Patriots Pregame Thread 2025 Raiders @ Patriots - Early thoughts

[VrabelJr]

I too have said a number of things trying to make a good first impression that I knew were total lies.

It’s how I got through to a second date with the missus

Did you eventually last longer than 15 seconds?

 

[VrabelJr]

Maps are out. Spero Dedes and Adam Archuletta are the announcers.

For some reason Pats fans who headed west on the Mass Pike and ran out of gas in Spokane are in luck this week.

506 Sports - NFL Maps: Week 1, 2025

Pittsburgh @ NY Jets - Ian Eagle, J.J. Watt
Miami @ Indianapolis - Andrew Catalon, Charles Davis, Jason McCourty
Las Vegas @ New England - Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta
Arizona @ New Orleans - Tom McCarthy, Ross Tucker, Logan Ryan

SoCal showing the Steelers/Jets instead of a Raiders game is blasphemy.

 

[VrabelJr]

Patriots always play like booty cheeks in Miami, they've never been good most of the time we've lost there.

Notably it was Brady who played poorly in Miami. He can’t handle those mamis calling him papi.

We also always seem to play in Miami in September rather than December.

 

[UGAPatsfan]

I don’t think Duggars can cover Bowers, I would put Woodson on him.

Duggar can’t cover Henry in practice. He sure as hell isn’t covering Brock Bowers…who I remind everyone was a DAMNED GOOD DAWG.

 

[UGAPatsfan]

Notably it was Brady who played poorly in Miami. He can’t handle those mamis calling him papi.

We also always seem to play in Miami in September rather than December.

I find it ironic that Brady now lives on the city he had the least amount of success in.

 

[WhatJustHappened]

IDGAS, I just want us to WIN.
I don't care how, winning is all that matters.

 

[Zuma]

 

[Thelonious]

No question deep shots open up the shorter throws which are the bread and butter of Josh's system, but I think it's still a question - particularly given Diggs is older and coming off a major injury - whether the team is really that much better when it comes to down-the-field receivers. (Diggs had decent long skills once upon a time, but that was never the essence of his game.) You have to prove that your deep game is an actual threat before you reap those shorter throw benefits. If there is a problem in this area, it's not Drake, and it's not Josh. We'll see.

As for all the whining about Josh, we're lucky to have him. That should be obvious. He's at least a top quartile OC in the league.

 

[Uptown]

It’s still wild to me that Campbell is the prototype you’d want in a LT, (great size/feet/balance, bully mindset, finisher, leader etc..) but his arms are an inch short.

 

[WhatJustHappened]

Pharma showed some a year or so ago in Preseason, but I don't remember seeing him do too much.
Roy is fkn useless as fk, hope he's gone

 

[BobDigital]

Interesting. I thought Pharms was a borderline roster guy. As for elevating Ballentine and Robinson... Has me curious. I know their LB depth is questionable. But Robinson hasn't done anything really and he's been in the league a few years. Ballentine has been bouncing around the league for a while but really has only 1 season of actually playing any decent amount in 2023. He is listed as a CB.

My question this. We rotating through a lot of these older more experienced players on the bottom end of our roster... shouldn't we be looking at younger guys with more upside. And is Ballentine really a better DB than Peppers? If we were going to add another guy why cut him?

 

[DoubleDeluxe]

Pharma showed some a year or so ago in Preseason, but I don't remember seeing him do too much.
Roy is fkn useless as fk, hope he's gone

There were flashes in 2023, but nothing since. I was kinda surprised he made the initial 53, his time was up here.

 

[Hammer of Thor]

Interesting. I thought Pharms was a borderline roster guy. As for elevating Ballentine and Robinson... Has me curious. I know their LB depth is questionable. But Robinson hasn't done anything really and he's been in the league a few years. Ballentine has been bouncing around the league for a while but really has only 1 season of actually playing any decent amount in 2023. He is listed as a CB.

My question this. We rotating through a lot of these older more experienced players on the bottom end of our roster... shouldn't we be looking at younger guys with more upside. And is Ballentine really a better DB than Peppers? If we were going to add another guy why cut him?

Ballentine is just a game-day elevation, likely because Gonzalez is missing the game so they want the extra depth. It might have been someone else if he were healthy. He’ll revert back to the practice squad after the game, just like Robinson. Only Durden is permanently on the 53, or as permanent as an NFL roster spot can be….

To your other question — Vrabel said in a press conference earlier this week that he has two types of players on the practice squad. One group are veterans with game day experience who can step in as needed (likely meaning injury), and the other group are less experienced guys who are for long term development. So that’s intentional, but they do have some of the PS with younger guys that may have more upside.

 

[WhatJustHappened]

Who thought different?

 

[Uptown]

 

[Uptown]

 

[WhatJustHappened]

Yeah, I'd Love this, but doubful.
We'll see

 

[Gumby]

„…Fans will leave the stadium by halftime…..“

Wonderful meaningless effort at hype; but the logic escapes me. This is a Pats home game. There should be few faders fans there. Fans leave a game when their team is unrecoverable behind. But if their home team is kicking azz, they stick around to celebrate.

But whatevah; as I said ‚ meaningless ‚.

 

[ScottishPatriot]

We know both these teams will probably lean heavily on their superstar-in-the-making rookie RBs.

So I think it comes down to the success of the passing game. Which OL gets their QB more time and protection? Which DL rushes the QB more effectively?

Despite pass-game weapons on both sides of the ball for LV (notably Bowers and Crosby), I think I’m going for a close Pats win.

Something like 31-27; Henderson and Jeanty each at least 100 yards and a TD.

 

[WhatJustHappened]

„…Fans will leave the stadium by halftime…..“

Wonderful meaningless effort at hype; but the logic escapes me. This is a Pats home game. There should be few faders fans there. Fans leave a game when their team is unrecoverable behind. But if their home team is kicking azz, they stick around to celebrate.

But whatevah; as I said ‚ meaningless ‚.

I feel we'll be hanging around. I agree about the ****y ****.
What can I say bruh, it's what it is.