FOXBORO — Welcome to the Friday Five!

Each week during the NFL regular season, I will drop five Patriots-related thoughts on Friday to recap the week that was in Foxboro and look ahead to kickoff.

Ready, set, football.

1. Who’s next?

In the glory days, the Pats’ list of rivals ran as long as their Super Bowl titles: Steelers, Ravens, Jets, Giants, Broncos.

But over the early 2000s, one matchup existed in a plane of its own: Pats-Colts.

That rivalry, powered by shared competitive hate and arguably the two greatest quarterbacks of all time, lived for a full decade in the national spotlight. Now, the Colts are scheduled to visit Foxboro on Sunday with hardly anyone outside of Indianapolis or New England taking notice. Aside from an international disaster for the Patriots last year, there is no recent, meaningful series history here. No hate.

Which begs the question: who will the Patriots’ next rival be?

Buffalo and Miami beat the Pats too badly too often to be considered rivals — for now. Ditto for the Jets, but in reverse.

If it’s another quarterback-driven rivalry, the other top quarterbacks in Drake Maye’s draft class either play in the NFC (Chicago’s Caleb Williams, Washington’s Jayden Daniels and Minnesota’s J.J. McCarthy) and/or aren’t on the Patriots’ schedule until 2026 (Denver’s Bo Nix). So, might that lead the Patriots … back to the Colts?

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) looks to pass the ball during an NFL football game against the New York Jets Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Colts won 28-27. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft, will take his first shot at the Pats on Sunday. It’s unlikely, but the Patriots could see Indianapolis next year if they finish in the same place in their respective divisions. The Colts are the only non-divisional opponent the Pats have played each of the last three years. That counts, at least, as history.

But if Sunday doesn’t stir something up, the Patriots may be stuck waiting for a while. Hurry up and hate.

2. Own it

Earlier this week, I wrote the Patriots’ handling of Jabrill Peppers showed a confidence he could be exonerated of the assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, strangulation, and possession of a Class B substance (cocaine) charges he faces stemming from a domestic dispute on Oct. 5.

Both Peppers and Patriots coach Jerod Mayo were tight-lipped about the matter this week, which was to be expected given Peppers’ legal situation is still pending. But in Mayo’s case, the Patriots showed a lack of ownership in their decision to allow someone accused of domestic violence to return to their facility; something they did not do after Peppers was accused and arrested.

The question was asked point-blank Tuesday, if the team’s ensuing investigation into the matter had assuaged any concerns about what happened that night.

New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers leaves his arraignment at Quincy District Court after being arrested Saturday morning in Braintree, charged with assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, strangulation, and possession of a class “B” substance.

“Yeah, look, I fully understand the question. I mean, it’s going to take time,” Mayo said. “The legal process outside the building and what we think happened inside the building. At the same time, the NFL has taken him off of that Commissioner’s Exempt List, and that’s what we have to roll with.”

Later, MassLive reported the Patriots had, indeed, been satisfied enough with their findings to let Peppers return. And that was a decision that entirely belonged to them. But Mayo acted as if Roger Goodell’s decision to remove Peppers from the commissioner’s exempt list had forced the Patriots’ hand.

Peppers said he spoke with ownership about the situation, and that his legal team cooperated with the NFL’s investigation. That all but confirmed the Patriots had more information which likely informed their decision. So why not own your investigation or say the team preferred to stand by a presumption of innocence instead of hiding behind the league? Disappointing.

What Patriots took away from Jabrill Peppers’ return to practice

3. Locker-room reaction

Like other reporters last Sunday, I noted an unusually lighthearted Patriots locker room in Miami after their 34-15 loss.

I described it as “lighter” than most I’ve experienced after a blowout, of which there have been many the last four-plus seasons while the Patriots have gone 32-48. The sense I got was players were more accepting of their defeat than normal, though certainly not happy or joyous.

In the days since those reports, the storyline has blown up and drawn some out-sized reaction. It can both be that true players were smiling and laughing more than expected, and that locker-room reaction was still within a normal range of reaction for two reasons.

No. 1: Trailing by 24-0 at halftime and then 31-0 early in the fourth quarter, a loss was all but assured that day. Sitting with defeat for the entire second half likely expedited any process of venting or grieving post-game. There was no processing left by the time they reached the locker room.

No. 2: Losing is virtually all the players in that locker room have known in New England. Even a five-year veteran like Kyle Dugger, a longtime starter and new captain. In the NFL, he’s experienced seasons of 7-9, 10-8, 8-9, 4-13 and now 3-9.

Players finding joy after a terrible game wasn’t a crime, but it may take some time to unpack from the outside. There you go.

4. Top free-agent target

Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. tries to get past Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley during the season opener Sept. 10. (Terrance Williams, AP)

Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley, and it’s not close.

Bengals receiver Tee Higgins and Bucs wideout Chris Godwin are the best receivers available, but both profile as high-end No. 2 receivers or No. 1B.

Meanwhile, Stanley is a 30-year-old former Pro Bowler and All-Pro who ranks among the league’s best pass-protectors this season. He’s started all 12 games this year for Baltimore. Stanley has battled some health issues over his career, but also started double-digit games in seven of his nine seasons.

Come March, Stanley should be a top-10 overall free agent regardless of position. He’s certainly the best offensive tackle projected to hit the market. Give him a blank check.

Related Articles

Callahan: Drake Maye and 8 other Patriots reasons to be thankful this NFL season

Patriots practice: Starting offensive line remains a mystery after release

What Patriots took away from Jabrill Peppers’ return to practice

Patriots rookies: Drake Maye an ‘anomaly’ among offensive teammates

How Patriots have specifically regressed, improved this season under Jerod Mayo

5. QB run game coming

Soon after Drake Maye became the Patriots’ starting quarterback, Mayo and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt all but swore off using Maye on quarterback runs.

This week, they changed their tune, which could come in handy in critical situations. Allow Maye to explain.

“I think there’s a time and place for it. I think third-and-short yardage, down in the red zone, goal line, maybe a QB draw or something like that,” he said Tuesday. “I think there’s definitely a place for that. You can kind of keep defenders and defenses on their toes mixing it up.”

Something to watch for Sunday.