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Boston Globe
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
There's not much positive to look back on from the 2024 Patriots season, except these two Drake Maye highlights
Occasional carelessness with the football aside, Maye was everything Patriots fans could have hoped for after three seasons of gradually realizing Mac Jones was not the next Chad Pennington, but a born backup whose leadership skills were as uninspiring as his wet-noodle arm. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Sure, Maye was a little bit reckless (again: expected) and often, a lot of fun. His arm strength (particularly his touch on deep throws) and mobility (he ran for 421 yards, and is already ninth all-time in rushing among Patriots quarterbacks) suggest he could develop into The Franchise Quarterback. It didn't hurt that Maye has a natural, easy-going charisma, which stood in contrast to Jones's personality, which was about as compelling as an Eggo waffle without syrup. Advertisement When you try to summon positive memories from last season – and I think we agree a full NFL Films recap of the '24 Patriots would run roughly as long as a between-innings commercial break on a NESN Red Sox broadcast — two Maye highlights come to immediately to mind, the kind that make you say, 'Oh, this kid has got it.' Advertisement The first came in the Patriots' Week 9 loss to the Titans, Maye's fourth start, and I suspect you're already replaying this one in your mind. You know the circumstances and the beats, but let's reiterate anyway. With no time left on the clock, the ball on the Tennessee 5, and the Patriots trailing, 17-10, Maye dropped back, patted the ball, scanned the field, scanned some more, bounced left, rolled right, scanned, scanned, scrambled left, eluded one Titan hell-bent on ending the game right then and there, and just as he got crunched by two others, threw the ball across his body to Rhamondre Stevenson for a touchdown, forcing overtime. DRAKE MAYE MAGICCCCCCCCC!!!!!!!!! 📺: FOX — New England Patriots (@Patriots) That cool was evident, too, on a perfectly timed yet almost casual shovel pass for a touchdown to DeMario Douglas during the Patriots' Week 15 loss to the Cardinals. Drake Maye makin' plays for the 📺: 📱: — NFL (@NFL) Of course, highlights are different from achievements. The Patriots won just one of Maye's starts. I'd argue his greatest achievement was looking competent and usually poised with very little help around him. Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper were reliable tight ends. Receivers Kayshon Boutte and Douglas had occasional promising moments. Antonio Gibson gave it his all. But other than that? Let's see. The offensive line was overrun like a busted dam, the best running back kept putting the ball on the ground, the head coach wasn't ready for the job, and the coaching staff was made up mostly of retreads and newbies who were underqualified for their responsibilities. Advertisement I'm not saying Maye came into the most hopeless situation in recent NFL history. That title belongs, perhaps permanently, to David Carr, who got broken by the expansion Texans after being the No. 1 pick in the 2002 draft. Getting sacked 76 times in a season will change a man. I am saying the massive disadvantages Maye faced last season have probably been underestimated. And it's going to be fascinating to see how much a leap he can take now that he has a real support system. Related : The upgrade from Mayo to Mike Vrabel is the biggest Patriots head coaching upgrade since Bill Parcells replaced Dick McPherson. (And you know what? I'll hear you on the massive upgrade of going from Pete Carroll — a fine coach now who was way too happy-happy-joy-joy during his three gradually worse years here — to Bill Belichick.) Nearly as important, Vrabel has an experienced, deep, and well-rounded staff, including offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who is acclaimed here for his championship collaborations with Tom Brady, but also got the most anyone could have out of Cam Newton and his shot shoulder in 2020 and rookie Eggo Jones a year later. Maye's supporting cast on offense is still a work in progress, one requiring more help in the years ahead. But with Advertisement It's telling that Vrabel has been tough on Maye in preseason, Early returns suggest it's not the relentlessly sarcastic approach that eventually drove Drew Bledsoe to frustration with Parcells, but a sometimes sarcastic approach delivered constructively and often with humor. Vrabel, and McDaniels too, can coach Maye in a way Mayo and Alex Van Pelt could not. It's one more thing Maye needs to become the quarterback his talent, charisma, and highlights from a season worth forgetting, suggest he can be. Chad Finn can be reached at
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Notes from 49ers dreadful preseason showing against the Broncos
One down! The San Francisco 49ers got one of their three preseason games out of the way with a 30-9 loss to the Denver Broncos on Saturday at Levi's Stadium. While the games don't count, the 49ers were sloppy in a way that doesn't bode well for the regular season. The good news is they have time to clean up some of the issues that plagued them in their exhibition defeat. Here are our notes from each quarter of Saturday's loss: First quarter Nice play by Mac Jones to find Demarcus Robinson on the first snap of the game. A free rusher got home and Jones did well to make a side arm throw to Robinson for eight yards. Whew! What a throw by Jones to rookie wide receiver Jordan Watkins. He dropped a dime over Watkins' right shoulder on a third down for a 50-yard gain into the red zone. That's a really nice rep for Watkins who could see a ton of playing time this year with injuries at the top of the receiving corps. Patrick Taylor is the starting running back and he found paydirt on his second carry. He showed off good vision to bounce his run outside where he motored in untouched for a score and a 7-0 49ers lead. It's interesting that Upton Stout isn't with the starting group for the 49ers. That he isn't suiting up for the first preseason game says a lot about where he stands on the depth chart. Woof. Starting safety Jason Pinnock, who could be the team's starter in Week 1, whiffed a tackle attempt on rookie RB RJ Harvey. It would've been a tackle for loss and instead went for seven yards to set up a third-and-3. That's a rep the veteran defensive back will want back. Rookie WR Junior Bergen showed why the 49ers made him their final pick in the 2025 draft. He was a punt return star at the University of Montana and flashed that ability on his first attempt Saturday. Bergen made a slick move to force a missed tackle before galloping 28 yards to put the 49ers at their own 43 to start their second series. If he can flip field position like that consistently it will be hard to keep him off the roster. Jones is throwing dimes. It's clear the veteran is comfortable in the 49ers' offense. He started four-for-four for 75 yards before a throwaway on a third-and-17 on his second series. Broncos starting DE Nick Bonitto was a terror on that series. The 49ers couldn't block him and he blew up everything San Francisco was trying to do offensively. Nice stop for rookie safety Marques Sigle on a screen to Harvey. He was one-on-one with the RB and wrapped him up for a short gain. Sigle could push his way into the starting conversation with a strong preseason showing. Wow. What a disaster for the Broncos starting offense. 49ers CB Chase Lucas forced an incompletion by getting home on a corner blitz to start the drive. Then he generated a safety by pressuring Broncos QB Bo Nix and forcing him to throw the ball away in the end zone for intentional grounding. Really great work that series by the 49ers reserves. 49ers 9, Broncos 0 And that's why Jones is working his way back into a starting role in the NFL. He had all day to throw and badly missed on a throw to Watkins. There was no chance for the receiver to make a play and Broncos CB Ja'Quan McMillian jumped it for the takeaway. Tough couple of series for the 49ers offense. Another great play by Lucas to break up a deep shot on a third-and-5. He's usually a special teams guy, but his defensive showing may help him secure a roster spot. End of first quarter: 49ers 9, Broncos 0 Second quarter What a night for the 49ers reserve defensive backs. Dallis Flowers came up with a really nice run stop on an outside run. His tackle-for-loss was followed by a pass breakup on a deep throw by CB Darrell Luter Jr. to force a 42-yard Broncos field goal. 49ers 9, Broncos 3 Jones' night is over with Carter Bradley stepping under center in the second quarter. Undrafted rookie Corey Kiner is the second RB up. He lowered his shoulder for a heavy hit to finish off his first carry which went for five yards. Second-year linebacker Tatum Bethune started as the Mike LB and he's put together a really nice night all around. He could be in the mix to be the starting Sam LB, a spot occupied by Luke Gifford to start Saturday's game. A sack by Robert Beal! He has a long way to go before becoming an impact player on the 49ers defensive end rotation, but getting home for a sack in the preseason is a good step toward that. Kalia Davis has flashed a couple times and he got home for a sack after missing one earlier. Bradlee Anae made that happen though. He beat the right tackle and forced QB Jarrett Stidham to step up into Davis' arms. Good work by the reserve defensive line. A 32-yard field goal made it 49ers 9, Broncos 6. Oof. Bradley gave the ball right back to the Broncos on a third-and-4. He threw an interception directly into a linebacker's chest. That is not a good rep for the second-year undrafted free agent. He's battling for a roster spot with fellow second-year UDFA Tanner Mordecai. The Broncos got an easy touchdown thanks to what must have been multiple coverage breakdowns by the 49ers' defense. There have been a ton of highlight plays for the 49ers secondary, but that play alone is enough to undo some of the strong showings. Bradley throws the heck out of the ball, but Broncos defenders are frequently getting hands in the way of his throws. What a throw by Stidham to old friend Trent Sherfield to make it 20-9, Broncos. The 49ers reserves did better against the Broncos starters than they're doing against the Broncos backups. Halftime score: Broncos 20, 49ers 9 Third quarter Lucas nearly had an interception on a wide receiver screen and undrafted rookie Jakob Robinson flew in for a tackle-for-loss. Robinson has come up a lot in practice recaps from the SAP Performance Facility. Tre Brown was one of the players vying for the starting nickel cornerback spot and he punched out a fumble on a scramble by Stidham. That was textbook and the 49ers just couldn't corral a ball that was live for a long time. The scramble did push the Broncos out of field goal range. That Brown is still in the game doesn't bode well for his chances to stay in that starting mix. There's Jake Tonges. He shined as a pass catcher in the preseason last year. He was badly underthrown by Bradley and still managed to haul the throw in for an 18-yard pick up. It's been a rough night for Bradley. Tonges is in a roster battle with Brayden Willis who hasn't had a reception. Kiner is good. He showed off good balance after getting hit in the backfield and found eight yards on what should've been a rush for a loss. There's another bad throw by Bradley. It was an underthrown deep out that was undercut for an interception that was negated by an illegal hands to the face penalty on the Broncos. He's not helping his chances to make the 49ers' practice squad. Ouch. Third-round rookie LB Nick Martin flat out missed a tackles on consecutive snaps after Abdullah's fumble. There was some expectation he'd be the starter, but it's clear he has a long way to go. Martin made a nice hit later in the drive, but whiffed another open-field tackle on third-and-long. Bradley can really let it rip. He's thrown a couple of absolute missiles. Watkins is good. The 49ers are finding different ways to get the ball in his hands and he's shown a little juice. End of third quarter score: Broncos 23, 49ers 9 Fourth quarter Chase Lucas: still making plays. Kiner is still in the game, but it's tough for him to find room behind an offensive line that's not doing an outstanding job. Oh dear. Tanner Mordecai is in under center and he just dropped the ball on a bootleg for a loss of nine yards. The QB3 battle is not going well for either player. The 49ers went on a fourth-and-four from Denver's 37. Mordecai completed his pass to WR Robbie Chosen, but the pass went for a yard and a turnover on downs. San Francisco's offense has just been dreadful since the first drive. Heck of a play by Tre Brown to force a turnover on downs. On fourth-and-6, Watson got to the corner and looked to have the first down, but Brown flew in and cut the RB's legs out and stopped him short of the sticks. That's the second nice play by him for a run stop. Sweet catch by Tonges on a throw behind him. He's shown some juice as a pass catcher the last two preseasons. Another disaster from Mordecai. He escaped pressure. Bought time. Then threw blind into a group of Broncos defenders on the sideline. It's not clear if that was a bad throw away attempt or a bad throw into traffic. Neither would be good. The 49ers have forced two fumbles and had chances to recover both, but couldn't come up with either of them. Undrafted rookie Stone Blanton forced one late in the fourth with a big hit, but San Francisco once again struggled to fall on the loose ball. Martin was late again on a Broncos TD. It was a short throw to a tight end Caden Prieskorn and Martin didn't recognize it quickly enough. The Will LB job belongs to Dee Winters. Broncos 30, 49ers 9 This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers vs. Broncos score: Notes from dreadful preseason loss
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
49ers practice report: List of the walking wounded continues to grow
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Robbie Chosen made a diving catch of a pass from Mac Jones to score a touchdown during Monday's practice. Godofredo A. Vásquez/Associated Press San Francisco 49ers running back Ameer Abdullah walks off the field with an injury during the second half of an NFL preseason football game against the Denver Broncos, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) Godofredo A. Vásquez/Associated Press Another day, another injury for the San Francisco 49ers. More than a dozen players didn't practice Monday, not including those listed on the active physically unable to perform, non-football injury and injured reserve lists. In all, the 49ers went without 23 players for a relatively short noon session that ended shy of an hour and a half (most training camp practices have lasted two hours). It isn't the most encouraging sign for a franchise fresh off of an injury-riddled 6-11 season. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke after Saturday's preseason opener of the roster challenges his team faces ahead of Thursday's joint practice with the Raiders. 'It's definitely getting hard,' Shanahan said. 'It's real important that we get two good practices in Monday and Tuesday so hopefully we're in a better spot Thursday when we go against the Raiders.' There was no offensive line-defensive line, wide receiver-cornerback 1-on-1 period. And the second- and third-team offensive and defensive units atypically meshed due to the vast personnel hits — underlined by light workouts off to the side for wide receiver Jauan Jennings (calf), rookie nickel back Upton Stout (calf) and running back Isaac Guerendo (shoulder). A shred of good news for the 49ers: Offensive tackle Andre Dillard (ankle) was activated from PUP and among those who returned to action, in addition to safety Ji'Ayir Brown (ankle) and defensive tackle Evan Anderson (groin). Rookie safety Marques Sigle (knee bruise) and linebacker Tatum Bethune (ankle) — who both suffered minor injuries in Saturday — did not miss a beat. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A sure tackler in his 49ers debut, Sigle repped with the first-team defense ahead of Brown, sans Richie Grant (knee). Shanahan said he 'wouldn't rule (Sigle) out' as a serious candidate in the ongoing open competition at safety. It seems veteran Jason Pinnock, who jumped a post route by wide receiver Ricky Pearsall to break up a pass Monday, is beginning to separate himself. Brock Purdy completed 8 of 14 passes (and was intercepted once) and Mac Jones looked fairly sharp by completing 9 of 11 with a heavy dose of quick rhythm throws. Purdy's pick was more a credit to new defensive end signee Trevis Gipson, who got his hands up to tip a play-action bootleg pass that landed in the hands of Nick Bosa. Jones led the second- and third-team offense for most of the session, leaving coach's son Carter Bradley largely an observer after he finished Saturday with a horrendous 20.5 passer rating. Jones connected with Robbie Chosen and Pearsall on back-to-back touchdowns in the red zone. Chosen dove for his while tightly defended by safety Jaylen Mahoney; Jones did well to loft the ball where only Chosen could get it. Pearsall sat down underneath zone coverage to give Jones a wide-open target. In his first practice back from an ankle injury,Dillard played left tackle with the third-team offensive line as a full participant during individual and 11-on-11 drills. His return comes at a critical point; he has two weeks left in the preseason to show he can take over the swing-tackle role (vacated by Jaylen Moore) that Spencer Burford and Austen Pleasants evidently could not fill. Offensive line coach Chris Foerster said a little more than a week ago he saw Burford and Pleasants as backups at left tackle and right tackle exclusively, noting Dillard as a wild card. 'Studying him coming out of college, we know he has the ability to,' Shanahan said of Dillard's swing-tackle potential. 'He's played in this league for a few years. So that's what we brought him here to do, or at least compete with these guys on it.' Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams and Bosa, star players receiving periodic rest days throughout camp, practiced fully. Shanahan was asked whether he would sit his stars the entire preseason: 'It's possible, but I doubt it. Each guy's different, but I still like to play our starters. I just got to see how it pans out and what the risk-reward is with it.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
49ers QB Mac Jones wants to ‘play better' after preseason loss to Broncos
San Francisco 49ers backup QB Mac Jones speaks to reporters after his team's 30-9 preseason loss to the Denver Broncos on Saturday at Levi's Stadium. 49ers QB Mac Jones wants to 'play better' after preseason loss to Broncos originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
New York Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
49ers preseason standouts: 3 who shined (and 3 who fell flat) in opener vs. Broncos
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers raced out to a 9-0 lead against the Denver Broncos on Saturday night, notable because it was quarterback Mac Jones and a slew of second-stringers on offense and defense versus the Broncos' starters in the first quarter. After that, the game dissolved into, well, a typical preseason opener. Which is to say, it was full of penalties (20 total), mistakes and missed tackles, most of them by 49ers backups who lost the early momentum and fell 30-9. Advertisement Still, there were some promising performances, including by several rookies. Here were the top three standouts, followed by three players who fell flat in the summer opener. Lucas got two of the 49ers' nine points when he blitzed out of the slot and forced Broncos quarterback Bo Nix into an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone. Defenses don't always reveal their blitzes in the preseason, but defensive coordinator Robert Saleh told Lucas before the game that he'd be aggressive with his calls. 'He said, 'I'm gonna let it rip,'' Lucas said. 'I said, 'Man, if you're gonna let rip, I'm going to show you some things.' He stuck to his word, and it ended up going in our favor.' Safety! @49ers add two points to their lead Stream on @NFLPlus — NFL (@NFL) August 10, 2025 Lucas got the nod at nickel cornerback because promising rookie Upton Stout is dealing with calf tightness, and the 49ers decided to be cautious with him. Lucas, who spent 2024 on San Francisco's practice squad, also had a nice third-down pass breakup on a would-be touchdown toss late in the first quarter. But what will really jump out to coaches was his stout tackle on 227-pound running back Audric Estime on the first play of the third quarter and another big hit later in the quarter. Lucas led all defenders with eight tackles, five of them solo stops. Who starts at defensive tackle on Sept. 7 in Seattle? Davis made a strong case Saturday, finishing with a sack, a quarterback hit and a splash play in run defense in which he barreled down the line of scrimmage to snag speedy Broncos tailback Jaleel McLaughlin by the ankles. Davis, who started next to rookie C.J. West, led all 49ers linemen with three solo tackles. 'I thought he had a really good offseason last year and was having a good training camp, but then got hurt (in the preseason) at Tennessee pretty bad,' Kyle Shanahan said. 'And it set him back a ways. But I think this offseason has been very similar. He's had a real good training camp, and I thought he had a good first half (Saturday), too.' Advertisement Sigle was one of three rookies — West and receiver Jordan Watkins were the others — who started the game. Though he left late in the second quarter with a knee injury, he was active and involved early, leading San Francisco with seven tackles in the first half. Shanahan said the preliminary indication was that Sigle suffered a knee bruise and nothing more serious. 'I thought he was one of the guys who flashed tonight,' he said. 'He got a little bit of a late start by being injured in the (spring). And it was a few days into camp until he really got going. But he's had a hell of a week here and finished it off good today.' One of the 49ers' Week 1 safety spots seems like it will go to Jason Pinnock. The other is up for grabs. One contender, Ji'Ayir Brown, has been out with a lingering ankle issue, while another, Richie Grant, will miss roughly a week with a knee injury. Sigle, meanwhile, is the 49ers' fastest safety since Tarvarius Moore (third round, 2018), and that speed was apparent Saturday as he buzzed around the field. One of the questions with him is whether, at 6 feet, 199 pounds, he has the size to hold up at the position. WR Junior Bergen: He was the top choice at kick and punt returner, taking back his first punt for 28 yards. It was a promising start for a rookie whose roster spot hinges on how well he returns punts. WR Jordan Watkins: He had a mixed outing, including running the wrong route on Jones' first-quarter interception. However, he also connected with Jones on a 50-yard pass that led to an opening-drive score. The play highlighted Watkins' strength: He's dangerous on deep balls. Big play from Jordan Watkins 😤 Stream on @NFLPlus — NFL (@NFL) August 10, 2025 DT Sebastian Valdez: The undrafted rookie has been turning heads in practice and looked good Saturday, too. He finished with four tackles, including a sack he shared with defensive end Robert Beal Jr. In the second quarter, Bradley stared down receiver Russell Gage, leading Broncos linebacker Karene Reid to an easy interception. And that was just one of his miscues. He also had: Bradley, the son of assistant head coach Gus Bradley, gave way to Tanner Mordecai having completed 6 of 14 passes for 32 yards and a 20.5 passer rating. Even his longest connection of the game, a 19-yarder to tight end Jake Tonges, was so underthrown that Broncos head coach Sean Payton challenged the completion. Advertisement Martin looked a little like fellow weakside linebacker Dee Winters did in previous preseasons: His speed and athleticism were evident, but he was a bit all over the place and had three missed tackles on one series alone in the third quarter. Winters, who seems to have a lock on the weakside spot this year, started the game, giving way to Martin late in the first quarter. 'He ran around, got a lot of playing time,' Shanahan said of Martin. 'He had a couple of misses, especially on a big third down on a shallow cross across the field. (He) got his eyes a little too nosy with the running back. I like how Nick's been going, but I think there's a lot (on Saturday's) tape he can get better from.' Burford had trouble with speed rusher Nik Bonitto on back-to-back plays in the first quarter. Bonitto simply ran past Burford on second down, leading to a 1-yard sack of Jones. He did the same thing on third-and-long, resulting in a quarterback hit and a throwaway incompletion. Shanahan said there were extenuating circumstances on both plays. On one, Bonitto was able to jump the snap because the 49ers were on a quick count. On the other, Burford was expecting someone to chip Bonitto on the outside, but that player missed the assignment. Still, the sequence seemed to highlight the 49ers' depth issues behind starting tackles Trent Williams and Colton McKivitz. Until Andre Dillard returns from offseason ankle surgery, Burford is the top backup for Williams, who hasn't played a full season since 2013. QB Tanner Mordecai: He didn't fare any better than Bradley, completing 3 of 6 passes and also throwing an interception. His quarterback rating: 18.8. CB Tre Brown: He was the top nickel back in the spring. On Sunday, he played with the third-team defense, working opposite undrafted rookie Jakob Robinson, though he did force a fumble. Advertisement Virtual review: The officials used the new measurement technology in the first quarter to determine whether the Broncos had picked up a first down. Two issues: 1. Anyone with working eyeballs could tell they were a couple of feet short. 2. The process took at least as long as the old-fashioned chain gang would have. (Photo of Chase Lucas, No. 26: Godofredo A. Vásquez / Associated Press) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
