{"id":65445,"date":"2026-02-08T05:00:42","date_gmt":"2026-02-08T10:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/?p=65445"},"modified":"2026-02-07T22:57:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-08T03:57:17","slug":"patriots-news-02-08-patriots-players-to-watch-in-the-super-bowl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2026\/02\/08\/patriots-news-02-08-patriots-players-to-watch-in-the-super-bowl\/","title":{"rendered":"Patriots News 02-08, Patriots Players To Watch In The Super Bowl"},"content":{"rendered":"

Good morning. We hope everyone is staying warm this morning amid the Arctic blast blanketing the region. So, grab a coffee and read on to prepare for the Super Bowl tonight.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here is your Patriots news for 02-08, along with NFL notes this week. The NFL season is now down to just one game. The Patriots and Seahawks will meet tonight in Super Bowl LX.<\/span><\/p>\n

While this is the one everyone plays for all season, it is bittersweet because it is the last football game of the year and the final one until August. The players and coaches have come a long, long way in the past year. Head coach Mike Vrabel has done an incredible job of taking a team that went 4-13 for two consecutive years and turning around the culture.<\/span><\/p>\n

Treat yourself to a great story by <\/span>ESPN\u2019s Mike Reiss <\/span><\/a>and take the time to read his piece on how the Patriots pulled an incredible turnaround. Mike highlights five pivotal moments and how everything changed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is the perfect way to start off your Super Bowl Sunday.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, before we dive in and get to our Patriots players to watch in the Super Bowl, what is everyone eating tonight for their Super Bowl parties?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I have an awesome chili recipe from my brother-in-law from Fort Worth, TX (he\u2019s a diehard Cowboys fan, hey, nobody\u2019s perfect) that is always a hit. We\u2019ll start off with some shrimp cocktail, have some barbecued ribs off the smoker, and hit the chili, which we can eat all game long.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Vrabel and his staff have been on the job for just under 13 months, and tonight they\u2019ll be playing in the Super Bowl. Looking forward to seeing how they\u2019ll handle the next 12 months in free agency and the draft. But that can wait until next week.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A lot of fans and media have taken to say, and I get it, that by snubbing Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, it tarnished the HOF. But I respectfully disagree. It doesn\u2019t tarnish the HOF, but it does tarnish the voters and the process involved. But for now, we\u2019re on to the Super Bowl\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s Go.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Taylor Lewan: <\/b>The former Titans\u2019 offensive lineman who played for nine years before persistent knee injuries cut his career short, was a guest on <\/span>Patriots Unfiltered<\/span><\/a> on Radio Row and talked about his former coach, Mike Vrabel.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

His podcast \u201c<\/span>Bussin\u2019 With the Boys<\/span><\/a>\u201d is outstanding and is a guaranteed great listen. On the \u201cUnfiltered\u201d show, he discussed how Vrabel ensures every team member feels valued and is committed to helping the team win.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Lewan posted a podcast immediately after Vrabel was hired by New England, offering his take on what to expect.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNew England Patriots<\/strong><\/a> fans, you have a lot to be excited about,\u201d Lewan said. \u201cYou got Mike Vrabel in the building, culture is going to be incredible, you guys are going to win games \u2014 those tough, one-score games, you\u2019re going to win them. That\u2019s how Mike Vrabel works. That guy is going to have his team knowing the ins and outs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow, if you\u2019re a player, you need to keep your (expletive) head on a swivel. You need to understand that (expletive) is going to be really hard for a little bit. And it\u2019s going to be OK. But just know, you\u2019re about to go in hell for a little bit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mike Vrabel: <\/b>Speaking of the head coach, Vrabel was named the NFL Coach of the Year and was given the award at the annual Honors show on Thursday night. He wasn\u2019t in attendance but recorded a brief acceptance speech. Well-deserved coach.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Drake Maye: <\/b>The Patriots\u2019 quarterback was just edged out as the league\u2019s MVP by Matthew Stafford on Thursday night. Josh Allen received two votes for MVP, and Justin Herbert received one. It was the closest race since 2003 when Peyton Manning and Steve McNair were co-winners that year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stafford received one more vote than Maye (24-23) and brought his four daughters onstage to accept his award. Maye was also up for the AP NFL\u2019s Offensive Player of the Year, but that went to Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson was a finalist for the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award but finished in third. Tetairoa McMillan took home that award.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Stefon Diggs finished fifth in the Comeback Player of the Year Award, which went to the 49ers’ Christian McCaffery.<\/span><\/p>\n

Josh McDaniels:<\/b> The Patriots’ Offensive Coordinator, was honored with the AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year Award. Under McDaniels, the Patriots’ offense improved from 30th in points scored to 2nd. The Patriots went from 31st in yards gained to 3rd.<\/span><\/p>\n

But all of that is directly tied in to the work that McDaniels and Drake Maye put in together this year, Maye\u2019s second in the league. Prior to the season, we were all looking for a Year 2 jump, and that wasn\u2019t a given after a slow start in training camp, which had many concerned. But after a back-and-forth first month of the season, everything for the Patriots\u2019 offense took off after the game in Buffalo.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This award was a first for McDaniels, and the 2025 season was among his finest with the Patriots.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fred Taylor:<\/strong> The former Jaguars and Patriots running back was interviewed by Hard Rock Bet and had some intriguing things to say about the Patriots and the Super Bowl.<\/p>\n

Asked how he sees the Super Bowl LX going?<\/p>\n

“Firstly, it\u2019s hard to count the Patriots out. They\u2019ve been counted out throughout the regular season and in the playoffs, but they find a way to win.<\/p>\n

“Drake Maye is a baller. They have a nice mix of veterans and then a lot of hungry young players that are tapped into everything Coach Vrabel has given them.<\/p>\n

“On the other hand, you have a second-year head coach in Mike Macdonald in Seattle who has a guy experiencing a resurgence in his career. Sam Darnold has been counted out for some time but all he\u2019s done the past two years is win football games in both Minnesota and Seattle.<\/p>\n

“That defense in Seattle, man. It\u2019s hard to overlook how physical they are, and how dominant they\u2019ve been this season. One thing that they\u2019re great at is turnovers. They create a lot.<\/p>\n

“The theme of the playoffs has been that the teams that have won the turnover battle have won their games. So, if they can create some more turnovers against the Patriots and protect the ball better than Maye and the Pats, then they will win the big game, and vice versa for the Patriots.”<\/p>\n

After the Patriots\u2019 win over Denver, some have said championship games should be played in neutral domes, and that weather shouldn\u2019t decide who goes to the Super Bowl. What are your thoughts on this?<\/p>\n

“I believe in home-field advantage. You should do your best to prepare for what the conditions require.<\/p>\n

“In my two years in New England under Coach Bill Belichick, he would say, \u201cDon\u2019t ask me what to wear for practice. Look at the forecast and prepare accordingly.\u201d<\/p>\n

“If we had to come play here in Florida in early September, we would go inside the bubble, and they would crank the temperature up as high as they could to try to simulate the game conditions.<\/p>\n

“We had to prepare for the conditions the best way we could throughout the week and then on game day, make the necessary adjustments.”<\/p>\n

Patriots No Huddle Podcast:<\/b> Mike, Derek, and I recorded our Super Bowl preview podcast on Thursday.\u00a0 We\u2019ll do our postgame Super Bowl podcast on Monday afternoon.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please check it out. And be sure to like, share, and leave us a review.\u00a0\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

\n

\"Drake<\/p>\n

(PHOTO: David Butler II-Imagn Images)<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Patriots Players To Watch Against Seattle In The Super Bowl:<\/b><\/h3>\n

The Patriots\u2019 path to the Super Bowl has been through three tough defensive games. I expect this one will be much of the same.\u00a0 <\/span>On Friday, I posted <\/span><\/a>the matchups for each team’s running and passing games, along with who had the advantage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, we\u2019ll look at the players, from a Patriots perspective, who will have to bring their A-games to Santa Clara if the Patriots are going to bring home the Lombardi Trophy for a record seventh time.<\/span><\/p>\n

Call it the \u201c<\/span>Stairway To Seven\u201d:<\/b><\/p>\n

Drake Maye:<\/b> The Patriots\u2019 QB has faced a gauntlet of top-five defenses in this year\u2019s playoffs. And now he\u2019ll face arguably the best of the bunch in Seattle.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Seahawks are an excellent team from top to bottom and have no weaknesses; however, that doesn\u2019t mean there won\u2019t be opportunities to score. Maye will need to identify his favorable matchups and deliver the ball accurately.<\/span><\/p>\n

The expectation here is that the Patriots will need him to call his own number more in this game to aid the running game and keep play-action passing a viable option.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Christian Gonzalez: <\/b>No one (other than Maye) will have a tougher matchup tonight. He\u2019ll be facing the NFL\u2019s Offensive Player of the Year in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who torched the league this year with nearly 1,800 yards and 10 touchdowns.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Every team has a plan to take JSN away, but executing it is easier said than done. Seattle likes to move him around to garner favorable matchups, even putting him in the backfield. Gonzalez will have his work cut out for him. But this should be a great matchup to watch.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\"Will<\/p>\n

(PHOTO: Eric Canha-Imagn Images)<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Will Campbell:<\/b> The rookie left tackle has a tough matchup with DeMarcus Lawrence tonight. Campbell struggled in the first two playoff games before bouncing back in Denver against Nik Bonitto.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Keeping Drake Maye upright and giving him time to throw tonight is the big factor in whether the Patriots win or lose the game. And many eyes will be on Campbell and whether he can hold up against Lawrence.<\/span><\/p>\n

Anfernee Jennings: <\/b>Much was written this spring and summer regarding Jennings fit, or lack thereof, in Vrabel\u2019s defense. He was consistently listed as a player who could be traded or released. But with the injury to Harold Landry, Jennings has been called upon more and more down the stretch.<\/span><\/p>\n

Seattle has run outside the tackles with Kenneth Walker nearly 65 percent of the time during the playoffs. Jennings is the Patriots\u2019 best OLB at setting the edge. The Patriots\u2019 plan is to stop the run and pressure Sam Darnold on third down. Jennings will be a key part of that early-down focus on stopping the run.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mack Hollins:<\/b> The big wide receiver was brought in via free agency this season and has been a very effective option for the offense. He\u2019s a big-bodied receiver who uses his size extremely well and is an outstanding blocker in the running game. He also has a unique personality that instantly makes him a fan favorite at every stop he\u2019s had in his career.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tonight, he could be that secondary target that makes a big splash in the big game. The Patriots have had unsung players shine in their Super Bowl wins. The big barefoot guy could be that next one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\"Milton<\/p>\n

(PHOTO: David Butler II-Imagn Images)<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Milton Williams:<\/b> The Patriots paid the big man big bucks this offseason to help revamp the defense. It has been money well spent. Williams has been a fantastic addition to the defense and has been a dominant game wrecker inside.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The plan is to bring pressure on Sam Darnold up the middle and Williams has been at his best this postseason. He\u2019s facing arguably the Seahawks\u2019 weakest link in Anthony Bradford along their offensive line.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is a mismatch; Williams should win, and is absolutely vital for the Patriots, not just in their pass rush, but in stopping the run as well. Bradford has struggled down the stretch, and this one will bear watching all game long.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kayshon Boutte: <\/b>The Patriots need to hit on a few of those deep chunk plays to be successful in the game tonight. And no one has been better at hauling those in this season for New England than Boutte.<\/span><\/p>\n

This season, Boutte had 12 catches on 20 targets for 340 yards and six touchdowns when Maye targeted him deep. Seattle defends the deep ball well, but if there is one player the Patriots may target, it is the Seahawks nickel cornerback Josh Jobe. Look for Josh McDaniels to try to create a favorable matchup for Boutte to test him deep.<\/span><\/p>\n

NFL Super Bowl Prediction:<\/b><\/h3>\n

The NFL is down to the two teams in the Super Bowl. While 30 other teams are already preparing for the draft and free agency, the Patriots and Seahawks are preparing for the Super Bowl.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve said on the podcast that I\u2019m sticking with the Patriots on a late field goal to take home the Lombardi 24-23.<\/span><\/p>\n

Two Weeks Ago \u00a0 2\u20140<\/b><\/p>\n

2025 Season\u00a0 \u00a0 181\u201490\u20141<\/b><\/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

\n

\"Mike<\/p>\n

(PHOTO: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images)<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Mike Vrabel Quotes This Week:<\/b><\/h3>\n

Was there something about your approach that you think going into free agency as an organization that led to that success?<\/b><\/h3>\n

\u201c I think you just have to be very intentional with the people that you’re bringing in. I think sometimes free agency, you have to be able to use it. People use it in different ways. It’s a part of our business. It’s another way to acquire players and player acquisition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUnderstand that you have to be convicted on the person that you’re bringing in as a player, and also the impact that they’re going to make in the locker room, around the building, and in the community.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo, I appreciate what everybody did and their efforts, and Eliot [Wolf], Ryan [Cowden] and Stretch [John Streicher], I appreciate what they do to help us steer us in the right direction as it relates to the players that we’re going to try to acquire.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mike Vrabel was asked, \u201c<\/span>There’s perception and reality when it comes to the Super Bowl and the experience. With a lot of these young guys, when you reflect back on your first time, what is something that you wish you knew that first time around that you learned after all of those visits to the Super Bowl that you’ve passed on to this team?<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cAgain, every game is different, and don’t anticipate how it’s going to go. Whether it comes down to the end of the game situation, a kick or a two-minute drill, try not to predict what those are going to be.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cMake sure that each and every situation is covered, and understand that each of them is critical, whether that’s a short-yardage early in the first quarter, or that’s a red-zone stop late in the game to give our team a chance to win.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cSo, just understanding, having watched all these Super Bowls in the last few years and the ones I’ve been a part of, try not hard to predict how it’s going to go and you will have to see how the game is unfolding. But understand each situation that we’re going to be asked to execute, we’ve been through since April.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>You talked about Terrell [Williams] yesterday and him being here. I’m curious if you could maybe describe what impact he was able to have on the team even through battling his cancer, and how Zak [Kuhr]’s maybe stepped up as a unique situation as the play caller?\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cWe’ve always talked about the impact the team makes on not only the defense but throughout the football team, his ability to connect and reach with every single player at every single position, young players, veteran players. That’s a skill. That’s something that I can’t necessarily teach or instruct them on. Kind of just that’s something that comes very naturally to Terrell.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cSo, I would say his humility through all this has been something that I’ve really appreciated. Never wanted to be a distraction \u2013 even if I told him a million times that he wasn’t. And even if the players told him that he wasn’t, his humility was always about the team. He just kept saying, “I don’t want to mess anything up, I don’t want people worrying about me.”\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cSo I’ve always appreciated that, and I’m glad that he’s here with us. Zak has been fantastic. I think that, much like players when given opportunities, coaches sometimes have the same thing. When they get more opportunity, they take advantage of it, and then turn that into something else..\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Stefon Diggs was asked, <\/span>\u201cWhat did you know about Drake [Maye], and how has your relationship grown to where you’re at here at the Super Bowl?\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>I really didn’t know too much about him other than we played him earlier in the year when I was in Houston. It was crazy. He had got like a mini standing ovation when he went out. It was one of his first games going in. He showed a lot of promise. He made some throws. He was running around.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cI clearly remember a ball he threw Kayshon Boutte in the back corner to the right, a touchdown. I was like, “He can spin it a little bit.” It was early, of course. He didn’t play the whole game, but I think he finished it off. I didn’t really think too much about it then because I was in Houston just rocking and rolling.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd up to now it’s been a long journey. Definitely been a long journey. His maturation process is second to none. One of the best I’ve ever seen from a quarterback position. He’s still super young, which is crazy. He’s had a lot of success, but as I have grown closer to him, I’m a huge fan of him. He’s like a mini inspiration. To be that young, be that mature and be able to play at a high level is something that I always wanted when I was a young player.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cI’m just happy to be a part of this thing. He’s a good teammate as well. We joke and laugh a lot in that building, in that room. The more time we spend, I see that relationship growing. He’s cool with all his teammates. He’s like that quarterback \u2013 I don’t know how to describe it. If you play football you’d know, but he has that quarterback mindset, that quarterback energy. Yeah, he’s cool.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/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":"

Get ready for Super Bowl LX Read the latest news, including Mike Vrabel’s Coach of the Year award and key players to watch against Seattle. 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