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Patriots Ups & Downs: Week 1

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(Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

The Patriots experienced their first Week 1 loss since 2017 at the hands of the Miami Dolphins, a disappointing loss, but I came away with some optimism about the position that means the most in the NFL.

Here are my ups and downs from yesterday’s loss to the Dolphins.

Ups ⬆️

Mac Jones

And this is where my optimism lies. A very solid debut for Mac yesterday, I think all of my hopes were satisfied from what I wanted to see out of him. He quickly moved on from a shaky start in the first quarter and had a very accurate afternoon.

Sure, the loss was frustrating, but if there’s one thing we should be pleased with as a fanbase, it was Mac getting off to a good start in the league as QB 1.

Nelson Agholor

A productive game for Agholor on his Pats debut, he scored the team’s only touchdown and had 5 catches for 75 yards whilst teaming up with Jakobi Meyers to be Mac’s main targets.

Agholor shook off any concern of him being just a 1/2 play a game player and was the best of the group yesterday.

Matt Judon

What a beast Matt Judon is, he carried on from his strong preseason with plenty of disruption for the Dolphins offensive line to deal with. His play of the day was when he speared Tua, resulting in an interception by Jonathan Jones.

Judon is going to be the spearhead of the Patriots defense, Uche also showed some flashes, the pass rush, in general, was an up yesterday.

Nick Folk

Was activated as one of the practice squad elevations and had a perfect night of kicking as he went 3/3 on field goals and 1/1 on extra points. There was some question about who would be handling the kicking duties, Folk turned out to be the man for the job and continued his good streak of kicking on the back of last season.

With Quinn Nordin still on the 53 man roster, I can’t see the Patriots carrying him for an extended period of time throughout the season, he could go down to the PS when someone like N’Keal Harry returns from IR.

Downs ⬇️

The Offensive Line

Yeesh, for how much the offensive line was bigged up this offseason to be a force, they really underwhelmed against a blitz-heavy Dolphins attack yesterday. They really didn’t quell a lot of the pressure Mac Jones was experiencing. Then they lost Trent Brown with a calf injury, which fortunately sounds to be minor from a report by Adam Schefter earlier today.

Justin Herron came in to replace Brown on the right side and was eventually benched following a poor performance.

Now, the line didn’t stink all day, they enabled Damien Harris to have a good day on the ground and it isn’t easy to stop the sort of pressure Miami was bringing all day, but they have to be better in pass protection, Mac can’t be taking as many hits as he did yesterday all season.

Damien Harris

The only reason Harris makes the list for a down day was because of the game-ending fumble, it completely overshadowed all of his good work throughout the game for me.

He did have a solid start in terms of numbers as the franchise lead running back, and I think he’ll be back strong and will learn a lot from that mistake.

Rhamondre Stevenson

Stevenson had a fumble of his own which should have been reversed after a review, but regardless, it was the first turnover of the day and Stevenson was put in the doghouse for it. He ended the game with just one rushing attempt, a down day for him.

Penalties

This was driving me insane yesterday. The Patriots finished the game with 8 penalties for 84 yards, totally unacceptable and something I’m sure Bill will be addressing in the coming days.

Penalties kill drives and lose games, the team needs to find some discipline in this area, and I think they will.

Coaching Strategy

I’m stealing this one from the guys from Patriots.com post-game show, they were talking about how they were disappointed that Mac didn’t have any shots into the endzone (apart from the touchdown to Agholor). Especially as both Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry were playing, I agree, perhaps a specific game plan for Jones in his first game, but they gotta get him slinging it into the scoring areas.

I’m not saying Josh’s playcalling was bad, but at times it feels they’re trying to be a little too cute, but it’s early days and I think the offense will evolve over the early part of the season.

The Dolphins increased the tempo to add extra heat in New England

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(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

As I accidentally take a sip of my now cold coffee (okay ew!), I mull over how I feel as a Patriots fan about the first regular season game being a loss.

In my preseason wrap-ups I urged you to not look at the numbers, meaning mostly the scores, and as cliché as it may sound, I would urge you still not to.

Instead, maybe look at this big picture as a whole. For starters, the defense put down numbers that would make them look better than they really were, and perhaps the scores on the board made the offense not look quite as good as they performed.

The game day surprises came early with the release of the inactive list. The addition of Nick Folk over Quinn Nordin didn’t shock many; disappointed a few – maybe, but the inclusion of Devin Asiasi and J.J. Taylor on the list had many of us fans somewhat stunned. Taylor’s beast like efforts in the preseason were expected to make him a game day lock and with the niggles of injury between the two free agency signing tight ends, Asiasi was a name fans were perhaps expecting to be featured in the first regular season game, at least a little.

But the confidence in Hunter Henry’s fitness, who hadn’t featured in any preseason games due to a shoulder injury, must have been high because he lined up for 54 of the snaps (72%) and was utilised as an excellent blocker. Hunter was even targeted 3 times for 3 receptions and 31 yards.

And Hunter wasn’t the only tight end to show up to the Boston TE party, Jonnu Smith was featured here, there, and everywhere with 55 snaps.  Undertaking blocking, 1 hand off with a rush for 6 yards and 5 receptions for 42 yards. Smith did fumble (more on that later) but fortunately the dependable David Andrews moved like lightning and had his body on that ball to keep it safe, and save Smith’s butt.

That’s not to say the tight endage was sparkling and amazing, but it was there, and it was seen, and I will take that, thank you very much!

Now, I mentioned Smith’s fumble, and as much as David Andrews saved it, that wasn’t the only one. Thanks to Damien Harris and the call on Rhamondre Stevenson too, the Patriots racked up 4 fumbles during this 1 game, and the amount of penalties was equally as concerning. 

I know I know, I asked you not to get hung up on the numbers, and I assure you I am not, but some things you just can’t gloss over.

Although my score prediction was incorrect, I had the Patriots winning 22 to 18, I predicted the game would be messy for both sides, and I think I got it right (for once!). But I’ve gotta admit the Patriots’ Alabama rookie quarterback looked better than the Dolphins’ one — and if you watched the game you’d know I’m not being completely biased there.

But, the Patriots defense didn’t hold the Dolphins the way that I predicted. Whilst Matt Judon definitely earned his dolla dolla bills, the majority of the secondary was rather inconsistent. J.C. Jackson had some beautiful coverage with a knock away in the middle of the second quarter but he, along with Jonathan Jones, displayed plenty of instability during this first game. And at times, it appeared to me as though the Dolphins receivers were coated in butter, they were so slippery. 

Still, there were plenty of positives as well as negatives to take away from this match up and perhaps the most important one was how Mac Jones performed. This young guy, just turned 23, is the first rookie signal caller to start for the Patriots since Drew Bledsoe in 1993, and I don’t think I am out of order to say most of the time he didn’t look it. What I mean is Mac was cool, calm, and collected. He had some pocket presence awareness, he was decisive and in command, throwing 39 times for 29 completions and 281 passing yards. 

Okay folks, Mac isn’t perfect, he has a way to go. As does the defence, and I guess the team as a whole. But the show isn’t over yet, in fact it is literally only just beginning. So don’t get swept up in the loss, get excited for the next win!

Go Pats!

PatsProp Preview – We’re on to Miami

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(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

The season is finally here, and Patriots football is just a day away. Tomorrow, the New England Patriots welcome the Miami Dolphins to Gillette Stadium, along with thousands of fans, for the first time since the 2019 season.

One’s To Watch

Here are the Patriots I’ll be keeping my eye on this weekend and why.

Mac Jones

Not a surprise here, Mac Jones makes his professional debut as an NFL starting quarterback. Many teams across the league have seen multiple signal-callers over the last few years, but, for the Patriots, it’ll be the first time a rookie quarterback will start week 1 as the starter since Drew Bledsoe in 1993.

Whatever the circumstance behind it, Mac won the starting job and gets his chance to lead this team against his former teammate in Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins. Jones will come up against some a good Miami secondary who should be more prepared than last season to deal with a more conventional pocket-passing style player.

I want to see Jones enjoy his first game and it would be awesome for him to get a win under his belt early, against a good, competent Miami outfit.

Matt Judon

Oh boy, am I excited to see Judon gear up and get on the field tomorrow. In the small sample size of reps we saw in the preseason, Judon was full tilt and made light work of the opposition offensive fronts. Judon, a two-time Pro Bowler with Baltimore, is the FA signing of the season for me, I think that will show as much in the first half of the schedule.

Expect to see him mainly in the pass-rush attack along with Josh Uche, which could be a scary tandem this year, especially if Barmore can get going in the interior.

J.C. Jackson

With Stephon Gilmore out for at least the first six games, J.C. Jackson will be at the top of the depth chart as starting cornerback. Jackson is coming off a monster nine-interception season in 2020 and needs to keep that juice flowing, starting tomorrow against Miami.

If the pass-rush can give Tua trouble, he has shown the tendency to throw balls into traffic, and with Jackson being the ball-hawk he is, expect him to be busy. Jackson could well convince the team to give him a big extension this year with his performances in the opening portion of the season.

Damien Harris

With Sony Michel traded to the Rams earlier in the offseason, the time has come for Damien Harris. Harris got limited reps in the preseason as a starter, which led to good opportunities for both Rhamondre Stevenson and J.J. Taylor to cement their place in the depth chart.

I feel good about the offensive line this year and I can’t wait to see Harris get his wheels turning, he could be in for a big year. Not to mention, if the running game gets going nicely, it should help the passing attack open up more, which could be a big boost for Mac and the receivers.

Jakobi Meyers

Imagine a couple of years ago someone telling you that UDFA Jakobi Meyers would be the top receiver for the Patriots, some journey huh? But it’s true! Meyers has had an extraordinary rise to the top of the depth chart following a good performance last year, that carried through to training camp.

Meyers will be Mac’s safety blanket of the group, which will give him great options over the middle out of the slot, I think he’ll lead the team for catches this year.

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2021 NFL season: how the bookies rate the Patriots chances

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September 9 2021, is an important date in the diary of sports fans everywhere as it signals the return of the NFL. The biggest and most famous competition in American Football, the NFL is followed by a global audience with viewers from Las Vegas to London, Texas to Turin. The curtain goes up with a mouth-watering match between the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers before the action steps up a notch on Saturday and Sunday.

The leading betting apps available in certain states of America as well as major cities across the globe offer fans an opportunity to bet on the outcome of the season as well as each upcoming match. Bet on the winner of the regular season to make the playoffs, win the Superbowl, or even to score the first touchdown in a game. There’s something for everyone who is looking for a financial interest in football.

You’ll find the best odds and promotions available on your team when visiting sportsbettingsites.com, and it’s crucial you follow their advice to secure the most generous odds. To stand any chance of making a profit from your football bets, you must have the best prices working in your favor throughout the season.

How do the Vegas traders expect the Patriots to get on in what will be the 102nd season of the National Football League? We can take our clues from the betting before a ball has been kicked in anger on matchday one. Let’s dig a little deeper.

Traders have their say

As dedicated fans of New England will know only too well, the Patriots have won six Superbowl championships between 2001 and 2018 and have been particularly impressive in recent seasons. The team won three Superbowl titles in five seasons but hasn’t finished on top in two seasons. Is that mini drought about to come to an end with New England returning to the head of American Football?

That remains to be seen, but those creating the odds at the most popular online bookies have made their feelings known and offer outright betting odds on the Superbowl winner. The playoffs are scheduled to begin on January 15 2022, with the big one, the Superbowl decider, played on February 13 2022. You can gamble on each stage of the season or look ahead and give yourself a long-term interest by trying to predict the Superbowl winning team. This bet will keep your interest for the entire time your team is in the running.

Will you follow the thinking of the betting traders and go for one of the favorites or take them on with a team with a bigger price attached? In pre-season, many bettors prefer to take a bit of a stab in the dark and play an outsider at big odds for a small stake in the hope of catching an upset and landing a handsome pay-out in addition to the bragging rights.

When making your selections, it’s worth doing as much research as possible. There is no hard and fast way to beat the bookies and make a guaranteed profit from football betting, but there are things you can do to increase your chances, and researching every pick is the best of them. Follow the pre-season transfers and trades, coaches interviews, injury news, formations, and even the COVID latest coming out of the team. With all this information at your hand, you will be well placed to take the bookies on by making an informed decision.

Where do the Patriots feature?

What are the chances of New England returning as kings of the NFL this season? The bookies aren’t sitting on the fence here, pricing New England way down the pecking order with betting odds that suggest the Patriots will be little more than also-rans this term. Pats are 12th on the Superbowl betting list, and that will come as a surprise to many.

Some of the teams thought to have a better chance at winning the Superbowl include the Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee Titans, and the Seattle Seahawks. There are two ways you can interpret that call from the odds-makers. You can either accept it and take the traders at their word, looking beyond NE for your Superbowl pick this season or you can stick with the Patriots and see the value in backing them at the generous odds offered

BREAKING – Patriots cut QB Cam Newton

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Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Wow oh wow. Mac Jones has won the quarterback competition in New England as the Patriots have released Cam Newton.

I honestly did not see this coming, I’m shocked. The way a final couple of preseason games went indicated that Cam was the starter and would get the nod to begin the 2021 season, but how wrong was I?!

A couple of things to note here. Firstly, Mac has done enough to show Bill he can be capable of running the offense in the regular season. And second, Cam’s issue with having to isolate may have played a big role moving forward as he was unvaccinated.

Now, this isn’t about if it’s right or wrong to get the vaccine, but the team may have felt it would have put them in a detrimental position if Newton had to isolate with no prior notice before a game during the regular season.

Mac Jones will be the team’s starter in Week 1 against Miami. The first time a rookie has been named starter since Drew Bledsoe in 1993.

Patriots Roster Projection 2.0

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Preseason is over, the Patriots finished 3-0 during the now shorter schedule with wins over Washington, Philadelphia, and New York. By 4pm EST tomorrow, the roster will be trimmed down to 53 players, as league rules demand.

Here’s my final 53-man roster projection:

Quarterback (2)

Cam Newton
Mac Jones

PUP – Jarrett Stidham

I have just two QB’s to start the season as I think Stidham will still be on PUP, no place for Hoyer either, whilst his experience is valuable, I can’t see the team using a roster spot on him. Potentially a practice squad addition?

I wouldn’t rule out Stidham being cut tomorrow either, he’s clearly not in the team’s long-term plans.

Running back (5)

Damien Harris
Rhamondre Stevenson
J.J. Taylor
James White
Jakob Johnson (FB)

A couple of weeks ago, I had six backs making the roster, but with Sony Michel traded to the Rams last week, I’ve decided to only keep the other five originally selected.

Damien Harris has established himself as the lead back with Stevenson and Taylor showing remarkable improvements over the last couple of months. James White will be the go-to pass-catcher in the backfield, Jakob Johnson is the team’s fullback.

Wide receiver (5)

Nelson Agholor
Kendrick Bourne
Jakobi Meyers
N’Keal Harry
Gunner Olszewski

Whilst Harry’s future is still up in the air, his injury won’t have helped his trade value, I can’t see him being moved right now and it makes no sense to cut him as he’s still on his rookie deal. Agholor, Bourne, and Meyers are locks. Olszewski makes the team for his return ability alone, he needs to work on his pass-catching.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see the team bring in a new face from waivers or the trade block.

Tight end (4)

Hunter Henry
Jonnu Smith
Devin Asiasi
Matt LaCosse

Four TE’s make it, and the first three are locks. LaCosse was injured during joint training with the Eagles, if he’s fit, he makes it on as the fourth option. The team will want to utilize multiple tight-end formations, but they need this group to stay healthy. Don’t be surprised to see the team active on the waiver wire/trade market in the next week or so.

Offensive line (8)

David Andrews (C)
Ted Karras (C/G)
Shaq Mason (G)
Isaiah Wynn (T)
Trent Brown (T)
Michael Onwenu (G/T)
Justin Herron (G/T)
Yodny Cajuste (T)

Eight make my final total for the offensive line, the majority are locks, but Yodny Cajuste is the one addition to the list I put in my first projection a couple of weeks ago. Cajuste had a strong finish to camp and for my money has earned his spot on the roster.

Rookie Will Sherman never made any strides to earn a spot, the likes of James Ferentz and Alex Redmond could be practice squad candidates.

Defensive line (6)

Henry Anderson
Christian Barmore
Lawrence Guy
Davon Godchaux
Deatrich Wise Jr.
Carl Davis

Christian Barmore has been really fun to watch in the preseason games, his strength stands out among all else as time and again he’s caused major disruption in the pocket against opposition QB’s. Henry Anderson makes the team, along with Guy and Godchaux, who I think will have a good year against the run. Deatrich Wise signed a big deal in the offseason, he’s not going anywhere, and Carl Davis is in for depth.

Linebacker (7)

Dont’a Hightower
Kyle Van Noy
Matt Judon
Josh Uche
Chase Winovich
Ronnie Perkins
Ja’Whaun Bentley

This is the position that will be fun to watch this year. The top four are locks, I have no interest in Winovich leaving, he makes my roster, I think he can have a big role this season, but, a small part of me thinks he may get traded. Perkins is in after a fairly quiet first camp for him, and Bentley, who’s had some flashes in the preseason, completes the group.

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Preseason closes as the Patriots head to the Big Apple and take a bite!

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A win is a welcome sight, like that first cup of coffee after a sleep deprived evening watching your favourite team play.

But it is all about perspective, as I may have said before. Perception, a 22 – 20 win over the New York Giants that didn’t look easy. Concerns for the Patriots future, you bet your butt I have some.

That’s not to say they played terribly, but even after three preseason games, on the cusp of the commencement of the 2021 regular season, there are a lot of questions to be answered in New England.

I’m not really going to go into the quarterback kerfuffle because it’s the longest topic we have seen since Tom Brady had a dynasty, and even though a lot of people feel that from the way Mac Jones played (pretty decent, not great, not awful) and from how many snaps Cam Newton took, nine by the way, Cam Newton is probably going to be the regular season starter. When asked if he had decided who will be QB1 come September 12th, Coach said no.

So I shall refill my coffee mug and move right along folks!

Right now fans are wondering who is going to make the roster of 53 tomorrow, and a guy I thought maybe wasn’t as much on the bubble as he was last year is Gunner Olszewski. 

Unfortunately, his performance last night does not fill me with confidence. Now into his third Patriots year Gunner seem to struggle, and with some of the “bread and butter” of his position. A lovely throw from Mac Jones that hit his hands — the wide receiver should have caught that. 

Michael Jackson Sr was a name I heard all over the place at camp, and in a good way. However, last night was not his night, and that’s not great when you’re a “bubble guy.” He was in a multitude of unfortunate situations and penalties such as defensive holding and too many men on the field, and that helps bring a guys stock down. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a slight on him, it always sucks when players have to get cut. My perspective is the way he played last night may be unfortunate timing. 

Defense was something that was added to considerably in the off season and with some nice big bodies. Henry Anderson was one such nice big body. However, I don’t feel I have been delivered as promised. I was really excited to see this guy but it’s been so quiet surrounding him. I’m unsure if it’s just the addition of too much depth and he hasn’t really had his chance, or if he just hasn’t sparkled. But I have to admit I am concerned that a guy I thought would be a lock, may find himself out in the cold come Tuesday night. 

But hey I’m not all full of negativity this Monday morning! And whilst I’m trying to be full of coffee, I have still plenty of optimism left in the tank. 

Speaking of coffee, a player full of beans that pleased (ha! You see what I did there? Okay… Anyway…) was definitely J.J. Taylor. I was in on this kid last year and this year he just looks explosive. Small and compact with such power, Taylor wasn’t just sparkling, he was on fire!

It’s no secret the run game is a Patriot thing, and another running back who has really shown promise is Rhamondre Stevenson. His name popped up on the call sheet significantly too this game. I think I’m going to do one of those Cam Newton nickname thingies again and dub this kid Steamerson, this kid steams through the defense!

With some uncertainty at the cornerback position (I’m not getting into all the Gilmore stuff this morning, let’s just put uncertainty there and leave it at that), D’Angelo Ross really stepped up and played for his job. His tackle on the Giants’ tight end Evan Engram for an interception was delicious. If uncertainty continues to plague the position as well as injury, Ross may have put himself in a good position with his efforts last night.

Another player that stepped up during position depletion due to injury is Devin Asiasi. I will be honest here folks, although they may call me the Empress of Tight Endage (there’s also the Queen of TE’s, the Baroness of Blockers… it’s all in good fun) but I was ready to cut Asiasi whilst pondering my own 53.

I know I know some of you will say how unrealistic that may be considering the lack of healthy tight ends we have presently and the fact that he is a second year third round drafted player. But in my defense, I hadn’t seen much from this guy to get me excited and that what I wanted to see. Perhaps he got wind of me cutting him because last night he played great. Catching a back shoulder field route from Mac Jones, 4 receptions for 64 yards over all, Devin Asiasi may just find himself on ClazzyClare’s 53 man roster.

But in all seriousness now, Asiasi had been possibly dealing with the after effects of suffering from COVID as well as not the best first season a rookie can have training camp and experience wise. Many people have many good things to say about him and I think maybe last night he finally got the opportunity to display that.

So there you have it you lovely Patriots fans, the preseason is in the bag with a nice unblemished score card too. Let’s move forward with a little perspective, there’s still a lot to do and a lot of answers to find, but its Monday and it’s time to fill up your coffee mugs and just enjoy.

Go Pats!