<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/nfl-stories/saints-news-patriots-sending-former-2nd-round-pick-to-new-orleans-in-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Patriots sending former 2nd-round pick to Saints in trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Patriots-2.jpg"><figcaption>Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Patriots sending former 2nd-round pick to Saints in trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-13T09:48:07-07:00">September 13th, 9:48am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-13T09:48:31-07:00">September 13th, 9:48am</time><address><a>Jaren Kawada</a>Jaren Kawada is a former full-time sports bettor and is now a NFL, College Football and Betting Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. Kawada was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, but now resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, after graduating from Butler University with a B.A. in sports media. Aside from football, Kawada is an avid combat sports and basketball bettor.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">New England Patriots</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Just two years into his career, the New England Patriots are moving on from <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-drake-maye-draws-rave-jalynn-polk-review-after-nfl-draft">former prized prospect Ja’Lynn Polk</a>. The team sent the former second-round receiver to the New Orleans Saints in a trade on Saturday.</p><p>The Saints will <a href="https://x.com/Schultz_Report/status/1966904154791833667" rel="noopener">send a late-round draft pick</a> back to the Patriots for Polk, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz. Polk has already been ruled out for the entire 2025 season with a shoulder injury and will not return to the field until 2026.</p><p>The Patriots initially drafted Polk in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, hoping to pair him with Drake Maye for years to come. Instead, he only recorded 12 catches as a rookie for 87 receiving yards and two touchdowns.</p><p><i>This is a developing story.</i></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Patriots sending former 2nd-round pick to Saints in trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/las-vegas-raiders/raiders-news-jakobi-meyers-las-vegas-homecoming-fatherhood');   ga('set', 'title', 'Raiders WR Jakobi Meyers embraces Las Vegas homecoming and fatherhood');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jakobi-Meyerss-homecoming-and-fatherhood.jpg"><figcaption>Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Raiders WR Jakobi Meyers embraces Las Vegas homecoming and fatherhood</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-13T07:24:22-07:00">September 13th, 7:24am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-13T07:24:22-07:00">September 13th, 7:24am</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Las Vegas Raiders</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Las Vegas Raiders found reliability and reflection in their Week 1 win, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/las-vegas-raiders/raiders-news-jakobi-meyers-happy-place-admission-failed-trade-request">Jakobi Meyers</a> was at the heart of it. Against his former team, the New England Patriots, the veteran receiver led Las Vegas with eight catches for 97 yards, then offered insight into a deeper journey—one defined by his Las Vegas homecoming, the challenges of fatherhood, and a growing role in the Raiders wide receiver core.</p><p>Sports Illustrated’s Hondo Carpenter posted a video clip on his X account (formerly known as Twitter) earlier in the week, ahead of the Raiders’ Week 2 matchup against the 1-0 Los Angeles Chargers, who also won their Week 1 game over the Kansas City Chiefs, 27-21. In the interview, the 28-year-old wide receiver <a href="https://x.com/HondoCarpenter/status/1966853213883179112" rel="noopener">reflected</a> on his return to Foxborough and the personal growth he’s experienced off the field.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Las Vegas Raiders WR Jakobi Meyers Homecoming &amp; Fatherhood <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/raiders?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#raiders</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/raidernation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#raidernation</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LasVegasRaiders?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LasVegasRaiders</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nfl?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nfl</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/lasvegasraidersonsi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#lasvegasraidersonsi</a> <a href="https://t.co/yBCC8CeBE6">pic.twitter.com/yBCC8CeBE6</a></p><p>— Hondo Carpenter (@HondoCarpenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/HondoCarpenter/status/1966853213883179112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Yeah, it did feel good, man. It’s been a minute since I’ve been in Boston, so that was a cool little homecoming.”</p><p>More than a revenge game, the opener marked a mature return for a player now deeply rooted in his role with the Raiders. Meyers has evolved since his days with the Pats—off the field, even more than on. This offseason, he and his wife welcomed their first child. Discussing the new chapter, Meyers shared his thoughts in a way that was both honest and relatable.</p><p>“It’s honestly just the best worst thing I ever did. Like, they keep you up — but at the same time, you just love seeing them. Every day is a great day to have them around.”</p><p>His words reflect the personal transformation that’s run parallel to his professional one. Now entering Year 3 with the Raiders, Meyers is a steady voice in the locker room—and possibly a long-term piece in a reshaped offensive identity.</p><p>With the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/las-vegas-raiders/raiders-news-las-vegas-makes-pair-of-minor-wr-transactions-after-amari-cooper-retirement">Raiders wide receiver core</a> in transition and his chemistry with quarterback Geno Smith already strong, the seventh year veteran is more than a dependable option—he’s a culture setter. As the Raiders prepare for their Week 2 test vs. the Chargers, his dual role as route technician and locker room anchor remains critical.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Raiders WR Jakobi Meyers embraces Las Vegas homecoming and fatherhood

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-much-needed-injury-boost-dolphins-game');   ga('set', 'title', 'Patriots get much-needed injury boost for Dolphins game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Patriots-head-coach-Mike-Vrabel-speaks-to-the-media.jpg"><figcaption>Eric Canha-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Patriots get much-needed injury boost for Dolphins game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-12T14:52:29-07:00">September 12th, 2:52pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-12T14:53:20-07:00">September 12th, 2:53pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">New England Patriots</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New England Patriots (0-1) will visit a venue they have struggled in for much of the last decade, will be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-christian-gonzalez-keion-white-ruled-out-vs-dolphins">without cornerback Christian Gonzalez and defensive end Keion White</a> and will have a new defensive play-caller in Zak Kuhr this Sunday afternoon. Yikes. Marked improvement is expected this year following a lively offseason, but misfortune continues to permeate Foxborough. Luckily, the Pats are getting some good news ahead of their game versus the Miami Dolphins (0-1).</p><p>Veteran outside linebacker Harold Landry III is <a href="https://x.com/MikeReiss/status/1966589419613237401" rel="noopener">no longer on the injury report</a> and will suit up for the Week 2 showdown, per ESPN NFL Nation’s Mike Reiss. The 2021 Pro Bowl selection missed practice on Wednesday due to a foot issue but quickly allayed worries after returning to the field on Thursday. He now has the green light to compete in Hard Rock Stadium. Considering the questions hovering above New England right now, head coach Mike Vrabel will need him to pick up where he left off against the Las Vegas Raiders.</p><h2><b>Harold Landry III made an immediate impact for Patriots</b></h2><p>Landry recorded two and a half sacks, eight total pressures, four solo tackles and three tackles for loss in the team’s 20-13 season-opening defeat. Pro Football Focus awarded the 2018 second-round draft pick a notable <a href="https://www.pff.com/nfl/players/harold-landry/48600" rel="noopener">80.5 defensive grade</a> for his efforts. Landry played under Vrabel on the Tennessee Titans for five of his first six NFL campaigns before reuniting with the former Coach of the Year this past offseason.</p><p>The Patriots were clearly confident that Landry would once again excel in Vrabel’s system, as evidenced by the three-year, $43.5 million contract they committed to him in March. They will be even more reliant on the Boston College alum in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-vs-dolphins-bold-predictions-for-week-2-of-2025-nfl-season">the Dolphins game</a>. Replacing Gonzalez does not appear manageable — Raiders quarterback Geno Smith lit up New England’s secondary for 362 yards — , but Kuhr can still send plenty of pressure at the quarterback.</p><p>If Harold Landry III and injury replacement Anfernee Jennings can find success on the edge versus the Miami’s offensive line, then they could make life easier for the shorthanded CB room. The Pats must capitalize on the Dolphins’ Week 1 debacle and limit QB Tua Tagovailoa.</p><p>Regardless of all the adversity this franchise is currently facing, another loss in Miami Gardens would still sting to great effect. Fortunately, No. 2 is healthy and incredibly stoked for the divisional matchup.</p><p>“Related note, OLBs coach Mike Smith said Landry was texting him at 10 {p.m.} on pass-rush moves,” Reiss posted on X.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Patriots get much-needed injury boost for Dolphins game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-christian-gonzalez-keion-white-ruled-out-vs-dolphins');   ga('set', 'title', 'Patriots’ Christian Gonzalez, Keion White ruled out vs. Dolphins');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Patriots-star-cornerback-Christian-Gonzalez.jpg"><figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Patriots’ Christian Gonzalez, Keion White ruled out vs. Dolphins</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-12T11:45:01-07:00">September 12th, 11:45am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-12T11:45:35-07:00">September 12th, 11:45am</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">New England Patriots</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>New England Patriots inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr will call the plays for the defense during Sunday afternoon’s road game versus the Miami Dolphins, as defensive coordinator <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-when-mike-vrabel-announces-plan-new-dc-terrell-williams-hiatus">Terrell Williams remains away</a> from the team to deal with an undisclosed personal issue. Although Kuhr served the role during spring workouts — Williams missed time for an unrelated incident — he will face a brand new challenge in Week 2 of the regular season. And he will do so without Christian Gonzalez and Keion White.</p><p>The Second-Team All-Pro cornerback and third-year defensive end were <a href="https://x.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1966551927866425584" rel="noopener">both ruled out</a> for the divisional matchup, per The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov. Gonzalez remains sidelined with a hamstring injury and White is dealing with an illness. Patriots outside linebacker Anfernee Jennings, who was a healthy scratch in the squad’s season-opening loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, <a href="https://x.com/DougKyed/status/1966552129100816552" rel="noopener">will be active</a> and is expected to get some work in light of White’s absence, per the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed.</p><h2><b>The Patriots are in a tough spot</b></h2><p>Considering how much the defense struggled to contain the passing attack in Week 1, and the fact that New England has not won in Miami since before COVID-19, these setbacks could have a significantly negative impact. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/miami-dolphins/dolphins-news-tua-tagovailoa-frothing-mouth-amid-christian-gonzalez-injury-news">Gonzalez is a massive difference-maker</a> who established himself as one of the better corners in the league in his first full NFL campaign in 2024-25. He recorded two interceptions, 11 pass breakups and 50 solo tackles in 16 games last season. Concern is mounting about his long-term status.</p><p>White is a key contributor in his own right. While he did struggle versus the Raiders, the 2023 second-round draft pick registered five sacks and 45 total pressures last year. Jennings will do his best to man the edge while he recovers, having accumulated five and a half sacks and 117 solo tackles in 61 career NFL games.</p><p>Regardless of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/miami-dolphins/dolphins-news-miamis-loss-colts-led-players-only-meeting">obvious issues plaguing the Dolphins</a>, head coach Mike McDaniel still has a potent offense at his disposal. Kuhr’s job was already going to be tough. Now, he will have to get creative and figure out a way to compensate for the absences of Christian Gonzalez and Keion White.</p><p>It is unfair to put more pressure on Zak Kuhr’s shoulders, but an 0-2 start would extinguish much of the enthusiasm that surrounded the Patriots heading into this season. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET in Miami Gardens.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Patriots’ Christian Gonzalez, Keion White ruled out vs. Dolphins

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-julian-edelman-honest-on-drake-maye-performance');   ga('set', 'title', 'Julian Edelman’s brutally honest take on Patriots’ Drake Maye’s performance');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Drake-Maye.jpg"><figcaption>Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Julian Edelman’s brutally honest take on Patriots’ Drake Maye’s performance</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-12T08:52:35-07:00">September 12th, 8:52am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-12T08:52:35-07:00">September 12th, 8:52am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Former New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman <a href="https://rg.org/news/football/julian-edelman-patience-drake-maye-patriots-vrabel-debut" rel="noopener">offered a candid assessment</a> of second-year quarterback Drake Maye following the team’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-most-to-blame-for-discouraging-week-1-loss-to-raiders">Week 1 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders</a>.</p><p>In a one-on-one interview with DJ Siddiqi of RG, Edelman pointed to Maye’s discomfort in the pocket and the offense’s early struggles as central to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-stefon-diggs-says-injured-knee-felt-good">New England’s 20-13 defeat</a>.</p><p>“They didn’t look really comfortable on offense quite yet, a lot of moving parts,” Edelman said. “You have to tip your cap to the Raiders, they traveled across the country and had a really good game playing a sound football game. I feel like Drake Maye looked a little jumpy in that pocket. He didn’t look comfortable in that pocket. Once again, his feet weren’t set in that pocket, and so he had some balls that sailed on him. They kept it close until that fourth quarter. I expect them to get better.”</p><h2><b>Julian Edelman points to Drake Maye’s struggles while urging Patriots to rebound vs. Dolphins</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Patriots-QB-Drake-Maye-against-the-Raiders-Week-1.jpg"><figcaption>Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Maye completed 30 of 46 passes for 287 yards, one touchdown and one interception, finishing with a passer rating of 80.6. His most productive target was wideout Kayshon Boutte, who totaled 103 yards on six catches across eight targets. Despite the individual production, New England’s offense faltered in key moments, allowing the Raiders to pull away late.</p><p>Edelman stressed that the Patriots must rebound quickly as they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-does-drake-maye-have-too-much-plate-heres-what-said">prepare to face the Miami Dolphins in Week 2</a>. He highlighted the heightened expectations surrounding the franchise following the hiring of Mike Vrabel as head coach and the return of Josh McDaniels as offensive coordinator.</p><p>“This could be a good thing for them, because this was a team that’s been hyped all offseason in that region, like, ‘Oh, we’re going to the playoffs,’” Edelman said. “We have to remember that they only won four games last year. They didn’t win a lot. Every win in the National Football League is hard. This could be a good thing to give them a little humble soup to go forward and play this Miami Dolphins team and collect this division win, which counts as two in there, this division win. Use those learning points from last week. If they can correct those, that’s going to be a good thing.”</p><h2><b>Edelman defends Maye’s growth, expects Patriots’ offense to improve with time</b></h2><p>The former Super Bowl MVP defended Maye’s development and the offense’s long-term potential, noting the challenges of working with a revamped roster and a new system.</p><p>“I would expect a better performance by the offense, because I think with time, that offense is going to get better,” Edelman said. “This is just his second year. This is his second year with a new system. He’s got to learn a new system. There’s a new offensive line guy, they revamped that offensive line with Will Campbell, a young guy.</p><p>“They still have to create that nucleus of guys,” Edelman continued. “It takes some adversity sometimes to get that stuff built. This could be used in a good manner. You hate seeing them lose in the conference, but it wasn’t a division loss. If they can go out and win this week – which I expect them to play better in the division – a tough place to play because of the heat in Miami right now. But I expect them to play better this week.”</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-new-england-injury-report-gets-massive-boost-for-dolphins-game">Patriots will travel to Miami for the Dolphins’ home opener on Sunday</a>, Sept. 14, at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS. Miami will attempt to recover from its own early setback, a 33-8 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Julian Edelman’s brutally honest take on Patriots’ Drake Maye’s performance

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-new-england-injury-report-gets-massive-boost-for-dolphins-game');   ga('set', 'title', 'Patriots injury report gets massive boost for Dolphins game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Chris-Spiering-Betting-Head.jpg"><figcaption>Credit: Brian Fluharty</figcaption></figure><h1>Patriots injury report gets massive boost for Dolphins game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-11T17:13:03-07:00">September 11th, 5:13pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-11T17:13:03-07:00">September 11th, 5:13pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/chris.spiering.3" rel="facebook">Chris Spiering</a>Chris Spiering graduated from the University of San Diego with a Communication Studies Degree. He spent his final year as the Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris manages the betting team at ClutchPoints and contributes about the NFL, MLB, and NBA, but he follows most sports, including NCAA Basketball. Chris also covers San Diego State men's basketball for East Village Times.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">New England Patriots</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New England <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-most-to-blame-for-discouraging-week-1-loss-to-raiders">Patriots are coming off a rough season opener</a>. They battled against the Las Vegas Raiders at home and lost 20-13 in a low-scoring affair. The Patriots struggled in a lot of different areas on the field in head coach <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-when-mike-vrabel-announces-plan-new-dc-terrell-williams-hiatus">Mike Vrabel’s</a> debut. New England will aim to bounce back against the Miami Dolphins, who might have had the worst start to the season of any team in the league.</p><p>The Patriots are getting some good news on Thursday ahead of their divisional battle on Sunday. The <a href="https://www.masslive.com/patriots/2025/09/two-veteran-starters-return-to-patriots-practice.html" rel="noopener">Pats saw two key players return to practice</a> after not practicing on Wednesday. Morgan Moses and Harold Landry III are still dealing with minor injuries, but returning to practice is a good sign for their availability against the Dolphins.</p><p>According to the report, Christian Gonzalez remains out with a hamstring injury. The hope is to get him back as soon as possible as he is one of the top young cornerbacks in the NFL.</p><p>Morgan Moses is a crucial addition to the offensive line if he is able to play. The Dolphins contain an elite pass rush, led by Bradley Chubb and former Patriot Mathew Judon. Patriots fans are well aware of how game-changing Judon can be when he is at his best. NE will need their veteran tackle protecting Drake Maye.</p><p>As for Landry, he has established himself as one of the best pass rushers in the NFL. He spent a good amount of time with Vrabel in Tennessee with the Titans and is now in New England with his old coach. It is not a shock to see Landry III in a Patriots uniform wreaking havoc. He finished the game against the Raiders with 2.5 sacks, five tackles, and three tackles for loss. He hit Geno Smith four times in the loss. There are not many players in the league who have had a better start with their new team outside of Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Patriots injury report gets massive boost for Dolphins game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-when-mike-vrabel-announces-plan-new-dc-terrell-williams-hiatus');   ga('set', 'title', 'When Patriots’ Mike Vrabel will reveal plan for new DC amid Terrell Williams’ hiatus?');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Patriots-HC-Mike-Vrabel-looks-on.jpg"><figcaption>Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>When Patriots’ Mike Vrabel will reveal plan for new DC amid Terrell Williams’ hiatus?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-11T16:38:56-07:00">September 11th, 4:38pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-11T16:44:24-07:00">September 11th, 4:44pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">New England Patriots</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New England Patriots already had questions aplenty to answer after last Sunday’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-most-to-blame-for-discouraging-week-1-loss-to-raiders">disappointing showing versus the Las Vegas Raiders</a>, but now they are forced to make a big coaching change for their Week 2 road matchup against the Miami Dolphins. First-year defensive coordinator <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-new-england-dc-away-due-unforeseen-ongoings">Terrell Williams is away from the team</a> for the “next few days” to undergo some tests due to an undisclosed personal matter. While the team is obviously worried about his health, head coach Mike Vrabel must also fill the role for the upcoming divisional battle.</p><p>Fans now know <a href="https://www.masslive.com/patriots/2025/09/who-will-replace-terrell-williams-as-patriots-defensive-coordinator.html" rel="noopener">when that decision will be made</a>. “(Vrabel’s) going to let you guys know Friday,” inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr said, per MassLive.com’s Mark Daniels, when asked if he will occupy play-calling duties in Hard Rock Stadium this Sunday afternoon.</p><p>Kuhr, who previously worked with both Vrabel and Williams on the Tennessee Titans’ staff, filled in as de facto DC while Williams was dealing with an undisclosed medical condition during spring workouts. Vrabel said this current situation is unrelated to the incident in March.</p><p>There is not much time to speculate, as the Patriots plan to name a play-caller two days before they collide with the Dolphins. Whether it is Kuhr or someone else, Mike Vrabel will presumably wield some influence on defense, especially in light of these unforeseen circumstances.</p><p>The 2021 NFL Coach of the Year is a former All-Pro linebacker who won three Super Bowls with the Patriots, so he has loads of credibility to lend. Still, New England must execute on the field.</p><h2><b>Patriots have much to consider heading into Week 2 meeting with Dolphins</b></h2><p>Following an embarrassing season opener that saw Daniel Jones and the Indianapolis Colts obliterate Miami, Foxborough will expect the Pats to put forth a strong effort. An active Christian Gonzalez could have made a huge difference in Week 1, and should logically make a huge difference <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-vs-dolphins-bold-predictions-for-week-2-of-2025-nfl-season">in Week 2</a>. The Second-Team All-Pro cornerback is arguably the most important player on this defense, and maybe even the team.</p><p>Whoever assumes defensive coordinator responsibilities would ideally have a much easier time if Gonzalez is playing. Either way, though, the coaching staff must be better prepared as a whole to compete.</p><p>Despite their eye-opening struggles in Indy, the Dolphins still have a quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa who has led the NFL in passing yards and passer rating, a couple of dynamic wide receivers in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle and an incredibly explosive running back in De’Von Achane.</p><p>Miami’s offense is still flowing with a rich supply of talent. Moreover, the Patriots have not beaten the Fins at home since 2019. They must be ready for a hard-fought game, which is admittedly a lot to ask following the Terrell Williams news. Thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

When Patriots’ Mike Vrabel will reveal plan for new DC amid Terrell Williams’ hiatus?

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-most-to-blame-for-discouraging-week-1-loss-to-raiders');   ga('set', 'title', 'Patriots most to blame for discouraging Week 1 loss to Raiders');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Patriots-most-to-blame-for-discouraging-Week-1-loss-to-Raiders.jpg"></figure><h1>Patriots most to blame for discouraging Week 1 loss to Raiders</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-11T15:07:00-07:00">September 11th, 3:07pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-11T15:07:00-07:00">September 11th, 3:07pm</time><address><a>Lorenzo J Reyna</a>Lorenzo J Reyna is an Associate Editor covering the NFL and NCAA Football for ClutchPoints. He's equipped with past experience for both realms through his recent stops at Pro Football Network and Heavy while also writing for 247Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">New England Patriots</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New England Patriots entered Sunday with new intrigue. Franchise legend Mike Vrabel returned to lead the franchise, this time with previous playoff credentials in tow from the Tennessee Titans. But he and the Pats left Week 1 <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-bill-simmons-pumps-brakes-patriots-hype-train-raiders-flop">with underwhelming results against the Las Vegas Raiders.</a></p><h2>Mike Vrabel falls to older, former Patriots coach</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Pete-Carroll-shaking-hands-with-Mike-Vrabel-.jpg"><figcaption>Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>To further boot, the Pats lost to a former head coach of the franchise in Pete Carroll. The same Carroll facing critics who believed he’s considered too old to lead an NFL franchise as an HC.</p><p>Carroll and Vrabel shared two things in common: Leading playoff runs and owning a Super Bowl ring.</p><p>Except the 74-year-old Carroll out-coached Vrabel, even in his own game.</p><p>Vrabel established a reputation as a hard-nosed defensive coach, using his linebacker past to install the personality. But Carroll unleashed a more stout defensive approach inside Gillette Stadium.</p><h2><b>Patriots have flaws with protection</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Drake-Maye-vs.-Maxx-Crosby.jpg"><figcaption>Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Drake Maye walked in as one Patriots player expected to flourish under Vrabel. The head coach ensured Maye has his vote of confidence.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-does-drake-maye-have-too-much-plate-heres-what-said">Now many wonder if Maye has too much on his plate this soon in his Pats career</a>. Others are questioning if the quarterback has the right protection up front.</p><p>The 2024 Raiders delivered three four-to-five sack performances last season — all three occurring after Thanksgiving. Carroll and returning defensive coordinator Patrick Graham got Vegas to hit the four mark on Sunday. The Raiders took advantage of Maye’s knack for stepping into the pocket instead of escaping it when under duress.</p><p>The high number of sacks leaves fans wondering if Vrabel must tinker with the trenches. And for this next reason.</p><h2>Patriots run game ineffective</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Patriots-head-coach-Mike-Vrabel.jpg"><figcaption>Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Vrabel not long ago rode the legs and power of Derrick Henry. The duo produced multiple playoff runs together, including the run to the AFC Championship game in the 2019 season.</p><p>The head coach obviously doesn’t have a Henry-like back in Foxborough. He did have savvy veteran Rhamondre Stevenson and talented rookie TreyVeyon Henderson to work with.</p><p>But the front five created minimal running run against the Silver and Black. Vegas bottled the Patriots to a dismal 60 rushing yards.</p><p>Henderson delivered the best yardage results — but at only 27. Stevenson settled for 15 yards and averaged just 2.1 yards per carry.</p><h2>Pass rushing is strength, but not pass coverage</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Marcus-Jones-vs.-Jakobi-Meyers.jpg"><figcaption>Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Sacking Geno Smith rose as one positive for the Pats. Smith got tussled four times to match Maye’s total.</p><p>Yet the veteran still picked apart the secondary with 362 passing yards — his best output since Nov. 3 against the Raiders while with the Seattle Seahawks. Smith even hit nine completions that passed 20 yards.</p><p>New England clearly ran a predictable set of coverages against Smith. He found the right reads and shredded the secondary.</p><p>Smith discovered middle linebacker Christian Elliss as a weak link. Elliss <a href="https://premium.pff.com/nfl/games/2025/1/new-england-patriots/defense-coverage-vs-receiving" rel="noopener">surrendered six receptions for 69 yards</a> facing Smith’s arm according to Pro Football Focus. Deep safety Jaylinn Hawkins got torched too on the Tre Tucker touchdowns, and allowed 88 yards on three catches.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-christian-gonzalez-ruled-out-will-campbell-questionable-week-1">The absence of Christian Gonzalez obviously didn’t help</a>. Now they must operate <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-new-england-dc-away-due-unforeseen-ongoings">without defensive coordinator Terrell Williams</a> for a brief moment. But Vrabel has a passing defense to fix before facing Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins soon.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Patriots most to blame for discouraging Week 1 loss to Raiders

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-does-drake-maye-have-too-much-plate-heres-what-said');   ga('set', 'title', 'Does Patriots’ Drake Maye have ‘too much on plate?’ Here’s what he said');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Patriots-quarterback-Drake-Maye_e4775b.jpg"><figcaption>Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Does Patriots’ Drake Maye have ‘too much on plate?’ Here’s what he said</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-10T14:16:58-07:00">September 10th, 2:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-10T14:16:58-07:00">September 10th, 2:16pm</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">New England Patriots</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As Drake Maye and the New England Patriots look to bounce back from their 20-13 Week 1 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, they’ll need a steady performance from their starting quarterback. After their seven-point loss on Sunday, head coach <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-what-mike-vrabel-not-do-drake-maye-week-1-loss">Mike Vrabel vowed to evaluate Maye’s performance</a> before their Week 2 matchup against the Miami Dolphins. However, his starting QB made an interesting revelation amid practice.</p><p>Maye’s recent comments responded to Patriots fans wondering if the <a href="https://x.com/ByMarkDaniels/status/1965874091166159291" rel="noopener">second-year QB is perhaps overwhelmed</a> at the start of the 2025 NFL season, per MassLive.com’s Mark Daniels.</p><p>“No. Any time you’re playing quarterback in the NFL, there’s a lot on your plate,” Maye said. “It’s something I don’t take for granted.”</p><p>The role of a starting QB in the NFL isn’t easy. It’s something that Maye will continue to prove himself worthy of at the beginning of his second season with the Patriots. However, the pressure’s on after a disappointing start to the season. One game into his second year, The Ringer’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-bill-simmons-pumps-brakes-patriots-hype-train-raiders-flop">Bill Simmons has already given up on Maye</a> despite his strong support during the offseason.</p><p>“Being bullish on the Pats and gradually coming off of it the last two or three weeks, as a couple of injuries and just some of the feedback coming out of camp and the coaching staff,” Simmons said. “And it just seemed like they were kind of preparing people like, ‘Yo, we’ve had a lot of turnover, we don’t have high expectations.’”</p><h2><b>Mike Vrabel reacts to Drake Maye’s performance in Patriots loss</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Patriots-head-coach-Mike-Vrabel_c1bfe2.jpg"><figcaption>Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel will spend the rest of the week preparing Drake Maye and his team for their divisional matchup against the Dolphins. Ahead of Week 2, Vrabel says <a href="https://x.com/mikekadlick/status/1965077747723583541">setting his starting QB for success</a> is critical for his coaching staff, per Sports Illustrated’s Mike Kadlick.</p><p>“I think we have to evaluate that,” Vrabel said. “I think we have to find out, is there something there… we have to figure out what our guys do best and do that. We just have to make sure that we’re giving him answers without having him do too much.”</p><p>The Patriots will face the Dolphins on the road on Sunday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Does Patriots’ Drake Maye have ‘too much on plate?’ Here’s what he said

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-vs-dolphins-bold-predictions-for-week-2-of-2025-nfl-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Patriots vs. Dolphins bold predictions for Week 2 of 2025 NFL season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Patriots-vs.-Dolphins-bold-predictions-for-Week-2-of-2025-NFL-season.jpg"></figure><h1>Patriots vs. Dolphins bold predictions for Week 2 of 2025 NFL season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-10T14:12:07-07:00">September 10th, 2:12pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-11T16:44:38-07:00">September 11th, 4:44pm</time><address><a>RB Hayek</a>RB Hayek has been writing about sports for over a decade and is currently a member of ClutchPoints' editorial team after primarily focusing on betting content. In addition, he is also a published author of thriller novels, available on Amazon.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-drake-maye-face-says-all-ugly-game-raiders">New England Patriots fell to the Las Vegas Raiders</a> in Week 1. Meanwhile, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/miami-dolphins/dolphins-rumors-panic-button-not-smacked-yet-but-that-could-change">Miami Dolphins crumbled against the Indianapolis Colts,</a> setting up for a showdown against the Pats. With the Patriots versus the Dolphins game scheduled for Week 2, both teams will want to get going after stumbling early. This Patriots-Dolphins Week 2 preview will go into the details of what might happen. Also, the Patriots-Dolphins bold predictions will cover potential highlights for the weekend.</p><p>Miami<a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nfl" rel="noopener"> is the favorite</a> against New England, according to FanDuel. Overall, it’s tough to see the Fins as the favorites in anything. Their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/miami-dolphins/dolphins-news-rob-gronkowski-rips-terrible-miami-ugly-week-1-loss">horrible Week 1 performance</a> has left fans stunned. However, history has shown that teams don’t always perform consistently, good or bad, from week to week. Moreover, some teams do better against other teams, especially divisional rivals.</p><p>This Patriots-Dolphins Week 2 preview offers three bold predictions for what to expect this week. Now, it’s time for some Patriots-Dolphins bold predictions for this AFC East showdown in Miami.</p><h2><b>Tua Tagovailoa will have a fantastic game</b></h2><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/miami-dolphins/dolphins-most-blame-embarrassing-week-1-loss-colts">Tua Tagovailoa was one of the Dolphins’ players to blame</a> in an ugly loss to the Colts. Unfortunately, he was awful, going 14-for-23 with 114 yards passing while throwing one touchdown and two interceptions in the defeat. It’s no secret that Tagovailoa was awful. However, he has bounced back before. More importantly, he has done well recently against the Pats at home.</p><p>Tagovailoa went 29-for-40 with 317 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-15 win on November 24, 2024, at Hard Rock Stadium. Before that, he went 30-for-45 with 324 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception on October 29, 2023. Tagovailoa went 23-for-33 with 270 yards and one touchdown on September 11, 2022. Significantly, Tagovailoa is 7-0 against the Patriots throughout his career.</p><p>The quarterback has done great work against New England. While he struggled in Week 1, there is reason to believe that he can bounce back. It will be the home opener for the Fins, and that might provide more motivation for Tagovailoa to respond accordingly after a porous outing in Week 1 in Indianapolis.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Patriots-quarterback-Drake-Maye_6f5d03.jpg"><figcaption>Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h2><b>Drake Maye performs well against the Dolphins</b></h2><p>On the other side, Drake Maye will also be looking for his first win of the season. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-what-mike-vrabel-not-do-drake-maye-week-1-loss">Maye is processing the loss to the Raiders,</a> but it was not a bad performance. Overall, he completed 30-for-46 passes for 287 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. The interception was an errant overthrow that sailed over his receiver’s head and into the hands of a defender. Yet, there is a chance he can do better.</p><p>Maye had similar stats against the Dolphins last season. Notably, he went 22-for-37 for 222 yards passing with one touchdown and one interception while taking four sacks. It was his first and only time facing the Fins, and he was not able to keep up with Tagovailoa. Yet, there is a chance he could do more in this game.</p><p>This Miami defense does not look close to the one that was solid in 2024. Moreover, Daniel Jones exploited many weaknesses in the scheme and showed the blueprint for moving the football down the field against the Fins. Maye is still a young quarterback, but he has a chance to make a statement in an AFC East clash with a rival that is also seeking its first win. Maye will shine in Miami this weekend.</p><h2><b>The Patriots vs. the Dolphins game will be a rout. </b></h2><p>Last season, the Pats narrowly lost to the Dolphins 15-10 at Foxboro. But the Fins demolished the Patriots at home. Looking back on the last few matches between the Pats and Fins, that has become a singular pattern that has continued.</p><p>The Dolphins defeated the Patriots 34-15 in Miami last season. Before that, the Fins defeated the Pats 31-17 on October 29, 2023, at Hard Rock Stadium. The Dolphins also routed the Patriots 20-7 on September 11, 2021. Likewise, the Fins won 22-12 over the Pats on December 20, 2020, in Miami.</p><p>Ever since Bill Belichick left the organization, the Dolphins have dominated this series. Despite the ugly loss in Week 1, history has shown that teams usually bounce back after blowout losses. The Dolphins are in a weird place where they are not contenders, but are not rebuilding, either. Therefore, it gives more reason to the fact that there is a good chance the Fins could not only bounce back, but dominate the Patriots.</p><p>Tagovailoa will bounce back, and the Dolphins will implement a strong running game, led by De’von Achane, to generate some offense. Then, the defense will answer the call and find a way to contain Maye, forcing him into mistakes. While many believe the Patriots could snag this game, it’s important to realize that every week is different. The Dolphins will bounce back and rout their division rivals.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Patriots vs. Dolphins bold predictions for Week 2 of 2025 NFL season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-stefon-diggs-says-injured-knee-felt-good');   ga('set', 'title', 'Patriots’ Stefon Diggs says injured knee ‘felt good’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Stefon-Diggs-practices-before-the-game-against-the-Las-Vegas-Raiders.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Patriots’ Stefon Diggs says injured knee ‘felt good’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-10T11:48:31-07:00">September 10th, 11:48am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-10T11:48:31-07:00">September 10th, 11:48am</time><address><a>Yago Antunes</a>Yago Antunes is a Brazilian journalist and writer with experience covering esports, the NFL, NBA, and soccer. He has contributed to online outlets and reported on major international tournaments, building a strong background in sports journalism and digital media while displaying his passion about storytelling and sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">New England Patriots</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Patriots’ wide receiver Stefon Diggs stepped into Week 1 carrying not only the pressure of debuting with a new team but also the cloud of an offseason filled with scrutiny, as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/mike-vrabel-declares-patriots-failed-against-raiders-bad-football">New England, in the words of Mike Vrabel, had failed</a> in its game against the Raiders.</p><p>Before kickoff, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-stefon-diggs-addresses-media-lengthy-apology-week-1">Diggs made headlines with a long apology to the media</a>, clarifying past comments that were misinterpreted and stressing his desire to start fresh.</p><p>”If I rubbed anybody the wrong way, I really want to apologize moving forward,” Diggs said, emphasizing professionalism and accountability. His words came as head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed his readiness for the opener.</p><p>Against the Raiders on Sunday, Patriots wide receivers’ return to action became the focal point. <a href="https://x.com/MikeReiss/status/1965831307684118991" rel="noopener">Speaking from the locker room afterward</a>, in comments published on X, formerly Twitter, by ESPN’s Mike Reiss, he provided the update fans had been waiting for about his surgically repaired knee.</p><p>”Felt good,” Diggs said. ”I actually missed the contact portion of it, as far as getting hit in a little bit. I look forward to getting back out there.”</p><p>Diggs also commented on his <a href="https://x.com/zm_cox/status/1965839620635021753" rel="noopener">first game with his new team</a>, in remarks reported on X, formerly Twitter, by Zack Cox of the Boston Herald.</p><p>”Obviously, getting tackled helps a lot. I didn’t want to escape that game without getting hit a little bit, so I was seeking a little bit of contact. And I don’t really love to get hit at all — obviously, I play receiver — but I needed it a little bit. I needed to get out there and hit the ground a little bit, catch a couple passes. So for me, I’m just trying to build off it.”</p><p>In limited action, he logged 29 snaps, catching six passes on seven targets, a promising sign of both health and chemistry with quarterback Drake Maye.</p><p>Though New England ultimately fell 20-13 to Las Vegas, Diggs’ performance was one of the few positives in a frustrating opener. For a player who <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-stefon-diggs-brutally-honest-surprisingly-speedy-acl-recovery">tore his ACL last October</a>, simply being back on the field was an accomplishment.</p><p>”I feel like the worst has already happened,” he reflected in camp, explaining how the rehab process prepared him mentally to play freely again.</p><p>Now, with Week 1 in the rearview, the challenge shifts to building consistency in New England’s offense. For Diggs, the mission is simple: stay healthy and lead by example.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Patriots’ Stefon Diggs says injured knee ‘felt good’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-new-england-dc-away-due-unforeseen-ongoings');   ga('set', 'title', 'Patriots DC to be away due to “unforeseen ongoings”');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Williams-coaches.jpg"><figcaption>Eric Canha-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Patriots DC to be away due to “unforeseen ongoings”</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-10T10:19:12-07:00">September 10th, 10:19am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-10T10:19:12-07:00">September 10th, 10:19am</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University alum from Atlanta who graduated with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">New England Patriots</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Sunday, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-bill-simmons-mocked-giving-drake-maye-young-josh-allen-nickname">New England Patriots got</a> off to a rough start to their 2025 season with a home <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-bill-simmons-pumps-brakes-patriots-hype-train-raiders-flop">loss to the Las Vegas Raiders</a> to drop to 0-1. The Patriots’ defense, and particularly its secondary, which was touted as a unit to watch heading into this NFL season, largely underperformed, allowing Geno Smith and company to get just about whatever they wanted for the majority of the afternoon.</p><p>On Wednesday, the Patriots got <a href="https://x.com/MikeReiss/status/1965822037576081680" rel="noopener">some tough news</a> regarding the leader of that defensive unit, DC Terrell Williams.</p><p>“Patriots defensive coordinator Terrell Williams, one of Mike Vrabel’s top aides, will be away for the next few days due to ‘some unforeseen ongoings’ not related to his spring/summer health matter, Vrabel said,” reported Chad Graff of The Athletic on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>“Terrell Williams is going to be away for the next few days,” said Vrabel, per Mike Reiss of ESPN on X. “It’s nothing related to the incident from March, but it was something that just came up, and we’ll have to run some more tests, and we think it’s best and I think it’s best that he focus on that and we prepare for Miami.”</p><p>Hopefully, Williams’ situation resolves quickly and healthfully.</p><h2><b>A tough start for the Patriots</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Drake-Maye.jpg"><figcaption>Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The New England Patriots were projected by many to be a potential playoff team heading into this season, participating in a weak AFC East (outside of the Buffalo Bills, of course), and with a roster filled with young stars like Christian Gonzalez and Drake Maye and a head coach in Mike Vrabel who has a knack for getting the most out of his players.</p><p>Unfortunately, that did not come to pass on Sunday, as the Patriots were outplayed for the majority of the afternoon and ultimately ran out of time to complete a comeback.</p><p>The good news for the Patriots is that they will have a chance to make things right against a Miami Dolphins team that was absolutely eviscerated by the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. That game is slated to kick off at 1:00 PM ET from Miami on Sunday afternoon.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Patriots DC to be away due to “unforeseen ongoings”

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-treveyon-henderson-life-changing-move-nfl-debut');   ga('set', 'title', 'Patriots’ TreVeyon Henderson announces life-changing move after NFL debut');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TreVeyon-Henderson.jpg"><figcaption>Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Patriots’ TreVeyon Henderson announces life-changing move after NFL debut</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-09T19:44:35-07:00">September 9th, 7:44pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-09T19:44:35-07:00">September 9th, 7:44pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a>Paolo Mariano is a freelance writer, editor, and producer based in Manila, Philippines. He is a journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas and the father of a young girl whose personality swings from Simone Biles to Dillon Brooks. A beacon of objectivity, he believes Penny Hardaway is the true NBA GOAT.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">New England Patriots</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson just keeps on winning.</p><p>After capturing the national title with Ohio, he was drafted by the Patriots as the 38th overall pick in this year’s draft. After an impressive preseason, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/3-hot-takes-after-treveyon-hendersons-big-preseason-debut-for-patriots">Henderson easily snagged a spot</a> in the team’s roster.</p><p>While they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-bill-simmons-pumps-brakes-patriots-hype-train-raiders-flop">lost to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1</a>, 20-13, Henderson played solidly in his first game, tallying five carries for 27 yards. He also had six receptions for 24 yards.</p><p>Following his productive debut, the 22-year-old rookie snagged a huge victory. On Tuesday, he announced that he got engaged to his girlfriend.</p><p>“’Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.’ Proverbs‬ ‭31‬:‭30‬‭💍,” posted the Patriots newcomer on Instagram, while also showing a picture from their engagement.</p><p>His fiancee proudly showed off the ring.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="instagram-media"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DOZT67jj0AG/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="display: flex;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div><div style="display: flex;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div><div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"><div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div><div style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div><div></div><div></div><div></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div><div></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"><div></div><div></div><div></div></div></div><div style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 24px;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div><p></p></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DOZT67jj0AG/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by TreVeyon Henderson (@trey.h.4)</a></p></div></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>Friends swiftly congratulated Henderson on the life-changing milestone, including NFL insider Jordan Schultz and his former teammates at Ohio, quarterback Lincoln Kienholz and tight end Zak Herbstreit.</p><p>The Patriots also showed love by commenting two heart emojis.</p><p>Henderson figured heavily in New England’s schemes versus the Raiders. But he admitted after the game that he had to <a href="https://www.masslive.com/patriots/2025/09/heres-what-surprised-patriots-rookie-treveyon-henderson-in-nfl-debut.html" rel="noopener">adjust to the physicality</a> of the game.</p><p>“It’s definitely more physical than college. That surprised me. I took some shots out there,” said Henderson in a report from Mass Live’s Mark Daniels.</p><p>“I’m feeling pretty good. The biggest thing is recovering and getting ready for this upcoming week.”</p><p>He noted that he’s still learning the system, but he’s eager to put in the work and be a sponge. He also acknowledged their holes against Las Vegas but maintained a positive outlook heading into Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins.</p><p>“We definitely may not have run the ball as well as we wanted to. It’s something we have to continue to work on,” added Henderson. “It’s the first game. There’s definitely going to be a lot of mistakes out there, a lot of things we could’ve done better. The biggest thing is being consistent with the preparation each week and not just go downhill.”</p><p>Talk about being engaged.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Patriots’ TreVeyon Henderson announces life-changing move after NFL debut

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/miami-dolphins/dolphins-news-darren-waller-week-2-patriots');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dolphins TE Darren Waller ‘trying to play’ in Week 2 vs. Patriots');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Darren-Waller-Dlphjins.jpg"><figcaption>Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Dolphins TE Darren Waller ‘trying to play’ in Week 2 vs. Patriots</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-08T19:44:25-07:00">September 8th, 7:44pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-08T19:44:50-07:00">September 8th, 7:44pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Dolphins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After a rough Week 1, the Miami Dolphins may soon welcome a major boost on offense. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/miami-dolphins/dolphins-news-mike-mcdaniel-reacts-early-hot-seat-pressure-colts-disaster">Head coach Mike McDaniel</a> revealed that tight end Darren Waller, who missed the season opener with a hip strain, is working toward a return.</p><p>The Sun Sentinel’s David Furones posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Waller <a href="https://x.com/DavidFurones_/status/1965119684799594602" rel="noopener">has not been ruled out</a> for Miami’s Week 2 home opener against the New England Patriots. McDaniel gave an update on the veteran tight end’s status.</p><p>“He’s trying to play as best he can in this next one. If he can’t, we’ll try to play him (Week 3 TNF at Buffalo).”</p><p>The Dolphins opened the 2025 NFL season with a 33-8 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, as the entire offense struggled to find any rhythm. Miami managed just 114 passing yards, three turnovers, and less than 21 minutes of possession, highlighting how much the unit needs Waller’s presence. The Patriots, who fell 20-13 to the Las Vegas Raiders in their opener, will now test a Dolphins offense still searching for answers.</p><p>The injury of the veteran tight end carries weight not only because of his resume but also because of his potential fit in the Miami offense. Waller has caught 350 passes for 4,124 yards and 20 touchdowns in his career, with a 1,196-yard season in 2020 that earned him a Pro Bowl selection. If available, he could provide Tua Tagovailoa with a reliable middle-of-the-field option and a proven red-zone target.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/miami-dolphins/dolphins-news-darren-waller-surprise-injury-update-colts-matchup">If Waller is cleared</a>, expectations would likely involve a pitch count, with scripted packages for third downs and red-zone situations. His ability to command coverage would also create openings for Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, both limited in Week 1 by Indianapolis’ coverage schemes.</p><p>If Waller is held out again, Miami may lean more on De’Von Achane in the check-down game and design plays to create yards after the catch for Hill and Waddle. Either way, Week 2 against New England already feels like a pivotal moment for the Dolphins, who are trying to avoid an 0-2 start in the AFC East.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dolphins TE Darren Waller ‘trying to play’ in Week 2 vs. Patriots

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-bill-simmons-mocked-giving-drake-maye-young-josh-allen-nickname');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bill Simmons mocked over giving Patriots’ Drake Maye ‘Young Josh Allen’ nickname');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Patriots-quarterback-Drake-Maye_6f5d03.jpg"><figcaption>Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Bill Simmons mocked over giving Patriots’ Drake Maye ‘Young Josh Allen’ nickname</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-08T14:54:20-07:00">September 8th, 2:54pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-08T14:54:20-07:00">September 8th, 2:54pm</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">New England Patriots</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Ringer’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-bill-simmons-pumps-brakes-patriots-hype-train-raiders-flop">Bill Simmons is discouraged over Drake Maye</a> and the New England Patriots’ 20-13 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1. It wasn’t the kind of start to the 2025 NFL season that Simmons had anticipated for Maye. He revealed the kind of quarterback he wanted to see were shades of Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Perhaps the version of Allen who approached his second season in the NFL.</p><p>As one of the new faces of the Boston sports scene, Maye’s rough outing that kicked off his second season with the Patriots, isn’t sitting well with Simmons, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/AWXG-_TF-Kk" rel="noopener">who broke it down</a> through the lenses of a Boston sports fan, per the Bill Simmons Podcast.</p><p>“The Drake Maye thing bummed me out. It’s a tough one because we had Jayson Tatum, Drake Maye, and Roman Anthony were the trifecta for us,” Simmons said. “And Tatum got hurt. Roman Anthony, he was Ted Williams for two months, and then he hurts his oblique. And then Drake Maye, who we had all these hopes for.”</p><p>He’s supported Maye from the beginning. Since the day he was drafted, Simmons <a href="https://twitter.com/rBillSimmonsPod/status/1871203567677460727" rel="noopener">approved the pick</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bill Simmons, November 2021:</p><p>“Mac Jones was the best pick in the draft. If we have a redraft he goes first or second”</p><p>Bill Simmons, December 2024:</p><p>“Mac Jones was always a game manager” <a href="https://t.co/ULY6P11HzE">pic.twitter.com/ULY6P11HzE</a></p><p>— The r/BillSimmons Podcast (@rBillSimmonsPod) <a href="https://twitter.com/rBillSimmonsPod/status/1871203567677460727?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“His stats were okay today,” Simmons said of the Patriots’ Week 1 loss. “But I did not think he was that good that day.”</p><p>Maye’s hectic approach has Simmons worried about his future with the Patriots.</p><p>“He was sailing balls. He seemed skittish in the first drive of the first half and first drive of the second half,” Simmons added. “It just wasn’t a great Drake Maye game. He wasn’t running the ball. He just didn’t seem like young Josh Allen. I didn’t like it.”</p><p>Cousin Sal, Simmons’ guest, immediately dismissed comparing Maye to a young Allen, which he didn’t think was ever a thing.</p><p>“That’s what I want him to be,” Simmons replied. “I want him to be a young Josh Allen.”</p><p>However, given that Allen was on the wrong end of a 40-25 deficit, Sal added, “I think he could do that.”</p><h2><b>Bill Simmons pumps the brakes on the 2026 Patriots hype train</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Patriots-quarterback-Drake-Maye-2.jpg"><figcaption>Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>One game into the 2025 NFL season and the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/mike-vrabel-patriots-jerod-mayo-bad-sign">Patriots are reminding fans of last year’s finish</a>. While Simmons was confident that the Patriots could build off last year’s four wins, he’s having second thoughts.</p><p>“Being bullish on the Pats and gradually coming off of it the last two or three weeks, as a couple of injuries and just some of the feedback coming out of camp and the coaching staff,” Simmons said.</p><p>Simmons, the Massachusetts native, was so frustrated with his Patriots that he didn’t even want to recap their Week 1 loss to the Raiders.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bill Simmons mocked over giving Patriots’ Drake Maye ‘Young Josh Allen’ nickname

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/new-england-patriots/mike-vrabel-patriots-jerod-mayo-bad-sign');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mike Vrabel’s Patriots looking like Jerod Mayo’s Patriots is a bad sign');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Mike-Vrabels-Patriots-looking-like-Jerod-Mayos-Patriots-is-a-bad-sign.jpg"></figure><h1>Mike Vrabel’s Patriots looking like Jerod Mayo’s Patriots is a bad sign</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-08T14:32:53-07:00">September 8th, 2:32pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-08T14:32:53-07:00">September 8th, 2:32pm</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor and NFL Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New England Patriots were supposed to feel different in 2025 with new head coach Mike Vrabel replacing Jerod Mayo, but Week 1 wasn’t a great start to that trend.</p><p>Despite a decent start, Vrabel’s Patriots looked a whole lot like Mayo’s Patriots on Sunday in a 20-13 <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-drake-maye-face-says-all-ugly-game-raiders">home loss to the Las Vegas Raiders</a> to start the season 0-1. It’s just Week 1, but that is a reason to be concerned.</p><h2><b>Drake Maye, offense fall flat in first game of season</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Drake-Maye.jpg"><figcaption>Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Vrabel isn’t an offensive coach, but second-year quarterback <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-what-mike-vrabel-not-do-drake-maye-week-1-loss">Drake Maye was supposed to take a step forward</a> and drive that unit. The offense got off to a good start with a first-quarter touchdown pass from Maye to Pop Douglas, but they stalled out after that. Maye finished 30-for-46 for 287 yards with one touchdown and one interception, but the film is worse than the box score in that regard.</p><p>New England finished 31st in yards per game and 30th in points per game last season, and it mustered just 13 points and 336 total yards against a Raiders defense that, quite frankly, doesn’t have a lot of talent in the back seven at all. Pete Carroll covered some of that up by playing mostly zone coverage — the Raiders played just one snap of man despite the Patriots’ lackluster receivers — but this offense still should have been able to be more productive.</p><p>Vrabel built an identity with the Tennessee Titans as a physical coach who likes to run the football, but the Patriots tallied just 60 yards on the ground on 18 carries. Not having Derrick Henry makes it a little tougher for Vrabel, but that is still a number that has to come up over the course of the season.</p><h2><b>New England defense gets sliced and diced by Geno Smith</b></h2><p>The Patriots have some more talent defensively than they do around Maye on the offensive side of the ball, ranking below average in both yards and points last season under Mayo. However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/las-vegas-raiders/raiders-news-geno-smith-franchise-record-debut-win-patriots">Geno Smith carved up the New England secondary</a> all day long by pushing the ball down the field, and that was enough to get a win for the Raiders.</p><p>The new Las Vegas quarterback finished with 362 yards and a touchdown, with one interception, on 24-for-34 passing despite getting no help from the running game.</p><p>Getting Christian Gonzalez back at cornerback will help the pass defense and give Vrabel someone he can rely on to play man coverage and take away the opponent’s top weapon, so better health will help them on that side of the ball.</p><p>Vrabel is supposed to be a culture-changer, but the Patriots looked like the same disorganized group that they were last season under Mayo, who was heavily scrutinized for exactly that. Rookie TreVeyon Henderson got just five carries and, while he did have six catches, was not a massive part of the gameplan despite a lack of explosive players around him.</p><p>The penalties were also a big issue for New England, which finished with nine penalties for 70 yards in this game. Those add up and are very costly, and it’s something that a coach who instills culture and discipline like Vrabel should not have happen.</p><p>Of course, it’s only Week 1 and there is a good chance that New England can improve on these things moving forward. Season openers are oftentimes sloppy and disjointed as teams look for things that work for them on both sides of the ball, but these are still concerning signs that are worth monitoring in the coming weeks up in Foxborough.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mike Vrabel’s Patriots looking like Jerod Mayo’s Patriots is a bad sign

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-what-mike-vrabel-not-do-drake-maye-week-1-loss');   ga('set', 'title', 'What Patriots’ Mike Vrabel is ‘making sure’ not to do with Drake Maye after Week 1 loss');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Patriots-QB-Drake-Maye-against-the-Raiders-Week-1.jpg"><figcaption>Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>What Patriots’ Mike Vrabel is ‘making sure’ not to do with Drake Maye after Week 1 loss</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-08T10:06:42-07:00">September 8th, 10:06am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-08T10:06:42-07:00">September 8th, 10:06am</time><address><a>Gerard Angelo Samillano</a>Gerard Angelo Samillano is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints, with his focus primarily on the NBA, NFL, MLB and NCAA Football. When he's not writing for CP, Gerard can often be seen playing VALORANT or playing pick-up basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">New England Patriots</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After a solid end to his rookie campaign, there was a lot of hope for Drake Maye coming into the 2025 season. New England Patriots fans wanted to see Maye hit a massive sophomore leap and blossom into a great quarterback in the NFL. That, sadly, wasn’t quite the case during their Week 1 game against the Las Vegas Raiders.</p><p>Maye looked promising in the first half, but<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-bill-simmons-pumps-brakes-patriots-hype-train-raiders-flop"> the second half was rough for both him and the Patriots</a>. The Raiders’ pass rush clearly bothered the sophomore, forcing him to rush and not play on his own pace. A costly interception in the second half led to the Raiders scoring the go-ahead touchdown, a lead that they will not relinquish.</p><p>After the game, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was asked about whether Maye <a href="https://x.com/mikekadlick/status/1965077747723583541" rel="noopener">had too much to think about</a>. The head coach said that they will look into that, and that their goal is for Maye to not have to do too much while still arriving at the right solutions.</p><p>“I think we have to evaluate that,” Vrabel told Mike Kadlick. “I think we have to find out, is there something there… we have to figure out what our guys do best and do that. We just have to make sure that we’re giving him answers without having him do too much.”</p><p>Maye threw a whopping 46 passes on the day, completing 30 of those for 287 yards and a touchdown. That being said, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-will-campbell-earns-praise-maxx-crosby-after-debut">the Patriots’ offensive line struggled to protect Maye,</a> forcing the quarterback to run on multiple occasions. It was a rough outing for the Pats on offense: they converted only four of their third-down opportunities and only ran for 60 yards on the day.</p><p>Next up on the Patriots’ docket is a date with the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins also lost their Week 1 game to the Indianapolis Colts, with Tua Tagovailoa struggling as well.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

What Patriots’ Mike Vrabel is ‘making sure’ not to do with Drake Maye after Week 1 loss

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/ncaa-football/north-carolina-football-news-afc-exec-suffer-bill-belichic-petty-grudge');   ga('set', 'title', 'AFC exec reveals who will ‘suffer’ from North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick’s petty grudge');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AFC-exec-reveals-who-will-suffer-from-Bill-Belichicks-petty-grudge.jpg"><figcaption>© Eric Canha-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>AFC exec reveals who will ‘suffer’ from North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick’s petty grudge</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-08T10:00:28-07:00">September 8th, 10:00am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-08T10:00:28-07:00">September 8th, 10:00am</time><address><a>Preston Byers</a>Preston Byers is an experienced writer and journalist who currently serves as an associate editor for ClutchPoints and as a staff writer at The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle, where he covers sports in the Mahoning Valley. Previously, Preston worked as an associate editor for Dot Esports and a site expert for FanSided's Union and Blue.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NCAA Football</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick is about as connected to the NFL as any college football coach ever has been, but he has made it clear that one NFL team will not be welcome in Chapel Hill.</p><p>In what was officially classified as a mutual decision, Belichick departed the New England Patriots in January 2024. There was speculation at the time that the decision was not so mutual, and that assumption has only been supported by reports since that Belichick was, in fact, pushed out of the organization after nearly a quarter of a century as the Patriots’ head coach and de facto general manager by team owner Robert Kraft.</p><p>Kraft reportedly also may have played a factor in Belichick’s unsuccessful search for another NFL head coaching job that winter, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-bill-belichick-turns-tables-robert-krafts-big-risk-comments">Belichick seemingly hasn’t patched things up</a> with his old employer.</p><p>Before North Carolina’s second game under Belichick, a former NFL scout claimed, and subsequent reports emerged, that the Tar Heels were open to all scouts coming into their facilities <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/north-carolina-football-news-bill-belichick-bans-patriots-scouts-tar-heels-practice">except the Patriots</a>.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-football/unc-football-news-why-bill-belichick-wont-allow-patriots-scout-unc">Belichick did not hesitate to confirm the ban</a> and explain why.</p><p>“It’s clear that I’m not welcome there around their facility. So they’re not welcome at ours. It’s pretty simple,” Belichick said after his first win as UNC’s head coach on Saturday.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bill Belichick on banning <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Patriots?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Patriots</a> scouts: "It's clear I'm not welcome there at their facility. So they're not welcome at ours. It’s pretty simple.”</p><p>(via Tar Heel Tribune / YT)</p><p> <a href="https://t.co/AvRs5U0WyR">pic.twitter.com/AvRs5U0WyR</a></p><p>— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) <a href="https://twitter.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1964526952313913833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The ban, as well as the reported limiting of access of scouts to one person at North Carolina, has, as expected, not endeared Belichick to scouts, even those not affiliated with New England,<a href="https://www.nbcsportsboston.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/bill-belichick-ban-patriots-scouts-north-carolina-reaction/729920/" rel="noopener"> according to</a> Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.</p><p>“Here’s what one AFC scouting director said to me in regards to this. He said, ‘Nobody is mad about UNC being a crappy visit. They don’t have players, they aren’t talented. The only people who are going to suffer are the UNC seniors who may be late-round guys or undrafted free agents. When we don’t have ample background on guys and they are late-round/UDFA types, we just move on to the next guy with a similar skill set that we know more about,'” Breer reported on Sunday’s ‘Patriots Pregame Live’.</p><p>The 73-year-old Belichick, who has been the subject of intense scrutiny and criticism for the nature of his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-football/north-carolina-football-news-bill-belichick-girlfriend-jordon-hudson-tcu">relationship with 24-year-old Jordon Hudson</a>, is now 1-1 at North Carolina after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-football/north-carolina-news-bill-belichick-win-1-unc-charlotte-demolition">defeating Charlotte 20-3</a> on Saturday. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-football/north-carolina-football-news-insider-bill-belichick-tcu-loss">The Tar Heels were previously shellacked by TCU</a> 48-14 in Belichick’s debut.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

AFC exec reveals who will ‘suffer’ from North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick’s petty grudge

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-bill-simmons-pumps-brakes-patriots-hype-train-raiders-flop');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bill Simmons pumps brakes on Patriots hype train after Raiders flop');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Patriots-head-coach-Mike-Vrabel.jpg"><figcaption>Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Bill Simmons pumps brakes on Patriots hype train after Raiders flop</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-08T09:35:17-07:00">September 8th, 9:35am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-08T09:35:17-07:00">September 8th, 9:35am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">New England Patriots</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Coming off the New England <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/mike-vrabel-declares-patriots-failed-against-raiders-bad-football">Patriots’ 20-13 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders</a> in Week 1, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons feels duped. The Patriots’ new head coach, Mike Vrabel, coupled with offseason additions, convinced Simmons that a significant improvement from New England’s four wins in the 2024 campaign was on the horizon. Suffice to say, he was very disappointed.</p><p>Simmons talked about the Patriots’ Week 1 loss, but not for long, as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH1tkvidtws&amp;t=1446s" rel="noopener">he addressed the hype</a> heading into this season, per the Bill Simmons Podcast.</p><p>“Being bullish on the Pats and gradually coming off of it the last two or three weeks, as a couple of injuries and just some of the feedback coming out of camp and the coaching staff,” Simmons said. “And it just seemed like they were kind of preparing people like, ‘Yo, we’ve had a lot of turnover, we don’t have high expectations.’”</p><p>Simmons, the Massachusetts native, was so frustrated with his Patriots that he didn’t even want to recap their Week 1 loss to the Raiders.</p><p>“Raiders, Pats. I don’t feel great about the Pats,” Simmons said. “I don’t want to talk about.”</p><p>After giving up 10 third-quarter points, the Patriots could only muster up a field goal throughout the second half before losing by one touchdown. Patriots’ second-year quarterback Drake Maye scored New England’s only touchdown of the game in the opening frame.</p><h2><b>Bill Simmons drops Mike Vrabel Patriots prediction</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Patriots-quarterback-Drake-Maye.jpg"><figcaption>Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Ringer’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-bill-simmons-bold-prediction-mike-vrabel">Bill Simmons had high hopes for Mike Vrabel</a> and the Patriots this season, but after Week 1’s loss to the Raiders, those hopes were quickly diminished. While Simmons believes in the direction Vrabel is leading, the Patriots’ second-year quarterback is what he is most excited about.</p><p>Simmons <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ_acucroTE&amp;t=909s" rel="noopener">defended</a> Maye’s second season with the Patriots, believing in the starting quarterback ahead of the 2025 NFL season.</p><p>“I really believe in Drake Maye,” Simmons said. “I really believe he’s talented. My one fear with him is that him taking dumb hits because he kept doing that last year. Can he stay on the field for 17 games? But I genuinely think this could be a breakout thing. I have them at ten and seven.”</p><p>Maye finished 30 of 46 and threw for 287 yards, one interception, and scored the team’s only touchdown in the 20-13 loss.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bill Simmons pumps brakes on Patriots hype train after Raiders flop

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-mike-vrabel-bill-belichick-facility');   ga('set', 'title', 'Would Patriots’ Mike Vrabel allow Bill Belichick back at facility?');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bill-Belichick-.jpg"><figcaption>Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>Would Patriots’ Mike Vrabel allow Bill Belichick back at facility?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-08T09:15:07-07:00">September 8th, 9:15am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-08T09:15:07-07:00">September 8th, 9:15am</time><address><a>Rishav Bhat</a>Rishav is a seasoned NBA and sports journalist and editor with over seven years of experience working for reputed organizations. A novelist first and foremost, he has written three fiction books. His high threshold of knowledge combined with his writing skills gives him the ability to write uniquely insightful pieces across basketball, soccer, cricket, lawn tennis, eSports, and a variety of other sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">New England Patriots</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Legendary NFL coach and six-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-football/unc-football-news-why-bill-belichick-wont-allow-patriots-scout-unc">Bill Belichick recently moved to college football with</a> the North Carolina Tar Heels. As a matter of fact, he earned his first college win on Saturday after a 20-3 victory over the Charlotte 49ers.</p><p>Straight after the game, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-football/north-carolina-football-news-why-bill-belichick-didnt-get-game-ball-first-win">Belichick confirmed that New England scouts</a> are no longer allowed in the Tar Heels’ facility. Belichick had claimed it was because he was sure he himself was not allowed in the Patriots’ facility due to his long-term feud with owner Robert Kraft.</p><p>However, the Patriots’ head coach Mike Vrabel seemingly has no issues with Belichick, initially claiming that “nothing surprised” him when it came to the former Patriots’ coach. Vrabel claimed that Belichick <a href="https://www.espn.in/nfl/story/_/id/46196836/mike-vrabel-says-bill-belichick-welcome-patriots-facility" rel="noopener">was allowed at the facility</a> “to the best of his knowledge.”</p><p>“Bill came back for, to the best of my knowledge, [to] Tom’s ceremony. So I guess he’s welcomed back based on the fact he was there,” he said, according to ESPN.</p><p>Belichick was actually given a standing ovation during Tom Brady’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony back in June 2024.</p><p>“I’ll just go by that — since his departure as the head coach here, he’s been back. I’ll leave it at that,” he explained.</p><p>Belichick’s earlier claim that he was not welcome at the Patriots’ facility was not based on physical presence, but a lack of respect, according to a source close to the coach. Belichick and Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s relationship has remained strained since their split in January 2024. Tensions had initially grown after Belichick was portrayed negatively in Apple TV+’s The Dynasty documentary.</p><p>This is despite the fact that Kraft has only recently revealed plans to build a statue for both Tom Brady and Belichick once their careers conclude. However, for now, it appears that Belichick is set to remain firm with his stance.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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