The Patriots host the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round at snowy Gillette Stadium. Houston is a talented football team that poses a lot of match up problems. The Patriots will have their hands full against them. Winning those match ups will be key today. Here is how the Patriots could attack them on offense and defense today. Offense Emphasis on sprint and boot: The Patriots are going to need…
FOXBOROUGH- It is hard to coordinate an offense or a defense at any level of football. Especially when you are in your first year on the job. That is the challenge Patriots interim defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr has faced this season. Based on the results however, you would have thought Kuhr had been coordinating for years. Kuhr stepped into the role prior to the season opener against the Raiders after…
FOXBOROUGH- Patriots offensive tackle Thayer Munford has been here before, literally and figuratively. Munford is in his second stint with the Patriots this season after spending time with the Cleveland Browns earlier in the season. Originally drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022, Munford is familiar with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels after playing for him in Las Vegas. After three seasons in Vegas, Munford was released and signed…
By John Sapochetti NEFJ Contributor In the long, storied history of Boston sports, there have been many individual team rivalries. Red Sox – Yankees is the greatest rivalry in Major League Baseball. The Celtics, winners of 18 NBA Championships, have had decades long duels with the Philadelphia 76ersand the Los Angeles Lakers. The Bruins, most natural rival is the Montréal Canadiens. Although, for the first 60 years of this matchup,…
Josh and Ben McDaniels have coached against each other in the NFL before. But, not with the stakes this high. The offensive coordinator of the Patriots and wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator for the Texans will square off in a meeting of the minds in a playoff game for the first time. Josh obviously has much more experience in these big game situations and rings to show for…
By John Sapochetti NEFJ Contributor One of the most used phrases in football is, “It’s not about the X’s and O’s, but the Ja’Marr’s and the Joes.” Sorry for the editorial license, I couldn’t resist. While being poetic and partially true, coaching does have a massive impact in the fortunes of a football team. To prove that point, look to the sidelines on Sunday at 3:00 when the 15-3 New…
Former Patriots executive and coach Nick Caserio leads the Texans organization (Courtesy of the Houston Chronicle) The Houston Texans beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night, 30-6 to advance to the Divisional Round of the AFC Playoffs. The Patriots will take on the Texans at 3 pm on Sunday. There are plenty of former Patriots staffer and players from the Belichick era currently employed by the Texans. The return to…
By Alan Segel NEFJ Contributor FOXBOROUGH — A hero is often defined as a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements or noble qualities. If you ask people who their hero is, you will get different answers that range from family members to athletes to political figures. And yes, back decades and years people did have heroes in politics. Patriots’ linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson had a hero; his…
USATI FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The Patriots are adding a veteran presence to their defensive front as they prepare for the postseason. The team announced on Wednesday that they have signed defensive end Darrell Taylor to the practice squad. In a corresponding move, the Patriots released running back Elijah Mitchell from the practice squad. The timing of the signing is particularly notable; Taylor joins New England just days after being released…
Image courtesy of Sports Illustrated As the Houston Texans defense quickly pulled away from the Steelers on Monday night, one thing was clear. During the initial glory days of the dynasty and then on the back end, the playoff run was often referred to as a ‘March of the Tomato Cans’ when it came to caliber of opponents. The Pats would automatically host and win the Divisional Round game before…