{"id":32355,"date":"2020-09-20T05:00:34","date_gmt":"2020-09-20T09:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/?p=32355"},"modified":"2020-09-19T11:25:17","modified_gmt":"2020-09-19T15:25:17","slug":"new-england-patriots-news-9-20-afc-east-notes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2020\/09\/20\/new-england-patriots-news-9-20-afc-east-notes\/","title":{"rendered":"New England Patriots News 9-20, AFC East Notes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Good morning, here is your <\/span>Sunday Patriots news 09-20 and AFC East notes<\/b> this week.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is good to have football back. It is the welcome escape from the pandemic and the endless inane political bickering that goes nowhere. One of the more surprising aspects of Week 1 was that the games weren\u2019t as sloppy as we previously thought we see as no one had the benefit of a preseason.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

From the first TNF game in KC there was one fan who tested positive for COVID-19, it will bear watching if the trend goes up, will the NFL further limit fans attending?\u00a0 The Chiefs did a very quick and thorough investigation and alerted people who came in contact with the one person, to quarantine themselves. But if that number is… say 10 or more, then things would get really dicey.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, even with just 6000 fans in attendance on Thursday in Cleveland, they still made some noise…real noise and it was a welcome change from the fake piped in stuff.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b>Quick Hitters For the Pats, and the NFL:<\/b><\/h3>\n

Allen Robinson\/OBJ Talk: <\/b>Well at least it isn\u2019t Larry Fitzgerald talk …again. It seems like every year, the talk of the NFL has the Patriots targeting a big-name WR in a trade scenario. For years it was Larry Fitzgerald despite that the Cardinals showed no desire to trade him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now both Peter King and Mike Florio are jumping on the bandwagon for either Allen Robinson or Odell Beckham Jr. Our reaction? Yawn. Wake us when something actually happens. Would the Patriots invest that deeply in a WR who despite being productive and Cam Newton\u2019s friend (OBJ) is on the hook for $14 million this year and about $45 million for the next three years? Watching Beckham on Thursday, if I was the Cleveland GM, I\u2019d be in no hurry to trade him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Robinson is a big target who has been very productive for the Bears. He\u2019s in the last year of his contract. The question(s) here is A. What would it take, and B. Would Robinson insist on a new deal as part of a trade? Belichick usually goes in a different direction than the national pundits, so, we\u2019d take that talk as just that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Cam Newton: <\/b>The Patriots\u2019 QB has taken on the role of a mentor for 2nd-year WR N\u2019Keal Harry and while the younger player really appreciates the attention from the MVP, it is a relationship that, if successful, will benefit both players. Newton said earlier this week, that he\u2019s \u201calways had a \u201cN\u2019Keal Harry in my life\u201d meaning big, physical WRs when at Carolina. He\u2019s leaned on them and they\u2019ve been a big part of the offense. He needs Harry to be the same. Which is why he so strongly came to Harry\u2019s defense after he fumbled last week.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“I think that one play overshadowed the production that he did have. He bailed me out on a play, on a kinda inaccurate pass that he came down with and got a first down. He did pretty good in the run game. He had a couple contested catches. And all that was kinda for not because a lot of people just focused on the fumble.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Did You Know?… <\/b>On this day in 1964, the Boston Patriots defeated the San Diego Chargers 33-28 at Balboa Stadium in San Diego. Gino Cappelletti opened the scoring with a 17-yard\u00a0 TD reception from Vito \u201cBabe\u201d Parelli, (gotta love having a QB named Vito). Cappelletti would then kick four (4) FGs in the game from 41, 32, 37, and 37 yards in the game. Defensively, Ron Hall would intercept Bolt\u2019s QB John Hadl three times in the game.<\/span><\/p>\n

4th & 2 Podcast<\/b> – If you\u2019ve haven\u2019t checked out our <\/span>PatsFans.com podcast, <\/span><\/a>\u201cPatriots 4th & 2\u201d in a bit, please check it out. We recorded a podcast on Thursday talking post-game Fins and the upcoming Seahawks game. Check it out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Russ Francis\/ Chuck Fairbanks:<\/b> The former Patriot tight end and head coach both should be in the Patriots team Hall of Fame…this will be on our Sunday posts until it happens.<\/span><\/p>\n

Belichick\u2019s Mom Passes Away at 98:\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

There are times we sometimes forget that sports stars and coaches are human beings first and sports celebs second. This is why when the normally taciturn Bill Belichick spoke at length about the passing of his mom Jeannette, it was hardly the surprise that many made it out to be.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He said growing up as an only child, and with his father Steve, a coach and scout at Navy gone so much, he and his mom were really close. He said their relationship remained really close for his entire life.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFirst of all, I\u2019d just like to thank everyone who\u2019s reached out and expressed their sympathy and condolences for my mom. Especially, Pete [Carroll] had some really great words and John Harbaugh and many others that I know \u2014 friends, football people \u2014 and honestly, many people that I\u2019ve never met or contacted before, so do really appreciate the support there.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, as an only child \u2014 I mean, everybody\u2019s close with their or has a certain relationship with their mom and dad \u2014 but as an only child, I was especially close to my parents. My mom and I spent a lot of time together and she was a great woman. I certainly learned pretty much everything from my parents. And then, you know, with the love that she gave to her grandkids, to Amanda, Steve, and Brian, was ultra-special to me as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo, I appreciate everyone\u2019s thoughts and condolences that have been expressed. She had almost 99 years, so a very long and happy life. So, she\u2019ll be with my dad now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He was asked later about being raised in a football family and how he and his mom would sacrifice she would routinely make for her family.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe was a very unselfish person who sacrificed a lot for her family, and so of course me personally, and I appreciate and love her for that and many other things. My dad was away a lot on scouting trips, and so I always kind of grew up with her on the weekends, on football weekends, at home. So we watched hundreds of games together, whether it was Navy games or listened to them on the radio or watched other games that were on TV and so forth when my dad was away on Friday night, Saturday, and sometimes Sunday morning, depending on how far he had to travel for the games that he was scouting … And we became very close and shared those experiences together.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He spoke glowingly about Jeannette and how her language skills didn\u2019t pass down to her son in typical Belichick deadpan.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy mom was really kind of an academic person. She was very good in college, and then after college she worked for the map service during World War II and translated European maps because she spoke seven languages. Well, six at that time, she didn\u2019t know Croatian. So she was involved in the translation of maps during the war effort, and then came back and taught languages at Hiram after the war in 1945.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, those language skills didn\u2019t rub off on her son, and one language is really about all I have. But she encouraged me to do the things that I wanted to do. She was very supportive of those.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Losing a parent, even one that lived to be nearly 100 years old is never an easy thing. Condolences to the Belichick family.<\/span><\/p>\n

J.J. Taylor Opening Eyes Early:<\/b><\/h3>\n

Last week, UDFA rookie running back J.J. Taylor got on the field for just nine snaps. While that isn\u2019t a huge amount in anyone\u2019s book, it is noteworthy that it also is a bit of an anomaly for the Patriots. The team usually puts rookie running backs on ice for their first season in a type of red-shirt season. Sony Michel is kind of the difference here.<\/span><\/p>\n

Back in 2011, Shane Vereen appeared in just five games and had just 15 touches all season. In 2014, James White appeared in just three games and had 14 touches. Last year, Damien Harris appeared in 2 games and rushed the ball only four times. Harris, as has been the norm, seemed poised for a much bigger role in the offense and had a strong summer before breaking his finger and ending up on IR.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Taylor to see the field, albeit in a limited fashion in Week 1, shouldn\u2019t be sloughed off. And the fact he had five touches (four carries and one reception) shows that the coaches believe in him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s earned it,\u201d Pats running back coach Ivan Fears said. Fears, like Belichick, is spare with his compliments but since training camp, he\u2019s been singing the rookie\u2019s praises. Earlier in training camp, he called Taylor \u201cLittle Dion\u201d in reference to Dion Lewis, which was pretty heady praise.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Last week, Fears likened Taylor\u2019s game a bit like Darren Sproles. \u201cThe guy is a pretty good player, really a good runner. He’s sort of fits into that mold of small backs like (Darren) Sproles and those guys that have been successful.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“But it’s early. It really is early to tag any kind of title on him or anything like that. But I tell you what, we’re really happy to have him out there. The guy is busting his butt. I’m happy with that.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Taylor, is only 5\u20196, 185 pounds but runs hard, doesn\u2019t shy away from contact, picking up 15-yards after contact. His four rushes for 28 yards and one catch for four is just scratching the surface of what he\u2019s capable of. He was very elusive in college, and if he can show that kind of skill in the NFL then the Lewis comparisons won\u2019t be as eyebrowing raising as first suggestions would prove to be. While the snaps will be difficult to share evenly, especially when Harris returns, we\u2019re excited to see what he can continue to bring to the field in 2020.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Carroll Continues to Prove His Style Works Longterm:<\/b><\/h3>\n

Pete Carroll got kind of a raw deal when he was here in New England, it was a mistake that Robert Kraft vowed to never make again with Bill Belichick, and he didn\u2019t. It turns out that the situation worked out for everyone involved.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Trying to replace a legend like Bill Parcells was no easy task. Many of the players believed in Parcells and didn\u2019t want him to leave. And some of that resentment carried over to the new coach.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Like Parcells, Carroll wasn\u2019t allowed to \u201cbuy the groceries\u201d but the worst mistake was giving players a back door around the coach directly to VP of Player Personnel Bobby Grier.. It undermined him from the start and from Day 1, doomed him to fail.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While Carroll and Belichick are polar opposites personality wise, pegging him as a \u201cCalifornia Cool\u201d laid back guy, defies the burning desire to win in him. The Boston press jumped right on board with that. In his first training camp, a newspaper ran a caricature of Parcells as General George S. Patton with his iconic ivory-handled revolvers and Carroll with a surfboard, sandals and a glass of wine. The media loved Parcells, and with Carroll? Not so much.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He was upbeat and enthusiastic. Parcells ruled by intimidation, while Carroll did it by his boundless enthusiasm and energy. The press said that would never work long-term. He\u2019s been proving that wrong for 20 years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But Carroll is at heart, a defensive coach…like BB. He believes in his system and it is predicated on speed, speed, and more speed. Like Parcells, and Belichick, Carroll is\u2019t afraid of making a change or a big decision, if its in the best interest of the football team.<\/span><\/p>\n

And unlike the public persona of the \u2018cool laid back\u2019 California guy beats the heart of a fierce competitor. Drew Bledsoe a few years ago said that Carroll was one of the most competitive people he ever met.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One has to consider if Kraft and the Patriots had been able to keep Curtis Martin in New England, how different some coaches career paths may have turned out. Remember Robert Edwards the team\u2019s 1st round draft pick in 1998, blew out his knee at the Pro Bowl.<\/span><\/p>\n

He took the Seahawks to two Super Bowls and is one of only two coaches to win a Super Bowl and a national championship. And this year\u2019s Seattle team may end up representing the NFC again..<\/span><\/p>\n

Yep that rah-rah stuff won\u2019t play out long-term.<\/span><\/p>\n

NFL Schedule Week 2 2020, Who Are Your Winners:<\/b><\/h3>\n

How are you feeling about the games this week? We have a post on our PatsFans Forum where our readers can predict the slate of games for that week.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Last Week: 11-5<\/b><\/p>\n

Last Season:162-93-1<\/b><\/p>\n

Thursday Night Football –\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Cleveland over Cincinnati <\/span>1-0<\/b><\/p>\n

Sunday:
\n<\/b>Buffalo over Miami<\/span>
\n<\/span>Chicago over NY Giants<\/span>
\n<\/span>LA Rams over Philadelphia<\/span>
\n<\/span>Dallas over Atlanta<\/span>
\n<\/span>Tampa Bay over Carolina<\/span>
\n<\/span>SF 49ers over NY Jets<\/span>
\n<\/span>Pittsburgh over Denver<\/span>
\n<\/span>Tennessee over Jacksonville<\/span>
\n<\/span>Green Bay over Detroit<\/span>
\n<\/span>Minnesota over Indianapolis<\/span>
\n<\/span>Arizona over Washington<\/span>
\n<\/span>Baltimore over Houston
\n<\/span>KC Chiefs over LA Chargers<\/span><\/p>\n

Sunday Night Football:
\n<\/b>Seattle over New England (<\/span>key matchups link<\/span><\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n

Monday Night Football:
\n<\/b>New Orleans over Las Vegas Raiders<\/span><\/p>\n

Eastbound and Down AFC East Notes:<\/b><\/h3>\n

Bills Missing LBs Edmunds, Milano Today:<\/b><\/h3>\n

The Buffalo Bills defense will be missing two key starters in the team’s Week 2 matchup against the Dolphins in Miami today.<\/span><\/p>\n

Starting linebackers Tremaine Edmunds (shoulder) and Matt Milano (hamstring) are both listed as out for the game, after suffering injuries in the season opener against the New York Jets.<\/span><\/p>\n

In their stead, the Bills will turn to veteran A.J. Klein who was a key free-agent addition and now steps into a starting role. The Bills may also use Tyrel Dodson, who also was injured in the Jets’ game, but is expected to play. Another linebacker, Del\u2019Shawn Phillips (quadriceps), was also hurt last week, which hurts their LB depth. Look for Tyler Matakevich, normally a special-teams stalwart to see some snaps on defense..\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dolphins Fans Already Chomping at the Bit for Tua:<\/b><\/h3>\n

The bad news for the Miami Dolphins coaches was that the play of Joe Burrow for the first two games has been outstanding. And now fans are clamoring to see rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa. Although Brian Flores and his coaching staff are in no rush to push Tua onto the field, another loss today, which is very possible to Buffalo will only accelerate the calls.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While Ryan Fitzpatrick threw three picks in the opener last week in New England, it is very doubtful at this early juncture that Tua would have done any better against a terrific Patriots secondary. And there is his hip injury that probably isn\u2019t 100 percent yet. But today\u2019s game may have fans clamoring for the rookie.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jets Gase Getting Questioned:<\/b><\/h3>\n

The New York Jets seem well on their way to foundering again in the AFC East. While Greg WIlliams, the defensive coordinator believes that they\u2019re close to dominating games, even after being gashed by the Bills and Josh Allen, it is the offense that is getting questioned. And that falls on head coach Adam Gase who was supposed to be the guru for the Jets offensive woes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And the questions are fair. QB Sam Darnold showed as much promise with former coach Todd Bowles as he has with Gase who was brought in to New York to be Darnold\u2019s \u201cQB Whisperer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In the past three years, the Jets have lost more games than anyone else. Gase has to turn things around and quickly…and right now it doesn\u2019t appear to be happening. Welcome to the early hot seat.<\/span><\/p>\n

_______________<\/span><\/p>\n

“Well, yeah, everything. I mean, this guy’s a tremendous player. Honestly, I think he’s in a way maybe underrated by the media or the fans, I don’t know, but I mean I don’t really see anybody better than this player. He can do everything. He’s got obviously great leadership, playmaking skills. He plays very well in the most critical situations in the game \u2013 his decision-making, running, passing. His passing numbers are extraordinary. You could put him up against anybody since he’s been in the league, literally anybody, in any category, really. His winning percentage is impressive. He’s there for every game, never missed a game. He’s got a great, great ability to do the right thing at the right time. He has tremendous vision and sees the field extremely well. I don’t think there’s a better deep ball passer in the league in terms of decision making and accuracy. He attacks every \u2013 literally every inch of the field you have to defend with him \u2013 the deep balls, the sidelines, his scrambles, his ability to get the ball to his playmakers and in space, and then you have to try to tackle him, which that’s very difficult too. You know, [Tyler] Lockett has lead the league in all-purpose yards. Russell’s got 4,000 yards rushing, 30,000 yards passing. Lockett’s been a go-to guy for them in all phases of the game \u2013 return game and offensively. [D.K.] Metcalf, now they’ve got [Greg] Olson, [Chris] Carson probably runs as hard as anybody in the league, so there are a lot of weapons there. I could go on and on \u2013 offensive line, [Duane] Brown \u2013 I mean, they have a lot of good players that are hard to handle and you put them all together and it’s orchestrated by Wilson. They’re very, very hard to define”<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Bill Belichick on being asked about Seahawks QB Russell Wilson<\/span><\/p>\n

_______________<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo, how was your week?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Follow me on Twitter @SteveB7SFG or email me at<\/span><\/i> stevebpatsfans@gmail.com<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

Listen to our<\/span><\/i> Patriots 4th and 2<\/span><\/i><\/a> podcasts on Stitcher as Russ Goldman, Derek Havens, and myself from<\/span><\/i> PatsFans.com<\/span><\/i><\/a> discuss the latest Patriots news and game analysis.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Good morning, here is your Sunday Patriots news 09-20 and AFC East notes this week.\u00a0 It is good to have football back. It is the welcome escape from the pandemic and the endless inane political bickering that goes nowhere. 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