Category Archives: Patriots Photos

PHOTO: Julian Edelman Thanks Patriots Fans For Their Support In 2019

Robert Alvarez
January 8, 2020 at 10:39 am ET

The Patriots 2019 season ended abruptly during their 201-13 Wild Card round defeat to the Tennessee Titans this past Saturday.

On Instagram following the game, Julian Edelman shared a message for Pats fans.

“Pats Nation, thank you for all your unparalleled support this year. We didn’t accomplish our goal this time, but we will come back focused and hungry. Onto 2020.”

On Wednesday, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe reported Edelman battled through “an assortment of injuries, including a separated AC joint in his shoulder, a knee issue and rib injury that were described as serious enough that they would have ended some other players’ seasons.”

Howe later added that offseason surgery to fix Edelman’s injuries “hasn’t been ruled out.”

Despite all the injuries, Edelman didn’t miss a game in 2019 and tallied a career high in receiving yards with 1,117 and his second career 100 reception season.

In week six against the New York Giants, Edelman surpassed Stanley Morgan for the third most receptions in Patriots franchise history.

PHOTOS: Benjamin Watson Hints At Second Retirement From The NFL

Robert Alvarez
at 10:39 am ET

New England Patriots tight end Benjamin Watson hasn’t formally announced his retirement from the NFL yet, but his latest Instagram post may reflect the direction he’s leaning.

Watson said the following in an emotional photo caption;

“Saturday’s game was tough for a number of reasons. This season, this calendar year, had many expected and unexpected challenges professionally and personally. The emotional investment rivals the physical in this sport, and after months of competition, adversity, and perseverance the bonds between brothers run deep and expectations remain high as we pursued the coveted return. Through it all I’m thankful for another season to play this great game. It has been a joy to share the locker room with these men and truly special to reunite with so many familiar faces. I wish it would have ended in Miami. There’s nothing I wanted more for my family and myself especially at this point in my career. Life is about perspective and disappointment has a special way of challenging that conviction. Thank you for supporting my family and this team this year. We could feel the love. We are truly blessed. Best of luck to Tennessee and the other teams still in the race. #Sweet16″

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Saturday’s game was tough for a number of reasons. This season, this calendar year, had many expected and unexpected challenges professionally and personally. The emotional investment rivals the physical in this sport, and after months of competition, adversity, and perseverance the bonds between brothers run deep and expectations remain high as we pursued the coveted return. Through it all I’m thankful for another season to play this great game. It has been a joy to share the locker room with these men and truly special to reunite with so many familiar faces. I wish it would have ended in Miami. There’s nothing I wanted more for my family and myself especially at this point in my career. Life is about perspective and disappointment has a special way of challenging that conviction. Thank you for supporting my family and this team this year. We could feel the love. We are truly blessed. Best of luck to Tennessee and the other teams still in the race. #Sweet16

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Watson’s first and potentially final quarterback Tom Brady left a comment of support on the post that read “Love you! There is no better man, teammate or friend to have in this world then you!!!”

Brady was Watson’s first NFLquarterback from 2004-2009, earning his only ring with him in 2004 before his return to Foxboro this year.

Watson finished the 2019 season with 17 catches for 173 yards in ten games.

Following Sunday’s loss, Watson dropped additional retirement hints.

“I love playing this game, but there is a time when you definitely have to move on. Definitely won’t be back here next year probably and probably won’t be playing at all.”

“You know, it’s something that I’ve tried to do before and it didn’t work, but there’s only so much your body can take and so much you can put your family through before you want to settle down and have some roots and figure out what the next chapter of your life is going to be.’’

PHOTO: Tom Brady “I Still Have More To Prove”

Robert Alvarez
at 10:38 am ET

Tom Brady wasted no time ending retirement rumors on Wednesday, sharing a lengthy Instagram post thanking everyone who believed in him while reflecting back on the playoff loss with a rather optimistic hint at his playing future.

“In both life and football, failure is inevitable. You dont always win. You can, however, learn from that failure, pick yourself up with great enthusiasm, and place yourself in the arena again.
And that’s right where you will find me. Because I know I still have more to prove.” 

With that seemingly clear revelation Brady intends on playing football next year, the question now shifts from whether or not Brady retires to where will he play next year?

Brady, who turns 43 on Aug. 3, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on March 18. According to ESPN Boston’s Mike Reiss, The Patriots can’t assign him the franchise tag, which gives Brady leverage to dictate his plans.

In the meantime, it appears football hasn’t seen the last of Tom Brady.

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I just wanted to say to all of our fans, THANK YOU! After a few days of reflection, I am so grateful and humbled by the unconditional support you have shown me the past two decades. Running out of that tunnel every week is a feeling that is hard to explain. I wish every season ended in a win, but that’s not the nature of sports (or life). Nobody plays to lose. But the reward for working hard is just that, the work!! I have been blessed to find a career I love, teammates who go to battle with me, an organization that believes in me, and fans who have been behind us every step of the way. Every one of us that works at Gillette Stadium strived to do their best, spent themselves at a worthy cause, and prepared to fail while daring greatly (h/t Teddy Roosevelt). And for that, we’ve been rewarded with something that the scoreboard won’t show – the satisfaction of knowing we gave everything to each other in pursuit of a common goal. That is what TEAM is all about. In both life and football, failure is inevitable. You dont always win. You can, however, learn from that failure, pick yourself up with great enthusiasm, and place yourself in the arena again. And that’s right where you will find me. Because I know I still have more to prove.

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Tight end Benjamin Watson left a complementary thank you comment on the posting.

PHOTOS: Jason McCourty Reflects On Playing With His Brother

Robert Alvarez
at 10:30 am ET

For the past two seasons, cornerback Jason McCourty has lived out part of his NFL dream playing alongside his twin brother Devin.

In 2018, the brothers made NFL history becoming the first set of twins to win a Super Bowl together.

Jason made a pivotal end zone pass break up to Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Brandin Cooks, preventing a late touchdown.

On Instagram this week, Jason reflected back on their two years playing together as Devin enters free agency.

Devin, expects to play in 2020, but whether or not he returns to Foxboro remains to be seen.

“I definitely see me playing football next year,” McCourty said after the Wild Card loss to the Titans.

“I’ve had a lot of fun this year with this group of guys. Each year, we get young guys in here, get to stay in the locker room, mold (these) guys, tell them stories of my past 10 years and how much fun I’ve had,” McCourty said.

“So, I can’t see it happening, me not playing football next year. So, I think over time, I’ll take some time away from football and I think the rest will kind of work itself out. We’ll see how that goes, but I definitely plan to be playing.”

Quarterback Tom Brady later voiced his appreciation for the twins with a comment on Jason’s posting.

“The best!!!! Thank you both for being who you are EVERY day!!!”, Brady wrote.

Best Of Social Media: The New England Patriots Celebrate The Holidays

Robert Alvarez
December 27, 2019 at 10:47 am ET

The New England Patriots had some downtime this week to spend time with their families for the holiday season.

Sitting at 12-3 and a first round bye within reach, Christmas day provided a much needed break from the busy playoff push.

Check out all the best messages and family photos shared over social media from current and former players below.

From everyone at PatsFans, we hope you have a wonderful holiday season and Happy New Year!

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Merry Christmas!

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Christmas with the Macs 2019 -Dmac

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Merry Christmas!!🎄🎁

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Happy Holidays from the Wynns! 💜

A post shared by Isaiah Wynn (@iwynn77) on

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Merry Christmas 🎄🎄🎄

A post shared by Duron Harmon (@dharm21) on

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Merry Christmas from the Develin’s

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Merry Christmas!!🎁🎄

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Merry Christmas from the LaCosse’s!

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Merry CHRISTMAS instafam!

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Best Of Social Media: Week 16 Bills vs Patriots

Robert Alvarez
December 24, 2019 at 10:54 am ET

The Patriots returned home to Gillette Stadium for a rare Saturday night matchup with the rival Buffalo Bills.

With a win, the Patriots would clinch their 11th consecutive AFC East title and remain on track for a first round bye in the playoffs as the two seed.

Check out all the best sights and sounds as they occurred over social media from the game below.

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Urgency. #GameDay

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In the first quarter, the Bills made it known earlier this team was different than past years.

A forced fumble by safety Jordan Poyer gave the Bills an opportunity for points and a lead.

A Stephen Hauschka 35 yard field Goal gave the Bills the early road lead.

The Patriots responded, with quarterback Tom Brady finding tight end Matt Lacosse for a 7-3 lead after a quarter.

The second quarter opened with Brady continuing his hot start, passing aside, Brady also showed off his rare blocking abilities.

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Let’s Ride‼️

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A Nick Folk 36 yard field goal pushed the lead to seven. 10-7 Patriots midway through the second.

With the clock winding down on the first half, the Bills continued to show their resiliency and creativity.

A big man touchdown for Bills lineman Dion Dawkins tied the game at ten going into halftime.

Rex Burkhead bounced back from his earlier mistake to setup a go-ahead field goal with career highs in receiving yards.

A 13-10 Patriots lead following a Nick Folk 51 yard good attempt.

Once again the Bills battled back on the heels of Josh Allen’s arm.

A John Brown 53 yard touchdown pass Allen gave the Bills a 17-13 after three quarters.

Needing a spark on offense, who else but Julian Edelman to get it going for the Patriots to open the fourth quarter.

The Bills defense held up, and the Patriots had to settle with a Nick Folk 20 Yd Field Goal to cut the deficit to one at 17-16.

With five minutes to go in the game, and the Patriots defense remaining stout, a Brady QB sneak setup the go-ahead winning score.

A Rex Burkhead rushing touchdown following by a successful two-point conversion to Julian Edelman gave the Patriots a 24-17 lead.

Now trailing by seven, Allen and the Bills had one more opportunity to keep the game alive and force overtime.

A defensive stop inside the 15 gave the Patriots the victory and a division title.

The Patriots move to 12-3 with a 24-17 victory over the Bills.

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The force is strong in my family…

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My savages!! Great pic @adamrichinsphoto

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Hats&T-Shirts.

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The fam ❤️

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PHOTO: Tom Brady Focuses In On Another Division Title

Robert Alvarez
December 20, 2019 at 10:55 am ET

Sunday marks the first “hat and t-shirt game” opportunity for the 2019 New England Patriots.

With a win, the Patriots would clinch their 11th straight AFC East division title and their 17th in 19 seasons.

Unlike in previous years, a win won’t come easy with the 10-4 Buffalo Bills entering Foxboro with something to prove.

For the first time since 1999, the Bills have ten wins in a season behind a stout defense that already held the Patriots to 16 earlier this season.

Brady didn’t have much to say at his final weekly press conference on Thursday, but he did touch upon the importance of this weeks game when he was asked if it had a “playoff feel” to it.

“It’s a big game for both teams, so we’re gonna go out and try to play our best. This is a great team that has been playing well all year and it’s going to be a tough challenge.”

On Instagram Friday, Brady shared a photo from practice with a caption that read “Let’s get it! #ChampionshipWeek”

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Let’s get it! #championshipweek

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Best Of Social Media: Week 15 Patriots vs Bengals

Robert Alvarez
December 18, 2019 at 9:56 am ET

The Patriots rolled into Cincinnati on Sunday looking to break their two game losing streak and prevent the first three game one since 2002.

Echoes of the 2014 “On to Cincinnati” rally cry were in the air leading up to the game as optimistic built for a December turnaround.

Check out all the best sights and sounds from social media as the game progressed from start to finish below.

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Game time. #LFG

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https://www.instagram.com/p/B6GLtw4gdas/

In the first quarter, the Patriots scored on their opening drive for the second consecutive week, as James White darted down the field for a 23 yard touchdown reception.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6HettEpa-q/

The Bengals answered back when wide receiver Cethan Carter hauled in the tying score.

A Randy Bullock 34 yard field goal gave the Bengals a surprising 10-7 lead after a quarter.

In the second, a Nick Folk 40 yard field goal knotted the game at ten but the special teams unit provided another opportunity for points.

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Team work makes the dream work

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The fumbled punt lead to another Nick Folk field goal just before halftime to give the Patriots a 13-10 lead.

In the third quarter, the Patriots defense began to tighten up and dominate quarterback Andy Dalton and his offense.

Who else but cornerback Stephon Gilmore to get it going?

The pick turned into points.

Rookie wideout N’Keal Harry hauled in a seven yard pass from Tom Brady for his second (should be third) career touchdown.

20-10 New England.

A Stephon Gilmore 64 yard pick six on the ensuing Bengals drive broke the game open and pushed the Patriot lead to 27-10.

 

In the fourth quarter, a Randy Bullock 48 Yd Field Goal would be all the Bengals could muster for the remainder of the day.

A Rex Burkhead 33 yard touchdown run in his return to Cincinnati sealed the Patriots eleventh win of 2019 with a 34-13 victory and a playoff berth

FINAL 34-13 NE

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6G5Cg3gBa8/

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Coming home with a W. #OnToBuffalo

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My brother 🤞🏾

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https://www.instagram.com/p/B6Ik4Ykl2Wr/

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let me tell my side…

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#Patswin

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WeNeedThat.

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Passionate.

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https://www.instagram.com/p/B6JXD5-A3A-/

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W.

A post shared by Tom Brady (@tombrady) on

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6HMzxaFVxv/

WARNING: NSFW, Language.

PHOTO: Tom Brady Sees Team Improvement Coming As Winter Settles In

Robert Alvarez
December 14, 2019 at 11:27 am ET

The New England Patriots are in the midst of a two-game losing streak and three in their last five, but quarterback Tom Brady remains optimistic the best is yet to come.

Brady looked to a quote from late rapper Mac Miller with his song “2009” as inspiration for future success.

“Whole team about to figure it out, ice cold that’s what winters about,” Brady wrote in an Instagram caption on Friday.

During his Friday press conference, Brady was asked about the Instagram quote and how close the offense is to figuring it out?

“I think every week we’re making a little progress,” Brady said.

“Every week, we’re just trying to learn from our mistakes and just put all the right things together. And hopefully, you know, just keep improving. Guys are working really hard, that’s been great to see and that’s what we’ve got to keep doing. Things just don’t happen magically. So, we’re working pretty hard at it.”

As the Patriots continue to learn from their mistakes, Brady also noted they also need to pay more attention to detail.

“You had really no option. We have a job to do and it’s to go out there and do the best job we can do and score as many points as we can and I don’t think it’s trying to be less than what we’re capable of,” Brady said.

“I think the point is, is we’ve got to maximize our potential, and I don’t know what our potential is. But we’ve got to be the best we can be and if we do it well one time, it’s how well can we do it consistently. Part of it is just consistently we haven’t done a great job, and I think that when you’re not consistent it just leads to other issues. So, trying to be consistent and dependable is what a great offense is all about. When you have really great playmaking ability, I think all those things make it very hard to defend.”

The Patriots will look to “figure it out” against a 1 win Bengals team in Cincinnati Sunday and two divisional home games to wrap up the regular season.

N’Keal Harry: “The Show Goes On”

Robert Alvarez
December 10, 2019 at 8:22 am ET

The officiating crew of Jerome Boger came under scrutiny multiple times during the Patriots defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs.

One notable error occurred involving wide receiver N’Keal Harry in the fourth quarter.

Harry had a pivotal touchdown score taken away from him when the officials incorrectly ruled him out at the three yard line.

The Patriots had no challenges remaining and the play stood as called.

On Monday, Harry tweeted out one final reminder of the mistake with photo evidence and a familiar rally cry.

“The show goes on. #OntoCincinnati”

https://twitter.com/NkealHarry15/status/1204079522838130688?s=20

Harry wasn’t the only one with a subtle dig at the officials, safety Patrick Chung also voiced his displeasure with a postgame tweet.

The Patriots will look to right the ship against a Bengals team that has just one win all year next week in Cincinnati.