Jim Irsay: “Not From This Planet” Patriots legend

Owner of the Indianapolis Colts, Jim Irsay, said of the New England Patriots legend, “I came to find out that Tom was not from this planet.” “And he still won’t submit to an examination to determine his space heritage. It’s difficult to compare Tom’s quarterbacking career to anyone else’s after his Super Bowl triumphs.”

11 Nov. Jim Irsay commends Tommy Brady – As the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts prepare to play in Frankfurt on Sunday, recollections of the legendary rivalry between Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are beginning to surface.

When asked if he had to choose between Brady and Manning, Colts owner Jim Irsay said he would take Manning.

“I came to find out that Tom was not from this planet,” Irsay continued. “And he still won’t submit to an examination to determine his space heritage. It’s difficult to compare Tom’s quarterbacking career to anyone else’s after his Super Bowl triumphs.”

In Frankfurt, the Colts and Patriots are scheduled to kickoff at 9:30 a.m.

Nov. 1: BO HARDDEGREE, A FORMER PATRIOTS QB ASSISTANT COACH, JOINS THE LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AS AN OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR – Josh McDaniels, the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots, was relieved of his duties as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders early on Thursday morning. While this was not great news for McDaniels, another former Patriots coach is being promoted from the silver and black.

The Raiders are appointing quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree as their new offensive coordinator, per an NFL Network report. Mick Lombardi, the former Raiders offensive coordinator who was fired along with McDaniels, will be replaced by Hardegree. Lombardi assisted the Patriots as well from 2020 to 21.

In 2008, Hardegree started working as a graduate assistant at Duke. In 2011, he accepted a position as an intern at LSU. 2014 saw Hardegree join the Denver Broncos as an NFL coach. He collaborated closely with Adam Gase on the Broncos offensive coaching staff while he was in Denver. He has also served as an assistant coach for the New York Jets and Chicago Bears. He also served as the quarterbacks coach for the Miami Dolphins for two seasons, from 2016 to 2018.

Prior to the 2021 campaign, the 39-year-old became an assistant quarterbacks coach for New England. Alongside McDaniels, he was crucial to the development of Mac Jones, the rookie quarterback for the Pats. With 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns, the Alabama product led all rookie quarterbacks in completion percentage (67.6) and passer rating (92.5).

Reviving an offense that is currently ranked No. 31 in total offense and No. 30 in scoring offense this season will be a difficult task for Hardegree. Antonio Pierce, the interim head coach of the Raiders who was previously the linebackers coach, will oversee him in this endeavor.

Ahead of Pats’ game on October 31, commanders traded the two best pass rushers. These days, the Patriots’ struggling offense could use some good news, and on Tuesday, they received it. The Commanders, Sunday’s opponents at Gillette Stadium, traded away their two best pass-rushers during the trade deadline.

With a mini-fire sale, Washington, 3-5, dealt Chase Young, a former No. 2 overall draft pick, to the 49ers and then dealt Montez Sweat to the Bears. Of the Commanders’ 25 sacks, 11.5 came from Young and Sweat, along with 43% of their quarterback pressures.

Quarterback Mac Jones and offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien of the Pats will be happy with those moves. New England has only once topped 20 points this season and hasn’t had a 300-yard passing game since Jones threw 54 passes in the season-opening loss to the Eagles, in part due to an injury-plagued, inconsistent offensive line.

The task of keeping Jones safe in the pocket got a little easier, at least for a week.

OCT. 31: CALLS TO WASHINGTON COMMANDERS DE CHASE YOUNG FROM PATRIOTS? – Is there a chance that defensive end Chase Young of the Washington Commanders will suit up in the home team’s locker room for Sunday’s Week 9 game at Gillette Stadium?

Regarding Young’s availability and possible cost, the New England Patriots have contacted the Commanders, according to a report from Jeff Howe of The Athletic on Tuesday. Young might be available for a fair price because of his expiring contract, even though he probably wouldn’t be enough to tip New England’s scales back into the postseason. In exchange for a second-round draft pick earlier in the day, Washington sent DE Montez Sweat to the Chicago Bears.

Young is one of the NFL’s most gifted edge rushers when healthy. He has five sacks and 12 solo tackles so far this season. There have been reports that linebacker Josh Uche is up for trade, which could explain New England’s interest in the former Ohio State Buckeye.

According to reports, the Pats are also getting inquiries regarding the availability of Ezekiel Elliott, a seasoned running back.

The Patriots and Commanders are scheduled to kick off from Gillette Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, with the trade deadline arriving at 4 p.m. ET.

AUG. 31 PATS AND JEUDY? Former NFL general manager Randy Mueller believes the Patriots “need to find a way to insert some talent around QB Mac Jones,” and he is pushing for Denver Broncos receiver Jerry.

The connection between Jeudy and New England is not new; in fact, Jeudy and Jones were teammates at Alabama. Nevertheless, it will be the final one for some time as today at 4 p.m. ET is the NFL trade deadline. Mueller writes for The Athletic, saying, “I think Jeudy gets traded somewhere, and as the deadline approaches, there probably will be some competition for his services.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell signs an extension of his contract on October 18. It probably won’t stop the jeers directed at him when he takes the stage at the NFL Draft in Detroit in April of next year, but commissioner Roger Goodell will have even more reason to take the abuse because he recently inked a new contract extension that will keep him in charge of the league through 2027. Owners approved the agreement at this week’s meetings in New York.

After taking over as commissioner from Paul Tagliabue in 2006, Goodell will now have earned over $700 million in his career, which is twice the amount of any player in NFL history.

The 64-year-old began working for the league as an administrative intern in 1982. With this extension, he will have worked for the NFL for 45 years total—21 of those as commissioner. During his tenure, Goodell prioritized making the game safer, guiding the NFL through the 2020 season despite the COVID-19 pandemic without canceling any games, and expanding the game’s global reach with the 2007 addition of international games in Europe.

15 OCT. Former Pats Reunion ADAM HARRIS QUITS THE BILLS GAME AFTER SEVERE INJURY Running back Damien Harris of the Bills sustained an apparent serious injury in Sunday night’s game against the Giants and was taken off the field in Buffalo by ambulance, with Damar Hamlin watching from the sidelines. After being selected by New England in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Harris spent four seasons as a member of the Patriots. When the Patriots chose to start running back Rhamondre Stevenson in the lineup during the previous offseason, he was free to depart.

After gaining one yard on a handoff in the second quarter, Harris was tackled by several Giants defenders and stood up, collapsing to the ground in a pile. Players began frantically signaling for help, and medical staff from both teams raced onto the field. Eventually, they loaded Harris onto a backboard and into the emergency vehicle at Buffalo’s Highmark Stadium, though replays did not clearly show what the injury was.

He was seen giving a thumbs up before boarding the ambulance.

Cunningham’s current role is anticipated to be primarily that of a receiver, though he may line up at quarterback in certain gadget packages.

OCT. 11: BILL BELICHICK ANNOUNCES MAC JONES AS A PATRIOT, ATTACKING RAIDERS QUARTERBACK — In Week 5, the New England Patriots suffered a 34-0 loss, and many wondered if that would be enough to force them to make a quarterback change.

But, Pats head coach Bill Belichick stated on Wednesday that he will continue to work with Mac Jones when the team travels to Nevada for a Week 6 game at Allegiant Stadium against the Las Vegas Raiders (2-3).

In response to a question regarding the status of his starting quarterback, Belichick told reporters, “Yeah, we’re not making any changes.”

In Week 5, Jones was benched for the second straight week after completing just 12 of 22 pass attempts for 110 yards and two interceptions (one of which was returned for a touchdown). With just over 13 minutes left in the match, Bailey Zappe took Jones’ place. In relief duty, Zappe completed just three of nine passes for 22 yards in four drives, which resulted in two three-and-outs and two unsuccessful fourth-down conversions for the Pats.

Even though Belichick and coordinator Bill O’Brien have stated that “starting over” is the only way to achieve improvement, Jones will lead New England in their continued efforts to regain respectability.

October 8, Patriots versus New Orleans Saints: Bench Mac Jones for the second straight week in the eventual blowout. In their second straight blowout, the New England Patriots have once again turned to their bench, this time on their home field.

In Week 5, with 12:55 left in the fourth quarter and trailing 31-0 against the New Orleans Saints, Patriots coach Bill Belichick benched starting quarterback Mac Jones in favor of backup Bailey Zappe.

By the end of the day, Jones has only completed 12 of his 22 pass attempts for 110 yards, been sacked twice, and had two interceptions (one of which was returned for a pick-six). Against the Saints, Jones’ quarterback rating was a miserable 30.5.

October 8: SAINTS DECLARE SEVEN, PATRIOTS LIST FIVE INACTIVES – The New England Patriots (1-3) and New Orleans Saints (2-2) will square off at Gillette Stadium in Week 5.

Running back Rhamondre Stevenson (thigh) and cornerback Jonathan Jones (ankle) are active and anticipated to play against the Saints despite being listed as questionable on Friday’s injury report.

Just over an hour remains until the game kicks off at 1 p.m. ET, and the Patriots and Saints have already released their inactive rosters:

PATRIOTS INACTIVES:

LB Matthew Judon

G Cole Strange

WR Kayshon Boutte

T Tyrone Wheatley

T Calvin Anderson

Will Grier — Emergency Third Quarterback

SAINTS INACTIVES:

QB Jake Luton

WR A.T. Perry

CB Lonnie Johnson

T Landon Young

G Andrus Peat

TE Juwan Johnson

DE Kyle Phillips

October 5: J.C. Jackson works with veterans, resolves exceptional legal matters Cornerback J.C. Jackson has been formally welcomed back to the Foxboro Fold by the New England Patriots.

Jackson joined his new and old Patriots teammates on the practice fields next to Gillette Stadium on Thursday, just a day after he decided to reacquire his services via trace with the Los Angeles Chargers.

The 27-year-old grinned as team owner Robert Kraft welcomed him while he was wearing a blue Patriots practice jersey with the number 29. Although Jackson’s usual number, 27, was not worn—currently worn by fellow Patriots cornerback Myles Bryant—his Patriots helmet still bore his customary two-seven.

Jackson had two events on Thursday: first, he went to court to resolve a recent unresolved legal matter. Jackson was the subject of an arrest warrant issued by North Attleboro, Massachusetts police in late September due to a probation violation resulting from a 2021 infraction for “criminal speeding.” As a result, he acknowledged breaking his probation and paid a fine. He will not be charged with driving while intoxicated if he successfully completes an online course.

As all of this is going on, the Patriots are getting ready to play the New Orleans Saints in Week 5 on Sunday at 1 p.m. from Gillette Stadium. It is still unclear if Jackson will be able to play in the game. Though the Patriots still lack the services of second-year backs Marcus and Jack Jones, as well as rookie Christian Gonzalez, his presence on Thursday is encouraging.

On October 4, the New England Patriots acquired cornerback J.C. Jackson from the Chargers in exchange for late-round picks. Jackson will now be back with the Patriots.

In exchange for a sixth-round draft pick, the Pats completed a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers on Wednesday to reacquire the former Patriot and a seventh-round pick. J.C. Jackson, a former cornerback for the New England Patriots, signed a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the Chargers, which includes a $40 million guarantee as part of his 2022 free agency.

They are now returning Jackson to the Patriots, who recently traded late-round selections to obtain their former 2021 Pro Bowl pick.

Jackson is an excellent ball hawk, as Patriots coach Bill Belichick once observed, adding, “You leave any trash laying around, he’s going to pick it up.”

With the Pats struggling at 3-1 and still recovering from the injury to standout rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez, that knack would be useful right now.

OCT. 3 PATS SIGN TOP DRAFT PICK OF THE OLD COWBOYS TRYSTEN HILL WILL DO SQUAD PRACTICE – The Patriots keep working to make changes to the lower half of their roster while also attempting to address their star players. Trysten Hill, a former top draft pick of the Cowboys, is joining the practice squad after New England hosted a group of players for tryouts in Foxboro on Tuesday morning.

Hill was selected by Dallas with their first pick of the 2019 NFL Draft in the second round, but he never lived up to the hype. After being cut in 2022, he played briefly for the Browns and Cardinals. He was cut from Cleveland’s practice squad last week.

In 31 games over his six-year NFL career, Hill has 35 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

After the Patriots placed defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale on injured reserve last week, he gives the defensive line more depth. He is a member of the practice squad alongside defensive tackles Manny Jones and Jeremiah Pharms Jr.

The Patriots worked out free agents Bobby Evans (an offensive guard from Oklahoma), Reginald McKenzie (an offensive guard from Tennessee), Elerson Smith (a linebacker from Northern Iowa), and Spencer Waege (a defensive end from North Dakota State) on Tuesday as well, according to ESPN.