Friday Patriots Notebook 10/27: News and Notes
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Some news and notes for this morning:
Patriots receiver Kendrick Bourne talked to reporters on Thursday, talking about a variety of topics ahead of Sunday’s game in Miami.
One thing that stood out was the fact Bourne was asked by Patriots.com’s Evan Lazar about the amount of motion they’ve run this season. Bourne laughed and spoke about all the additional running it requires but that it’s been important to their success so far.
“That’s a great question. We always tease around as receivers like, ‘Man, bro, we motion around every time,'” joked Bourne. “But it’s very important for, like, what Mac [Jones] sees and gives him ideas of what the defense is doing and stuff, even with the snap count and stuff like that, it helps him see and understand the things he needs to do to make calls to switch it or whatever.”
“It gets tiring sometimes, but it’s important for our success.”
One other thing he talked about is the fact that the Patriots ability to get out to a lead last Sunday against Buffalo changed the “energy” for the offense, and he’s hoping they can do the same thing against the Dolphins this weekend.
“I love playing from ahead,” said Bourne. “The energy’s different. The body feels different. You’re not straining as much to come back.”
“Being down 10 points, it’s a different kind of urgency. It takes a toll on the body. Playing from ahead, we get to play at our pace. We control the game, so it’s big for our health, big for our mental [health], and just big for the energy.”
The Patriots got a bit of a lift on Thursday as rookie defensive end Keion White returned to practice after sitting out Wednesday’s session.
The former Georgia Tech standout was limited during Thursday’s practice, which was definitely a step in the right direction. White previously had been sidelined while continuing to recover from a concussion he suffered in Las Vegas two weeks ago.
He didn’t practice last week and ultimately missed Sunday’s game against Buffalo. His injury in Las Vegas came one week after he saw a significant jump in playing time against New Orleans, with White having been in on 54% of the snaps in that outing, which at the time was his highest of the season.
If he’s able to go this weekend, his presence should certainly help them. White played in 30% of the snaps in their Week 2 meeting last month against the Dolphins, and while he didn’t register a tackle, the rookie was disruptive and had his moments.
Hopefully, he’ll have more of them again this weekend if he’s able to suit up and be out on the field Sunday.
Patriots receiver Jaylen Reagor has worked hard this season, and it appears that hard work may have finally paid off.
Reagor was signed to the club’s active roster this week, which has been the result of the dedication and effort he’s put in during his time on the practice squad. Coupled with what he’s shown in his limited snaps on offense, it appears that he could also be poised for some good things moving forward.
When speaking to reporters on Thursday, Reagor said he’s spent a lot of time watching film of the opponents he needed to emulate in practice, which he said he’s used to help him become a better player.
“I watch highlights a lot,” said Regor. “So I watch Devante Adams, Tyreek Hill, those guys. So being able to emulate them of some sort, like I said, it’s fun, and I can add things to my game as well.”
This latest move comes after Reagor had reached the limit of times he was permitted to be promoted to New England’s active roster, having seen it happen three times this season previously, which happened again ahead of the club’s match-up against the Bills.
He played 14 snaps the previous week in Las Vegas but didn’t register a reception, but he was in on 25 plays against Buffalo and finally caught his first pass with the Patriots. That play saw him haul in an 11-yard grab on a 2nd-and-5 on their opening drive of the third quarter.
That reception moved the chains and helped the Patriots answer a Bills touchdown with a field goal, extending their lead at the time to 16-10 with 4:30 left to go in that third quarter.
Ironically enough, Reagor’s first game being active was in Week 2 against the Dolphins, although he didn’t register a snap in that game. Now here he is a month later with an opportunity to face that same Dolphins club in what is suddenly a critical game for his football team as they try to dig their way out after a 2-5 start.
Given all the work he’s put in, Reagor was asked by Patriots writer Taylor Kyles (who is terrific) about what it takes to be successful in this offense, and Reagor kept it simple.
“Win. Get open,” he answered, smiling.
Hopefully, he’ll do more of that this weekend.
After releasing him earlier this week, the Patriots brought back quarterback Malik Cunningham, with the rookie returning to the club’s practice squad. He had previously signed a three-year deal ahead of the club’s game in Las Vegas, where he played six snaps but, aside from a sack, didn’t register on the stat sheet. He was inactive this past Sunday against Buffalo and was let go by the team after the game … One thing that didn’t get much mention was a comment by Bill Belichick on David Andrews, who played exceptionally well last week and garnered praise from his coach this week for being both a tough player, and a calming presence. “He’s done a great job. He’s done a great job,” said Belichick. “He’s playing well, and he really helps the quarterback, the offensive line. He’s a very good personality, calm but enthusiastic, aggressive and energetic, but at the same time, there’s not a panic to it. Really good, he does a great job.” … Trent Brown also got some praise after stringing some good weeks together. “I think he’s playing well,” said Belichick. “He’s played a lot of good football. I don’t want to sound like this is a big aberration. He’s a good player.” … Miami’s Jalen Ramsey isn’t happy about reports that the Dolphins are planning for him to make his return this weekend. He Tweeted, “Full transparency, there’s a CHANCE that I can play this Sunday, but that decision genuinely isn’t made yet,” adding that the report is ‘news to me’ in response to his status. He also added that ‘I won’t play if I feel any less than GREAT,’ so it could be a smokescreen, or it could be the troubled defensive back letting everyone know he’s not yet 100% and won’t play otherwise. We’ll have to wait and see.
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