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Good morning. Here is your Patriots news, 9-28, and NFL notes this week. The Patriots remain at home this week to face the Carolina Panthers. Home cooking, especially, and home-field advantage have been particularly detrimental to the team over the past few years.<\/p>\n
Remember when\u2026 regardless of the opponent, the Patriots, when playing at home, were always chalked up as a near-automatic win? Those days are long gone. After starting the year 0-2 at home, the team has a 3-16 record at home over the past few years. That\u2026is beyond bad. And needs to change ASAP.<\/p>\n
Today would be a nice day to reverse that trend.<\/p>\n
The Panthers looked bad the first two weeks of the season, and then curbstomped Atlanta 30-0 last week. Was that game an anomaly or was it the game that the Panthers turned the corner? We are about to find out later today.<\/p>\n
This is the final game of the first quarter of the season\u2019s schedule, which many found favorable to the Patriots. They sit at 1-2, and could easily be 3-0 or 0-3. That\u2019s life in the NFL. Unless you are a top team, the line between winning and losing is razor-thin.<\/p>\n
The Patriots have been on the wrong side of that margin thus far. The Panthers are also in the same boat, and have been\u2026one of the worst teams in the NFL. Last week, we said the Steelers game was an early measuring stick type of game to see if they\u2019ve turned a corner after a rare win in Miami. They failed, because they couldn\u2019t hold onto the football.<\/p>\n
Today is therefore another type of measuring stick type of game. Carolina is 2-17 on the road, facing a Patriots\u2019 team that is 3-16 at home in the past few seasons. Something has to give. And here we are<\/p>\n
Terrell Williams:\u00a0 <\/b>The Patriots\u2019 defensive coordinator, who has missed time with various physical ailments earlier this spring, has missed the past few games, with what has now been characterized as prostate cancer, as reported by Mike Reiss.<\/p>\n
Head coach Mike Vrabel said Williams is in the process of undergoing treatment and meeting with specialists \u201cto figure out the best plan to be able to attack this and heal it and allow him to get back to better health. Our medical staff and the people in this town have been fantastic to help him and get him started with that process.\u201d<\/p>\n
In his absence, inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr will call the defense for the third game in a row.<\/p>\n
\u201cT is always a big part of what we do,\u201d Kuhr said, and has added that Williams has been a mentor for him. \u201cI just want him to know we are always thinking about him. Us as a staff, as a defense, he has a big impact on that.<\/p>\n
Vrabel said that former Boston College linebacker Vinny DePalma has been taking on more of a responsibility due to Kuhr\u2019s taking on the coordinator position. DePalma is in his second year as a Patriot linebacker coach.<\/p>\n
Christian Gonzalez: <\/b>The Patriots\u2019 star cornerback is rated as questionable for the game today. But apparently he saw his workload increase this week at practice. Whether or not that means he finally makes his season debut this week is anyone\u2019s guess, but I would think it does.<\/p>\n
The Patriots secondary could certainly use his presence back on the field. Jared Wilson has already been ruled out and Ben Brown will take his place.<\/p>\n
Patriots No Huddle Podcast:<\/b> Derek and Mike broke down the game against Pittsburgh but also this upcoming contest against Carolina. I was beset by internet issues and missed out. You can find our podcasts on YouTube , Apple, or Spotify. Please take a look and leave us a review.<\/p>\n
Russ Francis\/Chuck Fairbanks:<\/b> The former Patriot tight end and head coach should be in the Patriots team Hall of Fame, and the fact that Francis isn\u2019t is an absolute travesty. Francis and the Raiders\u2019 Dave Casper changed how teams used the tight end position.<\/p>\n
This will be displayed in our Sunday posts until it happens. Casper is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Francis\u2019 numbers stand up well against Casper\u2019s, yet he isn\u2019t even in the team\u2019s HOF.<\/p>\n
The Patriots are looking to get back to .500 this week against Carolina. The Panthers smothered Atlanta last week by feasting on turnovers and special teams mistakes, which is exactly why the Patriots lost last week to Pittsburgh.\u00a0 Something has got to give this week.<\/p>\n
From a Patriots perspective, what must be done to win the game this week?<\/p>\n
The Panthers are allowing more than five yards per carry this season. The Patriots have to pound the ball against that front seven to take advantage of play action passing and keep Carolina\u2019s ball-hawking secondary off balance.<\/p>\n
Will it be TreVeyon Henderson or Antonio Gibson getting the lion\u2019s share of the reps this week? It seems fairly certain that Rhamondre Stevenson won\u2019t be getting benched over his fumbling transgressions, but probably will see his snap count decrease.<\/p>\n
The past two weeks saw the Patriots gain more than 100 yards on the ground each week. There is no reason why they can\u2019t do so again against a team that allows 5.2 yards per rush. This week, they\u2019ll focus on holding onto the football.<\/p>\n
With the Panthers QB, one of the things their coaches like to do is to scramble Bryce Young outside quickly to get rid of the ball in under 2.5 seconds, targeting the middle of the field.<\/p>\n
Young is only about 5\u201910, so keeping him inside around all those big bodies is paramount. And if they can take away his first read, he\u2019ll be more prone to the interior pass rush and disruption of Milton Williams and Christian Barmore who will be facing a backup center and right guard this week.<\/p>\n
Edge rushers Harold Landry, K\u2019Lavon Chaisson, and Keion White\u2019s job this week to pressure and contain Young. The defense will have their hands full with Tet McMillan this week.<\/p>\n
The fact that Diggs has played in the first three games of the season is a positive. Many believed he\u2019d be placed on PUP to start the season after tearing an ACL last October.<\/p>\n
The Patriots haven\u2019t gotten enough production from the WR position yet this season. And Diggs, who has played about 50 percent of the snaps may perhaps be ready for a bigger workload, now that he\u2019s gotten his feet wet in the offense.<\/p>\n
One way to do that would be moving him into the slot more. It is a position Diggs has played in the past, and in Josh McDaniels\u2019 offense, the slot has traditionally been a big factor. DeMario Douglas was believed to be on tap for a big year in this offense, but through three games his stat line is a surprising five catches for 13 yards. That\u2019s not getting it done.<\/p>\n
Moving Diggs into the slot seems like a situation that would open up things underneath, allowing guys like Kayshon Boutte and Kyle Williams to have more room to operate in the intermediate zones.<\/p>\n
\u201cThroughout my career, I\u2019ve lined up in the slot a lot. My first year playing, I played the X, and the second year, I played the Z and the F in a different offense. I\u2019ve played in the slot a lot. I\u2019m not uncomfortable anywhere,\u201d Diggs said on Wednesday. \u201cWherever they need me, at this point, I have no issues if that\u2019s outside or inside.\u201d<\/p>\n
With a new coaching staff, a new offensive philosophy and a slew of new players, we knew the offense was going to take time to gel. There have been bumps in the road, and turnovers aside, things are beginning to look better.<\/p>\n
But for them to take the next step is for the passing game to improve. The majority of the production thus far has been through the backs and tight ends, now it is time for the WRs, and Diggs could be the guy to get that jump-started.<\/p>\n
It was hard to root against Seattle on a short week, even on the road, against Arizona, as they had beaten them seven times in a row (now eight with a last-minute field goal).<\/p>\n
Now we\u2019ll see how the rest of the schedule goes.<\/p>\n
Thursday Night Football:<\/b><\/p>\n
Seattle over Arizona \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 1-0<\/b><\/p>\n
Sunday Day Games:<\/b><\/p>\n
Minnesota over Pittsburgh (Ireland 9:30 am start)
\nWashington over Atlanta
\nBuffalo over New Orleans
\nDetroit over Cleveland
\nNew England over Carolina
\nLA Chargers over NY Giants
\nPhiladelphia over Tampa Bay
\nHouston over Tennessee
\nLA Rams over Indianapolis
\nSan Francisco over Jacksonville
\nBaltimore over Kansas City
\nChicago over Las Vegas<\/p>\n
Sunday Night Football:<\/b><\/p>\n
Green Bay over Dallas<\/p>\n
Monday Night Football:<\/b><\/p>\n
Miami over NY Jets
\nDenver over Cincinnati<\/p>\n
Last Week \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 10\u20146<\/b><\/p>\n
2025 Season\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 34\u201414<\/b><\/p>\n
2024 Season<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 204\u201468\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
2023 Season\u00a0 \u00a0 178\u201494\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
2022 Season: \u00a0 178\u201492\u20142<\/b><\/p>\n
2021 Season: \u00a0 183\u201488\u20141<\/b><\/p>\n
2020 Season: \u00a0 169\u201486\u20141\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
2019 Season: \u00a0 162\u201493\u20141<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201c<\/i>This is a hard business. This is tough. There\u2019s a lot of dynamics that go to this. I mean, you guys have been spoiled. You guys had Tom Brady and Bill Belichick for 20 years.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cLet me just tell you, that\u2019s fantasy land. We can call it what it is. And when you do this, you\u2019ve got to have people that you trust implicitly, that are loyal, and he\u2019s been that.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you get into a shit storm, like you do during the season, and things, teams and rosters \u2013 he has an ability again to reach everybody. He always kept me in perspective. Very few people \u2013 was always willing to share his thoughts with me if I needed a guardrail.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cSo, again, going through this thing for the first time and having guys like him with me, I\u2019m very conscious of their ability to help me do my job and to help the team.<\/i>\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
Mike Vrabel was asked to about his defensive coordinator and friend Terrell Williams who was diagnosed with prostate cancer.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThroughout my career, I\u2019ve lined up in the slot a lot…I\u2019ve played in the slot a lot. I\u2019m not uncomfortable anywhere,\u201d Diggs said<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":99759,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-99758","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n