![\"Patriots](\"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/USATSI_25074202_168390408_lowres-660x440.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Good morning. We hope you all had a Happy New Year. The Patriots season ends today. Buffalo plays on, so this is just a necessary evil for them, playing and not caring a bit about the score but hoping that their roster comes through this unscathed. Don\u2019t begrudge them for that.<\/p>\n
Just a few years ago (which seems a lot longer these days), the Patriots had to play these meaningless games, and we\u2019d watch in silence while secretly hoping Bill would yank Brady out before the unthinkable happened. It did one year to Wes Welker in Houston.<\/p>\n
But this is one of those games where Buffalo could care less about the score, but the Patriots should\u2026very much so. Look, I think nothing will be gained by beating Buffalo this afternoon. If you\u2019re looking for a silver lining or something to build on for this awful, at times frustrating season, those days are long past.<\/p>\n
The best thing for the Patriots to do today\u2026is lose. It shouldn\u2019t be hard, right? They\u2019ve done it 13 times out of 16 so far this year. So, one more loss, and they secure the #1 pick in the draft this upcoming spring. With the franchise quarterback already secured, use that #1 pick to slide back a few spots, get some extra draft capital this year, and start filling those holes in the roster.<\/p>\n
Buffalo will rest as many starters as they can. With the ridiculous 46-man game-day roster, it is harder to rest everyone (but I digress). Jerod Mayo should do the same. I wouldn\u2019t even dress Drake Maye (more of this below). I\u2019d start Joe Milton and let him get some valuable regular-season experience, even if most of Buffalo\u2019s starters aren\u2019t playing.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d have Milton, Javon Baker, Jaheim Bell, and Terrell Jennings play all game\u2014Layden Robinson at LG and Caedan Wallace at right tackle. Let the kids play. Milton may throw 98mph fastballs on two-yard routes, but I would love it. Air the ball out and let him play.<\/p>\n
Judging by the way the defense has been playing, Mitch Trubisky should be good enough to pull off a victory as the Bills advance in the playoffs. So, with the Bills resting some of their players and the Patriots \u201cshould be\u201d resting some of theirs, it may feel like a good preseason game.<\/p>\n
And speaking of Mitch, with all the banter going on about Eliot Wolf trading back to take Polk and Baker and let McConkey go to the Bolts, the feeling was that Pop Douglas was going to have a big second year, and they didn\u2019t need to add another slot guy.<\/p>\n
So, what does this have to do with Trubisky you ask? He was taken seven (7), siete, sieben, \u0421\u0435\u043c\u044c (Russian, I\u2019m told) spots before Patty Mahomes. OUCH.<\/p>\n
Brenden Schooler: <\/b>The Patriots special teams\u2019 ace has been selected to the Pro Bowl, and it is well-deserved. Schooler tied for the lead in the AFC in Special Teams tackles and was the highest graded gunner in the AFC by PFF.<\/p>\n
Schooler was signed to a three-year extension, worth $9 million with $3.6 million fully guaranteed last October and it has proven to be money well-spent. Schooler even played some defense this year as a quarterback spy and blitzer in the Patriots\u2019 \u201cLonghorn Package\u201d named after him.<\/p>\n
Schooler was named an All-Pro last season and to the Pro Bowl this year. He\u2019s taken over the role that Matthew Slater held done so well for so long. Unfortunately, the Patriots had one player snubbed for the Pro Bowl this year. Christian Gonzalez should have been selected but finished eighth among cornerbacks for the honor.<\/p>\n
Jahlani Tavai: <\/b>The Patriots\u2019 linebacker appeared on WEEI this week and had some pointed comments directed at Patriots fans after they booed the team last week. They were also calling for Jerod Mayo to be fired.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a reason why they\u2019re fans. Everybody can say what they think we should be doing, but in the long end (sic), they\u2019re not qualified to do what Mayo is doing or whatever the Krafts are doing,<\/i>\u201d Tavai said. \u201cThey\u2019re fans, I appreciate them at times, <\/i>but sometimes they just gotta know their place<\/i><\/b> and just understand that it\u2019s a work in progress. Rome wasn\u2019t built in one day.<\/i>\u201d<\/p>\n
Tavai should understand that the fans pay for everything in the NFL, they have the right to boo. His take came off as tone-deaf.<\/p>\n
Jeremy Springer: <\/b>The Patriots\u2019 Special Teams Coordinator is a guy who gets it. Let\u2019s call it the opposite of what we just heard from Tavai above. He\u2019s a guy who takes accountability for his job.<\/p>\n
Springer had some great things to say about the fans booing and took it in a different direction.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I\u2019m all about the team and the fans, too. There are people in those stands \u2013 and I know because I was a kid once and my parents couldn\u2019t afford to go to football games \u2013 like, they\u2019re expensive tickets. To bring your whole family to the game, that\u2019s $1,000 you\u2019re probably spending in one day.<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then to lose like we did, I mean, they\u2019re upset. They\u2019re frustrated. And they should be. We need to put a better product on the field and that\u2019s what our job is. So any time I hear that, I\u2019m like, \u2018What can I do better so they\u2019re not doing that next time? What can I do better to be a better coordinator, to be a better coach, to make our players play harder and play better so that we don\u2019t hear that?\u2019 <\/i>Because they have every right to do that, in my opinion.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s professional sports. If you don\u2019t want to (hear) that, go coach in Alaska \u2013 six-man football. Then you won\u2019t hear that, because that\u2019s all your family in the stands. But this is different. This is professional football.<\/i>\u201c<\/p>\n
Shouldn\u2019t the head coach be saying this?<\/p>\n
Brian Flores: <\/b>With all of the talk about Jerod Mayo\u2019s future with the team, or lack thereof, nearly all the speculation centers around Mike Vrabel, and rightfully so. He\u2019s a natural fit, loves it in New England, and was a smart, fantastic, two-way player as an OLB and TE who caught 11 touchdowns on 11 passes from Tom Brady\u2026 a pretty good ratio.<\/p>\n
He was also a successful coach who took his team to an AFC Championship Game without ever really having a franchise QB. And for those who point to his coaching record, the teams he coached were always seen as overachievers.<\/p>\n
But if they let Mayo go, which doesn\u2019t appear to be happening, why wouldn\u2019t Flores be a good choice? He\u2019s a proven excellent defensive coordinator and was a good head coach with the Dolphins, who got a raw deal from ownership. If the Krafts decide to part ways with the current regime, Flores would be a guy to watch, especially if the Vikings make a deep playoff run.<\/p>\n
Mike Vrabel: <\/b>If you want to read a great story about who Mike Vrabel is and what kind of culture he\u2019d bring to the table, for New England or anyone else, check out Zack Rosenblatt\u2019s story on Vrabel in The Athletic. Outstanding piece.<\/p>\n
Patriots 4th & 2 Podcast: <\/b>Derek and I recorded this week\u2019s podcast. We discussed the embarrassing loss to LA, and opined on how we think they should proceed this week and beyond. Please check us out and give us a listen on YouTube, Apple, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.<\/p>\n
Russ Francis\/Chuck Fairbanks:<\/b> The former Patriot tight end and head coach should be in the Patriots team Hall of Fame, and the fact that Francis isn\u2019t is an absolute travesty. Francis and the Raiders\u2019 Dave Casper changed how teams used the tight end position. This will be discussed in our Sunday posts until it happens. Casper is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Francis\u2019 numbers stand up well against Casper\u2019s, yet he isn\u2019t even in the team\u2019s HOF.<\/p>\nArea 51 News: Drake Maye Shouldn\u2019t Start or Even Dress Today<\/b>\u2014<\/b><\/h3>\n
There are no players to watch, key matchups, or other such things this week. It is time to protect the future.<\/h3>\n
The Patriots are playing a significant game today. Not for some team-building rah, rah stuff. No. They\u2019re playing for the #1 pick in the draft and should plan accordingly. I\u2019m not saying they tank because I don\u2019t believe in that.<\/h3>\n
They should approach this game like the Bills, protecting their key players for the future. For Buffalo, that\u2019s next week, and for the Patriots, it\u2019s in March.<\/p>\n
Free agency starts in March, and the Patriots have a boatload of money to spend once FA starts. Or should I say, overspend because the only way they\u2019ll get top-tier guys to come to New England is to overpay. As I wrote above, the glory days of the Patriots are becoming a distant memory.<\/p>\n
The days of wanting to play for Bill? He\u2019s in North Carolina trying to entice high school kids to play for him. Tom Brady is retired and in the broadcast booth, making a boatload of money. I don\u2019t believe anyone will break down the door to play for Jerod Mayo right now.<\/p>\n
So, the Patriots have only two selling points right now. Lots of cash and Drake Maye. He has been getting a ton of kudos from players on other teams all season, and if they\u2019re trying to convince a top WR to come to New England (cough, cough), Tee Higgins. Maybe he can be sold to come here on a three-year deal, being well overpaid and knowing he can play with Maye. Higgins would still only be 29 in a few years and still very much in for a big payday.<\/p>\n
With Maye, you may get Higgins. With Higgins, more FAs would be willing to come. But the selling point is playing with Maye. What happens if Maye gets badly injured in today\u2019s game and was forced to miss time next season? It would be catastrophic to this team\u2019s spring.<\/p>\n
No offense to Jacoby Brissett, who I like, but nobody would want to come here to play with him. If he\u2019s even here in 2025.\u00a0 Milton is still too raw and unproven.<\/p>\n
Mayo shouldn\u2019t tempt fate and screw this up unless they want to carry $80 million plus in salary cap space to 2026. Maye should be cheering on his teammates in sweats today, just in case Mayo has a change of heart\u2026right, Gibson?<\/p>\n
Plan it right and try to turn this Titanic of a mess around. But you must have a plan so it doesn\u2019t blow up in your face. However, the question remains, do the Patriots have a plan?<\/p>\n
\u201cRussians don\u2019t even take a dump without a plan son,\u201d <\/i>Former senator Fred Thompson in the film \u201cThe Hunt for the Red October\u201d<\/p>\nParting Shots:<\/b><\/h3>\n
The Jets have interviewed former NFL player and current ESPN analyst Louis Riddick for the vacant GM job. Riddick played six seasons for the Falcons, Raiders, and Browns before moving to scout and other front-office jobs.<\/p>\n
He was the Eagles Director of Pro Player Personnel from 2010 until 2013. He\u2019s been with ESPN since 2013. Aaron Rodgers, who could be playing his final NFL game, said playing for the Jets has been \u201cthe best two years of my life<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGratitude, honestly<\/i>,\u201d Rodgers said when asked how he viewed his time with New York. \u201cIt\u2019s been the best two years of my life. And that\u2019s a perspective adjustment that happened at some point during the rehab process last year. Just the excitement of falling back in love with the game, getting to know these guys in here, getting to know the great men and women who work here, it\u2019s been a lot of fun.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
Tonight\u2019s game between Detroit and Minnesota should be as exciting of a game as we\u2019ve seen this year. Dan Campbell\u2019s Lions are poised for the #1 seed, but the Vikings are right on their heels. What a job Kevin O\u2019Connell has done with Sam Darnold. A great example of what coaching can do for a young QB.<\/p>\n
______________<\/p>\n
Saturday, January 4<\/b>
\n<\/b>Baltimore <\/b>over Cleveland
\n<\/b>Cincinnati <\/b>over Pittsburgh<\/p>\n
Sunday, January 5<\/b><\/p>\n
Atlanta <\/b>over Carolina
\nWashington <\/b>over Dallas
\nGreen Bay <\/b>over Chicago
\nTennessee <\/b>over Houston
\nIndianapolis <\/b>over Jacksonville
\nBuffalo<\/b> over New England
\nPhiladelphia <\/b>over NYG
\nTampa Bay <\/b>over New Orleans
\nDenver<\/b> over Kansas City
\nLA Chargers<\/b> over Las Vegas
\nSeattle<\/b> over LA Rams
\nMiami<\/b> over NYJ
\nArizona<\/b> over San Francisco<\/p>\n
Sunday Night Football:<\/b>
\n<\/b>Detroit <\/b>over Minnesota<\/p>\n
Bye Week: None<\/p>\n
Last week: \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 14\u20142<\/b><\/p>\n
2024 Season<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 193\u201463<\/b><\/p>\n
2023 Season\u00a0 \u00a0 178\u201494\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
2022 Season: \u00a0 178\u201492\u20142<\/b><\/p>\n
2021 Season: \u00a0 183\u201488\u20141<\/b><\/p>\n
2020 Season: \u00a0 169\u201486\u20141\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
2019 Season: \u00a0 162\u201493\u20141<\/b><\/p>\n
______________<\/p>\n
\u201cGood morning. Before we get into football things, this morning, we took a couple of minutes out of our squad meeting to recognize a couple of people, one being Nancy Meier.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cThis is her 50th year here with the organization, which is definitely impressive. If you do anything for 50 years, it\u2019s something to recognize. She\u2019s been fantastic and a lot of love from the players, past players, and current players. Everyone that comes in here goes in there and signs the contract with Nancy in there.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cThe second thing is the Ed Block Courage Award. It\u2019s given to a player on a team \u2013 all 32 teams \u2013 that displays courage, faces adversity, goes through all that stuff, and returns to play. This year it is Cole Strange, and he won the Ed Block Courage Award.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cSo, that\u2019s what we started off with this morning. Getting into football, just excited for another opportunity to get on the field. The guys are still dialed in, ready to go, and looking forward to going out there and playing a good football game.<\/i>\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
Patriots Head coach Jerod Mayo recognized Nancy Meier on her 50th anniversary with the team and Cole Strange, who was awarded the team\u2019s Ed Block Courage Award.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
“Because they have every right to do that,(boo) in my opinion. It\u2019s professional sports. If you don\u2019t want to (hear) that, go coach in Alaska”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9191,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-england-patriots"],"yoast_head":"\n