How do you honestly feel about our chance at a repeat?

Staying healthy, that is the key. Only injuries can stop this team. I think it’ll take some time for this team to gel, but if they could add a healthy Thomas and a returning Gordon (after suspension) to the WR staff, this offense could be scary good. Also I feel Harry is gonna be a good addition.

SBLIII said:

The same I've felt during the last 8-10 years

2007 and 2008 I really felt we should win it no matter what,

but after that I went into each season, yeah we can win this but don't have to, we are in the hunt and can win it if we don't have an absurd amount of injuries.

I feel like that this year. There are about 8 teams I can see winning it and we are one of them.

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Essentially, the 49ers/Cowboys NFC title game in the 90's was the real Super Bowl. Both of those teams were far superior than anything the AFC offered. Last year's Chiefs were considered one of the best teams in football. "Loaded" everywhere. But I think there's more parity in the past twenty years. The Pats have been on both sides of stunning Super Bowl upsets. Things are changing. And I think that's a good thing.

Patsfanin Philly said:

Since that game, Brady has gone 57-15 in the regular season and 12-2 in the playoffs. That's 69-17 or .802 winning percentage for the math-impaired.....

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Nice

I actually love this post.

Brady career, overall: It's more likely that we participate in the Super Bowl than that we don't.

But in the last few years it's better numbers than the overall numbers.

Patsfanin Philly said:

Since that game, Brady has gone 57-15 in the regular season and 12-2 in the playoffs. That's 69-17 or .802 winning percentage for the math-impaired.....

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Is this the best run any QB has ever been on?

scott99 said:

Staying healthy, that is the key. Only injuries can stop this team. I think it’ll take some time for this team to gel, but if they could add a healthy Thomas and a returning Gordon (after suspension) to the WR staff, this offense could be scary good. Also I feel Harry is gonna be a good addition.

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I get where you are coming from, but injuries are a big reason the Patriots dominate. Other teams build for their starters/1st units, the Patriots build both situationally and for depth at all needs, so when other teams run short, like the Chargers did at LB, they can still implement their game plan. Having players ready in January and February isn’t good fortune, it’s good planning.

Ivan said:

I get where you are coming from, but injuries are a big reason the Patriots dominate. Other teams build for their starters/1st units, the Patriots build both situationally and for depth at all needs, so when other teams run short, like the Chargers did at LB, they can still implement their game plan. Having players ready in January and February isn’t good fortune, it’s good planning.

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I think it's more than that.

My favorite play of all time is the Colts off-the-wall trick fourth down punt formation where they moved 9 men towards the sideline leaving only a hiker and QB (played by the left wide receiver) over the ball. On the fly, without any help from the coaches, the Patriots special teamers devised a reasonable defense against this formation. The Colts had practiced this formation a few times the previous week. Although their defenders had seen this multiple times, they never figured out how to defend against it in practice and always managed to commit a penalty when faced with this formation leading to the ball always being snapped. Of course, we all know what happened in the game. Not only did the snapper errorneously snap the ball leading to a quick tackle, but the Colts were also flagged for having "the entire line not on the line of scrimmage".

This "play" just emphasizes another thing that separates the Patriots from other teams - not only being prepared for the expected better than other teams (e.g. Butler's goal-line interception out of a goal-line defense with 3 cornerbacks) but also the ability to think better both individually and as a team for the unexpected.

That being said, you're right on that the team building philosophy of having a strong "middle class" and only a very select few "upper class" is a foundational Patriots philosophy. I think it was either the 2003 or 2004 team that had the most games lost by starters during the regular season out of any teams in the NFL - and still managed to win the title. That's just an incredible accomplishment as most teams would have been demolished by the number of injuries to starters the Patriots encountered that year and finish below .500.

It's not just one thing the Patriots do to excel; they excel in just about every area. Special teams. Leadership. Preparation. Technique. Focus. Winning attitude. Etc., etc.

I am definitely excited about this season.

I treat every season much like my golf game. I start out thinking about the possibility of the best round ever but if it goes south for whatever reason I switch to thinking about going for the best shot ever which is more often than not. Haha

But I really do like what they've done this off season.

One of the reasons I am excited for the new season is to move on from the "silly posting season" where we all spend way too much time speculating and arguing about what if, what might be or what could be and move from the hypothetical to the reality of the NFL season..

Ivan said:

Is this the best run any QB has ever been on?

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I am more impressed with their run from week 5 of 2003 to week 1 of 2005 where, playoffs included they went 33-2.

If my math is correct, from week 1 of 2007 to week 4 of 2013, Brady went 70-15, .823 winning %.
( excepting 2008 w Cassel)

KontradictioN said:

This should make everyone feel better...

No chance. Zip. None. Team stinks. They’re done.

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It worked last season. No harm in trying again.

Question marks

1) How good will Brady be at 42?
2) WR
3) TE
4) LT
5) Can Trey Flowers be replaced?

If all questions can be answered in a positive way, SB54 bound.

Bradyking12 said:

Going to four straight is very rare only has been done once by the Bills in the early 90s but if Harry clicks on and Gordon stays clean I think we have very strong chance, our D alone could carry us imo in the long run but we need our Wrs, obviously Edelman will be Edelman, Maurice Harris looks like a steal but we need Harry to click or Gordon to stay clean either or, if both then we are going to Miami.

I don't think DT will play a snap, I expect Berrios to have a mini breakout season, random dumps for long gains/screens/red zone target.

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Honestly? Honestly?

Actual Pats Fan said:

Honestly? Honestly?

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Honestly.

SBLIII said:

Question marks

1) How good will Brady be at 42?
2) WR
3) TE
4) LT
5) Can Trey Flowers be replaced?

If all questions can be answered in a positive way, SB54 bound.

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Looks like cliff notes.

Clonamery said:

Looks like cliff notes.

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my cliff notes what I watch out for this season basically.

Plus Brady extension and Gordon news before the season.

Feeling good about RB, DT, LB and DB.

I think it unlikely only because statistically it's pretty rare. There are a few impediments to the Pats repeating.
1) The personnel losses (coaches & players)
2) TB another year older
3) Any significant injury to the team's offensive skill players
4) Without a TE who can competently execute the blocking assignments for the offense it will be a totally different offense and who knows if it will succeed. It will be a different offense anyway because the loss of Gronk, who almost always drew the defenses attention.That alone will put a lot of pressure on the rest of the receiving core.
5) Josh Gordon - Without Gordon I'm afraid it's going to be a long season. Jules won't last the season if he is the only competent receiver on the team. The defenses will work him over.

I have a lot of faith in BB to overcome the changes better than any other coach but this coming season is no piece of cake for him.

I think we have a good chance to repeat, mainly because of the strength of the defense. This team will be more like 2004.

Secondary is very strong. LBs are versatile and with Bentley/Collins back we have great depth. Pressure will come from scheme and they'll be a good unit in the end barring injuries.

Offense will be different, but the cupboard isn't bare like 2006, and we have versatile running backs and a few receivers. The offensive line will look better if we become a run first team and mix in play action.

Tony2046 said:

I am definitely excited about this season.

I treat every season much like my golf game. I start out thinking about the possibility of the best round ever but if it goes south for whatever reason I switch to thinking about going for the best shot ever which is more often than not. Haha

But I really do like what they've done this off season.

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Same here. If their defense and run game are as good as they appear to be then they should be really hard to beat. 14-2 is a real possibility.

Ask me again in November. This team is going to be missing a literally huge piece of what got them to the playoffs in 2018. Gronkowski slowed down in the pass catching game but his blocking skills were still absolutely elite, and Dwayne Allen was also a huge part of the offensive blocking game.

We don't know what our current TE corps is going to do, and the blocking game was a massive part of the success of Michel last year, many run schemes took fool advantage of having 7 blockers on the field between the OL, Develin, and Allen or Gronk. I know a lot of people are going to be watching the TEs receiving game like a hawk, but I'm going to be anxious about the effect of losing our big bodies in the run and the short pass.

My overall biggest concern is the effect of losing that bonus protection on #12. Brady may wind up taking a few extra sacks this year unless someone steps up and because of the nature of Brady right now, any bad sack could be his last professional snap. The level of protection he's enjoyed in the last few years with a good OL, plus Develin, plus Gronk, has been nothing short of legendary. He's going to be a bit less immortal now, and we'll have to see how that plays out.