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PatsProp Preview – Regular Season Finale

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Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Here we are, the final game of the regular-season heads to Miami as the Patriots look to finish strong and avenge their week 1 defeat to a Dolphins side who will be once again without playoff football this season.

Hard Rock Stadium presents the season finale for the Patriots, who take on the Miami Dolphins, here’s your preview for Week 18!

One’s To Watch

Rhamondre Stevenson

Given that Damien Harris is still dealing with a slight hamstring issue, I can imagine them keeping his carry load low tomorrow, allowing him to be fresh for the wildcard game. If so, it could be a big day for Stevenson, who fumbled in week 1 against the Dolphins but has come on a long way since then, proving himself able to carry the backfield in Harris’ absence.

Nelson Agholor

Agholor returns to the team after clearing the concussion protocol, which kept him out for the last couple of weeks. The FA addition hasn’t had the first season in New England like we’d have hoped, but, he’ll be out there tomorrow with a chance to find some late season form before the playoffs.

Chase Winovich

Chase has been left out in the cold for most of this season, which is a shame as I feel he is a useful player. Tomorrow he might be back in the fray, though. With the news that Dont’a Hightower will now miss the game, Winovich could be more involved, along with Josh Uche, some wolverine aggression in Miami perhaps?

Myles Bryant

After standing out with an interception last week in the blowout win over the Jags, Bryant should be heavily involved again in the passing defense. He’s been up and down this season, but he’s certainly cutting his teeth in the league the hard way, and I do think he is improving gradually.

Dolphin Danger

Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Who for the Dolphins could cause problems for the Patriots?

Jaylen Waddle

I highlighted the rookie first-rounder before these two last met in the season opener, he had a pretty steady beginning to his time in the league, but he really stepped up into the second half of the season. Mac’s former college teammate is now only 22 yards short of a 1,000 receiving yard campaign. He’ll be Tua’s top target tomorrow.

Xavien Howard

Howard has had a much quieter season than his previous, only amassing 4 interceptions, to his 10 from the 2020 campaign. Still, stats aside he’s been a key part of Miami’s defense and will be looking to ruin Mac’s day tomorrow in coverage.

Emmanuel Ogbah

Ogbah leads the team in sacks on the season with 9.0. He will be the leader of an impressive Dolphins front who can get after the opposing quarterback.

Patriots Playoff Seeding Scenarios

Whilst playoff football is secured, the Pats still have a chance to secure the divisional title, amongst other things, starting tonight when Kansas City plays Denver. So, what could happen?

Patriots clinch no 1 AFC seed with:
NE win + BUF loss or tie + KC loss + TEN loss

Patriots clinch AFC East title with:
NE win + BUF loss or tie OR
NE tie + BUF loss

As things stand, the Patriots would travel to Buffalo to face the Bills for the third time this season in the wildcard game, we’ll know for sure what matchup it’ll be once week 18 finishes.

Prediction Corner

@ShawMellors – Patriots 24 – Dolphins 21

The Patriots continue with some momentum into the post-season with a close win down in Miami. Patriots 24 Fins 21

@clazzyclare – Patriots 33 – Dolphins 21

The Fins took a beating last week and could be out for some vengeance. The Patriots aren’t the team they were when these two last met and that is hopefully a good thing. The Patriots know what needs to be done and a couple of players (like my favourite, Hunter!) are used to warmer climates (kinda) and I see this one as a Pats win. Patriots 33 Fins 21

Another fifty burger in foggy Foxborough!

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Adam Glanzman/Getty Images

Happy New Year Patriots Nation!

Apologies, I know I am a little belated, last week was my personal ‘bye’ week but I managed to catch that beautiful fifty burger that the Patriots served up! So, if you fancy a recap, missed the game, or just want something to read with that hot beverage you have there, sit back, relax and let’s enjoy it together, shall we?

The Patriots won the coin toss and chose to defer, and the first play the Jaguars made was a short left pass to a tight end! Number 89 Luke Farrell, to be exact. Now, I know this is mostly insignificant for Patriots fans, however, I am a tight endage enthusiast so I gotta get a little bit extra in where I can. 

Okay, I shall move on.

Needless to say, the Jaguars first drive did not result in much, and they punted after only 2 minutes, but not before Dont’a Hightower registered his first sack in two years whilst Ja’Whaun Bentley took out two players! All the twos anyone?

Kristian Wilkerson had his first NFL reception with a nice floating ball across from Mac Jones. Wilkerson did attempt to get that oh so desired YAC, but with three guys on him, there’s only so much a 6 foot 1, 214 pound wide receiver can do! 

The Patriots continued with Jakobi Meyers in great motion for the first down and Hunter Henry bringing the blocking. Tight endage baby!

And all that was in the first five minutes of the game in foggy Foxborough.

Trent Brown is a force to be reckoned with, as we know, but there was a play, with about 7 minutes remaining on the clock where Brown blocked for the beast that is Rhamondre Stevenson, and the Jags number 27, cornerback Chris Claybrooks spots Brown hunting him down and makes a bit of a push to run off to the side, almost away from Brown. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like you see me blaming him!

The Jags defense were committed to stopping the run, they had a loaded defensive line but Damien Harris was having none of it, and his cut back and forth was like a beautiful dance, and the next play he cha cha’ed a touchdown!

The end of the first quarter almost saw some controversy, depending upon which side you were rooting for. Bentley almost had his fingers on a Trevor Lawrence throw that was followed by a 40 yard catch for the Jags that Jalen Mills seemed to have his hands upon, but the Jags made their next play very quickly, and the matter was dropped. A touch hinkey if you ask me, but hey, no one did. Go figure…

The Jags ended the play with the field goal, and the Patriots had the ball again. 

The second quarter saw Stevenson fighting through for the run, Harris power running, with an epic block by Kendrick Bourne, and Hunter Henry with a 17 yard pick up. A li’l shake and a li’l wiggle too, nice tight endage!

Myles Bryant celebrated his birthday with an interception, his second of his career, another two, but the 13th for Trevor Lawrence… oof. 

Brandon Bolden continued to play strong and smart football, and the connections between Mac, Harris, and Bourne simply strengthened with a lovely little trick play. Mac followed that with a beautiful throw to Wilkerson, soft with just enough air, and Wilkerson scored his first career touchdown. 

Matt Judon had been a little quietly lately, and only just returning from the covid list it’s understandable, but they released the Judon! Only for him to be held and it not called as a penalty, ah this feeling of annoyance is so familiar this season…

JC Jackson solidified his “Mr Interception” status further for his 8th interception of the year, and the 25th of his career. Christian Barmore registered his first career solo sack, and it was just like Christmas all over again.

Myles Bryant’s birthday luck did not continue as he got a penalty call, I know I can be biased but it seemed a little weak. Both players put their helmets down and that rewarded the Jaguars a first down, however they were unable to produce, and the Patriots stormed on. 

Brandon Bolden made a glorious block that prevented a sack on Mac, only for the next play to result in Mac getting pressure from the left. But Mac rolled outside and got the ball to Hunter Henry on the move. Don’t you just love a bit of Mac to Hunter? 

Kyle Van Noy made a beeline for Lawrence and found his mark! Only for the next play to result in an interception by Kyle Dugger that he almost made into a touchdown. But the kid was smart, and he chose ball security over the glory and did his job. 

Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith continued to maintain their blocking prowess whilst the fly in the Patriot’s ointment had to be Chris Claybrooks. That Jags player was definitely an annoyance for the Patriots on Sunday. 

So there you have it folks, the Patriots look to be in the playoffs and are on to Miami… 

Go Pats!

Patriots Ups & Downs Week 17

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Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images

The Patriots kicked off 2022 with a dominating 50-10 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars at Gillette Stadium. They also secured a playoff position with the win after Miami fell to Tenessee, but we won’t know the final seedings until after next week’s regular-season finale. Here are your Ups & Downs from Week 17.

Ups ⬆️

Damien Harris & Rhamondre Stevenson

Each back played a big part in yesterday’s win, both combining for 125 yards on the ground, with 2 touchdowns each. Harris led the work in the first half, quickly helping improve the score to 28 by the end of the second quarter, but, he did appear to tweak his hamstring, which has been an issue for the past couple of weeks. It may be minor, but the team decided to sit him for the second half to be safe, the job was already done.

Stevenson picked up the slack for the rest of the game and continued to show his rough-running skills and poured more misery on the helpless jags. A top day for the backs.

Mac Jones

Mac was back yesterday, looking comfortable and accurate on his way to finishing with 22/30 227 yards – 3 TDs, a welcome return for him following back-to-back down weeks for the rookie quarterback.

Sure the Jags didn’t pressure Mac a whole lot, or, offer much difficulty in pass coverage, but, I think Mac needed this game ahead of the now pending postseason and should fill himself with confidence ahead of Miami in the regular-season finale.

Jakobi Meyers

Meyers improved his season receiving total to a career high 796 yards yesterday, after hauling in 8 catches for 73 yards and a touchdown (his second career score). He’s been a key figure in Mac’s progression this season, another brilliant day for him.

J.C. Jackson

J.C. had a solid game yesterday, he was involved in good redzone coverage and managed to snag his 25th career pick (8th of the season). With the news this week coming that the team extended Adrian Phillips, a decision will be made soon on what to do about Jackson’s future with the franchise. I personally would extend him, sure he isn’t the best CB in the league, but he’s proved over his rookie contract that he’s a ballhawk and manages to find plenty turnovers.

Kristian Wilkerson

What a game for this man, finally getting a chance to perform on the main roster and he catches his first and second career touchdowns! Now, Wilkerson was pretty open on both plays due to poor coverage by the Jags, but, take nothing away from him, it was a special moment and potentially could earn himself a place on the 53-man roster.

Downs ⬇️

Special Teams

This will be the only entry on the down list this week, but, it’s needed. The Patriots for years have prided themselves on their special team capability, but this season something has been off on the entire unit.

The unit missed two extra points, which didn’t have an impact on the game, but regardless, this is the type of thing that can cost you in the postseason, especially in a different scenario where the game is close at the end. A note to this, Nick Folk was not at fault for either of the misses, all hail Big Kick Nick.

BREAKING – Patriots clinch playoff spot with win over Jaguars

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Adam Glanzman/Getty Images

A dominating 50-10 win over Jacksonville, with help from a Miami defeat to the Titans, confirms that the Patriots will be playing playoff football this season.

The Pats missed out last year, in the first season without Tom Brady, but this year they’ve managed to overachieve many pre-season expectations, led by Mac Jones and some impressive defensive performances. There is still a chance at the divisional crown, but, the Bills would need to lose against the Jets next week, as well as the Pats winning at Miami in the regular-season finale.

Look out for our Ups & Downs and game recap from an impressive victory today!

BREAKING – Patriots agree 3-year extension with safety Adrian Phillips

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Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

The Patriots have re-signed safety Adrian Phillips to a 3-year extension worth a maximum of $14.25m, per Adam Schefter.

I think this is an excellent move by the team. The defense is going to lose a bunch of veterans this off-season, some may retire, but many will leave in free agency. Phillips has been one of the best players on defense since he arrived in 2020, and at 29, he should still be at his best for the length of his new deal.

Mike Reiss also chimed in with a quote he recalled Bill making not so long ago about how Phillips always does the right thing, likening him to Patrick Chung:

PatsProp Preview – New Year, New Team?

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Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

We made it! Another year is in the books and before I go into my preview for tomorrow’s game, I just wanted to express my thanks to all of you that have followed our coverage of the Patriots this year. We aren’t the biggest blog out there, but we enjoy what we do, and your support is so appreciated.

With that being said the Patriots host the Jacksonville Jaguars for their penultimate game of the regular season. Here’s your preview for Week 17!

One’s To Watch

Damien Harris

Whilst Rhamondre Stevenson is back from the COVID list to lend some support in the run game, you can still expect Damien Harris to lead the backfield against the Jags. Harris is questionable with the hamstring issue that’s been ailing him since the first Buffalo game, but he should be good to go and continue on from his big-scoring game last week against the Bills.

Offensive Line

With the Jags stricken by a COVID outbreak, especially across their front line, the Pats offensive line will be key tomorrow as I think establishing the run will be a top priority. The Jags haven’t been the best at preventing rushing play, that will be a huge key to victory for the Pats tomorrow.

Kendrick Bourne + Jakobi Meyers

With Nelson Agholor out with a concussion for the second-straight game, the passing attack shifts focus to Bourne and Meyers to produce the goods. Bourne was active against the Bills last week following a stint on the COVID list, but he didn’t really make much impact, finishing 2/4 catches for 33 yards, I think he’s due a bounce-back game tomorrow. Meyers on the other hand is on course for a career-high year in receiving yards, he needs just 6 receiving yards to equal his career-best of 729. Both will be key tomorrow.

Struggling Jags

David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Who for the Struggling Jags could cause problems for the Patriots?

Josh Allen

Not to be confused with his namesake in Buffalo, Allen has been a bright light in an otherwise dark season for the Jags. He leads the team in sacks (5.5) and also has an interception to his name so far. He’s just made it off the COVID list in time for tomorrow’s game, so there is no telling if that will play an impact in his performance, but he’s a solid player who could get after Mac tomorrow and force errors.

Dare Ogunbowal

That’s right, Dare Ogunbowal could cause problems for the Patriots. And you’re probably thinking to yourself, WHO? Well, with their starting back James Robinson out for the rest of the season with a torn Achilles, Ogunbowal will get his first career start tomorrow.

The reason I think there’s a chance he could have a game is down to the fact that the Pats haven’t been able to comfortably stop the run all year. Against the Titans earlier this season, they allowed 270 yards rushing to two relatively unknown running backs as the Titans were still without their franchise star, Derrick Henry.

Now, I’m not going to be putting money on Ogunbowal having a big game, but I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility that he could run for at least 100 yards tomorrow.

Patriots Playoff Clinch Scenarios

New England clinches a playoff berth with:

  1. NE win + MIA loss or tie OR
  2. NE win + LV loss or tie OR
  3. NE tie + MIA loss + LV loss + LAC loss or tie OR
  4. NE tie + MIA loss + BAL loss or tie OR
  5. NE tie + LV loss + LAC loss + BAL loss + PIT loss or tie OR
  6. NE tie + LV loss + LAC loss or tie + BAL loss or tie + MIA win + BUF win

Prediction Corner

@ShawMellors – Patriots 28 – Jags 6

I don’t see this being a banana peel for the Pats, the Jags are banged up and struggling with COVID cases in their camp at the minute. They’ve managed to get some bodies back for the game, but it won’t matter as the Patriots will condemn them to another loss. Pats 28 Jags 6.

Patriots Ups & Downs Week 16

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Omar Rawlings/Getty Images

A bad loss yesterday is not what I asked for this Christmas. The Bills came into town and Josh Allen showed us all why he’s one of the best QBs in the league as they beat comfortably beat the Patriots 33-21. Here are your Ups & Downs from Week 16.

Ups ⬆️

Damien Harris

Really the only bright spot for the Pats was Harris, he roared back from injury with a hat-trick of rushing touchdowns, whilst amassing over a ton on the ground. Harris looked really really good, and I can’t help wondering that he probably wasn’t 100% fit either.

Daniel Ekuale

I wanted to give Ekuale a mention on the ups list as he had a good game yesterday, continuing a pattern for this season as a regular elevation player from the practice squad. He’s not been a game-changer, but every game he’s been active for he’s done something to stand out.

Downs ⬇️

Mac Jones

Mac look flustered and very rookie-like yesterday and it was probably his worst game as a Patriot so far. Jones was never able to find the consistency like Allen did and stuttered throughout the game, tossing a pick early on and being unable to extend drives contributed to his poor performance.

Myles Bryant

I’ve been rooting for Bryant all season, but he has struggled, and boy did he struggle yesterday. He was put through his paces by Isaiah McKenzie, who chalked up 11 catches for 125 yards and a touchdown. I do think Bryant has a role to play on defense, but it wasn’t a good look watching him get blitzed by a relatively unknown receiver.

Matthew Judon

I wouldn’t say Judon was bad, but he was ineffective yesterday, as I do feel some more pressure on Allen could have really helped the Patriots. Now, I’m probably being a little harsh on Judon as he’s been the best free-agent signing from the offseason, but he wasn’t at his best yesterday.

Jake Bailey

Bailey had a few weird punts again yesterday, which just continues a disappointing year for him, again, didn’t factor in the loss, but contributed towards the overall poor play by the team. Overall, special teams as a unit has been sub-par this season.