Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

New England Patriots

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

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes – Jan 29th

by

While We’re Young (Ideas) – On the NFL and Much More Important Things

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick (File Photo)

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – First things first. The AFC Championship is NOT in Foxboro and the Patriots reportedly are pointing fingers at coach Bill Belichick, his assistant coaches and each other on the reasons why. The tail end of that sentence clearly answers the front end declaration. It’s time for a shake-up at Gillette and the re-hiring of Bill O’Brien will not be enough.

While We’re Young (Ideas) is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

O’Brien returned to New England after a two-year stint as Nick Saban’s offensive coordinator at Alabama. O’Brien also had brief stints at Penn State as head coach in 2012-13 and a longer run with the head coach of the Houston Texans from 2014-20.

While the Patriots’ defense ranked No. 9 in Opponent Yards per Game and 11th in points allowed per game, it’s certainly the offensive side of the football that needs work. Looking at Special Teams, the Patriots ranked a league worst, according to ESPN’s DVOA (Defense adjusted-Value Over Average) and, the Patriots finished the 2022-23 NFL season at No. 16 in scoring and No. 26 in Yards per Game. Only Indianapolis, Chicago, Carolina, Tennessee, Houston and the LA Rams fared worse on gaining yards. In 3rd Down conversions, New England ranked No. 27 (of 32 NFL teams).

Belichick quickly addressed the issue, hiring O’Brien before the NFC/AFC Championship weekend. That will fill about 25% of the Patriots’ overall hole. The other 75% is on the players – the players on offense.

An interview with Captain Obvious floats the rumors the New York Jets will attempt to acquire longtime Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers just as they did in acquiring Green Bay’s Brett Favre in 2008. The Favre experiment lasted one season. Rodgers? Maybe two, but the trade would put New England at the bottom of the AFC East ladder predictions come September. (In 2022, New England (8-9) barely bested the J-E-T-S (7-10).

For New England, RB Rhamondre Stevenson, a 1,000+ yard rusher in 2022 will have high expectations as a 25-year old come 2023. RB Damien Harris spells Stevenson nicely, so the concentration for Belichick and O’Brien will be elsewhere.

Quarterback Mac Jones with his 84.9 QB rating over 14 games started in ‘22 will be in a make-it-or-break-it season. Bailey Zappe, who will turn 24 in April, is the No. 2 who will never be compared with Josh Allen of Buffalo or Patrick Mahomes of the KC Chiefs.

The NE receiving corps were abysmal. Jacobi Meyers (804 yards on 67 receptions); DeVante Parker (539 yards on 31 receptions); Kendrick Bourne (434 on 35) and tight end Henry Hunter (509 yards on 41 receptions) didn’t get the job done. Meyers had six TDs and the next three combined for six. The Patriots’ braintrust will need to beef up the WRs and TEs either through the free agency market or draft.

It won’t be until the WRs improve that any blame can be placed upon the shoulders of Mac Jones. Unless a minor miracle is performed at Patriot Place, Jones will be the started QB for 2023.

In the NFL Draft (April 27-29), the Patriots will seek help for the offensive line and for a deep-threat wide receiver. Of course Belichick never remains shy if there’s a top-notch corner available when the Patriots pick at No. 14.

That Patriots forecast leads us to Sunday’s NFC (SF 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles) and AFC (Cincinnati Bengals at KC Chiefs) Championship, arguably the best day of the year on the NFL schedule, unless you enjoy endless, two-week long pregame hype and endless $7-million dollar TV ads.

For those who enjoy a trip to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl or the first Thursday/Friday of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, next time, try the NFC/AFC doubleheader which comes along with lesser crowding, better games and some decent regular season hoops (College and NBA) games on Saturday.

From this armchair, the kiss of death for the Philadelphia Eagles and Cincinnati Bengals is that every talking head, every handicapper, former players, known sports gamblers – everybody – is picking a Philadelphia vs Cincinnati Super Bowl.

The lines as of Jan 28th – roughly 24 hours before kick-off:

  • Eagles (-2.5) over 49ers
  • Chiefs (-1.5) over Bengals

The pontificating pigskin public first saw the Eagles at (-1.5) while the Chiefs were getting (+1) on the opening.

The O/U for the Niners v Eagles opened at (45.5) and stands at (46.0).

The O/U for the Bengals at Chiefs opened at (46.5) and is up to (48).

Call me crazy, I like the Niners getting 2.5 and would not be afraid of the (+130) ML while I really like the KC Chiefs. Rumor has it a lot of “sharp” money came in on KC early.

KC will do or die by their secondary coverage of WRs Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. I think KC can keep Chase under wraps, maybe a TD. Higgins can be the deciding factor as Cincy QB Joe Burrows will hit the open man. RB Joe Mixon on short screens could be a factor more so than via his straight run game.

The emergence of RB Isiah Pacheco for the Chiefs and the sure-fire, can’t stop it QB Patrick Mahomes to TE Travis Kelce will be enough to guide the Chiefs at Arrowhead. That said, a re-injury to Mahomes’ high ankle sprain would be disastrous for KC.

For SF, it’s all about Christian McCaffrey and the 49ers’ solid defense to match Philly. Any wavering by the Eagles in the first half will bring the pressure of the “Linc” down upon a playoff inexperienced roster. The Niners will need (at least) six points from their defense.

It’s kick-off time at 3:00pm (ET) (FOX) at Philly and roughly 6:30pm, call it 7:00pm if the game runs long, at Kansas City on CBS.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: The NBA announced that they’ll pick sides for the annual NBA All-Star Game right before the game begins. Besides watching the Consumer Products guys flip-out providing proper jerseys and numbers and the Courtside stat inputter have a canary typing in the players/teams into the computers, it should make for a lot of fun.

The bad news, it should result in more “three point shots” being chucked-up as the coaches won’t even have a single practice to put in a few offensive sets to run. The talent of the NBA players will rise when the coaches put in some offense being run by nearly every team, but may God bless the point guards if they can organize any kind of half-court game.

The knee-jerk when the offenses aren’t in sync is for the ball to go up from three-point-land in the Mike D’Antoni style of “Seven Seconds of Less.” That concept calls for a shot to go up before the defense gets back. In other words, get the shot when the 24-second shot clock reads … 18-17. Last February, Steph Curry hit (16) three-pointers, shooting 16-of-27 from behind the arc. He had 50 points.

The number(s) to beat are (90) attempts by Team LeBron in 2019 when the game had a record (167) three-point field goal attempts. Sheesh.

TID-BITS: A copy of “How Basketball Can Save the World,” by David Hollander magically appeared in the mailbox of WWYI on Friday. Funny how that happens, isn’t it? Upon a quick flip today, the book looks like a job very well done. I can’t wait to find time to delve deep and read every syllable, then re-read it all again. First thought was that the book should be REQUIRED reading for every collegiate Sociology and Sports Business Management class in the world. More to come.

They call them “The Joker(s)” because American fans have trouble pronouncing Denver Nuggets’ MVP candidate Nikola Jokic or tennis great Novak Djokovic who will face “the Greek Tzatziki” in Stefanos Tsitsipas at 3:30am (ET) this morning. Set your alarm clock or your iPhone alarms.

QUARTERLY REPORT: As will be the custom – as often as a quarterly basis, the investment wing of WWYI Enterprises will reveal its most recent plays in the market. Some are successful while others are not. We tip our hat and tap our ice hockey sticks to our mentor in the investment world, Ralph Kramden. Old Ralph boy made significant investments in a few beauties. Here are just a few:

  • No Cal Pizza
  • A Parking Lot Next to the Movie Theatre (How would he know it was a Drive-In)?
  • The Handy Housewife Helper (MUST WATCH here)

Here’s our Quarterly Portfolio:

  • Sizable Investment in a new Theatrical Show: Chartreuse Man Group
  • 10,000 Shares in: The Fire-and-Brimstone Tire Company
  • 100,000 Shares in: The Lava Fence (*clinical trial failed in Hawaii)
  • Controlling interest in Oscar Madison Square Garden Network

ONE SMALL STEP FOR HOMA, ONE GIANT LEAP for the PGA TOUR: Did you see the clip of PGA Tour pro Max Homa walking toward his ball on the 13th hole at Torrey Pines? If not, watch this and I’ll pick it up “on the other side.”

Twitter avatar for @GolfonCBS

Golf on CBS ⛳ @GolfonCBS
Mic’d up Max Homa ‼️🎤 “If I can hit this thing to 5 feet then I’m too good to be only 7 under.” 😂
HOME MIC’D UP:

First, let’s credit Max Homa for his participation and willingness to do an interview DURING his round of professional golf.

Secondly, credit the top notch interview skills of newly crowned golf commentator Trevor Immelman who made his CBS lead commentator debut this week. Add, equal praise for both Ian Baker-Finch and Frank Nobilo. With all three, the line of questioning was perfect for both a 1-handicap or a newcomer to the game of golf.

With the pressure applied to the PGA Tour by the LIV golf circuit, there will be more and more interaction with the PGA Tour players during their rounds, in addition to the usual before or after. It seems the players, as a group, realize the stakes have been raised and this is the time to forge cooperation with the Tour’s network partners.

Meanwhile, LIV Golf settled for a US television deal with the CW Network and moved their final event from Miami to Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) to take place November 3-5 – a good two months after the PGA Tour crowns its FEDEx CUP champion at the TOUR Championship to be played at East Lake in Atlanta (before the NFL season kicks-off).

WE LOVE THE TEAM VALUATIONS, HERE’s to the EPL:

Again, tip of the cap to our friends at Sportico for the hard work that goes into making these valuations, here’s the list of the Top 5 English Premier League clubs:

  1. Manchester United – $5.95 billion
  2. Liverpool – $4.71 billion
  3. Manchester City – $4.43 billion
  4. Arsenal – $3.6 billion
  5. Chelsea – $3.47 billion

The “average” Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise is worth $582 million. Not too shabby.

Parting Words

I DO NOT know where to start, so I’ll wing it on a topic far too important to take lightly. Better said, I’ll just try to do my best:

It wasn’t until about 2008 or so when I really learned there are some bad people in this everyday world, all with a single common denominator of evil overtaking them and their minds and actions. It’s prevalent in every single workplace, every field, every industry, in every single corner of the earth. Why? I do not know.

It took me 48 years to understand it and much was taught to me by my friend and former NBA colleague, Bob Delaney, who faced certain evils as a New Jersey State Trooper at the ripe age of 23, as he went undercover to try to bust up a major crime syndicate on the Jersey side of the Hudson. He wrote of it in his book, COVERT, recently re-printed as demand continued for a good true-crime book. Bob stressed they were just a bunch of “regular guys” who would bump off a delivery truck on the way to attend a First Holy Communion ceremony and then meet-up with each other for a Sunday family party.

Yes, I had heard about it. Yes, I had watched it unfold but as psuedo-comedy shows or motion pictures, such as “The Sopranos” or “Goodfellas.” I’d never heard it “live” like we saw on tape from a light pole in Memphis Friday night.

We – at the NBA – had a criminal rogue referee betray all we had done in our basketball lives, a wonderful force of like-minded people were all spreading the basketball gospel. Until THUD. A ref and his high school ‘friends” betting on the games. “GUILTY,” said the Judge.

“There are bad guys everywhere,” said Delaney to me as I was shaken to the core by someone who would undermine our game and all the work that was put-in over the years.

That basketball moment was important to me at the time, but this… this disgrace in Memphis … this total undermining of the entire law enforcement society built to protect us all … is disgusting and CRIMINAL.

Yes, I believe in the “innocent until proven guilty by a jury of your peers,” but damn, it’s on tape.

So, let the justice system do its job. The big Blue Shield has been exposed once again, evil overtaking the good of all the people of Memphis. The people who need their police to protect them, not kick them to death.

It burns me (and everyone on the right side of the law) up. It undermines and disappoints us to the highest degree possible.

What’s left? What can we do other than to pray for the people of Memphis, for the deceased (Mr. Tyre Nichols) and his family. Pray for peace and justice in Memphis at this precise time in our nation’s sorely blemished history.

Pray for healing. It’s not the answer but simply a remedy for the growing illness of evil.

NFL Desk: Fully Charged

by

INDIANAPOLIS – (Staff and Field Level Media Wire Report) – Quarterback Justin Herbert passed for 235 yards and RB Austin Ekeler ran for two touchdowns to help the Los Angeles Chargers clinch a playoff berth with a 20-3 win against the host Indianapolis Colts Monday night.

Embed from Getty Images

With their third straight victory, the Chargers (9-6) qualified for the postseason for the first time since the 2018 season.

Nick Foles took over as the starter at quarterback for Indianapolis this week and finished 17-for-29 for 143 yards and three interceptions. He was also sacked seven times.

Matt Ryan was benched after the Colts blew a 33-0 halftime lead on Dec. 17 in a 39-36 overtime loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Indianapolis (4-10-1) was held to 173 total yards in its fifth straight loss.

The Chargers did not record a first down on their first three drives, but they marched 70 yards on 13 plays on their fourth and took a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Ekeler with 8:41 left in the second quarter.

The Chargers intercepted two passes in the first quarter, including one by All-Pro safety Derwin James, who had missed the previous two games with a quad injury.

James was involved in a helmet-to-helmet tackle on Ashton Dulin with 5:19 left in the first half. James was disqualified from the game and Dulin was later ruled out with a concussion.

Chase McLaughlin capped the drive with a 46-yard field goal to cut the lead to 7-3 with 4:21 left in the half.

Cameron Dicker booted a 24-yard field goal as time expired to give the Chargers a 10-3 halftime lead.

Asante Samuel Jr. intercepted the third pass for Los Angeles on its first defensive series of the second half, and the Chargers cashed that in with a 21-yard field goal by Dicker for a 13-3 lead with 6:01 left in the third quarter.

Embed from Getty Images

Ekeler scored on another 1-yard run to extend the lead to 20-3 with 8:20 left in the game.

The Colts played without running back Jonathan Taylor, the leading rusher in the NFL last season, who was put on injured reserve last week after sustaining a high ankle sprain early in the loss to Minnesota.

–Field Level Media and Digital Sports Desk

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

Patriots Await Struggling Colts

by

FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – It’s pretty safe to assume that the Indianapolis Colts will still be navigating through a number of personnel changes when they travel to New England for a meeting with the Patriots. Over the past two weeks, the Colts (3-4-1) have benched quarterback Matt Ryan, parted ways with offensive coordinator Marcus Brady and traded running Nyheim Hines to the Buffalo Bills.

“I’m not naming an interim coordinator. I’ll handle those duties, I’m the play caller,” Indianapolis coach Frank Reich said. “Ultimately the offense falls on my shoulders. It’s a collaborative effort for sure, but myself and the coordinator always are central to that game planning process and play calling is obviously my deal.”

To say things are hectic in Indianapolis right now would be an understatement.

All that change comes at a time when QB Sam Ehlinger, who took over for Ryan under center, is trying to find his footing in the NFL.

Ehlinger made his first career start last Sunday against the Washington Commanders and completed 17 of 23 passes for 201 yards. Hines provided the Colts’ only touchdown in what ended up being a 17-16 loss.

Indianapolis’ offense continues to struggle, and the Colts have only scored more than 20 points in one game this season. A lot of those hardships stem from the Colts’ failure to effectively run the ball behind running back Jonathan Taylor.

Taylor put up gaudy numbers in 2021, rushing for 1,811 yards (106.5 per game) and 18 touchdowns. But this season, he’s been limited to 77.0 yards per game (462 total) and has found the end zone just once.

Zack Moss will be joining Taylor in the backfield after coming over from Buffalo in the Hines trade, but Taylor is going to have to shoulder the load if the Colts’ offense is to enjoy a resurgence.

However, Taylor is working through the ankle injury that held him out of Wednesday’s practice and two games earlier this season. He re-aggravated the ankle against Washington last Sunday.

Despite usually being equipped with a formidable defense that is anything but kind to the run, the Patriots (4-4) have allowed the 11th-most rushing yards per game (126.0).

That average was even higher before they suffocated the New York Jets’ ground attack during last Sunday’s 22-17 victory. Four ball carriers combined for just 51 yards on 15 carries in what ended up being Bill Belichick’s 325th win (regular and postseason), making him the second-winningest coach of all-time behind former Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Colts great Don Shula (347).

While that’s quite the accomplishment, the time for celebration is over, and New England’s attention has shifted to Sunday’s contest with Indianapolis.

“It’s a well-balanced team,” Belichick said of the Colts. “I think they’ve put together a solid roster that has good players in pretty much every position. … It obviously starts with Taylor, and (Michael) Pittman, the offensive line, coach Reich, play calling, scheme — they do a good job.”

The Patriots could be without center David Andrews (concussion) and running back Damien Harris (illness), as both missed Wednesday’s practice. Wide receiver DeVante Parker was also a non-participant with a knee injury.

Safeties Kyle Dugger (ankle) and Adrian Phillips (shoulder) were limited.

Former New England cornerback Stephon Gilmore (rib) was one of eight Colts who didn’t practice Wednesday. Linebacker Grant Stuard (pectoral) was also out.

–Field Level Media

 

Belichick Earns Win No. 325

by

EAST RUTHERFORD – (Staff an Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – New England head coach Bill Belichick earned his 325th win (regular season and postseason) on Sunday, becoming the second-winningest coach in NFL history as the Patriots (4-4) defeated the New York Jets (5-3). The Pats’ victory gave Belichick sole possession of second place on the NFL’s all-time list. He passed the legendary George Halas (324 wins), who coached the Chicago Bears for 40 years.

Embed from Getty Images

It was also the Patriots’ 13th straight win against New York.

Belichick, 70, is in his 23rd season as New England’s coach after spending five seasons (1991-95) with the Cleveland Browns. Under Belichick, the Patriots have won six Super Bowls and have finished first in the AFC East 17 times.

The all-time leader in wins is Don Shula (347), who spent 26 seasons coaching the Miami Dolphins after seven seasons with the Baltimore Colts.

–Field Level Media

Belichick, Jones & Zappe Create QB Controversy

by

FOXBORO – If the New England Patriots didn’t have a quarterback controversy before Monday night’s game, they certainly do now — and coach Bill Belichick, predictably, made no attempt to douse it the morning after.

Rookie Bailey Zappe replaced Mac Jones after three series in the Patriots’ loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday night. Jones guided New England to just 51 yards of net offense, but Belichick said after the game that Jones wasn’t removed for performance. However, he also said it wasn’t a medical decision.

Further, Belichick said Jones knew going in that he wasn’t going to play the whole game.

Belichick was asked Tuesday morning if Jones would be the starter moving forward, if healthy.

“That’s a hypothetical question,” Belichick said. “So let’s see where that is and what that is.”

Belichick was then asked if Jones was healthy enough to keep playing after 18 snaps against the Bears.

“Well, that didn’t happen,” Belichick said. “So that’s another hypothetical question.”

Zappe threw for 185 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions in relief of Jones, playing the rest of the game.

While Jones said postgame he knew the plan was for both QBs to play, Zappe wasn’t as succinct.

“If that decision was made for me to go in, then I was gonna go out there and do the best for my team,” Zappe said Monday night.

Leading to the scrutiny of a pre-plan for a two-QB night was that Jones was pulled after throwing an interception. Jones threw for just 13 yards and rushed for another 24 in his three series.

“Part of the plan, I think coach Belichick did a really really good job explaining it to me, I knew what the plan was,” Jones said. “The timing’s the timing, but we’re on the same page and there’s no hard feelings. I wish I had played better while I was in there.”

The Patriots (3-4) visit the New York Jets (5-2) in Week 8.

–Field Level Media