How to be competitive in the AFC again

[TheRainMaker]

I don’t know if you want a Bills fan perspective or if it’s still too fresh, but I wouldn’t pay JC if I were the Patriots. I keep hearing how good he is and then he routinely gets abused by Diggs for at least a couple plays whenever we play him.

I’d rather have 2 quality depth players than 1 overrated starter (for the same money).

The coverage he got beat on a big play by Diggs was a blown coverage by the S. Regardless, Diggs gives him problems. I don’t see Bill paying him as your team exposed how many glaring needs the Pats have.

 

[jdlboot14]

A lot of this is looking at how the AFC teams should look next year. which playoff teams will return, which won't, which new teams will emerge.
I think Bills, Bengals, Chiefs, Titans will be back - likely as division winners.
That leaves Patriots, Chargers, Colts as potential wildcard/division contenders.
Schedule wise, our HOME losses will likely be - Bengals, Bills. AWAY - Bills, Packers, Cardinals
There's always @Mia and vs.BAL & IND that will be tough, but I'm counting on the Pats improving a lot. Estimating 11 wins.
And, I can't wait to play the Bills again with a re-tooled D and more potent O.

 

[Foxypats]

We could try and get some one like Robert Woods. I believe he is a RFA this year, only issue is his injury this year, but we need someone like him for Mac.

 

[Patnation21]

A lot of this is looking at how the AFC teams should look next year. which playoff teams will return, which won't, which new teams will emerge.
I think Bills, Bengals, Chiefs, Titans will be back - likely as division winners.
That leaves Patriots, Chargers, Colts as potential wildcard/division contenders.
Schedule wise, our HOME losses will likely be - Bengals, Bills. AWAY - Bills, Packers, Cardinals
There's always @Mia and vs.BAL & IND that will be tough, but I'm counting on the Pats improving a lot. Estimating 11 wins.
And, I can't wait to play the Bills again with a re-tooled D and more potent O.

You really think were winning 11 games next year? I would expect regression. We played above our heads for part of the season. We have a ton of needs that can't be fixed in one off season. Don't be surprised if we only win 8 or 9 games to be honest.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

I don’t know if you want a Bills fan perspective or if it’s still too fresh, but I wouldn’t pay JC if I were the Patriots. I keep hearing how good he is and then he routinely gets abused by Diggs for at least a couple plays whenever we play him.

I’d rather have 2 quality depth players than 1 overrated starter (for the same money).

Congrats on the win. Allen was other worldly. Hope you guys beat the Chiefs.

 

[ashley]

You really think were winning 11 games next year? I would expect regression. We played above our heads for part of the season. We have a ton of needs that can't be fixed in one off season. Don't be surprised if we only win 8 or 9 games to be honest.

Everyone said the same thing about us this year....an 8 win team and we went to the playoffs....We'll be in the playoffs again next year....mark it down!!!

 

[GreenCow]

Congrats on the win. Allen was other worldly. Hope you guys beat the Chiefs.

Thank you.

 

[Patnation21]

Everyone said the same thing about us this year....an 8 win team and we went to the playoffs....We'll be in the playoffs again next year....mark it down!!!

I hope you're right but we need to have a good draft and get some FA help. Be an interesting off season.

 

[chasa]

1.) our defense needs to get faster.

2.) We need to be able to stop the run

3.) we need a legit #1 receiver.

Fix those three things and we're good. QB is good and young, RB is good and young, TE are signed for a few years.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

1.) our defense needs to get faster.

2.) We need to be able to stop the run

3.) we need a legit #1 receiver.

Fix those three things and we're good. QB is good and young, RB is good and young, TE are signed for a few years.

this leads me to the crux of the offseason for bb.

Patriot Liabilities;

1.) we have the oldest, slowest and maybe the least athletic roster in the nfl!

2.) we have 19 potential free agents and not a ton of cap space.

3.) prior to the 2021 draft, we had over a half decade of brutally ugly drafts do we are carrying a lot of “jag” on the roster that needs to be turned over!

4.) our coaching tree has been raided over the past several years and between that and nepotism we have coaching deficiencies at special teams, offensive line, and defensive coordinator.

Patriot Assets:

1.) we have a potential franchise qb on the roster, and some quality pieces at running back.

2.) we our first 4 picks on the draft.

based on this assessment, our liabilities exceed our assets leaving us with the most dreaded of all nfl afflictions….. a bad balance sheet!

the crux of the offseason for bb, is to prioritize the needs and pick the most important ones and fix those first.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

The coverage he got beat on a big play by Diggs was a blown coverage by the S. Regardless, Diggs gives him problems. I don’t see Bill paying him as your team exposed how many glaring needs the Pats have.

I think the Patriots were in 3 high coverage at the time, so JCJ was the safety that got beat by Diggs. Same as JJ Williams was in 3 high as a safety when he got beat for a TD. I do not think we were in single high safety for either of those plays - Allen knew it, I am guessing he was looking for it, and hit it twice in the game.

 

[Tunescribe]

the biggest problem is for 3 straight seasons the team has faltered down the stretch w 3 different quarterbacks and different collections of players on both sides of the ball. 4 or 5 wins combined in Dec/Jan from 19-21 seasons. and 3 of those wins are against the Jets. The only constant is the coaching staff and offensive/defensive philosophy.
How to change it? Get rid of Coach Bill and his merry band of sycophants....but we know Coach Bill isn't going anywhere. The system needs a fresh set of eyes. So perhaps Bill the GM or krafty Bob could bring in a guy like Mike Zimmer (one of Bills coaching buddies) to take a look at things defensively and make suggestions. who knows. Maybe give ol friend Charlie Weis a buzz to look at the offense. Or bring in a McVay or K Shanahan assistant for the offense.
Just some ideas bc what they've been doing for the past 3 seasons ain't gonna cut it.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

this leads me to the crux of the offseason for bb.

Patriot Liabilities;

1.) we have the oldest, slowest and maybe the least athletic roster in the nfl!

2.) we have 19 potential free agents and not a ton of cap space.

3.) prior to the 2021 draft, we had over a half decade of brutally ugly drafts do we are carrying a lot of “jag” on the roster that needs to be turned over!

4.) our coaching tree has been raided over the past several years and between that and nepotism we have coaching deficiencies at special teams, offensive line, and defensive coordinator.

Patriot Assets:

1.) we have a potential franchise qb on the roster, and some quality pieces at running back.

2.) we our first 4 picks on the draft.

based on this assessment, our liabilities exceed our assets leaving us with the most dreaded of all nfl afflictions….. a bad balance sheet!

the crux of the offseason for bb, is to prioritize the needs and pick the most important ones and fix those first.

1. Probably true, but maybe we are only #31 worst
2. We can push cap dollars into 2023 as we have not done that yet, like others do, and we have $110M+ for 2023. Too much $$ to spend all at once in 2023.
3. Agree on the brutal extend poor drafts - amazing we are even in the playoffs. Let's hope Perkins, McGrone, and Bledsoe work out so that 2021 was truly an amazing draft.
4. I see no signs of the nepotism leading to poor coaching that some on PatsFans like to rail against. For example, Flores went and got three highly paid corners so he could play his aggressive defensive style he prefers, but it did not work out all that well. We have to play to our strengths.

1. I think Mac Jones will be better than people expect. I think there are a lot of fans believing the "pea shooter" arm stuff - he will be much stronger in 2022 and even stronger in 2023.
2. I am sure that BB will do an honest assessment. He usually does, or at least he is as honest as anyone in the NFL's coaching ranks as we have seen over the years. Let's hope the 2022 draft goes well - we need it.

I maintain that our biggest need is 1, preferable 2, run stuffing D linemen to stop the repetitive 4 and 5 yard first down runs AND keep the opposing OLine off our new faster LBs in 2022.

 

[KDPPatsfan85]

We need speed for both sides of the ball.

 

[PatsFan2]

The state of alabama wants to help us with 4 guys in this draft that could be upgrades over our current group of clunkers, provided they run well:

Williams - alabama. Pure speed.
metchie - alabama. Option route experience and experience with jones.
bolden - alabama. Option route experience and experience with jones.
Jobert- south alabama. Bigger target with tons of downfield catches.

Excellent post getting guys who your Young QB is familiar with might be the key to solving Patriots putrid WR Drafting. Pats should Draft a couple Bama wide outs for emphasis.

 

[mgteich]

This is a spot we really haven’t been in for the last 20 years. We can’t even get out of our division, this year it seems like we’re the 3rd best team in the afc east behind buffalo and Miami. The defense looks painfully slow and it was a mistake not to get a #1 receiver.


The 2010s patriots had success because they had offensive playmakers. At first it was Gronk and Hernandez and then it was Edelman and gronk. Defenses had to account for gronk and use up extra resources because he was that physical and could burn any safety or corner they put on him. That opened up someone in the slot like welker or Edelman to get open, they couldn’t stop both of them most of the time.


Right now we don’t have anything like that, Jonnu smith and hunter Henry were supposed to be that but it didn’t pan out that way at all. There needs to be some physicality on offense. Let’s be real, Kendrick Bourne and Nelson aghlor would be maybe 3rd or 4th options on any other team.


I think there was an improvement from 2020 because that was one of the least talented rosters we’ve ever had and that’s part of a rebuild. We need to go after a receiver in the offseason like davonte adams or Allen Robinson. Every other afc contender has that number 1 guy but we don’t. Having Bourne, aghlor and meyers and a number 1 wideout is key.



Also the defense is just painfully slow. BB needs to evolve with the game and stop using those bigger and slower linebackers. Josh Allen carved them up twice this season and twice last season and the way things panned out at the end of the year is just not the standard this franchise has 20+ years under bill and Kraft. So we need to draft a stud for the defense, maybe someone like Nakobe dean from Georgia

Apparently, you have a different meaning of the word "competitive".

Having a winning season is being "competitive".

Being in the playoffs in competitive is competitive, expecially with a rookie QB. How many team do you think have won ANY [playoff games with rookie quarterbacks?

If you mean likely to be, each year, in the top 5 teams most likely to win the SB, then say that. Very, very few teams are that on a regular basis.

 

[Grogan14]

this leads me to the crux of the offseason for bb.

Patriot Liabilities;

1.) we have the oldest, slowest and maybe the least athletic roster in the nfl!

2.) we have 19 potential free agents and not a ton of cap space.

3.) prior to the 2021 draft, we had over a half decade of brutally ugly drafts do we are carrying a lot of “jag” on the roster that needs to be turned over!

4.) our coaching tree has been raided over the past several years and between that and nepotism we have coaching deficiencies at special teams, offensive line, and defensive coordinator.

Patriot Assets:

1.) we have a potential franchise qb on the roster, and some quality pieces at running back.

2.) we our first 4 picks on the draft.

based on this assessment, our liabilities exceed our assets leaving us with the most dreaded of all nfl afflictions….. a bad balance sheet!

the crux of the offseason for bb, is to prioritize the needs and pick the most important ones and fix those first.

Mac is a nice guy, competitive, great attitude and had a good (not great) rookie season, but he is NOT a franchise QB.

 

[Grogan14]

Apparently, you have a different meaning of the word "competitive".

Having a winning season is being "competitive".

Being in the playoffs in competitive is competitive, expecially with a rookie QB. How many team do you think have won ANY [playoff games with rookie quarterbacks?

If you mean likely to be, each year, in the top 5 teams most likely to win the SB, then say that. Very, very few teams are that on a regular basis.

Losing 47-10 and being completely out of the game by the end of the first playoff game is NOT being competitive

 

[Brick27]

Mac is a nice guy, competitive, great attitude and had a good (not great) rookie season, but he is NOT a franchise QB.

Seems a little premature to make such a definitive conclusion about his future, no? Did you say the same about Mahomes after year 1 when he had 0 TDs and 1 INTs? Or Josh Allen when he had 20 turnovers? Who knows what Mac ultimately becomes, but it’s irrational at best to make such a finite take at this point.

 

[StockingAnarchyNumber12]

Mac is a nice guy, competitive, great attitude and had a good (not great) rookie season, but he is NOT a franchise QB.

Too early to say either way.

Lets see how he is next season.