Cut the Patriots Some Slack

[Chevrolet]

No they should not be expected to win the Super Bowl or be a dominant team this year. Yes, they will have some sub par games this year.
They have had devastatingly bad luck this year (not their fault)

Hightower, Chung.Bolden, Vitale, Cannon, Lacosse, Lee and Toran opted out. More than any other team in the NFL by far. For those counting at home that is 4 starters.

3 of their best players contracted Covid during the first 1/4 of the season (Newton, Michel. Gilmore)
They were forced to fly out to Kansas City on the day of a game with no practice for 2 days and then cooped up in a 1000 square foot locker room.
They have had their bye week changed, two games rescheduled and had only 2 days over the past two weeks to practice together as a team, while their opponent practiced every day.

This F'ed up season in the middle of the pandemic has disproportionately impacted the patriots. So regardless of whether you are a devoted loyal fan or a bandwagon jumper...Cut them some slack and do not judge them based on the first 5 games. I actually think they have handled extremely adverse circumstances pretty damn well.

 

[sb1]

No they should not be expected to win the Super Bowl or be a dominant team this year. Yes, they will have some sub par games this year.
They have had devastatingly bad luck this year (not their fault)

Hightower, Chung.Bolden, Vitale, Cannon, Lacosse, Lee and Toran opted out. More than any other team in the NFL by far. For those counting at home that is 4 starters.

3 of their best players contracted Covid during the first 1/4 of the season (Newton, Michel. Gilmore)
They were forced to fly out to Kansas City on the day of a game with no practice for 2 days and then cooped up in a 1000 square foot locker room.
They have had their bye week changed, two games rescheduled and had only 2 days over the past two weeks to practice together as a team, while their opponent practiced every day.

This F'ed up season in the middle of the pandemic has disproportionately impacted the patriots. So regardless of whether you are a devoted loyal fan or a bandwagon jumper...Cut them some slack and do not judge them based on the first 5 games. I actually think they have handled extremely adverse circumstances pretty damn well.

Yeah. Just a weird season all around. Who knows what’s going to happen even week to week. I predicted 9-7 but tbh I have no fn idea what this team really is or what to expect.

 

[signbabybrady]

 

[Jangles]

In what world is Michel considered one of the best players on this team

is he even one of the top 5 running backs on this team?

 

[farn]

The last time NE was under .500 was five years before the iPhone came out. It was the year of birth of this year’s senior high school class. It was the last time this team failed to reach double digit wins.

Amazing consistency.

 

[sb1]

The last time NE was under .500 was five years before the iPhone came out. It was the year of birth of this year’s senior high school class. It was the last time this team failed to reach double digit wins.

Amazing consistency.

Started 1-2 in 2018. The team especially Brady played like absolute garbage against the Lions and were blown out. Imagine looking like ass against the freaking Lions? Yikes.

 

[Pape]

In what world is Michel considered one of the best players on this team

is he even one of the top 5 running backs on this team?

in no particular order, the running back corps is made up of

• james white
• damien harris
• rex burkhead
• sony michel
• jj taylor

so yeah, he's a top 5 rb on this team...

 

[borg]

in no particular order, the running back corps is made up of

• james white
• damien harris
• rex burkhead
• sony michel
• jj taylor

so yeah, he's a top 5 rb on this team...

NE's #1 rusher doesn't even make the list

 

[archstanton543]

3 of their best players contracted Covid during the first 1/4 of the season (Newton, Michel. Gilmore)

That's okay. It's not a deadly disease and they all recovered fully.

 

[TinhWoodhead]

The last time NE was under .500 was five years before the iPhone came out. It was the year of birth of this year’s senior high school class. It was the last time this team failed to reach double digit wins.

Amazing consistency.

before MyFace and YT, too

 

[sb1]

Started 1-2 in 2018. The team especially Brady played like absolute garbage against the Lions and were blown out. Imagine looking like ass against the freaking Lions? Yikes.

Also 2012. When they lost to the Cardinals and then the replacement refs I mean the Ravens right after that.

 

[203Pat]

in no particular order, the running back corps is made up of

• james white
• damien harris
• rex burkhead
• sony michel
• jj taylor

so yeah, he's a top 5 rb on this team...

He is battling it out with the UDFA for that number 5 spot.

 

[Pape]

NE's #1 rusher doesn't even make the list

and our best passer plays wide receiver... so whats your point?


.

 

[Pape]

He is battling it out with the UDFA for that number 5 spot.

still top five on the team


.

 

[203Pat]

still top five on the team


.

When you're right you're right.

 

[Pape]

When you're right you're right.

lol ...

hard not to be top 5 at a position when there are only 5 guys on the list

 

[Kontradiction]

lol ...

hard not to be top 5 at a position when there are only 5 guys on the list

You forgot about our big lesbian.

 

[brdmaverick]

So here's my take on things...……….

The team last year (even with Brady) didn't look very good.

Then take away the players who opted out for COVID reasons.

Then take away players out due to injury/COVID testing reasons.

And the team is just not very good. Sure, BB can devise a gameplan that should make them competitive each week, but the reality is that there are no more 'gimmies'. The team will win some games they shouldn't, and they'll lose some games they shouldn't.

This is not the Patriots team we've been used to over the past two decades, and we should accept that. I know I have. Yesterday's game was frustrating, but I"m not bent out of shape over it. Usually after losses they would eat at me for the whole week. Now, I don't sweat it. I like to think it's because I'm more mature now, but it's probably due more to the fact that we've won 6 Super Bowls, more than I could have dreamt about. As such, I'm ok with the logic of having to go through some down years during the post-Brady era.

If nothing else, the games have actually been really exciting BECAUSE I don't know what to expect. The regular season has become meaningful and entertaining again where in the past it really was just an extended pre-season.

So yes, I've definitely cut them some slack.

 

[203Pat]

If moral victories counted the same as real ones apparently we would be undefeated.

 

[JMC00]

Started 1-2 in 2018. The team especially Brady played like absolute garbage against the Lions and were blown out. Imagine looking like ass against the freaking Lions? Yikes.

Got blown out by the Jags (was 24-3 late in the 3rd) the week before, a Jags team that finished 5-11 and those 4 other wins were

giants (5-11)
jest (4-12)
dolts (10-6) (chalk it up to fluke division win, jags only scored 6 points in that game and won, so the dolts really dolted that one)
lolphins (7-9)

losses like this have regularly happened to this team even in SB winning years, but this was just compounded by the fact that Pats backup QB gave the game away to KC and Newton after 2 weeks off and a musical chair OL had a bad day.

half a yard and Newton not getting covid from maybe being 5-0