Friday Patriots Notebook 9/8: News and Notes
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Some news and notes for this morning:
The New England Patriots released its second injury report on Thursday ahead of Sunday’s game, and it appears there’s still potentially some uncertainty with their secondary as they continue getting ready for the Eagles.
Jack Jones went from being listed as “limited” on Wednesday to sitting out practice altogether, with Jones’ name appearing on the “Did Not Participate” list on Thursday. He’s listed with a “hamstring” injury, which is going to make whatever happens today something to keep an eye on.
He’s a fairly key piece of New England’s defense, especially with a secondary that is going to be starting a rookie in a key role in Christian Gonzalez, along with Jonathan Jones finally seeing action after having missed most of the preseason.
Second-year defensive back Marcus Jones played well in spots last season, but asking him to potentially play the lion’s share of the snaps in a game like this would be tough. Although, the one thing that would at least be to his advantage is the fact that while he’s a little undersized at 5’8″, Philadelphia doesn’t have anyone over six feet tall for receivers other than A.J. Brown, and it’s likely that Jones wouldn’t be called on to cover him.
The next question would be who else may be called upon to help out, whether it’s potentially someone like Ameer Speed or Shaun Wade, or if Myles Bryant may again see some snaps on Sunday.
For now, while he may have gotten some good news this week, the fact Jones is apparently ailing from an injury, and that he seemingly took a step backward yesterday, remains a concern.
Wide receiver DeVante Parker remained limited yesterday, as did offensive linemen Cole Strange and Mike Onwenu. Watching Thursday night’s game and seeing what Detroit was able to do against the Chiefs when it came to getting pressure on Patrick Mahomes, was a reminder of how important protecting Mac Jones will be on Sunday.
The Lions forced Mahomes to move around and make plays with his feet, as well as make some off-balance throws. At times, Mahomes was able to convert but as the game progressed, it became tougher for him.
Obviously, that’s not part of Jones’ game and if both Onwenu and Strange were to be sidelined, it would certainly present a significant challenge, especially against this Eagles’ defense.
One positive was the fact Trent Brown’s name dropped off, so he’ll clearly be ready to go. But the rest of the names around him, save for David Andrews at center, seem to still possibly be question marks.
As for Parker, reports said he didn’t participate in any of the drills during the media portion of practice, so his status still also appears uncertain.
The Patriots named their 2023 captains on Friday, with one notable player joining the group heading into this season.
Among the names on the offensive side of the ball were Mac Jones and David Andrews. But joining them was Hunter Henry, who was also named as a captain, which clearly shows how much he’s grown in the past two seasons and how players in the locker room view him.
Also named were defensive players Deatrich Wise and Ja’Whaun Bentley, with one notable name missing on that side of the football after long-time captain Devin McCourty retired this past offseason.
Rounding things out was special teamer Matthew Slater, who continues that role in what could potentially be his final season with the team.
The club announced the names with a funny animation on social media, which you can check out here:
Only Captains in the Building. pic.twitter.com/l55XwjlWsA
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 8, 2023
One cool bit of news is the fact that while most halftime ceremonies tend to not be televised, it appears Tom Brady’s appearance at Gillette Stadium will get the treatment it deserves and everyone who wants to, will be able to see it.
With the club planning to honor the former Patriots quarterback at halftime, the team announced on Thursday that it will be streaming the event on its website, as well as on its respective social media channels including Facebook, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter).
Patriots owner Robert Kraft took part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Gillette Stadium renovations and he spoke briefly to reporters on Thursday. He said they have something special planned for Brady, saying that “because our fans never really got a chance to say goodbye in a proper way, and we’re going to do something special and unique with him.”
Whatever that ends up being, everyone – even those who couldn’t be on hand at Gillette Stadium – will at least get to watch it live if they want to.
Television commentator Sean McDonough appeared on The Greg Hill Show earlier this week and talked about a variety of things both on the Patriots and Red Sox, but there was one he brought up that was really special when it came to one of his conversations with Brady.
He was asked about what his favorite Brady moment was and McDonough said that there wasn’t an on-field moment, but instead, there was an exchange with his dad that explained a lot about how incredible of a person Brady really is that stood out.
“Yeah, it would be off the field, I guess,” said McDonough. “We were together on a golf trip, and his dad had a Super Bowl ring. And, it’s a long story, but basically, the first Super Bowl that they won, Tom had his Super Bowl ring sized for his dad, and at the ring ceremony, he gave it to his dad, I believe it was at Kraft’s house. And his dad was like, ‘What’s this?’ And [Brady] said, ‘Well, that’s for you. Thanks to you, I’ve been able to achieve things like this, and you’ve been an important part of every moment of my life.’ Tom did that, never knowing if he was ever going to play in another Super Bowl again, nevermind win one.”
“I think he’s a really special guy, on and off the field. It’s been a pleasure to get to know him and his family. His Dad, I’ve played golf with his dad a few times, and his dad is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.”
Like everyone else, McDonough is excited for Brady to be honored this weekend,
“I think it’s going to be a really special day down there this weekend. I’m glad he’s getting what he deserves and I’m sure the reaction will be tremendous.”
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