Draft worst case has emerged for Pats at 4

[maust]

Still pissed
Now we will walk away with a good but not elite LT instead of hunter or carter
The Day 1 draft next week is so anti climactic

I will always blame mayo for this

We should be anticipating an elite playmaking draft pick but that’s not what we are getting

We would be better off picking at 10-15 in this draft

We will be picking top 10 again next year

 

[BelizePats]

You can blame Mayo all you want but that's kind of like changing your shirt when you **** your pants.
This is all on Kraft. The reality of Patriot ownership now is that Kraft is an embarrassment, whose judgment cannot be trusted.

 

[farn]

What a stupid thread.

Says you’re a HoF poster. Means you’ve been around for some time. I suspect you’ve seen stupider.

 

[Lansdowne]

This is such a silly take. Football teams are supposed to win.

Buffalo clearly didn’t get that memo in Week 18.

 

[Jim Beankie]

Buffalo clearly didn’t get that memo in Week 18.

Bills had anywhere from 4-5 starters on defense for Milton's 11 for 11 to start the game. Pats 3rd string QB (with 3rd string OL) was going against their backups. I don't think starters will make themselves look foolish on purpose.

 

[Love The Drake]

Bills had anywhere from 4-5 starters on defense for Milton's 11 for 11 to start the game. Pats 3rd string QB (with 3rd string OL) was going against their backups. I don't think starters will make themselves look foolish on purpose.

While I normally agree Bills WRs caught the ball and stopped.
Bills defenders were playing of the WRs allowing them to get more separation than they enjoyed all year.

They were treating the game like they were Ahead when they were down.
They clearly wanted to lose,
Cause the Bills players showed little to no urgency and the coaches didn’t have a care in the world.

 

[Tunescribe]

Still pissed
Now we will walk away with a good but not elite LT instead of hunter or carter
The Day 1 draft next week is so anti climactic

I will always blame mayo for this

We should be anticipating an elite playmaking draft pick but that’s not what we are getting

We would be better off picking at 10-15 in this draft

With two teams trying to lose, any outcome is far from assured. Mayo played Milton, you can't tell players to lay down.

We will be picking top 10 again next year

This team has the chance to be much better than that.

 

[Lansdowne]

Bills had anywhere from 4-5 starters on defense for Milton's 11 for 11 to start the game. Pats 3rd string QB (with 3rd string OL) was going against their backups. I don't think starters will make themselves look foolish on purpose.

Here is Buffalo's depth chart as of January 1 2025, or right after Week 17.

LDE	50	Rousseau, Greg 21/1	94	Smoot, Dawuane U/Jax	56	Solomon, Javon 24/5
LDT	92	JONES, DAQUAN U/Car	71	JEFFERSON, QUINTON SF24	98	JOHNSON, AUSTIN U/LAC
RDT	91	Oliver, Ed 19/1	97	PHILLIPS, JORDAN SF24	90	Carter, DeWayne 24/3
RDE	57	Epenesa, A.J. 20/2	40	MILLER, VON U/LAR
WLB	58	Milano, Matt 17/5	42	Williams, Dorian 23/3	48	Ulofoshio, Edefuan 24/5
MLB	43	Bernard, Terrel 22/3	44	Andreessen, Joe CF24	32	Morrow, Nicholas U/Phi
LCB	47	Benford, Christian 22/6	46	Ingram, Ja'Marcus CF22
SS	3	Hamlin, Damar 21/6	24	Bishop, Cole 24/2
FS	9	Rapp, Taylor U/LAR	39	Lewis, Cam CF19
RCB	31	Douglas, Rasul T/GB	5	Elam, Kaiir 22/1
NB	7	Johnson, Taron 18/4	29	Codrington, Brandon T/NYJ

Looking at that first column which consists of the starters, here are the snaps they played in Week 18, in order from most to least:

Damar Hamlin (64 snaps, 100% of the game)
Taylor Rapp (27 snaps, 42% of the game)
Rasul Douglas (16 snaps, 25% of the game)
A.J. Epenesa (5 snaps, 8% of the game)

That's it. Four starters, and only one of them played more than half the game (Hamlin). He didn't have to look foolish on purpose because he stinks anyway. Rousseau, Jones, Oliver, Milano, Bernard, Benford, and Johnson all sat out. Notable backup Von Miller only played 3 snaps to get his sack and his incentive bonus.

Buffalo had the lead for less than 7 minutes and all in the 3rd quarter, and as soon as they took the lead they took Trubisky out because he was playing too well. Mike White was put in and he went 3-for-11 passing in the 4th quarter. He knew the assignment.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

It was a dumb move. Kraft should have fired Mayo before the game and hired an interim to lose.

It's really hard to give a good excuse for a team canning its coach with one game to go; "we want to lose to preserve our #1 pick" doesn't really work (especially when JEST-lover Goodell would love nothing more than to take it away on "integrity of the game" nonsense).

 

[maust]

What a stupid thread.

One more aholeish example of the inconsiderate self-indulgent disregard for others the OP routinely manifests when he gets tired of holding his breath and once again reaches tantrum level. At that point, it becomes screw everybody else at Pats Fans, I NEED TO WHINE!!!!

Undoubtedly I will get some negative feedback for saying what at least half the board is thinking but WTH, some things need to be said out loud. I can already hear the 'just block him' BS, but why is it those of us who consider what we do here have to accommodate the guy that ****s on the rug? How the hell is that right?

For the record, tone doesn't come through in type, I wrote this in disgust not anger. Picture some old dude sighing in disgust and that's pretty close to the mindset. I don't really get angry these days, not that I ever really did all that much back when either.

 

[BennyBledsoe]

Dear god. Certain members of this fanbase need to get a grip. There are no guarantees at any spot in the draft. We're not in need of a QB, which is where that first pick matters a little more. We can find good players at 4.

 

[TommyD4207]

Still pissed
Now we will walk away with a good but not elite LT instead of hunter or carter
The Day 1 draft next week is so anti climactic

I will always blame mayo for this

We should be anticipating an elite playmaking draft pick but that’s not what we are getting

We would be better off picking at 10-15 in this draft

We will be picking top 10 again next year

You've started some dumb threads in your time.
This might be in your top 5 all-time.

 

[TommyD4207]

Geez... can't we move along by now.

You've got people *****ing about Brady/Belichick a couple of threads down from here, from 6 years ago.
You think too highly of some.

 

[WhatJustHappened]

You've got people *****ing about Brady/Belichick a couple of threads down from here, from 6 years ago.
You think too highly of some.

No Tommy, I don't.
That's the fkn problem.

 

[sb1]

Still pissed
Now we will walk away with a good but not elite LT instead of hunter or carter
The Day 1 draft next week is so anti climactic

I will always blame mayo for this

We should be anticipating an elite playmaking draft pick but that’s not what we are getting

We would be better off picking at 10-15 in this draft

We will be picking top 10 again next year

I don’t blame Mayo for that but I do blame whoever decided to hire a HC that was never qualified for the job. And it showed.

 

[Pacific Coast Patriot]

It's too late to change it... and pointless crying - but now that I'm here and a few beers deep let me tell you how I really feel.... It was krafts fault. Honestly if I'm an owner and the choice between winning a meaningless game and gaining the no1 overall pick in the draft is on the table then you have to manoeuvre intelligently to get what you need. Of course players and coaches are going to try to win so you remove it from their hands.

McDermott with a far superior roster top to bottom managed to throw the game without investigation, even punting in easy FG range. He was even smiling at the loss because he knew he'd cost us 1 overall - we can all see that.

Kraft should have fired Mayo BEFORE the game and instructed the temp HC to run 3x then punt. It's exactly what Buf did. We'd now be sitting here with a future top 10 1st rounder AND Travis Hunter, instead of a guy that can MAYBE play left tackle and no haul. Ok rant over lets move on etc etc.

At least we're not a poverty franchise like NYG who took a WR over a franchise QB!

 

[Real fan 02]

I was furious when we won that game and for a while afterwards.

I wasn’t able to see that game. My understanding is that we benched about 5 starters while the Bills benched all of their starters and played 2nd and 3rd string players.

For example, Boutte had 7 catches for 117 yards and a TD. He shouldn’t have been playing. His snaps should have gone to Polk or Baker.

It was a dumb move. Kraft should have fired Mayo before the game and hired an interim to lose.

With the first pick, we could trade down a spot or two, picked up draft capital, and still be in a position to draft Hunter or Carter.

I think Mayo knew what he was doing which explains why Kraft (who loved Mayo) had him escorted out an hour after the game.

I’m 99% over it, but definitely still a bit miffed.

Yeah.. agreed. Mayo by all Indicators by his post game body language and deamonor likely was Tipped off prior to the game or at halftime that there was likely going to be a change. I remember the schefter reports prior to the game coming out. In a world of social media outlets I. Sure Mayo, a player or a coach or someone under Mayo had to see the same things we did. Joe Milton was put in and I believe the team was thinking he'd make a play here or there but ultimately wouldn't win the game. Milton from all the reports coming out now about him likely felt it was time to shine that game. However.. we need a OT.. just take Campbell at this point we can't dare go into training camp with just lowe at the only LT.

 

[Real fan 02]

I don’t blame Mayo for that but I do blame whoever decided to hire a HC that was never qualified for the job. And it showed.

Big time. Personally I waited to reserve judgments on Mayo.. however he did himself no favors. Glaser and Wolf also did Mayo no favors. RK got served a **** sandwich signing that succession clause.

 

[scott99]

It was more a case of Buffalo wanting to lose more than the Pats. Mayo went with his 3rd string QB and several other backups. That seems likely they were trying to lose. Milton just happened to have an excellent game.

 

[Tunescribe]

It's too late to change it... and pointless crying - but now that I'm here and a few beers deep let me tell you how I really feel.... It was krafts fault. Honestly if I'm an owner and the choice between winning a meaningless game and gaining the no1 overall pick in the draft is on the table then you have to manoeuvre intelligently to get what you need. Of course players and coaches are going to try to win so you remove it from their hands.

McDermott with a far superior roster top to bottom managed to throw the game without investigation, even punting in easy FG range. He was even smiling at the loss because he knew he'd cost us 1 overall - we can all see that.

Kraft should have fired Mayo BEFORE the game and instructed the temp HC to run 3x then punt. It's exactly what Buf did. We'd now be sitting here with a future top 10 1st rounder AND Travis Hunter, instead of a guy that can MAYBE play left tackle and no haul. Ok rant over lets move on etc etc.

At least we're not a poverty franchise like NYG who took a WR over a franchise QB!

Here's an even bigger joke that you, the OP and all the other pearl-clutching draft dweebs can chew on: the mistaken belief that picking No. 1 -- especially in THIS draft -- amounts to more than a crap shoot, regardless of who we'd end up with.