Patriots Pregame Thread Week 14: Pats @ Steelers TNF

[captain stone]

Pop Douglas is promising but he's still a rookie. He needs all the reps he can get.

Plenty of time for that, starting in the offseason.

 

[denverpatsfan]

Sorry. I am tired of losing. The AFC is so weak. These other teams are putrid and the Pats can't even score. Can't handle losing to ****tsburgh on national TV. Let's pay the doctor and get Pop cleared to play please!

 

[TommyD4207]

Sorry. I am tired of losing. The AFC is so weak. These other teams are putrid and the Pats can't even score. Can't handle losing to ****tsburgh on national TV. Let's pay the doctor and get Pop cleared to play please!

It's Thursday night, that audience isn't used to seeing points.

 

[Ross12]

Honestly Mitch Trubisky really sucks, they might not be able to help but score. Either because the defense scores, or because they give the offense such a short field that they barely have to move the ball to get a field goal or two, even if they miss a couple.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

multiple steelers players have admitted they took the cardinals lightly. Lots of people here in Pittsburgh calling for tomlin’s job or to at least not extend him when his contract is up after next season.

We need to lose this game not only to preserve the #2 pick, but to almost ensure another non losing season for tomlin so the media can stay all over his nuts for at least another year and make it impossible for Pittsburgh not to extend him. If this steelers lose this game its likely to be tomlin’s first losing season and 2 losses to some of the worst teams. If they go 9-8 or better the narrative likely could be it was another miracle job by tomlin without the amazing kenny pickett for a few games

 

[sb1]

Who’s gonna bet this parlay? Lol

 

[*ChungFu*]

I think the Patriots pull this game out.
I'm sure the players have heard enough from friends, family, the press and will pull together for a win. I'm kinda disappointed that we can't see the Ultimate Battle of The ******s between Black Jack Jones and Silky Slim Pickens.

 

[FCB02062]

this game would've been a November sweeps Sunday night game back in the 2000s - 2010s. we're probably looking at another snoozefest from bills offense, so unless they decide to start taking shots downfield at a rate of more than once a game, I can see them scoring 10 points tops. only caveat is if they get a defensive or special teams score.
everything has to be perfect, perfect line play, perfect quarterback play perfect route running. perfect catching of the ball, for this team to score a touchdown. the quarterbacks rarely throw the ball five yards passed the line of scrimmage and the running backs averaged 3.4 yards of pop vs San Diego. what this adds up to is the need for a 10 to 15 play drive to get a touchdown. And Bill has constructed this team with zero talent at the skill positions, which simply creates an impossibility on offense to score touchdowns.
Yes, I could see the Patriots winning this game, but I don't think they will because of the bewildering situation on offense.
it didn't have to be this way, Calvin Ridley, DeAndre Hopkins, George Pickens, etc. all could have been on this team one way or the other, but the head coach decided he didn't need them

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

@Ross12

 

[Jlaff]

Who’s gonna bet this parlay? Lol

Everything but the Patriots wins and the Texans losing to the Jets looks highly possible.

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

@Ross12

 

[curtismartin3328]

Steelers are extremely banged up. Could be a trap game for the Pats draft position….

This game and the Jets game at the end of the year worry me.

 

[Ross12]

@Ross12

The bottom half of this chart does look very reasonable, but expecting the Pats to win out and the Texans and Steelers to both lose out seems highly unlikely.

But thanks a lot for making me think about this again *******. Now I have to go mess around with the playoff predictor tool again... Just when I had finally kicked the habit...

 

[patsfanfromoversea]

Worst offense & 1st ranked (not best) defense. Wild..

best defense
worst offense
record 2-9

--> what's more important in today's NFL?

 

[UrbanCowboy]

I can't believe that I voluntarily agreed to go to an office christmas party during the game tomorrow night in which tv sets will not be available. This is what it has come to!

PS: I am still excited about next year. I don't think things are as bad as they seem right now.

 

[Jim Beankie]

The bottom half of this chart does look very reasonable, but expecting the Pats to win out and the Texans and Steelers to both lose out seems highly unlikely.

But thanks a lot for making me think about this again *******. Now I have to go mess around with the playoff predictor tool again... Just when I had finally kicked the habit...

 

[1960Pats]

Over under set at 6.5. Or it should be…

I wonder what the under is for the game. It has to be a record.

 

[1960Pats]

I can't believe that I voluntarily agreed to go to an office christmas party during the game tomorrow night in which tv sets will not be available. This is what it has come to!

PS: I am still excited about next year. I don't think things are as bad as they seem right now.

Of course things won't be as bad next year. They couldn't be.

I record many things I watch and try to avoid hearing the results. I haven't been badly burned often but I have over the years, once with a Celtics game and once with the Masters.

 

[1960Pats]

I believe three is the post-merger record, by the 1981 Raiders. It was a disappointing 7-9 season between their 1980 and 1983 Super Bowl wins.

The Hammond Pros went 0-5-1 in 1922, scoring no points in any of their six games. That’s barely the same game, though.

It looks like Bill interned with the Hammond Pros and stole their playbook on the way out.

 

[1960Pats]

Maybe we are misjudging Bill Belichick.
The man has forgotten more about football than we might ever hope to know.
Surely he knows this team sucks , Mac sucks, Zappe sucks and there is no future QB around here to build a team around. He can't be this blind to the disaster that has befallen the Patriots. He realized about 6 games ago that you can't make chicken salad out of chicken ****. He knows he has failed and figures the only way out is to tank the season and start over with a number one (or as close to number one as possible) draft pick. But tanking isn't ethical is it? So how do you look like your trying to actually win games without actually doing it?
You field a competent defense (one that's held the opposition to 26 pts in the last 3 games), knowing it would take your offence at least 6 games to score 26 points themselves. Bill is deliberately tanking while making it look like he isn't
Bill is still the evil genius we all came to know and respect and admire......

well this is what I'd truly like to believe, sadly, I think it's the opposite. but........

I just had a conversation with our oldest son, a HS football player 25 years ago as well as a Pats fan, and I said the same thing as you do here. He didn't think Bill would ever do that. I'm still not sure though. It seems like having an offense as bad as this is hard to do if you aren't trying.