Patriots Pregame Thread 2023 Week 2 OFFICIAL Pre-Game Thread: Patriots vs Dolphins (EDIT: was Phish chatter)

[Guts]

MIami's OL is weak, they don't have much of a run game and their run defense is suspect as the Chargers demonstrated. Good run defenses don't give up 234 yards and 5.9 yards per carry in any game. I don't think they match up that well with us. And we're at home. As long as the mistakes are minimized Pats should win comfortably imo

Matchup is better, but divisional games always close most of the time

 

[mgcolby]

Their o-line is major crap compared to Eagles.

And haven't even discussed how atrocious their run D was on Sunday. 5.85 yards a pop. Ouch!

Will probably go back and watch their game today or tomorrow. I caught pieces of it on Sunday but not enough to get the flow of the game. But 234 yards on the ground is rough.

Eliminate the turnovers and we should be able to hang 30 on them. The D needs another week like last week and if so this is a winnable game.

 

[PatsFan2]

MIami's OL is weak, they don't have much of a run game and their run defense is suspect as the Chargers demonstrated. Good run defenses don't give up 234 yards and 5.9 yards per carry in any game. I don't think they match up that well with us. And we're at home. As long as the mistakes are minimized Pats should win comfortably imo.

I don't think they match up well with us really?? When did he Patriots become a jaugernaut on offense?? I must have missed that.

 

[patfanken]

win the turnover battle....win the turnover battle....win the turnover battle...this Patriots offense isn't good enough to give the other team extra possessions.

Pats did a good job on Hill last year, granted the second game Miami was down to their 9th string qb. Keep it up.

preaching to the choir. The correlation between winning the TO battle and winning the game is telling. Just look at the games last week. Are the Jets even CLOSE to the Dolphins without having FOUR offensive OT's. The Pats lost their game because they had 2. Normally a team doesn't even GET to overtime with 4 TO's.......AND a ST's TD.

But here's the thing. TO's are SO often a matter of luck. Pass deflections that just HAPPEN to go to your guy. A fumble that just HAPPENS to bounce toward your guy and not there's. That's the problem with them is you cannot count of them because so much of them is just luck. It is rare to see a CB or S fool a QB and just step in front of a pass for a pick. THOSE are not luck.

For the most part what a team CAN do is control giving UP TO's. Having none or just one a game goes a LONG way toward achieving victory.

 

[turkeyneck]

MIami's OL is weak, they don't have much of a run game and their run defense is suspect as the Chargers demonstrated. Good run defenses don't give up 234 yards and 5.9 yards per carry in any game. I don't think they match up that well with us. And we're at home. As long as the mistakes are minimized Pats should win comfortably imo.

Hopefully Klemm can get the Gs driving a little better. There was none against PHI.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Early thoughts:

This is a big one . Of course nothing in week 2 is a must win but the loss to philly was manageable given its an nfc opponent. Every divisional game is crucial as is avoiding 0-2.

The homer in me says bb is due for a w on tua. Tua has not been particularly great in the 4 wins and theyve all been pretty close. Turnovers and silly mistakes/breakdowns have done us in, we need a clean game here!

Interesting to see if we get our guards back. I was somewhat encouraged by our offense last week and glad the pass pro was good, but this offense can be above average if we can get rham and zeke some room to run.

Gotta win in the trenches on both sides. especially our defense vs their ol i think we have the advantage there. But for the most part like i said above, LETS SEE A CLEAN GAME PLEASE. Do not lose the turnover battle , play solid special teams, and limit the unforced errors.

 

[Chevy]

Just the opposite. If the offense is looking for big plays deep, the OL has to hold up longer.

Tua loves slants to get the ball out fast. The Pats have to take away the slants. They know this.

Add to that the Cover 0 look that morphs at the snap - not sure if Tua will be able to handle that.

 

[patfanken]

Hill/Waddle more explosive than Brown/Smith BB and Mayo's job is a lot tougher this week.

Yeah it might if they were just playing man to man with no help. But you KNOW that is not going to happen. Man with help over the top. Double shell zones, and a better overall pass rush than they saw last week. A LITTLE tougher on those two, maybe, but perhaps easier on the TE and #3 (Barrios?) Also I hope they will have many more problems running their offense in the DIN of Gillette.

 

[patfanken]

One thing that concerns me is the FG kicker. While thinking about some of the Questionable calls the Pats made at the end of the game, I couldn't help wonder if some of them came about because Bill didn't have full confidence in his K. Some of his extra points WERE dodgy. Just sayin'

 

[Taxed in Maine]

I don't think they match up well with us really?? When did he Patriots become a jaugernaut on offense?? I must have missed that.

Watching some of that Mia-LA game, was like watching a college game. 2-3 great players on either side and everyone else is just there for the scholarship.

Hanging 36 on the Chargers and their Sieve Defense is much different than the Pats top 5 defense. They won't score more than 20-24 pts on the Pats.
The Waddle and Hill will get their catches, but then what? They had 70yds rushing against a bottom 1/3 defense.

The Dolphins can't stop the run and struggle against the pass without Ramsey. Mac threw for 316 and 3td against the Eagles.

I like our chances in the match up at home.

 

[Thelonious]

If the Pats win this game, the Pats MVP will have to be Bill Belichick. I'm looking forward to this game more than I have any game in some time: Old, Brainy (and oddball) HC vs. Young, Brainy (and oddball) HC, Tua vs. Mac revisited, and for whatever reason I think the Pats have a chance. If they win, the generally held view that the Pats are the weakest team in the division gets interestingly shaky.

 

[turkeyneck]

One thing that concerns me is the FG kicker. While thinking about some of the Questionable calls the Pats made at the end of the game, I couldn't help wonder if some of them came about because Bill didn't have full confidence in his K. Some of his extra points WERE dodgy. Just sayin'

There's no doubt that Bill has the rookie still on probationary status, at least in high stakes situations.

 

[Hyped]

a.) This is how I see it:

Fish vs. Eagles:

OL<OL (Top 3 OL in the NFL)
RB<RB (I like Gainwell and Swift better than Mostert)
QB<QB (Hurts is more mobile, but Tua may be the better passer)
TE<TE (Goedert wasn't impressive, but still better)
WR>WR (I think Tyreek/Waddle are better than Brown/Smith...but it is very close)
DL<DL (Top 3 DL in the NFL even with an old man Cox)
LB>LB
Secondary<Secondary (I think Slay and Bradshaw are the better CB duo...but Miami might have a better overall secondary)
ST=ST (Wash)

b.) I'd like to see us play a completely turnover free game. I don't care if we lose with Mac & Co. punting all day....I'd like to see a game where we just don't GIVE the opponent anything at all.

c.) Would like to see Onwenu and Strange suit up...and see us get some push off the line to give Rham/EE some room to work with.

 

[Horace's Ivories]

I predict a statement win by Pats - coming out party for several players.. Cheers.

 

[turkeyneck]

b.) I'd like to see us play a completely turnover free game. I don't care if we lose with Mac & Co. punting all day....I'd like to see a game where we just don't GIVE the opponent anything at all.

c.) Would like to see Onwenu and Strange suit up...and see us get some push off the line to give Rham/EE some room to work with.

Some progress has been made on the mistake front. There is a lot of room for further improvement.

Credit to PHI in part for the lack of push by the rookie Gs. Looking for better this game either from the rookies with more experience now or with the proper starters.

 

[patfanken]

Did the Pats practise today. I haven't seen anything that would indicate they did, but I can't see Bill giving today off.

 

[PP2]

Early thoughts:

This is a big one . Of course nothing in week 2 is a must win but the loss to philly was manageable given its an nfc opponent. Every divisional game is crucial as is avoiding 0-2.

It's huge. Win and it's very likely everyone in the division is 1-1. Good chance at a reset with Jets up after that.

 

[patsfanfromoversea]

easy win just trust my instincts, Mac and Stevenson will blow them not just to help my fantasy football team get going

 

[Brotherblues]

One thing that concerns me is the FG kicker. While thinking about some of the Questionable calls the Pats made at the end of the game, I couldn't help wonder if some of them came about because Bill didn't have full confidence in his K. Some of his extra points WERE dodgy. Just sayin'

The xp attempts dropped my blood pressure each time with how close they were. I'd have still sent him out for the chip shot.

 

[State]

Hill/Waddle more explosive than Brown/Smith BB and Mayo's job is a lot tougher this week.

Enter the Mapu.