New England Patriots
As Mike Vrabel stood in front of his team on Wednesday, he posed a simple question: Raise your hand if you were still playing football at this time last year.
In a full room, only defensive tackle Milton Williams raised his hand.
It was an eye-opening moment for quarterback Drake Maye.
“There’s 24 teams at home right now. There’s eight of us practicing and still working,” Maye relayed. “He mentioned it to us today before practice, ‘Take a look, raise your hand, who was still practicing at this time last year?’”
At this point last year, Maye — who just...
Pats Pulpit
The Philadelphia Eagles removed Kevin Patullo from the offensive coordinator position on Tuesday, making them a prime destination for potential coordinator candidates.
Philadelphia may be considering hiring a former NFL head coach to replace Patullo. Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report thinks former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll would be an excellent fit for the position.
“Daboll worked with Jalen Hurts in college with Alabama, helped develop reigning MVP Josh Allen in Buffalo, and probably deserves credit for bringing Jaxson Dart along as a rookie last year in New York,” Gagnon wrote on Wednesday. “The Eagles do not need...
New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots set sights on the AFC divisional round without two.
Offensive tackles Morgan Moses and Thayer Munford Jr. stayed sidelined during Wednesday’s preparations for the Houston Texans due to knee ailments. But there were returnees in Foxborough.
Running back Terrell Jennings, nose tackle Khyiris Tonga, cornerback Christian Gonzalez were all back on hand in a partial capacity for the No. 2 seed.
Here’s the first injury report leading up to Sunday’s 3 p.m. ET kickoff at Gillette Stadium.
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Pats Pulpit
Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are recognized as one of the best quarterback/head coach duos in NFL history. Brady recently shared his experience of playing under Belichick and what he was like as a coach.
“He’s the best coach to ever coach in the NFL,” Brady said Tuesday during the “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast. “One of the great motivators. So many things are uncanny about the coaching style that he had so high expectations for us, and he never let off the gas.”
Brady played under Belichick for 20 seasons, reaching the Super Bowl nine times and winning six championships. While...
New England Patriots - NESN.com
It’s looking more and more like the Houston Texans will be without their best offensive player when they visit the New England Patriots on Sunday.
Star wideout Nico Collins didn’t participate in Wednesday’s Texans practice, according to Houston Chronicle reporter Sam Warren. Collins, one of the best wideouts in the NFL, was carted off the field after suffering a concussion during the Texans’ wild-card win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday.
The two-time Pro Bowler clearly faces an uphill battle toward playing in this Sunday’s divisional-round matchup at Gillette Stadium.
Collins posted over 1,000 receiving yards in each of the...
New England Patriots - NESN.com
Wednesday’s practice offered good news on the Patriots injury front.
First and foremost, star cornerback Christian Gonzalez participated, albeit in a red non-contact jersey, during the media-access portion of practice, fueling hope he’ll clear concussion protocol before Sunday’s divisional-round game against the Texans.
But that’s not all. Defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga, among New England’s best defenders this season, also returned to practice on Wednesday after missing the previous three weeks due to a foot injury. He seemingly has a good chance of suiting up against Houston, though his status will be monitored throughout the week.
Running Back Terrell Jennings, on...
New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots started the on-field preparation for their upcoming divisional playoff game against the Houston Texans on Wednesday, and one of their most important players was part of the proceedings.
Wearing a red non-contact jersey, starting cornerback Christian Gonzalez was present during the short media window at the start of the session. While his participation status has yet to be determined, his presence on the practice field is itself a positive sign: it suggests that he already is in the fourth of five stages of the NFL concussion protocol.
Gonzalez, 23, left the Patriots’ victory over the Los...
Pats Pulpit
Darrell Taylor will go from the No. 5 seed to the No. 2 seed in the AFC.
The New England Patriots have added the former Houston Texans defensive end to the practice squad, as first reported Wednesday by NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.
Taylor, 28, cleared waivers and became a free agent the afternoon prior. Ahead is the chance to prepare for his previous club in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft at No. 48 overall, Taylor stands 69 games into his run off the edges. The 6-foot-4, 255-pound Tennessee Volunteers...
Pats Pulpit
Time will tell whether Christian Gonzalez plays for the Patriots this Sunday, but the star cornerback took a step in the right direction on Wednesday.
Gonzalez suffered a concussion during New England’s wild-card win over the Los Angeles Chargers last Sunday. His status for the divisional-round matchup against the Houston Texans remains up in the air.
However, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel began Wednesday’s news conference by revealing he expected Gonzalez to participate in practice.
“I do anticipate him being out there,” Vrabel told reporters.
Gonzalez later was spotted wearing a red non-contact jersey during the media-access portion of practice....
New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots host the Houston Texans on Sunday in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs.
The Texans have a ferocious defense, and Drake Maye and company will have their hands full. However, the offense led by C.J. Stroud is no joke. The Patriots’ defense looked great last week and will be looking to play well again. However, the team is bringing in some more help.
According to Ian Rapoport, the Patriots are signing defensive end Darrell Taylor to the practice squad, with a “strong possibility” of elevating him for the playoffs. He was waived by the Texans...
New England Patriots - NESN.com
TEAM TALK
Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots have finally gotten off the schneid. After not winning a playoff game in their last seven seasons, they beat the Los Angeles Chargers last Sunday night to punch their ticket to the AFC divisional round.
There, the Houston Texans await. For quarterback Drake Maye and the rest of the Patriots, this will be the toughest test yet. While Houston’s defense is not known for its firepower, it doesn’t need to be: the team’s defense is arguably the best in the league and a unit very much capable of winning games on its own.
Will that happen...
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