Tag: Drake Maye

Seahawks ride their ‘Dark Side’ defense to a Super Bowl title, pounding the Patriots, 29-13

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Defense won this championship.

Devon Witherspoon, Derick Hall, Byron Murphy and the rest of Mike Macdonald’s ferocious unit pummeled Drake Maye, and the Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots 29-13 on Sunday to win the franchise’s second Super Bowl.

Sam Darnold threw a touchdown pass to AJ Barner, Kenneth Walker III ran for 135 yards and Jason Myers set a super Bowl record by making all five of his field-goal tries.

Uchenna Nwosu punctuated a punishing defensive performance by snagging Maye’s pass in the air after Witherspoon hit his arm and ran it back 45 yards for a pick-6.

Seattle’s “Dark Side” defense helped Darnold become the first quarterback in the 2018 draft class to win a Super Bowl, ahead of Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson.

Labeled a bust, dumped by two teams and considered expendable by two others, Darnold proved his doubters wrong while helping the Seahawks go 17-3.

After leading the NFL with 20 turnovers in the regular season, Darnold didn’t have any in three playoff games. He wasn’t particularly sharp against a solid Patriots defense but protected the ball and made enough plays, finishing 19 of 38 for 202 yards.

The Seahawks sacked Maye six times, including two apiece by Hall and Murphy. Hall’s strip-sack late in the third quarter set up a short field and Darnold connected with Barner on 16-yard scoring toss to make it 19-0.

Julian Love’s interception set up another field goal that made it 22-7 with 5:35 left.

The Patriots (17-4) punted on the first eight drives, excluding a kneel-down to end the first half.

Down 19-0, Maye and the New England offense finally got going. He hit Mack Hollins over the middle in traffic for 24 yards and then lofted a perfect 35-yard TD pass to Hollins down the left side to cut the deficit to 19-7.

Tom Brady once led Bill Belichick’s Patriots to the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, when New England rallied from a 28-3 deficit against Atlanta for a 34-28 overtime victory.

But Maye, who was runner-up to Matthew Stafford for the AP NFL MVP award in the closest race in two decades, didn’t come close. He had a chance to get it closer, but his ill-advised pass into triple coverage was picked by Love and the Patriots trailed by 15 when they got the ball back with 5:35 left.

Then came Nwosu’s touchdown, a fitting way to cap an overwhelming effort by the NFL’s stingiest defense.

Maye’s 7-yard TD pass to Rhamondre Stevenson late in the game only made the margin smaller.

The Seahawks took a 3-0 lead on Myers’ 33-yard field goal on the game’s opening drive. Myers connected from 39 and 41 yards to extend the lead to 9-0 at halftime. He was good from 41 on Seattle’s first drive of the third quarter to make it 12-0.

Patriots player of the game

Cornerback Christian Gonzalez made two outstanding plays to prevent potential touchdowns in the second quarter. He raced back and leaped in the air to slap away a deep pass to Rasheed Shahid that could have been a 76-yard TD.

On Seattle’s last drive in the first half, Gonzalez knocked down a pass to All-Pro wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba that would have been a 23-yard TD.

Mills gets a two-for-one sack

Rylie Mills pushed left guard Jared Wilson into Maye and took both of them down on one of Seattle’s sacks.

Bad Bunny shines at halftime

Bad Bunny headlined a visually stunning halftime performance that also featured appearances by Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin. The Grammy-winning Puerto Rican artist entirely in Spanish.

Patriots denied a record 7th title

The Patriots failed to win the franchise’s seventh Super Bowl, which would have set an NFL record. They’re tied with the Steelers with six championships.

AP NFL Coach of the Year Mike Vrabel was aiming to become the fifth person to win a Super Bowl as a player and head coach and the first to do both with the same team.

The 23-year-old Maye was trying to become the youngest QB to win a Lombardi Trophy. Ben Roethlisberger still holds that mark.

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Rob Maaddi

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February 8, 2026
Seattle Seahawks lead New England Patriots at half time in Super Bowl LX

It’s almost time to crown an NFL champion.After two weeks of hype and anticipation, the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will face off in Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday.The Seattle Seahawks are leading the New England Patriots 9-0 at halftime of Super Bowl LX. Bad Bunny Half Time ShowBad Bunny started his half time show as he emerged in Puerto Rico’s sugar cane fields, surrounded by jibaros in pavas (rural farmers in traditional straw hats), viejitos playing dominos (an affectionate term for older men) and a piragua stand (shaved ice) — undeniable symbols of Puerto Rico.From a small Caribbean island with a complicated colonial history, to the world: The artist born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio brought Puerto Rican culture to the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, for his 2026 Super Bowl halftime show in what was always going to be a landmark moment for Latinos.He started with his huge reggaeton hits, “Tití Me Preguntó” moving into “Yo Perreo Sola,” as he remerged on top of the casita (“little house”) from his Puerto Rican residency — Cardi B was a guest at his pari de marquesina, a house party.Then he crashed through the roof — Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” played for a moment, clearly a celebration of the Puerto Rican artists who laid the path for his Latin trap to go global.“Mi nombre Antonio Martínez Ocasio,” he introduced himself to the crowd in Spanish. “Y si hoy estoy aquí en el Super Bowl 60, es porque nunca, nunca dejé de creer en mí y tú también deberías de creer en ti, vales más de lo que piensas.”The strings of his song “Monaco” played — then, a surprise Lady Gaga emerged at a wedding, singing her portion of “Die with a Smile,” her collaboration with Bruno Mars, joined by a salsa band.It gave Benito time for a fashion change — rocking a white suit like a classic salsero — for “Baile Inolvidable” and “NuevaYol,” with a block party set where he took a shot with Tonita, owner of one of the last Puerto Rican social clubs in New York City, Brooklyn’s Caribbean Social Club.Ricky Martin performed “Lo Que Pasó a Hawaii,” (“What Happened to Hawaii”), a rallying cry for Puerto Rico’s autonomy.Behind him, jibaros in pavas climbed power towers that exploded, symbolic of Puerto Rico’s frequent blackouts and failing power grid. It queued up a moving performance of 2022’s “El Apagón” (“The Blackout”), in reference to Hurricane Maria, its aftermath and the continued anger and frustration over persistent, chronic power outages.Bad Bunny performed entirely in Spanish — as all of his music is recorded in the language, though he has collaborated with English-language artists. The only English singing came from Gaga. That changed at the end of the set, when he said, “God Bless America,” and then named countries in the Caribbean, Central and South America. “And my mother land, Puerto Rico.”He ended with “DtMF” as he walked out of the stadium. Who needs offense? How ’bout those special teams?The game was expected to be a matchup of two stingy defenses.It was in the first half, and it was a very busy day for both special teams.The Patriots punted on five of their six drives. That counts a final possession that was just a one-play kneel down with 11 seconds left.Seattle got three field goals from Jason Myers.With JSN grounded, Seattle is clawing away on the groundThe Seahawks have settled for field goals but hold a two-score lead heading into halftime thanks to kicker Jason Myers’ third conversion. He made a 40-yard field goal with 11 seconds remaining in the second quarter.It hasn’t been pretty for Seattle’s offense, which ranked fifth in scoring in the regular season. Sam Darnold, who is fresh off his second straight Pro Bowl season, was nearly picked off by cornerback Christian Gonzalez on third down. Instead, the pass fell harmlessly to the turf for Darnold’s 13th incompletion of the first half. Darnold is 9 of 22 for 88 yards.The Seahawks continue to run the ball well, though. Kenneth Walker III has 94 yards on 14 carries, but 59 of those came on two runs. Otherwise, New England has done a solid job of slowing him down.Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who had the most yards receiving of any player in the NFL in the regular season, was targeted seven times and only caught one pass for 4 yards. Veteran Cooper Kupp has been Seattle’s best offensive player with four catches for 44 yards.New England has just 51 yards of offense in first halfNew England managed just four first downs, 51 total yards and converted only 2 of 7 third downs in the first half against the stingy Seahawks defense.The 51 yards are second-fewest in a first half over the last 35 Super Bowls — and the only team with fewer in that 35-year stretch was the Chiefs with 23 last season. The only time the Patriots had fewer was -19 against the Bears in Super Bowl 20.‘Backstreet’s back’ tonightTwo different advertisers have featured songs from the Backstreet Boys in their Super Bowl spots.T-Mobile showed the band singing a version of its 1999 hit “I Want It That Way.” And cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase used a karaoke scroll of “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).”“By using ‘Everybody,’ we were signaling that crypto has moved past that early adopter phase,” Coinbase chief marketing officer Cat Ferdon told the AP ahead of the game. “It’s mainstream, it’s accessible and it’s for everybody.”Vrabel: Pats need to protect MayeDrake Maye was sacked three times and hit five times in the first half. Asked about his QB’s protection at halftime, New England coach Mike Vrabel said he need better protection from the whole offensive line.“From all sides,” Vrabel said. “We have to do a much better job.”Score alert: Seattle boots another field goalJason Myers connects for his third field goal of the first half, this one from 41 yards.Seahawks 9, Patriots 0The Pats’ O-line isn’t giving Maye much timeIf the Patriots are going to get anything going on offense, they’ll need to keep Drake Maye upright.Maye is first QB to be sacked three times on the first four drives of a Super Bowl since Tom Brady in Super Bowl 42 vs the Giants.Maye is 5-of-7 passing for 39 yards.Kenneth Walker III is keeping Seattle movingWhile the Seahawks have struggled to throw the ball, Walker is finding holes and making the Pats pay.Walker ran for 55 of his 71 yards in the game on Seattle’s second scoring drive. It was the most in a single drive in the Super Bowl since Willie Parker had 75 — all on one run — for the Pittsburgh Steelers versus the Seahawks in Super Bowl 40.Since reserve running back Zach Charbonnet went down with a season-ending knee injury against the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round, Walker has taken on the role of bell cow and run with it. Including the Super Bowl, Walker has run the ball 47 times for 249 yards rushing and four touchdowns in the playoffs.Walker continuing to dominate on the ground would buoy the Seahawks’ chances of hanging onto their lead.Injury updates for Seahawks, PatriotsBoth the Seahawks and Patriots have a pair of players dealing with injuries early in the second quarter.Linebacker Jahlani Tavai is questionable with a shoulder injury for the Patriots. Safety Ty Okada is also questionable while being looked at for a calf issue.Score alert: Seattle adds another field goalJason Myers connects from 39 yards.Seahawks 6, Patriots 0Seattle has found the weakness in New England’s O-lineThe Seahawks have made a meal on opposing offenses this season, blitzing weak points in offensive lines.Through the Patriots’ first two drives, the target has been rookie left tackle Will Campbell.It resulted in Campbell yielding a pair of sacks and helped contribute to two Patriots’ punts.Seattle’s ‘12s’ are bringing the noiseFrom the first play of the Patriots’ opening drive, the Seahawks’ fan base made its presence felt. Seattle’s “12s”, as the Seahawks’ passionate fan base is known as, made all sorts of noise at Levi’s Stadium shortly after New England took over on offense.Typically, Seahawks fans create a difficult environment for foes at Lumen Field. Today, they’ve taken over the home of one the Seahawks’ fiercest rivals, the San Francisco 49ers.Former Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp makes an early impactSeattle’s opening drive was aided in large part by a 23-yard, juggling reception by Kupp along the sideline. Replays showed Kupp may have been bobbling the ball as he went out of bounds, but the Seahawks rushed the next play to preempt a review.Regardless, quarterback Sam Darnold and the Seahawks’ offense showed it can move the ball against the Patriots’ defense. Darnold completed 2 of 4 passes for 38 yards, and Kenneth Walker III ran for 13 yards on three carries.Seattle’s offense slowed in the red zone, though, and failed to capitalize on a 1st and 10 at the New England 17-yard line.Score alert: Seahawks kick field goalJason Myers caps Seattle’s opening drive with a 33-yard field goal.Seahawks 3, Patriots 0Super Bowl 60 is underwaySeattle received the ball to start the game after New England won the opening coin toss and deferred to the second half. The game opened under blue skies and 67-degree weather at Levi’s Stadium.The opening kick went for a touchback, giving the Seahawks the ball at the 35.There have been only two times in the past 25 Super Bowls that the team that received the opening kick scored a touchdown on that possession. The Philadelphia Eagles did it three years ago when Jalen Hurts scored on a 1-yard run in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Devin Hester also returned the opening kickoff for a score for Chicago against Indianapolis in Super Bowl 41.

It’s almost time to crown an NFL champion.

After two weeks of hype and anticipation, the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will face off in Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday.

The Seattle Seahawks are leading the New England Patriots 9-0 at halftime of Super Bowl LX.

Bad Bunny Half Time Show

Bad Bunny started his half time show as he emerged in Puerto Rico’s sugar cane fields, surrounded by jibaros in pavas (rural farmers in traditional straw hats), viejitos playing dominos (an affectionate term for older men) and a piragua stand (shaved ice) — undeniable symbols of Puerto Rico.

From a small Caribbean island with a complicated colonial history, to the world: The artist born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio brought Puerto Rican culture to the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, for his 2026 Super Bowl halftime show in what was always going to be a landmark moment for Latinos.

He started with his huge reggaeton hits, “Tití Me Preguntó” moving into “Yo Perreo Sola,” as he remerged on top of the casita (“little house”) from his Puerto Rican residency — Cardi B was a guest at his pari de marquesina, a house party.

Then he crashed through the roof — Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” played for a moment, clearly a celebration of the Puerto Rican artists who laid the path for his Latin trap to go global.

“Mi nombre Antonio Martínez Ocasio,” he introduced himself to the crowd in Spanish. “Y si hoy estoy aquí en el Super Bowl 60, es porque nunca, nunca dejé de creer en mí y tú también deberías de creer en ti, vales más de lo que piensas.”

The strings of his song “Monaco” played — then, a surprise Lady Gaga emerged at a wedding, singing her portion of “Die with a Smile,” her collaboration with Bruno Mars, joined by a salsa band.

It gave Benito time for a fashion change — rocking a white suit like a classic salsero — for “Baile Inolvidable” and “NuevaYol,” with a block party set where he took a shot with Tonita, owner of one of the last Puerto Rican social clubs in New York City, Brooklyn’s Caribbean Social Club.

Ricky Martin performed “Lo Que Pasó a Hawaii,” (“What Happened to Hawaii”), a rallying cry for Puerto Rico’s autonomy.

Behind him, jibaros in pavas climbed power towers that exploded, symbolic of Puerto Rico’s frequent blackouts and failing power grid. It queued up a moving performance of 2022’s “El Apagón” (“The Blackout”), in reference to Hurricane Maria, its aftermath and the continued anger and frustration over persistent, chronic power outages.

Bad Bunny performed entirely in Spanish — as all of his music is recorded in the language, though he has collaborated with English-language artists. The only English singing came from Gaga. That changed at the end of the set, when he said, “God Bless America,” and then named countries in the Caribbean, Central and South America. “And my mother land, Puerto Rico.”

He ended with “DtMF” as he walked out of the stadium.

Who needs offense? How ’bout those special teams?

The game was expected to be a matchup of two stingy defenses.

It was in the first half, and it was a very busy day for both special teams.

The Patriots punted on five of their six drives. That counts a final possession that was just a one-play kneel down with 11 seconds left.

Seattle got three field goals from Jason Myers.

With JSN grounded, Seattle is clawing away on the ground

The Seahawks have settled for field goals but hold a two-score lead heading into halftime thanks to kicker Jason Myers’ third conversion. He made a 40-yard field goal with 11 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

It hasn’t been pretty for Seattle’s offense, which ranked fifth in scoring in the regular season. Sam Darnold, who is fresh off his second straight Pro Bowl season, was nearly picked off by cornerback Christian Gonzalez on third down. Instead, the pass fell harmlessly to the turf for Darnold’s 13th incompletion of the first half. Darnold is 9 of 22 for 88 yards.

The Seahawks continue to run the ball well, though. Kenneth Walker III has 94 yards on 14 carries, but 59 of those came on two runs. Otherwise, New England has done a solid job of slowing him down.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who had the most yards receiving of any player in the NFL in the regular season, was targeted seven times and only caught one pass for 4 yards. Veteran Cooper Kupp has been Seattle’s best offensive player with four catches for 44 yards.

New England has just 51 yards of offense in first half

New England managed just four first downs, 51 total yards and converted only 2 of 7 third downs in the first half against the stingy Seahawks defense.

The 51 yards are second-fewest in a first half over the last 35 Super Bowls — and the only team with fewer in that 35-year stretch was the Chiefs with 23 last season. The only time the Patriots had fewer was -19 against the Bears in Super Bowl 20.

‘Backstreet’s back’ tonight

Two different advertisers have featured songs from the Backstreet Boys in their Super Bowl spots.

T-Mobile showed the band singing a version of its 1999 hit “I Want It That Way.” And cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase used a karaoke scroll of “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).”

“By using ‘Everybody,’ we were signaling that crypto has moved past that early adopter phase,” Coinbase chief marketing officer Cat Ferdon told the AP ahead of the game. “It’s mainstream, it’s accessible and it’s for everybody.”

Vrabel: Pats need to protect Maye

Drake Maye was sacked three times and hit five times in the first half. Asked about his QB’s protection at halftime, New England coach Mike Vrabel said he need better protection from the whole offensive line.

“From all sides,” Vrabel said. “We have to do a much better job.”

Score alert: Seattle boots another field goal

Jason Myers connects for his third field goal of the first half, this one from 41 yards.

Seahawks 9, Patriots 0

The Pats’ O-line isn’t giving Maye much time

If the Patriots are going to get anything going on offense, they’ll need to keep Drake Maye upright.

Maye is first QB to be sacked three times on the first four drives of a Super Bowl since Tom Brady in Super Bowl 42 vs the Giants.

Maye is 5-of-7 passing for 39 yards.

Kenneth Walker III is keeping Seattle moving

While the Seahawks have struggled to throw the ball, Walker is finding holes and making the Pats pay.

Walker ran for 55 of his 71 yards in the game on Seattle’s second scoring drive. It was the most in a single drive in the Super Bowl since Willie Parker had 75 — all on one run — for the Pittsburgh Steelers versus the Seahawks in Super Bowl 40.

Since reserve running back Zach Charbonnet went down with a season-ending knee injury against the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round, Walker has taken on the role of bell cow and run with it. Including the Super Bowl, Walker has run the ball 47 times for 249 yards rushing and four touchdowns in the playoffs.

Walker continuing to dominate on the ground would buoy the Seahawks’ chances of hanging onto their lead.

Injury updates for Seahawks, Patriots

Both the Seahawks and Patriots have a pair of players dealing with injuries early in the second quarter.

Linebacker Jahlani Tavai is questionable with a shoulder injury for the Patriots. Safety Ty Okada is also questionable while being looked at for a calf issue.

Score alert: Seattle adds another field goal

Jason Myers connects from 39 yards.

Seahawks 6, Patriots 0

Seattle has found the weakness in New England’s O-line

The Seahawks have made a meal on opposing offenses this season, blitzing weak points in offensive lines.

Through the Patriots’ first two drives, the target has been rookie left tackle Will Campbell.

It resulted in Campbell yielding a pair of sacks and helped contribute to two Patriots’ punts.

Seattle’s ‘12s’ are bringing the noise

From the first play of the Patriots’ opening drive, the Seahawks’ fan base made its presence felt. Seattle’s “12s”, as the Seahawks’ passionate fan base is known as, made all sorts of noise at Levi’s Stadium shortly after New England took over on offense.

Typically, Seahawks fans create a difficult environment for foes at Lumen Field. Today, they’ve taken over the home of one the Seahawks’ fiercest rivals, the San Francisco 49ers.

Former Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp makes an early impact

Seattle’s opening drive was aided in large part by a 23-yard, juggling reception by Kupp along the sideline. Replays showed Kupp may have been bobbling the ball as he went out of bounds, but the Seahawks rushed the next play to preempt a review.

Regardless, quarterback Sam Darnold and the Seahawks’ offense showed it can move the ball against the Patriots’ defense. Darnold completed 2 of 4 passes for 38 yards, and Kenneth Walker III ran for 13 yards on three carries.

Seattle’s offense slowed in the red zone, though, and failed to capitalize on a 1st and 10 at the New England 17-yard line.

Score alert: Seahawks kick field goal

Jason Myers caps Seattle’s opening drive with a 33-yard field goal.

Seahawks 3, Patriots 0

Super Bowl 60 is underway

Seattle received the ball to start the game after New England won the opening coin toss and deferred to the second half. The game opened under blue skies and 67-degree weather at Levi’s Stadium.

The opening kick went for a touchback, giving the Seahawks the ball at the 35.

There have been only two times in the past 25 Super Bowls that the team that received the opening kick scored a touchdown on that possession. The Philadelphia Eagles did it three years ago when Jalen Hurts scored on a 1-yard run in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Devin Hester also returned the opening kickoff for a score for Chicago against Indianapolis in Super Bowl 41.

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February 8, 2026
Patriots QB Drake Maye rushes past Broncos to send New England to 12th Super Bowl

Third down, 5 yards to go, 2 minutes left in the game, near-blizzard raging. And what did New England quarterback Drake Maye do?

He skated for 7 yards and a game-clinching first down in the Patriots’ 10-7 victory in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High.

In a game that ended with a 7-degree wind chill, the Patriots snowplowed their way to their 12th Super Bowl on a handful of crucial plays, many of them by Maye. He broke out of the pocket for six first downs, including a fourth-down play.

“Those long legs came in handy,” Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs said. “He was running around, stiff-arming guys. He was making plays at a high level. He was being smart. I think the biggest thing in a game like this is just being smart and not turning the ball over.”

Jarrett Stidham’s two critical turnovers doom Broncos in AFC Championship defeat to Patriots

The Patriots will now play the winner of Sunday night’s NFC Championship Game between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, California.

Maye completed just 10 of 21 passes for 86 yards, and he was sacked five times for 21 yards. But he carried the ball 10 times for 65 yards and ran for the Patriots’ only touchdown — a 6-yard sprint in the second quarter after the Patriots recovered a fumble by Denver QB Jarrett Stidham.

“It wasn’t ideal,” Maye said of the conditions. “But our defense, they’ve been stepping up all playoffs. We’re going to play better. But man, I’m just so proud of this team.”

Compare what Maye did to what the Broncos couldn’t do. They rushed for just 79 yards as a team and saw their season slip-slide away when they failed to get anything going in the second half.

“Tip our hats to New England,” Denver coach Sean Payton said. “It was a hard-fought game. We weren’t able to get it done, and it’s tough, especially in this game.”

A contingent of Patriots fans in Denver shouted “MVP! MVP!” when Maye took hold of the Lamar Hunt Trophy after the game.

“I was just trying to control the football,” Maye said. “What an atmosphere out here. We battled the elements. Love this team. How about the defense? I love each and every one of them, man. Pats are back, baby.”

The game’s momentum changed with New England’s first drive of the second half. The Patriots ground out 64 yards on 16 plays and took 9:31 off the clock. The key play was Mayes’ 28-yard scramble on third-and-9. The drive ended with a 23-yard field goal by Andy Borregalles, which turned out to be the game-winner.

“Today was just another example of when things kind of change and unfold, our ability to adjust things,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “We did enough things in tough conditions to win the football game.

“When we got that field goal, our defense took it to them, and if they can’t score, it was going to be hard to win the football game, obviously.”

Regarding his quarterback, Vrabel said, “The great thing about Drake is his ability to extend plays. If it’s not there, he gains chunks. He’s done that most of the year.”

In Vrabel’s first season as coach, the Patriots became just the third team in the Super Bowl era to win a conference championship scoring 10 points or fewer. Buffalo beat Denver 10-7 in the 1991 AFC title game, and the Rams beat Tampa Bay 9-0 in the 1979 NFC Championship Game.

Vrabel won three Super Bowls as a linebacker for the Patriots. He’s trying to become the first person in NFL history to also win a Super Bowl as a head coach for the same franchise.

“I won’t win it. It’ll be the players that’ll win the game,” Vrabel said. “I promise you, it won’t be me that’ll win it, and I promise you that I’ll do everything I can, and our staff, to have them ready for the game.”

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Patrick Saunders

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January 25, 2026
Patriots are heading to their 12th Super Bowl, seeking an NFL-record 7th victory

Drake Maye, Mike Vrabel and a stifling defense have the New England Patriots back in the Super Bowl for the first time since Tom Brady and Bill Belichick won their sixth ring together seven years ago.

The Patriots (17-3) beat the Denver Broncos 10-7 on Sunday in the AFC championship game to advance to their 12th Super Bowl.

They’ll face the winner of the NFC championship game between the Los Angeles Rams (14-5) and Seattle Seahawks (15-3).

Either way, it’ll be a rematch.

Brady led the Patriots to a 20-17 victory over the heavily favored “Greatest Show on Turf” St. Louis Rams on Feb. 3, 2002, for the franchise’s first Super Bowl title.

And the Patriots also defeated Sean McVay’s Los Angeles Rams 13-3 on Feb. 3, 2019, to capture the franchise’s sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy.

New England edged Pete Carroll’s Seahawks 28-24 on Feb. 1, 2015, when Malcolm Butler intercepted Russell Wilson’s pass from the 1-yard line.

Maye scored on a 6-yard touchdown run in the second quarter after a critical turnover by Jarrett Stidham, who made his fifth career start filling in for injured Broncos quarterback Bo Nix.

“The Pats are back, baby,” Maye said. “Now, gotta win one.”

Playing through a snowstorm in the second half, Maye only threw for 86 yards and ran for 65. Stidham had 133 yards passing and one TD, one interception and one costly fumble.

The 23-year-old Maye, a finalist for AP NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year, will become the second-youngest QB to start a Super Bowl behind Dan Marino. He’s the fourth second-year QB in the past seven years to lead his team to the NFL title game. Patrick Mahomes (2018) won it while Joe Burrow (2021) and Brock Purdy (2023) lost.

Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls as a linebacker for the Patriots in the 2000s, turned the team around in his first season as coach. New England went from 4-13 last year under Jerod Mayo to 14-3.

Vrabel is trying to become the first person to win a Super Bowl as a head coach and player for the same team. Tom Flores, Mike Ditka, Tony Dungy and Doug Pederson won Super Bowls playing for one team and coaching another.

“I can’t tell you how proud I am to be associated with these guys and this organization,” said Vrabel, who is a finalist for AP NFL Coach of the Year. “I won’t win it. It’ll be the players that’ll win the game, I promise you. It won’t be me that’ll win it and I promise you I’ll do everything that I can and our staff to have them ready for the game.”

No team has played in the Super Bowl more than the Patriots, who are 6-5. They’re tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most wins.

It’s been a long road back to the top for New England, which came off consecutive four-win seasons and only had one winning season after Brady’s departure in 2020.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

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January 25, 2026

Broncos-Patriots scouting report: How will Sean Payton, Jarrett Stidham handle tricky New England defense?

Patriots (16-3) at Broncos (15-3)

When: 1 p.m. Sunday

Where: Empower Field at Mile High

TV: KCNC-4

Radio: 850 AM, 94.1 FM

Broncos-Patriots series: There’s some great, not-so-ancient playoff history here, between two franchises that will forever be tied to the names Manning and Brady. The last time Denver and New England faced off in the playoffs was the AFC title game after the 2015 season, as a fading Peyton Manning mustered just enough — 176 yards and two touchdowns — to put the Patriots away 20-18. Broncos cornerback Bradley Roby picked off a 2-point conversion try from Tom Brady to Julian Edelman to seal the win. Denver’s also 27-23 in all-time regular-season matchups against the Patriots.

In the spotlight: Patriots defensive play-caller Zak Kuhr ‘keeps the dial spinning’

Two weeks ago, after New England made Pro Bowler Justin Herbert look like a Pop Warner flameout in a 16-3 win over Los Angeles, Chargers players came up to linebacker Robert Spillane and told him they had “no clue” what coverage the Patriots were in all game. At least, by Spillane’s own admission.

Now, the Chargers fired offensive coordinator Greg Roman a couple of days later, so that might’ve had something to do with it. But this is the evident genius of New England defensive play-caller Zak Kuhr.

“He keeps the dial spinning,” Spillane said after New England’s wild-card win. “He keeps offenses guessing. All year, he’s been doing that.

“For him just to be able to build those packages throughout the week, our back-end players to know how to disguise the different defenses, really keeps quarterbacks guessing,” the linebacker continued a few words later.

Enter Jarrett Stidham, a quarterback with four career NFL starts who has Patriots defenders now guessing as to what exactly he’s capable of.

“Nothing,” said New England defensive tackle Milton Williams in the Patriots’ locker room this week, when asked what he knew about Stidham. “Nothing. I ain’t gonna lie, nothing. We’re gonna watch the tape on him and figure out what he like to do, but, they didn’t like him over Bo, so.”

Shrug.

Call it a slight by Williams, perhaps. But call it like it is: there was a reason Nix won the starting job over Stidham in 2024, and a reason that Stidham hasn’t seen the field until Nix’s crushing ankle fracture in last weekend’s win over Buffalo. Sunday will bring Stidham into one of the most unique situations in recent NFL memory — starting an AFC title game without throwing a pass.

On top of it, he and Sean Payton will have to solve Kuhr’s spinning dial, which has flummoxed some of the NFL’s best all season. It began in Wednesday night’s offensive staff meeting, with Payton noting the importance of uncovering whether New England is in man coverage or zone.

“This is a team that does a good job with that,” Payton said Wednesday. “They keep the top on the coverage, they’ve got real good corners and safeties, and then — extremely talented nickel. So how do you determine it? There’s different ways you try to create movement, maybe, but that’ll be a big study tonight.”

New England’s defense has surrendered over 200 passing yards to only one quarterback in any single game since early November: the Texans’ C.J. Stroud in the AFC divisional round last weekend. The Patriots also happened to pick off Stroud four — four — times in the first half alone in a 28-16 win. Their personnel is strong at every level, with a Pro Bowl outside corner in Christian Gonzalez (a 52.5% catch rate allowed this year, according to Next Gen Stats) and that extremely talented nickel in Marcus Jones.

But the unit is greater than the sum of its parts, mainly thanks to Kuhr. He’s turned himself into a rising star amid tragic circumstances in New England, after defensive coordinator Terrell Williams stepped away from the team in late September amid a prostate-cancer diagnosis. The Patriots pressured opposing quarterbacks at the 10th-highest rate in the NFL despite blitzing at the 19th-highest rate in 2025, and have thrown a bunch of exotic looks at their playoff opponents.

In even worse news for Denver, New England won’t exactly be surprised by Stidham on Sunday. Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels had the 29-year-old backup for the first three years of his career in New England, and then traded for him in Las Vegas in 2022.

“Certainly, Josh knows him,” Payton said. “I don’t think it’s like, ‘We’ve never seen who this person (is).’

“It’s what we do with him that’s going to be most important.”

Payton’s personnel-shifting tendencies — infuriating to some sections of this Broncos fanbase — might actually be Denver’s best shot against New England Sunday. Let the chaos ensue.

Who has the edge?

When Broncos run: Well, there’s no J.K. Dobbins after all, as the Broncos’ RB1’s valiant comeback attempt from a November Lisfranc injury fell just short this week. And Payton has little to no trust in his current backfield without Dobbins. RJ Harvey and Jaleel McLaughlin combined for 10 total carries against a Buffalo unit that entered the wild-card weekend as one of the worst run defenses in the league. New England has some monster interior stoppers in defensive tackles Williams and Christian Barmore. Edge: Patriots

When Broncos pass: Well, uh. Jarrett Stidham has not thrown a regular-season pass in two seasons. Across four career NFL starts, he has averaged 270 passing yards a game with an 89.7 passer rating, which feels like a decent baseline to start. New England’s defense, however, has thrown a variety of “Saw”-style defensive traps at opposing quarterbacks for months. Denver’s got its full complement of receivers back, which helps, but without demonstrated proof, it’s hard to swing this in the Broncos’ favor. Edge: Patriots

When Patriots run: Remember when TreVeyon Henderson was all the rage in Denver in April, before the Broncos decided to stand pat in the first round? Broncos fans will now see what it’s like to watch him work at Empower Field. The rookie first-rounder has struggled in the playoffs, averaging just 2.5 yards per carry, but came on strong in the last half of the regular season. Veteran Rhamondre Stevenson offers a nice complement, and quarterback Drake Maye is one of the most adept scramblers in the league. Denver will need a better effort here than it showed against the Bills and James Cook last week. Edge: Even

When Patriots pass: Maye has risen to the top of a stacked 2024 QB draft class, and might well walk away with the league MVP after just his second season in the league. The numbers are ridiculous: 4,394 passing yards, 31 touchdowns, eight picks, a 72% completion rating. New England has surrounded him with playmakers, from WR1 Stefon Diggs to tight end Hunter Henry. Maye’s been somewhat held in check this postseason, but “held in check” has meant four passing touchdowns against two picks. Slight edge: Patriots

Special teams: One of Denver’s biggest early-season weaknesses has now rounded into one of its biggest strengths. New England punter Bryce Baringer and rookie kicker Andres Borregales both ranked right around league average in general punting and kicking efficiency, and returner Marcus Jones was named a second-team All-Pro after finishing fourth in the NFL in punt-return yardage. Denver’s slightly better in most areas, though. Slight edge: Broncos

Coaching: Sean Payton knows quite well that no coach has ever won a Super Bowl with two different teams. He’ll need to put on a masterclass on Sunday to pull this one off, and he’s very well capable of it. Denver needs a better effort from defensive coordinator Vance Joseph in situational work, but the Broncos have been coached up well enough to flip from turnover-averse to ball-hawks. Vrabel has done masterful work in his first year in New England and is a Coach of the Year candidate, but Payton has the experience edge here. Slight edge: Broncos

Tale of the tape

	Broncos	Patriots
Total offense	342.6 (10th)	379.4 (3rd)
Rush offense	118.7 (16th)	128.9 (6th)
Pass offense	223.9 (11th)	250.5 (4th)
Points per game	23.6 (14th)	28.8 (2nd)
Total defense	278.2 (2nd)	295.2 (8th)
Run defense	91.1 (2nd)	101.7 (6th)
Pass defense	187.2 (7th)	193.5 (9th)
Points allowed	18.3 (3rd)	18.8 (4th)

By the numbers

11: The number of quarterbacks in NFL history who have started a road AFC championship at 23 years old or younger, now including Drake Maye.

103.1: Maye’s quarterback rating when under pressure in 2025, the best in the NFL.

8: The number of times Maye fumbled during the regular season, tied for the sixth-most in the NFL.

16: The number of targets Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez received in coverage against the Houston Texans last week, the most of any defensive player in any single game this season, according to Next Gen Stats.

9: The number of quarterback pressures Patriots tackle Will Campbell has allowed in his last two games, according to Pro Football Focus.

12: The number of quarterback pressures Broncos outside linebacker Nik Bonitto has combined for in his last two games.

X-factors

Broncos: RB RJ Harvey. Specifically, the “RB” part. Harvey is more than a proven commodity at this point as an open-field receiver, and the Broncos wouldn’t have won against Buffalo without his contributions. But somebody needs to help Stidham control the ground and control pace against New England, and Payton needs to feel comfortable handing Harvey 15 carries on Sunday.

Patriots: DT Milton Williams. The former Philadelphia Eagle’s $104 million deal with New England in free agency has been worth every penny, as Williams has set the tone for the Patriots against the run in the 14 total games he’s been healthy this season. If Denver center Luke Wattenberg — playing his first game since landing on injured reserve Week 16 with a shoulder injury — can’t hold his own, the Broncos will have a tough time establishing offensive rhythm.

Post predictions

Parker Gabriel, Broncos reporter: Patriots 17, Broncos 16

It would be a tremendous story if Denver punches a ticket to Santa Clara with Jarrett Stidham at the helm. It’s not impossible, either. The Broncos are confident, even without quarterback Bo Nix. They don’t just think ‘Stiddy’ will play well, they will be really surprised if he doesn’t. They’ve got a deep roster, a talented defense and an offensive line that can control a game. New England has that, too, plus an MVP candidate at quarterback in Drake Maye.

Luca Evans, Broncos reporter: Patriots 17, Broncos 10

Going through the scouting report on New England truly reminds one how stacked the Patriots are as a group, and how many holes these Broncos have without Bo Nix’s late-game magic to help tie things up. Toss out all the light-schedule talk around the Pats; they’ve dispatched Los Angeles and Houston in timely fashion in these playoffs. This is just a brutal draw for Jarrett Stidham against his former team, and the magic runs out here.

Troy Renck, columnist: Broncos 22, Patriots 20

Everything about Sunday suggests the Broncos will lose without Bo Nix. They are the largest home underdog in a conference championship game since the league merger. Jarrett Stidham hasn’t played in a postseason game since he led Auburn to a win over Purdue in the 2018 Music City Bowl. But Sean Payton is the best version of himself in these spots, and the Broncos defense will make Drake Maye miserable enough to pull off the upset.

Sean Keeler, columnist: Broncos 23, Patriots 20

We may not know what we’re going to get from Jarrett Stidham, but we know what we’re going to get from Drake Maye — and from this Broncos pass rush. The Pats’ offense line allowed a bottom-10-in-the-NFL sack rate during the regular season, and Maye sports a 39.60 passer rating when “pressured” this postseason. The defense will have to carry the load one more time. With feeling. Will Lutz with the winner late. Same as it ever was.

Nate Peterson, sports editor: Broncos 21, Patriots 17

The Patriots have gotten here by demolishing two lousy offensive lines to rattle Justin Herbert and C.J. Stroud, but that won’t be the case Sunday. The Broncos’ O-line stands up for ‘Stiddy’ and the return of J.K. Dobbins provides enough of a lift in the run game to pull off the unthinkable in front of a frothing home crowd. Sean Payton relishes nothing more than being counted out, and he told the world to “watch out” on Saturday after getting the crushing news about Bo Nix. Denver somehow, some way, gets it done.

Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.

Luca Evans

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January 25, 2026

Keeler: Here’s why Broncos QB Jarrett Stidham makes Patriots fans in Denver nervous

Justin Grant had Tedy Bruschi on his back and Brock Osweiler on the brain.

“I don’t like the storyline with Jarrett Stidham,” he told me as we shivered on the second-floor deck at Jackson’s LODO early Saturday night.

Then he corrected himself.

“I hate the storyline,” Grant continued, adjusting his bright blue Bruschi replica Patriots jersey.

“Why?” I wondered.

“Because we drafted him. And he gave us two years and then he left. And now he’s, like, the guy who’s coming in. I just don’t like the storyline.”

New England rolls an MVP-caliber quarterback into Denver — only to get beaten by a Broncos backup? Justin’s seen the movie before. He always ends up crying at the end.

The last time Grant, who calls Colorado Springs home but grew up in Maine, saw his beloved Pats at Empower Field was November 2015. When Osweiler rallied the Broncos past Tom Brady in the snow.

Talk about your classic PTSD — Pats Traumatic Stress Disorder.

“I’m 0-and-1, man,” Grant laughed on the eve of the AFC Championship between the Broncos and Patriots. “We don’t have a good record here.”

Sure don’t. The Pats are tied with the Steelers for the most Super Bowl victories (six) since the AFL-NFL merger of 1970. But they’ve never won a postseason game in Denver (0-4). Brady went 0-3. Empower Field was the one mountain too high for even the GOAT to climb.

New England Patriots fan Brian Kureta screams among his fellow fans on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, at Jackson’s LODO in Denver. (Photo by Timothy Hurst/The Denver Post)

“Honestly, man, after losing two Super Bowls to Eli Manning and one to Nick Foles,” Grant’s friend Jordan Buck, a Pats fan from Lakewood, told me, “I’m not overlooking anybody. But you’ve got to be confident in your squad, so I like my team’s chances.”

Love them, though?

Not after Osweiler. Or Foles. Or Eli twice.

“Yeah, (Stidham) hasn’t played in a long time,” Buck shrugged. “But I mean, he played for us for three years, so he knows us well.”

What did Broncos fans and Pats fans have in common Saturday? Stidham, who’ll make his first postseason start against New England in place of injured Broncos QB Bo Nix, was on the lips of both teams’ fans the hours before the biggest football game at Empower Field in a decade.

New Englanders packed into Jackson’s LODO for a pep rally just within shouting distance of Coors Field. Most of the shouts were distinctly of the NC-17 variety.

Patriot Pat signs New England Patriots fan Sumaya Faggan’s bag on Saturday at Jackson’s LODO in Denver. (Photo by Timothy Hurst/The Denver Post)

“I LOVE DRAKE MAYE!” a Patriots fan cried.

“(EXPLETIVE) THE BRONCOS!” Another screamed.

The “Night Before” rally was a brainchild of the Pikes Peak Pats fan club. PPP typically hosts a night-before primer on the eve of an AFC title game in Denver, but it’s been a while. January 2016 brought roughly 700 Front Range Pats fans together. PPP president Anne Stone told me they were expecting at least 1,000 this time around — if not more. With the sun setting and temps falling at 5:15 p.m., a line of at least 100 patrons was seen snaking out from the front door of Jackson’s and around the block.

Near the DJ stage on the second floor, the Patriots’ “All-Access” television show did a live shoot for the locals back in Beantown. Pat Patriot danced in one corner. A giant ice sculpture of the New England logo rested in another. Former New England kicker Adam Vinatieri, the Patriots’ honorary captain for Sunday, showed up for his “All-Access” cameo as faithful waved tiny cardboard heads of New England rookie tackle Will Campbell.

“We all we got?” Vinatieri asked.

“We all we need!” they cried.

“We all we got?” Vinatieri repeated.

“We all we need!”

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Vinatieri said.

Former New England Patriots cornerback Logan Ryan signs autographs for fans on Saturday at Jackson’s LODO in Denver. (Photo by Timothy Hurst/The Denver Post)

It’s OK to roll your eyes. But not at the cause. PPP ran a raffle during the rally on Saturday, with a plethora of signed Pats items, in order to raise money for the Pikes Peak Region Peace Officers Memorial.

As a Boston native, Stone’s accent is thicker than chowdah, bless her, with a laugh that lilts like a fly ball onto Lansdowne Street. She moved to the Front Range 30 years ago when her husband got a new gig — and never left.

The Pikes Peak Pats Club started in 2006. Stone became president a year after that. PPP counts about 90 active members now. Before the pandemic, it was closer to 400. Things are more transient now, with East Coast military transplants looking for a good watch pah-ty coming and going as Uncle Sam ships them in and out of the Springs.

“It’s good,” Stone said. “You get to meet new people all the time.”

Pats owner Robert Kraft has even visited PPP tailgates and parties over the years, although he wasn’t on the guest list for Saturday’s rally.

And if Stone’s got any PTSD, deep down, she sure as heck wasn’t showing it.

“To tell you the truth, in all honesty, I think a lot of people, all of my Pats friends, everyone’s hearts are broken for poor Bo Nix,” Stone said. “Some of us are old enough that he could be our son. Here was a 25-year-old who spent the night crying. It’s just awful.”

A pause.

And cue the “but” …

“That being said, I don’t think we’re a shoo-in,” Stone continued. “I do think we’re going to win. That’s my gut reaction. You know what they say: ‘Any given Sunday.’ It’s true. And we don’t have good luck (in Denver).”

Oh and four.

As in, uh-oh and four.

“That worry you?” I asked Grant.

“Yes, it does,” he replied. “It worries me a lot.”

He just wishes Stidham would stop giving him that old Osweiler vibe.

“So hopefully,” Grant said nervously, “history doesn’t repeat itself.”

Stiddy as you Bo, man. Stiddy as you Bo.

Sean Keeler

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January 24, 2026
Live updates: Patriots battle Jets aiming to strengthen grip on AFC East
What to Know

Tune into NBC Sports Boston at noon ET for Patriots Pregame Live with Tom E. Curran, Phil Perry and Michael Holley. Come back right after the game for Patriots Postgame Live.

A win would give the Patriots a perfect season on the road (8-0). The only teams in franchise history to do this were the 2007 and 2016 squads.

The Patriots (12-3) need a win to keep pace in the race for the AFC’s No. 1 seed.

The Jets have a 3-12 record and their minus-144 point differential is the third-worst in the NFL.

Seven Patriots players have already been ruled out for this game.
The rivalry between the New England Patriots and New York Jets resumes Sunday afternoon with a Week 17 matchup at MetLife Stadium.

These two teams are headed in opposite directions.

The Jets are still one of the NFL’s worst teams and headed for another top 10 draft pick. The Patriots, meanwhile, are again one of the league’s top teams and still have a chance to earn the AFC’s top seed. They can also clinch the AFC East crown Sunday for the first time since 2019 if they beat the Jets and the Buffalo Bills lose to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Will the Patriots win their third straight game over the Jets?

Follow our Patriots-Jets live blog below for video highlights, analysis, playoff picture updates, injuries and much more:
Nick Goss, Darren Hartwell, Justin Leger and Phil Perry

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December 28, 2025
Patriots Mailbag: Issues to fix before playoffs, 2026 FA targets and more
The Patriots have the NFL’s second-best record with just three games remaining on their schedule. They’re in the driver’s seat to win the AFC East and host a playoff game at Gillette Stadium in January.

And yet … last Sunday’s 35-31 loss to the Bills has fans feeling a bit unsettled entering the stretch run.

What issues need to be fixed ahead of a primetime showdown with the Ravens on Sunday Night Football? And where should Mike Vrabel and his staff look to add to this roster in the offseason? We’re tackling you’re short-term and long-term questions in this week’s Mailbag.

Editor’s Note: Some questions have been lightly edited for clarity.

TreVeyon Henderson has been incredible, but I still see too many negative runs on first down that puts them behind the sticks. Do you anticipate more throws on first down to try to loosen up the defense up for him? – @rick_ricciardi3

TreVeyon Henderson has been better lately, in my opinion, when it comes to finding creases and exploiting them. It’s not just on his home-run hitting jaunts, either.

Per NextGen Stats, Henderson has the second-most rushing yards before contact per carry this season (1.9), and he’s gaining 8.1 yards after forcing a missed tackle, which is fourth-best among all backs. He’s seeing running lanes, attacking them with good acceleration, and finishing through the whistle.

To your point, he did have a third-quarter run for negative yardage on first down against the Bills last week. But since in the five games since Week 10, he has 317 yards on first downs, which ranks fifth in the NFL behind only Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson, Miami’s De’Von Achane, Buffalo’s James Cook and Baltimore’s Derrick Henry.

In that same time period, no one has more first-down touchdowns (five), and he’s eighth in first-down broken tackles (six).

His stuff percentage (16.7), which tracks carries of zero yards or fewer, is 29th out of 45 backs with at least 20 first-down carries. That’s nothing to write home about, but he’s in the same range as a pair of accomplished speed backs in Achane (15.4) and Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs (15.6).

However you slice it, Henderson has been one of their best players lately, and the more they can factor him into game plans — while keeping him healthy — the better off they’ll be.

Why do the Patriots play more zone coverage when they have the players to do man-to-man coverage? – @anitalynne3103

It’s interesting, Anita. The Patriots are playing less man coverage than we’re accustomed to seeing. But they’re still a top-10 team in the league in the rate at which they use man, per Football Insights. They’re hovering right around a 30 percent clip.

They may have the personnel to play more man coverage, and perhaps they could be a top-three team in that regard rather than top-10, but in this scheme, they’ve tended to mix in some more man calls than perhaps we would’ve seen under Bill Belichick or Jerod Mayo.

Radical thought: Could we get two first-round picks for Gonzalez? He’s a man CB. If Vrabel prefers zone, trade him for draft capital. – @Quig052095

You probably could, Quig, since that’s what the Jets got in return for Sauce Gardner earlier this season. Maybe the way that has played out in Indy would make another team reluctant to execute a similar deal.

But let’s say, for the sake of argument, that’s what the Patriots could get for Christian Gonzalez in a trade this offseason. Should they be willing to pull the trigger on that kind of swap?

For someone like me who believes the draft is the lifeblood of consistently-good NFL teams — and, yes, we talk about the draft every week on Next Pats — I get the intrigue. But I’d also be reluctant to part with one of the few drafted-and-developed players on the roster who looks like a true “blue-chip” talent.

Generally speaking, you don’t want to part with those guys. Especially the ones who play premium positions that impact the passing game.

Maybe Gonzalez’s fit in the scheme will impact the thought process in the front offices at One Patriot Place, but when he’s out there, they perform better. When Gonzalez is on the field, the Patriots allow a 6.7 percent lower completion rate and 2.4 fewer yards per pass attempt, per NextGen Stats.

With the way the offensive line has played this season, is it possible that it could be hard to hang on to Doug Marrone long term? – @RobbieBuckets

Good question, Buckets. Maybe there would be an opportunity elsewhere for Marrone to pursue after that unit has performed above the expectations of many.

But he’s been in the area for a couple of years now having spent time with Bill O’Brien last year at Boston College. He has ties to the Northeast. He may want to stick around.

If he does go elsewhere, he has two assistants who have been hugely beneficial to the operation in Jason Houghtaling and Robert Kugler who could potentially take over.

On the question of which staffers could get poached… Thomas Brown, the tight ends coach and pass-game coordinator, would be a name to watch. He’s now worked for both Sean McVay and Mike Vrabel. He’s been an interim offensive coordinator and an interim head coach in Chicago. He’s got a competitive demeanor, and his players in Foxboro speak highly of him.

Would come as no surprise if Brown received interview requests for a promotion elsewhere after the season.

Phil, who are a few 2026 free agents that you feel could be good fits, significant needle movers, and upgrades from this year? keep up the great work & have a Merry Christmas! – @DougCoupe

Some (way too early) names to consider, Doug? Understanding what might be positions of need, and understanding the Patriots are going to want certain kinds of personalities in a locker room led by Vrabel, here are a few:
- Seahawks WR Rashid Shaheed
- Colts WR Alec Pierce
- Packers WR Romeo Doubs
- Colts OT Braden Smith
- Packers OT Rasheed Walker
- Browns OG Wyatt Teller
- Browns OG Joel Bitonio
- Browns TE David Njoku
- Eagles EDGE Jaelan Phillips
- Chargers EDGE Odafe Oweh
- Broncos DL John Franklin-Myers
- Packers LB Quay Walker
Due to recent injuries on defense, it looks like the Patriots’ lack of depth is getting exposed. Is it safe to say they might take addressing the defense as a bigger priority than the offense in the offseason? – @kylemarsden441

It’s a fair question, Kyle, but they’ve invested a lot in that defense. And they’ll probably continue to. (We’ll get to why in a second.) But should adding talent to that side of the ball be the priority over the offense?

The Patriots could use a No. 1 receiver if there’s one out there for them, and they should probably start thinking about the future at right tackle. Those can be hard to find.

While it wouldn’t stun me for them to find depth across the board — and in particular up front defensively — their biggest swings this offseason might have to be on the offensive side.

With the Patriots’ d-line woes and lack of size to cover tight ends becoming more apparent, is there any regret over dealing Keion White and Kyle Dugger at the deadline? More so with White, as he proved a more than capable pass-rusher when put in the right position in the past? – @TheRealMikeRuiz

I don’t sense any, Mike. The Patriots understood that both those players could be rotational pieces for them. They were before they were dealt. But getting something for them in trades was deemed the better avenue.

Additionally, I’d argue with the assessment of Keion White as “more than capable.” He had many opportunities to function as a quality pass-rusher in Foxboro and wasn’t able to put it together.

We’ll see if he can find some consistency moving forward in San Francisco. He has two sacks in 158 pass-rush snaps for the 49ers since being dealt.

Did the Bills game foretell what might happen when defensive coordinators get a second game or more information to game plan against Drake Maye? Is the “always open, even in man coverage” WR just as much of a need in 2026 as it is for most young QBs on rookie deals? – @qualitysmoke

I think it could be part of what’s held them back when they’ve seen man coverage lately, QS. We dove into some of the numbers here.

What’s the biggest area of importance to fix before the playoffs start? The Patriots played one bad half Sunday, but it seems like the sky is falling around here all of a sudden. – @Cmerc5

Big picture? The Patriots were a play or two away from sweeping one of the best teams — a more battle-tested team at that — in the NFL. That’s worth keeping in mind.

But the Bills also shined a light on some of the areas where the Patriots have been lacking of late.

As we mentioned above, man coverage was an issue for the Patriots against Buffalo, and it has given them some difficulty over the last couple of months. On the defensive side, Cook averaged 4.9 yards per carry, which continued a trend that might represent this team’s biggest issue heading into postseason play: their inconsistency stopping the run. Since Week 9, they’ve allowed the fourth-most EPA per rushing attempt in the NFL.

That could improve if Milton Williams (on injured reserve) and Robert Spillane (ankle) return to the middle of their defense healthy and effective. But until they solve it, they’ll be in store for some frustrating moments.

This weekend will be a real challenge for them in that regard going up against a Ravens rushing attack that features quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry.
Phil Perry

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December 18, 2025
Patriots draw praise with stormy uniform debut against Jets

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The New England Patriots debuted their “Nor’easter” uniforms on Thursday night as part of the NFL’s “Rivalries” program for their game against the New York Jets.

The Patriots wore “Storm Blue” color jerseys with white helmets and pants.

There were six stars on the uniform to signify six New England states and a unique “NE” logo on the shoulder of the uniform, featuring nautical lettering and compass points.

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New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye warms up ahead of a game against the New York Jets Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

The uniform had features a fan wouldn’t be able to see by the naked eye. There was a hidden message inside the collar. On red fabric, the words “We Are All Patriots” were stitched into white lettering.

“At the heart of the look is a deep Storm Blue base – rugged, weathered, and worn in, like the coastline after a gale,” an infographic on the Patriots’ website said. “The color reflects both the unforgiving power of the nor’easters and the perseverance of the people who face them head-on.”

New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels meets with players, including DeMario Douglas, before a game against the New York Jets Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

2025 NFL WEEK 11 BUZZ: TEXANS’ C.J. STROUD OUT, RAVENS’ LAMAR JACKSON PRACTICING

The new digs were met with high praise on social media.

The weather in Foxborough, Massachusetts, was far from stormy. It was actually quite right for football. At kickoff, there were clear skies with a temperature of 38 degrees. There was a low chance of precipitation.

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The New England Patriots’ Drake Maye runs onto the field before a game against the New York Jets Nov. 13, 2025, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

The Jets wore their regular white away jerseys for the game.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

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November 14, 2025
Patriots handle AFC East rival Jets at home behind TreVeyon Henderson’s 3-touchdown night

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The New England Patriots continue to roll, handling their AFC East rival New York Jets, 27-14, on “Thursday Night Football.”

New England extended its lengthy win streak to eight games, improving to 9-2 on the season. Meanwhile, the Jets’ brief win streak, after starting the season 0-7, has come to a close.

Heading into this game, the Patriots were expected to dominate the Jets. While the scoreboard didn’t say so in the end, their rookie running back certainly provided the fireworks.

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Drake Maye of the New England Patriots looks to pass during the first half against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on Nov. 13, 2025 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

TreVeyon Henderson, who had a breakout game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week with 147 rushing yards and two long touchdown runs, added three more touchdowns to his first-year stat line in this victory.

He was the only Patriots player to find the end zone, starting with the team’s 13-play, 69-yard drive that ended with his entire offensive line pushing him over the goal line to tie the game at seven apiece.

On the Patriots’ next drive, Henderson rushed in from seven yards out to give the Patriots a 14-7 lead to end the first half.

PATRIOTS DRAW PRAISE WITH STORMY UNIFORM DEBUT AGAINST JETS

New England started to pull away after quarterback Drake Maye, an MVP hopeful who had yet another great performance, put together chunk completions to set up an eventual touchdown pass to Henderson, who found himself wide open in the end zone.

Henderson finished the game with 62 rushing yards on 19 carries, while hauling in five catches for 31 yards.

Meanwhile, Justin Fields and the Jets’ offense struggled in yet another outing despite a great 14-play opening drive that ended with the quarterback rushing it in himself.

TreVeyon Henderson of the New England Patriots rushes for a touchdown in front of Isaiah Oliver #26 of the New York Jets during the first half against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on Nov. 13, 2025 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images)

Fields was coming off a rough game against the Cleveland Browns, though the Jets were able to win thanks to two special teams scores. He threw for only 54 yards with a 60.4 quarterback rating.

Fields was 15-of-26 for 116 yards in this game with a touchdown pass on a broken play to John Metchie III that made it 21-14 in the third quarter. But there were more negative moments than positive for the Jets, including a fumble lost on a low snap in the fourth quarter while the Jets were down just a touchdown.

The Patriots were able to run the fourth-quarter clock out, and give the home crowd what they were hoping for in Mike Vrabel’s first year as a head coach — a winning season.

There is still more work to do, but nine wins put the Patriots above .500.

TreVeyon Henderson of the New England Patriots scores a touchdown during the second quarter against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on Nov. 13, 2025 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)

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Looking more into the box score, Maye was an efficient 25-of-34 for 281 yards with his one touchdown pass to Henderson. Stefon Diggs also led the way with nine catches for 105 yards, a game high, while Mack Hollins and Hunter Henry both caught four passes.

For the Jets, Metchie was the leading receiver with 45 yards on three grabs, while Breece Hall had 58 rushing yards on 14 carries. Fields had 67 yards on 11 runs.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

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November 13, 2025
Jared Goff Balancing Aggression and Accuracy as He Chases NFL Record

Through seven games of the 2025 season, Jared Goff has been the model of precision for the Detroit Lions, completing a career-best 74.9% of his passes, the second-highest mark in the league, behind only New England rookie Drake Maye.

But while his efficiency has drawn national attention, Goff is more focused on finding the right balance between staying sharp and taking the occasional deep shot when it’s there.

When speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the veteran quarterback offered a candid self-evaluation of his season so far, and even hinted that he’s still looking to push his own limits.

‘There Are Some Areas of Aggressiveness’

Goff didn’t sugarcoat it. While he’s proud of his consistency, he believes there’s still another level to reach when it comes to being aggressive downfield.

“I think there are some areas of aggressiveness where I can be a little more aggressive,” Goff said as quoted by Justin Rogers. “I say that, and then I’ll make a poor decision and say I need not be so aggressive in certain situations. Yeah, it’s a double-edged sword there.”

That push and pull, knowing when to take chances versus when to play it safe, is something Goff has mastered more than most quarterbacks. He’s taken just 13 sacks through seven games and has posted a 116.4 passer rating, the second-highest mark of his career.

“At the same time, if I’m getting the ball in our guys’ hands underneath, regardless, it doesn’t really matter,” Goff continued.

That philosophy has helped Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Sam LaPorta thrive in Detroit’s high-efficiency offense, which ranks near the top of the NFL in scoring and yards per drive.

Closing In on NFL History

If Goff maintains his current pace, he’ll have a shot at breaking Drew Brees’ single-season NFL completion percentage record of 74.4%, set in 2018.

Not that Goff is paying much attention to the numbers. When asked about potentially etching his name in the record books, the Lions’ signal-caller brushed it off.

“I won’t think about that,” Goff said. “It’s so dang hard, every week, to play well and win games. Yeah, I’ve been able to keep a pretty good percentage there, but that’s a product of me being kept upright, our guys getting open, and me being pretty accurate with it. Want to try to continue that and see how it goes.”

It’s a statement that perfectly captures Goff’s mindset: humble, team-first, and focused on the process, not the headlines.

The Engine of Detroit’s Offense

The Lions’ success this season has been fueled by balance, a powerful run game led by Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, combined with Goff’s sharp decision-making and quick release.

The veteran quarterback’s chemistry with his playmakers has elevated the entire offense. St. Brown already has 538 yards and 7 touchdowns, while Gibbs has piled up 720 scrimmage yards.

Goff’s ability to spread the ball around and stay efficient has kept the Lions at the top of the NFC standings heading into November, just as Dan Campbell envisioned.

“It’s so dang hard every week to play well and win games,” Goff repeated. “So for me, it’s just about being consistent, staying in rhythm, and trusting the guys around me.”

The Bottom Line

Jared Goff isn’t chasing records; he’s chasing wins. But if his current form holds, he might just make history along the way.

With pinpoint accuracy, steady leadership, and a calm command of Detroit’s offense, Goff continues to prove that his 2021 trade to Detroit wasn’t the end of his story; it was the beginning of something bigger.

The Lions’ offense runs through him, and with every perfect throw, he’s rewriting not just the record books, but his legacy.

Jeff Bilbrey

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October 29, 2025
Patriots’ Drake Maye matches Tom Brady feat in win over Titans

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New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye has helped rejuvenate hopes for fans through the first seven weeks of the 2025 season.

Maye’s performance against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday certainly kept those expectations raised. He was 21-of-23 with 222 passing yards, two touchdown passes and a passer rating of 135.9 as the Patriots won the game 31-13. He was sacked four times but didn’t turn the ball over once.

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New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) waves to fans following an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

The Patriots announced after the game that Maye matched a feat by Tom Brady. The team said Maye tied Brady for the most games with at least 200 passing yards, a 135 passer rating and two passing touchdowns in a single season with four.

Maye had already accomplished the feat in his second year and 20 games in. Brady was well into his NFL career in 2007 when he achieved the milestone. Brady hit the mark by Week 11 of that season.

CHIEFS’ RASHEE RICE SCORES FIRST TD IN RETURN FROM SUSPENSION

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws during the second half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Maye connected with seven different receivers. Stefon Diggs had seven catches for 69 yards. Kashon Boutte and Austin Hooper each caught touchdown passes.

New England improved to 5-2 on the year and are one up in the win column over the Buffalo Bills for the lead in the AFC East.

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws before an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

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Tennessee was playing its first game since firing Brian Callahan as head coach. The Titans fell to 1-6 on the season.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

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October 19, 2025
Drake Maye and Will Campbell celebrate Patriots win at North End restaurant

If you just pulled off the most exciting wins of the Patriots season, where would your victory dinner be?

For quarterback Drake Maye and offensive lineman Will Campbell, the answer is Tony & Elaine’s, a small Italian restaurant in the North End of Boston.

The players visited the eatery Monday night, the day after their big win over the Bills in Buffalo.

Tony Frattaroli, the restaurant’s namesake, says he could hardly believe it when he saw them in the restaurant after watching Sunday night’s game.

“When I came to the restaurant, I saw the two football players here,” said Frattaroli. “I said, ‘What’s this, a dream?’”

Frattaroli said he made them old-fashioned garlic bread. They ordered rigatoni alla vodka and fettucine Bolognese.

“I surprised them with our best dessert, cannolis,” he said.

Brianna Borghi

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October 10, 2025
Drake Maye leads Patriots to upset victory over previously undefeated Bills

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The New England Patriots made sure every team in the NFL had a loss this season, as they pulled off the upset against the Buffalo Bills in a 23-20 win on the road on Sunday night.

After the Denver Broncos defeated the Philadelphia Eagles earlier on Sunday, the Bills were the only remaining undefeated team in the NFL. But Drake Maye and the Patriots came into their AFC East battle with confidence and the right answer for Josh Allen on the defensive side of the ball.

It wasn’t the best start for either team in terms of execution as we had back-to-back fumbles in the first quarter after Allen and Dawson Knox’s handoff fell to the turf. But the Patriots gave it right back as Rhamondre Stevenson, who has had trouble fumbling early this season, was stripped after catching a pass from Maye.

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Stefon Diggs of the New England Patriots warms up prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on Oct. 5, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York. (Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)

After multiple punts, Keon Coleman, Allen’s trusty wide receiver, uncharacteristically fumbled later in the first quarter as well. Buffalo was also being penalized during their drives, constantly killing momentum.

The Patriots finally got on the board first with a field goal in the first quarter, which Matt Prater of the Bills followed up on in the second quarter. There were no touchdowns by either team in the first half, though the Patriots owned a 6-3 lead entering the locker room.

Both offenses would turn it up in the second half, though, and it began when the Bills used its opening drive to take a 10-6 lead after Curtis Samuel went untouched on a short pass from Allen into the end zone.

CONTROVERSIAL NO-CALL IN EAGLES’ LOSS TO BRONCOS SENDS NFL FANS INTO FRENZY

Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills is tackled by Christian Elliss of the New England Patriots in the first quarter of the game at Highmark Stadium on Oct. 05, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York. (Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)

However, Maye had the answer for the Bills, and needed just five plays to do so thanks to a 32-yard catch by Stefon Diggs, who was the game’s leading receiver in his return to Buffalo, a city he was so beloved in for years as Allen’s favorite target. Diggs finished the game with 146 yards on 10 catches.

Stevenson got into the end zone to retake the lead, and the Patriots’ defense once again came through with a turnover to keep momentum on their side. On the ensuing drive, Allen was moving downfield when Marcus Jones jumped a pass intended for Khalil Shakir and intercepted the Bills’ star to flip the field.

Maye used that turnover to go 90 yards on 11 plays, capped by Stevenson’s second touchdown of the night to take a 20-10 lead early in the fourth quarter.

But, as we’ve seen so many times in the past, Allen responded when his team needed to do so. Keon Coleman ran his play-action route perfectly from the New England two-yard line and he was uncovered for a short pass from Allen to make it a three-point game.

After getting a stop on the ensuing Patriots drive, Allen had the chance for another touchdown drive to perhaps win the game. But a stellar pass deflection by Christian Gonzalez on third-and-10 made Prater try a field goal just to tie the game.

So, instead of Allen going down the field for the win, it was Maye. With 2:17 left on the clock, Maye was calm as he found Diggs and Keyshon Boutte for chunk yardage as they got into field goal range for rookie Andy Borregales out of Miami.

From 52 yards out, Borregales’ first nail-biting kick couldn’t have gone better, as he split the uprights right down the middle to take the lead with 15 seconds left to play. That was the game, as the Bills were out of timeouts and couldn’t get the clock on their side.

Drake Maye of the New England Patriots throws a pass during the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on Oct. 5, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York. (Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)

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In the box score, Maye was 22-of-30 for 273 yards, while a modest 71 yards rushing from the team was seen. For the Bills, Allen went 22-of-31 for 253 yards with two touchdowns and one interception with Dalton Kincaid his leading receiver with 108 yards on six catches.

The Patriots held James Cook in check throughout the night, too, as he had just 49 yards on 15 rush attempts. Allen led Buffalo in the run game with 53 yards on nine carries.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

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October 5, 2025
Perry: Drake Maye earned signature win over Josh Allen, Bills

Drake Maye has earned it.

In his 17th career start, ironically the exact mark of a full season, the Patriots quarterback earned his first signature win. Maye’s five career wins prior to the 23-20 victory against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on Sunday night pale in comparison to his first primetime start.

“I would say it’s an even bigger moment for Drake Maye,” Patriots insider Phil Perry said on Patriots Postgame Live following the Week 5 verdict. “You get the ball with two minutes left. It’s a tie game against a team that everybody thinks is going to the Super Bowl and you make two special throws, in my opinion.”

Maye and the offense took the field with 2:12 remaining in a tie game and proceeded to lead a crunch-time scoring drive, as the Patriots gained 37 yards on seven plays before rookie Andy Borregales hit a game-winning 52-yard field goal with 15 seconds left.

Maye opened the possession with a hard-earned completion to wide receiver Stefon Diggs (10 catches, 146 yards) all while being dragged to the ground by Bills defensive tackle DaQuan Jones. It reset the chains. Maye followed it up and connected with Kayshon Boutte on a 19-yard pass down the sideline two plays later. Boutte’s reception set New England up at the Buffalo 39-yard line.

“This is a Josh Allen-level play,” Perry said. “Two special, special throws from your young quarterback in a two-minute situation to go win a divisional game on the road.”

Maye (22-for-30) completed 73.3 percent of his passes for 273 yards without a turnover. In the second half, he went 13-for-14 for 184 yards. In the fourth quarter, the second-year signal-caller went 6-for-6 for 90 yards.

Perry wasn’t the only member of the Patriots Postgame Live crew to laud Maye for outdueling Allen (22-for-31, 253 yards passing).

“He just planted his flag on a new summit,” Patriots insider Tom E. Curran said.

Ted Johnson added: “This, to me, was kind of a coming out party from a national standpoint for Drake Maye. … It’s a very gutsy performance from the kid.”

Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel agreed, too. Vrabel said he was proud of his quarterback and referred to it as a “gutty” performance.

Sean T. McGuire

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October 5, 2025
Drake Maye hits Cam Newton’s ‘Superman’ celebration against Panthers

Sep 28, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) calls a play against the Carolina Panthers during the first half at Gillette Stadium.

Brian Fluharty

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Drake Maye paid homage to a legend from his hometown Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.

The New England Patriots’ quarterback from Huntersville pretended to rip open the front of his jersey after faking the handoff and hustling home for a first-half rushing touchdown, mimicking the “Superman” celebration that Cam Newton made famous.

Maye, the former Myers Park and Hough star, broke out the signature move after scoring from just inside the 5-yard line. The second-year NFL starter paused, brought his arms together and flexed — just like Newton — as he celebrated his second rushing touchdown of the season.

Shane Connuck

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September 28, 2025
NFL Week 6: Texans-Patriots — Four Winners, Four Losers

In the franchise’s twenty-plus season history, prior to Sunday, the Houston Texans had visited Gillette Stadium in New England sevens times, and seven times the home-standing New England Patriots defeated the Houston Texans, oftentimes soundly and rudely. In fact, the average margin of loss for the Texans in those seven game was an astounding 18 points per game.

So let me be very clear about this — I don’t give a rotting sack of monkey poop that the Houston Texans finally got a win on Sunday in New England, final score of 41-21, but it came against a dilapidated, wretched version of the Patriots, sans Tom Brady or Bill Belichick. I do not care. It was nice to make hundreds of thousands of Boston area sports fans miserable on a Sunday, or more miserable than they already are.

The Texans’ win over the Patriots ran their record to an impressive 5-1 this season, and on Sunday, we had winners and losers. Let’s recognize them now:

WINNERS

4. Will Anderson
Anderson’s line in the box score on Sunday looked like this — 8 tackles, 3 sacks, 4 tackles for loss, 3 QB hits, and 1 pass defended (which turned into an interception by Eric Murray). If that line score looks familiar it’s because it’s what J.J. Watt used to do to every crappy team the Texans played from 2012 through 2015. Just a slew of crooked numbers. Anderson’s performance on Sunday was the best game of his career, as DeMeco Ryans confirmed after the game, and he did things no other player in the league has done this season:

Will Anderson Jr. is the only player in the NFL this season to record at least five tackles, three sacks, four tackles for loss and one pass defensed in a game. pic.twitter.com/g9DxcMBwpS

— B.Scott from Hiram Clarke (@brandonkscott) October 13, 2024

3. Stefon Diggs
The Texans were operating on Sunday, for the first time this season, for a full game, without star wide receiver Nico Collins, who will miss at least four games with a hamstring injury. The Texans and QB C.J. Stroud needed Diggs and Tank Dell to pick up the slack, and the two did a fine job. They weren’t as explosive as Collins has been this season, but both found the end zone, and kept the chains moving at specific times throughout the game. Diggs’ touchdown early in the second quarter, following Danielle Hunter’s strip sack of Drake Maye, was the most crucial score of the game, in my opinion.

2. Dameon Pierce
The Texans got some good things going with the running game, mostly with Joe Mixon (more on him in a second), but I was just flat out happy to see Pierce get into the end zone, after a long two season struggle to acclimate to Bobby Slowik’s offensive system. Let’s relive the magic of a good dude getting a put-away-the-game score:

GO CRAZY DP ‼️

📺: @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/4AcY2Fb8bf

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 13, 2024

1. Joe Mixon
While it was fun to see Pierce get into the end zone, it was crucial getting starting RB Joe Mixon back in the lineup. Mixon had made it back to practice on Thursday and Friday this week, but there was some question as to whether this would be the week he returned to action. Well, return to action he did! In a big, big way! 13 carries, 102 yards, and two touchdowns, one on the ground and one through the air. Most importantly, he was able to give the offense a true threat on the ground, and that enough to open things up for Stroud to have a decent day through the air. The running game just looks different with Mixon in there.

RUNNING THE GAME 💰

📺: @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/4aCJXgmne6

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 13, 2024

LOSERS

4. Tommy Townsend’s consistency
It’s hard to find anything to get super agitated with in a 41-21 win at a place your team has never won before. One thing that still makes me a little bit nervous is Townsend’s inconsistency. Throughout training camp, it looked like the Texans may have actually upgraded over former punter Cam Johnston. It’s only six games, but Townsend’s been inconsistent this season, and against better teams, field position may matter. As an example, he boomed a 65-yard punt in the second quarter to pin the Patriots deep in their territory. Then, early in the fourth quarter, he shanked a 35-yard punt that put the Patriots at their own 22 yard line. I’m confident Townsend can regain some consistency, but the trust level currently with Townsend is not high.

3. Dalton Schultz
If there is one Texans player catching heat from fans right now, it’s Schultz, who’s been underwhelming in the first year of this three-year, $36 million contract extension. On Sunday, he had four catches for 29 yards, and was largely utilized as a check down safety valve. He had a crucial drop on a key third down at the beginning of the fourth quarter. (Coincidentally, Townsend shanked his punt on the next play.) Unfortunately, Schultz doesn’t offset a lack of production with great blocking. Schultz also started slow in 2023, before taking off in the second half of the season, but there wasn’t supposed to be a “burn in” period in this, his second season as a Texan.

2. Weekly Deshaun Watson check
Let’s check in on our old friend Deshaun Watson, who once again, engineered zero touchdowns for the Browns in a 23-16 loss to the Eagles, dropping the Browns to 1-5 this season:

Yep, he hates life. he is miserable. Wealthy as all get out, but miserable.

1. Robert Kraft’s quest for relevance
Word on the street has always been that Patriots owner Robert Kraft has harbored extreme jealousy, though the years, over the fact that his team’s six Super Bowl rings were never enough to wrest the spotlight from the Super Bowl-less-in-the-2000’s Cowboys and the aura of Jones. Well, if the Patriots were having trouble with relevance when they were winning, it’s quite certain that this 2024 version of the Patriots is about to fall of the NFL’s relevance globe. Hell, as someone who grew up in New England, I can tell you that one thing New Englanders REALLY don’t care about is BAD Patriots football. When the Red Sox or Celtics are bad, people up there care, to the point where they are mad. When the Pats are bad? Crickets. Kraft is going to spend his twilight years watching his team go 4-13 every season, which is A-okay by me!

Listen to Sean Pendergast on SportsRadio 610 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays. Also, follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/SeanTPendergast, on Instagram at instagram.com/sean.pendergast, and like him on Facebook at facebook.com/SeanTPendergast.

Sean Pendergast

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October 13, 2024
The Tar Heels faded in past 2 years with QB Drake Maye. Now they must fix that issue without him

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Mack Brown’s return to North Carolina stabilized the program. His sixth season begins with a pair of hurdles to accomplishing more.

The Tar Heels are moving forward after star quarterback Drake Maye headed to the NFL, and Brown is determined to figure out how to finish better after two straight late-season fades.

“It’s a problem, it’s an issue,” Brown said. “And it’s the only thing that’s keeping us from being where we need to be.”

The Tar Heels were 9-1 in 2022 after clinching a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game, then lost their last four. Last year’s team started 6-0 and reached No. 10 in the AP Top 25, then finished 2-5.

Now Maye is gone as the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, and Brown is focused on how to get the Tar Heels to finish with some zip.

“When we come out here and say the offense had a bad day in practice, that means you’re probably going to be an inconsistent team,” Brown said after the first preseason-camp practice. “And we’ve had too much of that around here.”

This year’s team is picked to finish eighth in the expanded 17-team ACC.

Brown is touting depth as the best of his second tenure in Chapel Hill, as well as showing optimism for growth under former Georgia Tech and Temple head coach Geoff Collins as defensive coordinator.

Maye is the highest-profile of 11 departed offensive and defensive starters, though losses include one of the nation’s leading tacklers in linebacker Cedric Gray.

Powering the offense

Running back Omarion Hampton was an Associated Press second-team All-American last year after ranking fifth in the Bowl Subdivision by averaging 115.7 yards rushing. He’s studied film on players like NFL star Christian McCaffrey to expand his game.

“I’m trying to catch the ball … and then pass block, because I know that’s what they do in the (NFL),” Hampton said. “I feel like doing that, it can expand my game and show them I’m able to do that as well.”

Maye’s successor

The Tar Heels have a preseason-camp battle to replace Maye, headlined by redshirt sophomore Conner Harrell and Max Johnson, a transfer with stops at LSU and Texas A&M.

Harrell got his first career start in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl loss to West Virginia after Maye declared for the NFL draft, throwing for 270 yards and two scores while also running for 75 yards and a score. Johnson, son of former NFL quarterback Brad Johnson, has 22 career starts.

There’s also the return of Jacolby Criswell, who started his career at UNC before transferring to Arkansas for a year.

Linework

Willie Lampkin, who started eight games at right guard last year, is the only returning starter to the offensive line. The Tar Heels bolstered their numbers at the position through the transfer portal, including adding Austin Blaske (Georgia), Howard Sampson (North Texas) and Jakiah Leftwich (Georgia Tech).

Brown said his goal is being able to reliably play nine offensive linemen.

More defensively

Brown is on the third defensive coordinator of his second UNC stint in Collins, who replaced Gene Chizik. UNC hasn’t ranked higher than 10th in the 14-team ACC in scoring or total defense for the past three seasons. Losing Gray (10.1 tackles per game) won’t help, though fellow linebacker Power Echols returns with pass rusher Kaimon Rucker (8 1/2 sacks last year).

“More aggression — ‘Master of Mayhem’ describes him perfectly,” Echols said of Collins. “He’s going to call a real aggressive game.”

Brown also sounded high on secondary that includes cornerback Alijah Huzzie (three interceptions) and adds safety Jakeen Harris from rival North Carolina State.

The schedule

The Tar Heels open at Minnesota on Aug. 29 and visit rival Duke (Sept. 28) in their ACC opener. There’s also a trip to No. 10 Florida State (Nov. 2), the reigning league champion and preseason favorite. The slate doesn’t include any of the league’s three new schools and is rooted in longtime instate or league matchups, including a trip to Virginia (Oct. 26), a visit from Wake Forest (Nov. 16) and the home finale against No. 24 N.C. State (Nov. 30).

___

AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25

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August 19, 2024
Wisconsin believes production will increase in its second year running Phil Longo’s offense

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin’s first season with Air Raid disciple Phil Longo as offensive coordinator didn’t work out quite according to plan, as the Badgers posted their lowest scoring average in nearly two decades.

After having a year to adapt to Longo’s fast-paced system, the Badgers are optimistic about matching the success his offense had in his previous stops.

“It was humbling in a sense, for sure,” tight end Riley Nowakowski said Monday during Wisconsin’s Media Day event. “But I think we really used that to grow and hopefully prepare for this year.”

Plenty of fanfare accompanied the arrival of Longo, who joined Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell’s staff after coaching NFL quarterbacks Sam Howell and Drake Maye at North Carolina.

Wisconsin backers had grown accustomed to watching the Badgers run the ball as often as just about any major-conference team in the country. They savored the opportunity to watch the Badgers throw the ball a little more often, and they figured higher point totals naturally would follow.

Longo’s offense was as balanced as advertised, as the Badgers threw the ball on 50.8% of their snaps. That’s the first time they had attempted more passes than runs since at least 1946, which is as far back as Wisconsin’s records on the subject go.

But the production was lacking. Wisconsin finished 7-6 and scored just 23.5 points per game for its lowest average since 2004, when the Badgers went 9-3 despite compiling just 20.8 points per game.

They expect things to be different in the upcoming season, which opens Aug. 30 against Western Michigan.

“We still had coaches learning (last year),” Longo said. “I didn’t know where the restroom was until April, you know what I mean? And I had not worked with Fick on a day-to-day basis. And so this year, there’s none of that. This year, there’s a lot of familiarity.”

Wisconsin could offer plenty of excuses for last year’s struggles.

Running back Chez Mellusi played just four games before suffering a season-ending leg injury. Quarterback Tanner Mordecai missed three games with a broken right hand. A foot injury sidelined projected starting center Jake Renfro until the bowl game.

Wisconsin’s offense finally started humming late in the season. The Badgers beat Nebraska and Minnesota before Mordecai closed his college career by throwing for 378 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-31 ReliaQuest Bowl loss to LSU.

“It was the three games and the three weeks where I felt like I saw our guys playing instinctively,” Longo said. “I say that and I use that word all the time, and I truly believe that’s where they need to be. They’ve got to be able to grab a signal and line up and not have to do a whole lot of thinking.”

The offense will try to build on that momentum with a new quarterback, as Tyler Van Dyke transferred from Miami to compete with Braedyn Locke. They’ll be throwing to a deeper receiving corps headed by Will Pauling, who caught 74 passes for 837 yards and six touchdowns last year.

Fickell emphasized the need to spread the ball around more by saying that “I think we’re in trouble” if Pauling catches the same number of passes that he did last season.

In the running game, Mellusi returns for a sixth season to share carries with Oklahoma transfer Tawee Walker, though the departure of New York Jets fourth-round pick Braelon Allen and his 3,494 career yards rushing leaves a major void. Four of Wisconsin’s likely first-team offensive linemen have made at least 19 starts.

That line’s experience could prove critical. When Fickell was asked why he’s confident the offense will improve this year, he started his answer by citing the progress of tackles Jack Nelson and Riley Mahlman.

“Both have made incredible strides,” Fickell said. “Jack was up and down last year. He had an incredible expectation for himself, just like we had for him, and he at times early on didn’t play up to the potential that he believed he had. I think it hurt him mentally in some ways. To see how those two guys have grown just in the last eight months makes me feel really good about where we’re starting.”

And they feel good about this offense. Last season’s struggles haven’t lowered their faith in Longo’s scheme.

“We’ve got a year under our belt to work out the kinks,” Nelson said. “Now it’s time to really hammer it. I’d say I’m even more confident now.”

___

AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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July 29, 2024
Drake Maye goes north, as New England takes former UNC QB at No. 3 in NFL Draft

Former UNC quarterback Drake Maye (right) speaks with former NFL quarterback Payton Manning on the red carpet ahead of Thursday’s NFL Draft at Detroit’s Fox Theatre. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Kirby Lee

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

DETROIT

Drake Maye will start his NFL career in the place that Tom Brady and Bill Belichick made famous, as he was drafted No. 3 overall Thursday night by the New England Patriots.

Wearing a gray suit coupled with Carolina blue tie and Air Jordans, Maye had a long day of waiting and rumors before the No. 3 overall pick was finally announced at 8:33 p.m. before approximately 150,000 fans in Detroit. Then Maye got to hug his family and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

After Southern Cal QB Caleb Williams went No. 1 to the Chicago Bears and LSU QB Jayden Daniels was drafted No. 2 by the Washington Commanders, Maye went No. 3. All that was expected, but the team Maye would go to had been in question for months.

While rumors of trade-ups by the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings dominated the pre-draft conversation in Detroit, the Pats ended up staying pat and took Maye. There the rookie will compete with veteran Jacoby Brissett (formerly of N.C. State) and Bailey Zappe for the starting job.

Maye spent part of NFL Draft eve playing 4-on-4 full-contact basketball with his three older brothers and several other people. Although the Patriots and new head coach Jerod Mayo probably weren’t thrilled to hear that, they hadn’t drafted Maye as of yet and didn’t have any sort of hold on him.

Texted Mark Maye about the hoops battle: “Wasn’t hyper competitive. But they had a good time with it. ‘Friendly’ 4-on-4.”

While Maye’s three brothers all made an appearance with their brother at the NFL Draft in Detroit — Luke Maye flying in from Japan where he is in the middle of a pro basketball season to do so — UNC football coach Mack Brown did not.

Former UNC quarterback Drake Maye jokes around with his brothers and former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton as they walk the red carpet for the NFL Draft to commence Thursday night at the Fox Theatre in Detroit. Kimberly Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports Kimberly P. Mitchell Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK

There were a number of other celebrities with Carolina connections around however. Steve Smith Sr. was on set with NFL Network in Detroit, and Cam Newton was working the red carpet, interviewing draft prospects for the very same employer.

Newton interviewed Maye on the red carpet before the draft, and Maye was obviously happy to talk with one of his childhood heroes. “He’s my MVP,” Maye said of Newton, noting that his family had had Carolina Panthers season tickets for years.

Newton then said that he and Maye both had a “special place” in their hearts for the 704 area code and joked that Maye was the “runt” of the Maye brothers, who are all at least 6-foot-7 except for Drake, measured at 6-foot-4 at the combine.

Maye, 21, was the ACC Player of the Year as a redshirt freshman in 2022 for UNC and then was second-team All-ACC in 2023, when his numbers were slightly down from his record-breaking 2022. He played high school football primarily at Myers Park in Charlotte, where one year he had a staggering 50/2 touchdown/interception ratio.

“I’m ready to go compete,” Maye told NFL Network shortly after the pick. “Let’s go.”

Former UNC quarterback Drake Maye stands on the red carpet ahead of Thursday’s NFL Draft at Detroit’s Fox Theatre. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Kirby Lee USA TODAY Sports

This story was originally published April 25, 2024, 8:33 PM.

Sports columnist Scott Fowler has written for The Charlotte Observer since 1994. Fowler has earned 22 national APSE sportswriting awards and hosted The Observer’s podcast “Carruth,” which Sports Illustrated named “Podcast of the Year.” Fowler’s new podcast and online series is called “Sports Legends of the Carolinas” and features 1-on-1 interviews with NC and SC sports icons. The series has also been turned into a coffee-table book, available at SportsLegendsBook.com.
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April 25, 2024