How Bad Are We?

[40yrpatsfan]

Let’s just say, I’m not confident. The defense looks like garbage, 67 points in 3 games, and even if Gonzalez comes back (have ZERO clue when that’ll be), not sure how big a difference that’ll be, his first few games will be like exhibition season for him.

Then add in our receivers are much worse than I thought they’d be. I thought they be decent, at least they’d be league average. We need to get our RBs going as well, Henderson is only averaging 3.4 yards a carry, and 6.6 yards a catch. Need to get him going.

I wasn’t confident against the Steelers, I’m not feeling confident vs Carolina. It’s tough to go from being a bad team to a good team, even with a great coaching staff. Once again, it’s the roster. It’s just bad, even after spending a fortune on defense.

That roster thrashed the Steelers all over the field Sunday, and only lost due to fumbles that never should have happened. Pitt had 200 yards of offense, we had almost 400. Long drive after long drive, I was surprised by that. And we can't blame the defense for the loss.

 

[Zuma]

Let’s just say, I’m not confident. The defense looks like garbage, 67 points in 3 games, and even if Gonzalez comes back (have ZERO clue when that’ll be), not sure how big a difference that’ll be, his first few games will be like exhibition season for him.

Then add in our receivers are much worse than I thought they’d be. I thought they be decent, at least they’d be league average. We need to get our RBs going as well, Henderson is only averaging 3.4 yards a carry, and 6.6 yards a catch. Need to get him going.

I wasn’t confident against the Steelers, I’m not feeling confident vs Carolina. It’s tough to go from being a bad team to a good team, even with a great coaching staff. Once again, it’s the roster. It’s just bad, even after spending a fortune on defense.

I'm on the other side of the spectrum...no hyperbull. Other then the penalties & TO's...I am very happy with the direction of the team and more specifically how well Maye and the offense has learned Josh's offense. Sure the current playbook doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles but I'm almost in shock how well the offense has learned enough to be functional. This isn't a McDonald's drive-thru....we're cooking something that takes time and will be productive. I expect a lot of either points or yards by the offense against the Panthers.

 

[dliverey44]

Its funny how this board sways week to week. I figured that we would be 2-2 after the first month, so we will see.

There are still a lot of gaps on this team that need to be addressed, but the fact that they have been competitive is good to see. As I recall that is what many folks were using as a barometer before the season. Minus a few bone head plays a game this team is playing much better than I expected both on offense and defense. Maye seems to have good command of the offense although he has made questionable decisions and missed throws that should have been made. He is still a 2nd year QB and it seems that many are overlooking that fact.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

We're making the dumb mistakes that can damn a decent team to 5 wins. If you turn the ball over 5 times, how many times do you win a game against any opponent?

So, until TOs are under control, there's no way to guage the "potential" of the team. you can cite stats all day long. Yay, Drake Maye throws for something like the 5th most yards in the league. Whoop de doo. Seriously, he's sort of balling out. But it won't matter if we keep sending engraved invitations for sh*t teams to walk away with the dub.

I will say that this team will win at least 70% of games when they win the turnover battle. Win it every week and we're on the playoffs, take that to the bank. (70% is low for the percentage of times you win when you win the turnover battle.)

So let's do that.

PS, Rhamondre got himself on the warning track really quick that way. He had a 2 fumble day on a day when fumbles, writ large, killed us. You can fairly say he lost us this game. (We could have overcome the big stumbling block of having Stephenson this Sunday, but that's what his performance was.) I love Dre but it looks like there is not a lot of leeway for more TO debacles.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

I can accept some shuffling in the first month. Someone, might have been Barth or Lazar again, made the point that Pop and Henderson really shined in the preseason but when the going got tougher in the games that count, they have a harder time adjusting to the power and intensity. They said it better.

Thanks. Understand.

My issue is that maybe Barth or Lazar had to wait to see live game action, but I thought the Vrabel coaching staff with all of its expertise would see the issues much earlier. Check my posts, I saw and called to pull Douglas after game #2. Austin was mugging people, I would have thought the coaches could have seen that earlier. Gibson was let go by the Giants for fumbling issues, Rham has had fumbling issues, but neither appears to have been coached to carry the ball differently as the Steelers' coaches saw the issue on this years' film.

If Mike Tomlin is seeing something on film before our coaching staff sees it, I would say that is a huge issue.

 

[lancerman]

We played 3 teams and the best was middle of the pack and one was at least in contention for one of the worst in the league. All 3 were one score games. Bad teams don't make the "gotta have it plays" and make mistakes that set them back. Every fan on losing teams goes "oh well if we just clean up some penalties and avoid mistakes we are really good". No, you are bad because you do that.

 

[lancerman]

Also I kinda hate the whole "September is an extension of the pre season". No, when Brady or Mahomes is your QB, you can dig yourself out of a hole you created in September. That's an aspect where we got spoiled where a brainfart early loss or two wasn't a big deal. For most teams, that is something that haunts the season and puts you in a position to just miss out on the playoffs. Chargers with Norv Turner used to to make a habit out of doing that.

We have to play the Ravens, we have to play the Bills twice. We have to play Tampa away. Those are 4 games that are likely losses to the 2 we have. Our ceiling right now is 11-6. Which could get us into the playoffs, but we have 10 games against mediocre teams and going even 7-3 against them now is an issue. And then next year we won't get this cakewalk schedule we have.

 

[mgteich]

Let’s just say, I’m not confident. The defense looks like garbage, 67 points in 3 games, .

???
Perhaps you think this is 25th or 30th best in the league?

67 points is almost average, tied for 18th, not a terrible stat for a Defense that plays with an Offense that give the ball away 5 times.

 

[denverpatsfan]

On track for 6-wins. Here we go!

 

[mgteich]

That roster thrashed the Steelers all over the field Sunday, and only lost due to fumbles that never should have happened. Pitt had 200 yards of offense, we had almost 400. Long drive after long drive, I was surprised by that. And we can't blame the defense for the loss.

Our Offense is terrible; check the team stats comparing us to other teams. NOT
Our Defense is terrible; check the comparison to the stats of other teams. NOT
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MORE LIKE IT
Our Offense and Defense are terrible because certain posters say so. YES

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Our Offense is terrible; check the team stats comparing us to other teams. NOT
Our Defense is terrible; check the comparison to the stats of other teams. NOT
=====
MORE LIKE IT
Our Offense and Defense are terrible because certain posters say so. YES

Something has to be terrible if the team is 1 - 2. We are what our record says we are.

You say the offense and defense are not terrible, therefore our STs is terrible?

 

[mgteich]

Something has to be terrible if the team is 1 - 2. We are what our record says we are.

You say the offense and defense are not terrible, therefore our STs is terrible?

ROFL
OK, we're terrible because we are 1-2 and we wouldn't be if we were 2-1.
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II guess that I asked a terrible question since the answer is obvious; just look at our record. No discussion is needed.
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And if we beat CAR, we won't be terrible anymore. We'll just be average.

 

[Grogan14]

Offense is currently ranked 11th.
Agreed on the defensive side.

True but look who they have played 2 of the 3 teams (Miami and Pittsburgh are ranked very low defensively).

 

[TommyD4207]

On track for 6-wins. Here we go!

6 wins is better than 4. I won't be over the moon happy about it, but it's not too far off from what I expected.

 

[FoxboroFan23]

21st in ppg
18th in points allowed per game

I'm surprised the Pats aren't higher in points allowed per game but these numbers seem reasonable and about what I expected. Slightly below league average, just on the outside of the playoffs.

 

[Real fan 02]

True but look who they have played 2 of the 3 teams (Miami and Pittsburgh are ranked very low defensively).

We barely could make FGs against lowly ranked defenses the last few seasons. So I'll take this!

 

[Real fan 02]

21st in ppg
18th in points allowed per game

I'm surprised the Pats aren't higher in points allowed per game but these numbers seem reasonable and about what I expected. Slightly below league average, just on the outside of the playoffs.

For example look around the AFC teams that were playoff teams last few seasons like the Texans have regressed. All we need to do is stay in the middle of mediocrity and it will position us later in the season.

 

[PatsfanTN]

Something has to be terrible if the team is 1 - 2. We are what our record says we are.

You say the offense and defense are not terrible, therefore our STs is terrible?

Hey look at it this way, after Sunday either the Ravens or the Chiefs will be 1-3.

 

[Real fan 02]

6 wins is better than 4. I won't be over the moon happy about it, but it's not too far off from what I expected.

This is a 8,9 win team if they don't beat themselves as currently constructed. If they continue to beat themselves then 6 will be hard to come by.

 

[Wozzy]

They’re a great team at everything except one… shooting themselves in the foot. Otherwise there’s not much they can’t do well.

Young inexperienced teams need to learn not to lose before they learn how to win.