Pats picked as one of 8 teams with no shot at a SB this year

[Wozzy]

Now that he's without Brady that might get BB enough coach of the year votes to win it.

They’re a young team, there will be some setbacks along the way.

I’m hoping first for health, then visible improvement during the regular season, playing their best ball entering the playoffs.

The young players years 1-2-3 need to level up and contribute.

 

[Rob0729]

If this team is playing good football in Dec, gets into the playoffs, and doesn’t look awful win or lose I’ll be pleased and looking forward to 2024.

Miss the playoffs, and win less than 8...honest evaluation with some tough decisions will be fair.

I think if this team doesn't show significant progress despite the record, I think it is time to blow it up including the coaching and front office. We don't need two more years of mediocrity after this one to get Belichick the record for wins.

I know people think that Belichick should be allowed to retire on his terms, but we as fans shouldn't have to suffer through three more seasons of crap for him to get the record if he is just willing to be a middle of the pack team with no hopes of getting to the Super Bowl. Next offseason would be the smart time to make a switch since the Pats will have tons of cash and have to make the decision to commit to Mac Jones long term. No use having Belichick continue to build this roster if he isn't going to make them a contender again.

I do really question whether he lost his fast ball or he is as committed to winning over other priorities as he used to be. Hopefully he will prove me wrong this year and this is a playoff team. But if they tread water or regress this season, it is time to move on.

 

[UGAPatsfan]

I think if this team doesn't show significant progress despite the record, I think it is time to blow it up including the coaching and front office. We don't need two more years of mediocrity after this one to get Belichick the record for wins.

I know people think that Belichick should be allowed to retire on his terms, but we as fans shouldn't have to suffer through three more seasons of crap for him to get the record if he is just willing to be a middle of the pack team with no hopes of getting to the Super Bowl. Next offseason would be the smart time to make a switch since the Pats will have tons of cash and have to make the decision to commit to Mac Jones long term. No use having Belichick continue to build this roster if he isn't going to make them a contender again.

I do really question whether he lost his fast ball or he is as committed to winning over other priorities as he used to be. Hopefully he will prove me wrong this year and this is a playoff team. But if they tread water or regress this season, it is time to move on.

Agreed. Need to see signs that the team is headed quickly in the right direction, or it’s probably time to rip the bandaid off.

To be clear, I'd love them to have a great seaaon.

 

[NE_Zealot]

I saw some grim stuff from a guy on YouTube I listen to regularly saying the Pats are a 5-6 win squad this year.

 

[TommyD4207]

I saw some grim stuff from a guy on YouTube I listen to regularly saying the Pats are a 5-6 win squad this year.

He actually said "All of the sudden".

Opinion discarded.

 

[Free_Pacman]

Completely absurd. Despite being one the ugliest seasons in the last 23 years, if just one of these plays were called correctly, Patriots would have made the playoffs:

A) Hunter Henry touchdown against the Vikings correctly ruled as a touchdown
B) Raiders receiver correctly called out of bounds
C) Stevenson’s forward progress correctly ruled as stopped.

Patriots could very easily have been 11-6 last year.

 

[LightSkinSmurf]

I mean..... I'm certainly not gonna argue otherwise.

 

[Lagaffe_07]

Completely absurd. Despite being one the ugliest seasons in the last 23 years, if just one of these plays were called correctly, Patriots would have made the playoffs:

A) Hunter Henry touchdown against the Vikings correctly ruled as a touchdown
B) Raiders receiver correctly called out of bounds
C) Stevenson’s forward progress correctly ruled as stopped.

Patriots could very easily have been 11-6 last year.

If my aunt had balls she would be my uncle.

That’s what losers do. Ifs, ifs and some more ifs.

Plenty of plays that the Patriots could have made to win those games and they didn’t.

 

[onegr8om]

I think if this team doesn't show significant progress despite the record, I think it is time to blow it up including the coaching and front office. We don't need two more years of mediocrity after this one to get Belichick the record for wins.

I know people think that Belichick should be allowed to retire on his terms, but we as fans shouldn't have to suffer through three more seasons of crap for him to get the record if he is just willing to be a middle of the pack team with no hopes of getting to the Super Bowl. Next offseason would be the smart time to make a switch since the Pats will have tons of cash and have to make the decision to commit to Mac Jones long term. No use having Belichick continue to build this roster if he isn't going to make them a contender again.

I do really question whether he lost his fast ball or he is as committed to winning over other priorities as he used to be. Hopefully he will prove me wrong this year and this is a playoff team. But if they tread water or regress this season, it is time to move on.

AMEN!

 

[XLIX]

They’re a young team, there will be some setbacks along the way.

I’m hoping first for health, then visible improvement during the regular season, playing their best ball entering the playoffs.

The young players years 1-2-3 need to level up and contribute.

Ah, yes….. another “rebuilding year”…. This is what? Our 4th in a row now?

 

[Wozzy]

Ah, yes….. another “rebuilding year”…. This is what? Our 4th in a row now?

Nobody mentioned rebuilding at all.

Stop reaching…

 

[RodThePat]

Ah, yes….. another “rebuilding year”…. This is what? Our 4th in a row now?

The Patriots have the 5th oldest roster in football (and this time there's not even the "but Hoyer and Folk!" excuse) but we're still talking of them as if they were in the middle of a youth movement with plenty of unproven guys expected to play big roles. Out of all their projected starters, they have basically two players who aren't at least in their third year: Strange and Gonzalez.

Yeah, they have young guys, but so does every other team. Which team has cut a good portion of their 2021/2022 draft picks? I'd argue not many if any, and then there are the recent draftees as well. The Pats aren't younger or more unproven than the vast majority of opponents.

 

[jdlboot14]

What last night proved once again - it doesn't matter what you did last year.
Every season is a new opportunity.
Sure it looks like the Pats are a middling mess. But, hey, Kraft feels really good about the team, so we should too

 

[sb1]

I saw some grim stuff from a guy on YouTube I listen to regularly saying the Pats are a 5-6 win squad this year.

Possible but I think quite a bit would have to go wrong for a sub 7 win season. The floor is lower.

Things like not solving the RT problem, injuries to the OL, injuries to the DL, Zeke and Rham miss time, Mac misses time, our rookie K struggles, the rookie receivers don't pan out, etc.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Whoever this guy is obviously has an itch towards New England and the giants. My outlook on the season isn’t great either for either team (predicting 8 wins for us) but theres zero reason to lump them both in with those teams other than some personal grudge.

Nearly everyone outside of Patriots Nation has a grudge against New England...I'm proud of it...six Lombardi's and nine trips to the SB in 20 years...embrace the hate...it's all they have against us.

 

[Thelonious]

If things fall just exactly so (as they typically do not) the Pats might make the playoffs, but an assessment that the Pats have virtually no chance at winning or even making the SB seems like a reasonable and empirically sound take to me. I will now wave my poms poms by way of penance for such transgressive thinking.

 

[XLIX]

Nobody mentioned rebuilding at all.

Stop reaching…

You wrote:

"They’re a young team, there will be some setbacks along the way ... The young players years 1-2-3 need to level up and contribute."

You may not have used the word "rebuilding" but that is exactly what you were describing.

 

[h0c2000]

They need to be better than 2021, rebuilding teams are either improving or they’re getting worse.

 

[StrawHatPatriot]

who WAS remarkably cool under pressure

You're really taking for granted how RARE this is.  Which dismantles your point.

You can talk all you want about stats (which ignores Brady's lack of receiving talent), and misconstrue our points about Brady's importance (we know it's a team game), but at the end of the day, a QB that can lead multiple game winning drives across the regular season and postseason - with a less than stellar offensive supporting cast - is a lot less and common and a lot more special and once-in-a-lifetime than you are making it out to be.

 

[State]

We’re opening the season, much like last year, with legitimate questions about RT. And throwing Calvin Anderson at the spot doesn’t pass the smell test. It reminds me of bringing back the broken down Marcus Cannon last year.

Not sure how much less broken down Riley Reiff is.

Sidy Sow, make us all proud, you Ypsilanti Stud Muffin!