out of Sacramento State, has been a hidden gem for the Patriots, mostly due to the team currently being stacked with defensive talent. He hasn’t had as many opportunities, especially in the defensive backfield with Jabrill Peppers and Kyle Dugger eating up most of the snaps.

But he made the most of his opportunity on Sunday by coming away with his first interception against the best quarterback in the current era.

The Patriots will need more plays like that from Mapu to keep pace with the Chiefs’ high-powered offense. Mahomes being under center is always a threat to blow up a scoreboard.

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3 Patriots players that deserve larger roles in 2024

3 Patriots players should be featured more in 2024 and beyond.

There’s no question this season has been brutal to watch for the New England Patriots. They are sitting at 3-10 on the season and considered one of the worst teams in the NFL.

Yet, there are some players who have been bright spots and deserve a larger role next season.

Now, these things could change as it is likely a new regime will be in place next year, and they may move to get their own players through the draft and free agency.

But there are three players in particular that have made the most out of limited playing time and deserve a much larger role in 2024.

Patriots rookie LB fined for hit on Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle

Patriots rookie LB Marte Mapu was fined for an illegal hit.

New England Patriots linebacker Marte Mapu was fined for his hit on Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle in Week 2.

It was a fourth quarter hit that drew a flag for unnecessary roughness and a $5,620 fine from the NFL. Linebacker Matthew Judon dropped back to help out in coverage on the play, and Mapu came flying in late with a helmet-to-helmet hit to the back of Waddle’s head.

The hit wasn’t malicious, but it was clearly an illegal play. Waddle was diagnosed with a concussion, and he has already been ruled out for the Dolphins’ Week 3 game against the Denver Broncos.

The Dolphins won’t have to wait long to see the Patriots again with both teams slated for a Week 8 meeting at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

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10 burning questions heading into Patriots’ season opener vs Eagles

10 burning questions for the Patriots ahead of Sunday’s season opener.

There are a bunch of questions facing the New England Patriots in Sunday’s opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.

It will be their first real opportunity to wash away the stink of the 2022 season. They went 8-9 last season and missed the playoffs for the second time in three years.

That same model of consistency the Patriots have been known for hasn’t been there since Tom Brady was the quarterback. Coincidentally enough, Brady will be attending the game as an honorary guest of the team.

Perhaps his presence can help fuel the Patriots to beat the odds and knock off arguably the best team in football. Here are 10 burning questions facing the team ahead of Sunday’s matchup.

6 takeaways from final day of Patriots training camp practice

Training camp has come and gone for the Patriots. Here are six takeaways from the team’s final practice.

The final day of training camp practice came and went for the New England Patriots on Wednesday. It’s crazy to think we are only a day away from the preseason finale and a little over two weeks away from the Patriots’ regular season opener.

These last few weeks have flown by, and we have reached the point where players on the roster bubble will have their final chance to convince coach Bill Belichick to keep them around on the 53-man roster.

The Patriots were in full pads for their final training camp practice, and there were several notable names that didn’t participate, including:

CB Jonathan Jones

G Cole Strange

WR Tyquan Thornton

OT Conor McDermott

ST Cody Davis

CB Isaiah Bolden

OT Calvin Anderson

DE Trey Flowers

C Kody Russey

Next on the itinerary for the Patriots is making the trek to Nashville for Friday’s game against the Tennessee Titans. But before liftoff, here are some takeaways from their final practice.

6 takeaways from Patriots’ road scrimmage with Packers

Things got testy between the Patriots and Packers on the practice field.

There was a different intensity in the air for Wednesday’s practice as the New England Patriots went head-to-head with the Green Bay Packers in their first official training camp scrimmage.

It was the first time that the starters faced legitimate competition outside of the controlled environment in Foxborough. They were right across from Lambeau Field at this particular practice taking on a Packers team that made big plays on both sides of the ball.

It did seem like Green Bay had the advantage in the competitive 11-on-11s portion of practice, but there were also some positive signs of life from the Patriots’ end as well.

Here are the players that missed the scrimmage:

OT Mike Onwenu

CB Jonathan Jones

TE Mike Gesicki

G Cole Strange

OT Calvin Anderson

RB Ty Montgomery

RB Pierre Strong Jr.

DE Trey Flowers

ST Cody Davis

LB Ronnie Perkins

C Kody Russey

Let’s jump into some takeaways from Day 1 of the Patriots’ two-part road scrimmage with Green Bay.

AFC East roundtable: Standouts from 2023 training camp

Who have been the AFC East standouts at training camp so far?

AFC East training camp standouts from BIlls, Jets, Patriots, and Dolphins including Dalton Kincaid, Aaron Rodgers, Tyreek Hill, Bill O’Brien

The AFC East looks poised to be one of the tightest divisions in the NFL during the 2023 season.

While the Buffalo Bills are vying for their fourth-straight divisional crown, the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets and New England Patriots have all bolstered their rosters this offseason. It’s going to be a challenge.

That push to win the AFC East and earn a postseason bid starts in one place: Training camp. All four teams have hit the ground running at their respective camps and have had players standing out on both sides of the ball. 

To get a better idea of who, our divisional managing editors from Bills Wire (Nick Wojton), Dolphins Wire (Mike Masala),Patriots Wire (Jordy McElroy)  and Jets Wire (Billy Riccette) have teamed up to discuss which players are  standing out during AFC East training camps: