#new-england-patriots

#new-england-patriots

For one reason or another, Antonio Gibson always finds a way to make plays. Be it in the run game or on special teams, he's found a way to stay relevant despite a new coaching staff. Rhamondre Stevenson's fumbling issues have persisted, but he's at least back to the 4.0 yards per carry mark, and he had a career high 88 receiving yards in Week 2.

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.

From Ben Coates to Rob Gronkowski, the New England Patriots have been spoiled with spectacular tight end play for generations. A lack of productivity at that position was glaring when Gronkowski retired before the 2019 season, but two years later, the arrival of Hunter Henry produced a turbocharge.

There was a special interest in how they would perform during a crucial second season for Drake Maye and so far, they have underperformed and drawn a lot of concern about the future. Among the most concerning has been DeMario Douglas, who had an impressive offseason and looked like he could be the WR2 behind Stefon Diggs.

We can only get five right now, we've only been taking five, so that can change each week. And he's working hard, working in practice. We'll evaluate that each week as to what his role would be and how he can help us. But that's kind of where that is.

Most of us recall the glory days of Gillette Stadium, when the home of the New England Patriots was a house of horrors for opposing teams. Nowadays, whenever opponents come into Foxborough, it feels more like a glorified bye week. The embarrassing home losses have outweighed the dramatic wins over the last few years. Brady is no longer running under the Gillette bridge, pumping his fist. The quarterback's 121-24 record in Foxborough feels like a lifetime ago.