What was the problem at the start of the 2014 season?

[jah]

Two words: Jordan Devey.

 

[shmessy]

Two words: Jordan Devey.

I truly feel that Bryan Stork was the most important rookie the Patriots have had since Richard Seymour.

Him coming back from the early injury/inactive in game 5 was crucial.

 

[Joker]

No...anyone can discuss anything they want...again, I am NOT a totalitarian dictator. My OPINION is dredging up all the negatives from the first four games of the season...AGAIN...after it has been obliterated to infinity during the course of the season, is nothing more than an open invitation for the perpetually negative to once again go on ANOTHER Patriots bashfest.

 

[Tunescribe]

Geez, reading through the other posts in this thread is enlightening.

I'm as much of a homer as anyone here, but cut the Pravda act, people. The patriots had issues in the first part of the season and they fixed them.

Is that embarrassing to any of you? I would say that it displays the strength of the organization to actually fix and build something.

Shmess, I half agree with you and half agree with Joker. I think Joker's point addresses the predilection of many here to dwell on problems and negativity regardless of how successful the Patriots are. I recall during the 2-2 start how so many here, and in the national media, were burying this team as used up and no good, and how moronic that seemed. Anyone who follows the NFL knows the regular season is a process whose form and function for individual teams often isn't realized 'til the very end. And those who followed the Patriots closely understood "real time" what Mayoclinic itemized here retrospectively in post No. 2.

For someone who didn't pay close attention during that rocky start or just doesn't know the game well enough, conversations like these certainly are fine. For others, as Joker notes, it smacks of unnecessarily exhuming a dead horse when we should be celebrating the present and eagerly looking forward.

 

[mayoclinic]

Geez, reading through the other posts in this thread is enlightening.

I'm as much of a homer as anyone here, but cut the Pravda act, Joe and Tunie. The Patriots had issues in the first part of the season and they fixed them.

Is that embarrassing in some way embarrassing or some type of indelible mark?

I would say that it displays the strength of the organization to actually fix and build something.

I would actually go further. I would say that going through some struggles and having to work past them is a necessary part of what takes to build a championship contender. You don't build the mental toughness to win it all without breaking a few eggs along the way.

To me, that .500 start taints the whole season. I'll never understand why the Patriots can't at least space out their occasional losses a lot further, or perhaps eliminate them altogether. You think BB and Brady would've learned something from the 2007 regular season and carried that formula forward. This team is so frustrating!

As a follow-up to the above, people may recall that the 2011 team that got to the SB started out 5-3, including back-to-back mid-season losses to the Steelers and Giants. BB cut Albert Haynesworth for a lackluster effort in the Giants loss, and the team pulled together. That team was a lot less talented than the 2014 version, but once they gelled as a team they went 10-0 before barely falling the SB.

And the 2012 team starter 3-3, including back-to-back losses to start 1-2, before finishing 12-4 and making it to the AFCCG.

The 2010 team struggled enough in the first 4 games that BB traded away Randy Moss and re-worked the entire offensive approach.

I personally think these 1st half of the season struggles are a very valuable part of "climbing the mountain".

 

[shmessy]

Shmess, I half agree with you and half agree with Joker. I think Joker's point addresses the predilection of many here to dwell on problems and negativity regardless of how successful the Patriots are. I recall during the 2-2 start how so many here, and in the national media, were burying this team as used up and no good, and how moronic that seemed. Anyone who follows the NFL knows the regular season is a process whose form and function for individual teams often isn't realized 'til the very end. And those who followed the Patriots closely understood "real time" what Mayoclinic itemized here retrospectively in post No. 2.

For someone who didn't pay close attention during that rocky start or just doesn't know the game well enough, conversations like these certainly are fine. For others, as Joker notes, it smacks of unnecessarily exhuming a dead horse when we should be celebrating the present and eagerly looking forward.

Tunescribe, can you show me ONE instance of a 'predilection of many to dwell on problems and negativity regardless of how successful the patriots are' in this thread.

The OP merely asked how the Patriots fixed the problems they had in those first four games.

I'm trying to understand your and Joker's contention that many are wallowing in negativity in this thread when all I see is admiration for a great job of fixing things on the run.

 

[shmessy]

And btw, the Patriots did NOT have a good first 3 out of 4 games of the season.

If some want to make believe those first three out of four early performances never took place, then go ahead and ignore it if it makes you feel better somehow.

The fact that they overcame obstacles makes this a GREATER victory in my eyes.

I admire how the Patriots FIXED the situation. THAT is the one characteristic (more than "Brady is an Indestructible God") that will ensure the New England Patriots stay contenders for the NEXT decade.

 

[strngplyr]

That answer is simple. The problem was vulture media and chicken littles that bought the hype.

This, we were infinitely better at the start of 2014 than the peak of 2013 and believed it.

Once the OL settled into place and Tom gained confindence in LaFell, Gronk recovering, new defensive pieces fitting into place, we ACTUALLY were infinitely better.

A few practices in TC and some preseason games don't create overnight chemistry. We had the pieces but the pieces had to meld together.

 

[Joker]

The OP merely asked how the Patriots fixed the problems they had in those first four games.

That question was answered in profusion by game eight...right here at Patsfans. The insertion of Stork, the return to form of Gronk, the addition of Browner after his 4 game suspension. There are countless threads on this in the archive.

 

[Tunescribe]

Tunescribe, can you show me ONE instance of a 'predilection of many to dwell on problems and negativity regardless of how successful the patriots are' in this thread.

The OP merely asked how the Patriots fixed the problems they had in those first four games.

I'm trying to understand your and Joker's contention that many are wallowing in negativity in this thread when all I see is admiration for a great job of fixing things on the run.

Not in this thread specifically, but in the forum generally. Your point is well taken. Perhaps it's too easy for some of us to go knee-jerk with Chicken Littles running rampant.

 

[Tunescribe]

I would actually go further. I would say that going through some struggles and having to work past them is a necessary part of what takes to build a championship contender. You don't build the mental toughness to win it all without breaking a few eggs along the way.


As a follow-up to the above, people may recall that the 2011 team that got to the SB started out 5-3, including back-to-back mid-season losses to the Steelers and Giants. BB cut Albert Haynesworth for a lackluster effort in the Giants loss, and the team pulled together. That team was a lot less talented than the 2014 version, but once they gelled as a team they went 10-0 before barely falling the SB.

And the 2012 team starter 3-3, including back-to-back losses to start 1-2, before finishing 12-4 and making it to the AFCCG.

The 2010 team struggled enough in the first 4 games that BB traded away Randy Moss and re-worked the entire offensive approach.

I personally think these 1st half of the season struggles are a very valuable part of "climbing the mountain".

All good stuff, Mayo. I just want to point out that the post of mine you quoted was meant as a joke. (I went back and inserted a smiley reinforcing that .)

 

[Joker]

I won't take back my opinion but I WILL bow out of this thread before it becomes "Amendolarized". I do not want to contribute to that kind of madness. I admit I overeacted but the memory of the "Iapatsfans" collective is still fresh in my mind.

 

[mayoclinic]

All good stuff, Mayo. I just want to point out that the post of mine you quoted was meant as a joke. (I went back and inserted a smiley reinforcing that .)

I assumed it was sarcasm, FWIW (pre-smiley). I wasn't criticizing your post, just using it to expound.

 

[Schmo]

Just as we collapsed against buffalo after we let Milloy go, there was a shockwave after mankins left. Our interior 3 OL spots were constantly in flux, and an offense will struggle when the OL isn't solid. As i explained it to a broncos fan, we didn't know what was wrong with the offense until we fixed the OL. Once the line was fixed, it turned out there wasn't a single thing wrong with the offense.

Also, Browner showed up a little late.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Interesting note, 3 out of our 4 SB champion teams started out 2-2 or worse. In 2001, we were' 0-2 and 2-3.

The only championship squad that came out well was 2004, and that was the greatest Pats team ever assembled (IMO). Maybe an all time great team overall.

 

[SammyBlueCat]

Let's place the blame for the mediocre performance during the first four games squarely where it belongs: TRENT DILFER!!!!

Thank goodness he apologized.

 

[Triumph]

Why did the Pats have so much trouble starting 2014? And what changed?

Brady was hurt.

No joke. I read someplace that Brady tweaked something in one of his legs right before the regular season.

 

[Ken Canin]

One reason this came to mind recently is this question: Does it take more time than the preseason to integrate new players into the Pats schemes? Was this part of the issue? I'm thinking about it because of the prospect of some vets leaving and thus being replaced possibly by new players. And is there a way around the problem so it doesn't recur, if it is a problem. I'm wondering if the practice time restrictions could have played a role too.

Those who don't learn from history are condemned to repeat it, Santayana.