Silver Lining

[festy1986]

I was hoping we would be the only team that Tom Brady never beat in his NFL career but it looks like we will have to settle for being the only team he's never thrown a TD against.

For those of you who like useless trivia.

 

[VectorPrime]

Except Brady would take a 2020 Cam like season if it ended in a ring so I doubt he cares.

 

[festy1986]

He already did that, in 2019.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

I would say the silver lining is the Patriots have the best rookie QB in the draft and wildman Steve Belichick looks like a great Defensive Coordinator....

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[VectorPrime]

I would say the silver lining is the Patriots have the best rookie QB in the draft and Steve Belichick looks like a good DC....

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That gameplan was Bill. Let’s be honest.

 

[festy1986]

All excellent additions.

 

[catent]

The way the team played and the mental toughness they displayed is the silver-lining IMO.

Taking nothing away from Tampa because they made some big plays, but I felt the Pats’ earned the right to win that one. Exceptional grit and toughness on display. Just a shame that kick couldn’t sneak in, or that the D couldn’t come up with a loose ball at some point.

Games like these can define seasons. I’m optimistic the Pats will build on this and start to find some wins. I also get the sense that this is a team in many regards that's likely to improve with time (new FA additions, rookie QB, some coaching staff changes). Football is such a unique sport given the short regular season and large rosters/on-field personnel. The structure of the game lends itself to team-by-team matchups having a big impact, an emphasis on needing to peak at the right time, and finding luck/good fortune in terms of bounces of the ball, weather, injuries, etc.

Given that, early losses don't really bother me beyond their impact on the team's ability to get into the postseason, which is a legitimate consideration. 1-3 isn’t good but it also isn't a death sentence, especially with the expansion to a 17 game regular season. This team still has 5 AFCE games to play and two of their three losses have been at the hands of NFC teams. We've played less than 25% of the regular season - there is a lot of football in front of this team and they still control their destiny within the AFCE.

Let’s hope we’re playing come January.

 

[venecol]

I would say the silver lining is the Patriots have the best rookie QB in the draft and Steve Belichick looks like a good DC....

.

 

[venecol]

The way the team played and the mental toughness they displayed is the silver-lining IMO.

Taking nothing away from Tampa because they made some big plays, but I felt the Pats’ earned the right to win that one. Exceptional grit and toughness on display. Just a shame that kick couldn’t sneak in, or that the D couldn’t come up with a loose ball at some point.

Games like these can define seasons. I’m optimistic the Pats will build on this and start to find some wins.

The only way that this loss bothers me for more than a couple days is if it costs them a playoff birth, which we can’t know for a few months. 1-3 isn’t a death sentence and they still control their destiny within the AFCE. Let’s hope we’re playing come January.

You still think this team has 13 wins?

 

[Simpelton]

That gameplan was Bill. Let’s be honest.

I have no complaints about the defensive gameplan no matter who came up with it. They basically neutralized Brady for most of the game, and we all KNOW how hard that is to do.

If you want to talk Belichick vs Brady, then the real matchup to watch wasn't the team outcome, but how well Brady played against the Patriots defense. And you know as well as I do that if Brady turned in a performance like that in the blue and silver fans would be concerned. We didn't take the game, but Belichick definitely demonstrated that the relationshhip between the two was far from one sided.

 

[StrawHatPatriot]

I don't see how that's a silver lining

 

[venecol]

If you want to talk Belichick vs Brady, then the real matchup to watch wasn't the team outcome, but how well Brady played against the Patriots defense. And you know as well as I do that if Brady turned in a performance like that in the blue and silver fans would be concerned.

Since when did Pats fans start caring more about performance than Wins? Brady was the same old clutch QB that had a late come from behind game winning drive.

 

[Simpelton]

Since when did Pats fans start caring more about performance than Wins? Brady was the same old clutch QB that had a late game come from behind drive for the win.

if you don't think it would have been a topic of conversation on here 2-3 years ago you are fooling yourself. I've lived through enough of those threads, especially early in the season!

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Since when did Pats fans start caring more about performance than Wins? Brady was the same old clutch QB that had a late game come from behind drive for the win.

I mean, two game winning passes to AB. The first was placed perfectly for him to turn out, but he couldn’t track the ball. The second was pretty incredible, classic ice cold Brady, and AB dropped it. Would have been the dagger and was a ballsy pass. Earlier, Mike Evans dropped a likely TD pass on a slant.

It wasn’t Brady’s sharpest game and clearly Bill made his life difficult out there, but to think fans would be concerned over this type of performance…

 

[BradytoMosstoGronk]

I would say the silver lining is the Patriots have the best rookie QB in the draft and Steve Belichick looks like a good DC....

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I thought you were going to say that we still have Josh McD.

 

[Marko]

Silver lining- the defending champs with an all star cast and the GOAT QB and a good running game got outplayed by a 22 yo rookie with pedestrian receivers and no running game.

 

[venecol]

if you don't think it would have been a topic of conversation on here 2-3 years ago you are fooling yourself. I've lived through enough of those threads, especially early in the season!

Oh I misunderstood. Yes I remember. The vast majority of the forum was perfectly fine with not giving Brady more than a 1 yr extension because he was too old and had lost it (performance wise). So, I agree.

 

[venecol]

Silver lining- the defending champs with an all star cast and the GOAT QB and a good running game got outplayed by a 22 yo rookie with pedestrian receivers and no running game.

Correct me if I'm wrong please, but when you outplay someone, aren't you supposed to win?

 

[Zarozzor]

Correct me if I'm wrong please, but when you outplay someone, aren't you supposed to win?

Yes, most of the time. Unless your coach decides he’s going to throw a Super Bowl.

 

[scott99]

Despite the huge amount spent on free agents, we are still in rebuild mode. It takes time for the new players to mesh with their new teammates. It always looks better on paper when they sign the players. It takes time. Especially when you have a rookie QB running the show.

That being said, if they can find some way to protect that rookie QB, which they haven’t been able to yet, but if they can, he’s going to be really special. He’s already shown himself to be extremely tough, and to be a good leader. He’s had to be tougher than he ever had to be In Alabama. Even his INT, with a defender in his face, was pretty much on target, the defender made a great play to deflect it to his teammate. Maybe 1/2 inch higher, and that’s a catch. He really played well in the most hyped situation of his pro career, vs the GOAT and SB champs. I have high hopes for Mac Jones, I think he’s confident in himself, and I think the team has confidence in him.

There really is a silver lining, they are right there. A few tweaks here and there, and they are a playoff team. Maybe not THIS year, 1-3 is a tough start, but they are literally a few plays away from 3-1 (2 of the 3 losses are by a total of 3 points). Turnovers and penalties are killing this team. Shore up on those, and this team is a playoff team. I’m more upbeat after this loss, than the Saint’s loss. They are very close. And that’s the silver lining. They may go 8-9 or 9-8 and miss the playoffs, but they are lined up to have an excellent future.