Share this: FOXBORO, Mass. — New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler had one of his weakest games of the season last month against the New York Jets, when he allowed six catches on six targets for 106 yards and two touchdowns. So, it would be shocking if Butler wasn’t a little extra motivated to shut down Brandon Marshall, Quincy Enunwa and Robby Anderson in this week’s rematch against the Jets. “Very competitive; Malcolm’s really competitive. It really bothers him when a guy catches a ball on him, and that’s the kind of attitude you want to have from a defensive back,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said Thursday. “When they do catch it they want to make a real hard tackle and
Tag: catches
Bill Belichick Distinguishes Between Dion Lewis, James White’s Patriots Roles
Share this: FOXBORO, Mass. — Though it’s easy to stereotype James White and Dion Lewis as similar players, because they’re both undersized running backs, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick sees them differently. That’s why Lewis didn’t overtake all of White’s snaps when the running back returned from multiple offseason knee surgeries. White is the next in line after Kevin Faulk and Shane Vereen as the Patriots’ sub-back, while Belichick compared Lewis to Danny Woodhead because of their ability to run the ball. Both roles are important in the Patriots’ offense. White is asked to pass block and run routes as a receiver more frequently, while Lewis brings more unpredictability to the offense because of his versatility as a runner and pass-catcher. White, who Belichick
Broncos’ Chris Harris Calls Rob Gronkowski NFL’s Hardest Player To Cover
by Zack Cox on Wed, Oct 12, 2016 at 3:59PM 2,928 Share this: The Players’ Tribune frequently runs articles in which an athlete breaks down who he or she believes are the toughest opponents to play against in his or her given sport. Denver Broncos cornerback Chris Harris penned such a piece Wednesday on the hardest receivers in the NFL to cover, and the first name he mentioned was Rob Gronkowski. “Yeah, he’s technically a tight end,” Harris wrote, “but I’m including Gronk, because when I think about the toughest guys to line up against, he’s the first name that comes to mind. Yes, he’s physically bigger than everybody. That’s a given. But the thing people don’t appreciate enough is that he’s got amazing hands. What makes
Did Falcons Use Patriots’ Blueprint To Beat Broncos’ Defense In Week 5?
Share this: Credit the New England Patriots with an assist. The Atlanta Falcons defeated the Denver Broncos 23-16 on Sunday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. It was an impressive win for the Falcons, who exposed the Broncos’ defense with a game plan that looked like something out of Bill Belichick’s playbook. “We haven’t seen that scheme since the AFC championship. That’s Patriots all day,” Broncos cornerback Chris Harris said after the game, according to The Denver Post. Denver’s defense is renowned for hitting quarterbacks in the mouth and shutting down opposing aerial attacks with its exceptional secondary. The Falcons countered those strengths by relying on their running backs in man-to-man coverage against the Broncos’ linebackers. The result? Atlanta running backs Tevin Coleman (four
Martellus Bennett Shines As Blocker For Patriots In Rob Gronkowski’s Place
by Zack Cox on Mon, Sep 12, 2016 at 11:25AM 2,541 Share this: Don’t let his three catches for 14 yards fool you. Martellus Bennett played a key role in the New England Patriots’ season-opening win over the Arizona Cardinals. Serving as the No. 1 tight end in place of the injured Rob Gronkowski, Bennett hardly left the field Sunday night, playing 97.2 percent of New England’s offensive snaps (69 of 71) in his regular-season Patriots debut. While he was targeted just four times in the 23-21 victory and didn’t catch his first pass until the third quarter, the 6-foot-6, 273-pound tight end did yeoman’s work as a blocker for running backs LeGarrette Blount — who gained the bulk of his 70 rushing yards while
Patriots-Bears Takeaways: Rookie Guard Joe Thuney Erases Pass Rushers
Share this: The New England Patriots’ offense couldn’t get off to a fast start for the second straight preseason game, but they still showed vast improvement Thursday in their 23-22 win over the Chicago Bears. Jimmy Garoppolo completed 16 of 21 passes for 181 yards with one touchdown, and he received a lot of help from his offensive line, most notably third-round pick Joe Thuney. Thuney continued to look like the Patriots’ best offensive lineman Thursday. See how the Patriots fared in the passing game on offense and defense. PASS RUSHGeneo Grissom: QB hit, five hurriesTrey Flowers: half-sack, three hurriesAnthony Johnson: 1/2 sack, three hurriesChris Long: two hurriesRufus Johnson: two hurriesKevin Snyder: QB hitVincent Valentine: QB hitElandon Roberts: QB hit — Grissom led the team with six total
Red Sox Notes: Carson Smith Excites In Debut; Tim Lincecum Catches Boston’s Eye
The Boston Red Sox had a rare off night at the plate Tuesday, and it cost them in a 4-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox. That’s the bad news. The good news is that Boston should be more concerned about its pitching than its hitting this season, and the Red Sox just welcomed a potential difference-maker into the fold. Relief pitcher Carson Smith, called up by the team Tuesday after beginning the season on the disabled list, made his Red Sox debut when he took the mound in the seventh inning. Smith didn’t disappoint, needing just nine pitches to retire the side in order. His unorthodox delivery induced ground outs from Jerry Sands and Dioner ...