Daily news and links for Tuesday
TEAM TALK
- Schedule Update: Patriots-Bills will be played on Sunday, Jan. 5 at 1 PM.
- Press Conferences: Jerod Mayo.
- WEEI Patriots Monday: Jerod Mayo and Drake Maye.
LOCAL LINKS
- Keagan Stiefel explains why the Patriots should not bench Drake Maye against the Bills in Week 18.
- Karen Guregian suggests that with the No. 1 pick on the line, it’s the perfect time to get a look at QB Joe Milton III.
- Chris Mason notes Jerod Mayo isn’t taking anything off the table when it comes to Week 18 Drake Maye’s play time.
- Doug Kyed highlights Jerod Mayo on if the Patriots would consider sitting Drake Maye with No. 1 overall pick at stake. “…we have to look forward. It’s a journey. It’s not just about one game. It is trying to be present and win this football game, but it’s a journey, and we’ve gotta look out the front windshield about where we want to go.”
- Doug Kyed talks about how the Patriots are feeling the heat of potential ‘major changes’ coming after lost season.
- 98.5 The Sports Hub guest Mike Reiss says the bottom line is that the Patriots have to make big changes, and speculates on what staff personnel will be affected.
- Chris Mason tells us why Drake Maye is confident the Patriots will turn things around in 2025.
- Andrew Callahan believes if Mike Vrabel wants the job, Robert Kraft should give it to him.
- Lauren Campbell passes along a report that Mike Vrabel can interview with NFL teams now that his Browns contract expired.
- Taylor Kyles and Mike Kadlick discuss if Jerod Mayo should keep his job. (7 min. video)
- Mark Daniels talks with rookie WR Ja’Lynn Polk as he reflects on a ‘frustrating’ first season.
- Justin Leger reports the Patriots’ 2025 opponents are set after Week 17 games.
- Andrew Callahan’s Patriots film review: Everything that went wrong (and there was plenty) in the Chargers loss.
- Doug Kyed serves up some leftover thoughts from the calamitous loss to the Chargers. 1. Mayo’s media miscues falls in line with the overall lack of accountability in the team’s current culture.
- Doug Kyed relays Jerod Mayo who gave mixed messages on player effort following the loss.
- Chris Mason notes Bill Belichick offers fascinating insight on how Tom Brady altered clock management.
- Matt Vautour revisits what predictions he got wrong and what he got right in 2024. Belichick got fired, Alabama didn’t win a football championship and John Henry didn’t sell the Red Sox.
- Locked On Patriots podcast: Mike D’Abate and Steve Balestreri discuss Pats-Chargers, the team’s uncertain future, the implications of ownership decisions and if they will make the changes necessary. (40 min.)
- Pats Procrastination podcast: Clare and Chudders debate all the goings on in the NEP camp after the brutal loss to the Chargers. (49 min.)
NATIONAL NEWS
- Cody Benjamin (CBS Sports) 2025 New Year’s resolutions for every NFL team: Cowboys, Jets need a reset. Patriots: Zero in on the offensive line. Reconsidering Jerod Mayo’s place as the leader of this franchise might be wise, but otherwise, they just need to ensure Drake Maye has better-than-shoddy protection up front.
- Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) Jerod Mayo: I’m in constant communication with ownership, feel we’re on same page.
- Charles McDonald (Yahoo! Sports) 10 teams to keep eyes on as Black Monday, NFL head coaching carousel approaches. Jerod Mayo included.
- Around the NFL (NFL.com) NFL announces the Week 18 schedule with Vikings-Lions on ‘Sunday Night Football’.
- Jeffri Chadiha (NFL.com) The First Read: What’s at stake in the NFL playoff race in Week 18? Three division titles, NFC’s top seed and more.
- Chris Trapasso (CBS Sports) 2025 NFL Draft order: Patriots in control of top pick, exploring their options at No. 1.
- Michael Dixon (Awful Announcing) Looking into NFL Week 18’s most important games. Who needs what to happen?
- Ali Bhanpuri (NFL.com) Postseason probabilities entering final week of 2024 regular season.
- Cody Benjamin (CBS Sports) Key NFL injuries to monitor: Kenny Pickett, Tua Tagovailoa, Aaron Jones among Week 18 question marks.
- Shanna McCarriston (CBS Sports) Five things you may have missed from Week 17: Wild endings, savvy trick plays, elite dance moves and more.
- Liz Roscher (Yahoo! Sports) Week 18 contract incentives: Marquee names could land big money.
- Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) Report: Jets to interview Ron Rivera this week.