The New England Patriots will likely rely more on running back Rhamondre Stevenson now that a torn ACL will sideline backup running back Antonio Gibson for the season.

Stevenson will probably need to take on a larger role in the offense, and the team may also consider using him as a kick returner — a role that Gibson has filled for most of his NFL career.

Reporters asked head coach Mike Vrabel on Friday whether Stevenson might continue to step in for Gibson during kick returns.

“We’ll see where it goes on Sunday, Vrabel said, via 98.5 The Sports Hub’s...

After missing most of training camp due to a hamstring injury, Christian Gonzalez returned for Weeks 4 and 5 and largely looked like his usual self in a pair of New England Patriots victories. And, after not appearing on the injury report for all of last week and this Wednesday, the star corner seemingly had fully recovered from the hamstring issue.

Well, Gonzalez then was listed as a limited participant on Thursday and Friday’s injury reports, and now carries a “questionable” designation for Sunday’s road game against the New Orleans Saints.

Conventional wisdom indicates Gonzalez must’ve suffered a setback, but...

The New England Patriots are preparing for their Week 6 matchup with the New Orleans Saints, and the vibes are high after the team’s statement win over the Buffalo Bills in Week 6. They need to shift their attention quickly, though, as four players have been ruled out for their upcoming game.

For the most part, the Pats have not been hit too hard by injuries this season, but their injury report was looking quite full ahead of this game. The status of several key players was up in the air heading into practice on Friday, and now we have...

In addition to running back Antonio Gibson, the New England Patriots will face the New Orleans Saints down three on defense.

Defensive end Keion White, outside linebacker Anfernee Jennings and safety Jaylinn Hawkins have been ruled out for the road trip, head coach Mike Vrabel announced during his Friday press conference.

All three finished preparations as non-participants in Foxborough. But three others will move forward as questionable, including reigning All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who was a midweek addition to the limited.

Here’s the rest of the game statuses leading up to Sunday’s 1 p.m. ET kickoff at the Caesars Superdome....

Two weeks after soundly beating the Carolina Panthers, the New England Patriots will again be going up against an NFC South team this coming Sunday: they will travel to New Orleans to take on the Saints. Like the Panthers, they are a rather unfamiliar opponent.

So, in order to find out more about the team, we reached out to Nic Jennings of Pats Pulpit’s sister site Canal Street Chronicles — the SB Nation community for all things Saints. Here is what he told us about the upcoming game and what to expect from New England’s Week 6 opponent.

**1. How...

Stefon Diggs and the Patriots snapped the Bills’ undefeated record on Sunday, making him our VA Hero of the Week.

The wide receiver and former Bills player put on a show at Highmark Stadium, going on a heater in the third quarter to catch a clutch 32-yarder from Drake Maye that put the Patriots in scoring position.

Diggs ended the night with a team-high 10 catches for 146 yards in the 23-20 win over Buffalo, as the team moves to 3-2 ahead of their matchup with the 1-4 Saints.

For more on our VA Hero of the Week, check out...

As many of you are likely aware, Google searches are … different these days.

Chances are that you will end up with a less-than-accurate AI summary or get some search results that are not remotely helpful. Needless to say, relying on the biggest search engine on the internet can be a hassle these days — for you, and for us as well.

The good news is Google is offering a solution for folks who like to get their news from specific sources. If you want to help Pats Pulpit — while also streamlining all your Google searches — there is...

The New England Patriots have won back-to-back games for the first time since the 2022 season.

Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs, meanwhile, has recorded consecutive 100-yard receiving games for the first time since the 2023 campaign.

ESPN analytics writer Seth Walder made a bold prediction on Friday, saying that the four-time Pro Bowler will post 80 or more receiving yards for the third straight contest when New England plays the New Orleans Saints in Week 6.

“Diggs will continue his hot streak and record 80-plus receiving yards against the Saints. Through five weeks, Diggs ranks second in ESPN’s open score,”...

Drake Maye continues to draw national recognition after steering the New England Patriots to a Week 5 win over the Buffalo Bills.

Buzz is building around New England’s signal-caller, who has begun his second season with a 107.8 quarterback rating through five games. Maye could be quickly cementing himself among the league’s top passers.

NFL.com’s Nick Shook moved Maye up his weekly quarterback rankings, sliding the 23-year-old two spots to No. 10. An injured Lamar Jackson was removed from the 32 starters ranked, but Maye leapfrogged Jordan Love to headline the third tier.

“Drake Maye has been on fire over...

TEAM TALK

• Patriots-Saints updated Injury Report.
• Mike Dussault‘s Three to Watch: Key Matchups for Patriots at Saints. 1. Handling the WR speed.
• Evan Lazar reports on inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr stepping up and is excelling as the primary defensive play-caller.
• Press Conferences: Josh McDaniels – Jeremy Springer – Zak Kuhr, Scott Booker, Mike Smith, and Justin Hamilton – Christian Barmore – Rhamondre Stevenson, Will Campbell.
• Game Preview: Mike Dussault and Evan Lazar scout the matchups for Week 6. (9 min. video)
• Patriots Unfiltered TV: Bills recap, Saints preview. (22 min. video)
• **Film...

The New England Patriots are going to learn a lot about themselves on Sunday…

New England captured what can best be described as a “signature win” against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, finally capitalizing on some momentum and earning back-to-back victories for the first time in three seasons — and are now looking to make it three straight.

It’ll be easier said than done, though.

The New Orleans Saints are expected to be more challenging than their record might indicate, which is one of a few storylines worth watching with regard to the game itself:

1. SPOTLIGHT ON SECURITY...

The New England Patriots are trending upwards after a big primetime victory over the Buffalo Bills last Sunday night. Now, they’ll look to put together their first three game win streak since 2022 on the road in New Orleans.

So before kickoff, let’s get right into this week’s #PostPulpit Mailbag.

To contrast the positive vibes, can you names 3 areas of biggest concern or improvement you might like to see? – Sportzballer

While things are definitely heading in a positive direction, it’s certainly not perfect. So good question. Here’s my three biggest concerns entering Week 6:

Run game: It’s been...