At The Quarter - What Keeps Us from Being A Likely Playoff Team THIS Year?

[TommyD4207]

I agree, but that is only really relevant if there are injuries.

If there are no injuries, I only see turnovers as being what keeps us out, plus luck regarding some of the team we compete against. After all, we could win 11 games and not be in the playoffs.

I see the division winners and a WC from the West and North making it in. That leaves one spot.

There will always be injuries, it just depends on who.

You already had Christian Gonzalez basically miss a month. Do you think his presence changes the two losses? I do. Wilson already missed a game at LG, hopefully it's just a game, because they'll need him this week with Ed Oliver over on the other side this week.

That's why it's a simple answer to me, it's depth. And it's not something that can be solved by some street free agent. If Gonzalez or Davis have to miss time again, it's Alex Austin. Heaven forbid Maye has to miss a game, he's been safe so far this year, but he's one hit away from Dobbs being your starter. What if Hunter Henry has to miss a game?

It's a rebuilding team, and because of that, there are massive drop-offs between the starters and backups. That's why the Patriots were so good with """""nobodies"""" all those years. They paid the middle-class guys and had solid to decent backups. Cam Fleming, kinda sucked, right? But in a pinch, he could be kinda average if he had to play RT for a game. The Patriots don't have those guys right now, and it will take time to fill those holes. Nail another draft or two, have a smart FA this offseason.

 

[Triumph]

Taking a look at our season schedule and I was shocked. The schedule looks less difficult than any schedule I’ve ever seen on paper. The team could end up with a record that’s better than it actually plays by 2 or 3 games.

Especially with all these marquee players dropping like flies.

Hill gone, Burrow gone, Nabers gone.

The Bills lost their punter. Its likely nothing, but I sure dont want to lose Barringer.

 

[Sciz]

NFL.com power rankings of Pats and their remaining opponents:

2. Bills (2x)
7. Bucs
16. Ravens
20. Falcons
23. Pats
24. Bengals
25. Browns
26. Giants
29. Dolphins
30. Jets (2x)
31. Saints
32. Titans

So even if we assume the Pats are only the 23rd best team right now, there are 8 games against teams ranked worse than that. 8 is also likely how many more wins are needed to make the playoffs.

 

[signbabybrady]

NFL.com power rankings of Pats and their remaining opponents:

2. Bills (2x)
7. Bucs
16. Ravens
20. Falcons
23. Pats
24. Bengals
25. Browns
26. Giants
29. Dolphins
30. Jets (2x)
31. Saints
32. Titans

So even if we assume the Pats are only the 23rd best team right now, there are 8 games against teams ranked worse than that. 8 is also likely how many more wins are needed to make the playoffs.

That's wild LFG!

 

[ErniesPinkStripes]

Injuries - Turnovers - Penalties - Execution


With the AFC the way it is, their fate is in their hands IMO - they're good enough to get in.

 

[DoubleDeluxe]

2) WR's. Virtually no downfield passing game, making run and short-pass game more difficult because D's can cheat up.

We saw progress in this regard on Sunday. I believe we had 7 plays over 20 yards.

 

[slam]

NFL.com power rankings of Pats and their remaining opponents:

2. Bills (2x)
7. Bucs
16. Ravens
20. Falcons
23. Pats
24. Bengals
25. Browns
26. Giants
29. Dolphins
30. Jets (2x)
31. Saints
32. Titans

So even if we assume the Pats are only the 23rd best team right now, there are 8 games against teams ranked worse than that. 8 is also likely how many more wins are needed to make the playoffs.

Yeah this years schedule is possibly the softest schedule I’ve ever seen. The Steelers were the third toughest opponent on the whole season’s schedule.

The Patriots should make the playoffs this year.

 

[Sciz]

NFL.com power rankings of Pats and their remaining opponents:

2. Bills (2x)
7. Bucs
16. Ravens
20. Falcons
23. Pats
24. Bengals
25. Browns
26. Giants
29. Dolphins
30. Jets (2x)
31. Saints
32. Titans

So even if we assume the Pats are only the 23rd best team right now, there are 8 games against teams ranked worse than that. 8 is also likely how many more wins are needed to make the playoffs.

Okay, I just simulated the whole season like this. If every remaining game is won by the better team on this week’s NFL.com power ranking, the #23 Pats are the 7 seed at 10-7. The #12 Broncos and #13 Jaguars both end up at 9-8 due to their harder schedules.

 

[Vindicate]

when we say playoff team, do we mean “playoff caliber”, which to me means can make consistent runs for and into the post season, or a team that happens to make the playoffs?

the second can happen to a number of teams that arent likely contenders, but my answer is largely the same: until this team can consistently put up 24 pts or more, it will fall short of many wins against strong competition. Until we put together the offense against good and great defenses, we’ll be just outside swinging reach.

Run game wasnt consistent against the Panthers, hasnt been consistent at all. WR leaves room for desire towards the redzone. But hopeful signs emerge each game. With pass pro getting better, it will open up the run sometime soon.

I do believe that these can improve over the season, but it would be nothing short of a huge accomplishment should they become a real contender in one season. It’s possible.

In fact, its possible we get in a hole that keeps the playoffs out of our reach, but by the end of the season, we look lole contenders that had a rough first half of season. Id be happy with that even.

 

[neuronet]

We have a cake schedule. We should make the playoffs this year.

 

[Ring 6]

I still think this team is a more than a couple of players away from really contending. And for this, I will exclude a bit of the Panthers game, which has been the outlier match. Here is my view of the defense

I really like our trio of of DTs - Barmore, Williams and Tonga, seem to be doing good, which makes our Edges, and this includes Landry here, a bit lackluster. Even though he is leading in sacks, I don't them getting consistent push, as opposing teams have been running easily on us. Not horrible, mind you, but his stats are misleading.

Even though we have a good pressure number, but it seems that QBs still got time for those intermediate passes

Linebacks are our weakspot. Spillane is good enough, but doesnt seems to have elite traits anywhere. However, whoever plays with him is a loot worse. Elliss shouldn't see the playing field and Gibbens is a Jag

On the secondary, we still have to see our #1 duo play for a whole game. They might be a great duo, but Woodson is a rookie, doing okay, but Hawkins is bad.

We are #2 in the NFL against the run and #2 in yards per rush.
How in the world do you get “teams have been running easily on us”? The run D has been elite.

 

[Ring 6]

Depth.

If you consider our depth weak, I’d like you to look at the rest of the league and see if that’s really true, compared to every teams depth.
You will be surprised.

 

[PatsFan2]

If you consider our depth weak, I’d like you to look at the rest of the league and see if that’s really true, compared to every teams depth.
You will be surprised.

They're a lot of underachieving Teams this year: of course it happens every year.

 

[PatsFan2]

NFL.com power rankings of Pats and their remaining opponents:

2. Bills (2x)
7. Bucs
16. Ravens
20. Falcons
23. Pats
24. Bengals
25. Browns
26. Giants
29. Dolphins
30. Jets (2x)
31. Saints
32. Titans

So even if we assume the Pats are only the 23rd best team right now, there are 8 games against teams ranked worse than that. 8 is also likely how many more wins are needed to make the playoffs.

We're playing all those Teams from 16-32 lucky us. The Ravens and Bengals are in trouble.

 

[lancerman]

I mean, we aren't that good is the issue. We can beat the absolute worst team convincingly, but we also were in dogfights with the Raiders, Dolphins and Steelers. Those are teams that going into the season would be viewed as some of the easier midtier games on our schedule. The fact that those are 50/50 games means that playoffs are uncertain

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

NFL.com power rankings of Pats and their remaining opponents:

2. Bills (2x)
7. Bucs
16. Ravens
20. Falcons
23. Pats
24. Bengals
25. Browns
26. Giants
29. Dolphins
30. Jets (2x)
31. Saints
32. Titans

So even if we assume the Pats are only the 23rd best team right now, there are 8 games against teams ranked worse than that. 8 is also likely how many more wins are needed to make the playoffs.

Interesting that they appear to have the panthers above us (EDIT:i see why im not seeing them below us now, this is just future opponents) But this highlights why I’ve thought playoffs are possible for a while. Its not so much thinking we are great, but theres usually at least 10 teams that are total ass and if you can just seperate yourself from that pack, which we absolutely should, you have a shot. Especially given our schedule.

 

[VrabelJr]

Edit: my post is an answer to what it takes to be a playoff caliber team, not make the playoffs against a cream puff soft schedule.

Excellence occurs on the fringes. We don’t have the right players and overall chemistry to make those “gotta have it” plays. Chemistry comes with starter stability and time. We lack overall talent at LB, WR, and Safety. It will be harder and harder to point at one specific deficiency as the team begins its ascent.

 

[Thelonious]

We saw progress in this regard on Sunday. I believe we had 7 plays over 20 yards.

We had 7 pass plays over 20 yards? I don't remember seeing that number. If that's the case, that's very encouraging, even if it was against a pretty weak D.

Update: I checked the official NFL Gamebok. That shows 5 - Hooper 24,Diggs 33, Diggs22 ,Henry 31, Diggs 30 - so not 7 but still, to your point, pretty good.

 

[DoubleDeluxe]

We had 7 pass plays over 20 yards? I don't remember seeing that number. If that's the case, that's very encouraging, even if it was against a pretty weak D.

I just checked the play by play.
5 pass plays over 20 yards
2 run plays over 20 yards.
So the 7 was right, but combined pass/run.

 

[Thelonious]

I just checked the play by play.
5 pass plays over 20 yards
2 run plays over 20 yards.
So the 7 was right, but combined pass/run.

Yep, see my above. 5 is still pretty good.