Locked On Patriots Hit - Quick Takes on the New England Patriots

It's not that the New England Patriots lost to Seattle.

It's HOW they lost.

For three quarters, New England looked like the better football team.

The Patriots played cleaner football. Seattle was forced to turn to Drew Lock at quarterback. New England had control of the game.

And then everything fell apart.

Even after the collapse, Drake Maye had an opportunity to save them.

The Patriots were down three and in position to potentially send the game to overtime.

Instead, Maye threw his third interception.

There are plenty of reasons New England lost this game, and I'm not putting all of them on Maye.

But your franchise quarterback cannot make that mistake in that situation.

Then there's another concern: Romeo Doubs.

With A.J. Brown leaving the game with an ankle injury, the Patriots may need Doubs more than ever.

His season opener wasn't good enough.

A costly drop. An interception on another target. Very little positive production from one of New England's biggest offseason additions.

Now we wait to see how serious Brown's injury is.

But regardless of his status, the Patriots need a LOT more from Romeo Doubs.

#NewEnglandPatriots #Patriots #DrakeMaye #RomeoDoubs #NFL

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It's finally here.

The New England Patriots open the 2026 season TONIGHT against the Seattle Seahawks.

And I'm picking the Patriots to lose.

23-17.

Before everybody gets mad at me, that doesn't mean I've changed my expectations for this season.

I still believe New England can win double-digit games.

I still think this roster is significantly better.

But tonight?

I think Seattle has fewer questions.

The Patriots are traveling across the country for a game where Seattle will be celebrating its Super Bowl championship.

TreVeyon Henderson's injury creates another question in the backfield.

We need to see what Will Campbell looks like.

And while I'm expecting Christian Gonzalez to be ready to go, New England has several things we simply haven't gotten answers to yet.

I expect a physical game.

I expect both defenses to be ahead of the offenses.

And ultimately, I've got Seattle escaping with a 23-17 win.

But there's another Patriots player I'm watching VERY closely tonight.

Dre'Mont Jones.

I've talked about New England's pass rush throughout the offseason because I still don't know who the Patriots turn to on third-and-long and simply say:

Go get the quarterback.

Harold Landry is unavailable.

The young guys are unproven.

That puts a lot of pressure on Jones.

Can he become that guy?

Tonight gives us our first opportunity to find out.

It's GAME DAY.

Patriots.

Seahawks.

Let's see what this team actually looks like.

#NewEnglandPatriots #Patriots #DrakeMaye #DreMontJones #NFL

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TreVeyon Henderson's Week 1 status is suddenly looking VERY questionable.

And that could force the New England Patriots to change their entire offensive approach against Seattle.

Adam Schefter said earlier this week that it's “hard to imagine” Henderson playing in the season opener because of his ankle injury.

That's significant.

Henderson hasn't practiced in quite some time, and what initially appeared to be a relatively minor injury is starting to look like something more substantial.

So what does New England do?

Rhamondre Stevenson can handle a significant workload.

But the Patriots also just traded for Corey Kiner to be their RB3, and he could suddenly find himself operating as RB2 out of necessity.

Mike Vrabel has consistently identified the running game as one of his concerns with this offense.

Now he might enter Week 1 without one-half of the Stevenson-Henderson combination New England planned to use.

Could that force the Patriots to lean even MORE heavily on Drake Maye and the passing game?

A.J. Brown.

Romeo Doubs.

Kyle Williams.

Maybe New England decides its best option is putting the football in Maye's hands and attacking Seattle through the air.

Then there's the other matchup I cannot wait to watch.

Christian Gonzalez vs. Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

New England held JSN to just four catches for 27 yards on 10 targets in the Super Bowl.

Now Gonzalez enters the rematch as the highest-paid cornerback in football and the highest-paid player in Patriots history.

You got your contract.

The Patriots made their investment.

Now?

Let's see what you've got against one of the NFL's best receivers.

What a way to start the season.

#NewEnglandPatriots #Patriots #DrakeMaye #TreVeyonHenderson #ChristianGonzalez #NFL

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The New England Patriots FINALLY got it done.

Christian Gonzalez has agreed to a massive four-year, $135 million contract extension with $102 million guaranteed.

And just like that, months of contract drama are over.

Gonzo becomes the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history and the highest-paid player in Patriots history.

GOOD.

I've said throughout this entire process that New England needed to get this done.

You can debate the value of paying different positions around the NFL, but I believe an elite cornerback is one of the most valuable pieces a championship defense can have.

And Christian Gonzalez is exactly that.

The timing matters too.

New England opens its season against the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday, and there had been legitimate questions about whether Gonzalez would even be on the field without a new deal.

Now we don't have to worry about it.

Gonzo is staying in New England.

He's getting paid like one of the best defensive players in football.

And the Patriots get to move forward without this storyline hanging over the organization.

But Gonzalez isn't the only Patriot who benefits.

I think Carlton Davis might be one of the biggest winners from this entire situation.

With Gonzalez operating as New England's true No. 1 corner, Davis gets to settle into a role as CB2 on the other side.

That could make his job significantly easier and make this Patriots secondary much more dangerous.

The Patriots paid Christian Gonzalez.

They kept one of the best players on their roster.

And now?

Let's play football.

#NewEnglandPatriots #Patriots #ChristianGonzalez #Gonzo #NFL

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The New England Patriots spent BIG to improve this offense.

Now it's time to prove it worked.

New England opens its season against the Seattle Seahawks, giving the Patriots an immediate opportunity to compare this team to the one that walked off the field after losing the Super Bowl.

And I'm watching two things extremely closely.

First?

The passing game.

New England's receivers struggled to consistently create separation against Seattle in the Super Bowl.

That's a major reason why the Patriots went out and changed the room.

A.J. Brown is here.

Romeo Doubs is here.

Kyle Williams is entering Year 2.

And Drake Maye gets another opportunity against the defense that gave New England so many problems in February.

This is exactly what the Patriots made these moves for.

Show us the difference.

But there's another Patriot with an even more personal opportunity against Seattle.

Will Campbell.

Campbell struggled against Seattle's defensive front in the Super Bowl after returning from an injury that caused him to miss multiple weeks.

He became a meme.

Everyone heard the arm-length jokes.

Everyone saw what happened on the biggest stage.

Now Campbell gets another shot.

Healthy.

Another year of experience.

National television.

Same opponent.

What an opportunity to make a statement.

We're about to learn a LOT about how much better the New England Patriots actually are.

#NewEnglandPatriots #Patriots #AJBrown #DrakeMaye #WillCampbell #NFL

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TreVeyon Henderson has now missed roughly two weeks of Patriots practice.

And with New England opening its season against the Seattle Seahawks in just two days, the pressure is suddenly on Rhamondre Stevenson.

Henderson's ankle injury initially didn't appear overly concerning. He walked off the field under his own power, and the hope remains that New England is simply being extremely cautious with its young running back.

But we're running out of time before Week 1.

Unless something changes dramatically, Rhamondre Stevenson could be looking at a MASSIVE role against Seattle.

And maybe that's exactly what New England needs.

Stevenson has been one of the more underrated running backs in football despite playing in some difficult offensive situations, and Mike Vrabel has already acknowledged that the Patriots need to improve their ability to run the football.

Corey Kiner could also immediately become more important after New England traded with Arizona to make him its RB3.

But Henderson isn't the only important Patriot missing practice.

Christian Barmore was also absent.

And that could be a major concern for a New England pass rush that already enters the season with questions.

The Patriots don't have an obvious elite edge rusher who can consistently win one-on-one.

That means generating pressure could require New England to manufacture it.

Christian Barmore and Milton Williams become extremely important because of their ability to demand attention on the interior and potentially create opportunities for everyone around them.

Can the Patriots generate enough pressure against Seattle?

And how much will New England have to lean on Rhamondre Stevenson if TreVeyon Henderson isn't ready?

We break down both stories on today's Patriots Hit.

#NewEnglandPatriots #Patriots #TreVeyonHenderson #RhamondreStevenson #ChristianBarmore #NFL

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TreVeyon Henderson has now missed TWO straight Patriots practices.

And suddenly, Corey Kiner matters a whole lot more.

Henderson injured his ankle late last month during New England's final practice before its preseason finale against Cleveland.

He walked off under his own power and initially it didn't seem like something that should create a ton of concern.

But now?

He's missed multiple practices with the Patriots less than a week away from opening their season against the Seattle Seahawks.

There's still time.

New England has multiple practices remaining before traveling west, and hopefully Henderson returns and none of this matters.

But this is exactly why Patriots fans spent so much time talking about RB3 throughout training camp.

Running backs get banged up.

And if Henderson can't go, Corey Kiner suddenly becomes significantly more important.

New England specifically traded for Kiner after he spent the preseason with Arizona.

It's a limited sample size, but there are some similarities between what Kiner can provide and Henderson's skill set.

Then there's another layer.

The Patriots were able to keep Lan Larison and Hassan Haskins on the practice squad.

If Henderson actually misses time and New England needs another running back, Larison might make the most sense because of what he can potentially provide as a pass catcher.

Rhamondre Stevenson would obviously become the centerpiece of the backfield.

But New England needs more than one running back.

Hopefully Henderson is back soon.

Until then?

Corey Kiner just became a player Patriots fans need to be watching VERY closely.

#Patriots #NewEnglandPatriots #TreVeyonHenderson #CoreyKiner #RhamondreStevenson #NFL

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Kevin Byard just made his feelings about the Christian Gonzalez situation VERY clear.

And I love hearing this from one of the New England Patriots' captains.

Byard was asked about Gonzalez's contract situation and said he expects Gonzo to be out there when New England opens the season against the Seattle Seahawks.

Then he went even further.

“Obviously I want him out there. I think we all do. We all want him to get paid.”

And Byard isn't just hoping Gonzalez gets a new contract.

He wants to see him become the highest-paid cornerback in football.

After weeks of conflicting reports about where these negotiations actually stand, hearing that confidence from someone inside the Patriots locker room is certainly encouraging.

We've heard from reporters.

We've heard from Gonzalez's trainer.

We've heard different opinions about whether the two sides are close or still have significant work to do.

Now we're hearing from a Patriots captain who expects Gonzalez to be there.

Then we're looking ahead to Week 1 against Seattle.

Because what an opportunity this is for New England.

The last time we saw these teams, the Seahawks bullied the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

Now we get an immediate barometer for how much has changed.

Drake Maye is healthy.

Will Campbell gets another opportunity against a talented Seattle pass rush.

And this time New England has A.J. Brown.

Can Brown consistently create separation and win one-on-one?

Can Maye and this offense look different?

And how much of New England's Super Bowl struggles were connected to injuries versus problems that still need to be fixed?

Win or lose, we're about to learn A LOT about the 2026 New England Patriots.

#Patriots #NewEnglandPatriots #ChristianGonzalez #KevinByard #DrakeMaye #NFL

Photo Credit: Eric Canha

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How good can the New England Patriots offense be in 2026?

Because after what Drake Maye and this offense accomplished last season, expecting another top-10 finish doesn't feel crazy at all.

Actually?

They might be capable of even more.

New England finished tied for fifth in offensive points per game last season at 26.6.

And when you look at the teams that ultimately competed deep into the playoffs, there's a pretty obvious trend.

You need to score points.

Seven of last year's top 10 offenses made the playoffs.

Six of the eight teams that reached the divisional round were inside the top 10.

And both Super Bowl teams made the list.

Now look at what New England has done around Drake Maye.

A.J. Brown is here.

Romeo Doubs is here.

Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson give the Patriots an intriguing combination in the backfield.

And Maye gets another year working with Josh McDaniels.

That's why NFL.com projecting New England as the No. 7 offense in football for 2026 doesn't feel aggressive to me.

It feels completely reasonable.

The schedule is going to be more difficult.

There will be bumps along the way.

But New England specifically built this roster around its young quarterback.

Now it's time to see what the next step looks like.

Can the Patriots finish inside the top 10 again?

Can they push toward the top five?

And if they do, could this offense once again put New England in position to compete deep into January?

The pieces are there.

Now Drake Maye and the Patriots have to prove it.

#Patriots #NewEnglandPatriots #DrakeMaye #AJBrown #RomeoDoubs #NFL

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The reporting surrounding Christian Gonzalez and the New England Patriots has officially become exhausting. One day, we're hearing the two sides aren't close. Then Gonzalez's trainer says things appear to be moving in the right direction and New England's offers are getting better. Then another report suggests maybe things aren't quite as far apart as we've been led to believe. So what are Patriots fans actually supposed to believe? At this point, I just want it to end. New England knows what it needs to do. Give Gonzalez the guaranteed money necessary to make him happy and make sure one of the best young cornerbacks in football remains a Patriot for a VERY long time. Yes, New England still has years of contractual control. Yes, the franchise tag could eventually become part of the conversation. Don't let it get there. Get this finished and enter the season knowing arguably the best player on your roster isn't going anywhere. Then there's another Patriot I think we're sleeping on. Kyle Williams. A.J. Brown is obviously going to command attention. Romeo Doubs continued developing his chemistry with Drake Maye throughout the offseason. And there are plenty of reasons to be excited about some of New England's other young receivers. But Williams gives this offense something extremely valuable. Speed. Maybe he doesn't immediately become WR2. Maybe he isn't even WR3 when the season begins. But defenses have to respect his ability to get behind them. That alone could create opportunities underneath for A.J. Brown, Pop Douglas and the rest of this Patriots offense. Drake Maye showed us what he can do throwing the football downfield last season. Now he has another weapon capable of taking advantage of it. Don't sleep on Kyle Williams. #Patriots #NewEnglandPatriots #ChristianGonzalez #KyleWilliams #DrakeMaye #NFL Photo Credit: Eric Canha IMAGN Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! KALSHI For a limited time, Download the Kalshi app and use code [LOCKEDON] to get up to $500 in bonus credits when you trade $25.

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