3 reasons why I accept a week 1, 1 point loss to the Dolphins

[Simpelton]

1: The Dolphins are a playoff contender. If Tua plays well they'll be in the mix right up to the end. We played even with a team that shoud have played us even, they just happened to get 1 more point than we did.

2: Mac10 looked GOOD. Like really good. Like making poised throws that moved the offense down the field and being calm and level headed and making good decisions and making accurate throws on timing plays. To the point that with the issues shown in the rushing attack we might want to move up the timetable for when we start handing Mac most of the offensive burden because it looks like he can handle it.

This is going to sound sacrilegious, but Mac right now looks better than Brady did early in 2001 and he had the team in position to win the game before Harris coughed up the ball. He came within spitting distance of completing a TB12 style comeback and it was someone else's mistake that stopped it from happening. I'm all in on Mac10 at this point.

3: Belichick never places a ton of stock in the first couple games. He has a tendency to trade early wins for information, and then make it up in the second half. He will take risks in week 1 he'd never take in week 13. We got a lot of information tonight that Bill will use to coach the team up. We learned a lot about what this team is rather than what we thought it was, and not all of it was bad.

 

[NashuaPats]

I thought our secondary was inconsistent. Our cornerbacks have good ball skills, but aren’t shut down type of guys. It’s going to be frustrating until Gilmore returns.

 

[dtbrks]

As straham told jimmy Johnson, there are no moral victories.
I’m sick to my stomach

 

[TheRainMaker]

It’s only one week. Remember the Pats lost to the Bengals in 2001? Buffalo in ‘03? Miami in 2014?

Even if the Pats blew them out, it’s only one game and weird things happen week 1.

 

[Sicilian]

The bad news is, NOTHING was as good as it could have been tonight.

The good news is, nothing was as good as it COULD have been tonight.

 

[WaterfallJumper]

1. You don't have a choice.

Seriously, though, lots to like about the future. It's just frustrating to lose because of poor ball security.

 

[Ross12]

1: The Dolphins are a playoff contender. If Tua plays well they'll be in the mix right up to the end. We played even with a team that shoud have played us even, they just happened to get 1 more point than we did.

2: Mac10 looked GOOD. Like really good. Like making poised throws that moved the offense down the field and being calm and level headed and making good decisions and making accurate throws on timing plays. To the point that with the issues shown in the rushing attack we might want to move up the timetable for when we start handing Mac most of the offensive burden because it looks like he can handle it.

This is going to sound sacrilegious, but Mac right now looks better than Brady did early in 2001 and he had the team in position to win the game before Harris coughed up the ball. He came within spitting distance of completing a TB12 style comeback and it was someone else's mistake that stopped it from happening. I'm all in on Mac10 at this point.

3: Belichick never places a ton of stock in the first couple games. He has a tendency to trade early wins for information, and then make it up in the second half. He will take risks in week 1 he'd never take in week 13. We got a lot of information tonight that Bill will use to coach the team up. We learned a lot about what this team is rather than what we thought it was, and not all of it was bad.

Fair point on #3. I think in week 13 Bill would've let Stevenson get some carries towards the end, but in week 1 he's keeping Stevenson out to make sure that message is fully received.

 

[Joker]

losing sucks....EOS

 

[stcjones]

I thought our secondary was inconsistent. Our cornerbacks have good ball skills, but aren’t shut down type of guys. It’s going to be frustrating until Gilmore returns.

You are right….secondary was awful

 

[rochrist]

You are right….secondary was awful

They held Tua under 60 percent completion percentage. He completed better than 64 percent last season.

 

[aluminum seats]

1. You don't have a choice.

Stole my line lol

It is funny though, the power that sometimes we think we have as fans. It’s like people deciding who they should root for strategically in certain games. Like, you know it doesn’t matter, right?

 

[Handel]

Well, imo, if we are not in a position to go far in the playoffs, I prefer the Pats to lose (close games so at least it is not all grim) and get a good draft spot. I mean, we had such a blast for the last 20 years. I am ok to suffer a bit.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

I thought our secondary was inconsistent. Our cornerbacks have good ball skills, but aren’t shut down type of guys. It’s going to be frustrating until Gilmore returns.

This team absolutely needs Gilmore. Elite CB1's do not grow on trees. Patriots never did anything ending in a ring without an elite CB1 on the roster.

 

[sb1]

It’s only one week. Remember the Pats lost to the Bengals in 2001? Buffalo in ‘03? Miami in 2014?

Even if the Pats blew them out, it’s only one game and weird things happen week 1.

Pats beat Miami in the opener last year, Cam looked good and - that didn't last long.

 

[jah]

I honestly would have come off a blowout loss feeling less angry than I am now. There were at least 3 different plays you could point to and say that if just *one* of them went differently (or if the refs called it differently...), the game would have been won. All the uncharacteristic penalties. It felt exactly like that Cam Newton special at the end of the game in Buffalo last year.

It's not that we lost, it's how the loss happened.

 

[KDPPatsfan85]

Mac looked really good. I was not expecting him to throw for 40 passing attempts. 29/39 281 yards 1 TD 74.4% completions. He is a rookie starting his first game. Incredible.

 

[Boomer B]

This is actually a tough loss. We typically don’t play well in Miami and now that game will likely be very important. This isn’t the AFC Least anymore. Need to win at home against the Phins and Bills to contend for the division.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Pats beat Miami in the opener last year, Cam looked good and - that didn't last long.

Exactly.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

This is actually a tough loss. We typically don’t play well in Miami and now that game will likely be very important. This isn’t the AFC Least anymore. Need to win at home against the Phins and Bills to contend for the division.

Agree.

I thought they’d be 7-1/6-2 going into LAC where the schedule starts going from Jeckyll to Hyde. It is just week one, but the Saints won 38-3, so I don't see that week 3 game as a gimme. The Jets are the Jets, but after seeing them today I think next week’s road game is a likely win but not a certain one. Even the road game at Houston looks a little more challenging than yesterday.

 

[Patriot Missile]

If they are still losing 1 point games in October then I’ll worry. September has always been extended training camp for the Patriots. Breaking in a rookie qb isn’t easy, lot of new faces on the squad. It will come together soon enough.

A lot of good in this game. Not gonna overemphasize how calm and poised Mac Jones was. He didn’t look like a superstar, but he did look like the moment wasnt too big for him. He was also accurate, efficient and moved around in the pocket well. No ints either. Thank god for good coaching and programm at Alabama. He’s only gonna get better everybody. You have to like what you see.

Running backs. Stevenson got himself benched today. The fumble and then the block that he got blown up on. Looked like a bruising boxer with a glass jaw. Welcome to the nfl rookie moment. He’ll improve.

Harris looked electric at times. Maurice Jones Drew styel like a pin ball bouncing off bumpers. The bs call that negated his well earned td seemed to derail the momentum, Had a great game all the way up to that fumble. It happens to a lot of teams, we’re just not used to it.

Receivers and tight ends played their part. Too bad about all the penalties slowing down any kind of rhythm. As bogus as some of the penaties were, half were legit. Assuming BB is gonna work on this until they get it right.

Defense was a work in progress. Sometimes they worked great, sometimes they were lost. Chalk it up to a little bit of week 1, rust, it’s a passing league, Gilmore out, whatever, it will get better. Hopefully the run defense get fixed. It showed flashes of getting better as the game went along. I think it will be ok. Love Judon and Uche duo. Batman and Robin coming your way. Hell of a a int by Mills too

Week 1 loss sucks, however a lot of improvement across the board. Very fun watch, frustrating at times but a good team to grow with.