The Patriots and Panthers wrapped up day one of two days of joint practices. Here are five things that got my attention. 1. Defense dominates: I thought the Patriots defense ruled the day. They looked good in group and team periods. The defensive line got consistent pressure on Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold in team and they controlled the line of scrimmage against the run game. The secondary did a…
Patriots: Sights, sounds & thoughts from Day 13 of training camp (joint practice with Carolina edition)
The last 12 practices were interesting, but it truly felt like training camp for the first time on Tuesday morning when the Carolina Panthers joined the Patriots on the practice field for the first of two joint sessions. Chippy play, trash talking, a brawl and most importantly, some progress for the offense all unfolded in front of thousands of fans and dozens of media members, but there was a bunch…
Patriots: 5 match ups to watch in the Patriots, Panthers joint practices.
The Patriots host the Panthers in joint practices over the next two days. There are plenty of intriguing storylines going into these practices. There are also several match ups we will be focusing on. Here are the five individual and team match ups we will be focusing on in the next two days. 1. Mac Jones vs. Carolina’s secondary: Mac Jones will play on Friday night so expect him to…
Patriots: 5 things to watch for at Patriots, Panthers joint practices
The Carolina Panthers are in town the next two days for joint practices with the Patriots. Joint practices have become a fixture across the league in recent years. Teams that are facing each other in a pre-season game will get together the week of the game for two practices. The practices are a good opportunity for the coaching staffs of both teams teams to evaluate their teams against different competition….
High School: 2022 Rhode Island High School Preview
Bishop Hendricken will look to continue its dominance in Rhode Island High School Football this season The 2022 high school football season in Rhode Island kicks off today. As usual, Bishop Hendricken and LaSalle lead the way but there are several programs in the state that deserve attention. North Kingstown, Westerly, Portsmouth, Cumberland and Central are all programs to keep an eye as well as these programs will be a…
Patriots: After a quiet start to his career, Ja’Whaun Bentley has become a leader on defense
Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images Fittingly, when Ja’Whaun Bentley began his Patriots career he was wearing No. 51. Of course, one of his coaches, Jerod Mayo, also used to wear that number when he was in the middle leading the defense. It’s a bit hard to believe, but Bentley is entering his fifth NFL season now and has become one of the leaders of that unit, just like Mayo was. After…
Patriots: Sights, sounds & thoughts from Day 12 of training camp
With Carolina set to visit Tuesday and Wednesday for joint practices before a preseason game Friday night, the Pats weren’t in pads on Monday, but still got some things accomplished. Jumping right into the next installment of sights, sounds and thoughts… -I believe Brendan Schooler was first out today, not Terrance Mitchell. However, Coach Belichick and the assistant coaches were talking as players made their way out, so there’s a…
Recruiting: Ronan Hanafin commits to Clemson
BB&N four star wide receiver and defensive back Ronan Hanafin has committed to Clemson. Hanafin made the announcement yesterday evening at 5:30 pm. 𝘾𝙊𝙈𝙈𝙄𝙏𝙏𝙀𝘿‼️ #ALLIN Thank you Coach Swinney @Coach_Grisham @CoachStreeter @Coach_Willey_FB 🐅 pic.twitter.com/RW9d1RvUKI — Ronan Hanafin (@RonanHanafin) August 14, 2022 Hanifan picked Clemson over Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Penn State, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, UConn and B.C. He had 26 total offers. Hanifan really connected with the staff at…
UConn: 10 takeaways from camp
Our latest camp visit brought to Storrs on Saturday where we visited with the UConn Huskies. The team held a situational scrimmage that last two hours. There was a lot to digest so here are my ten takeaways from the scrimmage. Coach Jim Mora addresses the media after today’s situational scrimmage. (1/4) @UConnFootball #CampVisit pic.twitter.com/e8fPgVn3GY — New England Football Journal ® 🏈 (@newftbj) August 13, 2022 1. Quarterback update: Coach…
UConn: Mora establishing a winning culture at UConn
STORRS, CONN. — When you have a 1-11 record, as the University of Connecticut did last season, there are plenty of aspects of your program that are not functioning properly. Maybe the overall talent level isn’t where it needs to be. Or it could be the game-planning or in-game coaching. And, certainly, the culture needs improvement. That word — culture — is one coaches constantly use, especially when a new…