New England Patriots

Bill Belichick was happy to see Cam Newton succeed in his return to the NFL more than two months after the quarterback was released by the New England Patriots. 

The Pats head coach discussed Newton's Week 10 performance and more Monday on The Greg Hill Show:

"It was great when they signed him," Belichick said of Newton joining the Carolina Panthers. "Sounds like he had a great day yesterday. Always happy for Cam. Appreciate everything he did. He was a wonderful guy to coach and be around."

Newton started 15 games for the Patriots last season and re-signed with the team in March, but the veteran was released before Week 1 after rookie Mac Jones won the starting job.

Newton remained unsigned until a Sam Darnold injury opened the opportunity for a reunion with the Panthers, where the quarterback spent the first nine years of his career.

The 32-year-old recorded a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown in his first game back Sunday, helping Carolina earn a 34-10 win over the Kyler Murray-less Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Murray was inactive with an ankle injury.

While Belichick was complimentary of Newton, he wasn't as forthcoming when asked about the Patriots' interest in Odell Beckham Jr.

"We worked hard to prepare for Cleveland, and we're gonna work hard to prepare for Atlanta," the coach responded. 

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the Patriots were one of several teams to make an offer to Beckham after the receiver was waived by the Cleveland Browns. The three-time Pro Bowler eventually signed with the Los Angeles Rams.

No Damien Harris, no problem for the New England Patriots running backs. 

The Patriots embarrassed the Cleveland Browns 45-7 on Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium, and the team's running game was a big reason why. Rookie RB Rhamondre Stevenson was particularly effective. 

Stevenson had 100 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries and four catches for 15 yards. What's even more impressive is that the 23-year-old spent the week in concussion protocol and didn't practice once before hitting the field against the Browns. 

Given his performance Sunday, Stevenson might end up being a solid pickup for fantasy managers entering Week 11. However, there are some stipulations. 

Stevenson was only a major factor in the New England offense against Cleveland because starting running back Damien Harris was sidelined with a concussion. Entering Sunday's game, the Oklahoma product averaged just 22 percent of the Patriots' offensive snaps in games that Harris was active, which doesn't bode well for fantasy football. 

However, if Harris misses the Patriots' Week 11 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, then Stevenson figures to be a significant factor in Josh McDaniels' offense once again. Though, fantasy managers must also consider Brandon Bolden and J.J. Taylor, too. 

Bolden has been more of a factor for New England since James White went down with a hip injury in a Week 3 loss to the New Orleans Saints. He was especially effective against the Browns, running for 32 yards on three carries, in addition to three catches for 38 yards before the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter. 

Bolden is considered the second man on the depth chart behind Harris, so picking him up wouldn't be a terrible option. However, he's rostered in 48 percent of Yahoo Sports fantasy leagues. 

Stevenson would be an easier pickup entering Week 11, as he's rostered in just 31 percent of Yahoo leagues. Taylor is rostered in just three percent of leagues, but he's probably not the best option moving forward. 

Entering Sunday's game against the Browns, Taylor had appeared in just four games this season, rushing for 26 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries and recording four catches for eight yards in those appearances. 

Taylor also entered Sunday's game averaging just 13 percent of New England's offensive snaps, which isn't fantasy-friendly. The 23-year-old was the Patriots' least effective running back against the Browns, too, as he had just six carries for 11 yards. 

So, if fantasy managers are looking to add a running back for Week 11, consider Stevenson or Bolden. But remember, there are potential risks to those additions. 

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones will not be fined after he held onto and twisted Carolina Panthers edge-rusher Brian Burns' right ankle as the defender chased after a loose ball following his strip sack last Sunday.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Jones could have been called for holding, but the NFL did not believe the action worthy of a fine.

The incident occurred in the first quarter of the Patriots' 24-6 road win over Carolina last Sunday. It also aggravated a previous ankle injury Burns was dealing with, and he ended up missing the remainder of the game.

He is listed as questionable for the Panthers' road game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Burns told reporters on Wednesday he didn't expect Jones to apologize for his actions, as relayed by Grace Remington of Fox 46 Charlotte.

Teammate Haason Reddick called the play "completely dirty," per Darin Gantt of the Panthers' website.

Jones said he thought Burns had the ball, which is why he tried to take him down. He spoke on WEEI's Merloni & Fauria about the play, with Michael Hurley of CBS Boston providing the transcript.

After I got hit pretty hard, I didn’t really know exactly what was going on. I thought he had the ball and it was my job to try and make the tackle. That was pretty much it.

And you know, obviously when you get up and you see the ball is actually down the field a little bit more...it was just a bang-bang play and I didn’t mean to hurt anybody or anything like that. I was just trying to tackle him and make the play. Because you know, I didn’t really know what was going on.

In the end, the NFL believed what Jones did wasn't fine-worthy.

Now the 5-4 Patriots move on to host the Cleveland Browns on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. The 4-5 Panthers will visit the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at 4:05 p.m.

The New England Patriots announced running back Damien Harris has been ruled out of Sunday's Week 10 game against the Cleveland Browns because of a concussion.

Harris was previously listed as questionable. Rhamondre Stevenson, who remains questionable with a concussion, and Brandon Bolden are the Pats' top reserves at the position.

The Patriots' starter was injured during the fourth quarter of last week's 24-6 win over the Carolina Panthers. He didn't practice throughout the week.

Harris is putting together a strong 2021 season. He's tallied 547 rushing yards on 133 carries (4.1 YPC) and scored seven rushing touchdowns in nine games. He's received an 84.6 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, a top-three running back mark in the NFL.

He's handled 54.1 percent of the team's rushing attempts (133 of 246). No other player on the roster has more than 35 carries (Stevenson).

It's an important role as the Patriots try to maintain a balanced offense around rookie quarterback Mac Jones, who's guided the team to a 5-4 record.

If Stevenson, who also hasn't practiced this week, is ruled out, New England will likely split the backfield work between Bolden and J.J. Taylor.

Pats running backs coach Ivan Fears said Tuesday he's confident Bolden can handle the increased workload if called upon.

"He's been practicing this role for a long time. Being a core special teams guy, being a backup as a first- and second-down runner, and also being a backup as a third-down back. You know, Brandon is an awfully talented guy," Fears told reporters. "So we're very fortunate to have him in that role."

In addition, Harris and Stevenson face a short turnaround heading into Week 11 as the Patriots are scheduled to play the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football.

New England and Cleveland are set for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff Sunday at Gillette Stadium.

Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett said he's aware of what New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones did to Carolina Panthers edge-rusher Brian Burns in last week's game.

"Of course, I watched it," Garrett told reporters about Jones twisting Burns' ankle after a strip-sack. "I will hold my comments on that one. Hopefully, it does not happen to me. I do not know. Is he going to turn into the ankle grabber? I do not know. We will see."

Burns, who called the play "bull," wished other defensive ends luck in their pursuit of Jones in the weeks ahead.

"It would be nice to have an apology, but it's not gonna happen," Burns said Wednesday. "I would just like to play them again. And I wish all my fellow D-end brothers happy hunting."

Jones had explained Monday on WEEI's Merloni & Fauria he thought Burns had the ball after the fumble and was trying to make a tackle:

After I got hit pretty hard, I didn't really know exactly what was going on. I thought he had the ball. It was my job to try and make the tackle. That's pretty much it. Obviously when you get up and see the ball was actually down the field a little bit more, it was just a bang-bang play and I didn't mean to hurt anybody or anything like that. I was just trying to tackle him and make the play because I didn't really know what was going on.

Burns is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals because of the injury suffered on the play.

Meanwhile, Garrett said the onus is on him to make sure Jones doesn't try anything similar this week.

"If I tackled a man or I sacked him and I let him grab me, honestly, that is on me," the NFL's sack leader said. "I am not saying it is on Brian. He did not expect that. Now, we have all seen it. Now I know to get my behind up and get out of the way."

The Browns and Patriots are scheduled for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff Sunday at Gillette Stadium.

Carolina Panthers defensive end Brian Burns wouldn't mind seeing his fellow pass-rushers sack New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones.

"It would be nice to have an apology, but it's not gonna happen," he told reporters. "... I would just like to play them again. And I wish all my fellow D-end brothers happy hunting."

Burns was referring to a play during Sunday's 24-6 loss to the Patriots. Jones lost the ball on a strip-sack and held onto Burns' ankle as linebacker Frankie Luvu recovered it, and the defensive end eventually limped off the field. 

Mike Reiss of ESPN noted Jones addressed the play during an appearance on WEEI's Merloni and Fauria:

After I got hit pretty hard, I didn't really know what was going on. I thought he had the ball. It's my job to try to make the tackle. That was pretty much it.

Obviously, when you get up and see the ball is actually down the field a little bit more—it's just a bang-bang play. I didn't mean to hurt anybody or anything like that. I was just trying to tackle him and make the play, because I didn't really know what was going on.

Panthers pass-rusher Haason Reddick and linebacker Shaq Thompson both suggested it was a dirty play by the rookie quarterback, per Reiss.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported the league will review the play but is not expected to suspend Jones. He could face a fine.

Jones finished the game 12-of-18 passing for 139 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He did as he has done for much of the season and managed the game with short passes and going to the rushing attack while avoiding many risks.

The formula has helped the Patriots improve to 5-4 with three consecutive wins.

While Burns would like to play Jones again, the only way Carolina and New England could face each other for the rest of the season would be in the Super Bowl. The Patriots are in the final AFC playoff spot, while the Panthers are 4-5 and just behind the 4-4 Atlanta Falcons for the last NFC spot.                   

The New England Patriots have reportedly been in touch with Odell Beckham Jr.'s camp following the star wide receiver's release from the Cleveland Browns, according to The Athletic's Jeff Howe. 

The news comes after CBS Sports' Josina Anderson reported Beckham would "take some time and assess the best situation for him" before making a decision.

While Beckham is drawing interest from the Patriots, it's unclear if the veteran counts New England among his top destinations. The 29-year-old has reportedly "prioritized" the Green Bay Packers as his preferred landing spot, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz.

ESPN's Adam Schefter also reported that Beckham wants to join a postseason contender, and the Patriots currently fit the bill at 5-4, so they might not be out entirely on 2014's 12th overall pick. New England would enter the playoffs as the seventh seed if the postseason were to begin Tuesday. 

If he does join the Patriots, Beckham would instantly become New England's top receiver. Head coach Bill Belichick has relied on Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor this season, but none has talent like the former Brown or could be considered a true No. 1 receiver. 

Beckham has five 1,000-plus-yard receiving seasons, is a three-time Pro Bowler and was named Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2014. Meyers, Bourne and Agholor have neither recorded 1,000 receiving yards in a season nor been to the Pro Bowl. 

When asked Monday during an appearance on WEEI's Merloni and Fauria show (h/t Bernd Buchmasser of Pats Pulpit) about the Patriots potentially adding Beckham, rookie quarterback Mac Jones responded:

"I think Odell is a great player. I definitely watched him growing up and stuff. Obviously, that's not my decision. But we're open to whoever wants to come here and help us win. So, you'll have to ask people with higher knowledge than me on that one. But we're not opposed to it at all."

In addition to the Patriots and Packers, Beckham has also been linked to the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints, per Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio.  

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones appeared to intentionally injure Carolina Panthers defensive end Brian Burns during a first-quarter play in Sunday's 24-6 win, but his coach thinks it was a misunderstanding.

"I think he thought Burns had the ball," Bill Belichick told The Greg Hill Show on Monday, via ESPN's Mike Reiss.

The incident came after Burns sacked Jones, causing a fumble. While other players went after the loose ball, Jones grabbed the pass-rusher's right ankle and twisted it.

Burns was helped off the field with an injury.

"Definitely thought it was a dirty play," Panthers linebacker Haason Reddick told reporters after the game. "I actually saw and witnessed the play while it was happening. At first it felt like he was trying trip or kick Burns. And the next thing you know I saw him tugging on Burns' ankle. I thought it was completely dirty. Hopefully, it's something the league addresses."

On Monday, Jones told Merloni & Fauria of WEEI 93.7 that he believe Burns had the ball (h/t Michael Hurley of CBS Boston):

“After I got hit pretty hard, I didn’t really know exactly what was going on. I thought he had the ball and it was my job to try and make the tackle. That was pretty much it. And you know, obviously when you get up and you see the ball is actually down the field a little bit more. … It was just a bang-bang play, and I didn’t mean to hurt anybody or anything like that. I was just trying to tackle him and make the play. Because you know, I didn’t really know what was going on.”

The NFL will reportedly review the play, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, which could lead to a fine against Jones.