Patriots Daily: Unhappy Patriots Fans; Watson Sued; Jets Lose

Tuesday is a day for NFL fans to digest what happened over the previous week to their favorite teams, good or bad. New England Patriots fans should feel good about their squad after a road victory over the Cincinnati Bengals to kick off the season. Of course that hasn’t stopped some folks (friends and family included) from sending me unhappy messages.

Why would anyone be unhappy about a Week 1 victory? Don’t worry; people found reasons. The top negative response was some version of, “They still aren’t a playoff team, so this just makes our draft pick worse.” The other being, “I hope this doesn’t delay Drake Maye getting to play.”

My NFL Preseason Prediction had New England finishing 6-11, which would have them selecting around No. 10 in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Patriots got their potential franchise quarterback in April’s draft, selecting Maye third overall. QB is the position teams would/should tank for if they are so inclined. The Patriots don’t need to do that. Furthermore, this is Week 1, not Week 18. Winning a meaningless game at the end of the season might be frustrating to these folks, but Week 1? C’mon.

Maye’s timeline is likely not affected by the Patriots’ record. But if New England’s record is so good it dictates Brissett staying the starter, is that bad? It means they are winning.

The other takes had more to do with downplaying the win or its importance. Whether people claimed Cincinnati stinks or “it’s only Week 1” some seem hesitant to get too excited. Regardless of the reason for their lack of enthusiasm, I sent them all the same thing. They received a link to my article, “Nobody Should Try to Rain on the Patriots Week 1 Parade.” Enjoy it!

Deshaun Watson Sued for Sexual Assault

A lawsuit was filed against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson in Texas yesterday. It accuses Watson of a sexual assault in 2020. The details of the alleged assault are graphic. They can be found in the piece about the lawsuit written by CBS Sports.

After a great college career at Clemson, Watson was a first-round selection by the Houston Texans in the 2017 NFL Draft. Watson became Houston’s full-time starter in 2018 and made three consecutive Pro Bowls. Unhappy with his contract and changes in the team’s staff, Watson demanded a trade before the 2021 season. Houston did not trade or play Watson. He sat for the entire season.

During that time, allegations of sexual harassment allegations began to surface. He was accused by 22 women of inappropriate sexual misconduct. Despite these allegations, Watson ultimately got what he wanted. The Texans traded him to the team of his choice, the Cleveland Browns. Watson signed a five-year $230 million contract with Cleveland. The money was fully guaranteed. In addition, the Browns gave the Texans six draft picks (three firsts, one third, two fourths) to acquire Watson. The trade package and contract were both massive for any player. Watson was a player coming off a year of being inactive and facing 22 sexual misconduct charges.

So after the year that the Houston Texans and Deshaun Watson just had…

•Watson gets to pick which team he goes to

•Cleveland Browns give him a fully guaranteed contract for 5 years and $230 million

•Texans get back (reportedly) three 1st-round picks, a 3rd and a 5th

Nuts.

— Dan Kelley (@DanKelley66) March 18, 2022

The NFL suspended Watson for the first 11 games of the 2022 season. He used a portion of his $230 million in guaranteed money to pay additional fines from the NFL and settle pending cases against him out of court. However, Watson’s latest accuser states they want a jury trial. Will the NFL take additional action against Watson with this new charge? Stay tuned.

49ers Beat the Jets 32-19

Despite playing without 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey, the San Francisco 49ers made easy work out of the New York Jets in Week 1 on Monday Night Football. Unheralded backup Jordan Mason had a huge game for San Francisco, rushing for 147 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries.

Aaron Rodgers suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 1 of 2023, his first game as a member of the New York Jets. Things didn’t go that poorly for Rogers last night, but the Jets’ offense struggled. Rodgers finished 13-of-21 for 167 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

Despite a 13-year streak of not making the NFL Playoffs, expectations are high for the Jets in most parts for 2024. However, they began their season 0-1. Fortunately for Jets fans, New York will not face many opponents as good as San Francisco the rest of the way.

Also in Tuesaday’s Patriots Daily:

Patriots Fact/Trivia of the Day

Deshaun Watson’s collegiate team, the Clemson Tigers, has been one of college football’s powerhouse programs over the past 25 years. The New England Patriots are the NFL’s most successful NFL franchise this century. However, the New England Patriots did not draft any Clemson players and only had one on the roster (Dwayne Allen), during Bill Belichick’s entire 24-year run with the franchise.

Post of the Day

This has nothing to do with the New England Patriots or the NFL but it made me laugh out loud (courtesy of internet hall of fame):

When pranks were actually funny😂 😂 pic.twitter.com/pnay77ZACZ

— internet hall of fame (@InternetH0F) September 8, 2024

Six Pro Bowl Possibilities for the New England Patriots – The Patriots only had one Pro Bowl player in 2022, Matthew Judon. Last season, they had none. In 2024, New England should be represented in the Pro Bowl once again. A look at six potential Patriots to be selected.

Breaking Down PFF’s Week 1 Patriots’ Grades – Pro Football Focus gave out their Week 1 grades. In New England’s 16-10 win in Cincinnati, Keion White, Rhamondre Stevenson, and Brenden Schooler were among those applauded. The Patriots’ left tackles were on the opposite end of the spectrum.

Ten Takeaways From New England’s Week 1 Win – After beginning the season 1-0, the New England Patriots had a lot to feel good about on Sunday. The coaching staff, running game, defense, and special teams all excelled. The top takeaways from the victory over the Bengals.