The Patriots are back at work with a quick turn to the Steelers looming Sunday at 1:00 ET, and Week 2 already feels like a test of what kind of response Mike Vrabel’s team has in it.
Tuesday is usually an off day around the NFL, but New England practiced yesterday and is set to get back together tomorrow to install the game plan. After opening the season with a loss, this one becomes about more than just the matchup itself. It’s a gut-check game, and Vrabel has plenty to sort through as he tries to get the Patriots pointed in the right direction.
The biggest question is how the group handles the disappointment. The loss is not something anyone in that locker room should be comfortable with, and the standard Vrabel set last year was built on players answering adversity with real urgency. That kind of reaction is what the Patriots need again now.
There’s also the practical side of it. New England has to keep working around injuries, and the return of TreVeyon Henderson should help. His presence gives Drake Maye another trusted option on the field, which matters as the offense tries to find more stability.
The tone from here has to come from the top. If the Patriots are going to show the kind of fight they want to be known for, that push has to start with the head coach and the team captains when they take the field again.
The roster has also seen some movement. The Patriots signed wide receiver Chandler Brayboy and linebacker Xavier Holmes to the practice squad, while releasing safety Elliott Davison and running back Hassan Haskins from the practice squad.
Around the team, the conversation has stayed centered on Vrabel, the Week 1 issues, and the pieces that can help steady things. Andrew Callahan wrote that Mike Vrabel must now do what the Patriots hired him to do in the first place: winning from a losing position.
Jerry Thornton pointed to the positives from the last few days, starting with the addition of defensive tackle DaQuan Jones. Hector Longo highlighted TreVeyon Henderson’s return as a possible spark for the offense.
There’s also been plenty of attention on what went wrong in Week 1 and what might come next. Mark Daniels noted how the team plans to replace A.J.
Brown, while also pointing to offensive reinforcements and more opportunity for Kyle Williams. Ian Logue said everything changed after Brown got hurt.
Michael Hurley examined the troubling history of wide receivers dealing with high ankle sprains, warning that there’s no guarantee A.J. Brown returns to form.
Special teams has even entered the picture. Graham Wilker raised the possibility of a punter battle after Week 1, asking whether veteran Mitch Wishnowski could take Bryce Baringer’s job.
On the broader NFL landscape, Week 1 produced plenty of noise elsewhere, but not much Patriots praise. Nate Davis’s roundup of 32 things learned from the opening week did not include New England, which drew a pointed reaction.
Bill Barnwell’s offense explosion piece also passed over the Patriots. Tyler Sullivan’s Week 1 recap included Drake Maye’s game-losing interception among the notable gaffes from the weekend.
For New England, though, the focus is simpler now: respond, clean it up, and show some fight when the Steelers come to town.
In Other News...
Patriots Suddenly Have A Trade Watch Worth Following On Defense
The Patriots defensive front is already under the microscope after Week 1 exposed some soft spots in the linebacker group, and that has made the trade market worth monitoring a little earlier than usual. One name that has surfaced is Giants edge linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux, whose role in New York appears to have shrunk enough to raise questions about where he fits long term.
For New England, the appeal is obvious: a player with pass-rush talent and a chance to help a defense that needs more impact at the second level. The buzz is that Thibodeaux could be had for a mid-round draft pick, which is the kind of price that can turn a speculative idea into a real conversation, even if the Giants are not ready to settle the issue just yet. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Rookie Is Already Filling A Role New England Desperately Needed
The Patriots used a busy April draft to stock up on help, and a few of those rookies have already found ways to matter. Caleb Lomu, Gabe Jacas, Eli Raridon and Namdi Obiazor all arrived in New England with different jobs ahead of them, but early in the season the team has seen contributions across the board. Jacas got to the quarterback for his first NFL sack in Week 1, Raridon put his name in the record book by scoring the first touchdown of the NFL season, and Obiazor has started to carve out a place on special teams.
For New England, Obiazors role may wind up being the most immediately important of the group. The Patriots are leaning on him and other rookies to help replace the special teams losses from last season, and he has already shown he can handle limited snaps with three tackles. It is the kind of quiet but necessary contribution that can matter more than flashy offensive moments, especially for a team trying to rebuild depth wherever it can find it. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Keep Tweaking Roster Depth With Another Notable Shuffle
The Patriots kept adjusting the bottom of the roster Monday, bringing safety Elliott Davison back onto the practice squad after clearing space by releasing tight end Shane Zylstra. Davison had already spent time on New Englands practice squad earlier this season, and the former Saints defensive back gives the team another familiar name to lean on as it continues sorting through depth options.
Zylstras release came with an injury waiver, another reminder that the practice squad churn is rarely just about talent evaluation this time of year. New Englands current group also includes several other reserve options, and the team has kept the door open with recent workouts for a couple of players as it tries to keep the right mix available behind the active roster. [Read more 🡒]