The New England Patriots are riding high into their Week 14 bye on a 10-game winning streak and an 11-2 record, the best mark in the entire National Football League.
While Drake Maye has led the way in terms of recognition from the media and fans with his MVP-caliber campaign, the 2025 season for the Patriots has also been highlighted by the Patriots' next man up mentality. It was clear in New England's 33-15 win over the Giants in Week 13, as it has been the entire season.
Here are five unsung heroes of the Patriots' season so far:
1. Khyiris Tonga, DT
One of the biggest breakout stars for the Patriots in 2025 has been fifth-year veteran defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga. From the outside, his stats don't appear to be anything special as he only has 19 total tackles, two TFLs, and two QB hits. However, the stats do not tell the full story. Playing for his fifth team in five years, Tonga has carved out a vital role on this defense as the run stuffer that has made players like Vince Wilfork, Lawrence Guy, Danny Shelton, and others stalwarts on Super Bowl-winning teams in Foxboro. He has helped the Patriots boast the third-best rush defense in the league, only allowing 89.5 yards per game. Not only has he been useful on defense, but the Patriots have been able to even use him at fullback on goal line and other run situations--Tonga provided a key block for TreVeyon Henderson on his second huge touchdown run against the Buccaneers back in Week 10. And all it took to acquire this versatile player was $2.1M this offseason.
2. Craig Woodson, S
Another player where the box score won't necessarily do him justice, Craig Woodson has provided a lot of consistency to a thin safety group in Foxboro. After being selected in the fourth round in this past year's draft, Woodson was expected to mainly contribute on special teams with players like Jabrill Peppers, Kyle Dugger, and Jaylinn Hawkins ahead of him on the draft chart. However, Woodson quickly made a meteoric rise to a starting job in Week 1 alongside Hawkins, making both Peppers and Dugger expendable. Woodson has continued to provide stability to this position as the season has gone on, thanks to his ability to man up against tight ends. This was on full display in Week 13 as he made a strong break-up against Giants TE Theo Johnson on what looked to be a complete mismatch from a height perspective, before a penalty on Hawkins. With the playoffs looming, Woodson should continue to play a huge role on this Patriots defense.
3. Mack Hollins, WR
Another low-risk signing from this offseason, Mack Hollins has been everything the Patriots could have asked for and then some. He has provided toughness on the outside with his blocking prowess and has also come up clutch for Drake Maye on several crucial downs. Despite being considered a "glorified tight end" by some different pundits, he has even earned many vertical shot opportunities in the Josh McDaniels' offense. This has paved the way for Hollins to rank fourth on the team in receiving yards with 440 yards through 13 contests. The veteran also played a key role for the Patriots when Kayshon Boutte went down with a hamstring strain, including a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he recorded six receptions on ten targets for 106 yards.
4. Morgan Moses, RT
Before their injuries, rookies Will Campbell and Jared Wilson received the bulk of the praise for helping the Patriots' offensive line look worlds better than it did in 2024. Morgan Moses, however, has played just as big a role in providing Drake Maye time to complete passes this season. Part of the Patriots' effort to change the culture this offseason, Moses made headlines with his introductory press conference, where he discussed being a leader in the Patriots' locker room and a mentor to the team's young offensive line. He has proved good on his words as he has been solid on the right side of the line for the Patriots all season. While he does have six penalties in 2025, the veteran has only allowed one sack the entire year, according to Pro Football Focus. He has also allowed only three hits this year. With Campbell and Wilson both missing time, Moses' consistency has become even more important to this team moving forward.
5. Elijah Ponder, EDGE
An undrafted free agent from Cal Poly, there were not many people who had Elijah Ponder making the active roster at the beginning of training camp. Yet, the rookie made the initial 53-man roster. Injuries along the defensive line, along with the subtraction of Keion White, have opened up playing time for Ponder, and he has not disappointed. Ponder has compiled three sacks in the past four games for the Patriots, on top of providing strong play on special teams. This included recovering a fumble on one of Christian Elliss' many big hits in the Week 13 win over the Giants. Ponder should continue to see increased playing time as the Patriots still look to recover from the aforementioned injuries on their defensive line. However, he has been a bright spot that could lead to more usage as the games get more important.