So what can be done to fix this (1-2 start)?

borg · Sep 26, 2018

DaBruinz said:
What do you base your "Britt wasn't good here" last year statement on? You could tell that from the 3 games where he dressed as the 4th receiver? After having spent 13 games in Cleveland??

What do you base your "Matthews was a long shot" statement on?

I don't think you comprehend that Matthews would have made this team if not for his injury.

You do realize that the Patriots were working on a contract extension for Britt until he got injured, right? Clearly they felt they saw something in him if they were willing to do that.

Britt has a career 54% catch/target rate.
Titans fans labeled Britt player with the least amount of heart
4th team and counting

primetime · Sep 26, 2018

KontradictioN said:
Aside from Brown, I actually don't think the OL has been that bad. And even Brown has been more up and down than anything. In pass pro, they were doing a great job keeping the pocket clean for Brady but Brady had to hold the ball for so long that coverage sacks happened on Sunday night. With the ground game, holes have been there but Michel has looked hesitant. Almost like he's still thinking instead of reacting. I expect that to get resolved as the season goes on and he gets more comfortable with the play book.

I disagree with this entirely. Thuney has looked downright putrid and Mason has missed several run blocks, which is uncharacteristic. Brown has looked fine. I don't think Thuney would be on the field if Wynn was healthy. The Jaguars, who have the league's best defensive front, were pressuring Brady from inside all game and denying him throwing lanes. The problem is with the interior of the line, and there's only so much you can do, especially when you're running into 8-man boxes.

Kontradiction · Sep 26, 2018

primetime said:
I disagree with this entirely. Thuney has looked downright putrid and Mason has missed several run blocks, which is uncharacteristic. Brown has looked fine. I don't think Thuney would be on the field if Wynn was healthy. The Jaguars, who have the league's best defensive front, were pressuring Brady from inside all game and denying him throwing lanes. The problem is with the interior of the line, and there's only so much you can do, especially when you're running into 8-man boxes.

The Jaguars can do that to most teams - including the Patriots last season. The interior pass protection held up Sunday night. At one point in the game Brady had 8 seconds to throw and still had to take a sack because nobody was getting open. I'd bet my post count that they suddenly look even better once Edelman gets back and Brady has another quick outlet to release the ball.

TomPatriot · Sep 26, 2018

primetime said:
I disagree with this entirely. Thuney has looked downright putrid and Mason has missed several run blocks, which is uncharacteristic. Brown has looked fine. I don't think Thuney would be on the field if Wynn was healthy. The Jaguars, who have the league's best defensive front, were pressuring Brady from inside all game and denying him throwing lanes. The problem is with the interior of the line, and there's only so much you can do, especially when you're running into 8-man boxes.

It's not just the interior. It extends to the TEs. The OL problem is timing, execution and technique. They've been off the ball slow often and they've missed assignments more than usual. Some of the technique is awful (basic stuff) and no one is innocent, including Brown, who stops his feet and comes off high way too much. The only OL to play adequately in the last game was Andrews and he wasn't great.

BTTA · Sep 26, 2018

Everything is broken.
Brady it old.
The RB's are fragile.
The receivers can't get open.
The interior OL is getting pushed around or running and passing plays.
Brown is getting beaten, and Cannon is fragile, and the backups aren't starting quality.
The DL can't stop the run.
No pass rush.
Hightower is cooked, and the other LB's are too slow.
Only Gilmore can be counted on among the CB's.
The safeties are old.
Everything is broken.

FreeTedWilliams · Sep 26, 2018

Offer the Texans next years 2nd and 6th round picks for Clowney. The Texans don't look like they are going to be contenders this year. He is in the last year of his rookie deal at @$13 million. He has been hurt often, he will be looking for a huge deal next year. All of which spells 3rd round comp pick in 2020 for the Texans. So by trading him now for a 2nd and a 6th the Texans save millions and get more and a better pick sooner, than they would have if they let him walk.

The Pats make the trade, and BB teaches him the LT role. Pray to God that he stays healthy, and then franchise him for next year. Risky? yes! Worth a shot? I think so.

Jimke · Sep 26, 2018

betterthanthealternative said:
Everything is broken.
Brady it old.
The RB's are fragile.
The receivers can't get open.
The interior OL is getting pushed around or running and passing plays.
Brown is getting beaten, and Cannon is fragile, and the backups aren't starting quality.
The DL can't stop the run.
No pass rush.
Hightower is cooked, and the other LB's are too slow.
Only Gilmore can be counted on among the CB's.
The safeties are old.
Everything is broken.

All thru the 50 plus years of the Patriots, good teams have become bad teams as good players have left and have been replaced with inferior ones. The talent level on this
team is substandard.

Ring 6 · Sep 26, 2018

betterthanthealternative said:
Everything is broken.
Brady it old.
The RB's are fragile.
The receivers can't get open.
The interior OL is getting pushed around or running and passing plays.
Brown is getting beaten, and Cannon is fragile, and the backups aren't starting quality.
The DL can't stop the run.
No pass rush.
Hightower is cooked, and the other LB's are too slow.
Only Gilmore can be counted on among the CB's.
The safeties are old.
Everything is broken.

So what you are saying is we got them right where we want them.

Bourne Again Christian · Sep 26, 2018

FreeTedWilliams said:
Offer the Texans next years 2nd and 6th round picks for Clowney. The Texans don't look like they are going to be contenders this year. He is in the last year of his rookie deal at @$13 million. He has been hurt often, he will be looking for a huge deal next year. All of which spells 3rd round comp pick in 2020 for the Texans. So by trading him now for a 2nd and a 6th the Texans save millions and get more and a better pick sooner, than they would have if they let him walk.

The Pats make the trade, and BB teaches him the LT role. Pray to God that he stays healthy, and then franchise him for next year. Risky? yes! Worth a shot? I think so.

Love the Clowney move.
We need linebackers who can run can we do like the movie celtic pride and hold BB just til the draft concludes.
He does a great job getting unrestricted free agents afterall.

Bourne Again Christian · Sep 26, 2018

I hate to say it but Brady missing OTAs could be a big part of the problem in the passing game.
This is one of the worst offenses thus far under Josh Mcdaniels.
Im holding out hope Gordon and Edelman fix this mess.
Also that BB stays out of defensive meetings or takes it over dont know who is to blame between him and Flores.

SHOWTIME15 · Sep 26, 2018

Former Patriots executive Mike Lombardi: Rob Gronkowski doesn’t have same quickness he once had

A summary of what he said:

Gronkowski - he’s lost quickness

Hightower - should be a DE since he’s slow

Patterson - keeps running wrong route

White - Goes down too easily

Michel - Not ready to replace dion lewis

Sciz · Sep 26, 2018

Clowney’s biggest “contribution” this season was the 15 yard penalty he got in week 2 when he wasn’t even active.

FalconHeavy · Sep 26, 2018

how bad is Brian Cushing, Erid Reid and Dez Bryant waiting for a call from a team ? Of course, you can assume that I have no idea about their health or ability, but was just wondering.

Sciz · Sep 26, 2018

parthasas said:
how bad is Brian Cushing, Erid Reid and Dez Bryant waiting for a call from a team ? Of course, you can assume that I have no idea about their health or ability, but was just wondering.

Appears to be more money than ability. At one point, Reid was requesting the same $5.676 million that he made last season. Bryant seemed offended that the Browns offered less than $5 million. Cushing has made $45 million in his career, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he’d prefer to retire instead of adding only an extra million or two onto that.

IllegalContact · Sep 26, 2018

I wouldn't worry........everyone's preference should be that when this team falls, that it falls hard....right now, the only guy earning his money is the punter

Ring 6 · Sep 26, 2018

The fix has already started because the adversity has occurred. 2 losses, the media predicting doom, some atypical crappy play.
The “fix” has always been facing adversity and struggle and improving.

Ring 6 · Sep 26, 2018

Last year in the first 4 weeks the patriots allowed 128 points, 32 per game. It was viewed as a wreck of a defense that was also sustaining injuries.
In the next 8 games they allowed 95 points, 11.9 per game and not more than 17 in any game.
There was less reason to believe they would improve them than their is now.

BTTA · Sep 26, 2018

AndyJohnson said:
There was less reason to believe they would improve them than their is now.

This is a pretty funny sentence as typed. I think you are trying to say, "There was less reason to believe they would improve then, than there is now."
?

Kontradiction · Sep 26, 2018

AndyJohnson said:
Last year in the first 4 weeks the patriots allowed 128 points, 32 per game. It was viewed as a wreck of a defense that was also sustaining injuries.
In the next 8 games they allowed 95 points, 11.9 per game and not more than 17 in any game.
There was less reason to believe they would improve them than their is now.

They played:

Tampa Bay (18th)
Jets (24th)
Falcons (15th)
Chargers (13th)
Broncos (27th)
Raiders (23rd)
Dolphins (28th)
Bills (22nd)
Dolphins (28th)
Steelers (8th)
Bills (22nd)
Jets (24th)

The average offensive ranking of the rest of the schedule was 21st in the league, helped greatly by the Steelers (who had no trouble moving the ball up and down the field). This team could improve, but pimping that stat without context is illogical. We saw who they really were again in the postseason, unfortunately.

DaBruinz · Sep 26, 2018

borg said:
Britt has a career 54% catch/target rate.
Titans fans labeled Britt player with the least amount of heart
4th team and counting

And that has nothing to do with his play last year in 3 games for the Pats. But thanks for the info.

So what can be done to fix this (1-2 start)?

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