Pre Game Thread - Lions @ Pats

[PATSYLICIOUS]

does that mean thornton is playing for sure tomorrow? Otherwise no point in bringing off ir right

 

[ralmat55]

Once Thornton was designated to return, he had to be activated to the 53 or be lost for the season so why wait especially with a spot on the 53 already open.

I don’t really expect him to be active tomorrow. He was just okayed for contact on Friday.

Whether Thornton is active or not, Humphrey will definitely be active. With Smith likely out, we should expect mostly 11 personnel tomorrow with Humphrey again filling the role of the blocking WR as he has every game.

 

[Ross12]

With a QB as inexperienced as Zappe, I much prefer possession and YAC oriented type WRs like Meyers, Bourne, and Thornton than guys like Parker and Agholor that need dimes. Slants and screens are a young QBs best friend. Agholor was once quite good at running slant routes, however.

Meyers isn't really that great at YAC, I feel like, but otherwise I agree. He's good at getting open or finding the soft spot but doesn't make too many guys miss after that. Throwing short to Bourne and Thornton and letting them make moves after that might be wise with Zappe. Mix in a couple deep shots to Agholor, Parker and Thornton to keep the D honest, and run it a fair bit also. I don't know if I actually expect Thornton to see more than a couple of snaps though.

 

[Ross12]

For what it's worth... Howe at the Athletic thinks Mac might play:

“While rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe is expected to be in line for his first career start, the Patriots are holding out hope that Mac Jones might actually be able to return Sunday against the Lions.

“Jones is listed as doubtful, a reflection of the player and team wanting to see how he feels Saturday as he continues to respond well to treatment, a source told The Athletic’s Jeff Howe.”

Report: Patriots holding out hope Mac Jones can play vs. Lions

The Patriots are holding out hope that Mac Jones can play on Sunday.

patriotswire.usatoday.com

 

[TheRainMaker]

For what it's worth... Howe at the Athletic thinks Mac might play:

Report: Patriots holding out hope Mac Jones can play vs. Lions

The Patriots are holding out hope that Mac Jones can play on Sunday.

patriotswire.usatoday.com

It's gamesmanship.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

True Apf
Agree 100%
And this time the Patriots organization put 100% effort on pat patriot return
They have done all at best
Let s admit it

just need to make it permanent

 

[State]

Swift is OUT but you're correct, they're explosive. I'm more concerned with our D being able to stop the run than our O.

Correct insight, Venny.

Big boy game out of Godchalk? He’s paid to play big boy.

 

[VrabelJr]

Meyers isn't really that great at YAC, I feel like, but otherwise I agree. He's good at getting open or finding the soft spot but doesn't make too many guys miss after that. Throwing short to Bourne and Thornton and letting them make moves after that might be wise with Zappe. Mix in a couple deep shots to Agholor, Parker and Thornton to keep the D honest, and run it a fair bit also. I don't know if I actually expect Thornton to see more than a couple of snaps though.

Agreed. I put Meyers in the possession category. Kind of reminds me of a poor man’s Brandon Marshall.

 

[jdlboot14]

Wow, we're so desperate for a new QB star. People have already given up on Mac, and jumping all over the Zappe wagon because the kid scraped together a few passes during an underwhelming close game. He is not near the awareness of a pro game that Mac is. Watch his college tape - he does great when standing with a clean pocket for 3+ seconds throwing to receivers who have 5+ yards of separation. I could do that too! I hope he does enough to eek out a win, because our season is almost lost without one, but he is not even an itch in BB's pants to consider taking over for Mac.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Agreed. I put Meyers in the possession category. Kind of reminds me of a poor man’s Brandon Marshall.

If Brandon Marshall was also homeless, blind, and handicapped, maybe?

 

[TheRainMaker]

Agreed. I put Meyers in the possession category. Kind of reminds me of a poor man’s Brandon Marshall.

He's nowhere in the same universe as Brandon Marshall. That's an insult to Marshall who was a physical outside WR.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Kiam and the last years of Pat Patriot were really bad years, a lot of losing.

But recently when I mentioned Stanley Morgan deserving the HOF, someone said on Twitter that the reason Morgan isn't in is that he played on so many losing teams.

I went back and looked.

Many people might be surprised to learn that Morgan played on only one losing team in his first 12 years with the Patriots. That was the Earhardt year when the Patriots were the most snakebitten team in NFL history (by that, I mean, they found ways to lose in the most improbable circumstances, losing a great many games by one score). Anyway, Stanley Morgan really didn't know losing in those 12 years in New England. Chuck Fairbanks, Ron Meyer, Ray Berry were his coaches. All 3 had winning records.

Shhhhhhhh

Don't debunk a false premise used as the foundation for the false laughingstock narrative

Don't use facts and the truth to spoil a nationally worshipped religious belief used to support a popular media catchphrase which makes them feel comfortable and happy with a disgusting abomination which six or six million Super Bowl titles will never make tolerable

Kiam and the last years of Pat Patriot were really bad years, a lot of losing.

No, not compared to twenty years of utter futility by Bears, Giants, a dozen others

Anyway, Stanley Morgan really didn't know losing in those 12 years in New England. Chuck Fairbanks, Ron Meyer, Ray Berry were his coaches. All 3 had winning records.

Unlike Parcells.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

Wow, we're so desperate for a new QB star. People have already given up on Mac, and jumping all over the Zappe wagon because the kid scraped together a few passes during an underwhelming close game. He is not near the awareness of a pro game that Mac is. Watch his college tape - he does great when standing with a clean pocket for 3+ seconds throwing to receivers who have 5+ yards of separation. I could do that too! I hope he does enough to eek out a win, because our season is almost lost without one, but he is not even an itch in BB's pants to consider taking over for Mac.

I'm probably Zappe's biggest fan. Haven't seen anything wild but he's not as ready as Mac was. Mac had an entire offseason getting schooled by Josh and others. Taking over for a losing team with no chemistry in the middle of week 4 in GB isn't exactly the best path for success. That said I see a lot of the same QB in them both.

Also if we lose this game we're done. We're already looking at a huge run uphill as it is. One more loss, not scoring points 21+ and we're in 23-24 mode. Detroit has a putrid defense though and is banged up on offense. They could be without 3 of their 5 best players but it looks like Ragnow is a go.

 

[Wozzy]

Wow, we're so desperate for a new QB star. People have already given up on Mac, and jumping all over the Zappe wagon because the kid scraped together a few passes during an underwhelming close game. He is not near the awareness of a pro game that Mac is. Watch his college tape - he does great when standing with a clean pocket for 3+ seconds throwing to receivers who have 5+ yards of separation. I could do that too! I hope he does enough to eek out a win, because our season is almost lost without one, but he is not even an itch in BB's pants to consider taking over for Mac.

Mac wasn’t playing well. He was turning the ball over. I like Mac, not giving up on Mac but he’s not available and may have gotten benched if he kept turning it over the way he was. I wanted whoever took over for Mac (Hoyer, Zappe) to play mistake free, to show him how competitive this team could be if they simply stopped turning it over.

Zappe is a Patriot… I want him to come out and throw for 400 yards, 4 TD’s and 0 interceptions… it has nothing to do with Mac. If Zappe is hyper efficient BB will be hard pressed to pull him once Mac is healthy. Draft position doesn’t matter in relation to production.

 

[venecol]

Once Thornton was designated to return, he had to be activated to the 53 or be lost for the season so why wait especially with a spot on the 53 already open.

I don’t really expect him to be active tomorrow. He was just okayed for contact on Friday.

Whether Thornton is active or not, Humphrey will definitely be active. With Smith likely out, we should expect mostly 11 personnel tomorrow with Humphrey again filling the role of the blocking WR as he has every game.

I believe they had 2 weeks to activate him. There was no benefit in doing it today unless he's active. It's a curious move if he's not active.

 

[Love The Drake]

Mac wasn’t playing well. He was turning the ball over. I like Mac, not giving up on Mac but he’s not available and may have gotten benched if he kept turning it over the way he was. I wanted whoever took over for Mac (Hoyer, Zappe) to play mistake free, to show him how competitive this team could be if they simply stopped turning it over.

Zappe is a Patriot… I want him to come out and throw for 400 yards, 4 TD’s and 0 interceptions… it has nothing to do with Mac. If Zappe is hyper efficient BB will be hard pressed to pull him once Mac is healthy. Draft position doesn’t matter in relation to production.

I don’t know if it was Zappe or what but against Green Bay Patricia finally was stringing good plays and dare I say it drives together.

 

[venecol]

For what it's worth... Howe at the Athletic thinks Mac might play:

Report: Patriots holding out hope Mac Jones can play vs. Lions

The Patriots are holding out hope that Mac Jones can play on Sunday.

patriotswire.usatoday.com

I think this would be a mistake unless he's at 100% which he clearly is not.

 

[Wozzy]

I don’t know if it was Zappe or what but against Green Bay Patricia finally was stringing good plays and dare I say it drives together.

He had a 107 QB rating… he looked pretty decent against the 8th best defense in the league in points allowed. If he was limited at all it was due to Patricia’s lack of trust in the kid to throw.

 

[venecol]

Wow, we're so desperate for a new QB star. People have already given up on Mac, and jumping all over the Zappe wagon because the kid scraped together a few passes during an underwhelming close game. He is not near the awareness of a pro game that Mac is. Watch his college tape - he does great when standing with a clean pocket for 3+ seconds throwing to receivers who have 5+ yards of separation. I could do that too! I hope he does enough to eek out a win, because our season is almost lost without one, but he is not even an itch in BB's pants to consider taking over for Mac.

I'm just excited for the kid and hope he balls out until Mac returns. I'd rather see Bailey than Axel.

 

[n6249c]

I believe they had 2 weeks to activate him. There was no benefit in doing it today unless he's active. It's a curious move if he's not active.

Could Thornton be used in the return game?