Tag: New England Patriots

Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New England Patriots linebacker Marte Mapu (15) against the Seattle Seahawks during Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Patriots trade LB Marte Mapu to Texans

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The New England Patriots traded linebacker Marte Mapu to the Houston Texans on Tuesday.

Terms of the trade were not disclosed, though ESPN reported the deal includes a swap of 2027 NFL Draft picks that gives a seventh-round pick to the Texans in exchange for a sixth-rounder.

Mapu is entering the last year of his contract, with a base salary of $1.508 million due in 2026.

The 26-year-old appeared in all 17 regular-season games last season, finishing with 25 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble. He played 58% of the special teams snaps, totaling 12 special teams tackles (third-most on the team) while acting as the personal protector on the punt team.

Mapu also earned an assist on a special teams tackle in the postseason while appearing in all four playoff games as the Patriots ultimately lost to the Seattle Seahawks 29-13 in Super Bowl LX.

A 2023 third-round pick by the Patriots out of Sacramento State, Mapu has 89 total tackles, three interceptions, 0.5 sacks and five forced fumbles in 44 games (10 starts) over the past three seasons.

–Field Level Media

Pats CB Carlton Davis III (concussion) back at practice

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New England Patriots cornerback Carlton Davis III returned to practice on a limited basis on Wednesday as he looks to clear concussion protocol.

Head coach Mike Vrabel made the announcement as his Patriots prepare to visit the Denver Broncos on Sunday in the AFC Championship Game.

Davis sustained a head injury during the fourth quarter of last weekend’s 28-16 divisional-round victory against the Houston Texans. He intercepted two passes and made four tackles before the injury.

Davis, 29, joined the Patriots on a three-year, $54 million deal in March. He has started all 17 regular season games and both playoff games so far, forming a strong pairing with Pro Bowl cornerback Christian Gonzalez.

During the regular season, Davis delivered a career-best 69 tackles and 10 passes defensed. He has 11 interceptions and 449 tackles in 106 career games (105 starts) with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2018-23), Detroit Lions (2024) and Patriots. The 2018 second-round pick won Super Bowl LV with the Bucs.’

–Field Level Media

Bills erase three-TD deficit to squash Patriots’ winning streak at 10

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Josh Allen passed for three touchdowns, James Cook accounted for three scores and the Buffalo Bills recovered from a 21-point deficit to post a 35-31 victory over the New England Patriots on a snowy Sunday afternoon in Foxborough, Mass.

Dawson Knox caught two touchdown passes as the Bills (10-4) snapped New England’s 10-game winning streak and prevented the Patriots from clinching the AFC East.

TreVeyon Henderson rushed for 148 yards on 14 carries and scored on runs of 52 and 65 yards for the Patriots (11-3). Drake Maye completed 14 of 23 passes for 155 yards and one interception and also rushed for two touchdowns.

Allen completed 19 of 28 passes for 193 yards and rushed for 48 yards while Cook ran for 107 yards for the Bills. Matt Milano had 10 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble for Buffalo, which remained alive for its sixth straight AFC East crown.

The Bills scored the first 21 points of the second half to turn a 17-point halftime deficit into a 28-24 lead.

Allen tossed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Knox on the first possession of the third quarter and Cook later scored from the 3 as the Bills moved within three with 3:49 left in the quarter.

Allen connected with Knox on a 14-yard touchdown pass to put Buffalo into the lead with 10:03 left in the game.

The advantage lasted just 14 seconds. Henderson was bottled up on a run to the right before reversing direction and finding open field. The rookie turned it into a 65-yard scoring run to give New England a 31-28 lead with 9:49 left in the contest.

Buffalo quickly responded and moved back ahead on Cook’s 11-yard scoring run with 6:48 remaining.

With 1:54 left, New England faced fourth-and-5 from its own 22 and decided to go for it. But Maye’s pass was deflected by Joey Bosa and the Bills took over with 1:47 to play.

Three plays later, Ty Johnson gained 2 yards on third-and-2 and Buffalo closed it out with three Allen kneel-downs to win for the sixth time in the past eight games.

New England dominated the first 24-plus minutes while opening up a 21-0 lead.

Maye scored twice in the first quarter on runs of 8 and 7 yards. Henderson then broke loose on a 52-yard touchdown run with 5:53 left in the half.

Buffalo got on the board on Allen’s 5-yard pass to Cook with 1:56 left before Andy Borregales kicked a 36-yard field goal as time expired to give the Patriots a 24-7 halftime lead.

–Field Level Media

Drake Maye, Patriots hold Bengals at bay for 9th straight win

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Drake Maye completed 22 of 35 passes for 294 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and the New England Patriots held on for a 26-20 win over the host Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday afternoon.

Hunter Henry caught seven passes for 115 yards and a touchdown for New England (10-2), which won its ninth game in a row. Andy Borregales made four field goals.

Joe Flacco completed 19 of 37 passes for 183 yards, one touchdown and one interception for Cincinnati (3-9). Chase Brown had 19 carries for 107 yards.

The Bengals pulled within 23-20 with 4:40 remaining in the fourth quarter. Flacco found Mitchell Tinsley for a 17-yard touchdown to make it a one-score game.

The Patriots increased their lead to 26-20 with 1:51 remaining as Borregales made a 52-yard kick.

Flacco tried to lead the Bengals to a late comeback, but the Bengals’ drive ended at the Patriots 26-yard line as his fourth-down pass fell incomplete.

Neither team scored a touchdown in the first quarter. The only scoring belonged to Cincinnati, which took a 3-0 lead on a 54-yard field goal by Evan McPherson.

The Bengals relied on a defensive touchdown to increase their lead to 10-0 in the first minute of the second quarter. Safety Geno Stone intercepted a pass from Maye and returned it 32 yards to the end zone.

The Patriots scored on their next possession to pull within 10-7. Maye found Henry wide open down the left sideline for a 28-yard touchdown.

New England’s defense scored a touchdown less than two minutes later. Cornerback Marcus Jones jumped in front of Flacco’s pass and returned the interception 33 yards for the go-ahead score that put the Patriots on top 14-10.

Borregales added a 41-yard field goal to give the Patriots a 17-10 lead late in the half.

McPherson answered with a 63-yard field goal as time expired in the half to make it 17-13. The kick set a Bengals franchise record and marked a career long for McPherson.

The kicking trend continued in the third quarter, as Borregales drilled a 45-yarder to increase New England’s lead to 20-13.

Borregales chipped in a 19-yard kick to put the Patriots on top 23-13 with 5:55 left.

The Patriots lost a key starter on their offensive line due to injury. Left tackle Will Campbell sustained a leg injury and needed to be carted off the field late in the third quarter.

–Field Level Media

TreVeyon Henderson, Patriots run past Bucs for 7th straight victory

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Rookie TreVeyon Henderson rushed for a season-best 147 yards and scored on two long touchdowns and the New England Patriots stretched their winning streak to seven games with a 28-23 victory over the host Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon.

Henderson scored on runs of 55 and 69 yards, the latter one being the dagger with 1:31 remaining. He received 14 carries as the Patriots played without Rhamondre Stevenson (toe) for the second straight game and then lost Terrell Jennings (left knee) in the first quarter.

Drake Maye passed for 270 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for the AFC East-leading Patriots (8-2). Kyle Williams and Stefon Diggs caught touchdown passes and Mack Hollins had six catches for 106 yards as New England improved to 5-0 on the road.

Baker Mayfield completed 28 of 43 passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns for Tampa Bay (6-3). Tez Johnson caught two touchdown passes and Emeka Egbuka had six catches for 115 yards and one score.

New England scored two touchdowns in 48 seconds — one on the final play of the first half — to turn a three-point deficit into a 21-10 lead.

The Patriots had fourth-and-goal at the Tampa Bay 1 when Maye hit Diggs for the score as time expired to give the Patriots a 14-10 halftime lead.

New England had the ball to start the second half and Henderson took off on the second play, racing 55 yards for a touchdown with 14:12 left in the third quarter.

The Buccaneers moved within 21-16 when Mayfield connected with Johnson on a 10-yard scoring pass with 4:12 left in the third quarter. A trick play on the ensuing two-point conversion attempt failed.

New England reached the Tampa Bay 2-yard line in the fourth quarter but Maye was intercepted in the end zone by Tykee Smith with 5:17 left.

The Buccaneers later failed to convert on fourth-and-3 from the Patriots’ 27 and New England took over with 1:47 left.

On the second play of that drive, Henderson broke free around the left end with a dazzling run that gave the Patriots a 28-16 edge.

Mayfield tossed a 11-yard scoring pass to Johnson with 33 seconds left, but the ensuing high-bouncing onside kick was recovered by Diggs to seal it.

Tampa Bay scored on the game’s first possession when Mayfield tossed a 21-yard scoring pass to Egbuka.

The Patriots tied it on the final play of the first quarter when Maye hit Williams and the latter turned it into a 72-yard touchdown play.

The Buccaneers took a 10-7 lead on Chase McLaughlin’s 36-yard field with 7:16 left in the half.

–Field Level Media

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper (81) catches a touchdown pass over Tennessee Titans cornerback L'Jarius Sneed (38) during the second quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025.

Drake Maye shines as Patriots defeat Titans

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Drake Maye completed 21 of 23 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns to help the visiting New England Patriots stretch their winning streak to four games by beating the Tennessee Titans 31-13 Sunday.

Maye, who also ran for 62 yards on eight attempts, completed 16 consecutive passes at one point during the victory. New England (5-2) also received 88 yards rushing and a touchdown on 18 carries from running back Rhamondre Stevenson.

The win gave New England head coach Mike Vrabel a victory over his former employer. Vrabel coached the Titans from 2018-2023.

The Titans (1-6) led 10-3 after one quarter, but the Patriots had a 17-13 halftime lead and a 31-13 advantage through three quarters.

Tennessee quarterback Cam Ward completed 25 of 34 passes for 255 yards and a TD. Ward was intercepted once and also lost a fumble that resulted in a New England touchdown.

The loss came in Mike McCoy’s first game as Tennessee’s interim head coach. McCoy replaced Brian Callahan, who was fired Monday.

After Joey Slye opened the scoring by making a 49-yard field goal on the game’s first possession, New England tied the game on a 36-yard field goal by Andy Borregales with 6:46 remaining in the first quarter.

Chimere Dike caught a 38-yard TD pass from Ward to help the Titans take a 10-3 lead with 5:04 left in the first quarter, but the Patriots answered on a 3-yard TD pass from Maye to tight end Austin Hooper with 5:34 remaining in the second quarter.

Slye’s 50-yard field goal put Tennessee up 13-10, but Maye tossed a 39-yard TD pass to Kayshon Boutte 49 seconds before halftime.

New England extended its lead to 31-13 by scoring two touchdowns in an 11-second span in the third quarter. After Stevenson capped a 12-play, 88-yard drive with a 4-yard TD run, linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson returned a Ward fumble 4 yards for a TD with 7:20 left in the quarter. It was the fifth fumble Ward has lost this season.

Tennessee defensive lineman Jeffrey Simmons left the game in the first quarter with a hamstring injury and did not return.

–Field Level Media

Detroit Lions defensive line coach Terrell Williams communicates with players during the second half against Tennessee Titans at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024.

Patriots DC Terrell Williams diagnosed with prostate cancer

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New England Patriots defensive coordinator Terrell Williams has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed Friday.

Vrabel said Williams, 51, has begun treatment and has been meeting with specialists.

“You know how much Terrell means to me personally and to the people on this football team,” Vrabel said. “So we want to send our regards publicly and let everybody know that’s what he’s dealing with … he’s been through a lot and we care about him.”

When Vrabel was head coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2018-23, Williams was his defensive line coach. He added assistant head coach to his title in 2023.

Williams spent the 2024 season as the defensive line coach and run game coordinator with the Detroit Lions.

Williams was dealing with unspecified health issues during the offseason and has been away from the Patriots since Week 1, with inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr calling the defensive plays in his absence.

“T is always a big part of what we do,” Kuhr said, per MassLive.com. “I just want him to know that we’re always thinking about him. (My wife) Jenny and I are always praying for him each and every day. But us as a staff, us as a defense, he has a big impact and he’s a big part of that.”

Williams has been coaching defensive lines in college and the pros since 1998, including stints with the then-Oakland Raiders (2012-14) and Miami Dolphins (2015-17).

–Field Level Media

Jun 10, 2025; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (0) jogs to the sideline during minicamp held in the WIN Field House at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez (hamstring) out vs. Dolphins

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New England Patriots starting cornerback Christian Gonzalez has been ruled out for a second straight week due to a hamstring injury, head coach Mike Vrabel said Friday.

Gonzalez, who was a second-team All-Pro in 2024, has not participated in practice since sustaining the injury on July 28.

Also on Friday, Vrabel said defensive end Keion White will be out of Sunday’s game against the host Miami Dolphins with an illness that has kept him out of practice all week.

White played 29 snaps and had a pair of tackles in last week’s 20-13 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.

When asked about the potential extent of White’s absence, Vrabel told reporters, “He’ll be out for Sunday. I’m not gonna speculate on what could happen after that.”

Veteran right tackle Morgan Moses and linebacker Marte Mapu are listed as questionable for Sunday, per Vrabel. Rookie offensive tackle Marcus Bryant is ready to step in for Moses if needed, Vrabel said Friday.

Gonzalez, 23, recorded 59 tackles, 11 pass deflections and two interceptions while starting 16 games last season to earn a second-team All-Pro honor.

Selected with the 17th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, Gonzalez played just four games as a rookie before suffering a season-ending torn labrum.

In Gonzalez’s absence, Carlton Davis, Alex Austin, and Marcus Jones will be tasked with slowing down the Dolphins’ receiving tandem of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

–Field Level Media

Detroit Lions defensive line coach Terrell Williams watches a play against San Francisco 49ers during the second half at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on Monday, Dec. 30, 2024.

Patriots DC Terrell Williams out with ‘medical condition’

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The New England Patriots are without defensive coordinator Terrell Williams at rookie minicamp after he stepped away from the team due to a “medical condition”, head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters Friday.

Vrabel did not share any specifics on what health issue Williams, 50, is dealing with or when he is expected to return to the team in-person. ESPN reported Friday that Williams has been absent from the team for approximately a month.

Vrabel said Williams has been in touch with players and the coaching staff via Zoom, and Williams is expected to speak to reporters via Zoom later Friday.

“I’ve been in constant communication with him daily,” said Vrabel, who would not put a timeline on Williams’ return. “Terrell’s eager to get back, and we’re excited to get him back.”

Williams is in his first season as defensive coordinator with the Patriots, which also is Vrabel’s first season at the helm. He was on Vrabel’s staff with the Tennessee Titans from 2018-23, finishing that tenure as the assistant head coach and defensive line coach. Williams served as defensive line coach/run game coordinator for the Detroit Lions last season.

Williams coached the defensive line for the Miami Dolphins (2015-17) and then-Oakland Raiders (2012-14) after college stints as an assistant at Texas A&M, Purdue, Akron and other schools.

In his absence, Williams’ responsibilities are being handled by inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr, who was a New York Giants defensive assistant last season. Kuhr also spent time with Vrabel in various positions with the Titans from 2020-23.

“Zak has great knowledge of what we’ve done in the past, with me and this system, and with Terrell,” Vrabel said.

–Field Level Media