Mike Reiss

Patriots Saturday

4️⃣👋 Day 4 of bye

NOTES: Can clinch AFC East w/ win over Bills on Dec. 14...Pass defense 13th (206.9 avg.)...Rush D 3rd (89.5)...7th points scored (27.0)...5th points allowed (18.5)...Drake Maye: 111.9 passer rating edges Matthew Stafford (111.7) as NFL best.

Patriots Friday

3️⃣👋 Day 3 of bye

NOTES: 11-2 start is franchise's best since '16...Pass offense 3rd (249.7 avg.)...Rush offense 20th (112.9 avg.) and tied-26th in average (3.9 per carry)... Marcus Jones 5 non-offensive TDs since start of '22 -- 2nd most behind DaRon Bland's 6.

Week 15 lookahead: With the Patriots-Bills game staying at 1 p.m. ET, the team of Ian Eagle (play-by-play), J.J. Watt (analysis) and Evan Washburn (sideline) is scheduled to be on the CBS call.

With TreVeyon Henderson earning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month, updating the Patriots’ Players of the Week/Month honors:

TE Hunter Henry has been selected as Patriots' nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.

The award recognizes players who excel on the field and demonstrate a commitment to creating a positive impact beyond the game.

Patriots Thursday

2️⃣👋 Day 2 of bye

NOTES: Mike Vrabel just third first-year coach since 1970 with 10-game win streak (Jim Caldwell/14 with Colts/'09; Steve Mariucci/11 with 49ers/'97) ...LB Christian Elliss - team-high 14 ST tackles ...Plus-1 turnover differential (No. 14).

Cleaning out the notebook from the Patriots’ 33-15 win over the Giants … and some bigger-picture thoughts entering the bye week and beyond.

Patriots Players of the Week/Month honors:

🏈 KR Antonio Gibson: ST, Week 2

🏈 PR Marcus Jones: ST, Week 4

🏈 CB Marcus Jones: D, Month of October

🏈 DE/OLB K'Lavon Chaisson: D, Week 7

🏈 K Andy Borregales, ST, Week 12

🏈 QB Drake Maye, O, Week 13

Patriots QB Drake Maye earns his first career AFC Offensive Player of the Week award.

24-of-31 for 282 yards, with 2 TDs and 0 INTs in win over the Giants.

First Patriots QB to earn the honor since Tom Brady in 2017 (Week 11).

Patriots Wednesday

1️⃣👋 Day 1 of bye

NOTES: LB Christian Elliss -- "It’s a time to let the mind and body relax"...10-game win streak tied for 3rd longest in team history...1st time 4 players (Elliss, Schooler, Gibbens, Mapu) total double-digit special teams tackles since 2011.

“We’re not done. We’re not satisfied. Champions are never satisfied.” — Mike Vrabel, when asked his message on the bye, while noting teams are 16-12 coming off the bye this season

Mike Vrabel. No mustache.

Mike Vrabel, via "The Greg Hill Show", on the fast start/approach on D:

"I appreciate how they came out aggressive ... we talked about attacking; 'if they're going to run the quarterback or run a gadget play ... sometimes the best answer is violence.' Some guys chose that. Good to see."

Patriots defensive snaps:

🏈 Season low for LB Robert Spillane (38); no injury announcement at game but might have been health/scoreboard combo to rest him late

🏈 Hard-hitting LB Christian Elliss (35) - now 45% on year

🏈 OLB Elijah Ponder (season high 29); rewarded late sack

Patriots offensive snaps:

🏈 Rhamondre Stevenson (38) returns to RB1 role - starts and plays 1st 7 snaps; TreVeyon Henderson’s 32 his lowest since 14 vs. CLE

🏈 LT Vederian Lowe/LG Ben Brown wire to wire - Lowe 13.4% on year, Brown 23.7%

🏈 OT Thayer Munford 6 as eligible TE

Patriots Tuesday

🎙️12p: Mike Vrabel

🔒🚪12:15p: Locker room

NOTES: No practices scheduled until Monday for bye week...40% pressure rate on Giants QB Jaxson Dart, per ESPN charting, 2nd highest of season (47%, vs. Saints)...QB Drake Maye - 4 TDs of 30+ air yards (most in NFL).

Patriots, led by 'conductor' Maye, first to 11 wins QB Drake Maye turned in a masterful performance in a 33-15 beatdown of the visiting Giants on Monday night as the Patriots improved to an NFL-best 11-2 heading into their bye week.

News story: Patriots Express rolls on with “conductor” Drake Maye … and the next stop after the bye week is a chance to clinch the AFC East.

www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/...

Big night for Drake Maye.

“It will be gone tomorrow” — Mike Vrabel says with a smile, pointing to his mustache for Movember and promoting men’s health — joking that he couldn’t shave it before Monday Night Football

NE 33, NYG 15

💪 Domination

🔋🧨Energy, explosiveness

⬆️ Jones, Maye, OL, Elliss, Vrabel

⬇️ Baringer, Hawkins

💥🎯 Elliss on Dart

⏩👋 Momentum into bye week

🎱 players w/ at least 1 catch

🚑 T. Jennings (head)

1️⃣1️⃣-2️⃣ record (NFL-best)

🦬 Lookahead: Week 15 vs. Bills

Patriots 30, Giants 7 (halftime): Drake Maye with an MVP-type performance, Marcus Jones further solidifies his standing as the NFL's most dynamic punt returner, and the overall energy is off the charts in the team's best quarter of the season (1st).

Giants get ball in 2nd half.

From ESPN Research: Drake Maye's TD pass to Kyle Williams was his 11th against the blitz this season. His 11 TDs against the blitz are tied with Tom Brady (in 2016) for most in a season by a Patriots QB over the last 10 seasons.

For those keeping track of penalties: In this commercial break, referee Shawn Smith announces that the prior penalty announced on C Garrett Bradbury was instead on LG Ben Brown.

Kyle Williams. What a TD catch.

Lunch is on the house.

Official scoring: A 13-yard sack for DT Jeremiah Pharms on the FG "attempt".

From ESPN Research: Marcus Jones' 3rd career punt return TD.

He now has 75 career punt returns, which qualifies him for the official NFL record book. His career punt return average was 13.6 entering this game, which was already the highest average in NFL history.
📈📈

Marcus Jones. The balance and control along the sideline.

Sweet music.

Patriots defensive starters:

OLB/DE Harold Landry
DT: Christian Barmore
DT: Cory Durden
OLB/DE: K’Lavon Chaisson
LB: Robert Spillane
LB: Christian Elliss
CB: Christian Gonzalez
CB: Carlton Davis III
CB: Marcus Jones
S: Jaylinn Hawkins
S: Craig Woodson

Patriots red-zone offense this season: 42 trips (one kneeldown not included), 23 TDs.

Puts them middle of NFL pack.

Patriots offensive starters

LT: Vederian Lowe
LG: Ben Brown
C: Garrett Bradbury
RG: Mike Ownenu
RT: Morgan Moses
TE: Hunter Henry
QB: Drake Maye
RB: Rhamondre Steveson
WR: Mack Hollins
WR: Kayshon Boutte
WR: Stefon Diggs