Tag: Vince Wilfork

Lions DT Benito Jones’ elaborate cowboy outfit paid homage to NFL legend Vince Wilfork

Now, this is how you dress for Thursday Night Football.

Ahead of the Detroit Lions’ Thursday Night Football away game against the Green Bay Packers, Lions defensive tackle Benito Jones rocked overalls and a cowboy hat, and it reminded us of an NFL legend.

Indeed, Jones wore overalls with no shirt, a cowboy hat and cowboy boots as he got off the bus to head into Lambeau Field.

The look seemingly paid very direct homage to former NFL defensive tackle Vince Wilfork wearing roughly the same outfit on Hard Knocks with the Houston Texans in 2015.

It takes real confidence to sport such an outfit, and Jones followed in Wilfork’s footsteps with style. We’re not fashion experts, but we give this pregame fit an 11/10.

If that doesn’t fire you up if you’re a Lions fan, we’re not sure what will.

Detroit has a chance to go 3-1 against super rival Green Bay on Thursday night, which would be colossal for a franchise that is starved for a contender.

If Jones’ outfit is any hint, it’s about to be a real fun night for Lions fans at Lambeau.

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Former Patriots look back on ridiculously stacked 2014 defense

Defensive lineups don’t get much scarier than this

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It’s easy to forget how ridiculously stacked the New England Patriots were defensively in their 2014 Super Bowl-winning season.

A Twitter post looking back on the unit got a retweet from multiple former Patriots players that were on the roster at that time, including Dont’a Hightower, Jamie Collins, Patrick Chung and James White.

Other standouts included Pro Football Hall of Famer Darrelle Revis, Vince Wilfork, Chandler Jones, Jerod Mayo, Devin McCourty, Logan Ryan, Brandon Browner and Rob Ninkovich.

It’s one of the most imposing defensive lineups on paper in franchise history. Some of the greatest players that have ever suited up in a Patriots uniform were on the roster.

It’s an incredible stroll down memory lane that former Patriots players decided to chime in on.

The Patriots went on to defeat the Seattle Seahawks at Super Bowl XLIX that season.

After Tom Brady and the offense engineered another one of their improbable comebacks, Malcolm Butler, who was an undrafted rookie cornerback at the time, secured a goal line interception on Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson to help the defense seal the victory.

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75 days till Patriots season opener: Every player to wear No. 75 for New England

Here’s a list of every Patriots player to wear the No. 75 jersey number.

There are 75 days left before the New England Patriots’ regular season opener at Gillette Stadium against the Philadelphia Eagles.

We’re celebrating at Patriots Wire by counting down the days and listing every Patriots player to ever wear the jersey number of that particular day.

That puts us at No. 75 today.

It’s hard not to think of legendary nose tackle Vince Wilfork when it comes to the No. 75 jersey. He was a unicorn in the NFL both in talent and personality. There weren’t many players standing at 6-foot-2 and 325 pounds that could move like Wilfork, who finished his career with two Super Bowl victories, four All-Pro nods and five Pro Bowls.

But of course, he wasn’t the only standout to wear the number. Here’s a list of every Patriots player to wear the No. 75 for New England:

Patriots’ history with the franchise tag under Bill Belichick

Here’s a look at the Patriots’ franchise tag history under Bill Belichick.

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick rarely leans on the franchise tag in present-day negotiations with pending free agents. There was a time when he used it frequently as a negotiating tactic, but in the last eight years, only one player has been franchise tagged by the Patriots.

That run of not tagging players will likely continue in 2023 with wide receiver Jakobi Meyers and cornerback Jonathan Jones being the only legitimate tag candidates on the roster.

That isn’t to suggest both players don’t deserve pay raises. But it’s hard envisioning Belichick and the Patriots footing the bill for a rising price tag at positions they can address through free agency and the draft.

Still, for fun, let’s take a look at all of the Patriots players that have been franchise tagged over the years by Belichick.

Patriots legend Vince Wilfork gives strong take on Jack Jones incident

Vince Wilfork offered his take on the Jack Jones-Bill Belichick incident.

Former New England Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork agreed with Ty Law’s take on new-age players, as the Jack Jones-Bill Belichick report continues to make waves.

Law indicated Belichick may not command as much respect as in previous years, due to players making more money.

Wilfork agreed with the sentiment, as Patriots legends continue to weigh in. The defensive tackle played for 13 seasons with New England and made five Pro Bowl teams, along with winning two Super Bowls. He recorded 561 career tackles and 16 quarterback sacks during his time with the team, which was at the peak of its success at a time when Belichick was on top of his game.

He stated his opinion on Wednesday night’s airing of NBC Sports Boston’s Early Edition Show, as transcribed by NESN.com’s Dakota Randall.

“These guys don’t respect the game and don’t respect coaches the way we used to,” said Wilfork. “I’ve never seen anybody talk back to Bill. As a leader and as a captain, of course we’ll have conversations on things that we might not like, but that’s behind closed doors, and it’s not us challenging Bill. It’s trying to get a better understanding of what’s going on. But as far as talking back to a coach — no, you don’t do that.

“But this new era of football, these kids feel entitled. It started in college. You’ve got all this mess going on in college — you’re taken care of as a college player, and then you get to the league, and now all of a sudden you want the same treatment. But you have to realize, the (NFL), it ain’t college. You have to prove yourself at this level.”

Multiple Patriots legends have weighed in on this topic with it making headlines.

The report was a microcosm of a frustrating season for New England, especially after they missed the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. The Patriots will have some big decisions to make as the 2023 offseason begins.

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Ex-Patriots Julian Edelman, Vince Wilfork ripped Mac Jones’ ‘pissy’ antics and poor leadership

Patriots legends are NOT happy with the young QB.

Amidst a disappointing sophomore NFL campaign, the New England Patriots’ Mac Jones has been somewhat of a lightning rod of criticism this year. He’s yelled at his coaches. He’s slid toward defenders, heel up, likely trying to hurt them. He’s even made, what some believe, a poor effort to tackle Chandler Jones in one of the most embarrassing plays in pro football history. At this rate, it’s no wonder his own teammates appear to want Jones replaced.

You can count ex-Patriot and three-time Super Bowl champion Julian Edelman among those who haven’t appreciated how Jones has conducted himself this season.

In an episode of Inside the NFL, Edelman and former NFL WR Brandon Marshall debated what Mac Jones should’ve done on the “Fail Lateral.” Where Marshall defended Jones because tackling is not a part of his usual job as a quarterback, Edelman used it as an opportunity to rip Jones’ effort and what he perceives has been an overall lack of professionalism:

Phew. I guess it’s safe to say members of the Patriots’ Golden Era aren’t fans of the current New England young quarterback, are they?

Here’s another ex-Patriot and two-time Super Bowl champion Vince Wilfork, harshly criticizing Jones’ antics:

It is admittedly a lot to ask Jones to tackle a man who has roughly 50 pounds on him. That said, the game was literally on the line during the play. Normal rules go out the window in that situation. And when you’re 13-of-31 for 112 yards while also seemingly throwing tantrums every week, you don’t get exactly get the benefit of the doubt. The microscope gets even bigger when that sort of behavior appears to be a pattern.

The controversy around Jones only seems to expand by the week. The more that successful, Super Bowl-winning Patriots continue to speak up about him, it appears that the apparent mess will only grow.

2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalists include eight former Patriots

Eight ex-Patriots made the cut as semifinalists for the 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.

The semifinalists for the 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame class were revealed on Tuesday, and eight of the names on that list were former New England Patriots players.

Of course, the two most noteworthy names from a Patriots perspective were former defensive stars Vince Wilfork and Rodney Harrison, both of whom have already been inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame.

Darrelle Revis, one of the all-time great corners, is also on the list. He spent the brunt of his career serving as a division rival on the New York Jets, but he did sign with the Patriots for a one-and-done Super Bowl season in 2014.

The other names include linebacker James Harrison, receiver Reggie Wayne, running back Fred Taylor, receiver Torry Holt and tight end Henry Ellard.

There were a total of 28 players named as semifinalists, which means ex-Patriots make up a significant portion of the candidates left standing. The next step is whittling the list down to 15 and seeing which players are one step closer to being immortalized in Canton.

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Vince Wilfork wants to meet with Patriots ahead of Ravens matchup

Vince Wilfork is looking forward to giving a little pep talk to the Patriots heading into Sunday’s game against Baltimore

Former New England Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork is no stranger to the rivalry between the Patriots and Baltimore Ravens.

The Patriots played the Ravens 10 times during his 11 seasons with New England, including some heated postseason battles. The rivalry has quieted down a bit since then, as New England and Baltimore have met just three times since 2014. New England defeated Baltimore by a 23-17 margin the last time the two teams met in a torrential downpour of rainy conditions.

Although he is no longer playing for the Patriots, Wilfork is excited for the game, as the Patriots look to win their second game of the season. He is in town to be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame this Saturday. While he’s here, he’s hoping to give the team some advice before the big game.

“So I’m hoping I can get over there (Friday),” said Wilfork, per NESN’s Zack Cox. “I don’t know yet, but that’s the goal, because I love being around. I love showing my face. Boston’s been great to me, the organization has been super wonderful, and Bill, he’s always, always been there for me. If I have a chance to get over there … it would make me happy, especially going against a team in the Ravens where we have a little rivalry there. I have a few things I would love to tell the team to get them ready for Sunday. So we’re going to see if we can make that happen.”

The Patriots will have to be on their A-game as they take on a Ravens team that is potent offensively and defensively. One has to wonder how much of an impact Wilfork will have on Sunday’s game, this time off the field.

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Patriots legend Vince Wilfork gives honest take on Matt Patricia coaching offense

Vince Wilfork is confident in Matt Patricia.

Some eyebrows have been raised at the thought of Matt Patricia taking over the New England Patriots offense. Nevertheless, one former Patriots legend is confident that the coach can get it done.

Vince Wilfork was with the Patriots for 11 years and saw Patricia work with the coaching staff over the course of his career.  He is just the latest in a string of Patriots to praise the work that Patricia is doing.

Former running back James White indicated he had confidence in the offensive system. Mac Jones sung Patricia’s praises following the team’s second preseason game against the Carolina Panthers.

Current and former Patriots seem to be on board with Patricia, despite public opinion. Wilfork, who claimed he wasn’t surprised with his former defensive  coach switching to offense, added his opinion to the mix on NBC Sports Boston’s “The Gameplan.”

“No, not [surprised] at all, because when I was a rookie, he was on the offensive side already,” said Wilfork. “He came on the defensive side after I got there. I’ve known Matty P for being an offensive guy from day one when I was there, when I was drafted.

“So I don’t think it’s by mistake, and I think Matty’s going to do a great job over there because one thing I know with Bill [Belichick], is they have a lot of communication going on and everybody is always in the mix with everything. So Matt won’t be calling all the plays. It’s always a team effort, from the coaching staff to the players. I have full confidence in Matt, knowing what he’s doing on the offensive side of the ball because he’s proven himself there with me when I was a rookie.”

Patricia will have his work cut out for him as he helps New England take on an aggressive Miami Dolphins defense. The play-calling will certainly be intriguing, as the Patriots will look for a fast start against a Dolphins team they have not beaten since 2020.

A win on Sunday would certainly boost confidence in the offense, as New England looks to keep pace with the elite in the division.

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Vince Wilfork Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony gets date

Save the date for Vince Wilfork’s Patriots Hall of Fame induction.

One of the greatest defensive linemen in New England Patriots’ franchise history, Vince Wilfork, is set to be immortalized as a member of the franchise’s personal Hall of Fame.

The announcement of the Patriot legend’s entry was made back in May. But on Monday, the team released more details surrounding the upcoming induction ceremony.

The ceremony is slated to take place on Saturday, September 24 at the Enel Plaza at Gillette Stadium at 4 p.m. ET. Following the induction, the Patriots will also pay tribute to Wilfork that Sunday during halftime of their Week 3 regular season game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Wilfork spent 11 seasons with the Patriots after being drafted by the team with the No. 21 overall pick of the 2004 NFL draft. He’s had a stellar NFL career with two Super Bowl wins, multiple All-Pro nods and five Pro Bowl selections.

This will be the 32nd inductee into the Patriots Hall of Fame, and considering what Wilfork meant to the team and greater community, it should be a memorable one.

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