Just For Fun--Your Guess

[Ian]

5 and 12
I hate to say it defense keeps us in games lack of firepower on offense has us lose a bunch of close ones.

We are the best looking 5 and 12 team in recent memory.

You're making me think I should have left the "Eeek!" reaction available.

If this is a 5-win season, it would definitely make this an incredibly long year. Even 7-10 under the new format would be pretty brutal.

I'm optimistic, but I guess we'll see where things are by December. However - to your point - how we close games this year (especially close ones) is something I'm curious to see. They've fumbled it away a few times, or made surprisingly bad mental miscues that caused them to come up short repeatedly. Really hoping last year was an anomaly and that we don't see those this time around.

 

[JarOfMayo51]

Mac is winning Superbowl MVP

 

[Free_Pacman]

Eagles- LOSS
Dolphins - WIN
Jets - WIN
Cowboys - WIN
Saints - WIN
Raiders - WIN
Bills - LOSS
Dolphins- LOSS
Commanders- WIN
Colts - WIN
Giants -WIN
Chargers - WIN
Steelers - WIN
Chiefs - LOSS
Broncos - LOSS
Bills- LOSS
Jets- WIN

11-6

Despite sheer incompetency in all facets of the game last year, Patriots could very easily have been 10-7 or even 11-6. People will dismiss it, but Patriots really did get royally screwed by refereeing to an extent I've never seen in my 23 years of watching the team. If the a) Raiders touchdown was properly nullified (irrefutable evidence on review that receiver was out), b) Hunter Henry touchdown properly upheld against the Vikings (irrefutable evidence Henry's hand was underneath the ball the entire time), c) Stevens forward progress properly ruled as stopped against the Bengals, the Patriots probably win 11 games.

Again this is despite sheer incompetence in all facets of the game.

Assuming we have just mild progress on the special team and offensive side, the floor of this team is double digit wins.

Patriots OVER 7.5 wins is the very definition of free money and will likely have hit by Thanksgiving.

I have a feeling that this season is going to devastate the anti-Belichick, Madden-playing, "We NeEd to SigN weApOnZ" freaks on here.

 

[Chevy]

A shift to some 80's style offense (run out of the shotgun, using two RB's), coupled with a solid (if not great) D ... 11-6.

I think we'll see two wins that are just Vegas killers ... In fact I will call it now ... The Pats sweep the NFC East.

 

[farn]

I think either 9-8 or 8-9. While I don’t think the AFCE will be as strong as some ‘experts’ predict, there is plenty in MIA-NYJ-BUF to make things tough. A 3-3 within the division might even be a big ask. And so, that means you need to really pour it on outside the East. Not sure they have the talent to blow people out. Close games are tough to win consistently.

I’d be happy with 10-7 but I think that is the ceiling, unless other players come in or current players take a big step forward.

 

[Brick27]

17-0.

See you in Vegas!

 

[sturmrider]

I hope for more, but realistically can only see a 9-8 season. It's not that I think they're bad, but the schedule is a bear this year. I know at the end of the year we'll see some of those powerhouses predicted weren't, but some that were predicted as lambs will turn out to be wolves as well.
So 9-8 it is.

 

[PP2]

19-0, for old times' sake.

 

[Real fan 02]

I'll say 11-6. I said 12 wins a couple of months ago based on a few things going their way, but regardless, they've got to get off to a better start. If they don't go 3-1 to open the season, it's a rough road because starting Week 6, it's a trip to Las Vegas, home against the Bills, and a trip to Miami. How that run goes could put them in a tough hole if they're already below .500 at that point. But unlike last year, I feel like they're going to be more competitive week in and week out. I think they'll surprise some people.

Ian,

I agree. I don't think enough peopl are looking at the offense production in 2021 we were top 10 and top in the red zone.

This was WITHOUT a number 1 WR.This was done also with Jonnu Smith and alghlor on this roster.

This was under a real OC. We now have one again. A top 10 offense is definitely attainable this season.

The patriots just need to be aggressive and dictate what they want to do offensively to teams on vice versa.

11-12 wins I've felt they could achieve, I believe they are going to be able to hang with each and every team on the schedule this season.

 

[Sect140]

10-7

 

[Wax Frog]

19-0, for old times' sake.

...and suddenly Ian needed to steal a reaction from Facebook:

 

[Jlaff]

I'll say 11-6. I said 12 wins a couple of months ago based on a few things going their way, but regardless, they've got to get off to a better start. If they don't go 3-1 to open the season, it's a rough road because starting Week 6, it's a trip to Las Vegas, home against the Bills, and a trip to Miami. How that run goes could put them in a tough hole if they're already below .500 at that point. But unlike last year, I feel like they're going to be more competitive week in and week out. I think they'll surprise some people.

Which might require abandoning the "extended preseason" approach in Sept-Oct, which hasn't been resulting in a winning record over these periods lately.

That said, I don't even know what treating Sept-Oct as an extended preseason for the team means in reality, but it doesn't work. The rest of the NFL doesn't appear to be sacrificing games these months for talent evaluation. At least not admittedly.

 

[Real fan 02]

10-7

I believe that's the floor.. 11-12 wins is the ceiling..

 

[Real fan 02]

Which might require abandoning the "extended preseason" approach in Sept-Oct, which hasn't been resulting in a winning record over these periods lately.

That said, I don't even know what treating Sept-Oct as an extended preseason for the team means in reality, but it doesn't work. The rest of the NFL doesn't appear to be sacrificing games these months for talent evaluation. At least not admittedly.

In the AFC we'll need to accumulate as many wins early as possible.. we will just need to!! Our division alone in wich I think we'll likely split with each team this season. So that's 3-3 in the division.

So if we can get 3 wins in our division and 8 from the other teams on our schedule that puts us in good shape.

Saints, Colts, raiders, Steelers, giants,commanders, Broncos, eagles

Are the teams I believe we will/can beat outside of the division. Just my feelings...

 

[Jlaff]

In the AFC we'll need to accumulate as many wins early as possible.. we will just need to!! Our division alone in wich I think we'll likely split with each team this season. So that's 3-3 in the division.

So if we can get 3 wins in our division and 8 from the other teams on our schedule that puts us in good shape.

Saints, Colts, raiders, Steelers, giants,commanders, Broncos, eagles

Are the teams I believe we will/can beat outside of the division. Just my feelings...

That sounds like a believable record. Eagles will be tough but I think this team will steal at least one game from a top team.

 

[crawhammer]

I had them at 7 or 8 wins previously but here's where I'm at now (subject to change prior to the start of the season):

PHI - Loss
MIA - Win
@NYJ - Loss
@DAL - Loss
NOR - Win
@LVR - Loss
BUF - Loss
@Mia - Loss
WAS - Win
IND - Win
@NYG - Loss
LAC - Win
@PIT - Loss
KAN - Loss
@DEN - Loss
@BUF - Loss
NYJ - Win

Rough start, 2-6, I could bump that up to 3-5 with a win @LVR, but I see definite losses everywhere else (unless Tua is out by week 8, then 4-4 is possible).

Another rough finish to the season too, 2-4, here I could see @PIT and/or @DEN as possible wins, which could flip it to 4-2.

Games 9-12 is their soft spot, 3-1, and they could sweep this stretch.

So my prediction at the moment is 6-11 with a fair possibility of as good as 9-8 and the absolute ceiling being 11-6.

I had been thinking 3rd in the division (1. BUF, 2. NYJ, 3. NWE, 4. MIA) but 6-11 could be last... this really is going to depend on Tua's health.

 

[Real fan 02]

That sounds like a believable record. Eagles will be tough but I think this team will steal at least one game from a top team.

Yeah.. the thing with week 1 games.. the home team seems to have the advantage typically.. we will be the home team.. the GOAT will be in the building.. that will have the crowd amped up.

Eagles are a talented team.. but hurts isn't sneaking up on anyone anymore. Teams will be coming for the eagles this season. They likely are looking at us as a lay up.. this offense needs to come out be aggressive and dictate the line of scrimmage. We definitely will steal a game or 2 this year.. I say we even have a shot against Mahomes..

 

[Patriot Missile]

Yeah.. the thing with week 1 games.. the home team seems to have the advantage typically.. we will be the home team.. the GOAT will be in the building.. that will have the crowd amped up.

Eagles are a talented team.. but hurts isn't sneaking up on anyone anymore. Teams will be coming for the eagles this season. They likely are looking at us as a lay up.. this offense needs to come out be aggressive and dictate the line of scrimmage. We definitely will steal a game or 2 this year.. I say we even have a shot against Mahomes..

Crazy speak, Jalen Hurts has only gotten better each season of his career as they add weapons. They’ve only added to their running game with Swift and he gets the luxury of AJ Brown(easily a top 5 receiver) Devonte Smith who was excellent down the stretch and a top 5 te in Goedert. Crazy speak I tell you.

 

[Real fan 02]

Crazy speak, Jalen Hurts has only gotten better each season of his career as they add weapons. They’ve only added to their running game with Swift and he gets the luxury of AJ Brown(easily a top 5 receiver) Devonte Smith who was excellent down the stretch and a top 5 te in Goedert. Crazy speak I tell you.

Well my friend.. I happen to agree with you.. but I'll say that hurts was on the trade block before brown foolishly fell in thier laps by the now fired titans GM.. he was almost traded for Wilson..

Suddenly he gets weapons and wow what do you know he's an all pro type QB.. what im saying is the eagles aren't the team that's going to sneak up on people like last season.. teams are going to take away brown and force hurts to beat them in the pocket.. they are a talented team absolutely.. if there is going to be a chance to upset them it's week 1.

 

[Ian]

So my prediction at the moment is 6-11 with a fair possibility of as good as 9-8 and the absolute ceiling being 11-6.

Well, that’s one way to basically cover yourself at every level. They’ll either suck, be good, or be great. Good deal. Hard to be wrong there.