PostGame Thread 2024 OFFICIAL POSTGAME THREAD: Patriots beat the Bears 19-3 to improve to 3-7

[PScottman]

A handful of games studying didn't seem to hurt him, it seems.

His significant improvement in the fundamentals from even camp is evident.

What cannot be determined and only claimed is whether his so far high level decision making is a product of his being able to practice and observe rather than take the hits, etc from day one or if it was there all along. That will be an argument here for awhile.

 

[TinhWoodhead]

Finish with an 8 game win streak
Make the playoffs at 10-7
End the Chiefs unbeaten streak
Win the Super Bowl

Seems straightforward.

…then I wake up…

 

[Jim Beankie]

Schooler played spy today .... well done good strategy.

“It was awesome. It was my first career sack ever, going back to Pop Warner, high school and college, so it was a pretty cool feeling.”

 

[PatsFan2]

Boutte and Douglas are quality receivers. If they get a true 1 to take the coverage off of them they’ll be even better. I’m on board with either sign Higgins and draft a LT, or sign an LT and draft McMillan.

Devante Adams or Amari Cooper in FA 25: a very good #2 would make them look good. Boutte have really come on and he's drawing the safety over the Top. Sign of a very good or feared WR he's only going to get better.

 

[PatsFan2]

The stock is up on Mayo. If he can get one more win this year matching 2023, he'll be safe.

IF Maye played a little earlier we win that Miami game.

 

[Ross12]

I think what’s most impressive to me is that one of the things we always credited Belichick for was making young/rookie QBs look like dog ass. Without fail he was almost always able to bring upstart QBs on a hot streak down to earth.

Caleb Williams had been generating a lot of positive buzz lately but got smacked down today. He looked lost and confused. That’s very promising…

 

[vicspats]

Imagine if a Slye FG wasn't blocked by Seattle and Maye started against Miami or Brissett didn't float it to Polk against them.

Yowza!!!

 

[vicspats]

Or Seattle and Miami. Those should of been wins. Glad to see the defense play well. Chicago did have a bunch of injuries. Not that we don't. But they were missing I believe 3 starters on D and both starting tackles, was listening to Jim Miller on Friday talk about this. He said he expected Rham to have a big day and thought it would be tough for the Bears to win and that obviously with their upcoming schedule it might be their last chance to get a win for a while.

Nice to have a winning Sunday.

Hope they keep building towards something other than just a draft

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

Pump the breaks, they haven’t scored more than 20 points in the last two games against absolutely awful teams.

 

[upstater1]

He did not need to lead him at all. He could have hit him directly and more importantly low. Instead he went high and behind.

No way low, and no way directly. Just rewatched it. Safeties hand was literally an inch from grabbing it if it wasnt thrown where it was. If anything you can argue he shouldnt have thrown it. He saw the safety and the LB and tried to sandwich it

 

[NFL Mystique]

@FreeTedWilliams I wouldn't classify the Bears, especially their D, as "absolutely awful."

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

Pump the breaks, they haven’t scored more than 20 points in the last two games against absolutely awful teams.

They had a season high 328 yards of offense and scored on 5/11 possessions. Better than they were earlier this season.

 

[Ross12]

They had a season high 328 yards of offense and scored on 5/11 possessions. Better than they were earlier this season.

I think it is being overlooked how much of an impact the wind had on the game. For most teams this would be a very low scoring affair. 19 points is fairly impressive considering the wind and the cast, and the fact that they threw so much. Williams had far more trouble throwing in the wind than Maye even though it was his own stadium.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Pump the breaks, they haven’t scored more than 20 points in the last two games against absolutely awful teams.

This was the same trap posters fell into when they beat crappy teams with Bill. The real test will come against Buffalo, Miami and Arizona who can put up points. Chicago is trending downward.

How will the offense respond when the defense can’t keep the game close? That was their Achilles heel during the 2020-2023 seasons. Once teams but up a 10+ point lead, the Pats were dead to rights. The offense still isn’t built to score quickly.

 

[VJCPatriot]

This was our best defensive performance of the year. 9 sacks and how many pressures? Caleb Williams was never able to get comfortable.

Meanwhile Slye accounts for 13 of our points, he's proven himself a reliable kicker.

Drake Maye did enough to get us points. All he needed was 6 to win in retrospect, but it's encouraging that he had a decent game manager type of day save for the one interception. The pick to TJ Edwards was pretty bad, the guy was just sitting there in front of the check down option and Maye didn't see him.

But other than that a solid team win. Offense will scare nobody, but the defense finally flexed its muscles.

We could easily win a lot of games if we only have to beat 3 points scored by the other side.

So back to reality, it was a good win, but I don't expect us to go on some kind of crazy run now.

Defense played out of their minds today, props to them, but I can't see them doing this more than a couple of times this year.

What do you guys take away from this? I'm thinking it's possible we get to 6-11 if the defense has more performances like this left in it.

 

[Ring 6]

Best game they’ve played all year.

 

[Lambeau12]

Best game they’ve played all year.

Pats aren’t totally out of the playoff picture yet.

 

[Ring 6]

Pats aren’t totally out of the playoff picture yet.

Yes they are.

We’ve lost to 3 teams that have 1 other win all year.

 

[1960Pats]

The only thing I learned is that the bears are awful.

And just like that we go from 1 to 7.

It must really suck to be a Tankhead who's not able to enjoy a great win by the Pats.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Drake Maye did enough to get us points. All he needed was 6 to win in retrospect, but it's encouraging that he had a decent game manager type of day save for the one interception. The pick to TJ Edwards was pretty bad, the guy was just sitting there in front of the check down option and Maye didn't see him.

Remember the days when Bledsoe would stand tall in the pocket, but throw a laser right to the MLB?

That would drive me nuts.