Pats Pre Season predictions/thoughts

[jsull87]

The off season is going slow and before camp starts i just wanted to get a gauge from this board to see how we are currently feeling regarding the team, our chances this year and where you think we will be strong or not.

Personally with the Hernandez situation, Gronk injury question and replacement of Welker with Amendola. I will admit I think it will only be natural that our passing offense will take a hit. With an article today on Laurent Robinson saying he is ready for football (despite numerous concussions) i would like to see him brought in.

Ballard, Hooman and Fells IMO will be enough to cover the hole at TE for Ahern but it will be completely different without our jack of all trades there and i think the TE question is answered by how well Ballard steps up. he was the Giants #1 TE in 2011.

I think the strength of this team is going to be up front with a strong OL with another season together, a strong running game with another season for Ridley and Vereen especially. Vereen is a big key for me as we saw the end of last year he really can be a matchup nightmare on those wheel routes. Of course TB12 is the lynchpin but IMO it all hangs on how well this OL can do for him as it's only natural to expect a drop off with all of these new receivers.

Defensively, i think we will post our strongest secondary and LB in years. Everyone is coming back and had at least half a season playing with each other which i don't think we could have said previously. DL is the biggest question mark for me. Wilfork is Wilfork, can Jones make the Leap? will Armstead be that answer at DE/DT? will Kelly be that missing link as a penetrating DT? I am hopeful but i guess only time will tell and i think our offense will need their help this year.

Overall i think that unless the defense takes a large step forward that it's going to be a tough first few weeks for this team with understandably offensively trying to gell. Then we hit what looks like a tough stretch away to Falcons, Bengals and Jets and home against the Saints.

Looking at the schedule and being (at least in my mind) realistic i would say it all depends for us how we come out of the blocks. those first 4 games are important to us. I would say looking at the schedule:

@Bills W
Jets W
Bucs W
@Falcons L
@Bengals W
Saints L
@Jets W
Dolphins L
Steelers W
@Panthers W
Broncos L
@Texans W
Browns W
@Miami W
@Ravens L
Bills W

Overall: 11-5

But i can easily see that as 10-6 or even 9-7 with some tough games (on paper). A lot can change throughout the season and we could very easily beat @ Ravens and one of the home games against the Broncos or saints. But you have to admit that Brees and Manning are going to be very tough W's this year. I still think that even with our somewhat rocky off-season we can take the Div with a 11-5 season and could possibly get a 1st round buy with there being no clear fav in the AFC except maybe the Broncos. but as usual i think if we can take care of our division 1st and foremost then the rest should take care of itself.

Anyway that's where i think as a team we are at come Training camp and would like to see if others are feeling similarly apprehensive about how some of our key units will form i.e DL, WR and TE

 

[Joker]

I'm going up to the first few practices ...I've been to camps since the 70's and the first ten days are indicative of the basic mindset of the team offensively and defensively. I particularly want to see what and how much they devote to Tebow and whether it's tailored to HIS skill set or integrating him in THIS offense.

BTW, I heard a Patriots "fan" on EEI today and he said something that went unchallenged by Holley..and of course the nitwit Salk..."we all know the patriots run a scripted offense"...look, I don't know if you post here, I'm betting no, but get a goddamned clue. "The Patriots run a scripted offense" is THE most ridiculous, mongoloidal, shallow, idiotic statement by a socalled fan that one can make. Just STFU....and give your tickets to real fans , azzhat. Krist.

Here's a simplistic overview of the Erhardt-Perkins offensive system and how it works on today's Patriots.

New England Patriots strategy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[jsull87]

I'm going up to the first few practices ...I've been to camps since the 70's and the first ten days are indicative of the basic mindset of the team offensively and defensively. I particularly want to see what and how much they devote to Tebow and whether it's tailored to HIS skill set or integrating him in THIS offense.

BTW, I heard a Patriots "fan" on EEI today and he said something that went unchallenged by Holley..and of course the nitwit Salk..."we all know the patriots run a scripted offense"...look, I don't know if you post here, I'm betting no, but get a goddamned clue. "The Patriots run a scripted offense" is THE most ridiculous, mongoloidal, shallow, idiotic statement by a socalled fan that one can make. Just (Please be quiet - edited)....and give your tickets to real fans , azzhat. Krist.

Here's a simplistic overview of the Erhardt-Perkins offensive system and how it works on today's Patriots.

New England Patriots strategy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I have always wanted to go up for training camp and see a game. I am in Australia so have never actually been to Boston. I think you make a good point with Tebow and how he is used as i believe he won't be just holding a clip board on game day. I'd really be checking out the two rookie recievers, and i personally believe that Spikes is going to be limited this year and they want Collins to try take over OLB reps on passing downs. That allows for something like. DL - Hightower, Armstead, Kelly, Jones. LB Collins, Mayo, Wilson. Giving us a lot of flexibility with dropping Hightower or rushing Mayo/Collins but still keeping good coverage.

 

[jmt57]

There are no shortage of genuine football-related stories to follow this preseason with the Patriots. Unfortunately casual fans won't be able to find any of them, because we already know what Pats-related topics will dominate the mass media.

- 3 open roster spots: Abraham? Another OL? Another TE?
- DT: who starts next to Wilfork?
- DL: other than VW, Jones and Ninkovich, who makes the roster?
- LB: how does Collins look, and how will he be utilized?
- S: does Adrian Wilson have enough left in the tank to contribute?
- CB: Ras-I Dowling, Chapter III

- QB2: Mallett vs Tebow, or 3 QB?
- RB: How is Vereen deployed?
- RB3/4: Blount/Bolden/Washinton/Winn/the 2 FB
- TE2/3/4: Fells/Hoomanawanui/Ballard/Sudfeld/Ford
- WR: how do the rookies who will make the roster progress?
- WR: Jenkins/Jones/Aiken/Thompkins/Hawkins/Edelman/Harrison
- RG: who starts, Connolly or Cannon?
- OL: who are the primary (game day) backups?
- OL: can one of the UDFA make the 53-man roster?



There are/will be much more than that, but that's a good start. Unfortunately it will probably take some effort to find some substance beyond stories of players that are no longer on the team, speculation on Gronk's return that will rival that of Kate's due date, and opinion masquerading as fact on how the Pats have no choice but to use a quarterback at tight end.

 

[Archeryaddict12]

I am not being a homer here. But this team will go 12-4 at worst and 14-2 at best. The team only needs to gel. The talent we have is very high. A secondary that has part of a season and off season together will help tremendously. With the addition of Kelly and a step up from jones and those 3 are dangerous on D.

One thing we keep forgetting is we have Tom Brady. Seriously, the guy will make it work. He will hide flaws of the offense. As long as players are productive, we will put up points like the past. The main thing Tom lacked is big bodies in the red zone. He doesn't lack that anymore. I seriously see this team being one of the better pats teams since 07.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Losses to: ATL, Saints, Broncos, AT Dolphins..last loss...idk

 

[MoneyFX]

I am not being a homer here. But this team will go 12-4 at worst and 14-2 at best. The team only needs to gel. The talent we have is very high. A secondary that has part of a season and off season together will help tremendously. With the addition of Kelly and a step up from jones and those 3 are dangerous on D.

One thing we keep forgetting is we have Tom Brady. Seriously, the guy will make it work. He will hide flaws of the offense. As long as players are productive, we will put up points like the past. The main thing Tom lacked is big bodies in the red zone. He doesn't lack that anymore. I seriously see this team being one of the better pats teams since 07.

Yeah, if Dobson and Boyce or whoever can make plays vertically in the pass game, the offense could even fare better in the playoffs than it has in years past with the dink-and-dunk style. It is a must for the Patriots to test all parts of the football field, if they want to make it back to a super bowl. The Patriots can move the chains even without Welker, Woodhead, Lloyd and Hernandez (as the first 3 players are replaced by younger options in Amendola, Vereen and Dobson). It's finishing the drives that is more important.

Gronk was their best and maybe only consistent red zone target last season and his loss showed in the AFC championship game, where the Patriots offense would march up the field and get stalled inside the 25.

The defense will get better and will force turnovers which leads to Brady having a shorter field even more. Also factor in Leon Washington in the kickoff return, he will get Brady a shorter field. I bet Brady doesn't want to keep on sustaining 10-12 play drives over and over again, especially at his age of 36. If he struggles, the defense needs to get stops or force turnovers to keep giving him opportunities to score. Make Brady's job easier and put less on his shoulders.

But yeah, Brady is the best QB in the league at hiding deficiencies. Whether it be a lack of a run game, vertical threat, go-to receiver, you name it. I look back at 2010, when he played with Wes Welker coming off major knee surgery, Randy Moss being traded and two rookie tight ends. You know the story. Tom Brady just makes things work.

 

[Brady2Moss]

Hoping the defense steps up big time.

 

[IllegalContact]

I think going big and running the ball is something many teams who have geared their defenses to defend in a pass-happy NFL will struggle to consistently defend.......putting guys like gronk and ballard out there don't give you as wide a dynamic as gronk and AH, but both are viable targets and both are capable of locking onto a 4-3 DE or blowing an OLB backwards and this will created a real numbers problem for defenses, especially if you have mobile OG's.....

this is the most physical group of RB's since BB has been here

 

[Oswlek]

Gronk was their best and maybe only consistent red zone target last season and his loss showed in the AFC championship game, where the Patriots offense would march up the field and get stalled inside the 25.

I have to admit to finding this analysis a little shallow. NE's problem wasn't that Baltimore would clench down an open receivers once the field shortened, it was that the guys who were open kept stepping on their nads. I can recall 5 drive killing misplays by wide open receivers off the top of my head right now, and Aaron's monumentally stupid cut back just before halftime (followed by an equally stupid Brady scramble and delayed TO) probably took another 4 points off the board.

Frankly, the only time I felt like NE was truly overmatched they ended up scoring 6 anyway.

As for the topic at hand, I have an open $50 charitable wager that NE will win at least 12 games and score at least 26ppg. As vocal as the team's detractors have been, no one has taken me up on it yet.

 

[Kontradiction]

I think if Ballard can come out healthy and understand the offense, it absorbs a good portion of the blow that cutting Hernandez leaves. As has been said, he's not going to have as good of an ebb and flow as Hernandez and Gronk have had, but he's a better blocker than Hernandez was (based on his time when healthy with the Giants) and should help on runs to the outside, where our speed backs like Vereen and Washington could really open things up. Amendola is going to have his hands full replacing Welker's production, but I think if one of either Dobson or Boyce can come in and "get it", the passing game shouldn't take as much of a hit as we all expect. The question is whether or not they can master the passing offense enough to come in and make an impact immediately. If they can, they would be exactly what this offense has been missing since the team traded Moss at the beginning of the 2010 season.

Defensively, I like what the team has tried to do by improving the interior pass rush with the signings of Armstead and Kelly, and I like what they appear to be doing by bringing in Collins as a coverage specialist at LB, but I still see a need for an edge rusher. Ninkovich is a solid all around DE, but he's someone you would ideally like to have as a rotational guy instead of an every down starter. It's at that spot that I would like to see Abraham brought in to line up across from Jones. CB has some question marks now that Dennard's availability will be in the air. I'm honestly not high on Logan Ryan to come in right off the bat. He played in a primarily zone-based scheme at Rutgers and Belichick was clearly trying to shift toward press man looks last season. Dowling has never been able to stay healthy, so simply doing that would be a move in the right direction. Hopefully, Dennard is able to start from Week 1 on. I'm still not completely sold on what they did at safety either, but that's primarily based on what Tavon Wilson looked like when he saw extended action last year (completely lost).

As for my predictions...

@Bills W
Jets W
Bucs L
@Falcons L
@Bengals W
Saints W
@Jets W
Dolphins W
Steelers W
@Panthers W
Broncos L
@Texans W
Browns W
@Miami L
@Ravens W
Bills W

Overall: 12-4

 

[Oswlek]

I'm still not completely sold on what they did at safety either, but that's primarily based on what Tavon Wilson looked like when he saw extended action last year (completely lost).

Funny, he definitely had some rookie can't tell if I'm comin' or goin' moments, but I think he looked like a NFL talent. Unless he has rocks in his head, I suspect he'll be a pretty solid player.

 

[Kontradiction]

Funny, he definitely had some rookie can't tell if I'm comin' or goin' moments, but I think he looked like a NFL talent. Unless he has rocks in his head, I suspect he'll be a pretty solid player.

I hope so. He was pulled last year after getting burned on the exact same play in rapid succession. Belichick has a good amount of tolerance for other things, but making repeated mistakes is not one of them. He was right to pull Tavon last year. Hopefully the kid learned from it and is ready to make a leap, but only time will tell. For what it's worth, coverage issues (and they are present) aside, I like the Adrian Wilson signing. This defense needs a guy that's a threat to take a WR's head off.

 

[jsull87]

I have to admit to finding this analysis a little shallow. NE's problem wasn't that Baltimore would clench down an open receivers once the field shortened, it was that the guys who were open kept stepping on their nads. I can recall 5 drive killing misplays by wide open receivers off the top of my head right now, and Aaron's monumentally stupid cut back just before halftime (followed by an equally stupid Brady scramble and delayed TO) probably took another 4 points off the board.

Frankly, the only time I felt like NE was truly overmatched they ended up scoring 6 anyway.

As for the topic at hand, I have an open $50 charitable wager that NE will win at least 12 games and score at least 26ppg. As vocal as the team's detractors have been, no one has taken me up on it yet.

I'm in no way a detractor and am in many ways a homer... but that bet does sound mighty tempting.

 

[jsull87]

I hope so. He was pulled last year after getting burned on the exact same play in rapid succession. Belichick has a good amount of tolerance for other things, but making repeated mistakes is not one of them. He was right to pull Tavon last year. Hopefully the kid learned from it and is ready to make a leap, but only time will tell. For what it's worth, coverage issues (and they are present) aside, I like the Adrian Wilson signing. This defense needs a guy that's a threat to take a WR's head off.

I see what you're saying RE Saftey but BB has done about as much as he can do at the position. Kept McCourty and Wilson. Signed A Wilson in FA and then Drafted a Saftey in the 3rd (most arent happy with who but he still put capital in there).

This has the potential to be the best secondary we have had in a long time in my opinion with a vet back there with McCourty and two startin calibre CB's outside allowing Arrington to be used sparingly and in the slot where he seems to give us the most reward... Injuries will happen but i still think that on paper this has been our best secondary in a while.

As i mentioned before the big ??? for me comes with the DL and how they will be structured.

 

[Creative Username]

McCourty is a BEAST!
I've loved this kid since he came outta Rutgers and took away two Shaun Hill balls intended for MEGATRON!
He'll have a monster year, finishing with Pro Bowl and Second All Pro team honours, provided he stays healthy and at Safety the entire year. The only reason that he'll be Second Team is because AP is dumb.

Brady will have a shaky first few games but then will fall to his new safety blanket. Julian Edelman. No, not Amendola. Edelman and Brady have always been on the same page when JE can stay on the field and chemistry takes time. I see Sudfeld not only making the roster, but beating out Fells and earning Hernandez's spot across from Gronk.

Jones will have his second year breakthrough with 13 sacks but under all the hype to Chandler, Hightower will also have a solid 2nd year with 80+ tackles, 10 for a loss and at least 6 sacks.

Despite all the media Manning lovers and "experts" and pundits who want to hand Denver the Lombardi Trophy already, we make it to the Superbowl off of the 2nd seed with a 13-3 record (losses to Falcons, Bengals and Ravens) but unfortunately lose last second on a Russel Wilson pass to Sidney Rice over the head of Tavon Wilson.


No, I'm not serious. We beat the Seachickens into the ground and Richard Sherman is so embarrassed he shaves all his locks and becomes a monk, swearing a vow of silence that yes, extends to Twitter as well.

Peyton Manning has a down year in which he only plays 1 game. After losing to the Ravens in week 1, and throwing four picks in the process, his forehead finally decides it's time for a revolution and engulfs the rest of his body. Investigators find a rather large patch of skin wasting away in his helmet, but nothing else.

All the Manning ballwashers find their new "Best QB of all time" and relentlessly sing the praises of Eli Manning, who manages to only throw 28 interceptions on the year while throwing for an amazing 12 touchdown passes.