Get updated with the latest news surrounding the New England Patriots after their Christmas Eve win over the Denver Broncos in Week 16.
Bill Belichick credits team's mental toughness for Sunday Night win
Coming into the game with the Broncos on Sunday Night, the odds were stacked against the Patriots, and not a single person believed they had a chance of leaving Denver with a win. It wasn't because the Broncos are that good of a team, but because the New England offense has been so disappointing this season, it was difficult to imagine they'd be able to do enough to win another game.
On top of an underperforming offense, the team also has a problematic special team, which seemed to struggle even more with Matthew Slater sidelined for the game. Chad Ryland missed a field goal and an extra point, and ill-timed penalties remained a problem.
But that defense? Even though they were down another dominant force in Jabrill Peppers, they totaled five sacks on Russell Wilson for a loss of 45 yards, brought him to the ground nine times, and limited their run game to 23 carries for 83 yards.
The good thing is the team is clearly still playing for each other and turned things around in the second half. Special teams recovered two fumbles, one of which Cody Davis returned for a touchdown, Bailey Zappe led the offense on two touchdown drives in the third quarter, widening their lead, and the defense forced a punt to give the Patriots the ball back with just 58 seconds remaining, allowing the offense to add another field goal to the scoreboard and strip all hope away from Denver to leave with a win.
When speaking to the team after the exciting finish, Bill Belichick credited the team's mental toughness for getting the job done, especially since it seemed obvious that the Broncos and the media had overlooked them.
It may be a cliché catchphrase at this point, but in a game that progressed the way this game did, all the cards were stacked against them, and it didn't look like they could overcome their mistakes. But they did and got an impressive win on the road.
Merry Christmas 👏 pic.twitter.com/EhG7M4pjsX
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 25, 2023
Demario Douglas sets rookie receiver record under Bill Belichick
Despite the Patriots' overall forgettable offensive performance this season, rookie Demario Douglas has been the breakout star they've needed. He looked the part almost immediately upon joining the team after Belichick drafted him in the sixth round earlier this year, seemingly solidifying his roster spot before the preseason even started.
His performances through 12 games have provided a sigh of relief for most fans wanting to see some sort of progress with the offense, mainly due to his speed and reliability, which quickly escalated him to the top of the receiving chart for both Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.
Although he is yet to reach the end zone, almost having a similar first season to Jakobi Meyers, Douglas made some history on Sunday against the Broncos, bringing his season total to 44 receptions on the season which put him ahead of Deion Branch's rookie season in 2002. He had been holding the record for most catches by a rookie receiver under Belichick, and in just 12 games, Douglas has blown past him.
Even more impressive is the road Douglas appears to be on over the year's final two games. Because he has recorded 517 receiving yards so far, he is just three yards away from tying Aaron Dobson's record from 2013, who has held the record for most receiving yards by a rookie under Belichick.
Considering how vital Douglas has become to the offense, especially when they're down guys like Hunter Henry and JuJu Smith-Schuster, he will surely set a new record in next week's game against the Bills, probably on his first reception.
It's a pretty cool record to break and shows how great of a pick Douglas was for this team, adding even more excitement to what he can do over (at least) the next three years in New England.
Jack Jones continues to shine since signing with the Raiders
Since the Patriots selected cornerback Jack Jones in the 2022 draft, his time in New England was quite a roller coaster. He began his career with flashes of greatness, like recording a pick-six against Aaron Rodgers at Lambeau Field, and his performances quickly made him look worth every bit of the "risk" Bill Belichick took by drafting him.
But that quickly changed when Jones's rookie campaign ended with a suspension by the team, followed by legal drama due to his arrest over the summer.
Although it had all the makings of a player the team would cut, Jones remained on the roster and took the field for five games this season. He didn't get many opportunities to stay in games, which was said to have resulted from bad practices. Then apparent attitude issues widened the divide between him and the Patriots, ultimately leading to him being waived in November.
The Raiders picked him up, as his familiarity and long-term relationship with interim head coach Antonio Pierce made them the best team for Jones to have a fresh start elsewhere. And since he went out west, he's already recorded better performances through five games than in New England.
His performance against the Chiefs in Week 16 made most conclude he could eventually become a shut-down corner in the NFL, as he recorded five total tackles, one pass defended, and a pick-six returned for 33 yards. The score put the Raiders further ahead of the Chiefs heading into halftime, which became a critical moment that allowed them to win the game.
Maybe all he needed was a change of environment, or perhaps something deeper led to him wanting out. But it's looking like the decision to waive him may have been a mistake.
Steve Smith Sr. made it painfully obvious he didn't study up on the Patriots before Week 16 game
The 2023 Patriots are a far cry from where they were during their dynasty years; that is apparent to everyone who watches one of their games this season. But have they become so bad that analysts have chosen not to study up on the team before discussing them on pre-game shows?
That's the impression NFL Network analyst Steve Smith Sr. gave when giving his takes on the upcoming matchup between the Patriots and Broncos on Sunday Night, making a few flubs that had fans reposting the videos in disbelief.
His mistakes weren't just mispronouncing a player's name or something insignificant. Smith actually name dropped two receivers that needed to step up in the game to help make a difference on the offense who had been ruled out already.
On NFLN, Steve Smith Sr. listed two injured Patriots WRs while discussing matchups to watch. "Kendrick Bourne, I know he's probably not, I think he's hurt, need him to show up. JuJu Smith-Schuster, he's on the sideline, need him to show up. Uh, who else they have?" pic.twitter.com/m2Z14q6TVP
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 25, 2023
Maybe it was just an accidental slip when mentioning JuJu Smith-Schuster, but bringing up Kendrick Bourne when he's been out with a season-ending ACL injury since October? What are we doing here?
Typically, these kinds of mistakes happen and are forgivable since it only makes Smith human to do so on live TV. However, considering it's his job to talk about football games for a living, it seems fair to say he should at least know the players who will or won't be active for the game, especially one who has been out for over two months.
It seems indicative of where the Patriots are this year. This wasn't something that happened when they were winning, and just like the Broncos seemed to overlook them heading into this game, the same seems applicable to Smith when preparing to discuss it on NFL Network.