3+ week, 5+ day ago (354+ words) The 2025 NFL trade deadline is just hours away, and teams around the league are making last-minute moves to improve their rosters before it's too late. The Patriots have been reportedly looking into their options at various positions, including EDGE and wide receiver, but have yet to make a trade. There is still plenty of time, and given the recent injury to Kayshon Boutte, there has been a lot of chatter suggesting a big move for a receiver could be in the works. But until that possibility becomes reality, the team chose to sign a free agent receiver instead. According to multiple NFL insiders, Brenden Rice, the son of NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, is signing with New England. This seems to indicate Boutte's status for next week, confirming he will miss at least one game. The 23-year-old was a…...

3+ week, 6+ day ago (457+ words) The New England Patriots snuck by the Atlanta Falcons by the proverbial "skin of their teeth", 24-23 after a missed extra point by the Falcons. A lot went wrong, including two unusual gaffes by the soaring Drake Maye, but one aspect loomed particularly large for the listless Patriots' defense. They can't get sacks when they need them, and they have to remedy that now. The Patriots were out-sacked six to one by the Falcons in this tale of two halves. The Patriots dominated the first half until poor clock management by Mike Vrabel helped set up a Maye gaffe that ended any chance for a late score. Yet, the clear imperative for the Patriots before the 4:00 PM trade deadline on November 4th is to do whatever it takes to land a real sack producer. They have a couple of decent guys in…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (401+ words) The New England Patriots moved to 9-2 on the year after beating the New York Jets on TNF, and for good reason, certain players will get most of the focus. Stefon Diggs has over 100 yards, TreVeyon Henderson had three touchdowns, and rookie UDFA Elijah Ponder had his second consecutive game with a sack. It was an impressive performance that saw the Patriots win 27-14, but a more under-the-radar factor was at play to hold the Jets at bay. Keeping the Jets' offensive production to a minimum isn't all that difficult to do. They've been held to 22 points or less six times through nine games, and their offense ranks 25th in PPG overall. Justin Fields was just benched for Tyrod Taylor this week, and he's had four games with less than 55 passing yards this year. Breece Hall has some impressive games, but he managed…...

1+ day, 5+ hour ago (387+ words) A slim margin victory over the Cincinnati Bengals last week was overshadowed for the New England Patriots by a long list of injuries, some worse than others, and a notably disappointing effort by the goal line offense. Obviously, the injuries have created more headlines in the days that have followed, but the several failed attempts by the offense to score from the one-yard line have prompted many analysts and fans to be concerned for the rest of the season, especially now that the playoffs are creeping up. Making matters worse are the injuries to two starting linemen, rookies Will Campbell and Jared Wilson, both of whom will miss Monday Night's game against the Giants, which will only make their efforts to get into the endzone that much harder. So, of course, Josh McDaniels was asked about the glaring issue earlier…...

2+ week, 4+ day ago (364+ words) The New England Patriots emerged from training camp this summer with one of the youngest 53-man rosters in the NFL. The leadership and play of wide receiver Stefon Diggs has been impossible to ignore through 10 games. He seems to be getting better with each passing week, and that's a scary proposition for the NFL, given the rapid ascension of quarterback Drake Maye." The Patriots have gotten a similar jolt from linebacker Robert Spillane, who's become an irreplaceable piece for Mike Vrabel's defense. The 29-year-old has already piled up 81 total tackles, which ranks top-10 in the NFL. He also ranks sixth among 86 qualifying linebackers in Pro Football Focus' rush defense grade. Similar to Diggs on offense, when Spillane speaks, Patriots fans should be listening. The veteran delivered a quote following Sunday's 28-23 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that speaks to how…...

2+ week, 2+ day ago (359+ words) Mike Vrabel is only 11 regular-season games into Year 1 as head coach of the New England Patriots, and the culture shift in Foxboro has already been seismic. We might've found out the real reason why following the Patriots' 27-14 rout of the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football. Vrabel has spoken a lot about building a program this year, and he's accomplished that feat in short order. His Patriots improved to 9-2, pushed their winning streak to eight games, and now sit alone atop the AFC standings ahead of Sunday's Week 11 slate. Fans who stayed up late for the TNF postgame show learned why Vrabel " who also interviewed with the Jets in early January " wanted to return to New England to coach the Patriots. Contrary to popular belief, it goes beyond his personal relationship with owner Robert Kraft, or even the three…...

1+ week, 3+ day ago (380+ words) The New England Patriots are in the midst of preparing for their Week 12 clash against the Bengals on the road in hopes of continuing their current 8-game win streak. Since beating the Jets last Thursday night, it looked like their upcoming opponent would be without their starting quarterback, and over the last two days, it was made official that they would also be without WR Ja'Marr Chase. Their absences immediately made the Patriots the bigger favorites heading into the game, despite backup QB Joe Flacco impressing while Joe Burrow has been sidelined due to an injury. But now that might not be the case, as the Bengals released their latest injury report on Wednesday, showing that Burrow was a full participant in practice for the first time in several weeks, hinting that he is likely to return to the field…...

1+ week, 4+ hour ago (389+ words) In the days leading up to the New England Patriots' Week 12 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals, most analysts believed it would be an absolute domination by the away team, stealing a win against the frequent AFC North winners. A lot of that was due to their eight-game win streak, which only looked more possible with QB Joe Burrow and WR Ja'Marr Chase sidelined for the matchup. But the game was far from a blowout, and actually came down to a fourth-down pass breakup that gave the Patriots the chance to kneel it out for the win. Although it extends their win streak and gives them 10 wins for the first time since 2021, Mike Vrabel isn't satisfied with how the day went. And to be fair, fans shouldn't be either. That was a messy game that very easily could have gone the…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (394+ words) Although it looks like they have done all the right things to lead them to a 9-2 record, with the most apparent of which being Mike Vrabel as the head coach and Drake Maye as the franchise quarterback, not everyone is convinced that the Patriots are the real deal, which unfortunately includes former starter Cam Newton. Since becoming a co-host on ESPN's "First Take" this year, the ex-quarterback has taken a liking to beating down the Patriots at almost every chance he's been given. That has become particularly apparent in recent weeks, as he referred to New England as "fool's gold" that has only "played scrubs" and will be "one and done" in the playoffs. While that's just his opinion, he's not alone in his take, and Mike Vrabel was finally asked to respond to the hoopla on Monday morning. During…...

2+ week, 3+ day ago (405+ words) Drake Maye's rise from promising rookie to MVP candidate hasn't gone unnoticed in the Patriots' locker room, especially by one of his top targets. FanSided caught up with wide receiver Kayshon Boutte this week, and the second-year wideout didn't hesitate when asked about his quarterback's breakout 2025 season. Boutte spoke to FanSided on behalf of Charmin, playfully insisting that "Charmin loves Boutte and Boutte loves Charmin." The Patriots receiver has partnered with the brand to promote its largest-ever roll, a 1,700-sheet design built to last up to a month before needing a replacement. Boutte discussed a range of topics, from what he's learned under head coach Mike Vrabel to the experience of playing alongside Stefon Diggs, a receiver he grew up watching. But his comments about Maye made it clear how highly the Patriots think of their young quarterback. Hamstring injury…...