Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

Patriots

Patriots Sign Picks Ahead of Camp

by

FOXBORO – New England cornerback Christian Gonzalez and defensive pass rusher Keion White signed their rookie contracts with the New England Patriots on Friday, getting their top two draft picks in the door before the official start of training camp.

Gonzalez was drafted 17th overall after the Patriots moved down in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers from No. 14. The Oregon product was the third cornerback selected in the first round.

“I’m glad Gonzo was there,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said of the selection. “I think when you just go and look for one guy and then he’s not there, there’s other players in the draft that can help us, as well. But he’s been great to work with, and I look forward to getting him ready to go for training camp.”

White, the 46th pick in the draft, had 7.5 sacks at Georgia Tech in 2022 and previously played at Old Dominion.

–Field Level Media

Brady Lost $30 Million in FTX Collapse

by

NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady lost millions in the collapse of cryptocurrency company FTX, for which he served as an ambassador, The New York Times reported Friday. Under an agreement the retired NFL quarterback made with FTX in 2021, he received $30 million in now-worthless stock for his work pitching the company in television ads and at its conference. In step with him at the time was his then-wife, Gisele Bundchen, who received $18 million in stock, per the report.

Embed from Getty Images

FTX filed for bankruptcy last November. Its former CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried, is facing federal fraud-related charges.

And Brady, who won seven Super Bowl titles in his career, also faces legal peril on top of the financial losses. Both Brady and Bundchen, who officially divorced last October, are being sued by FTX investors who want repayment from celebrity endorsers. Basketball Hall of Fame member Shaquille O’Neal also has been sued in the FTX case, as have Larry David of “Seinfeld” fame, tennis player Naomi Osaka and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.

“None of these defendants performed any due diligence prior to marketing these FTX products to the public,” according to the lawsuit, obtained by the Times. It was filed in federal court in Florida.

Before the collapse of FTX, it was valued at $32 billion, including $48 million in shares held by Brady and Bundchen, per the Times. Now, it has no value.

Brady, 45, ranked No. 50 on Forbes’ 2023 list of the World’s Highest-Paid Athletes with earnings of $45.2 million in football salary and endorsements.

Patriots Agree to New Pact with Bentley

by

FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The New England Patriots and linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley are in agreement on a two-year contract extension worth $18.75 million, NFL Network reported.

Embed from Getty Images

The deal includes $9 million fully guaranteed, per the report.

Bentley, 26, started all 17 games for the Patriots in 2022, racking up a career-high 125 tackles.

He has 383 tackles, 5.5 sacks, two interceptions and eight passes defensed in 65 career games (50 starts) in five seasons with the Pats, who selected him in the fifth round of the 2018 draft.

–Field Level Media

Patriots Extend DeVante Parker

by

FOXBORO – The New England Patriots and wide receiver DeVante Parker are in agreement on a new three-year contract worth $33 million, NFL Network and multiple media outlets reported.

Embed from Getty Images

The deal includes $14 million in guaranteed money and per-game roster bonuses, per the report.

Parker, 30, was set to enter the 2023 season on the final year of his current contract, which would have paid him a base salary of $5.7 million.

Parker caught 31 passes for 539 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games (11 starts) for the Patriots in 2022, his first season with the team. The Patriots acquired Parker in a trade with the Miami Dolphins in April 2022.

Parker has 369 catches for 5,266 yards and 27 TDs in 106 career games (75 starts) with the Dolphins and Pats. He was selected No. 14 overall in the 2015 draft by Miami.

The Patriots also signed free agent wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster to a three-year, $25.5 million deal in March and reportedly are one of the teams in on free agent DeAndre Hopkins.

–Field Level Media

Tom Brady Packs It In, For Good

by

TAMPA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Former New England Patriots quarterback and seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady is retiring “for good” after 23 seasons in the NFL. Brady, 45, had announced his retirement on the same exact day (Feb. 1) last year, but reversed his decision six weeks later, claiming he had “unfinished business.”

His return to Tampa Bay came after his break-up with his wife, Gisele Bündchen, the world famous model from Brazil.

Brady won six Super Bowls with the Patriots and one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021. Brady’s final season ended in the Bucs’ 31-14 play-off defeat last month.

“I’m retiring – for good,” he said in an emotional video posted to his social media accounts. “I know the process was a pretty big deal last time, so when I woke up this morning I figured I’d just press record and let you guys know first.

“It won’t be long-winded. You only get one super emotional retirement essay and I used mine up last year.

“Thank you so much to every single one of you for supporting me – my family, my friends, my team-mates, my competitors. I could go on forever – there’s too many. Thank you for allowing me to live my absolute dream. I wouldn’t change a thing. Love you all.”

 

NFL Sports Desk: Dec 24th Round-Up

by

DALLAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report from Field Level Media) – Brett Maher kicked a go-ahead, 48-yard field goal with 2:19 remaining to lift the Dallas Cowboys to a 40-34 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday, preventing the Eagles from clinching in the NFC East and securing the conference’s top overall seed in the playoffs.

The Cowboys (11-4), who trailed 27-17 with nine minutes left in the third quarter, got the ball back one play after Maher’s field goal when Anthony Barr recovered Miles Sanders’ fumble on Philadelphia’s 21-yard line with 2:07 to go.

Maher’s 26-yarder — his fourth field goal in as many tries — made it 40-34 with 1:41 left. The Eagles (13-2) turned the ball over on downs when quarterback Gardner Minshew’s pass on fourth-and-10 from the Cowboys 19-yard line fell incomplete in the end zone with 19 seconds remaining.

Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott went 27 of 35 for 347 yards with three touchdowns and an interception, while Ezekiel Elliott ran for 55 yards and a score on 16 carries. CeeDee Lamb had 10 receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns for Dallas, which has won five of its past six games.

Steelers 13, Raiders 10

Kenny Pickett hit George Pickens on a 14-yard touchdown pass with 46 seconds remaining, and host Pittsburgh kept its slim playoff hopes alive with a victory over Las Vegas during an emotional night.

The last-minute victory was earned four days after the death of former Steelers great Franco Harris and one day after the 50th anniversary of the “Immaculate Reception,” when Harris caught a deflected pass and scored the game-winning touchdown during the final minute of a 1972 playoff game against the Raiders.

In his return after missing last week’s victory over the Carolina Panthers because of a concussion, Pickett was 26 of 39 for 244 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Najee Harris had 53 yards rushing on 16 carries for Pittsburgh (7-8), while Pat Freiermuth had seven catches for 66 yards. Raiders quarterback Derek Carr was 16 of 30 for 174 yards and a touchdown but threw three interceptions. Las Vegas (6-9) could be eliminated from playoff consideration as early as Monday.

Ravens 17, Falcons 9

Tyler Huntley threw Baltimore’s first touchdown pass in a month and the defense kept Atlanta out of the end zone as the hosts won their 10th game and secured a playoff berth.

Starting for the third consecutive game with Lamar Jackson nursing a knee injury, Huntley connected with wide receiver Demarcus Robinson for the Ravens’ first TD pass to a wide receiver since Week 3. Huntley completed 9 of 17 passes for 115 yards and rushed for 26 yards. Gus Edwards had 99 rushing yards and J.K. Dobbins contributed 59 for the Ravens (10-5).

Atlanta (5-10) managed field goals in the second, third and fourth quarters and lost despite outgaining the Ravens 327-299. Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder had 218 yards passing and completed 22 of 33 passes, highlighted by seven connections with rookie wideout Drake London for 96 yards.

Panthers 37, Lions 23

D’Onta Foreman ran for 165 yards and Chuba Hubbard racked up 125 yards on the ground as Carolina got back on track by trouncing Detroit in Charlotte, N.C.

Foreman, Raheem Blackshear and quarterback Sam Darnold all scored rushing touchdowns as the Panthers (6-9) won for the third time in their last four games and remained within a game of first place in the NFC South. The Panthers’ quest for the divisional title will take them to road games against Tampa Bay and New Orleans to close the regular season.

Amid frigid conditions for Carolina’s home finale, Darnold threw for a touchdown as part of his 15-for-22 day with 250 yards through the air. DJ Moore made five catches for 83 yards and a score. Jared Goff threw three TD passes to Shane Zylstra for the Lions (7-8), but the result was damaging to Detroit’s wild-card aspirations. Goff finished 25-for-42 for 355 yards. DJ Chark made four catches for 108 yards.

Bills 35, Bears 13

Devin Singletary and James Cook combined for 205 rushing yards and each ran for a touchdown, Josh Allen had three total TDs and visiting Buffalo topped Chicago to clinch the AFC East title.

Buffalo (12-3) prevailed during a frigid afternoon at Soldier Field, stretching its winning streak to six while earning the franchise’s third consecutive division crown. The Bears (3-12) lost their eighth straight.

The Bills overcame two interceptions and a fumble to outgain the Bears 426-209. Chicago was unable to hold on after taking a 10-6 lead into halftime.

Saints 17, Browns 10

Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill each ran for a touchdown and visiting New Orleans shut out Cleveland in the second half to cruise to a win.

Neither team passed the ball effectively as the game was played in single-digit temperatures with winds gusting to about 30 mph. Hill and Kamara scored their touchdowns in the third quarter as the Saints (6-9) held the Browns (6-9) to 33 yards in the frame.

The Seahawks (7-8) lost for the fifth time in their past six games to remain just below the playoff line in the NFC. Geno Smith was 25-of-40 passing for 215 yards for Seattle, with one touchdown and one interception. Kenneth Walker III rushed for 107 yards on 26 attempts and DK Metcalf had seven catches for 81 yards.

Vikings 27, Giants 24

Greg Joseph hit a 61-yard field goal as time expired to lead Minnesota to a win over New York in Minneapolis.

Kirk Cousins went 34-of-48 passing for 299 yards and three touchdowns, Justin Jefferson caught 12 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown and T.J. Hockenson caught 13 passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns for Minnesota (12-3).

Daniel Jones went 30-of-42 passing for 334 yards in defeat for the Giants (8-6-1). Saquon Barkley rushed for 84 yards and a score and Isaiah Hodgins caught eight passes for 89 yards and a TD.

Embed from Getty Images

Bengals 22, Patriots 18

Joe Burrow threw for 375 yards and three touchdowns and Cincinnati survived a second-half comeback to down New England in Foxboro.

After trailing 22-0 in the third, New England (7-8) clawed its way back to within 22-18 with 6:02 left after Jakobi Meyers caught a 48-yard TD pass. The Patriots had a chance to take their first lead with 59 seconds left to play, but Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled at the Cincinnati 8-yard line to seal the win for the Bengals (11-4), who clinched a playoff berth on Thursday when the Jets lost to Jacksonville.

Burrow completed 40 of 52 passes with a pair of picks, one of which was returned for a 69-yard TD by Marcus Jones. Tee Higgins had eight grabs for 128 yards and a TD, while Trenton Irwin had two receiving scores. For New England, Mac Jones (21-for-33 passing) threw for 240 yards and two TDs. Kendrick Bourne had six catches for 100 yards and a TD and Meyers finished with six receptions for 83 yards.

Texans 19, Titans 14

Davis Mills’ 6-yard touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks with 2:52 left led Houston to a 19-14 win over Tennessee in Nashville, Tenn.

The outcome snapped a nine-game losing streak for Houston (2-12-1) and sent reeling Tennessee (7-8) to its fifth straight loss. Derrick Henry rushed for 126 yards and a score for the Titans, who fell into a first-place tie in the AFC South with Jacksonville.

Mills finished 17 of 28 for 178 yards with a touchdown and an interception, throwing for 69 yards on the winning drive. Houston’s defense came up with two stops to secure the win. Christian Harris intercepted Malik Willis at the Texans 42 with 1:39 remaining and Jalen Pitre picked off a Hail Mary pass in the end zone on the game’s last play.

49ers 37, Commanders 20

Brock Purdy connected with George Kittle for two touchdown passes and San Francisco stretched its winning streak to eight games with a victory over Washington at Santa Clara, Calif.

NFL sack leader Nick Bosa had two more to raise his season total to 17.5 and forced a fumble for the 49ers (11-4). Purdy completed 15 of 22 passes for 234 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for San Francisco. Kittle caught six passes for 120 yards and has four scoring receptions over the past two games.

Taylor Heinicke was 13-of-18 passing for 166 yards with two touchdowns and one interception for Washington (7-7-1) before being pulled in the fourth quarter. Carson Wentz entered for the first time since a Week 6 finger injury and completed 12 of 16 passes for 123 yards and one touchdown.

–Field Level Media

NFL Desk: Patriots, Cards in “Must Win”

by

GLENDALE – Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals are in desperation mode as they entertain the New England Patriots on Monday night at Arizona. The Cardinals (4-8) are among the NFL’s biggest underachievers this season and sit three games behind the NFC’s final playoff spot with five contests remaining.

Embed from Getty Images

Since only two NFC teams have fewer victories, another setback will all but eliminate Arizona and place fourth-year coach Kliff Kingsbury firmly on the hot seat.

However, standout safety Budda Baker doesn’t want to have to wave the white flag before it becomes necessary.

“At the end of the day when it’s time to work we work,” Baker, who has a team-best 90 tackles, told reporters. “We’ve got five more opportunities. We have to take the best of those opportunities because (the NFL) stands for not for long. We’ve got five more opportunities to play some good football and that’s the plan that we’re going to do.”

The Cardinals are coming off a bye. However, they have lost two straight games and six of their last eight, and they will need Murray to heat up if they are to make a dash for a playoff spot.

The fourth-year pro passed for fewer than 200 yards in each of his last two appearances — he missed two November games due to a hamstring injury — and has a career-worst 6.1 average yards per attempt.

He also has received career-most criticism due to his performance after receiving a five-year, $230.5 million extension in the offseason.

“You understand the position that you are in, what comes with it, what you have to face,” Murray said. “I’m not really new to it. Something I’ve been dealing with, not my whole life but for the most part of my life having to deal with stuff like that. It doesn’t affect me.”

The Patriots (6-6) also have lost two straight games and are experiencing issues of their own.

New England also is on the outside of the playoff chase, sitting one game behind the New York Jets for the final AFC wild-card spot.

The atmosphere is certainly tense. During a Dec. 1 home loss to the Buffalo Bills, quarterback Mac Jones got heated on the sideline over the lack of deep pass plays being called.

Jones’ play hasn’t been as solid as his 2021 rookie campaign. He passed for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns last season; he has 1,963 yards and seven scoring throws in nine games this season.

He said the Patriots are close to getting their offensive act together.

“We’ve just got to eliminate those (bad plays) at this point,” Jones said. “There are a few plays in every game — a handful of plays that just aren’t very good. Once we can fix those, then everything goes.”

Earlier this week, New England coach Bill Belichick told WEEI that it’s too difficult to make major changes to the offense at this point in the season.

That doesn’t sound too promising, considering the Patriots sit 24th in total offense at 318.9 yards per game and are tied for 19th in scoring offense (20.8 points per game).

“If we can just do, consistently, what we’re doing, I think we’ll be all right,” Belichick said. “We just haven’t been able to have enough consistency. And that’s hurt us. It’s not one thing. One time it’s one thing. Next time it’s something else. We just have to play and coach more consistently.”

Left tackle Trent Brown (illness) and right tackle Isaiah Wynn (foot) were among the New England players who missed practice on Thursday. Also sitting out were receiver Jakobi Meyers (concussion), running back Damien Harris (thigh) and cornerback Jalen Mills (groin).

Arizona receiver DeAndre Hopkins (illness) sat out Thursday. Other Cardinals to miss practice were cornerback Byron Murphy (back), left guard Rashaad Coward (chest) and receiver Rondale Moore (groin).

–Field Level Media

NFL Desk: Patriots Edge J-E-T-S, 10-3

by

FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service/Field Level Media Report) – New England’s Marcus Jones returned a punt 84 yards for a touchdown with five seconds remaining as the Patriots picked up their 14th consecutive win over the New York Jets, escaping with a 10-3 victory on Sunday afternoon in chilly and gusty Massachusetts.

Embed from Getty Images

In a game that featured 17 punts, Jones provided the only touchdown to lead the Patriots (6-4) to their third straight win. New England’s defense was suffocating, holding New York (6-4) to just 2 yards of total offense in the second half and 103 for the entire game.

Patriots quarterback Mac Jones completed 23 of 27 passes for 246 yards, while Damien Harris finished with 65 yards on eight carries. Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for just 26 yards but added another 56 on six catches.

Zach Wilson threw for just 77 yards on 9-for-22 passing. He also ran for a team-high 26 yards, while Michael Carter went for 19 yards on eight carries. New York’s defense stood strong as well, sacking Jones six times.

New England appeared to score the game’s first touchdown with 10:27 remaining in the fourth when Kyle Dugger sacked Wilson, Wilson fumbled and Davon Godchaux scooped up the loose ball at the Jets 10 and walked into the end zone.

However, Wilson ended up being ruled down, keeping things knotted at 3-all.

Both teams punted on their first two drives, but Nick Folk broke the scoreless tie at the beginning of the second quarter with a 24-yard field goal to punctuate a 14-play, 74-yard drive. New York quickly evened the score, though, thanks to Greg Zuerlein’s 45-yarder on the ensuing possession.

Folk had a chance to give the Patriots a lead before the break, but his kick clanked off the crossbar from 44 yards out with 2:49 left in the first half.

New England totaled seven first downs through the first 30 minutes of action, while the Jets managed just four as the teams combined for 252 total yards of offense.

Folk also missed from 43 yards out with 9:08 left in the third.

–Field Level Media

NFL Desk: Patriots Have Jets on Hold

by

FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service/Field Level Media Report) – When the New York Jets clashed with the New England Patriots in Week 8, it looked as if the Jets were in prime position to shake a 12-game losing streak against their AFC East rivals.

Embed from Getty Images

New York was riding a four-game winning streak, quarterback Zach Wilson was playing with confidence, and the Jets were playing at home — which happens to be the only place they’ve been able to win a regular-season game against New England over the past 13 years.

However, the New York Jets will have another chance to snap the skid when they travels to Massachusetts on Sunday for a meeting with the Patriots. Both teams are coming off their bye week. The Jets (6-3) bounced back from their loss against New England (5-4) with an impressive 20-17 home victory over the Buffalo Bills on Nov. 6.

James Robinson scored his first touchdown as a Jet late in the third quarter against Buffalo. After Tyler Bass’ field goal leveled the game at 17-all, the Jets’ Greg Zuerlein made good on a 28-yarder with just under two minutes remaining for the winning points.

With the Jets coming off the win and a week of rest, coach Robert Saleh said his team is better than it was the last time out against the Patriots.

“I feel like we’ve gotten better every week,” Saleh said. “It still comes down to being able to execute and do our job and do right longer. You’d like to think with every passing day, you get a little bit better.”

Getting better as the season progresses has been something New England has been able to accomplish, as the Patriots have won four of their past five games after a 1-3 start.

The Patriots went into their bye week on a high note following a 26-3 romp over the visiting Indianapolis Colts.

Matthew Judon and Josh Uche headlined a masterclass defensive performance, as they each recorded three sacks. Jonathan Jones blocked a punt and returned an interception 17 yards for a TD as New England prevented the Colts from converting any of their 14 third-down opportunities.

It might be harder for the Patriots to apply pressure against New York, though, as New England coach Bill Belichick noted that the Jets have tuned up their offensive line since the teams last met.

“They played Buffalo — that’s the only game we’ve seen — (and they) did a good job defensively against a very explosive Buffalo offense,” Belichick said. “Did a good job in the kicking game, protecting the ball, especially their quarterback.”

The Sunday game will open a busy stretch for the Patriots, who will play three games in a 12-day span. Following the meeting with New York, New England will visit the Vikings on Thanksgiving before returning home to play the Bills on Dec. 1.

“We’re focused on the Jets right now,” Belichick said. “Worry about next week next week.”

Defensive lineman DaMarcus Mitchell could miss the beginning of that stretch, as he did not practice on Wednesday due to an illness. Fellow defensive lineman Christian Barmore (knee), safety Kyle Dugger (ankle) and Uche (hamstring) were all limited.

Wide receiver Corey Davis didn’t participate in the Jets’ practice on Wednesday because of a knee injury. Defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (elbow) and guard Nate Herbig (shin) also sat out.

–Field Level Media

NFL Desk: Thursday Round-Up

by

MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota QB Kirk Cousins threw for three touchdowns, including the game-winner to Adam Thielen, as the Vikings earned a 33-26 win over the New England Patriots on Thursday night.

Embed from Getty Images

Cousins, who capped the scoring with a 15-yard TD pass to Thielen with 9:34 left to play, completed 30 of 37 passes for 299 yards and an interception for the Vikings (9-2). Justin Jefferson hauled in nine catches for 139 yards and a touchdown, and Dalvin Cook rushed 22 times for 42 yards.

Jefferson finished the night with 4,248 receiving yards, the most ever for a receiver in his first three NFL seasons. The old mark was set by another Viking, Randy Moss, who amassed 4,163 receiving yards from 1998-2000.

Patriots quarterback Mac Jones was also impressive, finishing with a career-high 382 yards and two touchdowns on 28-for-39 passing, as New England (6-5) saw its three-game winning streak come to an end.

Cowboys 28, Giants 20

Dak Prescott tossed two touchdown passes to Dalton Schultz and Ezekiel Elliott added 96 rushing yards and a score to help Dallas notch a victory over visiting New York at Arlington, Texas.

Prescott completed 21 of 30 passes for 261 yards and overcame two interceptions for Dallas (8-3), which moved into sole possession of second place in the NFC East. Peyton Hendershot added a rushing score, CeeDee Lamb caught six passes for 106 yards and Micah Parsons registered two sacks to raise his season total to 12.

Daniel Jones completed 21 of 35 passes for 228 yards and one touchdown for the Giants (7-4), who lost for the third time in four games. Saquon Barkley rushed for a touchdown but had just 52 scrimmage yards (39 rushing, 13 receiving).

Bills 28, Lions 25

Tyler Bass kicked a 45-yard field goal with two seconds left, giving Buffalo a victory at Detroit. The Lions’ Michael Badgley kicked a tying 51-yard field goal with 23 seconds left to tie it, but Josh Allen’s 36-yard pass to Stefon Diggs set up the game-winner.

Allen passed for 253 yards and two scores and was intercepted once and also rushed 10 times for 78 yards and another touchdown. Isaiah McKenzie caught six passes for 96 yards and a touchdown for the Bills (8-3). Buffalo linebacker Von Miller was carted off late in the first half with a knee injury.

Jared Goff passed for 240 yards and two touchdowns for the Lions (4-7), who had a three-game winning streak snapped. Jamaal Williams rushed for 66 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, while Amon-Ra St. Brown caught nine passes for 122 yards and a touchdown.

–Field Level Media