#mccourty

Pats' Jason McCourty voices concern for season

New England Patriots cornerback Jason McCourty, set to enter his 12th year in the NFL, expressed concern about whether the league will be able to complete a 2020 season amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The first group of Patriots players is scheduled to report to the team’s facility Monday for coronavirus testing, and on the eve of his arrival, McCourty explained why he’s not optimistic.

“I’m not…

Devin McCourty on Brady’s exit, why he almost left Pats too

Rob Ninkovich warned of a mass exodus in New England if Tom Brady left the Patriots in free agency.

That exodus nearly included Devin McCourty, according to the veteran safety himself.

In an article Tuesday for The Players’ Tribune, McCourty admitted he “honestly thought it was time” for him to leave New England as an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Going into free agency, I was…

Browns Trade Cb Jason Mccourty To Patriots

The Cleveland Browns have traded cornerback Jason McCourty to the New England Patriots, where he will join his twin brother, Devin.

The Browns also sent their seventh-round pick to New England and will receive the Patriots’ sixth-round pick.

The Browns originally had announced they were releasing McCourty, but they worked out a trade before the release became official at 4 p.m.

Solder signs…

New Post has been published on https://www.stl.news/eagles-right-formula-upset-patriots/79979/

Eagles have the right formula to upset Patriots

BLOOMINGTON, Minn/February 04, 2018(AP)(STL.News)— The best formula for success against the New England Patriots is to keep Tom Brady on the sideline and harass him when he’s on the field.

That’s not a news flash. But the good news for Eagles fans and everyone rooting against Brady, Bill Belichick and the Patriots in Sunday’s Super Bowl is that Philadelphia has the ingredients to do it.

The Eagles (15-3) have a multidimensional, ball-control offense capable of chewing the clock and forcing No. 12 to be a spectator.

Jay Ajayi, former Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount and Corey Clement led the NFL’s third-best rushing offense and the Eagles were first in time of possession.

“You have to stay patient and diligent there,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson said. “That’s something we’ve been able to do all season long. It’s something we stay committed to.”

This isn’t an old-school, ground-and-pound offense, either.

The Eagles have a versatile passing attack with several receivers who create matchup problems. Carson Wentz threw for 3,296 yards and 33 touchdown passes before he tore his ACL in Week 14 and Nick Foles has eight TD passes, including playoffs.

Foles proved in the NFC championship game he can make quick-strike plays with three passes of 40-plus yards against the league’s top-ranked defense. Two of those were TD tosses of 53 yards to Alshon Jeffery and 41 yards to Torrey Smith.

Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz and slot receiver Nelson Agholor are other options. Tight end Trey Burton, who also lines up at fullback in certain short-yardage situations, had five TD catches this season.

“You can’t just stop one guy,” Patriots safety Devin McCourty said. “You can’t go out there and say, ‘if we just limit Jeffery or if we just limit Ertz that won’t matter.’ They have a lot of different guys out there that can beat you.”

Foles has been adept at making the right calls on run-pass option plays, making it even more difficult for defenses facing Philadelphia.

“It’s hard because you have to defend every inch of the field,” McCourty said. “Each guy has to do their job on the play. We can’t have guys doing things that don’t fit the defense.”

On the opposite side of the ball, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has an aggressive unit. Nobody runs on Philadelphia’s defense. It was No. 1 against the run and didn’t allow a 100-yard rusher until Ezekiel Elliott had 103 in Week 17 against backups and third-stringers.

The Patriots (15-3) rely mainly on Brady’s arm, even though Dion Lewis had 896 yards rushing and James White was a Super Bowl hero last year. But Brady can’t throw if he doesn’t have time and the Eagles have a dominant front four led by Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham.

The line often generates enough pressure that Schwartz doesn’t have to blitz much and there’s enough depth with Chris Long, Vinny Curry, Tim Jernigan and Beau Allen that guys stay fresh in the fourth quarter.

Safety Malcolm Jenkins is a physical presence in the secondary and cornerbacks Ronald Darby and Jalen Mills are solid cover guys.

“They have a great defense,” Brady said. “It’s as good any we’ve faced all year. They have a great scheme that mixes in well with their coverages.”

If the game comes down to a field goal, rookie kicker Jake Elliott has a strong leg. He kicked a 61-yarder at the end of regulation to beat the Giants in Week 3 and is 6 of 7 from beyond 50 yards.

The Eagles shouldn’t be tight and they’re not intimidated by the Patriots. They’re a loose, relaxed group that has embraced their underdog role throughout the playoffs and overcame injuries to several key players.

“Greatest quarterback of all time, but that doesn’t mean that he’s unbeatable,” Jenkins said of Brady. “We’re not worried. We match up well.”

Devin McCourty to skip White House trip as well

[ad_1] Getty Images Martellus Bennett won’t be the only Patriot skipping any future trip to the White House. Patriots defensive back Devin McCourty told Time magazine that he’d also be skipping the trip, whenever it is. “I’m not going to the White House,” McCourty wrote in a text message from the team bus. “Basic reason for me is I don’t feel accepted in the White House. With the president having…

Patriots' McCourty won't attend Super Bowl trip to White House

It hasn’t taken long for Donald Trump to prevent more athletes than ever before from attending their congratulatory trip to the White House. With New England Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett having already declined his invitation, safety Devin McCourty has also announced that he will not be visiting with Trump. “I’m not going to the White House,” McCourty wrote in a text message to TIME…