Senior writer at @TheAthletic covering the Patriots. Adjunct at @NUjournalism. High-handicapped golfer, low-rated tennis player, seeker of a good old fashioned.
Foxboro, MA, USA
Joined May 2010
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From Jolly Ranchers to Big League Chew: A look at how the equipment staff helps the Patriots ... and the sometimes funny requests they get.
Story, free to read here: nytimes.com/athletic/7729218…
Chad Graff retweeted
I know how much time, thought and effort we put into our NFL power rankings each week. Now's *your* chance to tell us what *you* think. Amazing work from our graphics team!
Each week, The Athletic ranks all 32 NFL teams — but what do you think?
Create and share your own list, and see how your choices compare to our rankings this week, along with the rankings of other readers:
nyti.ms/3WPzNKs
Think our power rankings are wrong?
Well, with a cool new tool at @TheAthleticNFL, you can now make your own power rankings.
Try it out here: nytimes.com/athletic/interac…
With the trade deadline looming, the Patriots should be aggressive.
Story, free to read here: nytimes.com/athletic/7717705…
Chad Graff retweeted
Prime Video’s Patriots-Bears game averaged 19.86 million viewers. That's the second most-watched TNF on Prime game ever behind last season's Christmas night game between the Broncos and Chiefs (21.1M)
Prime says Thursday's game is the most-watched Week 7 game on record across the history of the Thursday Night Football package, beating the previous mark set in 2015 by +16%.
Big number.
NFL team tiers via @benbbaldwin's rbsdm.com based on EPA/play.
(How are the Bills and Vikings playing the same game?)
With a lengthy injury report, the Patriots have little room for error, as they learned last night in Chicago.
Story, free to read: nytimes.com/athletic/7716272…
Chad Graff retweeted
“That felt like watching Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. That felt like the next version of that to me."
Derrik and @davehelman_ discuss the heavyweight matchup between Caleb Williams and Drake Maye on TNF.
Final: Bears 30, Patriots 24
The Pats fall to 4-3. Drake Maye was good but the defense missed too many tackles and needs help at CB.
And Patriots WRs didn’t do much.
The Patriots need more from their WRs. Tonight:
Drake Maye when targeting WRs: 7-for-12 for 87 yards, 0 TDs
Drake Maye when targeting RBs and TEs: 17-for-18 for 234 yards and 2 TDs
Drake Maye when throwing to his WRs tonight: 4-of-7 for 49 yards
Drake Maye when throwing to RBs and TEs: 14-of-15 for 204 yards, 2 TDs
Somehow the Bears offered worse defense on that final play of the half than the Patriots did on the third-and-17 screen.
So far, the Patriots are living in 12 personnel and taking short passes.
Drake Maye's average depth of target is less than 5 yards.
Chad Graff retweeted
Patriots turnover differential is down to a -7.
Only the Colts, who just fired their GM, have a worse one.
AJ Brown was targeted on the first play of the game (incomplete).
Drake Maye hasn't gone his way on any of the following 15 dropbacks.
Somehow this is Mike Vrabel’s first-ever game at Soldier Field.
When the Patriots played at the Bears in 2002, the game was in Champaign due to renovations at Soldier Field.