Patriots Pregame Thread 2025 Patriots @ Cryami - Early thoughts

[Zuma]

The Defense was gassed because there were few substitutions.

Barmore and Williams didn't play that many reps at any time in their careers. Spillane play 100% of the reps, ditto from Davis, Austin and Hawkins.

I'm going there again...If the Patriots ran the ball a lot ALL GAME that would have easily given the team more TOP and in turn allowed the front D not to be gasses early. Of course this all depends on the OL functioning well in that department. I think we will see an improvement soon.

 

[Wozzy]

One thing I noticed rewatching the highlights is the desperate need for some speed added to this offense at the WR position. Kyle Williams should play a lot more.

I like Boutte and all, but he's not fast... the only WR's with speed are Douglas who is a Smurf and Diggs who is slowly coming back from injury... and probably not as fast as he used to be.

Get Kyle Williams young legs into the game and stressing opposing defenses down field.

 

[Zuma]

One thing I noticed rewatching the highlights is the desperate need for some speed added to this offense at the WR position. Kyle Williams should play a lot more.

I like Boutte and all, but he's not fast... the only WR's with speed are Douglas who is a Smurf and Diggs who is slowly coming back from injury... and probably not as fast as he used to be.

Get Kyle Williams young legs into the game and stressing opposing defenses down field.

I think that's a mistake. Boutte just got over 100 yds receiving and you want to pull him? I was NOT a Hollins fan...ever but If you want to make a change...then put him in the slot. Drake needs a 6'4" WR right in front of him who's not 5'2" getting -2 yards per game. He's not the future but can help immediately there IMO.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

McDaniels, please run the ball more.

Henderson needs to get more touches. Pierce needs to get more touches. Stevenson should get as few touches as possible,

Westover needs to learn to block the correct defender!! It is not hard to figure out if you know your assignment.

Why is hollins on the team again?? His blocking should be much better because his route running is putrid!

Our corners are going to look bad this season, and some of it is on them, but the scheme is flawed and the corners are going to be blamed unfairly most of the time.

 

[signbabybrady]

McDaniels, please run the ball more.

Henderson needs to get more touches. Pierce needs to get more touches. Stevenson should get as few touches as possible,

Westover needs to learn to block the correct defender!! It is not hard to figure out if you know your assignment.

Why is hollins on the team again?? His blocking should be much better because his route running is putrid!

Our corners are going to look bad this season, and some of it is on them, but the scheme is flawed and the corners are going to be blamed unfairly most of the time.

What's the flaw?

 

[mgteich]

I'm going there again...If the Patriots ran the ball a lot ALL GAME that would have easily given the team more TOP and in turn allowed the front D not to be gasses early. Of course this all depends on the OL functioning well in that department. I think we will see an improvement soon.

Sure, they would have been gassed. The patriots would have had many, many fewer reps on Offense and the Defense would have been on the field lots, lots more,

You merely ASSUME that running it a lot would have meant anything but a lot of 3 and outs for us.
========
You ASSUME or more reasonably HOPE that our run-blocking will get much better soon and that we will run the ball more. That is likely to be true again horrible MIA, but much less likely against PITT.

 

[UrbanCowboy]

Unfortunately, that offense is liable to take an enormous dump if they feel like their livelihood is in jeopardy. Mike McDaniel has to win this game to maintain a job. All that to say, I'm of the opposite camp where a loss doesn't tell me much, but a win could?

However, I do think it is best practice to set a reasonable expectation, and then accept/expect 50-70% of even that. I think this season's W/L could be a misleading metric - if we fight in every single game, swing on the opponent, and have bursts of improvement on all levels - maybe just not synchronized - then I think that's promising.

The last 4 years we all have gathered on this forum to try and get a ****in' IOTA of an idea as to what kind of team this is. Everything was so bad, you couldn't point to one or two areas to really focus on, as it was everything. If we walk out of this season thinking "we have a functioning OL" (ranks around 15th) then we're in better shape. Then we know really know Maye's performance. Then we really know the receivers performance. That's something we could not get granular with _at all_ these past few seasons. And to be honest, that is the most miserable football to watch imo. I'm optimistic and will be very glad to move on from that.

ha, it totally is boring, miserable.. but maybe that's just what losing football is like and we're not used to it. I guess part of being a fan (a choice, I know) is watching even when it's barely watchable.

 

[DoubleDeluxe]

McDaniels, please run the ball more.

Henderson needs to get more touches. Pierce needs to get more touches. Stevenson should get as few touches as possible,

Westover needs to learn to block the correct defender!! It is not hard to figure out if you know your assignment.

Why is hollins on the team again?? His blocking should be much better because his route running is putrid!

Our corners are going to look bad this season, and some of it is on them, but the scheme is flawed and the corners are going to be blamed unfairly most of the time.

Who is Pierce?

 

[TommyD4207]

Lemme guess: better-insisting that his QB play more like Brady...?

Or, you know, play more like Mac Jones, and not sail and ignore checkdowns.

 

[Wozzy]

I think that's a mistake. Boutte just got over 100 yds receiving and you want to pull him? I was NOT a Hollins fan...ever but If you want to make a change...then put him in the slot. Drake needs a 6'4" WR right in front of him who's not 5'2" getting -2 yards per game. He's not the future but can help immediately there IMO.

Hollins is slow, he doesn’t help the field stretching problem. The only fast receivers we have are Kyle Williams and Douglas.
Those guys should get some heavy run.

Let the rest of the WR’s fight for remaining snaps, though Boutte and Diggs probably deserve the rest.

 

[Zuma]

Hollins is slow, he doesn’t help the field stretching problem. The only fast receivers we have are Kyle Williams and Douglas.
Those guys should get some heavy run.

Let the rest of the WR’s fight for remaining snaps, though Boutte and Diggs probably deserve the rest.

Again…not a huge Hollins fan here…but I think the reliability he could produce in the slot with a height mismatch is more valuable than fast receivers at the moment. Hollins knows the system.

 

[slash83]

Won’t be surprised if Gonzo ends up on IR any day now, someone misdiagnosed his injury.

 

[mgteich]

Won’t be surprised if Gonzo ends up on IR any day now, someone misdiagnosed his injury.

yup, he might need a month

 

[PatsFan2]

Dolphins held players-only meeting after blowout

The Dolphins held a players-only meeting Tuesday, two days after their 33-8 blowout loss to the Colts, to make sure the team remained "on the same page."

www.espn.com

Home opener for them hope we are ready: a 0-2 Start for us will not be good.

 

[varjao]

I expect a bounce back game from the offense. To be honest they were playing well until that pick from Maye, then everything fell apart, and I was almost feeling it coming (uuu) with Maye passing that much without some balance or trickery.

 

[WazzuWheatfarmer]

Get Henderson involved early and often. I firmly believe that he is a huge key to the Patriots offensive success.
Defensively, hit hard. Play physical. Yeah, the league is trying to get away from big hits and defensive intimidation. Screw it. Light these guys up. Even if it draws a few flags. Set the tone for what type of a team you are.

 

[Sect140]

Dolphins had a players only meeting yesterday, having one after game 1 leads me to believe the team is close to imploding, if the Pats can get up early Dolphins may quit. They could also come out fast.

 

[PatsFan2]

Dolphins had a players only meeting yesterday, having one after game 1 leads me to believe the team is close to imploding, if the Pats can get up early Dolphins may quit. They could also come out fast.

The opposite is also true. I think Vegas is betting on Tua.

 

[Sect140]

The opposite is also true. I think Vegas is betting on Tua.

True, that’s why I also mentioned they could come out fast, just weather the initial burst of energy the Dolphins will have. Take the ball and go on a long sustained drive.

 

[Zuma]