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HOT TAKES: Mark Daniels' four thoughts on the Patriots at the midway point

FOXBORO — Entering the midway point of the 2021 NFL season, it's usually a good time for team superlatives.

For the Patriots, it seems straightforward. Through eight weeks, Matthew Judon has been the best player on the team. The edge rusher entered this week fourth in the NFL with eight sacks and tied for fourth with nine tackles for loss. In eight games, he has more sacks than he had in Baltimore last season. That’s why Judon is clearly the Patriots' MVP and Defensive Player of the Year — at the midway point.

As it pertains to the team’s rookie of the year, we’ll give you one guess.