Patriots offense sees 'light at the end of the tunnel'

I feel like the difference between being really good or really bad is often a handful of plays. In that way, there's definitely hope that if the offense turns around, it can happen in a hurry.

The tricky bit is that you have to shore up those plays, while not backsliding in any other areas. And when you're dealing with banged up veterans and inexperienced rookies, that kind of flux is hard to avoid.

This article may be wishful thinking.
On the other hand how is anyone helped by constantly being negative?

Sicilian said:

I feel like the difference between being really good or really bad is often a handful of plays. In that way, there's definitely hope that if the offense turns around, it can happen in a hurry.

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I think the corollary to that is "the difference between good and bad is often less than half a second". Whether that is a lineman holding up just not long enough, Brady being slightly inaccurate or a WR taking one step too long to be uncovered.

I am still pretty optimistic given how the A22 footage looks. Overall skill players are getting open, Brady throws with enough accuracy and zip and if the OL can get a grip everything changes.

I'd much rather put my faith into the offense led by the GOAT to improve drastically over the next 3-4 weeks than one of the weaker defenses we had in the 2010s.

They increase their RZ scoring percentage , the offense will become much easier in the game since teams will play start to watch the score. That is the biggest place they need to fix.

SammyBlueCat said:

This article may be wishful thinking.
On the other hand how is anyone helped by constantly being negative?

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This is the key point right there. They're not going to get better by assuming they can't improve. They're going to focus on what they can do to be better, right up until the last play of the season.

whatever happens, it better be soon. We don't have a lot of time to turn the O around and make it productive. As it stands, this playoff run could be a short one if TB & Co don't turn it around.

I kid, I kid (I hope)!!!!!

I was watching a video about previous super bowls today, and one thing that gives me hope this year: I forgot how GOD AWFUL Peyton Manning was in 2015. Just atrocious. QB Rating under 70 for the year. 9 TD's, 17 Ints. In the playoffs his best rating game was against us at 90.1, but they only scored 20 points and he had 174 yards passing total. In the Super Bowl he threw for a 140 and was sacked 5 times, but they won by multiple scores (and the game felt wider than that), because the defense played lights out. I don't think the Pats D is as good as that Denver D was right now, but man... even with this supporting cast I have a hard time seeing Brady play worse than Manning did that year.

That’s not a light that’s a DE running full sp— WATCH OUT BRADY!

I am of the opinion that this is correct.

I realize people get really defensive with any criticism of Brady and/or McDaniels, but they need to be criticized for an awful year so far.

I understand the LT situation has been an issue. I also understand he has some rookie WRs. I understand the TE situation is very mediocre/less than ideal.

What I do not get is our lack of involvement of with the RBs. In the past, if they had injuries there like with Michel last year, and with Burkhead getting dinged annually at times, I can see it.

Not this year, though. I am sorry, but this is all one Brady and McDaniels the two guys responsible for running this offense. I mean, the Chiefs run D is 30th in the league. How on earth you don't load up with the run, try to get to play-action with some patience, is beyond me.

There is no excuse, and I had stated earlier in the season (not here) that even though Newhouse is doing the best he can as a street free agent, that it's not really just him. There were numerous, numerous times where Brady would have all day and can't find anyone. Now with Wynn out there, while he's still working into form, it's the same thing.

It's too easy on these defenses. They're not even remotely respecting the run. It's a man coverage look even from teams who suck at man coverage with crap personnel, and we still don't hand it off all day with the Ds back to the line of scrimmage? That's an approach problem and a playcalling problem. Period.

This actually happened last year, where the WRs were being held and mauled a lot. I honestly believe this is part of our issue. I think Goodell allows the refs to ignore these penalties. When people are at the games, they need to watch for this stuff, because on tv with the road games, you only see it rarely on replays. In Houston, they'd show a replay and in the background, you can see Sanu or Dorsett, for example, getting a jersey tug or being arm-grabbed. If our DBs did this, there'd be 8 flags on the ground.

So, my point is, when this happened last year (it actually started in 2017, remeber how many times Brady was being hit in that season?),

The bottom line is, this ain't going away. The only way out of it is the run game and using the RBs more.

Where is the 2 back set? Why would have a strength, arguably the best set of RBs 1-5 with what is a good rookie option not even active in Damien Harris, not even being used????

So strange.

Maybe I'm just a Brady homer but I feel like he starts to get it going in the next couple weeks.

Sicilian said:

I was watching a video about previous super bowls today, and one thing that gives me hope this year: I forgot how GOD AWFUL Peyton Manning was in 2015. Just atrocious. QB Rating under 70 for the year. 9 TD's, 17 Ints. In the playoffs his best rating game was against us at 90.1, but they only scored 20 points and he had 174 yards passing total. In the Super Bowl he threw for a 140 and was sacked 5 times, but they won by multiple scores (and the game felt wider than that), because the defense played lights out. I don't think the Pats D is as good as that Denver D was right now, but man... even with this supporting cast I have a hard time seeing Brady play worse than Manning did that year.

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He couldn't throw. That's why he was using that Chinese HGH from Guyer and another example of Goodell cheating.

203Pat said:

Maybe I'm just a Brady homer but I feel like he starts to get it going in the next couple weeks.

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He better. It's the worst year from him I've seen since 2002 0r 2009. Maybe 2011 is in there, too when he was so awful late in the year.

SammyBlueCat said:

Patriots offense sees 'light at the end of the tunnel'

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Better O-line play is what’s sorely, sorely needed.

I feel like if Karras comed back soon plus Harry and Sanu emerging as threats then this offense could improve greatly...

Sicilian said:

This is the key point right there. They're not going to get better by assuming they can't improve. They're going to focus on what they can do to be better, right up until the last play of the season.

Click to expand...

I had an email exchange with Bedard last year about this very topic. He claimed a lack of talent. I am still laughing at it. He'll do anything to take sneaky pot shots at BB the GM, because like 98.5 and other anti-BB outlets, they know they an milk that angle since they'd be considered crazy trying to claim he is poor coach. So, they milk it, and milk it some more, trying to somehow make it seem like Brady isn't to be held accountable, when he runs the offense, gameplans and has multiple plays to choose from from McDoofus.

Fast forward to this year and we're supposed to believe the same OLine minus Andrews (I feel Trent Brown and Wynn are a wash talent-wise), and no Gronk used as a blocker 90% of the time, is better than Sanu, a more experienced Dorsett, a 1st rd pick (on everyone's draft board), and a raw, yet pretty good looking UDFA in Meyers, are worse options than Hogan and Patterson?

Umm, no. I am sorry.

And, I am a Bolden guy, too. We didn't have him last year. I also love Develin, and while a big loss, you just need a willing FB to punch some holes open. Roberts is a thumper and is willing.

The pieces are there to improve. What's sad, is how good the D has been and how many drives and short fields this offense gets. Scary how poor the yield has been.

TommyBrady12 said:

I feel like if Karras comed back soon plus Harry and Sanu emerging as threats then this offense could improve greatly...

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Isn't somewhat suspicious though that we didn't hear of "separation" issues from Sanu in Atlanta, and now he arrives in NE, and it's "no one can get separation"?

I have a sneaking suspicion that a lot of this is tied to Goodell cheating, where they allow defenses to maul in man coverage.

I've seen some crap pass Ds slow our offense down this year. I mean, Brady shreds zone, some crap man coverage team comes in that's used to playing a lot of zone, they play man, and they are awesome.

I am just not buying it. They need to run the **** out of it until they can force some zone. This i on Brady and McD to accomplish this.

There was that one first drive vs the Giants and it showed up nicely vs Dallas, where they did an awesome job getting everyone touches, while running a bunch to show they will run.

Then they get away from it. This is a McDaniels problem. Always has been, and I have absolutely no idea why Brady at age 42, and even BB as the coach, doesn't demand more runs.

It's not a health problem. The O Line is healthy (yes, I realize Karras is trying to come back from the sprain).

luuked said:

I think the corollary to that is "the difference between good and bad is often less than half a second". Whether that is a lineman holding up just not long enough, Brady being slightly inaccurate or a WR taking one step too long to be uncovered.

I am still pretty optimistic given how the A22 footage looks. Overall skill players are getting open, Brady throws with enough accuracy and zip and if the OL can get a grip everything changes.

I'd much rather put my faith into the offense led by the GOAT to improve drastically over the next 3-4 weeks than one of the weaker defenses we had in the 2010s.

Click to expand...

Go look at film of Brady's urgency in the pocket from, say, SB 51 to now. He's not as fleet footed in the pocket as he once was. He would immediately zip straight ahead into the pocket and fire. Now? He drops back 7 yards and expects to have 4 seconds+ on every snap with no run game even attempted to be established. That;s unacceptable for a 42 year old QB, IMO.

They say it's the feet that go first, not the arm.

Part of it is in his head, but he's slowed a bit in the performance area. I am not saying he's done, but he's not in his prime, but with this D, he does not need to be.

I was really discouraged by the film study I watched this week that showed that the offensive line is complete garbage. I'm not sure how that gets fixed with the current personnel.