Biggest Concerns going into this season?

If our offense, defense, and special teams play well we will win a lot of games.

SammyBlueCat said:

If our offense, defense, and special teams play well we will win a lot of games.

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Hot Take

Simpelton said:

My biggest concern is Brady, not because he's going to fail, but because he's by far our biggest single point-of-failure. A healthy year from Brady makes us instant Superbowl contenders. If something goes wrong we're rolling the dice on people Brady would almost rather die than let them have any real world playing experience and our chances of final success plummet accordingly.

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So we should give JG meaningful snaps to get him experience even though it greatly lessens the chance of the Pats winning but that is ok because if Brady ever got injured or something JG would be better/more experienced than now?

Does that about cover it?

NYJFL making critical calls favoring our opponent costing us games/playoff game

Bruins29 said:

So we should give JG meaningful snaps to get him experience even though it greatly lessens the chance of the Pats winning but that is ok because if Brady ever got injured or something JG would be better/more experienced than now?

Does that about cover it?

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Did I call for any action to be taken? No. So you can kindly stop putting words into my mouth.

The best and fortunately most possible resolution of this single point of failure is that it simply doesn't fail. But Brady is a single point of failure.

Cyrus Jones is my biggest concern at the moment. Corner is one of the most important positions and I hate the idea of losing talented guys for a guy that has been absolutely useless so far. In past years I would never cut someone like Coleman and now I don't see how he could make it.

On an unrelated note, our team for the last few years or so has done an extremely good job at staying young. At one point we were the home of ancient defensive players and offensive has beens.

doesntmatter1 said:

On an unrelated note, our team for the last few years or so has done an extremely good job at staying young.

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I definitely agree with this.

Triumph said:

Some games he was invisible.

Long only started 7 games and had 22 tackles according to FB Reference.

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First of all, "starts" is probably the most useless stat in football for gauging a player's value at a rotational position, especially with the Pats' commitment to opponent-specific game plans.

Long: 7 starts ... 677 snaps
Flowers: 8 starts ... 563
Sheard: 8 starts ... 579

Blount: 8 starts ... 527 snaps
White: 4 starts ... 426 snaps

It's difficult for me to imagine that the coaching staff that was responsible for bringing home another ring would have had Long on the field for 100 more snaps than any other DE on the roster if he wasn't doing his job (like setting the edge to turn the play toward other defenders).

Second, simple, raw productions stats never tell the whole story, and the "invisibility" of a player is largely determined by the guys in the broadcast booth and the video director. For example, the cornerback who gets targeted the least (who's on camera the least and whose number is mentioned the least) ... is he therefore the least successful CB or the most successful?

maineman209 said:

First of all, "starts" is probably the most useless stat in football for gauging a player's value at a rotational position, especially with the Pats' commitment to opponent-specific game plans.

Long: 7 starts ... 677 snaps
Flowers: 8 starts ... 563
Sheard: 8 starts ... 579

Blount: 8 starts ... 527 snaps
White: 4 starts ... 426 snaps

It's difficult for me to imagine that the coaching staff that was responsible for bringing home another ring would have had Long on the field for 100 more snaps than any other DE on the roster if he wasn't doing his job (like setting the edge to turn the play toward other defenders).

Second, simple, raw productions stats never tell the whole story, and the "invisibility" of a player is largely determined by the guys in the broadcast booth and the video director. For example, the cornerback who gets targeted the least (who's on camera the least and whose number is mentioned the least) ... is he therefore the least successful CB or the most successful?

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Long is a JAG.

Jamie Collins has made more of an impact then Long ever did. 15 snaps in the Super Bowl is all Long had. 32 years old with a season or two left makes Long replaceable. Im ready for some youth on the Defense.I am not concerned about his 4 sacks in 2016.

That they will run out of Patriot beer before I get there.

Biggest concern? Jay "ciggy" cutler just joined the division....Im concerned the team gets complacent with the afce lol

If only my fantasy league had even half a point per butt smoked, id def be drafting a qb round 1.

Being undermined by the NFL* front office and certain owners.

I wish it was only paranoia but there is a track record.

Triumph said:

Long is a JAG.

Jamie Collins has made more of an impact then Long ever did. 15 snaps in the Super Bowl is all Long had. 32 years old with a season or two left makes Long replaceable. Im ready for some youth on the Defense.I am not concerned about his 4 sacks in 2016.

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It was a young defense last year.

FourierSeries said:

My biggest concern is that I will eventually get bored of the massive blowouts week in and week out.

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It could be worse. Remember the games against the Rams or the 49's last year? Me neither. They played such boring games last year, choosing to take it easy/safe than put in an embarrassing blow out. IMO, 2016 was a boring season with the most bad ass, exciting last 18 minutes.

For 2017, I'm not sure I want drama and excitement either.

This OL is always a concern. Solder has proven to be an average/mediocre LT;
Thuney is ok, but the bar has been set low since Mankin$ was traded; Andrews is a "scrappy, intellegent technician"; Mason is a short, athletic pulling Guard who is
lousy in pass protection; and Cannon, for all the crap I've given him over the years,
might be the best of the bunch.

On defense, the lack of a consistently dynamic pass rush since Chandler Jones & Jamie Collins were traded will be, as many others have mentioned, a season-long
concern. I wish that Jabaal Sheard had been re-signed.

only one really is D-line depth. The top end Im fine with. Flowers for Sheard and Ealy for Long was a wash. Issue is the 2nd and 3rd string guys are question marks, so open to injury concerns.