Tag: Pats

Browns quarterback Josh Dobbs warms up before playing the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022 in Cleveland.

Patriots sign QB Josh Dobbs

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The New England Patriots officially have their new backup quarterback, signing journeyman Joshua Dobbs on Tuesday.

The team did not disclose terms, but it was originally reported last week to be a two-year, $8 million contract with $3.8 million fully guaranteed, per NFL Network.

Dobbs will back up Drake Maye in New England after Jacoby Brissett left for the Arizona Cardinals earlier this month.

Dobbs, 30, spent last season with the San Francisco 49ers. He took over late in their Week 17 game against the Detroit Lions when Brock Purdy left with an injury and started in Week 18 against the Arizona Cardinals. He went a combined 32-for-47 for 361 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions plus two rushing touchdowns in those appearances.

Stints as a backup for Pittsburgh (2018, 2020) and Tennessee (2022) led him to seize on some unlikely opportunities in 2023.

The Arizona Cardinals acquired him from the Cleveland Browns just before the season to be their starter while Kyler Murray continued to rehab from an ACL tear. After eight starts, he was traded to the Minnesota Vikings and made four starts for them after a season-ending Achilles injury to Kirk Cousins.

In 23 career appearances (3-12 record in 15 starts), Dobbs has completed 62.7 percent of his passes for 3,281 yards, 17 TDs and 15 interceptions. He has added 520 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.

–Field Level Media

Aug 19, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Reports: Josh McDaniels returning for third stint as Pats’ OC

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Josh McDaniels is heading back to New England for his third tour as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, several reports said Tuesday.

McDaniels, 48, will take over an offense quarterbacked by rising sophomore Drake Maye on new coach Mike Vrabel’s first staff in Foxborough, Mass.

McDaniels spent 2001-08 and 2012-21 on the Patriots’ staff in a variety of roles, first rising to the offensive coordinator post in 2006. He was a part of all six Super Bowl titles of the Bill Belichick era.

He is also known for a pair of failed stints as a head coach. He was fired by the Denver Broncos 12 games into his second season with the team in 2010 and had history repeat itself eight games into his second season leading the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023.

McDaniels did not coach anywhere in 2024, with Sports Illustrated reporting that he spent the year “evolving” his offense after spending time around various NFL and college teams.

In his most recent season as New England’s offensive coordinator, 2021, the Patriots ranked sixth in the NFL in scoring and 15th in yards per game. That was Mac Jones’ rookie year, when he was named a Pro Bowler; he regressed in the following years without McDaniels and was eventually traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Maye, 22, threw for 2,276 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 13 appearances (12 starts) as a rookie after being selected No. 3 overall in the 2024 draft.

The Patriots went 4-13 and fired Jerod Mayo after one season as their coach following Belichick.

–Field Level Media

Dec 28, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings (33) on the sideline as they take on the Los Angeles Chargers in the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

Patriots focused on upsetting Bills, not on top overall draft pick

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Losing on purpose isn’t the plan for the New England Patriots as they prepare to face the Buffalo Bills on Sunday afternoon in Foxborough, Mass.

While New England (3-13) officially would secure the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft if it falls to Buffalo in the regular-season finale, Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said he wants his team to end the campaign on a high note.

“My message to the guys was we want to finish off the season strong and try to build some momentum going into the offseason,” Mayo said. “I would say the guys are ready to go. … I’ve never been a part of a team, as a player or as a coach, going into a game not wanting to win.

“It’s not going to change today, so that’s my message to the team.”

Playing to win means the Patriots plan to stick with rookie Drake Maye under center. The third overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft is dealing with a right hand injury, though, and if he isn’t good to go on Sunday, fellow rookie Joe Milton III could see some playing time.

“If he’s healthy and ready to go, as we go through this week of practice, then he’ll play,” Mayo said of Maye, who was a limited participant during practice on Wednesday.

The Bills (13-3) helped push New England toward the top pick by recording a 24-21 win over the Patriots in Week 16. The situation got worse for New England in a 40-7 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers last Saturday, the Patriots’ sixth straight defeat.

Maye finished with only 117 yards and one touchdown on 12-of-22 passing against Los Angeles, which held New England to 181 yards of total offense and 11 first downs.

Buffalo, on the other hand, ended up on the right side of a blowout, dismantling the New York Jets 40-14 last Sunday. Josh Allen completed 16 of 27 passes for 182 yards and two TDs and also found the end zone once on the ground, and the Bills’ defense didn’t let New York score until 6:59 remained in the game.

Getting past the Jets allowed Buffalo to clinch the No. 2 seed in the AFC, giving Bills coach Sean McDermott a chance to experiment on Sunday.

“What we’re going to do is you’ll see some starters out there playing, and you’ll see some other players who we want to take a good look at,” McDermott said. “So it’ll be a blend of both.”

Allen will start but will have a short leash, according to McDermott.

Linebacker Terrel Bernard is dealing with a leg injury and was the only Bill to miss practice on Wednesday. Safeties Damar Hamlin (ribs) and Taylor Rapp (neck) were among those who were limited.

Wide receivers Kayshon Boutte (illness) and Ja’Lynn Polk (shoulder), center Ben Brown (concussion) and cornerback Christian Gonzalez (concussion) were held out of the Patriots’ practice on Wednesday. Nine players joined Maye in being limited, including tight end Hunter Henry (foot) and safety Kyle Dugger (ankle/quadricep).

–Field Level Media

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) warms up before playing against the Seattle Seahawks at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Dec. 8, 2024.

Cardinals face Patriots, look to stay in playoff hunt

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With their playoff chances slipping away, the Arizona Cardinals will host the New England Patriots on Sunday at Glendale, Ariz.

Both teams are on three-game losing streaks, but while the Patriots (3-10) are in last place in the AFC East and long ago lost hope for a postseason berth, the Cardinals (6-7) are crunching the numbers to figure out how they can remain in the chase.

Arizona is two games out of both the NFC West lead and the last wild-card spot, giving them two options to chase. While they would need to jump three teams to land a wild-card berth, they have to slip past two teams — the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams — to take the division.

None of it matters if the Cardinals can’t get past the Patriots, and even then a victory would merely mean an 11 percent chance of reaching the playoffs, according to the NFL’s playoff probability counter.

Arizona’s most recent defeat came against the NFC West-leading Seahawks, 30-18 after giving up 17 points in the first quarter last Sunday. It was their second loss to the Seahawks, giving Seattle the tiebreaker between the teams, essentially putting Arizona three games back in the division if the Seahawks win out.

Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray passed for 259 yards but threw an interception on one first-quarter drive, then threw another pick on his first pass of the next possession.

“Heavy is the crown, I tell him,” Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said of Murray. “He gets a lot of blame, and he gets a lot of praise, too. That’s life in the National Football League as the franchise quarterback.”

James Conner had 90 yards rushing on 18 carries for Arizona, and Trey McBride had seven receptions for 70 yards. But the Cardinals’ defense gave up 176 rushing yards, including 134 to Zach Charbonnet.

“I’ve got to find some answers,” Gannon said. “We haven’t played good ball the last couple of weeks, and that falls on me.”

The Patriots will enter off their bye week after getting an extra week to correct mistakes made during consecutive defeats to the Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts.

In a 25-24 loss in their most recent game, on Dec. 1 against the Colts, the Patriots surrendered a 19-play, 80-yard drive — and the go-ahead touchdown — with 12 seconds remaining.

New England quarterback Drake Maye threw for 238 yards with one touchdown and one interception that came on New England’s opening drive of the second half. In his rookie season, Maye has fared well, completing 67.2 percent of his passes for 1,696 yards, 11 TDs and eight interceptions in nine games (eight starts).

“Really, the goal remains the same, and that’s to play our best football at the end of the year,” Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said. “It’s all about winning. … It’s all about going out there, playing complementary football, and that’s what we want to see.”

The Cardinals were without running back Emari Demercado (back) and punter Blake Gillikin (foot) in practice Wednesday, while defensive linemen Naquan Jones (shoulder), Roy Lopez (ankle) and Darius Robinson (calf) were among those with limited participation.

The Patriots were without wide receiver Javon Baker (concussion) on Wednesday, as well as cornerback Marcus Jones (illness). Limited participants included safeties Kyle Dugger (ankle) and Jabrill Peppers (knee), and offensive lineman Cole Strange (knee).

–Field Level Media

Nov 10, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New England Patriots defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. (91) sacks Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

Patriots sack Caleb Williams 9 times, stifle Bears

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Deatrich Wise Jr. and Anfernee Jennings each had a pair of sacks as the New England Patriots buckled down defensively to beat the host Chicago Bears 19-3 on Sunday afternoon.

New England (3-7) had nine sacks in all and held the Bears to 142 yards of total offense. Chicago was forced to punt on eight of its first nine drives of the game, then turned the ball over on downs when it had possession for a 10th time.

The hosts had one last chance to make something happen, but they also failed to move the chains on fourth down on their final drive.

Drake Maye didn’t have to do much under center for the Patriots, completing 15 of 25 passes for 184 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Austin Hooper hauled in three catches for 64 yards.

Rhamondre Stevenson headlined the rushing attack for the visitors, going for 74 yards on 20 touches.

Caleb Williams was under constant duress and finished with 120 yards on 16-of-30 passing for the Bears (4-5), who have dropped three straight games. D’Andre Swift rushed for 59 yards on 16 carries.

Maye put New England in front for good when he found Ja’Lynn Polk for a 2-yard TD with 1:46 left in the second quarter to make it 10-3.

Joey Slye booted a 37-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to send the Patriots into the break up by 10.

Slye added fourth-quarter field goals from 25 and 33 yards out to put the finishing touches on the victory.

New England opened the scoring with 6:19 to go in the first quarter, getting a 30-yard field goal from Slye.

Chicago finally responded at the 7:17 mark of the second quarter, as Cairo Santos made good on a 33-yard field goal to provide the Bears with their only points of the afternoon.

The Patriots stopped Chicago on 13 of 14 third-down tries for the game.

–Field Level Media

Oct 13, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) looks to throw against the Houston Texans during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Pair of 1-5 teams seek better fate as Pats, Jags meet in London

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The Jacksonville Jaguars are desperate for a victory, while the New England Patriots are looking to end a losing streak while overseeing the continued development of their rookie quarterback.

Each team will look to further those goals in their matchup Sunday in London, England, at Wembley Stadium.

The rebuilding Patriots (1-5) have dropped five in a row since upsetting Cincinnati in Week 1. The Jaguars (1-5) are playing their second consecutive game in London after failing to put together back-to-back wins last week in a 35-16 loss to Chicago.

Rookie Drake Maye is expected to make his second career start for New England after getting the nod in last week’s 41-21 loss at home against Houston.

Maye, the Patriots’ No. 3 overall pick out of North Carolina, completed 20 of 33 passes for 243 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions and an 88.3 passer rating against the Texans.

“Excited. (We saw) a quick glimpse of what we can do,” Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas said this week. “When we put it all together, I feel like we can be scary.”

Maye’s performance injected life into the Patriots’ offense, which ranks 31st in yards per play (4.3) and yards per pass attempt (5.5).

The 21 points were a season high for New England.

Patriots first-year head coach Jerod Mayo said his team needs to get off to better starts and sees an opportunity to do just that in this week’s matchup.

New England has not scored on its first drive this season and has not picked up a first down in four of six opening drives.

Mayo hinted at starting lineup changes entering this week’s game as well.

“The common denominator is a lack of focus,” he said. “We’re in the middle of the season now and to have a penalty on the opening kickoff is unacceptable. It’s a lack of focus.”

Jacksonville is treating this as a must-win game.

After picking up their first win the prior week against the Indianapolis Colts, the Jaguars delivered a disappointing performance against another rookie quarterback. Bears starter Caleb Williams threw a career-best four touchdown passes against the Jaguars to break the game open in the second half.

Facing another promising rookie, Jaguars coach Doug Pederson hopes for more from his defense.

“He’s going to take what he did last week and he’s going to improve,” Pederson said of Maye. “… He’s got a big arm, he’s a smart kid, he’s athletic, he’s tough, he took some shots in that game against Houston the other day and came back.”

After a solid opening drive ended with a field goal, Jacksonville struggled to sustain any rhythm on offense. The Jaguars also remain one of the more generous defenses, allowing 6.0 yards per play (30th in NFL) and the second-most points (178).

“I mean, I think we’re scoring 18 or 19 points offensively,” Pederson said. “They’re looking at it the same way, if we can keep them under 20, first one to 20 might win the game. That’s the reality of it.”

The Jaguars could be without starting tailback Travis Etienne, whom Pederson considered week-to-week with a hamstring injury. Jacksonville would lean on Tank Bigsby primarily if Etienne is out and D’Ernest Johnson mostly on passing downs. Bigsby ran for only 24 yards on seven carries against the Bears with the team behind for most of the second half but rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns vs. Indianapolis in Week 5.

No. 1 New England running back Rhamondre Stevenson (foot) did not practice Wednesday. Neither did offensive tackle Vederian Lowe (ankle) and cornerback Marcus Jones (groin/illness). Maye (knee) was a full participant.

Along with Etienne, defensive end Arik Armstead (shoulder), wide receiver Gabe Davis (knee), tight end Evan Engram (hamstring), offensive tackle Anton Harrison (knee) and cornerback Tyson Campbell (hamstring) were all limited at Wednesday’s Jaguars practice.

–Field Level Media

Oct 13, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) runs with the ball against the New England Patriots during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

C.J. Stroud, Texans blow past Patriots

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C.J. Stroud threw for three touchdowns to lift the Houston Texans to a 41-21 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday afternoon in Foxborough, Mass.

Stroud completed 20 of 31 passes for 192 yards and was picked off once as Houston (5-1) spoiled Drake Maye’s first career start. Maye, selected third overall by New England in this year’s draft, finished with 243 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions on 20-of-33 passing.

Joe Mixon returned from a three-game absence to rack up 132 yards from scrimmage (102 rushing, 30 receiving) for the Texans. He rushed for a touchdown and caught another. Stefon Diggs was one of Stroud’s favorite targets, hauling in six catches for 77 yards and a score.

After seeing its first five drives end in four punts and a pick, New England (1-5) came to life just before the break, pulling within 14-7 on Maye’s 40-yard scoring strike to Kayshon Boutte with 11 seconds left in the first half. It was Maye’s first career passing TD.

Momentum wasn’t on the Patriots’ side for long, though, as Maye fumbled on the first drive of the second half to set up Houston at the New England 10. Two plays later, Diggs hauled in a 10-yard touchdown to put the Texans up 21-7.

A 39-yard field goal from Ka’imi Fairbairn extended the visitors’ advantage to 24-7 with 6:56 to go in the third quarter. Fairbairn drilled a 46-yarder just more than 1 1/2 minutes later.

Maye trimmed the Patriots’ deficit to 27-14 with one minute left in the third when he connected with Hunter Henry for a 6-yard TD.

Mixon (20 yards) and Dameon Pierce (54) sandwiched Maye’s 35-yard touchdown pass to DeMario Douglas with fourth-quarter scoring runs to forge the 41-21 final.

Douglas had six receptions for 92 yards and the TD.

Houston cut through the Patriots’ defense with ease on the game’s opening drive, an 11-play, 65-yard march that ended with Stroud’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Tank Dell.

Stroud made it 14-0 when he found Mixon for a 10-yard score with 3:13 left in the first quarter.

–Field Level Media

Sep 15, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) runs with the ball against New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger (23) during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Seahawks rally late, sink Patriots on field goal in OT

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Jason Myers nailed a 31-yard field goal with 4:37 remaining in overtime to give the Seattle Seahawks a 23-20 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday afternoon in Foxborough, Mass.

New England (1-1) got the ball to begin the extra session but went three-and-out. The Seahawks capitalized, using eight plays to move 71 yards to Myers’ game-winner.

Myers also came through in the clutch in regulation, putting home a 38-yard field goal that tied the game at 20-all with 55 seconds left.

The Patriots went up 20-17 with 12:43 left in the fourth quarter when Rhamondre Stevenson polished off an 11-play, 66-yard march by taking a direct snap and bursting into the end zone from 1 yard out. Stevenson finished with 81 yards and the score on 21 carries.

Seattle (2-0) mustered just one first down on the ensuing possession before punting the ball away. A 45-yard run from Antonio Gibson helped the Patriots work down to the Seahawks 21, but New England ended up having to bring the field-goal unit out.

Joey Slye had his 48-yard field-goal attempt blocked by Julian Love, allowing Seattle to take over at its own 38.

Geno Smith completed 33 of 44 passes for 327 yards and a touchdown for the Seahawks. His favorite targets were Jaxon Smith-Njigba (12 catches, 117 yards) and DK Metcalf (10 catches, 129 yards, TD).

Gibson went for 96 yards on the ground for the Patriots, who got 149 yards and a TD on 15-of-27 passing from quarterback Jacoby Brissett.

Rookie Ja’Lynn Polk capped an eight-play, 60-yard drive with his first career touchdown reception, hauling in a 5-yard pass from Brissett to give New England a 7-0 lead with 4:56 left in the first quarter.

Four plays later, Smith connected with Metcalf for a 56-yard scoring strike that drew the Seahawks even.

Slye booted a 29-yard field goal early in the second quarter, but Seattle went back in front when Zach Charbonnet rushed for a 1-yard TD with 5:47 to go in the frame.

New England pulled within 14-13 when Slye made good on a 28-yard field goal with 2:31 remaining in the first half.

However, Myers drilled a 44-yarder as time expired in the half to provide the Seahawks with a 17-13 advantage at the break.

–Field Level Media

Dec 24, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver K.J. Osborn (17) celebrates his pass against the Detroit Lions during the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: Patriots signing WR K.J. Osborn

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The New England Patriots are bringing aboard one of the top remaining free agent receivers, signing former Minnesota Vikings wideout K.J. Osborn, according to multiple reports Sunday.

Osborn played a complementary role to standout Justin Jefferson in Minnesota, recording 158 receptions for 1,845 yards over the past three seasons.

He started 30 of his 59 games with the Vikings, contributing 15 touchdown receptions.

Osborn, who turns 27 in June, was a fifth-round pick by Minnesota in 2020.

The Patriots, who traded quarterback Mac Jones during this offseason, are likely to draft a QB with their first-round pick (No. 3 overall). New England’s receiver room is led by JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kendrick Bourne and Jalen Reagor.

–Field Level Media

Oct 29, 2023; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (84) runs the ball for a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins during the first half at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Report: WR Kendrick Bourne returning to Patriots on 3-year deal

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Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne has agreed to re-sign with the New England Patriots on a three-year deal, ESPN reported Sunday.

Bourne’s new contract could be worth up to $33 million, and it also features a $4.2 million signing bonus, per the report.

Bourne, 28, was limited to eight games (five starts) last season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a loss to the Miami Dolphins on Oct. 29. He had 37 catches for 406 yards and four touchdowns before having his campaign cut short.

In 99 career games (25 starts) with the San Francisco 49ers (2017-20) and Patriots, Bourne has amassed 264 receptions for 3,409 yards and 21 TDs.

–Field Level Media