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Tom Shaw-Mellors

PatsProp Preview – We’re On To Carolina

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David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Following a massive win on the west coast last Sunday, the Patriots head to Carolina looking to improve to 5-4 on the season. They’ll also come up against their former star cornerback, Stephon Gilmore. Here’s your preview of tomorrow’s game!

One’s To Watch

Mac Jones

Jones was quite lacklustre against the Chargers, but, the key thing was that he didn’t commit any mistakes and did what he needed to help the team secure the win. He’s one to watch every game this season, I would love to see him have a big day tomorrow and lead the team to it’s third straight win.

Matthew Judon

Judon turned up last week and disrupted Herbet a bunch, and the Pats will need him to be active again this week. Regardless of who’s at QB tomorrow for the Panthers, I think Judon is the key to disrupting their offense, watch out for him tomorrow.

J.C. Jackson

After missing a couple of practice days this week with an illness, J.C. Jackson returned Friday and was off the injury report entirely, so he plays tomorrow. I think he’ll be wanting to put on a good show with his former teammate on the opposite sideline, as he’s now the number one corner for New England. I feel J.C. is due an interception tomorrow.

Nick Folk

Folk has been so important for the Pats so far this year, and with an offense that can struggle in the redzone, I have a feeling he’ll be needed on field goal duty a few times again this week. All eyes on him.

Gunner Olszewski

The field position Gunner gave the offense from return duty last week was HUGE! I think that performance will drive him into some good form and we could see more of it against the Panthers, which may be pivotal against a good defense.

Panthers Roar

Who for the Panthers could cause problems for the Patriots?

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Patriots Ups & Downs Week 8

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Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

The Patriots climbed to 4-4 on the season as they earned a big win over the Chargers yesterday! There were many good performances, so let’s go through them now! Here are your Ups & Downs from Week 8!

Ups ⬆️

Adrian Phillips

What a game for Phillips, against his former team he produced an MVP performance, picking off Herbert twice, one of which he took to the house for a touchdown. The former UDFA has become a valuable piece of the Pats puzzle since he arrived at the start of last season, I hope they extend him for a few more years.

Gunner Olszewski

There is something about playing at Sofi Stadium that gets Gunner going! He had his best return game of the season, helping the Patriots secure good field position on a number of occasions. He’s a big up this week!

Damien Harris

Another solid day for Harris on the ground, nothing special, but he scored the only offensive touchdown of the day. Really, if we’re being honest, the offense should have run it in on third and fourth down when they tried to force throws into the endzone. Another UP day for Harris!

Nick Folk

The most consistent Patriot, Nick Folk everybody! Folk went 4/4 on field goals yesterday, continuing his unreal stretch with the Patriots.

Matthew Judon

The red-sleeved demon HAUNTED Justin Herbert on Halloween, recording 1.5 sacks and multiple pressures as the former Pro-Bowler returned to form. I mentioned in my preview that Judon would be one to watch, and he was.

[Read more…] about Patriots Ups & Downs Week 8

PatsProp Preview – Heading Out West

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(Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

It’s Week 8 already! The Patriots are over in sunny LA as they look to go 4-4 on the year and keep their 100% win record over Justin Herbert intact. Here’s your preview of tomorrow’s game!

One’s To Watch

Mac Jones

Mac Jones’ improvements have been increasing every week so far this season, with his best game coming in the mauling of the Jets. Tomorrow will be a new test for the rookie, the first long away trip, big stadium, expectations increased of a demanding fan base, but, I love what I’ve seen so far, I back him to continue his good play and have a solid game, watch him closely tomorrow.

Damien Harris

After I put Stevenson on my watch list in Week 7, I’ve decided to just stick with Damien Harris this week, and for good reason. The Chargers have the worst record against the run in the league, and Harris has been on a hot streak of late. If the team can establish the run like they did last week, the passing game should open up nicely for Mac.

Secondary

This position could turn out to be the team’s achilles heel tomorrow. The Pats will be without Jon Jones, who’s now on IR for at least three games and Jalen Mills doesn’t give me a lot of confidence as a replacement. Bill has been working through depth replacements, which is an indication he’s concerned as well.

J.C. Jackson will lead the cornerback group, but they will have their work cut out from the off as the Chargers have some great weapons in the receiving core, not to mention Austin Ekeler, who can be a difference-maker if he’s fit to play.

Matt Judon

After a hot start, Matt Judon has had a few quiet weeks, he’s not been playing badly by any means, but he hasn’t stood out to me as he did through the first few games. In last year’s 45-0 demolition of the Chargers, Herbert was made uncomfortable all day by the Patriots defense, and whilst Herbert has shown considerable improvement in most areas of his game, I think the Patriots can do the same again tomorrow, with Judon being a big part of that.

Electrical Charge ⚡

Who for LA could potentially cause problems for the Patriots?

Justin Herbert

Herbert is a big, athletic quarterback who has definitely made the year-two jump in LA. His rookie season was impressive, and now with a new head coach in Brandon Staley, Herbert has led the team to 4-2 record so far this year. Herbert played the worst game of his career so far against the Patriots last December, so he’ll be itching to prove a point.

Keenan Allen

Allen hasn’t found the endzone much this season, but boy has he helped them move the chains. He is such a terrific pass-catcher and will be a handful for the Pats secondary to cover tomorrow. I think J.C. Jackson will match up against him in all likely hood, but as mentioned above, the secondary is an issue for the team, and having to cover Keenan Allen, let alone the rest of the offensive threats isn’t ideal.

Austin Ekeler

Bill Belichick likened Ekeler to James White this week in his pre-game chat with Scott Zolak, and for good reason, the former UDFA has been dominant for the Chargers over the last few years. Injuries have been a problem for the star running back, Ekeler has been banged up this week and is questionable to play tomorrow, but if he does, it’s a massive weapon for the Chargers, and could be the difference over 60 minutes.

Patriots Fantasy Starter PPR

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Hunter Henry

Gotta be big 85 this week! If you’re in a bind and need to start fresh at your TE position, throw Hunter in there! He’s looking to have his fifth-straight touchdown game and is averaging 10.63 points so far each week.

Prediction Corner

@ShawMellors – Patriots 38 – Chargers 28

The Patriots continue on from their dominating performance over the Jets last week, Mac throws for 3 touchdowns and Damien Harris continues his dominance on the ground. Patriots 38 Chargers 28

@clazzyclare – Patriots 30 – Chargers 21

Hopefully the weakness of the LAC run defence can be exploited and the Patriots can rack up some points and make a game of it. Patriots 30 LAC 21

Patriots Ups & Downs Week 7

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Staff Photo By Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald

WHAT A WIN! The Patriots absolutely dominated the Jets yesterday 54-13. There were many good performances, so let’s go through them now! Here are your Ups & Downs from Week 7!

Ups ⬆️

Running Backs

Damien Harris was the star of the day, he amassed over 100 yards and scored twice. It was great to see him find some good form over the last couple of weeks. J.J. Taylor also got in on the action, he scored twice after getting the nod over Rhamondre Stevenson, who was a healthy scratch yesterday.

After a few an uneasy beginning to the season on the ground, the Patriots really pulled things together yesterday.

Hunter Henry + Jonnu Smith

Happy National Tight Ends Day, am I right???? We got to see some encouraging plays by Jonnu Smith, before his day was cut short with an injury.

Smith’s teammate Hunter Henry continued his redzone production as he hauled in his fourth touchdown is as many weeks. The throw itself by Mac left Henry with work to do, but he managed to pull off an awesome one handed bobble-catch. The connection continues.

Kyle Dugger + J.C. Jackson

Both of these guys made a couple of insane plays to pick off poor Mike White, who replaced the injured Zach Wilson in the first half. Both had good days in general on defense, so they’re an up for sure.

Mac Jones

Great day for Mac out there yesterday, he passed for over 300 yards for the first time in his NFL career, and led some impressive drives, especially when the team went no-huddle at the end of the second quarter. This was Jones’ best game to date for me, and I can’t wait to see how he plays next week with some confidence under his belt against the Chargers.

Offensive Line

This unit deserves a bunch of credit, they’ve overcome a lot of trouble in the opening six weeks of the season, but, they’ve managed to put together a good performance yesterday, both in protecting the QB and getting the run-game moving.

Gunner Olszewski

Yesterday’s game was the first time Gunner stood out to me on his return duties, including his first return of the game which he got brought back to put the team in a great starting field position. The team needs more of this from Gunner, and hopefully, this will light a fire under him to continue moving forward.

Downs ⬇️

I’m not gonna put any on here today. I could, but after a win like that, I’ll stay glass half full for the rest of the week, no downs! They’re still some ways off being the finished article, but, to put in a performance like that without Trent Brown, who for many was the reason for the positional misfortunes, is a positive thing for sure.

PatsProp Preview – Here Come The Jets

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Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

On a joyful weekend that sees the franchise induct Richard Seymour into their Hall Of Fame, the Patriots will be hoping to win at home for the first time this season, and avoid going 0-5 at Gillette Stadium in 2021. Here’s your preview of tomorrow’s game!

One’s To Watch

Rhamondre Stevenson

The rookie back made his way out of Bill’s doghouse last week and managed to string together some encouraging plays, plus, he found the endzone for his first career touchdown! Damien Harris is healthy, so expect him to still lead the backfield, but keep an eye out for Stevenson.

Kendrick Bourne

The fifth-year wideout has gone under the radar for how well he’s been progressing in recent weeks and I think he’ll continue to be involved tomorrow against the Jets, also, I’ll take another 75-yard touchdown from Bourne this week, please!

Christian Barmore

The big rookie defensive lineman has continued to impress me as we head into week 7, his ability to cause disruption through the middle should be evident again tomorrow, when the defense is on the field tomorrow, look out for number #90 at DT.

Mac Jones

Mac could do with a clean game, no picks, and a solid win under his belt to build confidence, and I think he will get it this week against the Jets. We’ve all been keeping our eyes glued to Mac to see how he continues to develop, and he’s been getting better every week, if he can get a good day out of his offensive line and if his wideouts can get some room, he could be in for a good day.

Hunter Henry

TE #1 is on a bit of a roll scoring-wise at the minute, he’s found the endzone for three straight weeks and is beginning to build something with Mac. I think Jonnu Smith will progress into the system in time, but Henry is clearly the leader at the position, look out for him tomorrow.

Fighter Jets

Who for New York could potentially cause problems for the Patriots?

Zach Wilson

I was able to see Wilson play in person a couple of weeks ago at the London game when New York faced off against Atlanta, Wilson looked sketchy there and again threw an interception directly to the opposition defense. He certainly has the ability to throw the ball deep and extend plays, so the Pats have to be cautious, but so far he’s also shown the ability to cost his team. Which Wilson will we get tomorrow?

Corey Davis

Davis was a non-factor in the Week 2 matchup between these two teams, but he’s always a threat and could be involved more tomorrow as the Jets will also have Crowder available in their receiver ranks.

Patriots Fantasy Starter PPR

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Jakobi Meyers

Meyers is a great flex option for your fantasy team if you’re looking for something new to add to the lineup! He’s been averaging 12.40 points per game through the first six weeks which isn’t bad, he’s always likely to get targets from Jones, but, he’s yet to find the endzone in his young NFL career, might that change tomorrow? Start Jakobi!

Prediction Corner

@ShawMellors – Patriots 31 – Jets 14

The Patriots aren’t currently an amazing football team, however, the New York Jets are a terrible football team. Patriots 31 Jets 14 LFG

@clazzyclare – Patriots 30 – Jets 16

The Patriots are plagued with a list of injuries and are still working out the dynamics as a team but the Jets seem to have their fair share of problems this year too and I feel the Pats can do this! Patriots 30 Jets 16

Patriots Ups & Downs Week 6

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David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Boy, the Patriots had no business being in a position to win that game, especially with the stupid decisions being made by Mike McCarthy, but they were. Ultimately, they fell in overtime to the Cowboys. Here are your ups and downs from week six.

Ups ⬆️

Justin Bethel

Bethel had a great game yesterday, he tipped a pass from Prescott which was intercepted by Dugger, a rare defensive play by him, but in a pinch where backups were being used a bunch, he came up and caused a huge turnover. In addition to his work on defense, he also caused a fumble on the Cowboys punt return, unfourtunatley, the Patriots couldn’t recover and Dallas kept possesion. Bethel was an up for sure.

Running Backs

A better day for the backs as a banged up Harris rushed for a touchdown and over 100 yards, Stevenson also scored his first career touchdown which was cool to see. This needs to continue, but a better day for this group, perhaps we could try J.J. Taylor once more in place of Bolden?

[Read more…] about Patriots Ups & Downs Week 6

PatsProp Preview – Cowboys In Foxboro

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Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

My first Patriots game was this matchup back in 2019, a cold Sunday afternoon, the weather was horrific, but, it was an amazing experience for me. I got to see Tom Brady play in one of his final games for the Patriots, N’Keal Harry haul in his first NFL touchdown, and witness the Pats win a close one at Gillette. This time is different, both teams are different, and it could be a struggle for the Patriots to beat the Cowboys.

One’s To Watch

Mac Jones

To be fair, I might as well just keep Mac on this list every week, we’re all watching him like a hawk to see how he develops. The Cowboys have allowed the most passing yards out of all 32 teams in the NFL so far this season with an average of 311.0 yards per game. That being said, Mac Jones has yet to hit 300 yards passing, could this be the game? Keep an eye out for Mac’s production in the red zone tomorrow also, it’s an area the offense needs to get better in.

The Secondary

The secondary unit had a torrid time against Davis Mills and the Texans last week, and in case you forgot, J.C. Jackson was burned by a practice squad wideout. There won’t be any practice squad weapons for the Cowboys tomorrow, just Ceedee Lamb, Amari Cooper, and Dalton Shultz who have combined for 9 touchdowns so far this year, the defensive backfield will have their work cut out, and will need to up their game.

A reminder that Jaylen Mills and Jon Jones are questionable to play with injuries.

Hunter Henry

Tight End production is picking up and Hunter Henry has established himself as the leader of the group. He’s managed to find the end zone in the last two consecutive weeks which is encouraging for an offense that has struggled at times in enemy territory.

I have a feeling that we could be seeing the big fella spiking the ball once again tomorrow, keep an eye out for him.

Damien Harris

Harris should be good to go tomorrow after getting banged up in Houston as he continues to try and find some form, maybe trying too hard perhaps? The line hasn’t helped things, but Harris needs to have a better game this week and try and get the run gaming moving forward, after all, Bill only trusts him in the backfield currently by the looks of things.

Nick Folk

Folk has played a huge part in most of the Patriots wins over the last couple of seasons, and he continues to enjoy the form of his career with the team. I’m sure he’ll be kicking more field goals than extra points as normal tomorrow.

How ‘Bout Them Cowboys?

Who from America’s team poses a threat to the Patriots’ chances of victory on Sunday?

Ceedee Lamb

Lamb is a big danger threat and the Patriots should be very concerned about what he brings to the Dallas offense, he’s lanky and quick, with the ability to get open and haul in balls into tight windows along the sideline. He could be the difference-maker tomorrow.

Tony Pollard

Zeke Elliott is Zeke Elliott, but Tony Pollard has established himself as the future of the Cowboys rushing attack. He’s been excellent over the last few seasons for Dallas and averages 6.4 yards per carry this year, the most out of the league running backs.

Trevon Diggs

Diggs is for me the stand-out player on the Cowboys’ defense as he comes to Gillette Stadium in ridiculous form, looking for his sixth-straight game with an interception. The second-year corner has already doubled his pick tally from last year, hauling in six picks in five games so far this season, he’ll be one to look out for tomorrow.

Patriots Fantasy Starter PPR

Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Folk

Big Kick Nick is my PPR pick from the Patriots for your to start in your team this week. He’s currently ranked #1 at the position. Score last week: 17:00 – Average score: 10:40

Prediction Corner

@ShawMellors – Patriots 20 – Cowboys 32

Although overall the Cowboys defense isn’t very good, their offense is much better than the Pats, I can’t see them allowing it to get too cose. Patriots 20 Cowboys 32.

@clazzyclare – Patriots 29 – Cowboys 23

The cowboys have a great offense but if the Patriots defense can just hold them a little and the offensive line steps up this could be an offense vs offense nail-biting game. Patriots 29 Cowboys 23.