Takeaways:
1) We are somewhat better than the truly awful Cardinals when you take away their starting quarterback. How this translates to "I think we could beat KC" is just beyond me.
2) Whether we "make the playoffs" or not, by some misalignment of the stars, does not matter. We have no chance of advancing once there.
3) The real focus this year remains on evaluating/developing talent. Given that he has had no meaningful supports from his "coaches" this year, the jury is still out on Mac, who has not shown (been allowed to show) whether he is or is not a "franchise quarterback." There are good signs re this year's rookie class overall, albeit against a very weak Arizona team.
4) Zappe has earned a more thorough look, but he ain't gonna get it this year, unfortunately but understandably. The Pats have a significant draft stock investment in Mac, and need to find out just what they have bought. This task has been made much more difficult by Bill's preoposterously bad midshandling of the coaching situation.
4) Overall, on balance, this is a badly coached team with a very inconsistent GM. If your coach/GM won't accept the guidance/support he obviously needs, he has to go, darn near asap, in my view.
I've been a fan since they were the Boston Patriots. We are at a low point over that span of time, I suppose, but such travails are just part of it. You can't enjoy rsing up from the ashes if you don't first get down there where the ashes are to be found. The rebuild-on-the-fly thing rarely....flies.