FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Areas to improve: The Patriots are 12-3, and quarterback Drake Maye is coming off a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback win that clinched a playoff berth, which makes Sunday’s road game against the New York Jets (3-12) a potential let-your-guard-down situation for the banged-up team (1 p.m. ET, Fox).
Maye shared one way he’s trying to avoid that, detailing how offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is pushing him hard behind the scenes.
“Coach McDaniels has talked to me about improving and getting better in practice as you reach the end of the season and reach the playoff time,” he said. “That translates to the game. So it’s really big on continuing a little winning streak these last couple games, heading into the playoffs feeling good about ourselves, and feeling like we’ve still got some work to do.”
That theme resonated throughout the locker room last week, with players highlighting areas they have targeted for improvement.
For Maye, better ball security is one obvious place to start. Last week, he threw an interception, lost a fumble and had another sloppy handoff that he lost and was fortunate to recover. Even in the euphoria of victory, he said, “There were times I feel like I put the team in a bad spot … things in the game that made me want to punch a wall.”
A sampling from others in the locker room when asked where improvement is needed:
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Right guard Mike Onwenu — running game. “It’s there, it’s just the consistency. As we get into the season, there’s more tape and every team is going to scheme and watch our plays, and formations, and what runs we tend to do. Over the past few weeks, a lot of the linebackers just running through are running fast over the top — kind of taking us off our double-teams or making us not able to double-team as long. Just staying spotted up, making sure we communicate, and going to the right guys.”
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Linebacker Christian Elliss — kickoff coverage. “I still go back to that Bills game [in Week 15]. We put our defense in a tough spot, allowing them past the 50 three times with a short field. We need to make sure we’re supporting the defense better.”
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Defensive tackle Cory Durden — run defense. “These last few weeks, teams have been finding success on us, so just getting back to how we were doing it effectively earlier [in the season] — team defense. The mentality is still the same, it’s just execution.”
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Safety Craig Woodson — red zone defense (that ranks No. 32 in NFL). “Not that teams are getting down there that much, but when they do, we have to get a stop. We have to be good on our communication and execution. And then it’s making plays, because honestly there are times we’re in position and you have to do it. That’s what we get paid to do, win those one-on-one matchups.”
2. Finale day/time TBD: The date and time of the Patriots’ regular-season finale against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium should be finalized by Sunday night, with the NFL planning to announce all details of the Week 18 slate by the conclusion of Week 17 games.
A reminder that two Week 18 games will be played Saturday (4:30 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. ET), with the remainder on Sunday afternoon (1 p.m. ET, 4:25 p.m. ET) or Sunday night (8:20 p.m. ET).
If the Patriots and Broncos are still vying for the No. 1 playoff seed in the AFC, one wonders if the NFL would want to have Patriots-Dolphins and Broncos-Chargers kicking off at the same time. If so, that would put 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday in play as a strong possibility.
3. Ivan’s influence: Retired longtime Patriots running backs coach Ivan Fears (2001-21) is still a regular presence around the team. Current running backs coach Tony Dews has touched on capitalizing on the chance to tap Fears’ knowledge.
Fears sometimes watches practice from the front seat of a golf cart, and he is still keeping Rhamondre Stevenson on his toes. Stevenson had some key blitz pickups, in addition to a 21-yard touchdown run, to spark the Patriots’ fourth-quarter comeback win in Baltimore but smiled when recalling one of the first things Fears asked him in the days following the game. Fears wanted to know what happened on Stevenson’s missed block in the second quarter that led to quarterback Drake Maye losing a fumble.
Once a coach, always a coach.
4. Jones & Pro Bowl: Receiver Stefon Diggs was surprised to learn that punt returner Marcus Jones (21 returns, 17.3 avg., 2 TDs, 16 fair catches) didn’t earn a Pro Bowl berth, with the Titans’ Chimere Dike (21 returns, 18.2 avg, 2 TDs, 25 fair catches) getting the AFC’s lone returner spot.
Coach Mike Vrabel added, “I think Marcus has had a hell of a year and I think he’s a Pro Bowler. I’m glad he’s our returner and glad he’s helped us out. But sometimes that just doesn’t happen.”
Dike is also deserving as both a punt returner and kickoff returner, with Jones’ omission highlighting two hot-button questions with Pro Bowl rosters: Why are kickoff returners and punt returners combined into one category? And why isn’t there a slot corner position (where Jones is also worthy) given how prevalent that role is in today’s NFL?
5. Gibbens next? Reserve center/guard Ben Brown‘s two-year extension that has a base value of $5 million and a maximum value of $6.6 million is a compromise before he was scheduled to become a restricted free agent after the season.
The right-of-first-refusal tender for restricted free agents is projected to be $3.45 million — a bit high for a backup in Brown’s situation. So by extending the deal over two years with an average base value of $2.5 million and an up-front signing bonus, it’s a win-win — especially for a former practice squad player who had no desire to leave.
Linebacker Jack Gibbens is another notable 2026 Patriots restricted free agent worthy of a similar type of extension if he’s interested.
6. Chism’s time: The Patriots’ run of injuries at receiver this week opens the door for fan favorite/undrafted rookie Efton Chism III to return to the game-day roster for just the seventh time this season — and potentially play meaningful snaps on offense behind Stefon Diggs and Kyle Williams. Vrabel lauded his work ethic and preparation, with Chism highlighting what he faces in practice as the best preparation he could ask for.
“One of the biggest things for me is when I’m going against Marcus Jones, CD [Carlton Davis III] and Gonzo [Christian Gonzalez] every day, it’s making me a better player,” said Chism, who has yet to record a reception. “So when I get into a game, it’s going to be like, ‘I’m [already] going against some of the best guys to do it in the league right now.'”
7. Wallace at OT: Caedan Wallace confirmed he was seconds away from entering last Sunday’s win over the Ravens as an emergency option at right tackle after starter Morgan Moses injured his knee, and then top backup Thayer Munford Jr. exited the game with a knee injury.
“Then Moses came to life,” Wallace said, perhaps with a touch of humor, in reference to Moses returning to the game. Wallace, the 2024 third-round pick who played right tackle at Penn State but was moved to guard this year, said he has been taking more tackle reps in practice in recent weeks.
8. Pick recouped: The Patriots recouped the seventh-round pick they traded to the 49ers along with defensive lineman Keion White, as White was active for his seventh game last Monday against the Indianapolis Colts. If White wasn’t active for seven games, the 49ers would have kept the pick. So New England now has 11 draft picks in 2026 (single selections in rounds 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 with two fourth-rounders and four sixth-rounders).
The 49ers have been happy with White, who has played 59% of the defensive snaps and totaled 10 tackles, 6 QB hits and 1.5 sacks.
9. Austin’s hope: Reserve cornerback Alex Austin, who landed on injured reserve Nov. 25, is eligible to return next week, and he was spotted at practice this week working out with a black cast on his left wrist/hand. A source said Austin underwent a minor surgical procedure after tests revealed an injury sustained playing on special teams in the Nov. 23 win over the Bengals, but that a return this season/postseason isn’t out of the question.
10. Did you know? Maye is 53 yards away from the first 4,000-yard passing season by a Patriots quarterback since Tom Brady in 2019. Maye would join Brady (11 times) and Drew Bledsoe (twice) as the only New England quarterbacks to throw for 4,000 yards in a season.
