Patriots notes, quotes, and anecdotes: Can New England get to 2-0?

Sep 8, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) throws a pass against the Cincinnati Bengals in the second half at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Good morning, happy Sunday, and welcome back into another edition of ‘Patriots notes, quotes, & anecdotes’. We’re back with another column hitting on all of the happenings surrounding the New England Patriots.

Here we go:

— The undefeated New England Patriots?!

After a 16-10 win against the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday, the Patriots welcome the Seahawks to Foxborough this weekend and have a chance to do something that they haven’t done since 2019: start a season 2-0.

“It means a lot,” New England’s head coach Jerod Mayo told Scott Zolak on Patriots All-Access this week when asked It meant a lot and when the players gave me the Gatorade bath I was so excited. In saying that, ready to move on. Ready to move on to the next game.”

Said next game, as we mentioned above, has New England taking on the also 1-0 Seahawks on Sunday at 1 p.m. Much like the Patriots, Seattle also has a first-year head coach, a dominant defense they want to lean on, and an offense that’ll try to generate points on offense by running the football and playing mistake-free.

So… can New England get themselves to 2-0? It’ll again be a tall task, but last week’s performance has more than just myself believing in this Patriot team.

Stay tuned through the end of the column for our score prediction.

— Malcolm Butler is this week’s “Keeper of the Light”.

One of the main features of Gillette Stadium’s new renovations that were unveiled last season is not only the larger lighthouse, but the fact that you can take an elevator to the top with skydeck views of Boston and Providence.

Additionally, in a tradition that began with Tom Brady in 2023, the Patriots now honor somebody before every home game as the stadium’s “Keeper of the Light”. The keeper is tasked with ringing the bell atop the lighthouse prior to the team running onto the field.

New England announced earlier this week that to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of their Super Bowl XLIX win against the Seahawks, former Pats cornerback Malcolm Butler will be Week 1 Keeper of the Light. Butler, of course, intercepted Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson at the goalline with just :20 seconds left in the game to seal the 28-24 win.

The team also announced that more than 20 of Butler’s former teammates are returning for a reunion weekend.

“It’s an honor to come back and celebrate with my teammates and the fans who have supported us throughout the years,” Butler said in a statement. “That game was a defining moment in all of our careers, and it’s something we will never forget.”

— Tom Brady tried to get Julian Edelman to join him, and Gronk, in Tampa Bay.

Speaking of Super Bowl XLIX heroes, former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and wide receiver Julian Edelman got together last week at Brady’s home, and some of the interaction was documented on the GOAT’s new YouTube channel.

As the two conversed over some of their top highlights, Edelman was asked if it ever crossed his mind to join his former teammates in Tampa Bay when they went to play for the Buccaneers:

“Yeah, I mean he called me,” Edelman said. “Yeah [he] was like, ‘Hey babe, you wanna come down? I can getcha here.'”

“He turned me down,” Brady laughed. “He rejected me.”

— Silver pants? Silver pants!

The Patriots revamped their game uniforms ahead of the 2020 season, and in doing so changed their fonts, the shoulder stripes on their jerseys, and (apparently controversially) opted to wear blue pants both at home and on the road.

The change turned New England’s home set into what some fans describe as a “blueberry” uniform, with a blue-on-blue look that’s gone away from their traditional silver pants.

Since the switch up, they’ve played a select few games with silver pants and according to a Patriots social media post this week, they’ll be doing so on Sunday against Seattle:

New England’s most notable new-age game in the silver pants was the infamous Bailey Zappe game on Monday night against the Bears. Here’s to hoping this Sunday doesn’t bring the same result.