Mac Jones reportedly clashed with QB coach Joe Judge amid Patriots offensive dysfunction
You will not be surprised to hear the New England Patriots offense was struggling behind closed doors as much as it was on the field. Given how much of the Patriots' future rests on Jones becoming a quality NFL quarterback, Judge's future may be particularly questionable. Belichick would blast him in practice, and it wasn't uncommon for Judge and Jones to trade profanity-laced outbursts. The Patriots' offensive plan this season was to reportedly take McDaniels' concepts, throw in some Sean McVay ideas (play-action passes in particular) and simplify the gameplan overall for quicker execution. The good news for the Patriots is O'Brien actually has experience on offense and reportedly has Jones' stamp of approval.
wftv.comPatriots hire Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien to run offense
The Alabama offensive coordinator will take the same job with the New England Patriots, the team officially announced Thursday. After the longtime OC left New England to become the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick didn’t directly replace McDaniels. Former New York Giants head coach Joe Judge was the team’s quarterbacks coach while former Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia was the team’s offensive line coach. Overall, the Patriots' offense averaged 5.3 yards per play in 2022 after averaging 5.7 yards a play in 2021. O’Brien’s departure from Alabama means head coach Nick Saban will have a new offensive coordinator and a new defensive coordinator in 2023.
wftv.comPatriots want to keep de facto DC Jerod Mayo, but not Matt Patricia's playcalling
The team announced Thursday it has begun to discuss a potential contract extension for linebackers coach Jerod Mayo, a head coaching candidate who handled defensive playcalling this season. The full statement:The New England Patriots and Head Coach Bill Belichick have begun contract extension discussions with Jerod Mayo that would keep him with the team long-term. The Patriots are unique in the NFL in that they played this season without an offensive or defensive coordinator. Mayo has shared defensive playcalling duties with fellow linebackers coach Steve Belichick since the exit of Brian Flores, who held the same role, in 2019. The offensive playcalling — the entire offense, really — hasn't been so successful.
wftv.comNFL Winners and Losers: Patriots had a shot at playoffs, but they aren't good enough
The Patriots' game on Sunday was a microcosm of who they are. The Patriots' loss and the Miami Dolphins' win means Miami is in the playoffs and New England's season is over. It's pretty amazing the Patriots were alive for a playoff spot into the fourth quarter of their last regular-season game. Thompson wasn't great, but he might be starting a playoff game next week. Jason Sanders' field goal with 18 seconds left, coupled with the Patriots' loss, puts the Dolphins in the playoffs.
wftv.comCardinals DC Vance Joseph takes jab at Patriots OC Matt Patricia by saying the obvious
At this point, nothing hurts the New England Patriots offense more than the truth. Calling those plays has been former Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia, who is currently working as the Patriots' offensive line coach and senior football advisor after rejoining the team last year. So it's hard to blame Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph for playfully noting Patricia's experience, or lack thereof, while discussing their "Monday Night Football" opponent:“It’s like a defensive guy calling offense.”Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph on the Patriots offensive play calling. Not exactly an endorsement of where the Patriots offense is going. The one area where Joseph might be inaccurate is the Patriots not turning the ball over (though, granted, we don't no hard they're trying).
wftv.comQuestions linger as Patriots' offense falls short again
What does seem apparent is his vocal outburst had an undertone: He wants the training wheels to be removed from the offense. So that’s really the process.”WHAT’S WORKINGThe Patriots' offensive issues meant they were punting a lot on Thursday. Trailing 17-7, the Patriots took over with 1:20 left and drove to the Buffalo 35 with 50 seconds remaining. His surprise usage on offense and subsequent 48-yard touchdown reception was the Patriots’ biggest highlight. It drops the Patriots to a conversion rate of 36.2% for the season, which ranks 27th in the NFL.
wftv.comPatriots WR Kendrick Bourne unhappy with third-down offense: 'We need to scheme up better'
New England Patriots players aren't happy with their team's recent offensive performances following a second consecutive loss. First, quarterback Mac Jones profanely called out the offensive playcalling in the Patriots' 24-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night. Then, veteran wide receiver Kendrick Bourne flat-out said the Patriots need to come up with better plays on third down:"We need to scheme up better," Bourne said. Consider this: The Patriots' offense under McDaniels ranked sixth in points, 15th in yards and 10th in third-down conversion percentage in 2021. Patricia's offense, meanwhile, ranks sixth in points, 15th in yards and the aforementioned 27th in third-down conversion.
wftv.comLions owner says she is still confident in team's leadership
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — (AP) — Detroit Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp shared her frustration with the team's 1-5 record and expressed confidence in the franchise's leadership. “I think we’ve got the right people in place to pull this off, and I truly believe that. “It was extremely thorough, and we really believe we’ve come up with the right people.”So far, Holmes, Campbell and their players have not led a turnaround. “I really believe in the top leadership in this organization. I think we’ve got the people to do it, to carry this out.
wftv.comNFL Week 5 preview: How to watch Cowboys-Rams, Packers-Giants and more
You can watch this game on NFL+ here or on NFL Network. You can watch this game on NFL+ here or on NFL Network. You can watch this game on NFL+ here or on NFL Network. You can watch this game on NFL+ here or on NFL Network. You can watch this game on NFL+ here or on NFL Network.
wftv.comPatriots QB Mac Jones, under Matt Patricia’s new offense, feels ‘shot in the heart’ amid struggles
While it’s still early in training camp, Mac Jones and the New England Patriots offense are struggling. After their first two practices with pads, which didn’t go well for him and his unit, Jones is upset with their progress. "We have a lot of room to grow here," Jones said on Tuesday, via Boston.com . So far, the Patriots offense is losing far more than it is winning. "The goal is to have more good plays than the other team and that's the defense right now.
wftv.comIf you have to ask why the Patriots haven't named coordinators, you don't know Bill Belichick
New England Patriots Practice Foxborough, MA - July 31: New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick with Matt Patricia, Senior Football Advisor, on Day 4 of Patriots training camp in Foxborough, MA on July 31, 2021. “I’m the head coach,” Belichick said. Josh McDaniels was the offensive coordinator last year, but he left to become the head coach in Las Vegas. The Patriots, by Patriots standards at least, are in a bit of a drought, going 17-16 since Tom Brady left following the 2020 season. His offseason work has been significant.”Maybe it was all the time he spent with the non-existent offensive coordinator.
wftv.comBelichick not expecting Gilmore to attend minicamp this week
Patriots Football New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, left, and coach Matt Patricia, right, stand together during an NFL football practice, in Foxborough, Mass., Thursday, May 27, 2021. — (AP) — Patriots coach Bill Belichick says he doesn’t expect cornerback Stephon Gilmore to participate in any of the team’s remaining mandatory minicamp workouts this week. “And we’ll just focus on the guys that are here.”Gilmore was absent from the opening day of minicamp Monday. The majority of NFL teams, including the Patriots, will open training camp on July 27. ___More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFLCopyright 2021 The Associated Press.
wftv.comAP source: New Lions coach Campbell getting 6-year deal
FILE - This is a 2016 file photo showing Dan Campbell of the New Orleans Saints NFL football team. The Detroit Lions have agreed to terms with Dan Campbell to be their coach. (AP Photo/File)The Detroit Lions have landed the coach they coveted from the start of their search, agreeing to terms with Dan Campbell. Philadelphia and Houston, meanwhile, still have an opening for a head coach. Patricia, a former New England defensive coordinator, was 13-29-1 in two-plus seasons as a first-time NFL head coach.
New 7th seed helps Bears 8 years too late for Lovie Smith
Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy watches during the first half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)While Matt Nagy gets to coach Chicago in the playoffs despite a middling 8-8 record that could help save his job, former Bears coach Lovie Smith can only wonder if the extra team in the postseason could have helped him eight years ago. Smith’s Bears teams from the beginning of last decade are near the top of that list. Chicago lost five of six and missed the postseason as the seventh seed with an 8-8 mark. The tough-luck missing playoff team that season was the Giants, who missed out the year before Eli Manning and Co. won their second Super Bowl under coach Tom Coughlin.
Chargers fire head coach Anthony Lynn after 4 seasons
FILE - In this Dec. 15 2019, file photo, Los Angeles Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn speaks after an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, in Carson, Calif. The Los Angeles Chargers have fired coach Anthony Lynn less than two seasons after he led the franchise to the AFC divisional round. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo, File)COSTA MESA, Calif. – A four-game winning streak at the end of the season wasn't enough to save Anthony Lynn's job with the Los Angeles Chargers. Lynn led the franchise to the playoffs in 2018 but Los Angeles had losing records the last two seasons. Hired by the Chargers in January 2017, Lynn was the first Black head coach in franchise history and had one year remaining on his contract.
Buccaneers vs. Lions: How to watch, stream, listen
NFL Sunday TicketOPENING LINE - Buccaneers by 7 1/2RECORD VS. SPREAD - Buccaneers 7-7, Lions 5-8-1SERIES RECORD - Lions lead 31-28LAST MEETING - Buccaneers beat Lions 38-17 Dec. 15, 2019, at DetroitLAST WEEK - Buccaneers beat Falcons 31-27; Lions lost to Titans 46-25AP PRO32 RANKING - Buccaneers No. BUCCANEERS DEFENSE - OVERALL (6), RUSH (1), PASS (25). LIONS OFFENSE - OVERALL (19), RUSH (30), PASS (7). LIONS DEFENSE - OVERALL (30), RUSH (29), PASS (27).
Lions' Bevell can't coach vs Bucs due to COVID protocols
(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)Detroit Lions interim coach Darrell Bevell is the NFL’s first head coach to miss a game because of COVID-19 protocols even though he has not tested positive for the coronavirus. The Lions (5-9) will also be without defensive coordinator Cory Undlin, defensive line coach Bo Davis, defensive backs coach Steve Gregory and linebackers coach Ty McKenzie against Tampa Bay (9-5) on Saturday. Browns first-year coach Kevin Stefanski said “there’s a possibility” when asked if Wills will play this week against the Jets. For the Lions, they will lean on two men to call plays for the first time in an NFL game. I’m calling plays in an NFL game.
The Latest: Wake Forest's Tariq Ingraham out for season
The Demon Deacons haven’t played since Nov. 27 after pausing team activities due to novel coronavirus issues. The Orange have paused team activities due to contact tracing. ___South Carolina’s 2-8 football team won’t be going to a bowl game after pausing team activities due to the novel coronavirus. Tanner said the combination of positive COVID-19 tests plus necessary contact tracing made it impossible to compete. In all, 16,222 COVID-19 tests were administered over a seven-day period ending last Saturday to 2,391 players, and 25,279 tests were administered to 4,536 personnel.
Stafford throws 3 TDs, Lions rally to beat Bears 34-30
Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws for a touchdown against the Chicago Bears in the second half of an NFL football game in Chicago, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)CHICAGO – Darrell Bevell had a hard time processing everything from his first game as an NFL coach. They fired general manager Bob Quinn and coach Matt Patricia while elevating Bevell, their offensive coordinator, to interim coach. But the Lions turned things around down the stretch, sending the Bears (5-7) to their sixth straight loss. The Lions came out on top after losing four of five, and Stafford gave Bevell the game ball.
Matchup of division leaders: Seahawks vs Giants. The Giants?
(AP Photo/Chris Szagola)In this strangest of NFL seasons in this weirdest of years, here's a matchup of division leaders you wouldn't expect: Seattle hosting the New York Giants. “If you win your division, you win your division,” Carroll says, and he knows: Seattle went 7-9 in 2010 and won the NFC West, then beat New Orleans in a playoff game. Patrick Mahomes has thrown for at least 300 yards seven times this season and has 22 straight games with at least one TD passing. New England has won the past five meetings, including a 2018 divisional playoff game. Chargers WR Keenan Allen leads the NFL with 85 receptions and has a TD catch in five straight games.
The Latest: Lions put Jalen Elliott on reserve/COVID-19 list
(Jose Sena Goulao, Pool via AP)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Detroit Lions have put safety Jalen Elliott on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The list is for players who either test positive or have been in close contact with an infected person. ___UConn has suspended all men's basketball activities after a player tested positive for the coronavirus. The confirmation of a positive COVID-19 case occurs when a player receives two consecutive positive test results. He was placed on it because he had been in close contact with someone who had tested positive.
Lions place QB Matthew Stafford on Reserve/COVID-19 list
DETROIT – Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, the second straight day the team gave a player the designation. Earlier in the day, Matt Patricia said there was no requirement to shut down the team’s training facility. Some NFL teams have closed their training centers after players and or staff members tested positive for COVID-19. Three months ago, the Lions removed Stafford from the COVID-19 list after saying he received a false positive test result. Kelly Stafford had plenty to say on her Instagram page in August after the false positive test, lashing out at the league for publicly putting her husband on the list.
Rivers' 3 TDs in 2nd quarter help Colts beat Lions 41-21
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) throws during the first half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020, in Detroit. Rivers threw three touchdown passes in the second quarter to help the Colts surge past Detroit for a 41-21 victory Sunday following a first quarter in which they averaged a little more than 1 yard rushing on 10 carries. Rivers threw passes to 11 teammates. Hines had so much energy he celebrated each of his two touchdowns in the second quarter with moves that would make a gymnast proud, pulling off roundoffs into full twists in the end zone. Three plays later, Rivers threw a 7-yard, tiebreaking touchdown pass to Jack Doyle.
Stafford, Swift, Lions protect big lead, pound Jaguars 34-16
This was a victory the Detroit Lions probably needed more than they would admit. Detroit (2-3) made this one look easy, somewhat surprising considering the Lions had lost six straight in which they led by double digits. SOCIAL INJUSTICEAs they’ve done all season, players from Detroit and Jacksonville remained in their locker rooms for the national anthem. The Lions had 30 players lined up along the goal line for the anthem, with seven of them — including Stafford — taking a knee. UP NEXTThe Lions play next Sunday at Atlanta, which has won four of the last five meetings.
Pandemic limiting what NFL players can do on their off weeks
The Packers (4-0) and Detroit Lions (1-3) don’t play this week and therefore are the first NFL teams to get a taste of how different off weeks will be amid a pandemic. “We have new protocols in place that are meant to keep everybody safe and healthy,” Lions coach Matt Patricia said. The NFL sent out a reminder Friday that the league’s agreement with the NFL Players Association in August means players who miss tests can be punished with a $50,000 fine. “You’ve got to look no further than Tennessee.”The protocols are impacting some players more than others. While the protocols have changed those plans, it has created opportunities for those players who already have their family members with them.
Gase, Marrone, Quinn among NFL coaches sitting on hot seats
Hes got a lot more control of the offense this year, Gase said of Darnold. DOUG MARRONE, JAGUARSIt's hard to believe Jacksonville was a win at New England away from making the Super Bowl three seasons ago. But like Gase and the Jets, Nagy's future is likely tied to the performance of his quarterback. DAN QUINN, FALCONSThat 28-3 halftime lead over New England in the Super Bowl four seasons ago is a distant memory. A bad start this year, though, might be tough to recover from for Quinn in his sixth season.
Lions skip practice after discussing shooting of Jacob Blake
Detroit Lions safety Duron Harmon addresses the media with his teammates outside the Lions NFL football camp practice facility, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Allen Park, Mich. The players were reacting to the recent shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis., on Sunday. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)ALLEN PARK, Mich. The Detroit Lions decided not to practice on Tuesday, protesting after a Black man was shot by police in Wisconsin. Lions coach Matt Patricia opened the team's morning meeting by allowing players to share their thoughts on the shooting of Jacob Blake, who is paralyzed from the waist down. Lions players and Patricia later filed out of the team's practice facility, pushing a dry-erase board on wheels along the sidewalk to address the media.
Stafford says he didn't give much thought to opting out
FILE - In this Nov. 3, 2019, file photo, Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford warms up before an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders in Oakland, Calif. Since the start of last year, Matthew Stafford has had to deal with a health scare involving his wife, his own injury problems -- and more recently, a coronavirus test that the team later described as a false positive. It's been a difficult period for the Detroit star. (AP Photo/D. Ross Cameron, File)
Stafford says he didn't give much thought to opting out
FILE - In this Nov. 3, 2019, file photo, Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford warms up before an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders in Oakland, Calif. Ross Cameron, File)DETROIT Matthew Stafford says he didn't give much thought to opting out of this coming season. I never gave it serious, you know, thought, Stafford said Tuesday. Then Stafford went through football-related injuries that halted his 2019 season. There was already uncertainty about this NFL season and whether it could even be played when Stafford tested positive and went on COVID-IR.
Washington State's Anthony Gordon leads North in Senior Bowl
Gordon, who didn't start until his senior year, led the North to three touchdowns in the third quarter in a 31-17 victory over the South in the Senior Bowl on Saturday. The Cougars' prolific passer entered the all-star game for senior NFL prospects after halftime and twice took the North downfield. 3 jersey in honor of late Washington State quarterback Tyler Hilinski.. “I guess that kind of correlates to my time at Washington State. Gordon, who finished second nationally in passing yards and touchdowns, completed 8 of 12 passes for 69 yards and two short touchdowns. AWARDSWhile Herbert was the game MVP, Florida running back Lamical Perine was named South player of the game and Gordon won North honors.
Winston throws 4 TDs, helps Buccaneers beat Lions 38-17
DETROIT – Jameis Winston became the first player in NFL history to throw for 450 yards in consecutive games, leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 38-17 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Winston threw three touchdowns in the first half - four overall - and a career-high 458 yards passing one week after throwing for 456 yards. The Lions looked like they were still competing for their coach, and themselves, after falling behind 21-0 in the first half. Running back Wes Hills, who was signed Saturday, ran for a second TD early in the fourth quarter to cut Tampa Bay's lead to 24-17. The Lions did not have a first down on offense without the benefit of a penalty until midway through the second quarter.