{"id":62513,"date":"2025-09-07T05:00:49","date_gmt":"2025-09-07T09:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/?p=62513"},"modified":"2025-09-06T20:00:44","modified_gmt":"2025-09-07T00:00:44","slug":"patriots-news-9-7-the-patriots-season-starts-nfl-picks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2025\/09\/07\/patriots-news-9-7-the-patriots-season-starts-nfl-picks\/","title":{"rendered":"Patriots News, 9-7, The Patriots Season Starts, NFL Picks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Good morning. Here is your Patriots news, 9-7, and NFL notes this week. The Patriots are in the same position as last year, with a new coaching staff and questions to start the season. But with a new team comes new optimism.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Many analysts, fans, and media believe this team will not only perform better than in 2024 (frankly, which doesn\u2019t set the bar too high) but will double the wins that they had, or more. That would be a huge turnaround.<\/span><\/p>\n

The difference is that Mike Vrabel and his coaching staff are much better in that regard this season. No offense to Jerod Mayo\u2019s group from 2024, but that staff had far too much inexperience.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This roster (on paper) is also much better than last year\u2019s. There is a palpable cautious optimism in the air, which is refreshing. Of course, the naysayers and ultracrepidarians that infect the waves will always rain on a parade, even Super Bowl parades. But this team doesn\u2019t need to worry about those this year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is about turning the corner and getting back to winning and competing. Vrabel knows about building a team, and his staff has set about building a team in his image.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The rebuild with the roster wasn\u2019t piecemeal; it was a tear-it-down-to-the-studs complete makeover. The current roster, as compared to the Week 1 roster a year ago, has 31 new players, more than a 50 percent change. The roster from the week 18 finale has 27 different players. And the changes may not be done yet.<\/span><\/p>\n

The most significant improvement needs to happen with the offense. And with Josh McDaniels back inside Gillette Stadium, the optimism, at least here, is very high.<\/span><\/p>\n

McDaniels has a creative mind, and while the skill position players are not a Top 10 unit, they have a varied skill set that will allow him to tinker with plays that will bring the most out of his players. This team has a couple of new players with the explosiveness that the team has lacked.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

TreVeyon Henderson and Kyle Williams bring that level of excitement every time they touch the ball. Henderson has the electricity that the offense hasn\u2019t had in a long time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Defensively, bringing established veterans like Milton Williams and Harold Landry is expected to bear fruit in the moribund pass rush. I think Robert Spillane is going to be an absolute stud in the middle of the defense.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nobody knows how the season will start or finish, but the Patriots\u2019 season is about to start today. Let\u2019s Roll.<\/span><\/p>\n

Quick Hitters For the Patriots and NFL News:\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

Eagles-Cowboys:\u00a0 <\/b>The NFL got one of the best rivalries to start the season on Thursday Night Football. An absolutely fantastic game was marred by a couple of incidents that detracted from it; one was unavoidable, the other was not, and cast a shadow on the league.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Six seconds into the game, the spitting incident, which was replayed too many times, was utterly uncalled for and stupid. Jalen Carter is one of the best defensive linemen in the league, spat on Dak Prescott\u2019s neck, after taking umbrage where Prescott spat on the grass.<\/span><\/p>\n

There is no worse insult (IMO) than spitting on someone, or being spit upon. Carter’s actions cost his team one of their best players and nearly cost them the game.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It was a fantastic game; unfortunately, lightning in the area of the stadium delayed the game late in the third quarter. It cooled down the offenses, but there is no way to prevent those incidents from occurring. Here\u2019s to having the two teams again Week 1 next season with a redux.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bill Belichick: <\/b>We all know how deeply Belichick can hold a grudge; ask Tom Jackson or the New York Jets. Some call his actions petty, but he has a memory like an elephant, and he isn\u2019t forgetting the way he left the organization, or the treatment he received after the fact.<\/span><\/p>\n

On Thursday, many media reports stated that Patriots\u2019 scouts will not be permitted to watch practices or games at UNC home games. It ultimately hurts the lowest-paid members of the Patriots\u2019 organization, the area scouts, something Belichick should be familiar with.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no, that\u2019s an individual choice and we\u2019ll cross that bridge when we start looking at players,\u201d Mike Vrabel said. \u201cI want to focus on our football team, and that\u2019s their prerogative to make the decisions they feel like are best for them. And then we\u2019ll have to find other ways to get the information for any players that we want to look at in North Carolina.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The split with New England after a quarter century has been anything but amicable. Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Belichick have taken numerous shots at one another after what was characterized as a \u201cmutual decision\u201d to part ways.<\/span><\/p>\n

Belichick was especially peeved (and rightfully so) with the way he was treated in the Kraft Productions miniseries \u201cThe Dynasty,\u201d which went through the Super Bowl years with Brady, but painted Belichick as a detriment rather than the greatest coach of all time. And that was obvious.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Kraft has apparently softened his stance, saying last week that he wants to build a statue of Belichick eventually to stand next to Brady in front of the entrance of the stadium when Belichick retires from coaching.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That is rightfully a deserving gesture, and it may end the feud. Or maybe Bill won\u2019t show up\u2026After all, he does hold a grudge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Christian Gonzalez: <\/b>The Patriots\u2019 star cornerback is scratched this week as he has yet to practice since late July after injuring his hamstring in practice. It\u2019ll be a surprise if he plays next week in the heat in Miami. Week 3 looks to be the earliest we\u2019ll see him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It now appears that Gonzalez\u2019s injury was much more serious than previously reported. By the time he does return to practice will be close to two months away, which qualifies as a serious injury.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Patriots No Huddle Podcast:<\/b> Derek, Mike, and I discussed the Week 1 matchup against the Raiders and made our picks for the game. We also picked the results of the Thursday, Friday, and Sunday Night Games. You can find our podcasts on<\/span> YouTube<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Apple,<\/span><\/a> or <\/span>Spotify.<\/span><\/a> Please take a look and leave us a review.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Russ Francis\/Chuck Fairbanks:<\/b> The former Patriot tight end and head coach should be in the Patriots team Hall of Fame, and the fact that Francis isn\u2019t is an absolute travesty. Francis and the Raiders\u2019 Dave Casper changed how teams used the tight end position.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This will be displayed in our Sunday posts until it happens. Casper is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Francis\u2019 numbers stand up well against Casper\u2019s, yet he isn\u2019t even in the team\u2019s HOF.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Quick Season Predictions:<\/b><\/h3>\n

AFC Champions –\u00a0 Buffalo<\/span><\/p>\n

NFC Champions – Philadelphia<\/span><\/p>\n

Super Bowl\u00a0 Champion – Buffalo<\/span><\/p>\n

OROY –\u00a0 TreVeyon Henderson<\/span><\/p>\n

DROY –\u00a0 Abdul Carter<\/span><\/p>\n

Drake Maye will have a good but not great season. 3,600 yards, 29 TDs, 13 INTs, 340 yards rushing, 8 TDs.<\/span><\/p>\n

No Patriots receiver will have 1,000 yards, but they will have several with 500+.<\/span><\/p>\n

Robert Spillane will have 200 tackles, and the Patriots will be in the top 10 in sacks made.<\/span><\/p>\n

NFL Week 1 Predictions:<\/b><\/h3>\n

Week 1 picks are always the toughest because there is no film to go off of yet.\u00a0 But that is why they pay me the small bucks J\/k. The early game predictions were made on our podcast.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since I began keeping my stats of my picks in 2019, the 2024 season was (by far) my best season. Was it a one-year anomaly? We\u2019ll see, but here we go for another season. Right or wrong, it is football season again, and a cause for celebration.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thursday Night Football:<\/b><\/p>\n

Philadelphia over Dallas \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>1-0<\/b><\/p>\n

Friday Night Football:<\/b><\/p>\n

Kansas City over LA Chargers \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>1-1<\/b><\/p>\n

Sunday Day Games:<\/b><\/p>\n

Tampa Bay over Atlanta<\/span><\/p>\n

Cincinnati over Cleveland<\/span><\/p>\n

Miami over Indianapolis<\/span><\/p>\n

New England over Las Vegas<\/span><\/p>\n

Arizona over New Orleans<\/span><\/p>\n

Pittsburgh over NY Jets<\/span><\/p>\n

Washington over NY Giants<\/span><\/p>\n

Jacksonville over Carolina<\/span><\/p>\n

Denver over Tennessee<\/span><\/p>\n

San Francisco over Seattle<\/span><\/p>\n

Detroit over Green Bay<\/span><\/p>\n

Houston over LA Rams<\/span><\/p>\n

Sunday Night Football:<\/b><\/p>\n

Buffalo over Baltimore<\/span><\/p>\n

Monday Night Football:<\/b><\/p>\n

Minnesota over Chicago<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2024 Season<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>204\u201468\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

2023 Season\u00a0 \u00a0 178\u201494\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

2022 Season: \u00a0 178\u201492\u20142<\/b><\/p>\n

2021 Season: \u00a0 183\u201488\u20141<\/b><\/p>\n

2020 Season: \u00a0 169\u201486\u20141\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

2019 Season: \u00a0 162\u201493\u20141<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cI think he’s a great teacher. I think the way that the connection with the players \u2013 again, it’s a fine line to try to hold guys accountable to what we need to get done, but also having a connection with them. I’ve seen that.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, we’re all, I think, in a good place. We’re undefeated like everybody else, except for one team. I appreciate the staff. I want to publicly say that. I appreciate the staff helping me do this and getting us to this point. We don’t do any of this by ourselves.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cThere’s a lot of people involved, from the training room, the equipment room, operations, player engagement, each of those departments, and then the coaching staff that gets these players ready and will continue to get them ready throughout the season, and the ones that come in on Tuesday that get signed that end up playing for us. It’s just part of the National Football League. I can’t thank them enough for being on this journey with me.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Mike <\/span>Vrabel, answering a question about he feels about the comments Josh McDaniels said, that he learned something new from Vrabel every day.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I don’t know how much that’s going to really dictate. I think maybe a little bit, but they still get on you pretty quick. You still have to be able to cover them up. And again, some of the rule changes were for player safety.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cThe off-returner was getting peeled, and some of that was just by scheme. The guys were putting the off-returner on one of the five screaming down the middle of the field. I was shocked that there weren’t more injuries. People were running that scheme.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cJust trying to understand how some of these guys are kicking. They’re kicking kicks that try to land short in between the 20 and the goal line. Are they landing at the goal line and making you make a decision? Or are they landing there at the eight and trying to get a shorter kick?\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

However they do that, we’ll have to adjust to it. There was a penalty last night. The kicker started in, and Philly tried to move and there was a penalty. So, just knowing the rules and understanding the things that we can and can’t do.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Vrabel, talking about the new kick returns and the rules governing them.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Yeah, Pete’s done it for a long time and they have their adjustment. When you run something extensively or the majority of the time, you have to have answers, right?\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cBecause you know that people are going to try to scheme you and you have to be able to have answers. They’ve evolved and done a great job and have answers and different ways to play things that they want to do, and then they have their change-ups and their mixers.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then certainly, Chip’s offense has expanded and grown. I mean, Chip used to call it on an index card. He had seven plays and they just were really good at them and they went really fast. So, I think that that’s all evolved from the stuff at UCLA, from the stuff at Ohio State, to what he’ll do with those skilled players that we mentioned with the Raiders.”<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Vrabel, after being asked if the Patriots expect Pete Carroll and Chip Kelley to run the same style game plans that they have in the past.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, going back to watch the Super Bowl, going back and watching the COVID game with Cam [Newton] when nobody’s in the stands. I think it’s great having Coach McDaniels, who’s played against this defense and knows some extra little tidbits for me to know, whether it’s in the huddle or before on this play.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cI think it’s great to have a play caller in my corner who’s played against this scheme in the Super Bowl. I studied a lot. I think that’s with a lot of coordinators in this league. He’s played against them and seen them, and I think it’s great to have that in the room, trying to get on the same page with him as to what he’s seeing and trying to catch up as much as I can to his level. I’m not going to get there, but I’ll try to.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cJust an understanding of, ‘Hey, I think they’re going to do this,’ or ‘Hey, this is what I think they’re going to be in.’ Then from there, yeah, watching old games, watching Cam Newton, watching Tom [Brady] in the Super Bowl was pretty cool.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Drake Maye on how much experience Josh McDaniels has playing against nearly every defense in the league.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

\u201c<\/span>Somebody asked me what success looks like, and I said, \u2018Yeah, you can judge it by wins and losses during the season, but success for me in the offseason is going to be that the players believe in what we\u2019re doing, and they believe in the message, they believe in the teaching, and they believe in the connections that we\u2019re making<\/span><\/i>.\u2019\u201d \u2014 Mike Vrabel<\/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>\u00a0 <\/span>PatsFans.com<\/span><\/a> Patriots No Huddle <\/span><\/i><\/a>podcasts on Apple and YouTube as Derek Havens, Mike D\u2019Abate, and I discuss the latest Patriots news and game analysis<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

\u201cI think he’s a great teacher I think the way that the connection with the players \u2013 again, it’s a fine line to try to hold guys 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