Tag: New England Patriots

Patriots CB Jonathan Jones owns up to disappointing performance vs. Rams

Jonathan Jones took the onus for his disappointing performance

New England Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones was not happy with his performance on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams. He owned up to it in a short message to fans.

“I owe NEP better than today. Keep grinding,” Jones posted on social media.

It was a difficult day overall with him giving up two touchdowns in the game. The biggest touchdown he gave up came when Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford threw a 69-yard pass to wide receiver Cooper Kupp during an all-out blitz attempt.

The touchdown extended the Rams’ lead to 21-10 following the extra point. New England ended up losing the game by a 28-22 margin.

Jones’ disappointing day was a microcosm of what has been an inconsistent year for the Patriots’ defense overall. They won’t have long to hang their heads with a clash with the Miami Dolphins next on the schedule in Week 12.

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Patriots announce new LB signing, along with other roster moves

It was a busy day of roster moves for New England

The New England Patriots announced they have signed linebacker Titus Leo off the Indianapolis Colts practice squad to the 53-man roster.

Leo is a former sixth-round draft pick and FCS All-American out of Wagner College. The signing came along with the news that the Patriots are placing linebacker Curtis Jacobs on injured reserve, while also releasing Ochaun Mathis on Tuesday.

Jacobs, who was claimed off the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad, had been a steady contributor in New England, appearing on four percent of the defensive snaps and 58 percent of the special teams snaps. He has played in nine games and started in two of those outings this season.

Mathis only appeared in five games with the bulk of his workload coming on special teams for the Patriots. Meanwhile, Leo has yet to get his first real taste of NFL action.

Perhaps that’ll finally change for a Patriots team looking to add some depth.

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Watch: Kevin Dotson was highly entertaining while mic’d up vs. Patriots

Kevin Dotson was on the mic for Week 11 and his personality was on full display against the Patriots

Being an offensive lineman, Kevin Dotson isn’t in the spotlight very much for the Los Angeles Rams. He doesn’t do weekly press conferences like Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp, nor does he have his own YouTube series like those two stars.

But the Rams’ starting right guard is highly entertaining and one of the glue guys in the locker room. He’s become a fan favorite for his stellar play on the field, becoming one of the Rams’ most important players on offense.

During Sunday’s win over the Patriots, Dotson was mic’d up by the team and his personality really stood out. As intense and physical as he is after the snap, he’s also charismatic and quite funny when he’s not blocking defensive linemen.

His energy level is always high, too.

Check out the mic’d-up video below, highlighted by Dotson cheering and yelling on the sideline while the defense was on the field.

Matthew Stafford admits Patriots QB Drake Maye is ‘hell of a talent’

Matthew Stafford was impressed with Drake Maye

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford praised New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, after a hard-fought 28-22 win over the Patriots.

Stafford had one of his best games of the season. He went 18-of-27 on the afternoon, throwing for 295 yards and four touchdowns. He cracked the Patriots’ defensive secondary for big yardage.

Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp both had big games with 100-plus rushing yards each.

Stafford admitted to feeling impressed with Maye, who kept the Patriots in the game. The rookie went 30-of-40 passing for 282 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. The veteran gave him a shout-out following the game.

“It was fun to watch Drake play today. I think he’s a hell of a talent. Seems to have his head on right, and he’s going to be a really good player for a long time,” said Stafford.

Rams coach Sean McVay also had heavy praise for Maye after the game, calling him a “stud” and a “special” player.

This all sounds good for the rookie quarterback, but it’ll be up to the Patriots to ensure Maye continues to have a solid developmental track of progression.

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Could Bill Belichick be eyeing a coaching job with this AFC team?

Is Bill Belichick eyeing another AFC team?

Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is still believed to have an interest in coaching in 2025. According to NFL insider Dianna Russini, one team that could particularly be of interest to the legendary coach is the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Belichick hasn’t coached since splitting with the Patriots back in January. He was passed over in the initial wave of head coaching hirings. Since then, he has kept busy, appearing on multiple television programs and speaking at clinics.

“Belichick certainly has his eye on this Jacksonville opening,” Russini said on “Scoop City” podcast. “This is an organization that has tons of respect for Belichick. They’ve got a good relationship already. … When you think about what they’re looking for and need there, it starts to make sense. This is a team that’s looking for structure. They’re looking for good situational football. They’re looking for a coach that can maximize talent, specifically on defense. They’ve got solid-to-good guys on their defense.

“The things they’re looking for make sense. But the question that I’m gonna have about how the Belichick situation is gonna work is what is going to be the power dynamic? Is he gonna get the keys to the castle? If they’re gonna give him unilateral control, like allow him to do that, why wouldn’t he go there?”

Of course, this would all hinge on Doug Pederson being fired and the team offering Belichick the job.

It’s a hypothetical situation with many interesting storylines. For one, Mac Jones is currently the backup quarterback for the Jaguars. Belichick spent a first-round draft pick in 2021 on Jones, in an attempted Patriots rebuild that failed to work.

But would Belichick actually agree to not having total control of the team in terms of personnel? It would be one of the biggest stories in 2025 if things unfolded that way.

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Braden Fiske’s lightning-quick sack vs. Patriots was 3rd-fastest in NFL this season

Braden Fiske got to Drake Maye in a hurry, recording the fastest sack by a defensive lineman this season

Braden Fiske brings a lot of things to the table as a defensive tackle, including a relentless work ethic and rare athleticism. It’s what drew the Rams to him in the 2024 NFL draft, doing whatever they could to trade up for the Florida State standout in Round 2.

At the NFL combine, he tested as the most athletic defensive tackle in the class. He had the fastest 40-yard dash (4.78), best vertical jump (33.5 inches), broad jump (9-foot-9) and short shuttle (4.37), showing just how special he is as an athlete.

Well, that athleticism has shown up countless times this season and it was on display Sunday, too. His sack in the second quarter against the Patriots was the third-fastest in the NFL this season and the fastest of any defensive lineman, getting home in only 2.32 seconds, per Next Gen Stats.

Fiske is like a missile on the interior when the Rams successfully run their stunts like they did on the play above, shooting through the line with eye-popping speed and quickness.

Not that Fiske is in Aaron Donald’s stratosphere yet, but it’s reminiscent of No. 99 bolting into the backfield during his prime.

Sony Michel explains the Super Bowl culture he learned while playing with the Patriots

Sony Michel explains the Super Bowl culture he learned from the New England #Patriots w/ @EdEastonJr

This week, Touchdown Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. spoke to Sony Michel, a Two-time Super Bowl champion and former New England Patriots running back.

In his interview with Easton Jr., Michel discussed teaming up with Kingsford to host the ‘Kingsford College Football Tailgate Tour’ at the Georgia vs. Tennessee game at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia.

He revealed his grilling preparation technique and reflected on learning the ‘Patriot Way’ as part of the Super Bowl culture in New England.

“As far as prepping it, man, we prep the meat, season the meat easily, and you slap it on. It’s the feet. It’s super simple, so cliche to say, but you’re talking about the easiest process and also super safe, man, because you’re talking about, I got two little ones.” said Michel. “So easy to use while they’re around. They don’t get too close. But you’re talking about easy and safe. So there’s no way that you know I would feel more comfortable with it, especially since I have experience of it working for me.”

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DCZbpBVpH0g/?igsh=MWs5cGl6MXphZTdtZA==

The preparation didn’t end at the grill for Michel, who was focused during his game preparation while he was a member of two Super Bowl-winning teams. The first team he learned the culture as a rookie in New England.

“So many different factors come into play, and the biggest one is teamwork. Everyone is doing their job,” Michel explained. “It’s like one big puzzle, and the goal is to complete it so you can see the outcome. So it’s all about everyone being a piece of the puzzle, coming together to connect, and no one feeling bigger than the team. No one, feeling like, Hey, man, my stats matter.”

In his rookie season with the Patriots, Michel was a key factor on offense, playing efficiently throughout the regular season and into the playoffs.

“It’s about the end goal, and that’s to win championships for the most part. I think the biggest thing for us is we relied on each other when it came to playing. That was huge in those little pieces coming together to get that finished product. That was kind of the ‘Patriot Way,’ like we didn’t do anything outside the box. We did everything fairly textbook, consistent, and we knew what we wanted.”

For more information on Kingsford, log on to Kingsford.com and follow on Instagram & X

Sights and sounds of Patriots OL Vederian Lowe’s surprising touchdown catch

Patriots fans went absolutely bananas for this play

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye threw his second touchdown pass of Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams to the unlikeliest of receiving targets, left tackle Vederian Lowe.

It was a unique play call by offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, which led to Lowe catching the first touchdown of his NFL career.

The Patriots posted a new “Sights & Sounds” video of the play live on the field and the reaction from fans at Gillette Stadium. It was an incredible moment with the live crowd as Lowe got freed up and caught the wide-open pass from Maye to hang six points on the board.

The Patriots ended up losing the game to the Rams. Nevertheless, the offense showed progress in some fairly unique and unorthodox ways. This play in particular was unique on a day when the Patriots needed to pull out all of their tricks.

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Jerod Mayo strongly swats down controversial ownership-Drake Maye report

Jerod Mayo addressed the report that ownership sought outside help with Drake Maye’s development

New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo strongly swatted down a recent report that team ownership has looked outside of the organization for help in developing quarterback Drake Maye.

Mayo has consistently pointed to offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt as the one spearheading Maye’s development under center. So the report that ownership potentially colored outside of the lines raised more than a few eyebrows.

“We continue to sit here and say he’s developing at a good trajectory. Can we all agree on that? So all of those reports are false,” Maye said, when appearing on “The Greg Hill Show.” “They’re all false. None of those reports are true. Once again, it’s almost like talking out of both sides of our mouths.

“We’re sitting here saying he’s developing great, and to sit here and the story comes out that people are asking around how to develop a quarterback. …When you hear one person, ‘Oh, Drake’s not developing.’ Another person, ‘Oh, Drake’s had great plays.’ Who do you think is responsible for that? It’s Alex Van Pelt.”

Maye has played like an Offensive Player of the Year-worthy quarterback. Even given the many limitations on offense, he has opened things up in ways the Patriots haven’t seen since Tom Brady was under center.

His incredible on-field play has negated one of the worst offensive lines in football and a lacking cast of wide receivers. Even Super Bowl-winning head coach Sean McVay was left impressed by Maye’s performance after the Los Angeles Rams’ 28-22 win over the Patriots in Week 11.

“He looks like a stud. …He looks like he’s gonna be a special player for a long time, and he gave us fits today,” said McVay.

Here’s where Patriots would draft in 2025 after loss to Rams

Here’s where the Patriots would draft if the season ended today

The New England Patriots moved up one spot in the 2025 NFL draft order, following their 28-22 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

According to Tankathon, if the season ended today, the Patriots would own the No. 6 overall draft pick.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are still at the top of the draft board with a 2-9 record. Meanwhile, the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants are all ahead of the Patriots with 2-8 records.

It hasn’t been pretty for the Patriots, but they are seeing continued improvements from rookie quarterback Drake Maye. With the quarterback position finally settled, there’s hope they can focus on other offensive improvements through free agency and the draft.

The draft board isn’t even close to being finished with there being six games left to go on the regular season schedule. Next up is a road game against the Miami Dolphins.

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