NFL
By Steve Atkinson
A week after the Tom Brady statue was unveiled outside the Patriots Hall of Fame, Brady was seen dressed in a Raiders jacket as he headed to a preseason game, now serving as co-owner of the team. On September 7th, Brady’s Raiders are set to face off against the Patriots in week one of the NFL season. The Patriots are coming off a disappointing 2024 season, during which they hastily hired Jerod Mayo as head coach after promising him the position, even though he wasn’t prepared. Mayo received little support from the coaching staff, and the team has essentially reset its roster following the drafting of quarterback Drake Maye.
Patriots should be trending upwards with Mike Vrabel.
Now that Robert Kraft and the team have secured the coach they truly wanted in Mike Vrabel—and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels—things should be looking up, right? Vrabel is implementing his defensive scheme and bringing in coaches he trusts, working alongside Ryan Cowden on personnel decisions, with Eliot Wolf managing who stays and who goes. Essentially, it’s a collaborative effort among Vrabel, Cowden, and Wolf, who will personally inform players whether they have made the roster.
Drake Maye hopes to make the second-year jump with the Patriots.
Drake Maye is the starting quarterback, and the aim is for him to make the typical second-year leap in development. Josh McDaniels’ new offense is hoped to incorporate fresh elements, as his previous scheme is viewed as outdated for running quarterbacks. Although Drake can run, he needs to start games effectively. He showed signs of first-quarter nerves during the preseason, throwing erratically at times, such as in the game against Minnesota, where he nearly turned the ball over. He cannot afford a shaky start against the Raiders, or the fanbase will likely start calling for Tommy Devitio.
Many Patriots fans seem to believe that the next backup quarterback will be the new Tom Brady, which is quite frustrating. The truth is, there won’t be another quarterback like Tom Brady, and fans need to come to terms with that. The treatment of Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe by this fanbase was simply ridiculous. Just a note: Zappe is on the Browns’ practice squad, along with the failed draft pick Cole Strange. Meanwhile, Mac Jones is backing up Brock Purdy in San Francisco—a situation that many believe should have happened back in 2021.
The hype surrounding Joe Milton, who was thought to be the next big thing, has led him to Dallas, while the Patriots now have career backup Josh Dobbs. However, since Dobbs didn’t perform well in the preseason, the team signed Tommy Devitio, whose agent is from Boston. Suddenly, there’s a belief that he might land the starting job and lead the Patriots to Super Bowl wins. All I’m saying is that Drake needs to have a strong start; otherwise, the sports radio crowd will be relentless.
The Patriots’ schedule is easy.
The Patriots have a relatively easy schedule to kick off the season, facing the Raiders, Dolphins, Steelers, and Panthers. They should start the season with at least a 2-2 record, and optimally 3-1, with their only likely loss coming against Miami. There’s no reason they should begin the season 0-4; that would be absurd. They ought to be able to beat the Raiders, the Steelers with a washed-up Aaron Rodgers, and the Panthers. A perfect 4-0 in September is a distinct possibility. The
