#new-england-patriots

#new-england-patriots

There were plenty of things the Patriots could use as motivation going into their Week 5 matchup against the Bills, as they were considered major underdogs going against what would be the final undefeated team of the season. That was reportedly all the motivation they needed, especially when reporters responded to questions about their predictions for the game with certainty about a Bills win. But that's apparently not the only part of the week that the players used as bulletin board material.

The conversation regarding who is the NFL's official greatest quarterback of all time continues to be a debate, despite Tom Brady proving time and time again that the label belongs to him. It should be inarguable at this point, but those outside New England refuse to concede and want to give the name to someone else. When you play for the Patriots, however, you should probably agree that Brady is the ultimate GOAT, and not suggest someone else might be.

A 2-2 record after four games is typically nothing to sniff at, but Mike Vrabel's Patriots may have sent a message to the league and the AFC with last week's 42-13 pasting of the Carolina Panthers. Yes, Carolina is closer to the No. 1 pick in the draft than to being considered an elite team, but if you want to be a contender, you've got to beat up on bad teams, especially in your building.

He was a limited participant during Wednesday's and Friday's practices, but did not participate on Thursday. New England head coach Mike Vrabel didn't have much to say about Williams's ailment when asked by a reporter about it. "It's an ankle, as it's listed on the injury report, and it's limited," Vrabel said. Williams played 58 percent of the Patriots' defensive snaps in last week's 42-13 win over the Carolina Panthers. He logged one solo tackle in the victory.

Originally selected as a safety, Mapu had a productive four seasons at Sacramento State, playing nearly 1,800 snaps. The majority of his snaps during his senior year came as a slot cornerback, despite his 6-foot-3, 230-pound build. He played only 204 snaps as a rookie, splitting time between playing in the box and as a deep man. The same was the case in his sophomore season, though in a larger role.

The main engineer of the New England Patriots' dynasty, at least from a player standpoint, is Tom Brady. The legendary quarterback will undoubtedly be a first ballot Hall of Famer, and there's no question the Patriots would not have their six Lombardi Trophies if not for him. However, it takes a village to win in professional sports, and both segments of the Patriots' dynasty had a sizable village surrounding Brady. And there are two key figures in the success of those teams

After what has turned out to be a disastrous draft class during the lone season of Jerod Mayo, the Patriots needed to hit it out of the park this year, and so far, it looks like they have accomplished that. It was crucial to add the kind of talent the team had been lacking, so prioritizing specific positions was a must, especially in the early rounds.