NFL GAME DAY DISCUSSION 2025 Week 2 Other NFL Games: Phil-KC, Bucs-Texans, Chargers-Raiders

[ScottishPatriots]

Understand your perspective and @farn ’s as well, but being a “fringe playoff team” in the AFC isn’t going to be very hard. There’s already only 4 unbeaten teams in the whole conference after only 2 weeks. I’m guessing the 7th seed will go to a team that’s 9-8, so if the Pats are, say, 6-7 with four weeks left to go then they are in the picture at the end which makes them a fringe playoff team.

They already have 1 win so that’s 5 more wins from now. Think they can get 5 wins out of this batch?:

Steelers (home)
Panthers (home)
Saints (away)
Titans (away)
Browns (home)
Falcons (home)
Jets (home)
Giants (home)
Jets (away)
Dolphins (home)

Basically, if they can even just go around .667 in those games, then steal a win or two against the Bills (2x), the Bengals, the Ravens, and the Bucs, then they’re in the playoffs.

Add the Bengals as a winnable game if Joe Burrow is out which is looking likely.

That's a FG spread at most against Jake Browning.

 

[TommyD4207]

Add the Bengals as a winnable game if Joe Burrow is out which is looking likely.

That's a FG spread at most against Jake Browning.

Jake Browning's a damned fine backup.

 

[ScottishPatriots]

Jake Browning's a damned fine backup.

Yeah he's a good backup but it's no longer a game where the Patriots are a clear underdog if he's playing, it's in the tier with those other winnable games.

It's a 5.6 point downgrade from Burrow in Vegas so the Pats likely go from around a 7.5 point underdog to about 2 points.

 

[signbabybrady]

The lack of depth in the back 7 is pretty terrifying. Spillane has shown no ability to tackle and Elliss is the other linebacker. Even if Tavai comes back, I don't know how much of an upgrade he is. If Alex Austin keeps getting big snap counts, it's going to be an issue for some of those teams that look like 'easy' wins. For example, do you want to see Christian Elliss trying to spy Cam Ward?

I know everyone hates Tavai for calling out the fans. But he's definitely better than Ellis. I want to give Spillane a little more time but thus far I'd say Tavai is better too. (System fit aside but I think Tavai should fit fine).

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

LMAO, so much for the McCarthy lovefest

 

[Ring 6]

Just so you know, I instinctively wanted to hit 'agree' on that post, but I'm just not on board the 'Patriots are a fringe wildcard team' train yet. Way, way too many personnel holes and depth issues for that to be reality yet, in my mind.

There are 7 spots for 16 teams.
Of those 16 I think we can all agree the following teams have no chance of being in the playoffs.

Jets
Dolphins
Browns
Bengals with Burrow out 3 months
Tennessee
Jacksonville

That leaves 7 spots for 10 teams or if we assign division titles to Buffalo, Baltimore, Houston and the Chargers that leaves 3 spots for
Us
Pittsburgh
Indy
Chiefs
Raiders
Broncos

We have, by far, the easiest schedule.
There is no way you can tell me we can be third in that group, or that’s those teams dont have just as many concerns as we do.
Honestly think we are a favorite when you factor in the schedule.

 

[Triumph]

Chiefs lose and get screwed by the referees.

 

[TommyD4207]

I know everyone hates Tavai for calling out the fans. But he's definitely better than Ellis. I want to give Spillane a little more time but thus far I'd say Tavai is better too. (System fit aside but I think Tavai should fit fine).

Sometimes. And he's coming off a long-term injury. Sometimes he's just as bad. Tavai's history is having a good game once every 4 games. Which is once more than Christian Elliss, granted.

 

[Bill Lee]

JJ is looking like PP

Presumably JJ McCarthy, right?

Funny, before 1PM 80% of this board was convinced he was better than Drake Maye.

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

 

[Grogan14]

Were people trying to tell us these QBs playing tonight were better than Drake Maye? For real?

So give Maye time but NOT Penix or McCarthy?

 

[VrabelJr]

Just so you know, I instinctively wanted to hit 'agree' on that post, but I'm just not on board the 'Patriots are a fringe wildcard team' train yet. Way, way too many personnel holes and depth issues for that to be reality yet, in my mind.

Yeah even against our soft schedule I think this is a 6-8 win team talent wise.

 

[farn]

Understand your perspective and @farn ’s as well, but being a “fringe playoff team” in the AFC isn’t going to be very hard. There’s already only 4 unbeaten teams in the whole conference after only 2 weeks. I’m guessing the 7th seed will go to a team that’s 9-8, so if the Pats are, say, 6-7 with four weeks left to go then they are in the picture at the end which makes them a fringe playoff team.

They already have 1 win so that’s 5 more wins from now. Think they can get 5 wins out of this batch?:

Steelers (home)
Panthers (home)
Saints (away)
Titans (away)
Browns (home)
Falcons (home)
Jets (home)
Giants (home)
Jets (away)
Dolphins (home)

Basically, if they can even just go around .667 in those games, then steal a win or two against the Bills (2x), the Bengals, the Ravens, and the Bucs, then they’re in the playoffs.

Holy. That is quite a slate. Carolina, MIA, NYG. NO & CLE are pathetic. Falcons are better.

 

[Rob0729]

Parker Romo 5/5 and hits a 54 yarder

I felt like Romo actually won the kicking competition this summer, but unfortunately the Pats didn't draft him with a sixth round pick.

 

[Rob0729]

Doesn’t seem great but I could be wrong…

Did anyone not see this coming?

I am sure that is why Garrett Wilson got a long term deal done this summer rather than after this season. In theory, he would get more in 2026 than he got last month, but his numbers are going to down because of Fields.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

 

[Rob0729]

So give Maye time but NOT Penix or McCarthy?

They all need time, but I am not sure they have the potential for growth that Maye has.

Maye would kill to have the weapons the other two have. Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Justin Jefferson, Aaron Jones, and TJ Hockenson are all better than their counterparts on the Patriots. Some of them by a mile. Plus the Vikings might have the smartest offensive mind in the NFL. Both Pennix and McCarthy are much better situations to succeed than Maye.

Add the fact is that both Pennix and McCarthy were supposed to be more NFL ready coming into the league than Maye, I don't think either Pennix or McCarthy has the growth potential of Maye. They were both more finished products when they came into the NFL. Maye came into the league very raw and needed to be developed. Hell, Pennix spent six years in college.

McCarthy is coming back from injury. So he definitely may need time to shake off the rust and get acclimated to the speed and play of the NFL. It is basically his rookie season since he missed all of last year.

 

[Brandon_Cox]

Parker Romo 5/5 and hits a 54 yarder

He also hit the extra point!

 

[Ring 6]

So give Maye time but NOT Penix or McCarthy?

When did I say give Maye time?
You are the one asking the question now

 

[Uptown]