The New England Patriots will look to build their first winning streak of the 2026 season. To do so, they will have to take down the 3-1 Raiders back at Gillette Stadium.
Naturally, most of our attention this week was on that particular game and looking back at the win in Buffalo. However, there is a lot going on at One Patriot Place these days, so let’s clean out the notebook.
Welcome to the latest edition of our Sunday Patriots Notes.
Trust in Chism
For Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, earning a quarterback’s trust
is the most important thing a wide receiver can do.
“The biggest thing for receivers is that there’s trust from the guy that throws the football,” Vrabel said. “When you earn the quarterback’s trust … it doesn’t take you long to figure out who the quarterback trusts. It’s the ones they target. That’s a good indicator.”
Vrabel made that point during OTAs last June when asked about undrafted rookie wide receiver Efton Chism III.
Chism earned a spot on the Patriots’ 53-man roster as a rookie after a strong offseason in which he consistently drew targets. Now, he’s making the most of his opportunities on Sundays. Chism caught both of his targets in Buffalo last week, including a one-handed touchdown catch on New England’s game-winning drive.
Those targets in a critical situation offered a glimpse of the trust quarterback Drake Maye has developed in Chism.
“That’s one of the things with Chiz, you’re not going to worry about him being in the right spot or knowing the right thing to do,” Maye said. “And I think that’s comforting for the quarterback and for me back there to have a guy out there in the huddle.”
That trust didn’t develop by accident.
Practice reps with Maye are relatively rare for Chism, who has shared a wide receiver room with veterans like Stefon Diggs, Romeo Doubs and Mack Hollins since arriving in New England. Instead, Chism has largely worked with the second-team offense during training camp and spent his in-season reps on the scout team, where he gets opportunities to make plays against the Patriots’ top defense.
“Like 50,” defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr said when asked if any plays stand out from Chism’s work on the scout team.
In order to bank reps with Maye, Chism stays late after practice nearly every day or seeks out the quarterback at odd hours in the facility to watch film together. That extra work has caught Maye’s attention and helped build the trust between them.
“He’s been doing a lot of the little things that I think were just showing up,” Maye said. “He comes in every day, enjoys trying to see my side of things, asks questions and tries to get on the same page, and that’s what ends up happening. You start seeing the results.”
After making the biggest play of his young career in Buffalo, Chism returned to Foxboro and went right back to work. He again was at the facility around 6 a.m. each morning this week and staying late to catch passes from Maye.
That preparation will be provide Chism another opportunity this Sunday as the Patriots take on the Raiders with A.J. Brown still on injured reserve and Mack Hollins (calf) also landing on IR.
“Couldn’t say enough great things about him,” offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said. “Really excited that he had his opportunity and made the most of it and look forward to the future with him.”
A.J.’s return
New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown had a notable presence in the team’s locker room throughout the past week, being in good spirits and walking without a limp. Brown, who wore just a small tape job on his injured right ankle, is eligible to begin practicing next week as he works toward returning from injured reserve.
Brown is making strong progress and is expected to return sooner rather than later. However, a Thursday night matchup against the Chicago Bears the following week could be another factor in the team’s decision on his return timeline.
Shoulder injury
Christian Gonzalez suffered a shoulder injury in Week 3 while delivering a physical tackle in the first quarter. Gonzalez stayed in the game and said he was “good” afterward, but he has not practiced since and was ruled out for his second straight game this Sunday.
After being ruled out last week, Gonzalez underwent additional testing on his injured shoulder earlier this week. He was spotted in the locker room Friday and has avoided being placed on injured reserve, perhaps signaling that his recovery is trending in a positive direction.
QB/Center exchange
The exchange between quarterback Drake Maye and center Jared Wilson resulted in several footballs on the ground last week in Buffalo. Offensive line coach Doug Marrone said it’s a skill that requires reps, while Mike Vrabel shed more light on two of the mishaps:
“The center’s moving laterally, he has a block that he has a guy off his body, and he’s moving one way. Is the quarterback excited on the goal line to try to get off the goal line? I mean, I think you see those plays down there, and I know that he’s thinking he has to get off the line.”
Close friends
The Patriots’ matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders this week offers an interesting parallel to the start of Drake Maye’s career. No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza has begun his rookie season on the bench, with veteran Kirk Cousins starting at quarterback for Las Vegas.
Maye spent the first five games of his career on the sideline while Jacoby Brissett started for New England. Maye said watching Brissett operate on and off the field was one of the coolest experiences of his rookie season, and he still speaks with the veteran quarterback weekly.
“He’s been one of my best friends since I got in the league. So, it’s been cool for me to keep that relationship,“ Maye said.
Saturday nights
Speaking of close friends, wide receivers Mack Hollins and Efton Chism III had developed a close bond over the past year plus. Part of the two’s week include a regular Saturday night review following team meetings, where they will go back through the entire call sheet and game plan together.
Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels called Hollins a “great mentor” for Chism, whose work ethic has provided him more opportunities moving forward.
“It wouldn’t be right for me to sit up here and not talk about his work ethic and his character since the moment we got him has been at the highest level it could be,” McDaniels said. “Just, it’s hard to say that an undrafted college free agent would be a pro’s pro, but I would tell you that that’s what he was. So he came in with that kind of demeanor, that kind of attitude.”
2001 reunion
The Patriots will honor their 2001 Super Bowl team before kickoff Sunday to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the franchise’s first championship. Kicker Adam Vinatieri will also receive his Pro Football Hall of Fame Ring of Excellence during halftime.
Vinatieri is one of 35 members of that team returning to Foxboro this weekend, where Mike Vrabel joined the group for a celebratory dinner Saturday night. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was also part of the team, beginning his coaching career as a personnel assistant that season. Twenty-five years later, McDaniels still carries one key lesson from that team with him:
“There’s a way to win and everybody can’t do it the same way,” he said.
Week ahead
For the last time until the end of the season, the Patriots will maintain a typical week with their next game back at home at 1 p.m., where they’ll take on the New York Jets.
This means Mike Vrabel media availability on Monday, off-day on Tuesday, and three straight practices plus injury reports from Wednesday through Friday. The team will then hold a final walkthrough on Saturday before hosting the Jets.
