Adjusted Expectations?

[scott99]

Yeah I'll go with that - one always worries about trap games, and the players on the Jets, Fins and Giants are going to be working for a new job somewhere else, so aren't necessarily going to TRY to lose - but the front office is still going to try by benching anyone they think could harm their draft status.

Knowing that there's always games you should win that you lose, and often games you should lose that you win, whether the losses come by way of the Bucs, Bills and Ravens as we probably thought in the summer, there's probably a tradeoff there that results in a 12-5 record.

One hopes any losses teach a valuable lesson come the playoffs, but the goal right now is just being strong and healthy come January.

I'd have said a 9 win season was a success before the season started so this is ALL gravy now!

I agree with your prediction when it comes to the remaining games left. 12-5 would be pure insanity considering back to back 4-13 seasons. I’m a Pat’s fan since 1975, so I remember them going 3-11 in 1975, then going 11-3 in 1976, leaning on a young, 2nd year QB. There are some similarities to that turnaround.

 

[Patjew]

I've gone from "I just hope they show some life" to "holy **** this is stressing me out again like the good ole days."

 

[Brotherblues]

Yeah that’s why I tracked down that thread for the receipts —it’s like nine pages long, and most of the usual suspect posted in there.

Thread '2025 Patriots Season Predictions'

Aug 27, 2025

Well, it's that time, once again.
Time for 2025 Season Predictions

The roster is (kinda) set.
Vrabes, Josh, and Terrell Williams head up a much more seasoned coaching staff.
All eyes are on Maye.
For many of us, alcohol is on hand for celebrations or lamentations.
Long term expectations are maybe higher than anytime since TFB was here.
Will the Pats be in the playoff hunt?
Will they be booking January tickets for Caribbean vacations by November?
You predict it all, right here!

We've got the regular season, maybe even including a playoff appearance(?), and around the league, we've got the...

• Nikolai
• Replies: 99
• Forum: PatsFans.com - Patriots Fan Forum

Here's a thread from late August with a poll where 45 of 91 votes were for a losing record.

Feel free to click on the 12-16 wins line to reveal the glorious name hidden within, the lone postradamus who saw this team and schedule worthy of 12-16 wins.

You may shower me with praise but honestly I do enough of that myself so you don't have to. But please do if you can't help it.

 

[DoubleDeluxe]

Kinda noticed that trend

To be perfectly honest, I don’t know how to search efficiently.
I don’t know what thread I gave my prediction, so it would take me a long while to find it. If you’re offering

 

[TommyD4207]

This particular game will go a long way in determining my expectations for the rest of the season. This is the most 'scheduled loss' game you can really have.

 

[Wozzy]

PFF certainly has its flaws, but if anyone ever uses it to gauge "talent" then that's user error right off the bat. Talent is innate. PFF aims to measure actual, tangible production on the field. They are two different things. PFF doesn't tall you that talented players are not talented or that not talented players are talented. They make absolutely no attempt at all of telling you who is or isn't talented. They just aim to tell you how he played when he was on the field in the past. If anyone uses it for anything else, like projecting development, then that's on them for using a totally irrelevant data point for what they're trying to argue.

Except all those times they were wrong… which was often.

 

[maust]

To be perfectly honest, I don’t know how to search efficiently.
I don’t know what thread I gave my prediction, so it would take me a long while to find it. If you’re offering

Dumb looks and sarcasm are free. If you want anything else well (provided it's anatomically possible) then a little of this or a little bit of that is gonna cost a lot more than a little bit. If you still want something you are number 62,872. I'm now serving lucky number 13 so it may be a few minutes

 

[DoubleDeluxe]

Dumb looks and sarcasm are free. If you want anything else well (provided it's anatomically possible) then a little of this or a little bit of that is gonna cost a lot more than a little bit. If you still want something you are number 62,872. I'm now serving lucky number 13 so it may be a few minutes

But can you get me a toe?

 

[maust]

But can you get me a toe?

Only @RobertWeathers gets a discount on toes but yeah I can but it'll cost you. And you failed to take a number so your wait time has increased

 

[n1997y]

11 straight wins:

- 8 regular season, 15-2 with a bye
- 3 post-season, with a Lombardi

Why aim low?

Seriously, we have already exceeded most people's expectations. See how high we can raise the bar.

I’m with you.

18-2.

TIL Pop Douglas and Terrell Jennings were high school teammates. Their junior year the team was 2-8; their senior year they won the Florida state championship in the largest conference division. That seems similar to going from a four win season to the Lombardi. They know it can be done.

 

[Steve102]

Only @RobertWeathers gets a discount on toes but yeah I can but it'll cost you. And you failed to take a number so your wait time has increased

That’s ok, I legit just read the title as “adjudicator”.

 

[DarrylS]

I am enjoying this ride and like how this team is put together with very good coaching.
I originally thought between 7-9 wins, but not believe they will win at least 10 and make the playoffs.
Any playoff game will be a challenge, but there is confidence they can advance..

 

[rochrist]

This is my $.02 and in my book totally incredible. We were forecasted to win 7-8 games, and realistically can win 12 or more. What a great first season of our rebuild.

Pats vs Bucs - Loss - 7-3
Pats vs Jets - Win - 8-3
Pats vs Bengals - Win - 9-3
Pats vs Giants - Win 10-3
Pats vs Bills - Loss - 10-4
Pats vs Ravens - Loss - 10-5
Pats vs Jets - Win - 11-5
Pats vs Dolphins - Win - 12-5

So you're predicting they'll lose every tough game they have for the rest of the year?

 

[rochrist]

I predicted 8 wins prior to the season. Obviously I have to adjust that. Honestly, anything above 10 wins and making the playoffs would make me very happy. This is year one of Vrabel & staff. I don’t have any expectations once/if they make the playoffs, just want that playoff experience for Drake and the young guys.

At this point, 10 wins would have to be a disappointment. 5-3 seems like the lower bound of what they can do to close out the season, so 12-5. 13-4 isn't out of the realm of the possible if they can win one of the three tough games they've got.

 

[Mack Herron]

The Patriots will be a nice story going from 4 wins to double digit wins and the playoffs. I think they are not in a position to go toe to toe talent wise with teams like the Colts, Bills, and Broncos. Injuries always loom and already we are hurting at RB and WR and thin at edge and safety. We have 11 picks and I would have liked to see them strengthen the roster at the deadline. It will be a successful year either way, but I think we will need some luck to compete in the playoffs.

 

[signbabybrady]

The Patriots will be a nice story going from 4 wins to double digit wins and the playoffs. I think they are not in a position to go toe to toe talent wise with teams like the Colts, Bills, and Broncos. Injuries always loom and already we are hurting at RB and WR and thin at edge and safety. We have 11 picks and I would have liked to see them strengthen the roster at the deadline. It will be a successful year either way, but I think we will need some luck to compete in the playoffs.

This team is far from a finished product. Nevermind years from now just over the next 2 months which team has more room for growth Pats, Bills, or Chiefs?

Not that they don't have young players too and every team can improve in certain ways as the year goes on but obviously the Bills and Chiefs are established. Thus less room for growth.

Where as we haven't seen our ceiling yet. It's not unreasonable to think it's a process that could span more than year but it's also reasonable to think come playoffs will be better than we are now and we already are pretty darn good.

I really don't get this need to couch everything as being ahead of schedule. Just keep grinding and getting better and come January we should be ready to make a good run at things. Maybe we are early, maybe we just run into another really good team, or maybe we punch right through our ceiling.

 

[Drunken Cicerone]

This team is better than Raiders and they lost
This team is at very least on pat with Pittsburgh and they gave the entire game away
They almost gave the game away against Atlanta

Tough to be definitive about a team that’s still relatively early in forming their new identity.

In theory they could win every game from here on out and be a legit Super Bowl contender.

If I’m just going off my feel here I think they lose 2-3 more games, and make the playoffs, at that point cross your fingers and hope for the best.

It’s a team on the way up, tons of available salary cap and they haven’t sacrificed high draft picks

 

[cmasspatsfan]

They win Sunday and we might all have to evaluate. I know i will.

 

[Mack Herron]

They win Sunday and we might all have to evaluate. I know i will.

It is a test on this schedule, but injuries have weakened them. Looking to see if we can handle the QB on D and move the ball on offense.

 

[WhatJustHappened]

Thread '2025 Patriots Season Predictions'

Aug 27, 2025

Well, it's that time, once again.
Time for 2025 Season Predictions

The roster is (kinda) set.
Vrabes, Josh, and Terrell Williams head up a much more seasoned coaching staff.
All eyes are on Maye.
For many of us, alcohol is on hand for celebrations or lamentations.
Long term expectations are maybe higher than anytime since TFB was here.
Will the Pats be in the playoff hunt?
Will they be booking January tickets for Caribbean vacations by November?
You predict it all, right here!

We've got the regular season, maybe even including a playoff appearance(?), and around the league, we've got the...

• Nikolai
• Replies: 99
• Forum: PatsFans.com - Patriots Fan Forum

Here's a thread from late August with a poll where 45 of 80 votes were for a losing record.

Feel free to click on the 12-16 wins line to reveal the glorious name hidden within, the lone postradamus who saw this team and schedule worthy of 12-16 wins.

You may shower me with praise but honestly I do enough of that myself so you don't have to. But please do if you can't help it.

I was 1 of the 45 that said 9-11.
If they can get past 11, it would be awesome.