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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

NFL Desk: Fields Leads Bears, 33-14

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FOXBORO – Justin Fields ran for one touchdown and threw for another, David Montgomery added another rushing score and the Chicago Bears ended a three-game losing streak with a 33-14 victory over the New England Patriots on Monday night. Fields threw for 179 yards and ran for another 82 as he delivered the victory mere hours after general manager Ryan Poles said the team’s quarterback was showing signs of growth. The effort was helped by Chicago’s defense, which forced four turnovers.

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Cairo Santos made four field goals for the Bears, who reeled off the game’s final 23 points starting late in the second quarter. Chicago entered with five consecutive defeats against New England.

Bailey Zappe threw for 185 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions in relief of Mac Jones, who struggled in his return from a high ankle sprain. Jones guided New England to just 51 yards of net offense over the first three series before he was removed.

As the Bears built a 10-0 lead in the first quarter on a 42-yard field goal from Santos and a 3-yard TD run from Fields, Jones struggled after missing the previous three games. Zappe made an immediate impact, hitting Jakobi Myers with a 30-yard touchdown pass on his fourth play.

On his next play, after Patriots cornerback Myles Bryant intercepted Fields, Zappe hit DeVante Parker on a 43-yard pass. Rhamondre Stevenson scored on a 4-yard run two plays later as New England took a 14-10 lead with 6:04 remaining in the first half.

The Bears regrouped quickly, taking a 17-14 lead on Fields’ 25-yard TD pass to Khalil Herbert with 1:54 remaining in the first half. Santos’ 23-yard field goal on the final play before halftime gave Chicago a 20-14 advantage.

Santos made a pair of field goals in the third quarter, from 38 and 50 yards, to give the Bears a 26-14 edge. Montgomery put the game away when he scored from 1 yard out with 12:13 remaining as the Bears grabbed a 33-14 lead.

Chicago gained 243 yards rushing, its second consecutive game over 200 and the third time it reached the mark this season.

Bears linebacker Roquan Smith finished with an interception, a sack and 12 tackles.

New England’s Matthew Judon had 2.5 sacks to take over the NFL lead with 8.5.

Fields started in a game against Jones for the first time since Jan. 11, 2021, when Jones led Alabama to a 52-24 victory over Fields and Ohio State in the College Football Playoff national championship game.

–Field Level Media

NFL Desk: Patriots Await Monday Night

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FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – New England Patriots rookie Bailey Zappe may start again at quarterback Monday night. Or he might not. As incumbent Mac Jones recovers from a high-ankle sprain that has sidelined him since Week 3, perhaps putting him in line for a return, Zappe is only worried about what he can control: his knowledge of New England’s opponent, the visiting Chicago Bears.

“I will study the game plan the same way I would whether I was third string or a starter,” Zappe said. “That’s kind of the mentality I take into it every week. That’s the mentality I’m going to take into this week, so I think that’s going to carry on into the rest of the year.”

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New England coach Bill Belichick said Jones could be medically cleared “at any time”; he was a limited participant in practice Thursday. Whether that spells the end of the line for Zappe as starter remains to be seen. Whatever the case, the Patriots (3-3) are grateful for the energy — and success — the fourth-rounder from Western Kentucky has infused.

Since relieving Brian Hoyer in an eventual overtime loss at Green Bay in Week 4, Zappe is 51-for-70 passing for 596 yards with four touchdowns and an interception, leading successive victories over Detroit and Cleveland following the Green Bay game.

“Of course I had a little confidence that I’d be able to make it, but for me it’s still surreal to be in this position and be in the NFL, to be a quarterback in the NFL,” Zappe said.

New England boasts a five-game winning streak against Chicago (2-4) and a 10-3 mark in the series overall.

Belichick enters Monday with 324 career coaching victories (including playoffs), tied with Bears legend George Halas for second place all-time. Don Shula is next with 347.

Chicago has lost three straight since winning two of its first three, with each defeat coming by one possession. The Bears have been idle since opening Week 6 with a 12-7 Thursday night home loss to Washington.

“Like any other team, there are some things to improve,” Chicago cornerback Jaylon Johnson said. “I feel like if we won our close games, I feel like the conversations around this team would be different. But we’ve shot ourselves in the foot these last few games.”

The Bears will aim to correct two notable deficiencies. The defense allows 163 rushing yards per game and 4.8 yards per attempt, ranked 29th and 24th in the NFL, respectively. Meanwhile, second-year quarterback Justin Fields has been sacked 23 times on 115 pass attempts, or one in every five.

“Pass protection is everybody,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said. “It’s not only the offensive line. It’s the tight ends, it’s the running backs, it’s the quarterback. So, it’s everybody. Pass protection is always going to be all 11 of them, so we will improve on that.”

Running the ball remains a strength. Fields (5.2 yards per carry) augments a rushing attack led by Khalil Herbert (402 yards) and David Montgomery (246) to give the Bears a ground game that averages 170.8 yards, second in the league.

Chicago faces a New England team coming off a stout defensive effort against Cleveland, limiting the Browns to 70 rushing yards — more than 100 below the team’s season average.

–Field Level Media

Patriots Earn No. 324 Win for Belichick

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CLEVELAND – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – Reserve quarterback Bailey Zappe threw for a career-high 309 yards and his visiting New England Patriots posted a late lead to defeat the Cleveland Browns 38-15 on Sunday afternoon.

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TIED for SECOND: Bill Belichick won No. 324

Zappe completed 24 of 34 passes and tossed two touchdowns to lead New England (3-3) to its second consecutive win. Rhamondre Stevenson finished with 76 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, and four receivers eclipsed the 60-yard mark.

It was the 324th victory (including postseason) for Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who is now tied with George Halas for the second-most wins in NFL history.

Down 24-6 heading into the fourth, Cleveland (2-4) pulled within 24-15 thanks to a 51-yard field goal from Cade York and Amari Cooper’s 15-yard touchdown reception from Jacoby Brissett. The Browns then attempted an onside kick and recovered, but the call was overturned upon review.

Rookie wide receiver Tyquan Thornton then rushed for a 19-yard touchdown and Stevenson later added a 6-yard score on the ground to put the game out of reach.

Brissett threw for 266 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions on 21-of-45 passing for Cleveland, while Nick Chubb was held to 56 yards on 12 rushes.

The Patriots put together an impressive seven-play, 75-yard drive to open the second half. Zappe connected with Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry for gains of 53 and 13 yards, respectively, before hooking up with Thornton in the end zone from 2 yards out.

It was Thornton’s first career touchdown.

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Belichick Returns to Roots

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CLEVELAND – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – Everybody starts somewhere. For New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, that start came in Cleveland.

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Belichick returns to the city where he landed his first head coaching job over 30 years ago when New England (2-3) visits the Browns on Sunday in search of back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

Before he was a six-time Super Bowl champion and three-time Coach of the Year, Belichick was a 38-year-old simply trying to break into the head coaching ranks with a rebuilding Cleveland team. He led the Browns to a 36-44 regular-season record in his five seasons at the helm (1991-95) before eventually becoming head coach of the Patriots in 2000.

The rest is history.

Belichick won’t be the only one coming face-to-face with his roots on Sunday, though, as Cleveland quarterback Jacoby Brissett will also be feeling a sense of nostalgia.

Brissett was drafted by New England in the third round of the 2016 draft, spending the first season of his career with the Patriots. He appeared in just three games (two starts) but still managed to leave New England with a ring from Super Bowl LI.

“Jacoby looks like Jacoby. Big kid, strong arm,” Belichick said. “He does a nice job of running the offense and scoring whatever it is, 26 points a game. That’s part of the quarterback’s job — move the ball, score points.”

While it’s always fun to sit around and reminisce about the good old days, both teams are very much focused on the present.

The Browns (2-3) are suddenly in dire need of a win after dropping three of their past four games. They lost 30-28 to the Los Angeles Chargers last week in heartbreaking fashion, as Cade York’s 54-yard field goal attempt went wide right with 11 seconds left to play.

Cleveland will be looking to turn things around, and chances are it’ll be heavily relying on the services of running back Nick Chubb who leads the NFL in both rushing yards (593) and touchdowns (seven). He’s racked up at least 110 yards on the ground in each of the last three games and is poised to keep that streak going on Sunday, although he knows it might not be easy against the Patriots’ defense.

“They’re very disciplined. The guys up front stay in their gaps,” Chubb said. “They don’t mess up at all. … It’ll be a great challenge.”

Meanwhile, rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe has quickly provided a much-needed spark for New England.

Zappe nearly ousted the Green Bay Packers when he took over for an injured Brian Hoyer in Week 4. He then drew his first career NFL start last week and completed 17 of 21 passes for 188 yards, one touchdown and one interception in a 29-0 drubbing of the Detroit Lions.

However, starting quarterback Mac Jones could make his return against the Browns after he was limited in practice on Wednesday with an ankle injury.

Wide receivers Jakobi Meyers (knee) and Nelson Agholor (hamstring) were also limited, as was center David Andrews (back), running back Damien Harris (hamstring), and cornerbacks Jalen Mills (hamstring) and Jonathan Jones (ankle).

Cleveland will be without defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who missed Wednesday’s practice due to knee, ankle and elbow injuries. Fellow defensive end Myles Garrett was a limited participant with shoulder, bicep and hand injuries sustained in a car accident on Sept. 26. The star sacker has missed the past two games.

–Field Level Media

Patriots’ Harris to Miss Games

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FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report / Field Level Media) – New England Patriots starting running back Damien Harris is expected to miss multiple games with a hamstring injury. Harris is still undergoing tests to determine the severity, per the report.

Harris sustained the injury early New England’s 29-0 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday. He played just six snaps, rushing the ball four times for 11 yards.

Harris has 257 yards rushing and three touchdowns in five starts this season. He has rushed for 1,889 yards and 20 TDs in 32 career games (30 starts), all with the Patriots, who selected him in the third round of the 2019 draft.

Second-year RB Rhamondre Stevenson likely would start in Harris’ absence. He has 372 yards rushing and a TD, having played 59 percent of the snap counts in five combined games this season.

Rookie Pierre Strong Jr. is also on the active roster.

The Patriots (2-3) visit the Cleveland Browns (2-3) on Sunday.

–Field Level Media