What are your expectations for the Patriots this upcoming 2014 NFL Season?

The Patriots are 7-2 and have proved a lot of doubters wrong. Let's get any updates to your expectations or feel free to add new expectations.

Winning the freaking Super Bowl in the damn desert that should have been in 2008.

Deus Irae said:

My expectations are mostly contingent upon health, but here are some:

1. Brady to "bounce back" from what was not a bad season in the first place
2. Edelman to have fewer catches
3. Amendola to have more catches
4. Thompkins to have more catches
5. Gronk to have 70-80 catches
   
6. Wendell to be beaten out at center
7. A surprising amount of 3-4 defense
8. A 5 man RB corps of Ridley, Vereen, White, Devlin and a battle for the 5th spot
9. D.J. Williams not to make the team
10. A return to the Super Bowl
11. Easley to be considered a disappointment by many, because of his late start and bounce back time
12. Bequette to be cut
13. 13+ wins
14. Interesting use of the Slot/Outside hybrid receivers (Edelman/LaFell/Amendola/Boyce (if he makes the team), varying their positions and roles more than we would normally see
15. Top 5 scoring offense, top 5 scoring defense
16. Top 5 total offense, top 10 total defense

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Still mostly on target, except for reception totals. Regarding those still open:

Brady "bounce back" abundantly clear, to date
Edelman 20 catches off last year's total
Amendola 40 catches off last year's total
Gronk at 73 catches
Currently on pace to for HFA throughout the AFC playoffs
Easley as noted
10-3 with 3 winnable games ahead
#3 scoring offense, #9 scoring defense
#6 total offense, #13 total defense

Deus Irae said:

Still mostly on target, except for reception totals. Regarding those still open:

Brady "bounce back" abundantly clear, to date
Edelman 20 catches off last year's total
Amendola 40 catches off last year's total
Gronk at 73 catches
Currently on pace to for HFA throughout the AFC playoffs
Easley as noted
10-3 with 3 winnable games ahead
#3 scoring offense, #9 scoring defense
#6 total offense, #13 total defense

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Nothing to complain about here. Well, we haven't won next week's game at any given point in time. But really encouraging game yesterday.

Deus Irae said:

My expectations are mostly contingent upon health, but here are some:

1. Brady to "bounce back" from what was not a bad season in the first place
2. Edelman to have fewer catches
3. Amendola to have more catches
4. Thompkins to have more catches
5. Gronk to have 70-80 catches
   
6. Wendell to be beaten out at center
7. A surprising amount of 3-4 defense
8. A 5 man RB corps of Ridley, Vereen, White, Devlin and a battle for the 5th spot
9. D.J. Williams not to make the team
10. A return to the Super Bowl
11. Easley to be considered a disappointment by many, because of his late start and bounce back time
12. Bequette to be cut
13. 13+ wins
14. Interesting use of the Slot/Outside hybrid receivers (Edelman/LaFell/Amendola/Boyce (if he makes the team), varying their positions and roles more than we would normally see
15. Top 5 scoring offense, top 5 scoring defense
16. Top 5 total offense, top 10 total defense

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Ok, so the regular season's over, and it's time to look at the list in its entirety (pretty much).

#1 - Brady clearly had his "bounce back" year, so I got that one correct
#2 - Edelman had 13 fewer receptions, so I got that one correct
#3 - Amendola had 27 fewer receptions, so I got that one wrong
#4 - Thompkins had 26 fewer receptions and was shown the door, so I got that one wrong
#5 - Gronk had 82 receptions, so he had 2 more than I expected. I was wrong, but damn close
#6 - Wendell was beaten out at center, so I got that correct
#7 - I don't really know how to score this one, so I'll call it an inconclusive
#8 - That's not how it shook out before the Ridley injury (Bolden), so I got that one wrong
#9 - He didn't make it, so I got that correct
#10 - Too soon to tell with this one
#11 - Got that one correct
#12 - Got that one correct
#13 - Got it wrong by one win, with the Buffalo non-"game" throwing it off
#14 - Got that one correct, especially with LaFell
#15 - Finished top 5 in scoring offense, but only top 10 in scoring defense, so half-right is all wrong
#16 - Finished top 15, not top 10, in total offense and defense, so missed on both

1 inconclusive (Others are free to give their take on the grade for this one)
1 TBD (getting to the SB)
14 finished
7 correct
4 "just missed" (Gronk, Wins, Scoring O/D, Total O/D)
3 flat out wrong

Not too bad, but I'll try to do better next year.

Deus Irae said:

Ok, so the regular season's over, and it's time to look at the list in its entirety (pretty much).

...

Not too bad, but I'll try to do better next year.

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So, I guess the moral of this story is that, for a ~45,000 post gasbag you actually do know what you're talking about! Now, if only you would enter the "Predict the Score" contest, we could see how you navigate game-by-game randomness.
Happy New Year, Deus.

PatsFanSince74 said:

So, I guess the moral of this story is that, for a ~45,000 post gasbag you actually do know what you're talking about! Now, if only you would enter the "Predict the Score" contest, we could see how you navigate game-by-game randomness.
Happy New Year, Deus.

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Deus is a combination of 2 things. He's knowledgable and nice. I am glad to call Deus a friend.

I'm calling 12-4, the #1 seed, and a first round bye.

Deus Irae said:

Ok, so the regular season's over, and it's time to look at the list in its entirety (pretty much).

#1 - Brady clearly had his "bounce back" year, so I got that one correct
#2 - Edelman had 13 fewer receptions, so I got that one correct
#3 - Amendola had 27 fewer receptions, so I got that one wrong
#4 - Thompkins had 26 fewer receptions and was shown the door, so I got that one wrong
#5 - Gronk had 82 receptions, so he had 2 more than I expected. I was wrong, but damn close
#6 - Wendell was beaten out at center, so I got that correct
#7 - I don't really know how to score this one, so I'll call it an inconclusive
#8 - That's not how it shook out before the Ridley injury (Bolden), so I got that one wrong
#9 - He didn't make it, so I got that correct
#10 - Too soon to tell with this one
#11 - Got that one correct
#12 - Got that one correct
#13 - Got it wrong by one win, with the Buffalo non-"game" throwing it off
#14 - Got that one correct, especially with LaFell
#15 - Finished top 5 in scoring offense, but only top 10 in scoring defense, so half-right is all wrong
#16 - Finished top 15, not top 10, in total offense and defense, so missed on both

1 inconclusive (Others are free to give their take on the grade for this one)
1 TBD (getting to the SB)
14 finished
7 correct
4 "just missed" (Gronk, Wins, Scoring O/D, Total O/D)
3 flat out wrong

Not too bad, but I'll try to do better next year.

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Just a final bump, since another thread brought it to mind. The one that had remained inconclusive was met, as the team (obviously) did make it to the SB. So, final tally:

8 correct
4 "just missed" (Gronk, Wins, Scoring O/D, Total O/D)
3 flat out wrong, 2 of the 3 because I was far too optimistic about a player (Thompkins, Amendola)

robertweathers said:

Winning the freaking Super Bowl in the damn desert that should have been in 2008.

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I'm commenting on myself.

Redemption.

PATS16N0 said:

Honestly, what I'm expecting most is a return to championship football on the defensive side of the ball, with clutch like interceptions that seal our oppositions fate like back in the day.

I have a lot of faith in our offense to be the spectacle we've known it to be, so long as Gronk is healthy, but my biggest expectations are in championship defense.

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While we're quoting ourselves…

PATS16N0 said:

While we're quoting ourselves…

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Well done!

Lucky guess.

PatsWickedPissah said:

Gawd, what a homer!

Good list. I'd add "Chung to not make the team"

I ask for health and the ability to watch a close game at the end where the enemy has the ball and I don't have to abandon all hope with our defense on the field. Get back to the championship era style of ripping their hearts out with a game ending big play.

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Boy was I wrong about Chung

I am thrilled to have gotten my other wishes.

Just wish Mo had been around to see this.

I now predict that we'll win SB 49 by 4 points on a last minute interception when all seems lost.

(Post Edit to what I originally meant to write in August):

I will go out on a limb and predict an undrafted rookie free agent cornerback from a division 2 school will make the greatest last minute play in Super Bowl history to win it all for the Patriots.

You heard it here first!

Amendola still sucks....

Dodie said:

This is easy - Superbowl! We've been haunted by our secondary since Samuel dropped that INT in SB42. We should win it now that we have arguably the best CB in the game. I also expect Gronk to play the whole playoffs, hope it's not too much to ask.

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SAY WHAT!

Noticing that @Christiancat was the one that started this thread, where the hell is she lately?

I checked and saw no activity on the account since the beginning of January. Hope she's alright and just busy.

I certainly can't say that I agree with her on all topics, but it's something worth pondering as to why she hasn't been around during the most exciting time of the year.