Catch up with the latest news surrounding the New England Patriots after they accomplish the presumed impossible by defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football.
Jabrill Peppers dedicates win over the Steelers to Bill Belichick
There have been countless rumors and speculation surrounding Bill Belichick's position within the Patriots all season long, with a sprinkle of suggestions that he has lost the respect of the locker room due to his "decline" as a coach.
Although the players haven't provided any indication of that being true and have actually done the complete opposite, the media has chosen to write that story numerous times in an attempt to convince everyone there is more drama behind the scenes due to the losing season.
There may be some tension within the team because of how the year has progressed, but it appears the camaraderie is intact, especially regarding players defending their head coach from the plethora of negativity over the last few months.
Besides the expected defense from a guy like David Andrews, the other most outspoken about his support for Belichick has been Jabrill Peppers, who continued his stance after the Patriots unexpectedly beat the Steelers on Thursday Night Football.
While speaking to reporters after the win, Peppers declared the victory was for Belichick. He expressed his unhappiness with all that has been said about the coach this season and essentially dedicated the game to him.
"We needed it. I just feel good we could get it done for Bill and the rest of the coaches. I don't really like all the flak he's been getting, because it's on us as players to go out and execute. I personally feel like the game plan has been phenomenal week in and week out, and when we had opportunities to make plays, we didn't make them. But we made enough tonight."
This is the same reaction the safety shared about Belichick just one week ago, but it resonates a bit more after the team managed to get a big win in Pittsburgh this week.
Ezekiel Elliott expresses guilt about the Patriots' lackluster offense this season
Watching almost any Patriots game this season has shown that the defense is very much outplaying the other half of the team despite being down star players like Christian Gonzalez and Matthew Judon. They've kicked it up a notch over the past month, keeping opponents to 10 points or under before their Thursday night matchup against the Steelers a few days ago.
It's become a common question to offensive players if they feel any responsibility (more than usual) for how the season has gone, seeing how well the defense has been playing, and a few players have expressed their unhappiness with their inability as a team to even things out.
Defensive players have hinted at or outright stated they were frustrated with how much pressure has been put on them to keep the team in games, mainly since they've had incredible difficulties even getting into field goal range. But now another player is joining the conversation, sharing his feeling of guilt about how poorly the offense has performed thus far and not providing the rest of the team any help because of it.
That's how Ezekiel Elliott felt before their game with the Steelers this week, stating they needed to figure it all out to help the defense from having to work even harder.
"I feel bad for those guys on the defense. They’ve been playing such good defense week after week. I mean, we got to figure out how to make more plays on offense and give them some help."
Fortunately, they were able to do that just a few hours later when they took home an impressive win in Pittsburgh. It was the best offensive showing since their win over the Bills several weeks ago, and it could have provided a clue of how they may finish the season.
But that may not be good, depending on who you ask.
Rob Gronkowski reveals Tom Brady texted him a highlight video recently saying 'No one done it like us'
Tom Brady may have finally retired, and the same can be said about his favorite tight end, Rob Gronkowski, but the duo has not completely turned their back on football just yet.
While appearing on "Pardon My Take" this week, Gronk was asked about his longtime quarterback and when Brady is asked about returning if he is automatically thrown into the conversation now.
Although he didn't really touch on that part, Gronk did mention he spoke to him the day before, as Brady texted him a compilation video of their postseason touchdowns, which got him all fired up about their years spent together on the field.
"The last time I talked to [Brady] was actually yesterday. He sent me a clip of our playoff touchdowns and he wrote to me: 'Bro, no one done it like us.'"
Some Patriots fans may feel super far removed from either of these two being on the team, but it's cool to hear they still reminisce about the good times, just like we do.
It has become even more relevant for some this year because of how lackluster and disappointing New England has played this year, but hopefully, that won't last much longer, and there won't be a need to keep watching old clips and dreaming of the old days anymore.
Tom Brady texted Gronk some playoff highlights the other day and said, “Bro, no one done it like us.” @RobGronkowski @rhoback pic.twitter.com/l664tB3MtB
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) December 8, 2023
Rhamondre Stevenson not shutting down idea of returning to the field this season
Watching Rhamondre Stevenson go down with a significant injury in last week's game was the final straw for this Patriots team this year. The lengthy list of injuries has continued to pile up, and seeing a player like the running back exit the season early just made matters worse.
Upon medical examination, it was reported Stevenson had an ankle sprain that would keep him sidelined for a few weeks. Most believe because the Patriots have almost no shot at making the postseason and there are only now four games left to play, it would be best for him not to return to the field this year, ensuring no further risk of injury occurs in a game that means nothing at this point.
However, the current rumor suggests Stevenson does not feel this way.
According to Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi, sources have indicated to him that the running back has every intention of returning to the team this season if it remains a possibility.
"First, I can confirm per team sources that Rhamondre Stevenson suffered a high ankle sprain. That injury typically takes three weeks or so to recover (though generally, it won’t feel right for months). There’s already chatter that the Pats should shut him down for the rest of the season. Someone close to Stevenson told me, ‘If he can find a way to be out there, he will. He won’t let his brothers down. That’s not who he is.’"
Although it's certainly great to hear, it wouldn't be the smartest move. Ezekiel Elliott proved he could do the job and did it well as the RB1 against the Steelers on Thursday night. As wonderful as it would be to have Stevenson back in the lineup, the risk is not worth the reward when that reward is just another game added to the win column, and that's it.
If they were in playoff contention, that would be a different story. But this season has basically come down to where they will pick in the first round of the 2024 draft and nothing more. Risking further injury on the main running back signed for next season would be asinine.