When the Patriots announced their inactive list ahead of their Week 8 game against the Browns, a few things stood out. The biggest surprise was the decision to bench Keion White for the first time in his career, even if his performance this season certainly warranted it. The other was Kyle Dugger being sidelined, allowing Jaylinn Hawkins to play in his place once again.
In fact, Moore and Co. are currently leading the league in penalizing teams the most through the first seven weeks of the season, averaging 21.9 flags per game. The Patriots experienced that when the same officials were presiding over their game against the Dolphins earlier this year, when they threw 28 flags, 22 of which were accepted, with the Patriots taking 12 for a loss of 75 yards.
The New England Patriots took down the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, moving to 5-2 on the year. The offense was electric, scoring 24 points in the first three quarters, while the defense held the Titans to 13 and notched their first touchdown as a unit this year. The player who made that touchdown happen was none other than K'Lavon Chaisson, Week 7's AFC Defensive Player of the Week.
Not many owners have been more successful in NFL history than Kraft. Since Kraft bought the Patriots in 1994, New England has won six Super Bowls, 10 AFC titles, and 19 AFC East titles. The six Super Bowl wins and 10 AFC titles are the most ever by an owner in NFL history. Kraft has also been an influential figure in helping the NFL get record TV deals as the chairman of the league's media committee.
Over the last five years, the Patriots have relied heavily on their defense to keep them in games, as their offense continued to fall behind and become more of a liability when on the field. A lot of that had to do with inconsistent quarterback play and less-than-stellar offensive playcalling, which has not been an issue this season so far.
Gibson's wife, Tori, announced via Instagram that she is pregnant with their fourth child. Heartwarming: Patriots standout RB Antonio Gibson's wife, Tori, announces that she's pregnant with their 4th child. "I'm pregnant. #4 about to have four. Four babies. I'm about to have four babies. Miss #4 with four." Congrats to the happy couple 🥹❤️ pic.twitter.com/75ehAPtRNy- Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 23, 2025. Fans of both Gibsons are excited about this news, as the comment section is full of congratulatory messages and support.
And clearly, the Patriots wanted to be sure they got him in the door by awarding him a hefty contract to play alongside their franchise superstar in Gonzalez. Davis' arrival prompted plenty of excitement about the defense's potential this year, yet he hasn't lived up to that optimism through the first seven games. Although he has been fairly consistent, there are some concerns about his longevity, as he has already dealt with some injury concerns over the past month.
FOXBOROUGH - In the moment, K'Lavon Chaisson didn't know how to react. Other than run, of course. The Patriots' 26-year-old edge rusher secured his first career touchdown in New England's Week 7 win over the Titans - scooping up a fumbled ball off the hands of Tennessee QB Cam Ward and waltzing into the end zone for six points. The elation that came after the scoop-and-score gave way to a few chirps as he made his way back to New England's sideline.
Admittedly, not many people are familiar with Murphy. He was an end-of-the-roster player with the Chargers, and has played just 11 games in his career thus far. The 25-year-old entered the league in 2023, signing with Vrabel's Tennessee Titans. He was later released, signed to the Chargers practice squad, and eventually made their 2025 roster. Murphy had his first career sack against the Giants in Week 4 of this year.
Entering Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans, starter Rhamondre Stevenson had a dismal 3.1 yards-per-carry average, while rookie TreVeyon Henderson had just 3.6 per touch. Kick returner and rotational back Antonio Gibson was ruled out for the season a few weeks ago after tearing his ACL against the Buffalo Bills, leaving the former two backs as the only ones left on the 53-man roster.
The NFL trade deadline hasn't even hit yet, but scouts and fans alike are already excited about what their respective teams might do in the draft next season. The New England Patriots have been excellent to start 2025, and it seems their days of picking in the top five are over; now 5-2 and atop the AFC East standings, they're currently slotted for 29th overall pick in the 2026 draft order, entering Week 8.
The New England Patriots made some major additions in free agency, particularly on defense. Milton Williams became the highest-paid player in team history at $26 million per season, while they also shelled out major deals to Harold Landry and Robert Spillane. One of the more notable deals not only for the Patriots but for the entire offseason was their signing of Lions cornerback Carlton Davis. While Davis seemed like a perfect complement to Christian Gonzalez, things haven't worked out as such.
After Josh McDaniels left the Patriots to become the head coach of the Raiders in 2022, the offense lost its step and couldn't find the right guy to replace the legendary play-caller. He was coming off a season where he helped lead rookie Mac Jones back to the playoffs, resulting in another head coaching opportunity. The Patriots floundered without him over the next three years, experimenting with Matt Patricia, Bill O'Brien, and Alex Van Pelt as the OC.
There are a few irreplaceable players on New England's current roster - like quarterback Drake Maye, left tackle Will Campbell and cornerback Christian Gonzalez - and Landry is near the top of that list. He's been a mainstay on the field in Vrabel's defense, already logging 300 snaps (fourth-most on the team, per Pro Football Focus); he leads the Patriots in both QB pressures (25) and sacks (4.5) through six games.
The most prominent was the Bills' loss to the Falcons on Monday Night Football, which pushes New England into first place in the division for the first time in years. They are now flirting with playoff contention, not even halfway through the season, and that has many looking ahead to what they could realistically accomplish during Mike Vrabel's first season as the head coach.
Fresh off an emotional, monster second half against the Buffalo Bills, quarterback Drake Maye and the Patriots' offense greeted the one-win Saints with 22 points in the first half at Caesars Superdome. New England wound up needing every one of those points in what ended up being a much tighter affair than Patriots fans bargained for. The Patriots grinded out a 25-19 win, their third in a row, to improve to 4-2.
After a dismal start to the season, fraught with penalties, sacks, and turnovers, the New England Patriots have tightened up their game somewhat and become a winner. If Mike Vrabel wants to take his team further, bolstering his pass rush, which has faded, makes perfect sense. The player to fill the need, if he's healthy, could be Trey Hendrickson of Cincinnati.
