ORCHARD PARK, NY – Quick thoughts and notes around New England Patriots and the NFL:
1. Prepare for the emotional environment: patriotic captain Deatrich Wise Jr.. summarizes the unique situation the team found on Sunday on the way to combat buffalo bill (1 p.m. ET, CBS).
People in the NFL community have been asking for Bills and injured safety Damar Hamlin — including the Patriots — and now New England faces Buffalo as a contender in a post-season game of significance, as a win would guarantee a place in the knockout stages. for the Patriots team.
“We knew it was going to be a very emotional match. We know what goes into this environment. We have a heart for what they’ve been through,” Wise said.
“It’s a balance between empathy and playing football. I believe with the leaders on our team, they are keeping that balance in the right place to go out there with their hearts and eyes clear and play the game.”
Wise captains and colleagues have made it clear all week that their main thought is that Hamlin will make a full recovery.
“Watching the game made our team very emotional,” he said, acknowledging the difference between watching it on TV and experiencing it in person.
Players envisioned how they might react to the pregnancy scene at New Era Field, which will include a “moment of support and love” for Hamlin. Bills players will have Hamlin’s 3 as a patch on their jerseys and all players across the league have option wears a black T-shirt with the words “Love for Damar 3” written on it.
There’s an element that many people don’t know about how they will react to veteran safety. Adrian Phillips expected to be a “super emotional environment.”
“I wish I had the answer,” Phillips said. “You just have to try to get through it the best you can, talk to the players on the other side, let them know you’re praying for them, then you just go out there and have the mindset to win the game.
“That’s pretty much all you can do. Just for the time being, just understand that we all have a desire to make it to the knockout stages, and we have to do what we have to do to get to the knockouts.”
Added captain Matthew Slater: “I’m sure it’s going to be something none of us have ever experienced. We’ll cross that road when we get there.”
By the end of the week, the players discussed the importance of a quick start.
“I think once we get into the flow of the game, it settles down a bit,” tight end Hunter Henry more. “But you have to be ready for that first wave from the very beginning.”
2. Enemies of 2023 reinforced: The Patriots’ final three opponents for 2023 will be locked on Sunday, as they are based on where the team finishes in the AFC East standings. The sections to lock are:
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The home match against the team NFC South ends in the same place in the standings
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The home match against the AFC South team ends in the same place in the standings
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The road match against the AFC North team ended in the same place in the standings
To refresh, here are the Patriots’ opponents in 2023:
Home: Commander, Eagle, Charger, Leader, Bill, Dolphin, Jet, AFC South, NFC South
Street: Cowboys, Giants, Broncos, Raiders, Bills, Dolphins, Jets, AFC North
3. Allen’s Excellence: The Patriots’ Defense Solution Davon Godchaux compare protecting the Bills to dealing with a snake, with quarterbacks Josh Allen as the leader. That’s his way of saying that Allen is where they need to focus. But that’s easier said than done considering that in his last five games with the Patriots (including the knockout), Allen has delivered 15 touchdown passes and no interceptions. According to Elias, it was the longest streak of touches without being intercepted against the Patriots in the past 45 seasons. Drew Brees (9, 2002-2013), Alex Smith (8, 2014-2017) and Brett Favre (8, 1997-2002) are next on the list.
4. Time is not on their side: One way to slow Allen is to try to keep the ball away from him. But here’s the problem for the patriots: They’ve lost the battle for ownership in six straight games. That’s the longest record of coach Bill Belichick’s tenure (2000-present) and one who is afraid to match the longest record in the NFL this season (Rams, 7).
5. Future of Slater: Matthew Slater’s contract expires after the season, and after 15 seasons, he admits he thought last week’s win over Miami might be the last time he plays at Gillette Stadium. He has said that any decision on retirement will be made after the season, in consultation with his family, among others. Some teammates believe he is not ready to stop playing, and as Belichick said on Friday, Slater is still drawing doubles teams and making the difference on particular teams (12 tackles).
6. Peppers prove the point: safe patriotism Jabrill peppers entered the regular season final on Sunday with 36.5% defensive tackles, 52 tackles in total. He also scored eight tackles in special teams, finishing third in the club. Afterward broke his ACL Last year with the Giants, the Peppers said arriving in New England on a one-year contract “was a great experience” and he’s open to seeing where things lead in the future.
“I haven’t really focused on that yet. I was focused on showing people I was healthy again and really didn’t miss a step,” he said. “If you do that, everything else will take care of itself.”
7. Patriots play baseball: The patriots moved the four-year veteran player Jake Bailey from the injured substitute (back) to the substitute/suspension list on Friday. According to a source, the team’s suspension was partly due to differing views on whether Bailey was ready to return to the action of the game. It’s hard to imagine him playing for the team again. Being shortlisted/suspended would forfeit the money guaranteed on his contract and set up a possible financial war between him and the Patriots. ESPN senior drafts analyst Mel Kiper Jr. price Iowa’s Tory Taylor, Michigan State’s Bryce Baringer, Rutgers ‘Adam Korsak, Memphis’ Joe Doyle and Michigan’s Brad Robbins are among the top draft qualifying punters.
8. Featured Assistant: NFL Films was happy to feature retired Patriots assistant coaches Dante Scarnecchia and Ivan Fears in a recently released film. Fears still made occasional appearances at the team facility after handing the reins back to his former assistant Vinnie Sunseri, who rated Fears along with his father, Nick Saban and Bill Belichick. had the greatest influence on his coaching career.
“A coach is a teacher.”
After 59 seasons combined, Dante Scarnecchia and Ivan Fears retire as @Patriots Royal touched the lives of hundreds of players.#NFLFilmsGifts pic.twitter.com/3csQPHkK8q
– NFL Movies (@NFLFilms) January 6, 2023
9. Did you know: Allen is 5-4 in his career against the Patriots (including the playoffs) and could be in Peyton Manning is the only starting quarterback to have at least six wins against New England since Belichick became head coach in 2000.
10. They say: “It is difficult to separate the human aspect from the sporting aspect. Because at the end of the day we all want to play as hard as we can, but we all want to go home.” – Safety of the Patriots Adrian Phillips, response to Hamlin’s injury
