New England Patriots links 9/06/23 – Matt Patricia is with the Eagles; Does it matter?

Daily news and links for Wednesday.

I completely forgot Matt Patricia is now with the Philadelphia Eagles on staff as a “Senior Defensive Assistant.” This situation has Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald worried.

He sounds amazed that when asked about it, no one on the Patriots expressed concern or seemed to care. First, no one on the Patriots is going to publicly admit they’re behind the eight ball due to Patricia knowing how Bill Belichick operates. And second, you don’t think Belichick knows what Patricia knows? Frankly, at times last season it felt Matty P was game-planning against New England while he was working here.

Ultimately Sunday will come down to the matchups — receivers getting open, defenders making tackles, and who can beat the player they’re lined up against. In other words, more the Jimmy and Joes than the Xs and Os.

TEAM TALK

• Paul Perillo’s NFL Notes: Some passing thoughts before Pats kickoff; Matt Corral to the mix just before the start of the season, adding a layer of intrigue to the game’s most important position.
• Evan Lazar tackles this week’s Patriots Mailbag: What’s the biggest reason for optimism for the Pats this season?
• Mike Dussault reports 10 former Patriots and former Senior Bowl players are eligible for the Bowl’s 75th anniversary team.
• Press Conferences: Bill O’Brien – Cam Achord – Steve Belichick.
• WEEI Patriots Monday (on a Tuesday): Mac Jones.
• Patriots Unfiltered: Eagles preview, recent roster moves, Setting 2023 expectations, Tom Brady memories. (2 hrs)

LOCAL LINKS

• Chris Mason with the scoop and story: DA drops charges against Patriots CB Jack Jones.
• Phil Perry shares his game-by-game predictions for the Patriots’ 2023 season.
• Alex Barth gives his annual bold predictions for the 2023 Patriots season. 1. The Patriots will rank in the top five of the league in lowest pressure rate allowed.
• Doug Kyed talks with some NFL sources weighing in on whether the Patriots can turn things around in 2023. “Middle of the road would be my gut feeling there,” an AFC scout said. “I’d predict they’ll finish 9-8, give or take.”
• Nick Goss believes the Eagles’ elite pass rush presents a huge challenge for the Pats in Week 1.
• Andrew Callahan warns that Eagles’ Matt Patricia knows the Patriots’ playbooks and personnel intimately. ‘Institutional knowledge of your opponent matters’ —And the Patriots don’t seem to care.
• Doug Kyed highlights Steve Belichick who, after making a crack about his dad’s age, praised Bill Belichick for his ability to adjust and listen to input nearly 50 years into his coaching career.
• Lauren Campbell relays a ranking by The Ringer claiming Mac Jones’ arm talent among the worst in the NFL.
• Karen Guregian notes Mac Jones was asked if he had any input over the Patriots roster. He laughed.
• Karen Guregian highlights Bill O’Brien sharing some thoughts on his relationship with Tom Brady.
• Locked On Patriots podcast: Mike & Murph discuss Belichick’s thoughts on the QB room and the OL’s ability to protect them. (40 min.)

NATIONAL NEWS

• Jeremy Cluff (Arizona Republic) Eagles at Patriots predictions, odds: Who wins NFL Week 1 game?
• Albert Breer (SI) NFL Notes: It’s the Jets’ defense we should be talking about, not Aaron Rodgers; Plus, contract updates on Nick Bosa and Brian Burns; captain C.J. Stroud; a tribute to Gil Brandt; Tyree Wilson’s development; and the Patriots honoring Tom Brady.
• John Breech (CBS Sports) 2023 NFL season predictions: Picking the Super Bowl winner, playoff matchups and final record for all 32 teams. Patriots 10-7, 3rd in AFC East.
• Doug Farrar, Jarrett Bailey and Natalie Miller (Touchdown Wire) Predictions for the 2023 NFL season.
• Sheil Kapadia (The Ringer) Ten bold(ish) predictions for the 2023 NFL season.
• Nate Davis (USA Today) 2023 NFL predictions: Who makes playoffs, wins Super Bowl 58, MVP and more?
• Steven Ruiz (The Ringer) 23 questions that could shape the 2023 NFL season. 12. How much does an offensive coordinator really matter for an NFL team? /No other Pats mention.
• Jeff Kerr (CBS Sports) Ceiling and floor for all 32 NFL teams. Patriots ceiling: 9-8, miss playoffs. Floor: 6-11, miss playoffs.
• Doug Farrar (TouchdownWire) Every NFL team’s biggest (potentially) fatal flaw for the 2023 season. Patriots: A highly questionable offensive line.
• Steven Ruiz (The Ringer) Updated QB rankings. Mac Jones 23rd “He’s still fighting the ‘limited game manager’ allegations”. Tom Brady 11th “keeping a place for him just in case.”
• Nate Davis (USA Today) Seven other young QBs in jeopardy of suffering Trey Lance’s fate. Mac Jones NOT included
• Nate Davis (USA Today) Unsung NFL stars. David Andrews included.
• Jeff Kerr (CBS Sports) NFL milestones that can be reached in 2023. No Pats on the radar.
• Nate Davis (USA Today) NFL head coach hot seat rankings. Bill Belichick 7th.
• Garrett Podell (CBS Sports) Emergency third QB rule explained: Things to know about NFL’s new bylaw for roster management in 2023.
• Charean Williams (ProFootballTalk) Jack Jones agrees to pre-trial probation, 48 hours of community service.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Sean Payton’s mistrust of the league office lingers. /Good read. I don’t blame him.
• Tyler Greenawalt (Yahoo! Sports) Raiders DE Chandler Jones deletes Instagram story where he says he doesn’t want to play for team anymore