FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Sometimes the passage of time can spark unexpected emotions, and that’s what happened with linebacker Dont'a Hightower this past week in the Patriots’ locker room. When it was mentioned that a road game in Tennessee brings him back to where his NFL career officially began in 2012 -- and also close to his hometown of Lewisburg -- his eyes began to moisten.
Hightower made an immediate impact that day, returning a fumble for a touchdown in a 34-13 season-opening victory, which was a poignant memory to revisit seven years later.