A day after Patriots coach Bill Belichick stonewalled in his media availability about whether Jones would be benched, the 2021 first-round draft pick said he is preparing as if he will start, even though the coaches appear to be undecided.

“Hope so. I mean, that’s the plan,” Jones said when asked directly if he will start. “A lot of that decision-making is things I can’t control, but I can control my attitude and my effort.”

Just as Belichick repeatedly fell back on “everybody needs to be ready to go” in his availability on Tuesday, Jones pulled out the standby, “I’m focusing on what I can control.” The third-year quarterback said the word “control” 13 times during his 8 minute, 23 second media availability on Wednesday; Belichick dropped “ready” 14 times on Tuesday in 8:21.

“We’ve had good conversations,” Jones said. “Really what I’ve been focusing on is what I can control. Put a lot of thought into that, the things that I can control. … That’s what I can do, control what I can control.”

Jones, who went for X-rays for an undisclosed injury after the 10-6 loss to Indianapolis in Germany on Nov. 12, also said that he had some bumps and bruises but isn’t limited in participation coming out of the week off.

“I have things that I’m working through; everybody does. You’re playing NFL games every week. Every week’s a car crash in its own way, so you’re trying to get back from that,” he said. “The bye week definitely helped get the body back, and I’m looking forward to finishing this thing strong.”

Jones has started each of the first 10 games this season, but he has been pulled three times – twice for blowouts and once, in the Week 10 loss to the Colts, after throwing a fourth-quarter interception near the end zone. With a chance to rally the Patriots, Bailey Zappe was 3 of 7 for 25 yards and finished by throwing an interception on a fake-spike play to seal the game.

Zappe, a fourth-round draft pick in 2022, appeared in four games, starting two — both wins — last season. The Patriots also have Will Grier, who started three games for Carolina in 2019, on the roster and rookie Malik Cunningham on the practice squad.

Earlier this week, offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien said Jones, Zappe and Grier all took reps in practice with the first team during the off week. Jones said he wouldn’t let that derail him.

“You take advantage of the reps you’ve had, right?” he said. “I’ve played a good amount of snaps in the NFL, I feel confident that I can go out there, feel prepared based on my preparation, film study and all those things.”

Jones said he learned from watching the quarterback competition at Alabama, when Tua Tagovailoa won the starting job and Jalen Hurts transferred to Oklahoma. Jones took over as the starter when Tagovailoa was injured late in 2019 season, and then he led the Crimson Tide to the national championship the next year.

“I witnessed everything. I heard every conversation, watched everything, watched every move between each guy,” Jones said. “So I learned a lot about both of them, and I learned a lot about myself, too, just trying to learn from their situation, and talking with Jalen, Tua, and having those friendships is always good.”

Long term, they have even bigger problems.

With the team on track to miss the playoffs for the third time in four seasons since Tom Brady defected to Tampa Bay, Bill Belichick’s job is at stake.

Yes, you read that correctly: The six-time Super Bowl champion could be chasing Don Shula’s all-time coaching record from a new sideline next year.

Belichick – whose boat is named “Eight Rings” because of the two other NFL titles he won as a New York Giants assistant – is one of the greatest coaches in NFL history. With 330 career wins, including postseason, he needs only 17 more to surpass Shula for No. 1 all-time.

That once looked like a sure thing — just a few more 12-win seasons like he routinely racked up with Brady during the team’s string of 17 AFC East titles in 19 years. But his failure to be competitive without Brady, including a 2-8 record this season, means the 71-year-old coach might have to claim the crown somewhere else — if at all.

Belichick is widely presumed to be moving on, with him and team owner Robert Kraft already been positioning themselves through the media for the postseason. Most of the debate is over where he will land, with every utterance about another organization dissected to determine if Belichick is campaigning for a new gig. Conflicting leaks of how long he has remaining on his contract have been seen as the prelude to a fight over whether the Patriots receive compensation if Belichick leaves or is fired.

Belichick has deflected questions about his future with his usual dismissiveness, saying after the 10-6 loss to Indianapolis in Germany on Sunday: “Well, I just do the best I can every day.”

The uninspired loss to the Colts was the Patriots’ third defeat in a row and it comes during a part of the schedule – against similarly lackluster Washington, Indianapolis and on Nov. 26 against the 2-8 New York Giants — that was supposed to be a chance to move up in the standings. Instead, New England is last in the AFC and 2-8 for the first time since 2000, Belichick’s first season with the team.

Kraft, who set a playoff berth as the minimum expectation before the season, told fans in Germany he was disappointed; the fans are openly rooting for the team to tank and put itself in position to draft Southern California’s Caleb Williams or another top college quarterback. Asked to respond, Belichick said, “I think we all feel that way. I think we’re all disappointed in the season. But we’ll keep going here. Seven games to go. Be ready to go next week against the Giants.”

But first, the Patriots need to find a quarterback.

And the options aren’t so great.

Jones showed promise in 2021 after the Patriots selected him No. 15 overall in the draft, finishing second in the offensive rookie of the year voting — ahead of top-three picks Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Trey Lance and No. 11 selection Justin Fields. The Patriots went 10-7, and despite a loss in the playoffs it looked as though Belichick had found his next franchise quarterback: Jones was in the top 10 for all qualifying rookie QBs from 2000-22 in passer rating and yards per attempt.

But the Alabama national champion regressed badly in Year 2, when Belichick experimented with an offense largely directed by play caller Matt Patricia and quarterbacks coach Joe Judge.

Under his third offensive coordinator in as many seasons, Jones has been even worse this year, throwing only 10 touchdowns to go with 10 interceptions, including what he admitted was a “terrible throw” against Indianapolis on Sunday when he short-armed a pass to tight end Mike Gesicki, who was open in the end zone with the Patriots down by four late in the fourth quarter.

Jones was replaced for the final drive by Bailey Zappe; it’s the third time this season Zappe has come off the bench after Jones was ineffective, with the first two being blowouts. With a chance to rally the Patriots, Zappe was 3 of 7 for 25 yards and finished by throwing an interception on a fake-spike play to seal the game.

In the past two seasons, Jones is near the bottom of the quarterbacks with at least 300 passes thrown in rating (82.8) and yards per attempt (6.6); he is tied for the fourth-most turnovers, with 24. New England also has Will Grier, who started three games for Carolina in 2019, as a third quarterback; rookie Malik Cunningham is on the practice squad.

Belichick said he would assess all positions during the bye week.

Jones said he didn’t know what the team had planned. He took snaps with the first team in the portion of practice that was open to the media Wednesday. Asked in Germany if he felt Belichick still had confidence in him, Jones said: “At the end of the day, I’ve got to play better.”

“To make people believe, you’ve got to be better,” he said. “I’m not sure. I don’t know.”

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AP Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow contributed.

Jones, 25, was a fourth-round draft pick in 2022 who played in 13 games last year and four this season, missing the first six with a hamstring injury. The Patriots are 2-8 — last in the AFC East and tied for last in the conference.

Jones agreed to serve one year of probation and 48 hours of community service in exchange for prosecutors dropping eight of the nine weapons charges he faced after Logan Airport security in June found two loaded guns in his carry-on bag.

After intercepting two passes as a rookie, Jones saw decreased playing time this season, getting on the field for 10 snaps in Sunday’s 10-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Germany.

Training camp brought the first chance to put a dismal 2022 campaign behind them.

A win over the Jets in Week 3 was also supposed to serve as a restart following an 0-2 start.

Hopes of yet another mulligan came after a Week 7 win over Buffalo that stopped a 1-5 start.

But Sunday’s 10-6 loss to Indianapolis in Germany not only gave New England its second three-game losing streak of the season, it also is the clearest sign yet that this team’s issues may not be fixable at this point.

The back-footed, severely underthrown interception that Mac Jones tossed in the red zone late in the fourth quarter didn’t just rob his team of a chance to take the lead.

It also brought a season’s worth of futility by the third-year quarterback to an international audience, raising questions about who will have the starting job when the Patriots emerge from this week’s bye.

“We’ll look at everything,” coach Bill Belichick said Monday. “We’ll look at everything across the board.”

While Belichick made clear those assessments would include every position on the roster, the fact that Jones was benched after his pick in favor of backup Bailey Zappe was an indication that Jones’ status as the starter is tenuous at best.

“We’re not there yet, but I always use the bye week to evaluate myself and the team and everything I can do better, and there’s a lot of things clearly I need to do better,” Jones said. “I’m always going to work. I know that.”

The same scrutiny is squarely on Belichick, whose team is last in the AFC and 2-8 for the first time since finishing his first season in New England 5-11 in 2000.

WHAT’S WORKING

If a complete overhaul of the quarterback position is what’s on tap this offseason, the Patriots continue to be in position to land a high draft pick. If the season ended today, the Patriots would select third.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

While Jones’ play and injuries haven’t helped, the offense has taken massive strides backward under the direction of Bill O’Brien.

Points per game (14.1), yards per game (308.4) and third down efficiency (34.9%) are all down from a season ago.

Slow starts also continue to plague the Patriots, who have yet to score a touchdown on an opening drive this season.

“There are things that we can build off of,” Belichick said. “We’re certainly doing a lot of things better than we did earlier in the year. But, it doesn’t take much to stop a drive or to have a bad play.”

STOCK UP

Rookie punter Bryce Baringer continues to shine this season. He dropped his NFL-leading 23rd punt inside the 20 on Sunday.

STOCK DOWN

Jones. He was 15 of 20 for 170 yards, but failed to see open receivers down the field and his incompletions were doomed by poor mechanics. His 10 interceptions are tied for the most in the NFL. When he was pulled in favor of Zappe prior to the Patriots’ final drive, it marked the third time he’d been benched this season.

“I’ve played well in my career before, but just not right now,” he said. “It’s peaks and valleys, but I’m kind of in a valley right now, and just got to bounce back.”

INJURIES

Running back Rhamondre Stevenson had treatment for a back injury in the fourth quarter but returned. Defensive tackle Christian Barmore left the field for treatment in the fourth quarter. Offensive tackle Conor McDermott, who was promoted from the practice squad Saturday, also left the field for treatment in the fourth quarter.

KEY NUMBER

27-33 — The Patriots’ record since Tom Brady left following the 2019 season to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

UP NEXT

The Patriots have a bye this week. They visit the New York Giants on Nov. 26.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Will he even start the Patriots’ next game? After all, nothing seems certain with the Patriots right now.

Jones was replaced by backup Bailey Zappe late in the fourth quarter.

With the team at 2-8 and with two weeks until its next game at the New York Giants on Nov. 26, it could be time for some changes.

“At the end of the day, I’ve got to play better. To make people believe, you’ve got to be better. I’m not sure. I don’t know,” said Jones when asked if he felt coach Bill Belichick still has faith in him as the starting quarterback.

Asked if he still has faith in Jones, Belichick said simply: “I have faith in all our players.”

Jones was sacked five times in the first half, leading the Patriots to switch to more of a rushing game in the third quarter, and he threw a costly red zone interception in the fourth quarter with a pass he called a “terrible throw.”

Trailing 10-6 late in the fourth quarter, Jones drove the Patriots inside the red zone, but was intercepted by Julian Blackmon on a pass intended for tight end Mike Gesicki at the 1-yard line.

Jones said “there were some things I was working through” on that throw and that he ended the game “a little bruised.”

Second-year quarterback Zappe has played in two other games this season before Sunday, but only in blowouts such as the 38-3 loss to the Cowboys on Oct. 1 and a 34-0 loss to the Saints a week later.

Given a chance — though a tough one — Sunday to win a game for the Patriots, Zappe completed 3 of 7 attempts for 25 yards and finished by throwing an interception to Rodney Thomas on a fake-spike play to seal the game.

Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew said he had some sympathy for Zappe’s situation in the last two minutes of the game.

“That’s a hard spot to go in on your own 15, no timeouts, two minutes left. That’s tough,” he said.

Back in Belichick’s first season with the Patriots in 2000, the team slipped to 2-8 on Nov. 12, but improved to finish the season 5-11.

Now New England needs to find a way to emerge from its bye week an improved team.

“There’s no division” between New England’s offensive and defensive units, defensive lineman Deatrich Wise Jr. said after a game in which the defense allowed 10 points and still lost.

The bye week is a time for “recharging, resetting, kind of just getting away for a little bit,” he said, “and then towards the end of it just refreshing and getting back, ready to finish out these next games strong.”

Belichick and the Patriots have a 3-0 all-time record in regular-season international games — the last in 2017 — but haven’t played in Germany. The team is coming off a 20-17 loss to the Washington Commanders last week.

“We play a lot of NFL games and this is one that will be a little bit different, just like Mexico City and London were,” Belichick said. “It’s a good opportunity for our team. We’ll just make the most of it and enjoy it, obviously focus on playing well, regaining our focus and preparation here, the next couple of days. Go out there and hopefully play our best game of the year on Sunday. That’s our goal.”

The Patriots are looking for the first win outside their division this season as they play the 4-5 Colts. New England’s dismal start this year is the franchise’s worst since Belichick’s first season with the team in 2000.

Belichick said he’s loved visiting Germany before, though he questioned the catering choice for media at practice — “pretzels for lunch?” — and predicted the tight travel schedule after arriving Friday morning meant he wouldn’t see much of Frankfurt.

“We’ll see how it goes. I’m kind of running on fumes here,” he said.

Belichick confirmed offensive tackle Trent Brown had not made the trip to Germany with the team. Asked if it was related to personal reasons or his ankle injury — both mentioned in Thursday’s injury report — Belichick said “both.”

Cornerback J.C. Jackson, who was traded from the Los Angeles Chargers last month, also didn’t travel with the team. Belichick indicated he expected Jackson would be available following the trip to Germany. Jackson was listed Thursday as not practicing for personal reasons. The Patriots have a bye week before playing the New York Giants on Nov. 26.

This time, it has the feeling of a team and its long-celebrated coach reluctantly stepping into a bigger spotlight as they trudge through one of their most difficult seasons in decades.

After a 24-year run in New England that has included six Super Bowl rings and two decades of dominance in the AFC, the Patriots are 2-7 — Bill Belichick’s worst start since his first season in 2000.

It led to a pointed question from a reporter this week: Does Belichick think he’ll be coaching for his job this week when New England travels to Frankfurt, German for its matchup with Indianapolis on Sunday?

“I’m going to control what I can control and get ready for the Colts,” Belichick responded.

Inquiries about Belichick’s job status reached all the way to Colts coach Shane Steichen who was asked later in the week if he could envision having Belichick’s championship credentials and being posed a similar question.

“No, I couldn’t imagine that. I think Bill Belichick is the best to ever do it,” Steichen said.

He may be, but his job security continues to be the central topic trailing a team that entered the week at the bottom of the AFC standings.

But Belichick said his approach in unchanged as he focuses on trying to turn things around.

“I do the same thing I always do. I try to do the best I can to help our team every week,” he said.

INTERNATIONAL HISTORY

The Patriots are 3-0 in regular-season games played internationally.

They defeated Tampa Bay in 2009 in London, the St. Louis Rams in 2012 in London and the Oakland Raiders in 2017 in Mexico City. New England has allowed only one touchdown in each of those games, while scoring 30-plus points in all three.

The Colts are playing their second regular-season game overseas. They lost to Jacksonville 30-27 in London in 2016.

TAYLOR-MADE

All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor sat out last season’s 26-3 loss to the Patriots. The next day, team owner Jim Irsay fired coach Frank Reich and hired Jeff Saturday as interim coach.

But Taylor played a key role in 2021. He rushed 29 times for 170 yards and one score in a 27-17 victory that ended Indy’s eight-game losing streak in the series. It was his third-best total during a season in which he won the league’s rushing title.

RICHARDSON’S RETURN

Steichen said he expects injured rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 overall draft pick, to return to Indianapolis later this week.

Richardson had season-ending surgery to repair a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder in Los Angeles on Oct. 24. He’s expected to continue his rehab in Indianapolis when he returns to the city where he now lives.

Could he join the Colts in Germany?

“We’ll have those conversations (Wednesday) and (Thursday) and we’ll make that decision,” Steichen said. “But yeah, he’ll be back this week.”

FIELD OF DREAMS?

Steichen went to London when he was with the Los Angeles Chargers and decided not to have the team fly into Germany until Friday.

The reason: He wanted to keep this week’s schedule as normal as possible.

But he has been doing some homework on the field conditions in Frankfurt.

“Just talking to other teams, obviously Miami and Kansas City went over there, seeing the surface, we’ll go over there and look at it,” he said. “We’ll just make sure we have the right cleats on when we’re over there and we’ll go from there.”

NO JACKSON

Cornerback J.C. Jackson hasn’t had the most productive reunion with the Patriots.

Now he isn’t expected to travel with the team to Germany after reportedly being late to the team hotel before last week’s game against Washington. Jackson didn’t start against the Commanders, but did play 53 snaps and recorded one tackle.

“I think we all try to do the right things. J.C. has done a lot of good stuff,” quarterback Mac Jones said of Jackson’s reported infraction. “Obviously, I’ll let him speak about that, but I have a lot of respect for J.C. and what he does.”

Jackson did not participate in practices Wednesday or Thursday for what the team listed as personal reasons.

Jackson was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Patriots in 2018, intercepting 25 passes over four seasons and earning second-team All-Pro honors in 2021. But he has struggled after signing a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the Chargers last year and was traded back to New England in October.

In five games since his return, he has just three pass breakups and 14 total tackles.

They weren’t.

“We’re getting ready for Washington,” Belichick said this week regarding his team’s lack of trade activity.

The Commanders (3-5) were open for business, dealing top pass rushers Chase Young and Montez Sweat in moves that stockpile draft picks for a rebuilding effort but do nothing to help them this season.

Though, coach Ron Rivera also insisted they haven’t given up on the season.

“It’s an opportunity to see what else we have,” Rivera said. “It’s an opportunity to go out and win football games using different guys.”

One team will walk out of Sunday’s matchup feeling at least a little better about the remainder of the season.

The Patriots (2-6) certainly could use a confidence boost coming off another humbling loss at Miami just a week after seemingly figuring some things out offensively.

Mac Jones threw two touchdowns in the loss to the Dolphins to bring his season total to nine, but also tossed his eighth interception which stifled his team’s fast start.

As he continues to look for consistency, he said he has tried to put everything — including worrying about the week’s result — out of his mind.

“It’s really hard, but focus on what you can do better as a player. Young guys, old guys, everybody,” Jones said. “It’s all about striving for getting better and working together and communicating and figuring out how to win by week versus looking at the grand picture.”

MOVING ON

As they prepare for their first game since trading Young and Sweat, Rivera said he’s excited to see who will step up to fill their spots.

The list includes 26-year-old James Smith-Williams and rookies K.J. Henry and Andre Jones, who are likely to get a look along with veteran Casey Toohill. Rivera compared the situation to 2014 when he and the Carolina Panthers infused youth into their lineup late in the season and made the playoffs.

“I think it’s the same kind of an opportunity,” Rivera said.

SLINGIN’ SAM

The development of young quarterback Sam Howell has become the central focus for Washington’s future. The 2022 fifth-round pick out of North Carolina is coming off setting career highs with 397 yards passing and four touchdowns in the 38-31 loss to Philadelphia.

Howell most notably wasn’t sacked for the first 57-plus minutes of that game. He entered as the most sacked quarterback in the NFL and felt he did well at getting rid of the ball quickly.

“I just thought as a whole offensively we were very efficient and did a good job in first and second down, which made the third downs more manageable,” Howell said. “That’s probably our best game on third down so far this year. We did some good things. We just got to find a way to finish and find a way to win.”

CALLING ALL RECEIVERS

The Patriots enter Sunday very thin at receiver following the season-ending knee injury to Kendrick Bourne and uncertainty surrounding the availability of DeVante Parker, who was knocked out last week’s loss to Miami with a concussion.

Bourne has been New England’s most targeted receiver this season. His 37 catches for 406 yards and four touchdowns are all team highs.

The most likely players to fill their spots are 2022 second-round draft pick Tyquan Thornton, who has appeared in just two games this season, and speedy rookie Demario Douglas (19 catches, 222 yards). Top free agency addition JuJu Smith-Schuster is also coming off catching his first touchdown of the season last week.

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AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.

Leading up to Sunday’s game with the Dolphins, he wasn’t quite ready to make that assessment.

“I think we’re still working through it,” he said.

After a 31-17 loss to Miami, New England is still very much an enigma.

Much of the progress the Patriots seemed to make only a week ago during their win over defending AFC East champion Buffalo was erased.

Quarterback Mac Jones had yet another muddled performance, throwing touchdown passes, but also tossing his eighth interception of the season. It set up a field goal for the Dolphins and put the Patriots in a 17-7 halftime hole from which they never recovered.

It dropped the Patriots to 2-6, the worst record in the AFC.

“It’s not the record we want,” Jones said. “You don’t want to be in this position. But at the end of the day, we’re playing football and we’ve got to go out there and figure it out.”

In addition, the offense will be down one of its most productive players.

Receiver Kendrick Bourne is expected to be sidelined for the remainder of the season after tearing a ligament in his knee, according to a person with knowledge of the diagnosis. The person spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because Bourne’s status had not been announced.

Bourne remained on the turf after being tackled by Eli Apple following a catch on the first play of the fourth quarter and did not return.

It’s a big setback for the Patriots, who lost their most targeted receiver this season. Bourne’s 37 catches for 406 yards and four touchdowns are all team highs.

Digging out of the hole New England is currently in will now require possibly the best coaching job of Belichick’s career.

“He’s been in a lot of games, and he knows what it takes to be successful in this league,” tight end Hunter Henry said of his coach. “So you’ve got to rely on that, and I’ll lean in on that.”

WHAT’S WORKING

If the Patriots are hoping to find some help via the draft, they are suddenly in position to land one of the top picks. In addition to being at the bottom of the AFC, they have the third-worst record in the league.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

New England’s defense. It has kept the Patriots in several games this season and for most of the day slowed the Dolphins’ dynamic offense.

But trailing by seven late in the fourth, a Patriots defense that entered ranked ninth against the pass was befuddled by Miami’s passing game when a blown coverage left receiver Jaylen Waddle wide open for a 31-yard touchdown to seal the Dolphins’ victory.

Waddle finished with seven catches for 121 yards, with Tyreek Hill adding eight catches for 112 yards. It marked the first time this season New England has allowed a receiver to reach the century mark.

STOCK UP

WR JuJu Smith-Schuster. He was played out of necessity after Bourne’s injury and another one earlier in the game to DeVante Parker. Smith-Schuster caught only one pass, but it was for a 3-yard touchdown that pulled his team within 24-17 with 8:30 left.

STOCK DOWN

Jones. He doesn’t seem to be learning from his miscues this season. He acknowledged after the game that his INT was the result of him being late releasing the ball. A replay of the throw also showed his weight was on his back foot, causing the ball to be underthrown and easily picked off by Jalen Ramsey.

INJURIES

Parker took a hard hit to his head from Miami’s DeShon Elliott in the third quarter and didn’t return after being evaluated for a concussion. … LB Ja’Whaun Bentley injured a hamstring in the second quarter and didn’t return. … CB Myles Bryant was helped off the field with a hamstring injury.

KEY NUMBER

0-6 — Belichick’s record against Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa .

NEXT STEPS

The Patriots host the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

The Miami Dolphins’ quarterback still considers the division rival Patriots one of the toughest opponents to beat.

Tagovailoa moved to 6-0 in his career against Belichick, throwing for 324 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in the Dolphins’ 31-17 win over the Patriots on Sunday.

“If you look at a lot of the games, none of them were runaway games,” Tagovailoa said. “To me, those are always tough games. If you turn the ball over the way I have, it makes it a tough game, and you keep those guys in the game.”

Miami won for the 16th time in its past 18 home games and swept the Patriots. The Dolphins, 6-2 for the first time since 2001, have a one-game lead over Buffalo in the AFC East.

Tagovailoa completed 30 of 45 passes and moved his league-leading yardage total to 2,416. Jaylen Waddle had seven catches for 121 yards and a touchdown, and Tyreek Hill had eight receptions for 112 yards and a score, becoming the first player in the Super Bowl era to top 1,000 receiving yards through eight games.

“You get a great litmus test of where you’re at as a football team when you have a division game, and then on top of that you’re going overseas the next week,” coach Mike McDaniel said, “and on top of that you have ‘Hard Knocks’ the week after. That is leading the league in potential distractions. So I knew we were going to find out a lot about our team today.”

Mac Jones had another uneven day for the Patriots (2-6), throwing for 161 yards on 19-of-29 passing with two touchdowns and one interception.

“We all need to play better,” Belichick said. “We all just need to coach and play better.”

The Patriots trailed 24-10 midway through the fourth quarter when they drove inside the Miami 3 and scored on fourth down. Jones connected with JuJu Smith-Schuster for the receiver’s first touchdown this season to get the Patriots within seven.

The Dolphins responded with a 10-play, 75-yard drive, and Waddle waltzed into the end zone for an easy 31-yard score.

Smith-Schuster made a hard hit on Dolphins safety Brandon Jones on the Patriots’ final drive as Jones was attempting to come down with an interception. The play resulted in a brief skirmish between the teams near the Patriots’ sideline before Miami ran out the clock.

Jalen Ramsey shined in his Dolphins debut. Ramsey intercepted Jones on a pass intended for Kendrick Bourne and returned it 49 yards in the second quarter. He missed the first seven games of the season after having surgery in July to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.

“It was a good play,” Ramsey said, “but in order for it to be a great play, in order for me to help the team out a little bit more, I should have scored.”

The Dolphins turned the ball over twice, and the Patriots scored both times.

Tagovailoa was sacked on Miami’s second drive and threw an interception on the next play, which the Patriots turned into a 7-0 lead when Jones found Bourne for a 24-yard touchdown.

Raheem Mostert fumbled at Miami’s 19 on the first play of the third quarter with the Dolphins up 17-7. That resulted in a 38-yard field goal by Chad Ryland. Mostert later contributed his NFL-best 10th rushing touchdown of the season — a 1-yard score that put the Dolphins ahead 24-10.

Hill, who was limited by a hip injury this week, has made clear his goal to surpass 2,000 receiving yards, and he’s more than halfway there at 1,014.

After his 42-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter, Hill simply sat on the Dolphins’ bench. He had been flagged in Miami’s previous two home games for unsportsmanlike conduct for his celebrations.

“I’m just tired of these fines. The NFL fines me so much,” Hill said. “I don’t want to be a part no NFL fines for the rest of the year.”

BACK IN THE END ZONE

Cedrick Wilson caught Tagovailoa’s second touchdown pass in the second quarter. It was Wilson’s first touchdown since before Miami picked him up in free agency last year. He hadn’t scored since Week 18 of 2021 with Dallas.

SCARY HIT

Former Dolphins receiver DeVante Parker took a hard hit to his head from Dolphins safety DeShon Elliott in the third quarter and left to be evaluated for a concussion. Parker appeared disoriented when he tried to get to his feet. He stumbled for a few seconds before teammates grabbed him. He was helped off the field and immediately ruled out with a head injury.

Elliott’s helmet appeared to make contact with Parker’s on the hit. No flag was thrown.

“I went up under his chin,” Elliott said after the game. “It was legal, and if the league tries to fine me I’m going to appeal it regardless. I think it was a clean hit.”

INJURIES

Patriots: LB Ja’Whaun Bentley injured a hamstring in the second quarter and didn’t return. … CB Myles Bryant was helped off the field with a hamstring injury. … Bourne left with a knee injury in the fourth.

Dolphins: RG Rob Hunt injured a hamstring in the second quarter and did not return. … Jones remained on the ground for a while after the hit from Smith-Schuster.

UP NEXT

Patriots: Host Washington next Sunday.

Dolphins: Travel to Frankfurt, Germany, where they are the designated home team against Kansas City next Sunday.

No, the Patriots’ 29-25 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday didn’t save their season. At 2-5, New England is still at the bottom of the AFC East and would need to improve significantly over its final 10 games to move into playoff contention.

But for a team that entered the week mired in injuries, inconsistency and ineptitude on offense, Sunday’s victory offered the first real signs that the Patriots possess the potential — and personnel — to compete with the AFC’s better teams.

Quarterback Mac Jones built on the strides he showed in Week 6 against Las Vegas and completed a season-high 83% of his passes (25 of 30) for 272 yards and two touchdowns. His 126.7 quarterback rating was his best of the season.

“It’s just a crumb. That’s what I always say. And you’ve got to build off that,” Jones said. “I want to continue to do that and make people believe.”

The performance received a passing grade from his coach.

“I think it was one of our most consistent offensive performances of the year,” Belichick said. “We moved the ball, we scored points, we changed field position.”

It’s the kind of efficiency that New England will look to continue to cash in on over the next three games. They feature matchups against three defenses ranked in the bottom third of the NFL in points per game allowed: Miami (26.7), Washington (27.1) and Indianapolis (27.3).

Running back Rhamondre Stevenson said Sunday’s win carries the same meaning across the locker room.

“Just getting back on track. Gaining some more confidence,” he said. “It just builds confidence and we’ve got to keep it rolling.”

WHAT’S WORKING

Offensive line play. The return of left guard Cole Strange from a three-game absence due to a knee injury and the shift of Mike Onwenu from right guard to right tackle paid dividends. It contributed to a much more efficient rushing attack and better protection for Jones.

“The offensive line gave me the time that I needed,” Jones said. “And when I have time, I can do and read the offense how we’re supposed to.”

The Patriots had only two offensive penalties, their fewest since Week 2. One of those was called on a lineman, an ineligible man downfield call on reserve tackle Vederian Lowe in the fourth quarter.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

Turnovers. The Patriots forced a turnover when safety Jabrill Peppers intercepted Buffalo’s Josh Allen on the Bills’ first offensive play to set up New England’s first touchdown.

But through five games, New England’s defense has just five takeaways (three interceptions, two fumble recoveries), tied for last in the NFL. That’s well behind last year’s pace when the unit forced 30 turnovers, tied for second in the league.

STOCK UP

Receiver Demario Douglas. The rookie returned from a one-game absence due to a concussion and made an impact all over the field. He caught four passes for 54 yards and rushed once for 20 yards. He didn’t reach the end zone, but each of his touches put the Patriots in position to score.

Douglas had a 9-yard reception on the first play of the game. The series ended with a field goal. On the Patriots’ second drive, he had a 16-yard catch to put his team into the red zone. Ezekiel Elliott scored two plays later. And in the fourth quarter, his 19-yard catch got New England inside the 5-yard line, setting up a TD reception by Kendrick Bourne.

STOCK DOWN

Bourne. He also had one of the Patriots’ biggest mistakes of the game later in the fourth when he hauled in a 9-yard reception, then lost a fumble when he was hit from behind. The Bills took advantage of the short field and scored a touchdown that gave them the lead.

INJURIES

Linebacker Anfernee Jennings was able to run off the field after being shaken up following a hit on Latavius Murray in the third quarter. Left tackle Trent Brown left with a knee injury. Lowe left with an ankle injury.

KEY NUMBER

18 — The number of punts rookie Bryce Baringer has placed inside the 20-yard line this season, after landing two there on Sunday. That’s tied for the NFL lead.

NEXT STEPS

The Patriots will look to avenge a Week 2 loss when they visit Miami on Sunday. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is 5-0 against Belichick.

But his team’s victory over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday will at the very least quiet the conversation about his coaching future.

Mac Jones threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Mike Gesicki with 12 seconds remaining to lift the New England Patriots to a 29-25 win over the Bills, making Belichick the third coach in NFL history with 300 regular-season victories.

Belichick trails only Pro Football Hall of Famers Don Shula (328) and George Halas (318). Including playoffs, Belichick has 331 victories, trailing Shula (347) and ahead of Halas (324).

“I mean, it’s great. I’m really more focused on our team and this year,” Belichick said. “We’ll worry about that later.”

Jones completed 25 of 30 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns as the Patriots (2-5) snapped a three-game skid. It was the second fourth-quarter comeback victory of Jones’ three-year career.

During the Patriots’ losing streak, Jones threw five interceptions and no touchdown passes.

“I always believe in myself,” Jones said. “I’m not going to sit up here and say it every time. But I do believe in myself and I do that through work and all that stuff. … You go as your quarterback goes. For me, it’s continuing to be the same guy every day and just be Mac.”

Ezekiel Elliott rushed for a score and Chad Ryland added three field goals to help the Patriots beat back a second-half rally by Buffalo (4-3), which briefly took the lead in the fourth quarter.

Josh Allen was 27 of 41 for 265 yards with two TDs and ran for a score. He also threw an interception that set up New England’s first touchdown. The Bills struggled on third down and scored touchdowns on only two of their four red-zone opportunities.

Including the 2021 playoffs, the Bills had won the previous four meetings with New England.

“Red zone-wise, offensively, we’re down there, we’ve got to get seven,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said. “Got to close the game out when it comes down to it.”

Allen said he isn’t sure what has held Buffalo’s offense back from executing over the past three games, during which the Bills have been outscored 63-59 while losing twice. Buffalo has a total of 10 first-half points in those games.

“I wish I knew the exact answer, because we’d have it fixed by now,” Allen said. “Our season’s not over. It’s a long season. It feels pretty bleak right now. But we’re going to figure it out.”

Trailing 22-10 in the fourth, the Bills needed just over two minutes to complete a five-play, 75-yard drive. Allen found Stefon Diggs for a 25-yard touchdown with 5:32 remaining.

On the Patriots’ ensuing series, Jones completed a 9-yard pass to Kendrick Bourne, but Jordan Poyer poked the ball free from behind, giving the Bills the ball at the Patriots 29.

Buffalo converted a fourth-and-2 to set up a first-and-goal at the 4. Allen scored on a sneak two plays later, then connected with Dawson Knox for the 2-point conversion to make it 25-22.

Jones began the decisive drive with a short pass to Rhamondre Stevenson that turned into a 34-yard gain. He hit Hunter Harvey for 14 yards on a third-and-8, and the Patriots had a first-and-goal after six plays. A pass-interference penalty set them up at the Buffalo 1, and Jones connected with Gesicki on second down.

Buffalo trailed 13-3 at halftime. Allen directed an 81-yard scoring drive on the first possession of the second half, finding James Cook for an 8-yard touchdown.

New England led 16-10 early in the fourth quarter when the Bills went for it on fourth-and-2 at the Patriots 33. Ja’Whaun Bentley knocked away Allen’s pass to Dawson Knox.

That set up a nine-play, 66-yard scoring drive for the Patriots. Jones connected with Bourne for a 22-10 lead.

INJURIES

Patriots: LB Anfernee Jennings jogged off the field after being shaken up following a hit on Latavius Murray in the third quarter. … LT Trent Brown left with a knee injury. … RT Vederian Lowe left with an ankle injury.

KEEPING IT CLOSE

The Patriots’ 1-5 start led to chatter about whether Belichick was on the coaching hot seat.

Asked about an NFL Network report that he had signed a contract extension this past offseason, Belichick declined to discuss it.

“I never talk about my contract,” he said. “I focus on the game, try to focus on Buffalo. Then I’ll focus on Miami. Count on that.”

NO PAIN

Allen insisted postgame that he doesn’t have any lingering issues after hurting his throwing shoulder last week.

“No, we’re good to go,” Allen said.

UP NEXT

Bills: Host Tampa Bay on Thursday night.

Patriots: At Miami next Sunday.

It’s been difficult to watch and many of the same themes continue to pop up each week — turnovers, penalties and poor fundamentals.

Yet as much as the season seems to be slipping way with each passing game, it hasn’t affected the third-year quarterback’s resolve to help his team find a way out of its current malaise.

“We definitely need to improve but have to keep swinging,” Jones said. “If you don’t swing, you’re not going to get any hits. Definitely going to keep swinging.”

Sunday’s 21-17 setback at Las Vegas has dropped the Patriots to 1-5 for the first time under Bill Belichick.

They remain in last place in the AFC East, with back-to-back matchups against the division’s top two teams up next.

While many of the issues that need to be corrected are clear, what’s also undeniable is that New England’s problems are being exacerbated by mounting injuries.

The Patriots ended the practice week with a season-high 17 players on the injury report. By Sunday seven of those players were declared out, including left guard Cole Strange (knee) and receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster (concussion) and Demario Douglas (concussion).

Despite center David Andrews and left tackle Trent Brown being the only two healthy regular starters on the offensive line, the group did manage to help end what had grown to a 12-quarter touchdown drought. It came via Ezekiel Elliott’s 2-yard TD run in the third quarter.

But it followed yet another slow start by the Patriots that put them in a double-digit hole. It marked the fifth time this season the Patriots have trailed to open a game.

It’s a recurring theme that coach Bill Belichick acknowledged he hasn’t been able to figure out.

“If I had the answer to that question, then maybe it wouldn’t be that way,” Belichick said. “We’ve tried a number of different things, and we’ll keep working on it. … It’s been hard to play from behind. It’s not the way you want to play in this league or really any competitive sport I can think of. We’ve got to do a better job of that, there’s no doubt about it.”

WHAT’S WORKING

Defense. Despite being without linebacker Matt Judon and cornerback Christian Gonzalez for the second straight week, New England’s defenders kept the Patriots in the game, holding the Raiders to just one touchdown on six chances inside the 20-yard line.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

Team discipline. The Patriots finished with a season-high 10 penalties for 79 yards. The offense accounted for six of them, the fifth time this season that unit was responsible for the majority of the team’s infractions.

STOCK UP

Linebacker Jahlani Tavai. He was in the right place at the right time in the first quarter, pulling in an interception off a ricochet when Ja’Whaun Bentley broke up a pass intended for Davante Adams and knocked the ball into the air.

It was the Patriots’ first turnover in four games. The three-game drought had been tied for the longest in franchise history.

STOCK DOWN

Tight end Hunter Henry. His holding penalty in the second quarter nullified a 74-yard catch-and-run touchdown by Elliott. It would have been the longest play of the season for New England. Henry is usually a top option for Mac Jones. But he was a non-factor offensively, catching just one of his three targets for 7 yards.

INJURIES

Defensive end Keion White left the game with a head injury in the first quarter. Cornerback Jonathan Jones left with a knee issue. Henry (ankle) and linebacker Josh Uche (foot) were both hurt in the second half.

KEY NUMBER

0-3 — Belichick’s record against former assistant Josh McDaniels. McDaniels beat his former boss once as Denver’s coach in 2009 and has done it with the Raiders each of the past two seasons.

NEXT STEPS

The Patriots host the Bills on Sunday. Including the playoffs, Buffalo has won the past four meetings.

Unfortunately for them, they also ran into the same self-inflicted mistakes that have haunted them most of the season during Sunday’s 21-17 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Patriots are 1-5 for the first time with Bill Belichick as coach. It’s been an inept offense that has driven into the red zone just twice in its past 33 possessions. The loss came against a Raiders defense that came into the game allowing opposing offenses to score on 41.2% of their drives — 11th highest in the league.

“We had our chances today,” New England coach Bill Belichick said. “We got to play better and coach better.”

The offense gained just 259 yards and generated only 4.6 yards per play.

Quarterback Mac Jones was 24 of 33 for 200 yards but also threw a costly interception in the second quarter with the Patriots driving. Rolling to his right, Jones misfired while targeting a wide-open Hunter Henry.

Instead, he overshot Henry and Raiders safety Tre’von Moehrig was there for his second interception of the season.

“I definitely think the communication is important,” the third-year quarterback said. “Interceptions are part of the game and I didn’t make a good throw. Just trying to do too much and they got three points from it or whatever, and that’s on me.”

At halftime, they had just four first downs. And until Ezekiel Elliott took a direct snap and plowed into the end zone in the third quarter, the Patriots hadn’t scored a touchdown in their previous 12 full quarters.

Yet despite the struggles, the Patriots found themselves trailing by two points, with the ball at their 9-yard line with 2:23 left in the game.

Jones completed a short pass to Rhamondre Stevenson for a 6-yard gain. But Stevenson’s ensuing 5-yard scamper was negated by a holding penalty that put the Patriots back on their 8-yard line.

Jones targeted DeVante Parker on a deep route down the left sideline, but his pass was dropped at the 50-yard line.

A delay of game penalty moved the ball to the 4-yard line, and on third down Bilal Nichols and Maxx Crosby sacked Jones in the end zone for a safety that sealed the win.

The Patriots finished with 10 penalties for 79 yards. Their 39 penalties this season are tied for eighth most in the league.

The Patriots return to Foxborough once again looking to correct things with their offense and will need to do so quickly with Buffalo coming to town next Sunday, one week before they travel to Miami to face the first-place Dolphins.

Stevenson said they’ll also be looking to dig deep for confidence.

“I know this is frustrating, we want to win,” said Stevenson, who finished with 46 yards on 10 carries and one touchdown. “We all love this game, and we’re competitors at the end of the day, so we want to win games. But I think we still got hope in ourselves and we’re gonna go to work every day, attack practice, attack each week like it’s our last. We’re just going to build on everything we’re doing and just get better on the things we’re not doing good.

“It just starts within and just being your own leader and just following the guys that do it well and just on to the next day and just keep your head up and just stay working on it.”

The New England Patriots are 1-4 and looking for any kind of spark after losing by a combined 72-3 the past two weeks. Quarterback Mac Jones was benched in both games, and it’s the most adversity New England has faced in coach Bill Belichick’s 24 years on the job.

The Las Vegas Raiders have been a landing spot for former Patriots under coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler, both ex-members of that organization. The Raiders’ situation isn’t much better than New England’s, but at 2-3 they found some breathing room by beating the Green Bay Packers 17-13 on Monday night. They need to win Sunday to salvage realistic hopes of a playoff berth as the schedule weakens.

“This is a team we certainly have a good level of familiarity with — eight guys on the coaching staff, five scouts, nine players, whatever it is,” said Belichick, who remains stuck on 299 career victories. “A lot of guys that have been here that I’ve worked with, we’ve worked with. Josh has done a good job here molding the team together.”

Belichick is sticking with Jones at quarterback, but another subpar performance could send him back to the bench permanently and prompt the Patriots to look for a different answer at that position in next year’s draft.

The Raiders could be in a similar spot, even with veteran and former Patriot Jimmy Garoppolo taking snaps. He hasn’t elevated the offense the way coaches hoped after they moved on from nine-year starter Derek Carr last season. Garoppolo has thrown an NFL-high seven interceptions. Las Vegas does have rookie Aidan O’Connell, but it’s unknown if the fourth-round pick is its quarterback of the future.

As for the present, the Raiders need something to get their offense going. They are on a six-game stretch without scoring 20 points.

Somehow, Las Vegas has won twice even with that poor production, but wide receiver Davante Adams said the team can’t be satisfied with “just squeezing victories.”

“I feel like there’s more to take from a game than just the win or loss,” Adams said. “Obviously, you’d rather win, but you can win a game and look (expletive), and we’ve done that too many times. So you have to start changing the way it looks.”

ABOUT THAT ENDING

The Patriots also came to Las Vegas last year, and the result was the season’s wackiest ending.

With the game tied late, New England appeared prepared to run out the clock and play for overtime when Rhamondre Stevenson took the handoff and suddenly found himself running free and picking up 23 yards. He lateraled to Jakobi Meyers, who then explicably threw back across the field.

Waiting there was Raiders defensive end and former Patriot Chandler Jones, who snagged the ball out of the air, shoved Mac Jones to the ground and ran 48 yards for a touchdown and a stunning 30-24 victory.

Meyers now is in Las Vegas, where he is the No. 2 receiver to Adams. Chandler Jones was played on the non-football illness list in September and was released two weeks ago after being arrested for violating a protective order.

BANKING ON DEFENSE

As bad as the Patriots’ offense has been in recent weeks, New England’s defense has remained mostly consistent.

It comes in ranked eighth in the NFL, allowing only 298 yards per game. The Patriots have the league’s sixth-best passing defense (190 yards per game).

They also come in with 12 sacks on the season, having recorded a sack in 24 consecutive games. That streak is tied with Carolina for the third-longest in the NFL, behind Kansas City (25) and Baltimore (26).

This will be the second straight game the Patriots have played without linebacker and sack leader Matt Judon (four), who is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery on his biceps.

BANKING ON DEFENSE, PART II

Who had the Raiders relying on defense for success this season?

Just about no one, of course.

Las Vegas ranks 14th in total defense, which isn’t overwhelming, but is a major improvement from last season when the Raiders were 27th. They made some notable changes in the offseason, but one of the returning players, end Maxx Crosby, has remained the clear standout.

He was named AFC defensive player of the week after registering four tackles for loss and a sack against the Packers. His constant pressure on quarterback Jordan Love threw Green Bay’s offense out of sync.

“Every time I go out there, I want to be at my absolute best,” Crosby said. “I write in my notes every single day, it’s me versus me.”

STADIUM TOUR

Belichick enters Sunday having recorded at least one victory in 50 stadiums (including the playoffs and neutral-site games) across the NFL.

The only two current venues home to NFL teams where he hasn’t won are Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium and Minnesota’s U.S. Bank Stadium.

Kansas City’s Andy Reid is second among NFL coaches, winning games in 43 stadiums.

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AP Sports Writer Kyle Hightower contributed to this report.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

For now, a change at quarterback won’t be one of them.

New England coach Bill Belichick said Wednesday that Mac Jones will remain the starter when the Patriots visit the Las Vegas Raiders.

“Yeah, we’re not making any changes,” Belichick said.

Jones is having his worst season since being drafted 15th overall in 2021. He completed just 12 of 22 passes for 110 yards and two interceptions in New England’s 34-0 loss to New Orleans last week. It computed to a 30.5 passer rating, the second-worst mark of his career.

He has had six turnovers over the past two weeks, one of the biggest impediments for an offense that has managed just three points during that stretch. The Patriots (1-4) haven’t scored a touchdown in 10 quarters of play.

As bad as things have been, offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien believes there is time to fix the issues.

“There’s a lot of season left,” O’Brien said this week. “There’s always obituaries being written. But there’s a lot of football to be played.”

Down 24-0 early in the second half, hearing boos at home like they used to on the road, a week after the worst loss of coach Bill Belichick’s career, with quarterback Mac Jones on his way to the bench for the second straight game, the Patriots punted the ball away on a fourth-and-3 inside Saints territory.

The move netted New England 27 yards — a minor flip of field position that accomplished nothing. Two more punts and an interception — his second — later, Jones was replaced by Bailey Zappe, bringing out one of the few cheers of the day.

“Obviously it wasn’t really good and everyone’s frustrated,” Jones said after the 34-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints. “Of course we’re frustrated. At the end of the day, you have to turn that into action.”

A week after a 38-3 loss to Dallas that established an all-time low for Belichick, the Patriots may have topped it with the biggest home shutout in the once-proud franchise’s history. The only time the team was blanked worse: a 52-0 loss to the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins.

These were most decidedly not the ’72 Dolphins.

New Orleans (3-2) beat Tennessee and Carolina — a pair of last-place teams — by a combined four points, and followed that with losses to the Packers and Buccaneers. But the Saints found a way to snap their two-game losing streak: a trip to New England, which fell to 1-4 for the first time since Belichick’s first season in 2000.

“Obviously it was a poor performance here today,” Belichick said in a largely inaudible postgame news conference that began with him lowering two microphones and taking one off the stand completely. “Slow start. We just couldn’t get the game under control.”

Jones finished 12-of-22 passing for 110 yards and two interceptions — one of them a pick-6 where he was hit while throwing the ball, the other went in and out of a receiver’s hands. His 30.5 passer rating was the second worst of his career.

Things started out poorly, and never improved.

New England’s first possession ended with a three-and-out, and the second ended when Tyrann Mathieu picked Jones off and ran it in from the Patriots 27. Their next drive was their longest — seven plays for 49 yards — and it ended with a missed 48-yard field goal.

His remaining possessions: Punt, punt, punt, fumble, punt, punt, interception.

“We don’t want to score zero points. It’s not the goal,” said Jones, who has regressed since a rookie season in which he outplayed the four quarterbacks drafted before him and earned a trip to the Pro Bowl. “We didn’t score any points. That’s the important part: scoring points.”

Jones has five touchdown passes in five games this season but has also given up scores on three interceptions and a fumble. His four pick-6s in 19 games at Gillette Stadium are as many as Tom Brady threw in the building in the regular season in his 18 years.

Asked if Jones was still the starter heading into next week’s game against Las Vegas and longtime Patriots assistant coach Josh McDaniel, Belichick said: “There were a lot of problems, it certainly wasn’t all him.”

Zappe wasn’t much better, overthrowing open receivers and failing to earn a first down in four possessions while completing 3 of 9 passes for 22 yards. And when the Patriots did go for it on fourth down twice fourth quarter, they couldn’t convert then, either.

“We put a lot into each week, and to go out there and not put your best foot forward is tough,” center David Andrews said. “Can’t lay down; can’t quit; long year. We’re going to come back in and go back to work. That’s all I know how to do.”

But a day after suffering the worst loss of his 29-year career, the longtime Patriots coach was adamant that it wasn’t an accurate reflection of his team.

“I feel like we’re better than what we played (Sunday),” Belichick said. “I definitely believe that. That wasn’t our best game. So, we’re capable of more than that. We’ve got to work to do better than that.”

Whether they’re capable remains to be seen.

New England’s 38-3 loss to Dallas dropped it to 1-3 for the third straight season. The Patriots finished below .500 in two of those years (7-9 in 2020 and 8-9 in 2022).

Any potential they have of recovering to make the playoffs like they did in 2021 is hard to spot right now, following another loss that was rife with turnovers and self-inflicted mistakes.

Quarterback Mac Jones had his worst outing of the season, throwing a pick-6 and losing a fumble that was returned for a touchdown.

Jones, who was replaced by Bailey Zappe in the third quarter, said he’s confident he can find a way out of his current funk.

“That’s one of the biggest things you take a lot of pride in as one of the leaders of the team,” he said. “As a leader, I have to play better first of all. I feel like I’ve made progress this year so far. … I definitely took a bunch of steps back. For me, just continue to be Mac and put a better product out there on Sunday.”

WHAT’S WORKING

Though the score didn’t reflect it, New England’s defense wasn’t a no-show on Sunday. It held the Cowboys to just two offensive scores, including one touchdown on four opportunities in the red zone.

It’s part of the reason safety Kyle Dugger, who registered a team-high 15 tackles, said he and his teammates are still very much hungry to find a way to make improvements.

“I definitely don’t see it as a step back,” he said. “I see it as we have the opportunity to look at the film and get better.”

WHAT NEEDS HELP

The Patriots turned the ball over three times on Sunday. All three were by Jones, including his 11-yard fumble that was returned for a touchdown by Leighton Vander Esch and his interception that DaRon Bland returned 54 yards for a score to help put New England in a 28-3 halftime hole.

New England has seven giveaways on offense, fourth most in the AFC.

“We just gotta take care of the ball, first things first. We gotta keep it,” running back Ezekiel Elliott said. “We got a couple penalties that slowed us down on drives. The biggest thing is, when we have the ball in our hands, we have to keep the ball and be smart with it.”

STOCK UP

Cornerback Myles Bryant forced a pair of fumbles in the second half.

STOCK DOWN

Jones dropped to 17-18 as a starter for New England, and his 39.9 rating was the third-worst of his career.

INJURIES

As admirably as the defense played, it could be without two of its biggest contributors for the foreseeable future. Edge rusher Matt Judon left with what was announced as an elbow injury, while rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez injured his shoulder while trying to tackle Tony Pollard.

Judon leads the team with four sacks. Gonzalez has a sack and interception and was named the league’s rookie defensive player of the month for September.

KEY NUMBER

0-12 — The Patriots’ record since 2019 when allowing a defensive touchdown.

NEXT STEPS

The Patriots host New Orleans on Sunday.

Francis was killed when the plane he was traveling in crashed at Lake Placid on Sunday, Oct. 1.

According to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), two people died in the crash, with the other victim identified as pilot Richard McSpadden.

Their plane, a Cessna 177 Cardinal, appeared to experience an emergency after takeoff, the AOPA stated, leading to the aircraft attempting to return but failing to make the runway.

Francis was a pilot himself, as well as President of Lake Placid Airways, according to the company’s website.

Starting his football career in 1975, Francis played 13 seasons in the NFL and spent much of his time in New England, including his first five seasons before heading to the San Francisco 49ers.

Francis was a part of San Francisco’s Super Bowl XIX-winning team in 1984-85 before later returning to the Patriots in 1987, where he would end his career.

“On behalf of the entire New England Patriots organization, we extend our sincerest sympathies to the family of Russ Francis, who tragically passed away yesterday,” Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft said in a statement. “Russ was a fan favorite throughout his playing career. He was a dynamic player on the field who had an even bigger personality off it. He knew no boundaries, pushed the limits and lived his life to the fullest. Our thoughts are with Russ’s family, friends, teammates and the many Patriots fans who mourn his loss.”

A three-time Pro Bowler, Francis’s career included 393 receptions for 5,262 yards and 40 touchdowns.

DaRon Bland returned one of his two interceptions for a touchdown, Leighton Vander Esch scooped up a fumble for a score and the Cowboys blew out the New England Patriots 38-3 on Sunday.

Mac Jones was responsible for all three turnovers and was pulled in the second half of the worst loss in Bill Belichick’s 29 seasons as a head coach, 24 of them in New England.

The six-time Super Bowl winner will have to wait at least another week to join George Halas and Don Shula as the only NFL coaches with 300 career regular-season victories.

Bland had his second pick-6 of the season after getting one in a season-opening rout of the New York Giants, when Dallas also returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown in a 40-0 win.

“Just to sit back and watch the defense do that, it’s awesome,” said Prescott, who had a touchdown pass before the defense took over. “I’d love to get out there and throw it over and over and be back and forth. But, I sit back and cross my legs and wait another five, six minutes. If they want to score, keep doing it.”

The Cowboys (3-1) spoiled former star running back Ezekiel Elliott’s Dallas homecoming with their 10th consecutive home victory. It’s the longest home streak since 1991-92, or almost two decades before AT&T Stadium opened.

The Patriots (1-3) trailed by just seven early in the second quarter when Jones was sacked from behind by Dante Fowler, leading to the easy 11-yard scoop-and-score from Vander Esch.

In the final seconds of the first half, Jones tried to throw across the field to Kendrick Bourne when Bland stepped in front and ran 54 yards untouched for a 28-3 Dallas lead.

“He got an early one across the field so I couldn’t let him do that again,” said Bland, who led the Cowboys with five interceptions as a rookie last season and has eight in 21 games. “I saw open field as soon as I got the ball and I was like, ‘Nobody is catching me from here.’”

New England’s previous biggest halftime deficit under Belichick was 24 points twice, including a 47-17 wild-card loss to Buffalo two seasons ago. In the famous rally from 28-3 down to beat Atlanta in Super Bowl 51, the Patriots trailed 21-3 at the break.

The Patriots are off to a 1-3 start for the third consecutive season, all with Jones as the starter.

“We’re a lot better team than we showed out there tonight,” Belichick said. “Need to do a better job playing, coaching. Not much to say.”

Bland, who moved to the outside at cornerback after 2021 All-Pro Trevon Diggs’ season-ending knee injury in practice Sept. 21, got his second interception early in the second half, leading to the last of Brandon Aubrey’s three field goals.

Jones played one more series after that before he was replaced by Bailey Zappe. Jones was 12 of 21 for 150 yards with a 39.9 passer rating.

Elliott didn’t get the start for the Patriots after watching a video tribute on the big screen above the field a few minutes before kickoff.

A two-time rushing champion for the Cowboys, Elliott waved as the crowd gave him a huge ovation and offered an understated version of the signature “feed me” gesture that endeared him to fans over seven seasons in Dallas.

“Honestly, I wasn’t too emotional,” said Elliott, the third-leading rusher in Dallas history.

Elliott got the first two carries on New England’s second series and picked up 13 of his 16 yards (on just six carries). By the time he had a chance to be a factor again, the Patriots were two touchdowns behind.

Prescott threw his first touchdown to a receiver this season with a 20-yarder to CeeDee Lamb in the first quarter for a 10-3 lead.

Prescott was 28 of 34 for 261 yards without an interception as Dallas, the NFL leader in turnover margin coming in, finished plus-3.

All three Dallas victories have been blowouts with an average margin of 32 points. The Cowboys were coming off a surprising loss at Arizona in which they never led.

LOW POINT

Belichick’s previous worst loss, playoffs included, was 31-0 at Buffalo in 2003. The biggest blowout defeat in five seasons with Cleveland from 1991-95 was 37-10 to the Houston Oilers in his final year. The 71-year-old is now 299-155 in the regular season.

ANYONE OTHER THAN BRADY

It was the second consecutive victory for the Cowboys over New England, both over Jones. They are now 9-1 against the Patriots when facing quarterbacks not named Tom Brady. He was 5-0 against Dallas.

TRICKERY FOR TWO

After Vander Esch’s touchdown, the Cowboys faked the extra point, and holder Bryan Anger threw a 15-yard pass to defensive end Chauncey Golston for the 2-point conversion.

INJURIES

The Patriots lost two defensive players in rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez and pass rusher Matthew Judon. Gonzalez injured a shoulder when he took on Tony Pollard on a tackle on the sideline. Judon injured an elbow. … Dallas RB Rico Dowdle sustained a hip injury and didn’t return.

UP NEXT

Patriots: New Orleans at home next Sunday.

Cowboys: At San Francisco next Sunday in a matchup of teams that met in the playoffs each of the past two seasons. The 49ers won both.

The 29-year-old left in the first half of last week’s 15-10 win over the Jets with an elbow injury and did not return.

Ekuale has played in each of New England’s three games this season, with three tackles and a forced fumble.

He has appeared in 25 games over the past three seasons with the Patriots and been used primarily as a sub in select packages.

New England visits Dallas on Sunday.

With the Patriots facing third-and-1 from the Jets 45 early in the fourth quarter, Jones pushed forward to try to get a first down on a quarterback sneak. He was stuffed by several New York defenders, but kept churning his legs after the whistle blew.

Jones — who has been accused of a few dirty plays during his two-plus seasons in the NFL — got into it with several Jets players, and linebacker C.J. Mosley slammed the quarterback to the turf. When Jones got up, Gardner said the Patriots player bumped into him — and the Jets cornerback shoved him after he said he took an inappropriate shot below the belt.

“He had got tackled,” Gardner said. “He reached his hand up to try to, like, get me to help him up. And I just moved his hand out of the way. Then, when he gets up (and) he just comes up to me like, ‘Good job.’ But while he’s said that, he hit me in my … he hit me in my private parts. You know what I’m saying?”

Gardner said he was stunned and didn’t react “the way I really wanted to.”

“I definitely wasn’t expecting that,” Gardner said. “First time for everything, I guess.”

No penalties were called on either side, and Jones denied doing anything on purpose.

“No,” Jones said. “I think just trying to get the first down.”

The Patriots quarterback didn’t specifically mention the pushing and shoving after the quarterback sneak.

“Man, my stomach hurt a little bit, you know what I mean?” Gardner said with a laugh. “I don’t even know what to say. I do got to ice up. He’s trying to keep me from having kids in the future. He’s trippin’.”

Bill Belichick’s bunch avoided its first 0-3 start since the coach’s first season in New England in 2000 while continuing the team’s mastery over its AFC East rivals.

Zach Wilson made his second start in place of the injured Aaron Rodgers, but was unable to produce much other than one solid drive in the fourth quarter that got the Jets (1-2) back into the game.

Nick Bawden capped a 13-play, 87-yard drive by the Jets with a 1-yard touchdown run up the middle to make it 13-10 with 5:24 left.

Wilson was 7 for 10 on the drive and the Jets were helped by a pass interference penalty on Myles Bryant on a throw to Randall Cobb on third-and-goal from the 9 — putting the ball on the 1 and setting up Bawden’s TD.

After a defensive stop, the Jets faced third-and-10 from their own 10 and Wilson ran for a first down — but it was erased by a holding penalty by guard Joe Tippmann. Judon brought down Wilson on the next play to make it 15-10.

The Jets got the ball back with 1:43 left — but again couldn’t convert. On fourth-and-10, Wilson threw a 1-yard pass to Tyler Conklin, turning the ball over on downs — and causing the remaining rain-soaked Jets fans at MetLife Stadium to boo.

New York had one more chance with 16 seconds left. Wilson connected with Garrett Wilson for a 29-yard gain to put the ball on the Jets 46. Zach Wilson then threw up a Hail Mary that reached the end zone and bounced around a few times — before falling just beyond a diving Cobb’s hands.

There was a lot of slipping early, the result of heavy rains that moved through the area and caused some of the paint on the Jets logos in the end zones to smear with footprints from players working in pregame warmups.

New York was never able to get its footing.

The win over the Jets matched the Patriots’ mark for the most consecutive wins over an opponent. New England beat Buffalo 15 straight times from 2003 to 2010.

Chad Ryland capped the Patriots’ first offensive series with a 48-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead. Ryland missed another 48-yard attempt early in the second quarter.

On New England’s next possession, Jones lofted a pass downfield to a wide-open Pharoah Brown, who streaked downfield for a 58-yard touchdown that put the Patriots ahead 10-0 with 11:38 left in the first half.

Greg Zuerlein, who missed last week’s game with a groin injury, got the Jets on the scoreboard with a 52-yard field goal with 1:21 remaining before halftime.

The Patriots tried to add to their lead just before halftime, but Ryland was short and wide left on a 57-yard try after a high snap. But Ryland rebounded by hitting on a 51-yarder on New England’s first drive of the second half.

Jones finished 15 of 29 for 201 yards. Ezekiel Elliott ran for 80 yards on 16 carries, and Rhamondre Stevenson had 59 yards on 19 carries.

Zach Wilson was 18 of 36 for 157 yards for the Jets, who went 2 for 14 on third down after going 1 for 10 last week in those situations at Dallas.

LINE SWITCH

With Jets left tackle Duane Brown on injured reserve with a hip injury, the Jets moved Mekhi Becton from right tackle to the left side. Starting right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker moved to right tackle, and Tippmann made his first NFL start at right guard. Left guard Laken Tomlinson and center Connor McGovern stayed at their usual spots.

INJURIES

Patriots: DL Daniel Ekuale (elbow) and DL Davon Godchaux (ankle) left in the first half and didn’t return.

UP NEXT

Patriots: Head to Dallas to take on the Cowboys next Sunday.

Jets: Host the Kansas City Chiefs next Sunday night.

Grier was signed off the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad. Belichick didn’t say whether it would be a short-term or season-ending stay on IR for Jones.

“It’s unfortunate. Obviously had a really good rookie year. Explosive player,” Belichick said. “He’s on IR for right now, so he’ll be out for a while.”

Jones was injured in the Patriots’ loss to Miami last week. In addition to playing cornerback, he also served as New England’s punt and kick returner on special teams and appeared in some limited offensive sets.

He was named a first-team AP All-Pro punt returner as a rookie in 2022, finishing second in the NFL with a 12.5 yards per return average. It included a game-winning 84-yard punt return in New England’s second meeting against the Jets last season. Jones also had an interception return for a score against Cincinnati and a 48-yard touchdown reception against Buffalo.

The Patriots signed and then released quarterback Ian Book earlier in the week and also also cut ties with Matt Corral after he was briefly placed on the exempt list. Belichick said those decisions provided a need for support behind starting quarterback Mac Jones and backup Bailey Zappe.

“Felt like we need depth at that position,” Belichick said. “Two quarterbacks. Long year.”

Grier is someone the Patriots have tracked since he was taken as a third-round pick out of West Virginia by the Carolina Panthers in the 2019 draft. He was with the Panthers for two seasons and started the final two games of the 2019 season completing 28 of 52 passes for 228 yards.

He was waived and signed first by Dallas, then cut again and signed to the Bengals’ practice squad in August.

Raheem Mostert had a pair of TD runs, including a 43-yard romp in the fourth quarter, and Tagovailoa added a 2-yard touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill to help the Miami Dolphins hold off the Patriots 24-17 on Sunday night.

With the the victory, Tagovailoa improved to 5-0 against New England coach Bill Belichick.

“It’s never a me thing,” Tagovailoa said. “Every time we face coach Belichick’s team it’s always a challenge, and we know we’re going to get their best. … We’re going to take them however they come.”

Mostert carried 18 times for 121 yards and Tagovailoa completed 21 of 30 passes for 249 yards and an interception. Jaylen Waddle added four catches for 86 yards before leaving in the fourth quarter following a hit by Marte Mapu.

“One hundred yards is hard to come by especially in a passing league. That means everything was going on all cylinders,” Mostert said.

After opening with two road wins, the Dolphins will try for their second straight 3-0 start under coach Mike McDaniel when they host Denver next weekend.

New England dropped to 0-2 for the first time since 2001, which was Belichick’s second season as coach.

Trailing 24-17, the Patriots appeared to keep their hopes alive by converting a miraculous fourth-and-4 on the Dolphins 33. Mac Jones completed a pass to Mike Gesicki short of the first down marker, but the tight end spun and flipped the ball to left guard Cole Strange, who lunged forward.

It was originally called a first down, but a review showed Strange was short of the needed yardage, turning the ball over on downs. Miami then ran the clock out.

Jones finished 31 of 42 for 231 yards, a touchdown and interception.

“Just wasn’t our day. Hasn’t been our day for the last two weeks,” he said.

After back-to-back losses in which the Patriots have faced big deficits, tight end Hunter Henry said it’s clear mistakes are hurting them. On Sunday, a first-quarter fumble by rookie Demario Douglas set up Miami’s first TD, an 8-yard run by Mostert in the second quarter.

“It’s very frustrating,” Henry said. “Obviously, you look at the plays at the end of the game, and we need to be better at that for sure. But we need to be better in the game, to not put ourselves in that position.”

The Patriots played short-handed in the secondary after starting cornerback Jonathan Jones was ruled out prior to kickoff with an ankle injury. They took another hit in the second quarter when Marcus Jones left with a shoulder issue.

The Dolphins took advantage as Tagovailoa spread the ball around to eight different receivers, including nine completions to Hill and Waddle.

Defensively, Miami recovered Douglas’ fumble. Then, leading 17-3 in the third quarter, Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard grabbed an underthrown pass from Jones that was intended for DeVante Parker inside the 5.

Miami punted the ball back and New England found some traction, using an 18-yard run by Jones and a holding penalty on Howard to help set up a 6-yard TD pass from Jones to Hunter Henry.

New England got the ball right back when Tagovailoa had a deep pass intended for Hill intercepted by Christian Gonzalez. But backed up, the Patriots went three-and-out.

Then, on the first play after the changeover, Mostert took a handoff, found a seam in the middle of the Patriots defense and sprinted for his 43-yard TD.

New England marched right down the field and closed to 24-17 on Rhamondre Stevenson’s 2-yard touchdown run, capping a nine-play, 75-yard drive.

Miami had the ball on its own 30 when Tagovailoa missed on a pass to Waddle. But Mapu was called for unnecessary roughness, giving the Dolphins a first down near midfield.

The Dolphins had a chance to extend their lead with a 55-yard field goal attempt by Jason Sanders, but it missed wide left.

WADDLE STATUS

McDaniel didn’t have an update on Waddle’s status, but Tagovailoa said the receiver was in “good spirits.”

McDaniel only confirmed he went in for evaluation.

INJURIES

Dolphins: RB Salvon Ahmed also left with a groin injury.

Patriots: CB Marcus Jones injured his shoulder after tackling Waddle early in the second quarter and did not return.

BYE-BYE

Near the end of the game Hill could be seen waving at Patriots fans as he exited the field.

“Those fans are some of the worst fans in the NFL, and I’m going to stand on that,” Hill said. “They’re real nasty and some of the things that they’re saying, I wouldn’t say in church. It felt great to wave goodbye to the fans, and I’ll do it again. Bye.”

UP NEXT

Dolphins: Host the Broncos next Sunday.

Patriots: At the Jets next Sunday.

The Eagles capitalized on two early turnovers by the Patriots, spoiling a day in which New England honored former quarterback Tom Brady at halftime.

Hurts was 22-of-33 for 170 yards and the TD but had a costly fumble in fourth quarter that gave the Patriots a chance. Jake Elliott kicked four field goals for Philadelphia, which didn’t reach the end zone after the first quarter.

New England’s Mac Jones recovered from a rough start to finish 35 of 54 for 316 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Kendrick Bourne had two TD receptions. Hunter Henry added the other scoring catch for an offense that outgained the NFC champion Eagles 382-251.

Trailing 25-14 late in the fourth quarter, New England got within 25-20 on Jones’ 11-yard TD pass to Bourne. But a 2-point conversion run by Jones was nullified by a holding penalty, and a second attempt was no good.

The Eagles opened their next series with an 8-yard run by Hurts, but it ended with him fumbling after a hit by Jabrill Peppers. Marcus Jones recovered, setting New England up on the Philadelphia 41 with 3:28 remaining.

A second-down sack by Jordan Davis and Josh Sweat helped the Eagles end that Patriots possession. But Philadelphia struggled to move the ball, turning it over on downs at the New England 44 when Hurts’ pass to Smith was broken up.

The Patriots got the ball to the 19 on a 17-yard pass from Jones to Mike Gesicki with 1:02 left. But on second down, Jones couldn’t avoid Jalen Carter and was dropped for or a sack.

On fourth-and-11, Kayshon Boutte appeared to reel in a catch inside the 10. But a replay review showed he had only one foot inbounds.

New England hired offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien in the offseason to turn the page on a dismal 2022 by a unit that ranked in the bottom half of the NFL.

Injuries on the offensive line made for an uneven debut.

With starters Cole Strange (knee) and Mike Onwenu (ankle) both inactive, the Patriots started rookies Antonio Mafi and Sidy Sow at left and right guard, respectively. The absences were felt early opposite an Eagles defensive line that put pressure on Jones throughout.

The Patriots’ first five drives of the game ended with a pick-6, a fumble that led to another Eagles touchdown, and three consecutive three-and-outs that added up to a 16-0 Philadelphia lead.

But the Eagles’ offense finished the half with four straight punts to help New England close the gap to 16-14.

Philadelphia carried a 19-14 edge into the fourth quarter and stretched it to 22-14 when Elliott’s 48-yard field-goal attempt banged off the left upright and through.

New England took over and converted a fourth-and-8 from the Eagles 36 when Jones hit Henry for 12 yards. The Patriots went for it again facing fourth-and-3 at the 12 but Ezekiel Elliott couldn’t secure a short pass from Jones.

Jake Elliott kicked his final field goal with 5:33 left, a 51-yarder.

INJURIES

Eagles: Linebacker Nakobe Dean left in the second half with a foot injury. … Defensive tackle Fletcher Cox left following a fourth-quarter injury.

ROOKIE HEAVY

The Patriots dressed 11 of the 12 members of their rookie draft class. The exception was cornerback Isaiah Bolden, who is on injured reserve with the head injury he suffered during New England’s second exhibition game.

NEXT WEEK

Eagles: Host Minnesota on Thursday night.

Patriots: Host Miami next Sunday night.

The $250 million renovation includes a huge lighthouse and a giant, curved jumbotron, which is the largest outdoor curved radius videoboard in the country. The renovations will enhance the fan experience for game highlights as well as Brady’s tribute.

This week, Patriots owner Robert Kraft gave fans a hint of what to expect come halftime.

“We’re going to do something special and unique with him,” Kraft said. “I don’t know if I’m supposed to be saying, but he’s got 20 members of this family coming. All his nephews, nieces, sisters, parents. We’re honored to be hosting all of them.”

Tickets are still available for Sunday’s game with the cheapest tickets coming in around $175 and the most expensive hitting $888 as of Sunday morning.

Speaking with 7NEWS, Tom Brady Sr. said his son is excited to come back to where he started his career this Sunday as the New England Patriots play their home opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.

“It’s going to be fun – this is kind of a homecoming, our roots are here in Foxboro,” Brady Sr. told 7’s Dan Hausle. “[Tom Brady] came to this town 24 years ago or so, a little wet behind the ears and became a man here and so, it’s pretty neat – we’re just so happy about it.”

The iconic quarterback will be honored at halftime during a ten-minute ceremony, according to the Patriots organization. The team originally announced back in May that it planned to celebrate the player, months after he announced his retirement.

“It’s a storybook ending to a great, great football legacy and as I said before – if we had to rewrite this, Hollywood wouldn’t take it,” Brady Sr. said, noting he’s been to New England to watch his son in Foxboro hundreds of times before, but never like this.

“This time, when we don’t have him [standing] behind center and taking sacks, we’re not gonna have the same anxiety.”

Moving forward, Brady Sr. said he envisions his son’s future to grow beyond just football, what with him being a part-owner in a variety of sports, continuing to fuel his competitive fire.

“I think he wants to be a sportsman – he’s got part of a basketball team and part of a football team and part of a racing team, part of a soccer team, part of a pickleball team – he can’t decide,” he said. “He loves it – he’s always been a competitive person and as a sportsman, you want to have a vested interest. It’s fun to have the adrenaline going.”

Brady Sr. also told 7NEWS he was looking forward to seeing the latest renovations at Gillette Stadium this Sunday, including an enhanced lighthouse and new, high-definition video display systems.

The entire ceremony honoring Brady will be available for streaming on the Patriots website. 

The Patriots icon will be honored during Sunday’s season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. Recently speaking with reporters, Kraft shared the first details about what the ceremony might look like.

“We’re going to do something special and unique with him,” Kraft said.

Kraft said he talked to Brady recently. 

“[H]e’s really excited and I’m excited because our fans never really got a chance to say goodbye in a proper way,” Kraft said.

The ceremony is set to be so special, Brady is making it a family affair. In all, Kraft said Brady will have 20 members of his family attending.

“We’re honored to be hosting all of them,” Kraft said.

When 7NEWS asked for some clues as to what will happen, Kraft almost let the secret out. In this case, though, he said it will be much cooler to wait. 

What Kraft did say was that all of halftime will be dedicated to Brady and what he wants to do and say to his fans. 

“He made such amazing contributions and, when you think about it, the NFL is over 103 years old, I believe, and we were privileged to have the greatest player in the history of the game for 20 percent of those years right here,” Kraft said. 

“I think it’s kind of cool that we can say ‘Thank you’ to him and the fans have a way to do it and he can connect,” Kraft continued.

As Sunday’s events approach, the tribute to Brady is a thank you from Patriots Nation that has been a long time coming.

“He had such a great hand in creating the culture,” Kraft said. 

“He brought the best out in people but this same guy is a guy who had a heart of gold and would be emotional and sensitive,” Kraft added. “I’ve never met another human being who could be as competitive as he can be and have a heart of gold and be such a high quality human being.”

The entire ceremony honoring Brady, set to be about 10 minutes long, will be available for streaming on the Patriots website. 

New England claimed quarterback Matt Corral off waivers from Carolina on Thursday after coach Bill Belichick cut both Bailey Zappe and Malik Cunningham while paring down his initial 53-man roster.

Zappe and Cunningham have since been signed to the practice squad, but the addition of Corral slots him as Jones’ backup as the Patriots begin preparations for their Sept. 10 season opener against Philadelphia.

Corral was the Panthers’ third-round draft pick in 2022 after starring at Mississippi, but never got on the field in the regular season. He missed his entire rookie season after suffering a foot injury in a preseason game against New England.

Carolina moved up in the 2022 draft to select Corral, using the 94th overall pick it received in a trade with the Patriots in exchange for compensation that included a fourth-round pick (147th overall) that New England eventually used to select Zappe.

The Patriots were able to sign Corral after placing receiver Tyquan Thornton on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. Thornton was injured early in training camp and dressed for only one exhibition game. He will miss at least the first four games and is eligible to return on Oct. 8 when the Patriots host the New Orleans Saints.

Despite Thornton’s injury, the 2022 second-around pick was still able to earn an initial spot. When he returns, he’ll join an improved group of receivers that includes free agent signee JuJu Smith-Schuster, veterans DeVante Parker and Kendrick Bourne, and rookie sixth-round picks Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte.

Thornton sat out the first four games last season after he broke his collarbone during training camp. He returned to appear in 13 games, including nine starts, and finished with 22 catches for 247 yards and two touchdowns. He also had one rushing TD.

Citing sources, ESPN NFL Nation reporter Mike Reiss said Wednesday afternoon that both Bailey Zappe and Malik Cunningham plan on re-signing with the Patriots practice squad.

The news came a day after NFL teams finalized their 53-man rosters and made player cuts ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.

Selected in the 2022 draft’s fourth round after time with Western Kentucky and Houston Baptist, Zappe saw action in four games last season, starting in two games and winning on both occasions while Mac Jones recovered from a high ankle sprain.

Meanwhile, Cunningham was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2023 after playing in the United States Football League following his time at Louisville.

The moves came on cutdown day in the NFL Tuesday, which regularly provides some type of shocking moment around the league. That fact hit home for the Patriots this year as the team opted to waive Zappe to get down to its 53-man roster limit. 

Drafted in the fourth round of the 2022 draft, Zappe saw action in four games last season, starting in two games and winning on both occasions while Mac Jones recovered from a high ankle sprain. 

Zappe fever was in full effect. But Zappe did not impress this summer under new Offensive Coordinator Bill O’Brien. 

Now, the Patriots may be hoping to sneak Zappe onto their practice squad if and when he clears waivers. 

In addition to Zappe, the Patriots also waived rookie free agent Malik Cunningham on Tuesday, leaving Jones as the only quarterback on the roster. 

Elsewhere in the lineup, the Patriots settled their kicker competition by dealing Nick Folk to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for a seventh round draft pick in 2025.

The 38-year-old Folk hit 89% of his field goal attempts in four seasons as a Patriot. But fourth round pick Chad Ryland’s time is now. 

The Patriots are scheduled to open their season on Sept. 10 at home against the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Patriots Coach Bill Belichick spoke, in the meantime, on Tuesday, discussing the NFL’s cutdown process.

“The stories aren’t over,” he said. “This is one step in the process for us and the players.”

“Some players that we released will come back and play for us and be on the practice squad and some won’t,” Belichick continued. 

“It’s always difficult to even have to tell a player that he’s not going to be on the roster, that he’s going to be on the practice squad or he’s not going to be here at all or whatever it is,” Bill Belichick said. “Unfortunately, that’s part of the process.”

The Titans coach does like how one of his young quarterbacks shook off a rough start.

Malik Willis passed for 211 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Titans to a 23-7 victory Friday night over the New England Patriots in the teams’ preseason finale.

“Love the way that he competed,” Vrabel said of Willis shaking off a pair of interceptions. “Loved it. And, you know, got to eliminate the mistakes.”

Tennessee QB Ryan Tannehill started and handed off three times in his lone action this preseason before putting on a ballcap for the rest of the night.

Bailey Zappe started at quarterback as New England (1-2) rested many of its starters. The Patriots managed just 79 yards total offense.

“Obviously, we got a chance to look at a lot of guys here tonight,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said.

Tennessee (2-1) had six sacks and forced a turnover. Most of the Titans’ starters played the first quarter.

With rookie Will Levis missing a second straight game with an injured left thigh, Willis made his case to back up Tannehill again this season.

The 86th pick in the 2022 draft struggled in the first quarter, going 1 of 5 for 22 yards. He also threw a pass that went behind tight end Josh Whyle and off the rookie’s hands to Patriots linebacker Calvin Munson late in the quarter. Vrabel said protection kind of dictated that throw.

Willis flipped a switch in the second, completing all eight of his passes for 115 yards and a 12-yard TD pass to Julius Chestnut just before halftime. That capped a 90-yard drive for a 13-7 halftime lead. He tossed a 26-yard TD pass to undrafted rookie receiver Kearis Jackson early in the fourth.

He actually didn’t have a pass hit the ground after the first quarter. Midway through the third, Willis threw to a wide-open Patriots linebacker Joe Giles-Harris for the Titans quarterback’s second interception of the game.

Willis also showed more patience, running only eight times for 17 yards. The quarterback said his biggest growth from his rookie season has been not taking weeks and months to correct an issue.

Now Willis said he’s able to take “a few moments and understand what’s trying to get put towards me and how can I fix it.”

These teams had been scheduled to practice together Tuesday and Wednesday until Patriots cornerback Isaiah Bolden was carted off the field in Green Bay last weekend. New England alerted the Titans that night that plans had changed, with the Patriots returning home for a couple practices.

HOT NIGHT

The temperature was 92 degrees at kickoff with the temperature feeling around 105. Zappe, who’s from Texas, said he was pretty used to the heat. He was 8 of 15 for 57 yards and sacked four times.

“I made a joke when I got off the bus that this is real weather,” Zappe said. “Some of you northerners, I’m sure y’all don’t like it, but I was fine with it.”

WATCHING

Three-time All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, three-time Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry, two-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons and linemate Teair Tart all warmed up. Then they came out for kickoff without pads and watched from the Tennessee sideline.

Patriots quarterback Mac Jones dressed but did not play. Zappe came back in the third quarter. Rookie Malik Cunningham got in late and was incomplete on both pass attempts. He ran once for 5 yards and played 19 snaps at wide receiver.

WATCH THE KICKERS

Chad Ryland, the Patriots’ fourth-round pick out of Maryland, hit the crossbar on a kickoff to show off his strong leg as he pushes veteran Nick Folk for the kicker’s job.

Michael Badgley, who signed and practiced with Tennessee for the first time Tuesday, didn’t help his case to make the final roster. He made a 44-yard field goal that banked in off the left upright while also making two more from 27 and 33 yards. But Badgley also hooked a 39-yard field goal wide left.

INJURIES

Titans starting right guard Daniel Brunskill went to the locker room with a knee injury. Riley Reiff, who started at right guard for New England, also left with an right leg injury.

Whyle went to the locker room in the fourth quarter with an injured ankle.

UP NEXT

Patriots host Philadelphia on Sept. 10 to open the season.

Titans open season Sept. 10 visiting New Orleans.

Elliot signed a one-year deal with the Patriots last week. Speaking in his first interview since the deal, Elliot on Wednesday said the Patriots are a good fit for him. 

“The transition has been good,” Elliot told reporters. “I’ve been getting along with the team.” 

“You know, I love the coaches, love this atmosphere, love this program,” he continued. 

Elliot said he is “having fun,” already enjoying his time as a Patriot. 

Despite his late start to training camp, Elliot also said he is in a good place both mentally and physically. 

“I feel good,” he said. “I feel like I’m ready to play.” 

“I’m still getting in that playbook, trying to know it the way I should,” Elliot said. “But I’m getting there.”

Elliot rushed for a career-low 878 yards last season, prompting questions about how much he has left in the tank. In comments on Wednesday, Elliot was ignoring the noise. 

“I don’t think any outside entity could put more pressure on me than the expectation I have for myself,” he said. “So, it’s not really to go out there and prove anything to anyone, but to just go out there and show what type of player I am.” 

As for Elliot’s first impressions of his new head coach: 

“He’s a great coach,” Elliot said of Bill Belichick. “He’s a funny guy. He demands excellence of this team and he knows how to get it out of you.”

Elliot did not see any game action last week in New England’s preseason game in Green Bay. 

He said he will be good to go, though, if called upon in this week’s preseason finale against the Tennessee Titans on Friday.

The Patriots said in a statement Sunday that Bolden, who appeared to collide with teammate Calvin Munson while attempting to make a hit on a pass completion to Green Bay’s Malik Heath, will travel with the team Sunday when it returns Massachusetts.

Bolden posted a message Sunday morning to the platform as X, formerly known as Twitter, thanking people for their concern.

“Appreciate the prayers more excited to be back with the guys,” the message said.

The Patriots and Packers mutually agreed to call off the remainder of the game after Bolden’s injury, with the Patriots leading 21-17 with 10:29 left in the fourth quarter. The team said after the injury that Bolden had movement in all his extremities and was transported to Aurora Bay Medical Center for testing.

The Patriots say they’ve canceled their scheduled joint practices with the Tennessee Titans on Tuesday and Wednesday in Nashville. The Patriots will train in Foxborough this week and fly to Tennessee on Thursday for Friday’s exhibition game.

New England’s preseason game with the Green Bay Packers was called off on Saturday night after Bolden was carted off the field early in the fourth quarter.

The incident came more than seven months after Hamlin — a Buffalo Bills safety — went into cardiac arrest and was resuscitated on the field after making what appeared to be a routine tackle against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2.

“Of course that’s in the back of all of our minds when something like that happens,” Patriots cornerback Jalen Mills said.

The Patriots said after the game that Bolden had feeling in all his extremities. Patriots spokesman Stacey James said late Saturday night that Bolden will be held overnight at a hospital in Green Bay for observation. The Patriots plan to provide an update on Bolden’s condition Sunday morning.

“We’re just keeping our fingers crossed,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said.

Bolden, a seventh-round pick from Jackson State, appeared to collide with teammate Calvin Munson while attempting to make a hit on a pass completion to Malik Heath of the Packers.

“It looks like just one of those collision hits, those freak hits that you see on rare occasions in this league, that you hate to see,” Mills said.

“We really couldn’t see him too much. It looked like he was moving and his eyes were open, but as of right now, just asking everybody to keep him in their prayers and we hope for the best.”

As medical officials treated Bolden, both teams left their respective sidelines and got on the field, with some players getting on one knee.

After Bolden was carted off the field, the two teams conferred and decided not to continue the game. The game stopped with the Patriots leading 21-17 with 10:29 left in the fourth quarter.

“It’s a reminder of the fragility of life,” Patriots special teams player Matthew Slater said. “It’s not something we spend a lot of time thinking about, but the reality is all of us will have to wrestle with that at some point in time, every person who’s ever walked the face of this Earth. I think it’s unfortunate that it happens in this context and this setting because this is meant to be a joyful, celebratory experience.

“We’re playing a game. We’re doing what we love. We’re entertaining people. People are getting enjoyment out of our game. But it’s a reminder that things can turn on a dime.

“It’s something you have to put out of your head as a player because you can’t go out there with fear and hesitation, but the reality is things happen in life and certainly things happen in football all the time.”

Players from both teams said they were reminded of Hamlin’s injury.

“It brought out that Damar feeling, and that’s just scary,” Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne said.

“That’s how it feels. It’s just praying for him that he’s OK. They said he was moving, he was responding pretty well. Kind of hurt in his neck a little bit. Looked like it was head to head, like a pile together. You just never know in those moments.”

Hamlin’s heart stopped as a result of commotio cordis, which is when a direct blow at a specific point in a heartbeat causes cardiac arrest.

Hamlin has since returned to the Bills and played in his hometown of Pittsburgh earlier in the day and had three tackles in a loss to the Steelers.

Given the similarities, both teams agreed there was no point in continuing the game.

“This is not the AFC championship,” Slater said. “We’re not playing for records. It’s preseason game two. When you have an injury like that, it affects a lot of guys in a lot of different ways. Clearly our team was shaken by what happened.”

Packers outside linebacker Kingsley Enagbare agreed.

“That definitely was a shocker and one of those things that you kind of get the chills, when you see someone kind of pretty much without motion on the football field,” Enagbare said.

“That’s never a good sign, but I guess it’s definitely for the best that the game ended the way it did. I know I was a little shook up, man.”

Players from both teams had connections to Bolden.

Slater called Bolden “a joy to be around” since the rookie arrived in New England. Heath grew up in Jackson, Miss., and knew Bolden from the cornerback’s Jackson State roots. Patriots quarterback Mac Jones said he’s known Bolden since they were both in high school.

“We played 7-on-7 football together,” Jones said. “Definitely one of my brothers.”

Now they’re hoping they can see him again as soon as possible.

“Just asking everybody to keep him in their prayers,” Mills said. “We hope for the best.”

OTHER INJURIES

Patriots WR Tre Nixon left with a shoulder injury late in the second quarter.

Packers S Tarvarius Moore and FB Henry Pearson suffered knee injuries. WR Dontayvion Wicks hurt his hamstring and OL Jake Hanson had a shin injury.

UP NEXT

Patriots: Have joint practices with the Tennessee Titans on Tuesday and Wednesday before playing an exhibition game Friday in Nashville.

Packers: Host the Seattle Seahawks next Saturday.

About five minutes into their second joint practice session Thursday, three skirmishes already had broken out between Green Bay’s offense and New England’s defense. The coaching staffs gathered the teams in separate circles at one point to try to calm things down.

“We’re competitive,” Patriots defensive back Jalen Mills said. “They’re competitive. It’s going to get chippy. It’s a joint practice. Guys out here trying to win jobs and show what they’ve got to the coaching staff. You know that. Coaches know that. That’s why (Patriots coach) Bill (Belichick) is who he is. He brought us together, calmed us down and we got back to work.”

First, a couple of more fights broke out.

One scuffle caused Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings and Packers linebacker Keshawn Banks to get removed from practice. Another confrontation resulted in someone tossing the helmet of Packers linebacker Isaiah McDuffie.

This represented a major contrast from Wednesday’s joint practice, which had no major incidents. Packers cornerback Rasul Douglas was asked whether perhaps it’s better for two teams to have just one joint practice to avoid the risk of multiple fights the second day.

“It could be two as long as the rules are the rules and everybody’s on the same page,” Douglas said. “But one team can’t be on something and the other team can’t be on something else. We’re not no pushovers.”

The incident that led to the two ejections came on a punt drill. Jennings delivered a vicious hit on Banks that resulted in Jennings’ removal. Banks also was taken out of practice after he revealed to Packers coach Matt LaFleur that he’d taken a swing at someone.

“Matt came up to me and said, ‘Did you throw a punch?’” Banks said. “And I’m just an honest, truthful person. That’s the way I was raised. And I said, ‘Yes sir.’ Sure enough, I left practice shortly after.”

Although the scuffles started virtually as soon as the two teams were on the same field, Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon said he didn’t know beforehand this practice would have so much pushing and shoving.

“We don’t put gloves on for a living,” Judon said. “We’re no boxers. We’re no fighters. We came out here to get better and improve in our craft.

“If any of that would’ve happened during a game, we all would’ve been kicked out. We’d been playing with like 17 players. That stuff can’t happen. You’ve got to be a professional about it.”

The two teams will be seeing each other one more time this week. The Packers host the Patriots in a preseason game Saturday night.

DOUBLING UP ON JOINT PRACTICES

The Packers and Patriots both are having joint practices against multiple opponents this preseason. The Packers had one practice with the Cincinnati Bengals last week. The Patriots will have joint practices with the Tennessee Titans on Tuesday and Wednesday in Nashville.

LaFleur said before Wednesday’s practice that he “most likely” would pursue joint practices against two different opponents again next year.

“I just think there’s so much to get out of it, especially when you’re going against people that you know or respect how they go about their business and how they run their operation,” LaFleur said.

SEEKING HELP FOR HAWAII

Patriots linebacker Jahlani Tavai, who played collegiately at Hawaii, has set up a list of sites on his Instagram account to help fans contribute to those impacted by the wildfires in Maui that have killed more than 100 people.

“They show nothing but love and gratitude for anyone who visits,” Tavai said. “I just ask that somebody just returns that aloha. They’re doing their best to survive.”

Tavai said several teammates gave him clothes that he sent to Hawaii. He singled out defensive lineman Deatrich Wise Jr. for being the first player to ask how he could help.

“There’s going to be a lot of Patriot gear out there in Hawaii hopefully soon,” Tavai said.

CHREST’S BIG MOMENT

While the Patriots generally got the better of things Thursday, Packers wide receiver Cody Chrest delivered one of the day’s biggest plays by catching a touchdown pass off a deflection in a two-minute drill.

Chrest is a 25-year-old rookie seeking to earn a roster spot after dealing with a serious knee injury during a seven-year college career at Harvard and Sam Houston State.

Although he’s from a family of Packers shareholders, Chrest has never watched a game at Lambeau Field before. He’ll get a chance to play there Saturday with plenty of relatives watching from the stands.

“So many people, if they were in my position, they probably would’ve given up,” Chrest said. “They probably would’ve thought it was a far-fetched goal. That’s just part of my conviction, where I really believe in myself. I really believe I belong here and I really trust my talents.”

The team announced the addition of the three-time Pro Bowler on Wednesday. A person familiar with the terms told The Associated Press that the seven-year veteran with the Dallas Cowboys is joining the Patriots on a one-year deal worth $4 million and incentives could boost his compensation to $6 million.

Coach Bill Belichick told reporters in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Wednesday morning that Elliott was with the team for its two days of joint practices with the Packers in advance of its preseason game. His participation is still to be determined.

The 28-year-old ran for 68 touchdowns and more than 8,000 yards with the Cowboys. He led the NFL in rushing yards in 2016, when he was the runner-up for the AP Rookie of the Year award, and again in 2018. He also has more than 2,300 receiving yards, and 12 touchdown catches.

Elliott’s yards per game have decreased every season of his career, a trend that partly reflects the decreased usage of running backs in the NFL since the Cowboys used the No. 4 overall draft pick to select him in 2016.

He is expected to serve as a compliment to running back Rhamondre Stevenson, who is projected to be New England’s lead option out of the backfield.

The Patriots suffered in short-yardage situations last season, an area where Elliott excels despite showing diminished overall output at the end of his Dallas tenure.

The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t announced the move, said the contract can be worth up to $6 million with incentives.

The 28-year-old Elliott ran for 68 touchdowns and more than 8,000 yards in seven years with the Dallas Cowboys. He led the NFL in rushing yards in 2016, when he was the runner-up for the AP Rookie of the Year award, and again in 2018.

He also has more than 2,300 receiving yards, and 12 TD catches.

Elliott’s yards per game have gone down every season of his career, a trend that partly reflects the decreased usage of running backs in the NFL since the Cowboys used the No. 4 overall draft pick to select him in 2016. Under coach Bill Belichick, the Patriots have been especially disdainful of the load-carrying rusher, winning Super Bowls in the past decade with more versatile, role-playing running backs like Sony Michel, Jonas Gray and James White.

At this point in his career, Elliott is expected to provide the team with depth behind Rhamondre Stevenson, who is in his third year with the team.

The team announced Flowers’s return on Tuesday. Details on the deal have not yet been released, but the news came days after the player was recently seen at Gillette Stadium.

Flowers spent the first four seasons of his career in New England after the Patriots selected the Arkansas player in the fourth round of the 2015 draft.

He was part of two Super Bowl-winning teams in 2016 and 2018 before inking a five-year deal with the Detroit Lions. He was later released in 2022 and signed with the Miami Dolphins where was placed on injured reserve in October after four games.

Flowers’s career includes 79 games played with 265 total tackles, 31.5 sacks and 10 forced fumble recoveries. His postseason play with the Patriots featured 39 total tackles and 5.5 sacks.

The huge screen has been in the works for over a year and a half. The curved radius design measures 370 by 60 feet and is 22,000 square feet. 

“It’s over five times the size of the video board it replaced,” said Jim Nolan, chief operating officer of Kraft Sports and Entertainment. “We can show two full images from two different camera angles, as well as statistics and fan engagement. It’s that big.”

It’s a part of a $250 million investment project into the stadium that aims to revolutionize the fan experience.

“So that one to one connection in the ability to use all of the technology that people get when they’re at home in the stadium is something we’re really looking forward to,” said Jen Ferron, chief marketing officer of Kraft Sports and Entertainment.

From concerts to major league games, the goal is to allow fans to be a part of the action while proving to New Englanders that the iconic venue is here to stay.

“Gillette Stadium is going nowhere. We’re not a stadium that is looking to rebuild. This is our home and will remain in our home as we stay for the next 20 years,” Nolan said.

After his own forgettable sophomore season, Quarterback Mac Jones is entering training camp determined to prove he and the Patriots offense are better than last year’s results. 

“For me, it’s just a lot of listening and taking everything in and really just working hard,” Jones said.

“Just trying to be the best version of me,” he continued. “I hope my teammates can see that I’m going to just grind it out and hopefully I can bring a lot of people along with me.”

Jones is more comfortable this year even though he’s led by his third offensive coordinator in three years, Bill O’Brien. 

Despite a reported rift with coach Bill Belichick, Jones also said their relationship is good. 

“I think the biggest thing that we all talked about is just having a fresh start,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of learning experiences from last year that we’ve talked about and this year it’s all about just working together.”

Working together is the plan as the Patriots wipe the slate clean from 2022, which marked their second season in three years where they missed the playoffs. 

Now, the Patriots are expecting a big turnaround led by Belichick. 

“Bill has been here before,” said Patriots offensive lineman Trent Brown. “I think he’s bringing an attitude. He’s bringing that back.”

Brown said fans “can expect to see traditional Patriot football” this year. 

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WATCH: Fans excited as Patriots kick off training camp

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Gathered in Foxboro, fans were excited on Wednesday. 

“These are the greatest fans on Planet Earth,” said fan Rashod Savage. “You have the greatest organization by the greatest owner by the greatest coach. How can you beat that?” 

People lined up bright and early for training camp, with at least one dedicated father and son duo getting in line at 1:30 a.m.

“It’s really just something we love to do, see the team,” said Domanik Streeter. “We’re big football fans and it’s time we get to spend together.”

One other family drove all the way from Maryland to see wife receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. 

Other die-hards said coming out to Gillette during this time of year always makes them excited for the fall. 

“I’m really hoping for the playoffs,” said fan Julian Davila. “I’m hoping for big strides from Mac Jones. I’m hoping for really big strides from the entire offense with Bill O’Brien coming in.” 

The Patriots are scheduled to kick off their regular season at home against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 10.

“To the great Patriots, the players, the team… we are so lucky in this city and state to have the Patriots,” Pine Street Inn President Lyndia Downie said. “I can’t even tell you how grateful we are for that.”

Patriots players Terez Hall, Ty Montgomery and Chris Board were among the volunteers Wednesday who helped pack the van with food and other essential items for those in need. 

“Ty, Terez and Chris, thank you for being here and not at practice…we appreciate that! Don’t know about the team,” Downie said.

The Patriots lost the sessions after they reportedly held meetings longer than their allowed time at Gillette Stadium, violating league rules. 

Asked about the impact of the lost sessions on Wednesday, Patriots coach Bill Belichick joked that the team “Had a good long weekend.”

“There was a situation with some scheduling in Phase 2,” Belicheck told reporters. “So, got that all worked out. Good to be back out there. Obviously a lot of work to do here in the spring.”

Belichick took responsibility for the team’s punishment this week. 

In separate comments, other members of the team also shared their thoughts. 

“I don’t believe that we’re an organization that’s going out of our way to break a rule or to gain an edge,” said Patriots Special Teams Captain Matthew Slater. 

“It’s in the past,” Belichick said. “We moved on. We’re looking forward to getting out on the field today.”

In the team’s first on-field work of the offseason, quarterback Mac Jones said he is feeling confident.

“Sometimes, the most confident people come from a year where they might not have been their best,” Jones said. “I feel like that’s where I’m at and we all feel like that. We’re all hungry.” 

This new season will bring with it Jones’ third offensive coordinator in three years. After a forgettable sophomore season, Jones said he is trying to be a sponge and soak up everything offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien says. 

“He has such a great experience in this league and football and the football world,” Jones said. “It’s like a walking dictionary. Just pick his brain, and see the game how he sees it and how I see it and come together and mesh and create a really good offense.”

Jones said he is looking forward to working with O’Brien, adding that there is considerable familiarity between them in lingo and terminology due to their shared experience in the University of Alabama system.

The person spoke to the AP on Thursday on the condition of anonymity because the penalty wasn’t announced.

The penalties were first reported by ESPN. NBCSports.com reported the violation was for holding a mandatory meeting that was required to be optional.

The Patriots had been scheduled to hold an OTA on Thursday, but the team told reporters on Wednesday that it was canceled. Another day was canceled next week.

The team declined to comment.

Together, students learned skills such as teamwork and trust-building through a program that also emphasized the importance of mental health in sports. 

“We all have our own needs, and it’s OK to not be OK,” said Doc Wayne CEO David Cohen.

Doc Wayne Youth Services is based in Boston. Through its programs, it works to strengthen the mental health field for children around the world. 

“We find a way to use sport as a way to engage, have conversations and work with kids and help them become contributing members of the community,” Cohen said. 

Doc Wayne typically holds its events in schools and community centers. On Tuesday, its backdrop was the Joseph M. Tierney Learning Center, where several dozen children met Patriots players and other members of the Patriots organization. 

Tuesday’s event involved children and players participating in several skill stations before taking the time to sit down for a conversation about mental health. 

“It’s a lot of fun,” said Doc Wayne participant McKenna Savicke. “I get to learn about the players themselves and what they do to prepare.”

7NEWS also spoke with Patriots defensive back Brenden Schooler during the event.

“If we’re not playing too well, we’re going to lean on each other,” he said. “It’s the same thing in life — if you’re not doing OK, it’s OK to lean on somebody.”

“To get out here and be able to tell them that ‘Whatever you’re going through, it’s OK and you’re going to make it through it,’ — it’s awesome,” Schooler continued.

This week’s event was the first time the Patriots and the Doc Wayne program worked together. 

Both organizations now hope it is just the start of their relationship.

Callender had served as the Director of Football Operations at Princeton University since 2019 and did NFL fellowships with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Patriots announced the celebration on Twitter, just over two months after Brady announced he was “retiring for good” from the NFL back in February. Patriots owner Bob Kraft also discussed plans to celebrate Brady in an appearance on NFL Network Thursday morning. 

“I invited him back to come here and be with us at the opening game and let the fans in New England thank him for the great service he gave us for over 20 years,” Kraft said. 

He added, “It will be the beginning of many celebrations to honor Tom Brady.”

In 20 seasons, Brady did it all in a Patriots uniform, winning six Super Bowl championships and four Super Bowl MVP awards. Brady was also named the NFL’s regular season MVP three times. 

In total, Brady threw more than 600 touchdowns as a New England Patriot, including his playoff passes. 

“He’s very excited to come back and see our fans and it will be a great, great celebration,” Kraft said. 

As fans reacted, current players like Davon Godchaux, who faced Brady as a Miami Dolphin said they are also excited for the ceremony. 

“A lot of people are looking forward to it,” Godchaux told reporters. “I bet it’s probably already sold out already.”

The Patriots have already started a ticket giveaway to let lucky fans see Brady honored. 

While discussing plans, though, Patriots officials have left unsaid whether Brady’s number 12 will be retired and whether he will sign a one-day contract to retire as a Patriot. 

The NFL announced its game schedule for the 2023-2024 season on Thursday night, slating New England’s regular season home opener for Sept. 10 at 4:25 p.m. against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Vrabel became the hall’s 34th inductee after fans casted their vote, the team announced Wednesday.

The 47 year old was among three finalists up for the honor, which included former offensive lineman Logan Mankins and former head coach Bill Parcells.

A native of Akron, Ohio, Vrabel originally started his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers after being drafted out of Ohio State in 1997.

Joining the Patriots as a free agent in 2001, he was part of the team that beat the then-St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, securing the franchise’s first-ever NFL championship.

He was part of two more championship-winning seasons before being traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2009, retiring at the end of the 2010 season before starting his coaching career as a linebackers coach at Ohio State in 2011.

Vrabel was later hired as a linebackers coach, then defensive coordinator for the Houston Texans before becoming head coach of the Titans in 2018, winning an NFL Coach of the Year award in 2021.

In his induction announcement on Wednesday, the Patriots referred to him as “one of the most versatile linebackers and best free agent signings in team history.”

“It’s my pleasure to announce Mike Vrabel as this year’s selection to the Patriots Hall of Fame,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement. “Mike’s leadership and versatility were principal to one of the most successful eras in franchise history, propelling the Patriots to three Super Bowl titles in four years and establishing multiple NFL records for consecutive-game win streaks.”

A date and time for the 2023 Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony have not yet been announced.

Every day has been a new learning experience.

He’s entering the second phase of the team’s offseason conditioning program and aside from getting his body ready for upcoming organized team activities, the receiver has also been diving into the third new playbook of his career after joining the Patriots in free agency.

Smith-Schuster said arriving in Foxborough early this offseason is crucial as he tries to acclimate himself after spending last season with the Kansas City Chiefs and the previous five in Pittsburgh.

“Every day I’m growing here,” Smith-Schuster said. “That’s that I love about here.”

He was a hot commodity when free agency opened in March, and quickly garnered a three-year deal that reportedly could be worth as much as $33 million.

A Pro Bowler in 2018 with Pittsburgh, injuries limited him to just five games his final season there in 2021. He went to Kansas City looking for a fresh start and finished with 78 receptions for 933 yards and three touchdowns last season. All were second on the team behind star tight end Travis Kelce.

It made him one of the biggest splashes for New England in what has been an offseason that has featured multiple new additions. It’s all been an effort to beef up an offense that underwhelmed under the direction former assistant Matt Patricia.

Coach Bill Belichick replaced him with Bill O’Brien, who returns to New England as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

O’Brien is being tasked not only with getting the best out of quarterback Mac Jones, but a receiver room that now features lots of speed and ability to stretch the field via Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne and Tyquan Thornton.

Smith-Schuster said he’s been taken aback by the intricacies of the Patriots’ playbook, joking that he was going to make himself flashcards to help him study.

“I would say that it is a varied offense, where it’s kind of like I definitely am studying more,” he said. “I’m getting the offense down and terminology is different from what I’ve learned in the past. But that just goes to say that these coaches are really smart when it comes to football and just knowing the game.”

He hasn’t had any throwing sessions with Jones, but has been spending some off the field time getting to know some of his fellow receivers.

“We’ve got guys that can do a lot of different things,” Smith-Schuster said. “What’s crazy about this offense that I didn’t know until I got here was there’s guys that play both ways. There’s guys that can play receiver, that can play in the backfield.

“Seeing that you can have so many different weapons with these players, it just gives Mac opportunities to do whatever he wants.”