#New England Patriots

#New England Patriots

"I loved my time there," DeVito told Guregian of facing the Giants. "When I was there, it was, 'Go Giants' but now it's 'Go Pats' all the way. I hope we blow them out."

However, they nearly beat the Lions last week in a game that went into overtime, with QB Jameis Winston throwing for nearly 400 yards and two touchdowns in Detroit. It looked like that could be a problem for New England's defense, but they might run into bigger trouble now that rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart has cleared concussion protocol and will be the starter on Monday Night.

Throughout the 2024 offseason, it was clear the New England Patriots were going to use the third-overall selection in the upcoming NFL Draft on a quarterback. After the failed experiment with Mac Jones, whom the team picked in the first round in 2021, it was time to find the next franchise quarterback after Tom Brady, and they were fortunate to have a list of options in their grasp.

Safety Rodney Harrison, defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, and kicker Adam Vinatieri were named as three of the 26 semifinalists in the running to enter Canton as part of the Hall of Fame's Class of 2026. Harrison, Wilfork, and Vinatieri were also tabbed as semifinalists last season, with Harrison advancing all the way to the final round before once again coming up short. The selection committee will next reduce the list to 15 finalists, who will be voted on before the Super Bowl in February.

Milton Williams has been worth the price that the Patriots paid this offseason to lure the former Eagles standout lineman to New England - with the 26-year-old Williams helping turn Mike Vrabel's defense into one of the stingiest in the league against the run. A young defensive lineman capable of both generating pressure up the middle and clogging up running lanes was one of the priorities for the Patriots last offseason as Eliot Wolf and Co. tried to shore up multiple holes across the depth chart.

"The only update for the game, Jahlani Tavai will be out for the game," Vrabel said. "That'll be non-injury related. That's something personal, and that'll be all that I'll talk about at this time. So, that's the only update I have for you." Tavai is the only Patriot to be ruled out for Sunday's game as of Friday evening. Harold Landry (knee) and Rhamondre Stevenson (toe) were full participants at Friday's practice and are questionable for Sunday's game.

In response to Newton's comments, Maye said on Monday that he didn't even know what show he's on and claimed Newton and others simply get paid to make remarks and make certain comments. All in all, it seemed Maye didn't put much stock in the former QB's words. Drake Maye explains that he and the rest of the team aren't focused on the outside chatter along with Cam Newton calling the Patriots recent success 'fool's gold.'