Author Archives: @devansh0429

Who will replace Flores and McDaniels if they leave?

Both Brian Flores and Josh McDaniels have generated interest from multiple teams to be their head coach. The Broncos, Browns, Packers, and Dolphins have requested to interview Flores for their head coaching positions, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. In addition, the Packers and Dolphins have requested to interview Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Schefter reported.

The Backstories

McDaniels has been with the Patriots for all 5 of their championships as some form of assistant, coach, or coordinator. He took a head coaching job in 2009 and spent two seasons with the Denver Broncos. After an incident, he was fired and was eventually named the Rams offensive coordinator in 2011, before returning back to the Patriots. McDaniels was originally going to take the Colts head coaching job last year, but had backed out of it last minute. He is currently the highest paid offensive coordinator.

Flores has also been with the Patriots as some form of assistant, coach, or coordinator since 2004. This year, he has taken over the Patriots’ play-calling duties on the defensive side.

Homegrown

Can you sense the pattern? The Patriots find and promote their coaches from within for the most part. So, with this in mind, who is next up after McDaniels and Flores?

Chad O’Shea, Wide Receivers Coach

O’Shea has been with the team for nine seasons, and it seems like the Patriots have been planning for him to move up the ladder at some point. Last year, he called plays in the preseason as it looked like teams might go after McDaniels. Belichick has high praise for his abilities as a coach and mentor.

“Chad’s an excellent teacher (and) a very good fundamental coach,” Belichick said recently. “He has a good relationship with his players, has a good relationship with all of the staff members and is easy to work with…He comes from a football background — of course, his dad, Mike O’Shea, is one of the great trainers in his profession of all time…Chad’s done a really good job for us.” (BSJ 2019)

O’Shea is the most obvious candidate for the offensive coordinator job if McDaniels leaves.

Options for Defensive Coordinator

The choice for the next man up for the defense is not clear. Outside of Flores, the longest-tenured defensive coach with 10 seasons with the team is cornerbacks coach, Josh Boyer, if the front office goes on seniority. Obviously, Steve Belichick, the safeties coach, is an option too. However, Bill Belichick could also go without naming a defensive coordinator for the season to maybe allow the defensive staff to develop more, if that is what he sees fit.

Now, those were all internal options. Externally, it is hard to pinpoint who exactly the Patriots would go after. One option is Greg Schiano, who is the defensive coordinator for Ohio State. It is reported that he and Bill Belichick have a good relationship, and that he was wooed by the Patriots in early 2018 before deciding to remain at Ohio State (NBCSports 2018).

What does Duke Dawson bring to the table?

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The New England Patriots’ second-round pick, Duke Dawson, could possibly return from IR. What impact could this have on the Patriots? Let’s dig deeper.

Draft analyst, Mel Kiper, had ranked Dawson as the eighth-best cornerback in the draft. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Duke Dawson returned to practice last Wednesday after being placed on IR with a hamstring injury before the season even started. He can practice with the team for 21 days. The Patriots will have to activate him in that time period or his season is over.

COLLEGE RESUME

At Florida in 2017, Dawson totaled 34 tackles and posted four interceptions. He allowed a 37.1 passer rating with quarterbacks completing just 21 of 48 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns (24-7 Sports). The numbers that have to stand out is the 37.1 passer rating and the low completion percentage. One of the biggest problems for the defense is that teams are just able to complete passes consistently and move the ball; Dawson appears to be an immediate help to that.

Dawson played primarily the nickel back position in his preseason games. In college, he had allowed a 41.0 passer rating when targeted from the slot. Now, the Patriots’ current starting slot corner, Jon Jones, has not been playing bad at all; he even had a crazy one-handed interception versus the Bears. However, he has allowed one of the fewest passer ratings when targeted but also the second most yards out of all our defense. Dawson can maybe rotate with Jones to allow for a bit more efficiency in this New England defense.

PLAYSTYLE

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Compact, strong slot corner who can beat up finesse receivers when he’s allowed to crowd and disrupt the route release. Dawson can match and blanket underneath, but hip tightness shows up when he’s forced to turn and run from a backpedal. Dawson can handle himself in man or zone coverage and is ready to work when run support calls. He has some length and speed limitations, but he has the instincts and cover talent to become a starting nickel cornerback. – NFL.com

Clearly, Dawson can bring a tough, physical presence that can help the team immediately. New England traded up to draft him for a reason.

Matchups To Watch For In Patriots versus Bills

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Alas, the matchup previews are back! The 5-2 New England Patriots will take on the 2-5 Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football in Buffalo. Boston Sports Extra brings you three marquee matchups to look out for while watching the game.

Tom Brady has won his most games versus the Bills. Photo Courtesy of Getty Images.

Derek Anderson versus Patriots’ Pass Defense

The Patriots have been on a win streak in the past month, but their pass defense has given up a lot of yards. Though they have played decent quarterbacks, there is no reason the scores should have been as close as they have been. Stephon Gilmore has been playing out of his mind, but the rest of the players needs to step up. One of the biggest keys is that they need to pick up players quicker and be more aggressive. This night has to be a statement for the secondary to not let up. The defense should not let up over 300 yards passing to a player who started off the year in as a third-stringer. Another thing to note is that the Bills have only had three passing touchdowns all year. Let’s keep it that way.

James White versus Tremaine Edmunds

James White has been a key player for the Patriots. Photo Courtesy of Sporting News.

White has been a key player for Brady coming out of the backfield and catching the ball. If White isn’t lined up on the line of scrimmage, then expect Edmunds to defend him out of the backfield. Edmunds has had his ups and downs in his NFL career, and White should take advantage of his inexperience.

LeSean McCoy versus Patriots Linebackers

The status of McCoy for Sunday is unsure. If he does play, he will be the biggest test for our linebackers and really all of our defense. Our linebackers need to plug up holes quickly and limit him in the passing game. Their offense runs through McCoy. Stopping him will mean stopping their offense.

Matchups to Watch for in Patriots versus Jaguars

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The AFC Conference Championship rematch is today and we will take a look at some key matchups to watch for in the game as the vaunted Jaguars take on New England.

Jalen Ramsey Versus Rob Gronkowski

This matchup is probably the one everyone is looking forward to the most. More than likely it won’t even happen except for maybe one or two plays. Ramsey has been trash-talking everyone in the league and says he isn’t scared of anybody on the field. Maybe Gronk can help him gain some perspective. The more likely matchups would be Telvin Smith or Barry Church taking on the big man.

Ja’whaun Bentley Versus Corey Grant

Corey Grant had himself a productive day in the game in January. Especially with Fournette out, expect Jacksonville to use Grant on short passes out of the backfield as well as sweeps. However, the Patriots have deployed a stronger, faster troop of their own in Bentley, who has the ability to keep up with running backs. This will be a fun matchup to watch.

Patriots’ O-line Versus Jaguars’ D-line

The Jaguars’ defensive line has depth and stardom all around. They earned the “Sacksonville” last year after a phenomenal season. The Patriots’ offensive line held their own for the most part in the Conference Championship and need to continue to do the same in order to get the win.

Jeremy Hill tears ACL, out for Season

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Jeremy Hill was going to tackle Tyrann Mathieu after he recovered a fumble from Rob Gronkowski when James Develin accidentally fell on his leg. He did not return the rest of the game. Yesterday, it was reported that he tore his ACL and is out for the season.

Source: #Patriots RB Jeremy Hill tore his ACL and will be out for the 2018 season. Awful.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 10, 2018

Jeremy Hill was signed over this summer and had beaten out Mike Gillislee for a roster spot. He looked to be the premier power back and the go-to-guy on offense in short-yardage situations.

What Now?

Most likely what will happen is that Ralph Webb will get promoted for extra depth. The Patriots could use Develin in short-yardage situations if it’s really necessary. Be on the lookout for any trades or free agent signings for some bigger backs as well.

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Matchups To Watch For In Patriots Versus Texans

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Alas, Patriots Nation rejoice! Football returns tomorrow as the great Tom Brady and the New England Patriots take on the up-and-coming Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans who they beat last year in a close game. Here are several matchups to keep an eye out for as the game progresses.

DeAndre Hopkins versus Stephon Gilmore

This is essentially the matchup of the game. DeAndre Hopkins is easily one of the league’s best receivers with the athletic ability to make any throw catchable. He still had a 1300+ receiving season with the likes of Tom Savage and T.J. Yates at quarterback for most of the year.

Deshaun Watson was having a field day with the Patriots’ secondary last year. The key to stopping Watson is to shut down his most reliable target and make him force it to others. Think of it this way: whenever Hopkins is the primary read in a play (which is a lot) and he’s covered, it will take longer for the pass to occur and thus giving more time for pressure to come in or players to reposition themselves.

Enter Stephon Gilmore, who is easily the best cornerback on the roster. He needs to play very physical and aggressive to contain Nuk as he describes in the interview below. This is a very important test for Gilmore and the New England secondary down below. Do they have what it takes?

J.J. Watt versus Marcus Cannon

J.J. Watt is an elite player when healthy. Marcus Cannon is an elite player when healthy. Both are coming off injuries. This will be exciting to see if Watt can power and finesse his way to sack Brady or can the developed Cannon hold his ground.

The rehiring of Dante Scarnecchia, the Patriots’ legendary offensive line coach, had done wonders with Cannon. In 2015, Cannon was beaten time and time again by Von Miller in the AFC Championship. When Scarnecchia returned, his coaching skills elevated Cannon’s game (along with the rest of the line). In 2016, he had only allowed 27 pressures and played in 99.3 percent of the snaps. Cannon looks to return to this form in 2018 but has a tough challenge in the former DPOY.

Rob Gronkowski versus Tyrann Mathieu/Aaron Colvin

The task of stopping Gronk plagues the minds of every team New England faces. Houston will most likely use the free agent signings of Mathieu and Colvin to cover him along with most likely a linebacker. Whatever linebacker who covers Gronk isn’t the concern at all. Gronk can beat out most linebackers just with his route-running skills and athleticism.

Houston, if they want to slow down the New England offense, must try to do what the Chiefs did with Eric Berry last year. Only when Gronk lines up in the slot is when Colvin will cover him (as Evan Lazar had pointed out earlier yesterday).

This matchup with New England as a whole will be hard on the Texans secondary as a whole. Brady always finds a way to work with what he has, and that will always be dangerous.

Who Should the Patriots Bring Back to Their Practice Squad?

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Roster cuts were yesterday, and there were many surprises including the cut of Marquis Flowers. However, provided they make it through waivers, who should the Patriots re-sign to their practice squad?

Photo Courtesy of Pats Pulpit

QB – Danny Etling

Danny Etling wasn’t spectacular by any means in Thursday’s preseason finale against the Giants besides one amazing 86-yard touchdown run on a read option. The Patriots knew he would be a project when they drafted him. Belichick has given the kid high praise for his work ethic, and the Patriots should definitely continue to groom him.

UPDATE: The Patriots signed Etling to their practice squad.

RB – Ralph Webb

Webb has impressed in the preseason. He can be a nice asset to have if God forbid one of the running backs gets injured.

UPDATE: The Patriots signed Webb to their practice squad.

WR – Riley McCarron

The Patriots really like McCarron. He is a great player to have on a team with only three wide receivers on its active roster. Like Etling, he has a great work ethic and is willing to do anything the team asks of him.

UPDATE: The Patriots signed McCarron to their practice squad.

LB – Harvey Langi

Langi made a splash last year before getting injured. The Patriots really like the kid and will definitely sign him to the practice squad if he clears waivers.

SIDENOTE: The fact that he, along with Eric Lee and Marquis Flowers, was released shows how much the team’s front seven has improved.

UPDATE: The Patriots signed Langi to their practice squad.

DE – Trent Harris

“Toolbox” Trent, as nicknamed by his Miami teammates, isn’t the flashiest player by any means. He has been called too slow and too small to make an impact. He is proving his doubters wrong by making an impact early and often in games. His nickname is what it is because Harris has a variety of moves and a high football IQ to beat defenders. He racked up several sacks over the preseason games and has the ability to play both end and linebacker.

OL – Cole Croston

Croston, like Langi, had made the team last year as an undrafted free agent. He can play every position well and can provide quality depth.

UPDATE: Croston cleared waivers.

Top 5 Tuesday: Predictions for 2018 Season

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Welcome back to Top 5 Tuesday after our more-than-brief hiatus. This week, we will make 5 bold predictions for the New England Patriots’ 2018 season.

THE PATRIOTS WILL LOSE ONLY ONE GAME

Okay, it definitely is a daring prediction; however, this team is a lot better than the team that went 13-3 last season. My biggest worries would be the Texans, Packers, Vikings, and Jaguars. Hopefully, we don’t also lose a dud game against a divisional rival.

THE DEFENSE WILL FINISH TOP 5 IN TOTAL SACKS

Don’t look now but New England’s front 7 just got stacked. Our newcomers include Derek Rivers, Dont’a Hightower, Danny Shelton, Adrian Clayborn, Harvey Langi, and the emerging Ja’Whaun Bentley to add to a defense that achieved 42.0 sacks last year (finished in the top half of the league).

PHILLIP DORSETT WILL LEAD THE TEAM IN YARDS IN THE FIRST FOUR WEEKS

With the Edelman out the first four weeks, someone is going to need to step up to be Brady’s top target outside of Gronk. While it may seem like a sure bet for Hogan who has developed a surefire chemistry with Brady in the past, Dorsett should not be forgotten. He has the quickness, hands, and ability to create separation that can propel him into Brady’s circle of trust.

EITHER JC JACKSON OR KEION CROSSEN MAKES THE ROSTER

JC Jackson is enjoying a strong offseason, impressing the coaches and earned first team-reps earlier in the summer. Keion Crossen hasn’t had as good of a summer, but certainly has the measurables and potential to get that dark horse spot. Either way, one of these rookies will make it on the roster and I believe will provide a positive impact in games.

JAMES WHITE WILL BE THE PATS’ LEADING RUSHER

I remember when Sweet Feet got drafted in 2014. I hadn’t thought much of it at the time. He proved me wrong, showing up time after time in the playoffs. With all the injuries and players leaving, I think White will finally get a bigger workload and lead New England in both yards and touches.

The Case of Ja’Whaun Bentley

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“With the No. 143 pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots select Ja’Whaun Bentley, ILB, Purdue. He is a 6-foot-2, 260 pounds off-the-ball linebacker who’s considered to some as a contact player.”

Following the Super Bowl, a glaring need for the Patriots was a coverage linebacker. When New England drafted Ja’Whaun Bentley, the NFL community didn’t think as much of it. After all, his draft profile from the NFL.com didn’t show much promise.

“…Bentley has athletic limitations that hinder his effectiveness as an NFL finisher and he’s ill-suited to handle coverage duties against the pass. Bentley lacks ideal speed and reaction time…”

He has been proving this profile wrong as he continues to impress in preseason games. In his debut, he logged six tackles (two for loss) and a quarterback hit in addition to four stops in coverage. This performance earned him a 90.0 PFF grade and a spot in PFF’s Team of the Week Defense.

In his second preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles, he started over Elandon Roberts and ended the game again with six tackles and more notably returned a fumble back for a touchdown. He also forced incompletions against the likes of Jay Ajayi and Dallas Goedert.

Strip sack! Recovery!

TO THE HOUSE. @Patriots #PHIvsNE https://t.co/uxrXTHeJv9

— NFL (@NFL) August 17, 2018

Bright Future for the Rookie

One of his biggest concerns about Bentley was his speed and coverage skills. He shined in both of these areas in the two preseason games he had played. He has been able to keep up with both tight ends and running backs which is a good sign for the young rookie and a sign of relief for New England fans. Scott Zolak even noted how Bentley looked like a young Jerod Mayo out there, except Mayo was never that fast.

Another important fact of note is that the rookie donned the green dot on his helmet, meaning that he was the one calling plays for the first team defense. The New England staff has a lot of faith in him.

“He’s always been the middle linebacker, the signal caller, the guy right in the middle of the defense,” Bill Belichick said, citing Bentley’s experience as a four-year captain at Purdue. “He does a good job of handling the communication and some of the adjustments that have to be made from the center of the field, which that’s his position; that’s part of it. He’s been able to do that pretty well since he’s come here… He’s got a long way to go, but he’s handled those things well.” (USA Today)

All in all, Ja’Whaun Bentley has been impressing on all cylinders. He’s smart, intuitive, strong, and possesses a huge build. If he continues to play like he has been, Bentley can take over Elandon Roberts’ spot as the starter.

Revis vs. Gilmore: Who was better for the Patriots?

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On July 24, 2018, Darrelle Revis officially retired as a Jet. He even posed in front of a real Revis Island at his farewell. So far, both Revis and star corner, Stephon Gilmore, played one full season for New England. So it bodes the question, with all due respect to both players, who played better for the Patriots?

Darrelle Revis stands in front of an island on his retirement day

REVIS’ 2014 STINT WITH NEW ENGLAND

On March 12, 2014, Darrelle Revis had signed one year contract worth 12 million dollars with the New England Patriots. The Pats had paired him with ex-Seahawk, Brandon Browner, in the secondary. Revis had amassed 2 interceptions, 16 passes defended, 47 tackles, and 1 forced fumble (Pro Football Reference). He allowed 532 yards through the air against him throughout the season (NESN).

His playoff performance was outstanding. After having 2 pass interference calls defending Steve Smith, he had only allowed 1 completion in the AFC Championship and Superbowl combined. Darrelle Revis greatly contributed to New England getting their fourth ring.

Photo Credit: Patriots Gab

GILMORE’S 2017 SEASON WITH THE PATRIOTS

On March 9, 2017, the New England Patriots signed Stephon Gilmore to a 5-year contract worth 65 million dollars. The Gilmore/Butler duo was supposed to be one of the best in the NFL, only it didn’t turn out that way. Butler had a down year, allowing a 103.3 passer rating in coverage and earned himself an 81.0 PFF grade.

Gilmore himself had a rough start to the season, a large part due to the lack of communication. He picked his game up and really shined in the second half of the season, clearly proving himself as the best cornerback on the roster. Gilmore finished 2017 with 2 interceptions, 50 combined tackles, and 9 passes defended.

His biggest play of the season was in the AFC Championship. We all know what I’m talking about. It’s fourth down, Blake Bortles steps up in the pocket and throws it deep. Stephon Gilmore in coverage leaps up and tips it away. He sealed the deal for the Patriots and allowed them to go to their third Superbowl in four years. Unfortunately, he was basically the only bright spot on a horrendous Superbowl defense without Malcolm Butler.

Photo Credit: Heavy.com

CONCLUSION

Both cornerbacks ended up being great signings for the Patriots. As of right now, Revis did play better for the Patriots. Although he had fewer tackles, he was more efficient in coverage and ended up getting a ring

Gilmore had an up-and-down year with little help from his teammates. However, he will continue his strong showings from the later part of the season, and I have a feeling this conclusion won’t remain the same next year.