OK, I will say it...

[PatsFanInVa]

From mike lokyo

From spies in Foxboro: Julian Edelman was seen running, cutting, and stopping at full speed on the Practice field this weekend.

Thanks dude, there goes another first and third rounder. Somehow.

 

[Off The Grid]

I've definitely re calibrated my expectations for these playoffs. I think we're a lot more likely to go one and done than repeat. Even if Edelman comes back healthy, I'm not sure if that'll be enough.

I have no idea what to expect going forward. A 2009 style humiliating exit wouldn't surprise me, nor would the Pats stomping whoever they play. I don't like our chances in Denver though if it comes to that.

For Those Of You Scoring At Home:^This^is how an Adult Mammal expresses Lowered Expectations.

...Not that I'm complaining about others's Wailing & Gnashing of Teeth, mind you!! Carry on!!

 

[Big-T]

For the playoffs it might be worth having Stork & Kline at Guard because Mason & Jackson have both been horrific, both are too green at the moment.

 

[Danger Zone]

those of us who are a little more rational about the patriots outlook.

read this exact quote following the KC game last season.

Surrender monkey wailing and capitulation are a sign of extreme WEAKNESS in any war game scenario. Football is a war game and team fans are the grunts. If this was a REAL war, every single one of these chicken little, crybaby ,sobbing capitulators would be shot for desertion. Fortunately for the bawking Bobbies, the opportunity to wail and gnash your teeth all day, all night and all week will not go wasted. Cry on...it's all bad!!!

I wonder if anyone asked Mr Football is War whether any general in the history of the world won every battle they fought?

Win 12 out of 4 battles and you are an instant Alexander the Great.

Also, many, many, many battles throughout history were fought with goals other than "winning" or "routing the enemy army" in mind.

 

[Deus Irae]

For the playoffs it might be worth having Stork & Kline at Guard because Mason & Jackson have both been horrific, both are too green at the moment.

Stork hasn't exactly been setting the world on fire.

 

[Off The Grid]

I'm pretty sure we're still in the playoffs

Everybody step back from the ledge. Turns out the other team gets paid to play too. Ask the JEST .. oh and by the way take a moment to celebrate their latest SOJ performance.

Anybody ready to tank on the season - and I've read at least one here - do me a favor, please: just stop following the Patriots now.

Hell, stop following football. NASCAR's supposed to be interesting, get into that - but insist that your team's car doesn't have a speed regulator and everybody else's does.

I am extremely tired of spoiled fans thinking that every downturn is the end of the world. Every damn year. Hell, I even fell victim to it last year -- and we all know what happened then.

It's been a rough December. It could be a Super Bowl year. It could be a one-and-done year. It hasn't happened yet.

Your role is to hope for the former while fearing the latter, bite your fingernails, and tough it out. Seriously. You don't know more about playcalling than Josh McDaniels. You don't know more about injuries than the training staff. You don't know more about gameplanning than Bill Belichick.

Know your role.

Great Post, but why'd'd you screw around with the perfect Closing Line?

I think you should change it to what you wanted to write.

 

[sevengables_2207]

Well that is the biggest reason why this team will lose this year but the bigger issue is the lack of testicles. This team has shown no HEART, FIRE Or leadership during the past several weeks. Even TB looks like a cowering loser out there....anyone see him chewing guys out or firing up

Since only 38 were dressed and full- go, that means they were missing about 30 testicles... Plus another 5 if you want to factor in IR players like Dion Lewis, Easley, and Solder! Clearly a depleted stable of testicles!

 

[VectorPrime]

Denver enters this week having lost 2 of 3, and they are doing their best to give the game away today.


But let's panic because the Patriots have been in survival mode for a couple of weeks...

I wouldn't want to be in Denver's position either! So that doesn't change anything.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Great Post, but why'd'd you screw around with the perfect Closing Line?

I think you should change it to what you wanted to write.

I actually don't know what you think I was going to close with, except that it would be something that the system would replace with Please Be Quiet Edited.

 

[Off The Grid]

I actually don't know what you think I was going to close with, except that it would be something that the system would replace with Please Be Quiet Edited.

Ah. I figured you wanted to end it with Do Your Job, but feared Copyright Infringement.

 

[TheFlyingWedge]

As Bill always says, "We've got to coach better, we've got to play better". The question is... How much of the O line's problems are coaching rather than playing problems?

Depending on how Bill sees it, Goog could be in the hot seat after this season.

 

[long distance]

the problem is this OL has two problems
giving passing time
giving run a chance

how can you fix two ongoing problems with less personnel
specially with keeping healthy and lucky andrews on the sidelines

no doubt its gonna be a hard job coaching next 2 w
no doubt its gonna be a hard job watching after that

 

[A man named Brady]

I don't see the upgrades come offseason. What's going to happen is they're basically bringing the entire starting line back and try to spread the idea of "well if they were only healthy last season".

 

[The_Riddler]

I would like to know where Stork's head was, though. I think he left it up at Gillette.

OLine was much better with Andrews. It's time to kick Stork over to LG. Kline sucks...

 

[Joker]

I don't see the upgrades come offseason. What's going to happen is they're basically bringing the entire starting line back and try to spread the idea of "well if they were only healthy last season".

so the O line that got the Pats to 10-0 before Solder was IR'd and Vollmer went out and saw Stork return out of position and the losses of Edelman, Amendola , half the RB's and God knows how many other key injuries, THIS needs an "UPGRADE! OR ELSE IT'S ALL BAD!!!". You're nuts. No team or coach can foresee this amount of injuries and prepare a team to NOT miss a beat. Your expectations are ridiculous.

 

[A man named Brady]

so the O line that got the Pats to 10-0 before Solder was IR'd and Vollmer went out and saw Stork return out of position and the losses of Edelman, Amendola , half the RB's and God knows how many other key injuries, THIS needs an "UPGRADE! OR ELSE IT'S ALL BAD!!!". You're nuts. No team or coach can foresee this amount of injuries and prepare a team to NOT miss a beat. Your expectations are ridiculous.

The o line was bad when the team was 10-0. It was just Edelman and Lewis catching quick passes nullified the pressure

 

[OhExaulted1]

Remember when this was the 2007 redux revenge tour? I still think we win it all, it's just going to be by nailbiters. No team in the league looks scary.

 

[Rhodey]

I would like to know where Stork's head was, though. I think he left it up at Gillette.

Is he still mourning the dead? Fair question. If so, and it's affecting his play, then he's as good as injured...needs to come out. Unfortunately, they don't have many options and he's not doing his job.

 

[Kontradiction]

This forum is embarrassing after a loss. Brady being injured is the biggest issue right now. But the Pats have a bye week and the OL will sort itself out. Edelman coming back will be huge. You all need to take a chill pill. This is not the team we will see in two weeks.

 

[Rhodey]

2 weeks from now i'll go back to being blindly optimistic and it'll be "kill everybody" but looking at it right now based on what i've seen lately i just don't see a very good chance that this team wins it all.

It's gone beyond just being bad, it's got to the point where the offense can barely function at all.

Bottom line: They've ended the season on a very (proverbial) low note. That's not the way to enter the playoffs! Personally, I don't like what they've morphed into. The losses piled up; 4 out of the last 6 games.