12 wins, book it.

[PatsFanInVa]

Someone else agrees with the OP here:

Rob Ninkovich explains why he believes Patriots are a 12-win team

Rob Ninkovich doesn’t share the negativity around the 2022 New England Patriots. Appearing on The Greg Hill, Ninkovich predicted the Pats will win 12 games this season. | WEEI 93.7

www.audacy.com

"You heard it here first." Still, kudos to Ninko for beating the rush to the bandwagon

 

[mgteich]

Mac's the least of my concerns with this team... Having Parker, Agholor & JonNo Smith act as if they possess just a modicum of pride in their work relative to their bloated paychecks would be a nice start... Same with Wynn/Lose... And with Godsmack & Zero-INT Mills on defense...

Lotta thieves in the building right now... Hang on to your valuables...

Yes, the passing game will be better if only one of Parker, Agholor, or Smith is a serious contributor. [to add to Bourne, Myers and Henry]. I am ignoring the long shot of our rookie being a significant contributor.

Do you agree?

 

[WhatJustHappened]

This is not going to be an EZ team to defend IMO.
I've said it B4, gimme 3 or 4 guys that can get open and catch the ball, they are harder to gameplan for if the QB can recognize the coverage.

 

[mgteich]

This is not going to be an EZ team to defend IMO.
I've said it B4, gimme 3 or 4 guys that can get open and catch the ball, they are harder to gameplan for if the QB can recognize the coverage.

The targets are there. It is up to the staff to prepare Jones to recognize the coverages.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

The targets are there. It is up to the staff to prepare Jones to recognize the coverages.

I agree - the WR group is varied enough that the targets will be there. Meyers is great in the slot, but I still hope we find someone a bit more explosive, whether it be Nixon or Bourne or another. Agholor (year 2), Parker, and Thornton on the outside will be a vast improvement over Harry and Agholor (year 1).

 

[mgteich]

I agree - the WR group is varied enough that the targets will be there. Meyers is great in the slot, but I still hope we find someone a bit more explosive, whether it be Nixon or Bourne or another. Agholor (year 2), Parker, and Thornton on the outside will be a vast improvement over Harry and Agholor (year 1).

I'm fine with Bourne in the slot.

 

[SlowGettingUp]

But he gave no real reasons why he thinks this will be a good defense.

Someone pointed out that the key new defensive idea is to have so many people called Jones on the defense that the opposing team will always be confused as to which DB is on the field.

 

[captain stone]

I'm fine with Bourne in the slot.

Bourne should absolutely be in the slot.

Parker - Bourne - Agholor
Meyers - (Nixon) - Thornton

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Yes, the passing game will be better if only one of Parker, Agholor, or Smith is a serious contributor. [to add to Bourne, Myers and Henry]. I am ignoring the long shot of our rookie being a significant contributor.

Do you agree?

I don't agree with ignoring long shots in general, in this case Thornton. Definitionally, long shots are long shots. But a longshot with average measurables is not the same as a long shot with outsized measurables, like Thornton. In all likelihood, routerunning, hands, size, unfamiliarity with the offense or some other factor will prevent an instant leap to pro significance in year 1. But whereas with some guys that stuff gets you to contributor, with speed like Thornton's, if all else goes well -- again a longshot -- he can make an outsized impact.

How often do we say "oh that guy came out of relatively nowhere"? Ignore fat tails at your peril. Then again, you're probably right about any given one of them.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

Yes, the passing game will be better if only one of Parker, Agholor, or Smith is a serious contributor. [to add to Bourne, Myers and Henry]. I am ignoring the long shot of our rookie being a significant contributor.

Do you agree?

When you draft someone top 50 they definitely aren't a long shot by any means. I get why people are essentially writing him off but those people live in a Pats bubble. Top 50 come in and contribute right away. Now I understand we have several capable targets in front of him but there's no one on the team with his skill set besides Agholor and even he's not on Thornton's level when it comes to speed. I get the offense, route running and all that but unless you expect him to make an enormous jump year two after basically doing nothing year 1 it makes all the sense in the world to want to see him perform early.

He was a big swing, against the grain. We definitely shouldn't be alright with a redshirt season from a guy we traded up for even if it was only a few spots.

 

[mgteich]

When you draft someone top 50 they definitely aren't a long shot by any means. I get why people are essentially writing him off but those people live in a Pats bubble. Top 50 come in and contribute right away. Now I understand we have several capable targets in front of him but there's no one on the team with his skill set besides Agholor and even he's not on Thornton's level when it comes to speed. I get the offense, route running and all that but unless you expect him to make an enormous jump year two after basically doing nothing year 1 it makes all the sense in the world to want to see him perform early.

He was a big swing, against the grain. We definitely shouldn't be alright with a redshirt season from a guy we traded up for even if it was only a few spots.

Do you think that we will have only 4 WR's on the 53? Surely, if Thronton is expected to be a major contributor, a 5th is a waste of a roster spot.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

Do you think that we will have only 4 WR's on the 53? Surely, if Thronton is expected to be a major contributor, a 5th is a waste of a roster spot.

Bourne, Meyers, Agholor, Parker, Thornton and a possible 6th but those 5 are locks unless Meyers or Agholor get traded.

 

[SammyBlueCat]

I was skimming through this thread and I realized I have no idea what will happen to this team. They have slipped and so have I.

 

[venecol]

I was skimming through this thread and I realized I have no idea what will happen to this team. They have slipped and so have I.

This team goes as Mac goes. It's that simple. Nobody knows.

 

[mgteich]

This team goes as Mac goes. It's that simple. Nobody knows.

This team goes as the defense goes. It is that simple. Nobody knows.

 

[WhatJustHappened]

I was skimming through this thread and I realized I have no idea what will happen to this team. They have slipped and so have I.

Slipped? HOW HAVE THEY SLIPPED Sammy?

 

[venecol]

This team goes as the defense goes. It is that simple. Nobody knows.

 

[captain stone]

This team goes as the defense goes. It is that simple. Nobody knows.

I agree... and that's bad news for us.

 

[40yrpatsfan]

Last year we started 2-4, with tough losses to Mia (1 point), Tampa (2 points), and Dallas (OT). Trent Brown was lost in week 1/qtr 1, and we had a rookie QB and below average weapons. How we made the playoffs is a miracle.

This year we'll be led by our OL and running game, our QB has blossomed, his weapons are much better, and even though there's many new faces on the D I think it will be better than last year's. The schedule is tough but if things break our way we could be 7-2 at the bye.