Countdown to kickoff

Also: "One Chip Challenge" pulled from stores after Mass. death; taking stock of the T's stations [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  September 8, 2023 🌤️ Hot and humid, with a high near 89. Good Morning Boston, The kids are back in school ([except in Lowell](. The adults are back in the office (though [probably not today](. And with the end of summer in New England comes a season more unavoidable than the onset of fall: [[Cues theme music.]( Yes, we're talking football. The New England Patriots kick off their 2023 season this weekend in Foxborough (Sunday at 4:25 pm on CBS) against the Philadelphia Eagles. The team is coming off what can only be described as a [dysfunctional 2022](. (In short, there were defensive coaches calling the plays on offense, and [the results were not good](. It's now been four seasons since the once-dynastic team's last playoff win. And unlike years past, the competition is [only getting tougher]( in the AFC East. So, what should we expect? ESPN reporter Mike Reiss joined WBUR's Morning Edition for a primer on this year's Patriots squad as they enter the new year. If you're tuning in this Sunday, here's what you need to know. This interview has been slightly edited and condensed for clarity. The Patriots finished in third place in the AFC East last year. What did they do in the offseason to turn that around? Mike Reiss: The most significant change they made was on their offensive coaching staff. They brought in [former assistant coach and Massachusetts native] [Bill O'Brien as their offensive coordinator](. And the hope is his experience coordinating and leading offenses over the last decade leads to a better offensive performance for the Patriots than last year — specifically with their quarterback, Mac Jones, who enters his third season. Mac is the best fit for what Bill O'Brien wants to do offensively, and that's to spread the ball around to a variety of pass catchers and really put a lot on the quarterback from an intellectual standpoint. He's going to put Mac back there and say, "Read the defense before the ball is snapped and know where you're going with the ball." And that's really a strength of Mac's game. He's a thinking man's quarterback. What other new faces should we know about this season? MR: Quite a few new faces. Offensively for Mac, one of his go-to players is [JuJu Smith-Schuster]( who fans might remember from last year playing for the Kansas City Chiefs — who were the Super Bowl champions — and, before that, for the Pittsburgh Steelers. To compliment Rhamondre Stevenson, they brought in [running back] [Ezekiel Elliott]( who spent the first seven years of his career with the Dallas Cowboys. And he was a star player for them, a first-round pick out of a big-time school at Ohio State. And then I'll add a third: [former Miami Dolphin] [Mike Gesicki]( at tight end, who joins Hunter Henry as another option when the Patriots want to put two tight ends on the field at the same time. Former captain and safety Devin McCourty is [gone this season](. What does the Pats' defense look like without him? MR: Devin McCourty was not just an excellent free safety — patrolling the deep part of the field, making sure that the Patriots didn't give up big plays — but he was also one of the greatest leaders that they've had in Bill Belichick's 24 years as head coach. So, they're filling not just a void on the field, but also a leadership void in the locker room. Devin's actually the only player on defense they lost from last season, and they were a really good defense last season. So the hope is that they can fill that void. They're going to need multiple players to fill it. The Pats will [honor longtime quarterback Tom Brady at Sunday's game](. How do you see that going? MR: It will be a spectacle. They're gonna honor him at halftime and there's only so much time that you can do that. But between the new construction at Gillette Stadium with [the largest outdoor stadium video board]( in the country, Tom Brady coming back, [the new lighthouse]( something tells me there'll be something unforgettable that fans and those that are there at the stadium on Sunday will experience. It will be more than run of the mill. I think the way the Kraft family views it is that this is an opportunity for the fans to say thank you to Tom, which they weren't able to do the first time that he left the team back in 2020 to go to the Buccaneers. Prediction time: How do you think the season is going to go? And how do you think it's going to end for the Pats? MR: We started the conversation by noting how they were third place last year, 8-9 record. I think they'll be a better team this year. I think the problem for the Patriots is the competition around them is going to be better as well. When the oddsmakers set a win total, they say that seven and a half is sort of the target. I would say they're going to be a little bit above that — on the fringe of the playoffs. And if they can get in, anything's possible. But this is a lot different conversation than we've had in the past years, when Tom Brady was the quarterback. It wasn't necessarily if they would make the playoffs, it was how far they would actually go in the playoffs. P.S.— What are local chefs putting on the menu more to help control one species' exploding populations? If you think you know, [take our Boston News Quiz]( to test your knowledge of the local stories we covered this week. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Heat, long commutes don't dampen BPS spirit on first day back to school]( About 40,000 Boston Public School students in first to twelfth grades went back to school Thursday in hot and humid conditions. The district kicked off the school year with more bus drivers and fewer teacher vacancies compared with last year. [Read more.]( [Heat, long commutes don't dampen BPS spirit on first day back to school]( About 40,000 Boston Public School students in first to twelfth grades went back to school Thursday in hot and humid conditions. The district kicked off the school year with more bus drivers and fewer teacher vacancies compared with last year. [Read more.]( [Maker of the spicy 'One Chip Challenge' pulls product from store shelves]( The maker of the extremely spicy chip said it is working to recall the product as Massachusetts authorities probe the death of a teen whose family said the challenge was a contributing factor. [Read more.]( [Maker of the spicy 'One Chip Challenge' pulls product from store shelves]( The maker of the extremely spicy chip said it is working to recall the product as Massachusetts authorities probe the death of a teen whose family said the challenge was a contributing factor. [Read more.]( [The MBTA's new 'chief of stations' tackles JFK/UMass decay, prepares to visit all stations]( Dennis Varley, the new chief of stations, joins the T after a three-decade career in transportation in New York. Varley is tasked with helping make Boston’s subway, commuter rail and buses safe, secure and clean for riders. [Read more.]( [The MBTA's new 'chief of stations' tackles JFK/UMass decay, prepares to visit all stations]( Dennis Varley, the new chief of stations, joins the T after a three-decade career in transportation in New York. Varley is tasked with helping make Boston’s subway, commuter rail and buses safe, secure and clean for riders. [Read more.]( [Indigenous science to be focus at UMass Amherst center on climate change research]( A new $30 million federally-funded center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst will connect Native and western scientists at 8 international hubs and involve 57 Indigenous communities. [Read more.]( [Indigenous science to be focus at UMass Amherst center on climate change research]( A new $30 million federally-funded center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst will connect Native and western scientists at 8 international hubs and involve 57 Indigenous communities. [Read more.]( [Nearly 50 years after the Boston busing crisis, a new initiative examines its history and legacy]( In the lead up to the 50-year anniversary of the Boston busing crisis, a group of more than three dozen community leaders are launching a new three-year initiative to remember the busing program and educate Bostonians on its legacy through conversations and exhibits. [Read more.]( [Nearly 50 years after the Boston busing crisis, a new initiative examines its history and legacy]( In the lead up to the 50-year anniversary of the Boston busing crisis, a group of more than three dozen community leaders are launching a new three-year initiative to remember the busing program and educate Bostonians on its legacy through conversations and exhibits. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - The Boston Marathon will feature more athletes with disabilities next year, thanks to [the addition of two more para athlete divisions](. Race organizers are also boosting the prize money for the top 10 wheelchair finishers, with up to $90,000 possible for a course record. - Nearly 30 years after its debut, The Folk Implosion's soundtrack for cult classic film "Kids" is being reissued today on CD and vinyl. Music critic Charley Ruddell[interviewed one half of the Boston-based indie rock duo about the album and its previously unreleased compositions.]( - Theater critic Jacquinn Sinclair writes that New Repertory Theatre's production of "A Raisin in the Sun" has some dated language and deplorable stances, but the play is anchored by strong performances and themes that are still relevant today. Read [her full review here](. - Former TV anchor Lisa Braxton [writes in this Cognoscenti essay]( that her condo neighbors didn't speak to her — until she got a corgi.  What We're Reading 📚 - Philanthropies Pledge $500 Million to Address Crisis in Local News ([The New York Times]( - How a strip mall in Hadley became the center of the modern-day labor movement ([The Boston Globe]( - Heat’s hidden risk ([Washington Post](  Oddities [Coast Guard arrests a man trying to run a giant hamster wheel across the Atlantic]( It was the fourth time the Coast Guard has intercepted Reza Baluchi on his attempts to self-propel his homemade vessel to destinations including Bermuda, New York and London. [Read more.]( [Coast Guard arrests a man trying to run a giant hamster wheel across the Atlantic]( It was the fourth time the Coast Guard has intercepted Reza Baluchi on his attempts to self-propel his homemade vessel to destinations including Bermuda, New York and London. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [checks in on the vibes as Boston students return to the classroom]( for the new school year. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: Enjoy the rest of [second summer.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2023 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.