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PatsProp Preview – West Coast Trip Pt 1

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Adam Glanzman/Getty Images

The 6-6 Patriots leave New England for their first of a two-game trip on the West Coast, taking on the 4-8 Arizona Cardinals. Here’s your snapshot preview for Week 14!

Injuries

Patriots To Watch

Mac Jones

Questions still remain unanswered about what the future will be for Mac Jones and the Patriots, but, tomorrow he’ll be a key one to watch as we see if he can lift himself up from a disappointing loss against Buffalo and keep the hopes alive for a Wild Card playoff spot!

Rhamondre Stevenson

Rhamondre Stevenson has grown to be my favorite player on the team, he has given everything for this franchise over the last couple of months, including carrying the entire offense on his back for large portions. With Damien Harris doubtful, expect another busy game for Stevenson.

Jack Jones

With no Jalen Mills tomorrow, Jack Jones could be in for a busy night to support Jon Jones against the Arizona offense. Jones has tapered off from his hot start, maybe sometimes playing a little too aggressively, but, he’s certainly worth keeping an eye on tomorrow.

Hunter Henry

With no Jakobi Meyers tomorrow, Mac Jones will need to find another safety blanket outlet, and I want it to be Hunter Henry. The Pats’ RedZone activity has been almost non-existent for the longest time, I’m hoping that Henry can add a little change to that tomorrow.

Marcus Jones

Marcus Jones continues to be the bright ember of light, in a dull, eerie season for the Patriots. He scored his first offensive touchdown against the Bills last week, which I think says more about how unproductive that side of the ball actually is, regardless, take nothing away from Jones who has had a really solid rookie season.

Whatever side of the ball he contributes toward tomorrow, It’ll be fun to watch.

Arizona Threats

Kyler Murray

Kyler Murray has been very lackluster this year, and highly inconsistent. But, with that being said he is still a very dangerous player and is the main threat for the Cardinals against the Pats If he plays well, it could be a long night for Bill and company.

DeAndre Hopkins

Dhop has been Arizona’s best pass-catcher since he returned from suspension in Week 7, hauling in 49 receptions, with Rondale Moore out for this game, and Zach Ertz out for the season, Hopkins’ star billing shoots even higher and he will be vital for them tomorrow night.

J.J. Watt

Watt is on the back nine of his career, but still offers a critical pass-rushing threat for the Cards, he also leads the team for sacks with 6.5 on the year. With the pass protection for Mac Jones being poor recently, Watt could cause issues.

PatsProp Preview – The J-E-T-S II

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Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images

After resting up from the rigors of modern NFL football, the Patriots return from their bye tomorrow sat at 5-4 on the year, and welcome the 6-3 Jets to Foxborough! Here’s your quickfire preview for Week 11!

Injuries

The Patriots look to have a new Punter for tomorrow’s game with Jake Bailey doubtful to play. An update on Christian Barmore is that after this report was released, he was placed on IR and will miss the next 4 games with the knee issue that has been plaguing him.

Patriots To Watch

Mac Jones

Expect Mac to be on the watch list every week until the end of the season. I’m hoping that with a week to reset, he’ll come back to Gillette Stadium with a refreshed feel and be able to play his best game of the season, leading to a fourteenth-straight win over the Jets.

David Andrews

The return of David Andrews is massive for the Pats offensive line, they’ve had clear issues since he suffered a concussion in Week 7’s loss to Chicago. Having their captain and stalwart center back is big for Cole Strange also, he’s been in the wilderness without Andrews, clearly showing how important he’s been to the rookies development. So glad to have him back.

Nick Folk

I can see this game calling on Folk to kick a bunch of field goals tomorrow and he’s been up to the task for so long now as a Patriot. Unless the team finds some rare form in the red area, look for big kick Nick again to help with points.

Matthew Judon

The league-leader for sacks with 11.5, Judon should be a difference maker again tomorrow, last time against Zach Wilson he recorded 0.0 sacks for only the second game this season, I think that’ll change tomorrow and he’ll cause the Jets QB to have nightmares.

Flying Jets

Zach Wilson

Last time out against the Jets, Wilson practically handed the win to the Patriots by throwing three interceptions and completely capitulating in front of his home fans. A one to watch for sure, he’ll either be the reason they don’t lose, or the reason they do.

Sauce Gardner

Sauce is turning out to be a brilliant player for New York and he’s for sure in the running to be league DROTY. The Jets’ defense is certainly one of their strengths, and Gardner will be their main threat for takeaways against Mac Jones.

Tyler Conklin

The TE had a really productive game against the Pats a few weeks back, scoring two touchdowns and showing some good productivity against a Patriots defense that is usually pretty good defending tight ends. I think Bill will have made it clear that Conklin can’t have the same game against them tomorrow.

Garrett Wilson

Wilson heads into Week 11 as the Jets’ leading receiver on the year with 41 receptions for 521 yards. Whilst his QB might end of throwing the game away, he does still tend to throw it around and make plays, and a Wilson to Wilson hookup could be on the cards a few times tomorrow. He’s one to watch.

Patriots Ups & Downs: Week 9 vs Indianapolis

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Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

The Patriots improved to 5-4 on the year after a sorry Colts team was put out to pasture at the hands of the Pats’ defense and special teams units. Here are the ups & downs from week 9!

Ups ⬆️

Matt Judon

Mr. Sleeves continued his reign of dominance yesterday, securing 3 sacks on poor Sam Ehlinger, taking his season sack total to 11.5, a current league-best! Judon has been incredible this season, and he continues to spearhead the pass-rush attack. Is he on pace to be DPOTY?

Josh Uche

The Patriots recorded 9 sacks in total yesterday, the highest in a game since 2001, equaling the franchise record. Josh Uche played his part in that total, by securing 3 sacks in one game, a career-best for the third-year linebacker. While this was against a lesser Colts offensive front than we’ve seen in recent years, it’s great to see Uche getting some production.

Marcus Jones

The rookie had another solid game on return duty, with 1 kick return for 34 yards and 3 punts averaging 11.3 yards. In a time where the Pats’ offense is struggling to move the ball consistently, getting good field position by any means is a priority, Jones has played his part in that so far this season, and again yesterday.

Jonathan Jones

Wow, what a game for Jon Jones! He blocked a punt which led to the Rhamondre Stevenson touchdown before picking off Sam Ehlinger and returning it for a 15-yard pick-6 touchdown. Jones will be a free agent after the season, he’s certainly making a case for a new deal with the team.

Nick Folk

Whilst I don’t like the reliance the team puts on Folk, he was money again yesterday, 2/2 XP & 4/4 on field goals. The 38-year-old continues to enjoy the twilight of his career in New England.

Downs ⬇️

The Offensive Line

Boy, where to start? The issues with the line continue, and it really isn’t helping out Mac Jones, who’s working through his own adversity at the minute. One note of concern is Cole Strange. He’s in deep space right now without David Andrews, he found himself being rotated out for Isaiah Wynn at guard, which managed to patch the leaks somewhat.

I’m not sure what the answer is to fix the issues completely, but getting David Andrews back would be a start, the team has missed him terribly.

Jakobi Meyers

He makes the list for his uncharacteristic fumble on what was an otherwise ok performance. Meyers caught 5/6 targets for 42 yards.

Jake Bailey

Something is off with Bailey, his punts this year have been all over the place, some good, some bad, some terrible. The team brought in some veteran punters last week which may work to get him back on track, but I’ve been quite disappointed in his performances, especially yesterday.

Kendrick Bourne

Like Meyers, Bourne makes the list for his fumble, which was probably worse than Jakobi’s, but fortunately, Bourne’s blushes were saved by a good J.J. Taylor recovery.

Patriots Ups & Downs: Week 8 vs NY Jets

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Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images

The Patriots extended their winning streak over the Jets to 13 games yesterday, with it being almost seven years since they last lost to their divisional rivals in December 2015!

The team struggled on offense, but, by hook or by crook, they travelled back to New England with a win to take them to 4-4 on the season.

Ups ⬆️

Rhamondre Stevenson

Stevenson has really been the life of this struggling Patriots offense by literally picking up the team and carrying it on his back. Rhamondre didn’t find the endzone, but he had 143 scrimmage yards, pretty much splitting half on the ground, half in the air. He’s been the team’s best offensive weapon so far, a big up!

Jakobi Meyers

In a close second behind Stevenson as the team’s best weapon, Meyers continued to be the only successful receiving outlet for Mac Jones as he pulled in 9/12 catches – 60 YDS – 1 TD. Meyers is the Pats’ leading receiver with 415 YDS through 8 weeks which is certainly putting up a strong argument for a new deal with the team.

Nick Folk

As he’s done in many games, Nick Folk was both vital and perfect for the Patriots yesterday, converting 1/1 XP & 5/5 FG – It’s easy to under-estimate the value of a good kicker, Folk is 17/17 on extra points for the year, and 15/17 on field goals.

Devin McCourty

What a day for Dmac! He snagged two picks from Zach Wilson to make him the current NFL-active career interception leader with 32. To be honest, both picks were more Wilson being utterly horrible rather than Dmac doing anything special, but, the future Patriots Hall of Famer was there to earn two big turnovers.

Downs ⬇️

The Offensive Line

The line really struggled yesterday, Marcus Cannon had a torrid time at right tackle, Cole Strange was benched, and the gap left by David Andrews at center was evident. If the team wants to give Mac Jones every chance of succeeding as the franchise QB, they have to show more in the blocking game.

Mac Jones

Mac wasn’t horrendous, and maybe he’s settling back in to his first full game since Week 3, but, he has to be better. He looked indecisive at times yesterday and was bailed out on a few occasions by some interesting penalties. Jones was also left out to dry by his line which didn’t make things any easier for him.

Mac has had a whirlwind last few weeks, but Bill came to his defense post game with some supportive comments, I just hope #10 can kick on and find some of the form he had in his rookie year.

Big game against the Colts on Sunday! LFG!

PatsProp Preview – Monday Night Bears

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Photo by Chris Unger: Getty Images

The Patriots look ahead to their first Monday night game tomorrow, hoping to improve to 4-3 on the year against the Chicago Bears. Here’s your quickfire preview for Week 7!

Injuries

Patriots To Watch

Mac Jones

Per reports, Mac is gearing up to start tomorrow night for his first game back since Week 3. There is a lot of pressure on him right now and he will have to put in a good performance against a weak Chicago team. Barring any setbacks, QB1 is back this week, and he will be the main one to watch.

Rhamondre Stevenson & Damien Harris

Damien Harris returns following a hamstring injury that caused him to miss the last two games, while Rhamondre Stevenson has been doing just fine as the leader of the rushing attack.

I suspect they will return to the committee style and share touches with one another, but Stevenson has certainly shown some flair and I would like to see more of him, especially as he’s the only one out of the two who’s currently under contract after this season.

Matthew Judon

With the Bears not really allowing Justin Fields to throw for some reason, limiting his productivity on the ground is key and I think Judon can play a big part in that.

Judon will need to ensure the edge is set well, not allowing Fields to break out to earn some easy yards rushing the ball. Along with limiting the run, I think Judon’s pressure will lure Fields into mistakes on the rare occasion he is in the pocket to pass.

Marcus Jones

The rookie has been electric as a returner so far this season and I have a gut feeling that tomorrow we could see a huge play by him, either on defense or a return. Don’t ask me why, but keep an eye on Jones.

Grizzly Bears

Justin Fields

I don’t really know what the deal is with Fields, it seems like he joins a list of young QBs that are being completely wasted by their franchises. Fields has attempted just 115 passes this season, for comparison, Mac Jones has attempted 95 passes, and Fields has played 3 more games.

The young QB is one to watch purely for his athletic ability alone, but if Chicago continues to shy away from letting him throw, he won’t develop.

David Montgomery

The Bears’ ground game has actually been decent so far this season, averaging 170.7 yards per game, the second-highest in the NFL. Montgomery will lead the attack with support from Khalil Herbert, this will be the only way I can see the Bears keeping this one close.

Patriots Ups & Downs: Week 6 vs Cleveland

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Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

The Patriots are officially 3-3 after a great road win in Cleveland! Here are the Ups & Downs from yesterday’s win!

Ups ⬆️

Bailey Zappe

Wow! Are we seeing the emergence of a serious contender for Mac’s position as starting QB for the Patriots? Alright, maybe not quite yet, but the kid has seriously asked some questions for Bill Belichick to answer over the next week or so.

Zappe had a perfect game yesterday, completing 24/34 passes for 309 YDS and 2 TDs, and some of the throws were excellent. Now, I won’t lie about the fact that I am a big Mac Jones fan, and I still honestly think that Mac is the clear starter for this team, but, I think he is on a shorter leash when he returns from injury and I now think Bill knows he has a valid option at backup and potentially a future starter.

Kyle Dugger

Another solid game for Dugger yesterday, I saw him blowing up the backfield with some big hits, and he also secured an early interception which put the Browns on the backfoot from the off. A huge up for him!

Tyquan Thornton

The rookie scored his first receiving and rushing touchdowns in the same game, and boy did he look good out there. I don’t think we’ve really seen the express speed that Thornton has, but I think that is coming, both scores were totally different but confirmed my thoughts that he can be used in a variety of ways.

Let’s just try not to get him killed! Great game for the kid.

Rhamondre Stevenson

19 carries for 76 YDS and 2 TDs in a strong day once more for Stevenson on the ground. With no Damien Harris, Rhamondre really took on the responsibility in what was a difficult game for him at times to get the run game moving. He continues to impress.

Deatrich Wise Jr.

After a couple of quiet weeks, Wise was back on form, being a huge disruption for the Cleveland offensive line, he recorded his fifth sack of the season, en route to limiting Nick Chubb on the ground and forcing Jacoby Brissett into mistakes.

Downs ⬇️

I’ll defer again on downs as I thought this was a really solid win, but, there are for sure some honorable mentions, including Isaiah Wynn and the overall penalties given up by the team. But, for today, I’ll let them lie following a good victory.

LFG NEXT MONDAY!

PatsProp Preview – Shipping Up To Cleveland

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Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The Patriots head to Cleveland on the back of an impressive defensive performance, beating Detroit last week 29-0. Here’s your quickfire preview for Week 6!

Injuries

*In Addition to above
CB Jon Jones – OUT
WR Nelson Agholor – OUT

Patriots To Watch

Mac Jones

Mac’s status remains questionable for tomorrow, but as of this evening, he hasn’t been ruled out and has flown to Ohio with the team. I think he will play; and if so, it’ll be intriguing to see how mobile he is in the backfield.

The worry with Mac’s injury was if he would be able to protect himself from Cleveland’s rush, if he plays, my assumption is that he must be mobile enough not to be a sitting duck, we’ll see. If Jones can’t play, it’ll be Bailey Zappe starting again with Garrett Gilbert as the backup.

Rhamondre Stevenson

After a career day last week, it looks like Stevenson will be the lead back tomorrow as Damien Harris is expected to be limited, as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury he picked up against Detroit.

A star in the making, Stevenson is a must-watch.

Matthew Judon

The reigning AFC Defensive Player Of The Week has been the best player for the Patriots on defense so far this season, he’s also been in a record-breaking mood as he set a new franchise record for consecutive sack games through the first 5 weeks (5).

For me, Judon is so important to this defense, and the team will really need him on form tomorrow against an electric Cleveland rushing attack.

Jack Jones

The rookie has impressed me through five weeks, and the Patriots will call on him again tomorrow, especially now Jon Jones has been ruled out with an ankle injury. A third-straight game with an interception? I’m calling it!

Cleveland Calling

Nick Chubb

For my money, Nick Chubb is one of the best backs in the league and will be Cleveland’s main threat on offense. If the Patriots can limit Chubb specifically, they will have a good chance of coming out with a win, but, he’s a big-time player.

Myles Garrett

Myles Garrett is an absolute freak and I have no idea how he’s even playing after his involvement in a serious car crash less than 2 weeks ago. I worry for Zappe or Jones with him in the game, especially with Mac’s dodgy ankle.

The Browns will be without Jadeveon Clowney, but Garrett has to be treated like he’s two players as it is, the offensive line will need to be at its best.