#new-england-patriots

#new-england-patriots

Little went right for New England down the stretch in Sunday's eventual 35-31 loss - be it the Patriots' defense coughing up five straight touchdown drives, New England's special-teams unit relinquishing chunk yardage on kickoffs, or Drake Maye and the Patriots' passing game getting grounded in crunch time. But, a few costly rulings by John Hussey and his officiating staff loomed large in Sunday's result, including a pass-interference call against Marcus Jones on a fourth-down play

It was just one year ago that the Patriots were heavily pursuing some of the top free agents, hoping to rebuild their team into a powerhouse competitor to regain the AFC East and help rookie quarterback Drake Maye start his NFL career on the right foot. That didn't work too well, though, particularly with their interest in wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who demanded a trade from the 49ers.

The New England Patriots made some notable moves at wide receiver this past season that have transformed their team. Stefon Diggs was added on a three-year deal and has been an incredible addition, Mack Hollins has been excellent as a deep threat, and rookie Kyle Williams has made his impact felt with two touchdowns on only five catches this year.

They had bolstered their young group with a pair of veteran free agent signings with Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins, but fans might remember things being a tad awkward at the start. There was plenty of early-summer drama surrounding Diggs and the health of his surgically repaired knee, the language surrounding the guaranteed money in his contract, and his off-field decision making after a viral boat video did laps on social media over Memorial Day Weekend.

I got an extremely rare blood infection. On November 20, I was placed in a medically induced coma after I was found unresponsive in my bed. I was asleep for six days. Unfortunately, with my organs failing and the sickness infecting my placenta, our baby passed away in my womb. Hours later, my body went into natural labor and Jahlani watched me deliver our baby unconscious. He said it was like my body just knew what to do.

The New England Patriots completed a quick turnaround under Mike Vrabel, and they are arguably the best team in the NFL right now. Sitting on an 11-2 record after 14 weeks, the Patriots are headed to the playoffs, and hopefully to the Super Bowl. If that happens, New England will be drafting at the end of the first round - a tradeoff fans will sign up for in a heartbeat.

Chaisson has been a revelation in his inaugural campaign with the Patriots. He's been everything they could've hoped for and more since inking him to a one-year, $3 million "prove it" deal this past March. An 11-2 New England club went on bye atop the AFC standings and with its first division title since 2019 firmly in reach. Chaisson has unexpectedly been at the center of it all.

Over the last few years, the Patriots have lost every member of the dynasty team either by cutting them outright or letting them leave in free agency, becoming the official sign that the best days are in the rearview mirror. That has led fans to hope some of them will eventually return after spending time with other teams, including a beloved cornerback who remains unsigned this season.

Believe it or not, Week 14 of the NFL season is already upon us, and the playoff picture has started to take shape. The NFC is by far the most competitive conference. In the NFC North and NFC West, three teams each conference are tied or nearly tied at the top of the division, making the playoff race an exciting one to watch.

One is punt returner Marcus Jones, who now possesses the highest punt return average in NFL history. And that's not even half his story. Jones is also a top slot cornerback, and though he stands only 5'8" tall, he plays much bigger. He's one of the Patriots' top three cornerbacks. Yet, as a punt returner, he exhibits amazing explosiveness. He can take a punt to the house on any given play. And when he does, it's a game-changer.

Being an Atlanta Falcons fan is a curse. This Thanksgiving weekend may have been one of the best weekends of football from the entire league, from massive upsets to incredible performances throughout the weekend, the NFL showed why it is the preeminent sports league in the country. But if you're a Falcons fan, there's always that tinge of disappointment surrounding the weekend because this lowly franchise can't figure out how to finish a very winnable game against the Jets.