Overview
- Kickoff is 1 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium on CBS/Paramount+, where New England is about a 4.5-point favorite against an Atlanta team with the league’s stingiest pass defense, a two-game skid, and Michael Penix Jr. and Drake London set to return.
- Rookie Drake Maye has logged seven straight games with at least 200 passing yards and a 100-plus rating, joining a short list of past MVPs, and he enters Week 9 at 2,026 yards with 15 touchdowns and three interceptions.
- New England’s defense has complemented Maye’s surge, allowing 15.6 points per game during the five-game winning streak.
- Running back Rhamondre Stevenson is inactive with a toe injury, positioning rookie TreVeyon Henderson to potentially take on a larger role.
- Roster strategy remains defense-first at the trade deadline, with The Athletic reporting the Patriots are searching for a pass rusher rather than an additional offensive weapon.