Idle thoughts - the bye week edition.

[ChessToCheckers]

Good topics.

1. Basically agree. It was brewing all season and BB made the tough decision. Timing is "right": at trade deadline to get "a little something", an extra week to settle the team down, and now rather than later before it gets worse. Few (if any) coaches would have the confidence and respect to do this.

2. The Defense does not suck. It's good, but BB obviously believes it can (and must) be better. At 7 - 1, how many other coaches would be satisfied? BB believes what he preaches. At 7 - 1, we haven't won anything yet.

3. If CJ is coach-able he will be fine. We'll know in 2 - 3 years.

6b. Hope you're right but don't think you are. RG is a willing lapdog who will be jettisoned with a golden parachute just before the next CBA.

6c. Couldn't agree more. "Player Safety" is right up there with "Integrity". "The 32" could care less. "Thursday Night Football" is all you need to see.

6e. Big Ben IS tough. (I think all QBs are!) I think the drama around him is mediot-made. He just wants to play and help his team win.

6f. Agree. Not at all racial. I do think he's been roughed up more than average, but primarily due to his style of play as a runner and good ol' "Size-Bias". (Ask Gronk about OPI.) BTW: I think "working the refs" is the smart play.

This is a GREAT place to be at the halfway point. I hope the football gods keep us healthy. Go Pats!

 

[40yrpatsfan]

What Collins was supposed to bring to the party was coverage skills, having played safety at one time. But I never felt he stood out at that, he lacked anticipation and was often a step behind the play. That first Denver TD in the AFCC was a prime example, where Daniels was split out and beat Collins to the corner. Collins should have been able to see what was going down on that play, but instead he got beat by a slower guy pretty cleanly, easy TD.

 

[SEA_Pat]

It wouldn't be an "Idle Thoughts" without one of those, so on behalf of PFK and the rest of us old farts, I say GET OFF MY LAWN!!

Hey, I'm an old fart too! I was just upset that I had to google the Patriots roster to see whether I'd forgotten someone who was on the team.

I challenge you to a fart-off. No Depends. May the most continent man win.

 

[RobertWeathers]

6e. Big Ben IS tough. (I think all QBs are!) I think the drama around him is mediot-made. He just wants to play and help his team win.

BR is tough and he wants to make sure you know.

 

[SlowGettingUp]

And you believe the NFL why exactly? When the NFL opens its mouth, I assume their lying. I do know that low hit on his knee in the last game would be called 9 out of 10 times if it was TB on the receiving end.

I really don't understand these theories. What does the NFL care about right now? What is at the very top of their list? The declining ratings of course - nothing else is even close. Follow the money.

So if you accept that, then the NFL has no incentive to see a star QB getting injured - very much the reverse. Now individual refs might be easier on hits on Newton because he's such a big guy, but no way is this coming from the top. It's all too easy to see individual calls through a conspiracy-minded lens - every single fan base does it. But at the end of the day the refs are humans and they don't have the benefit of slow-motion replay like we do. Sometimes their view is obstructed, other times they are distracted by three other things happening on the field at the same time, and sometimes they simply miss stuff.

 

[oldrover]

d. I'm almost afraid to mention just how relatively healthy the Pats have been so far. (Knock on Wood....really hard) But the fact is, it's been great.....and as a team, the Pats have deserved this good run of health. We've seen the other side of this equation way too many times.

https://imgflip.com/memegenerator

 

[1960Pats]

I meant to add a few things.

1. It was very difficult to have to listen to Dan Fouts last week. He was so anti-Patriot that I thought he was going to start crying every time something went the Pats' way. Sometimes it's hard to believe that he played in the NFL, even though I saw him play.

2. How about those Indiots? And that Gagson guy? We're looking at karma with all capitals, not just the k.

3. Shouldn't someone have come up with the idea yet to put cameras on the goal lines? Every week we see a controversial play (or two) just aching for a goal line view.

4. I have to say it. I wish the Pats had gone after Incognito when he was available. He would have been a very grateful and solid player for this team, like he is with Buffalo.

5. Well, it's a record breaking year so far... for penalties. That should help the ratings.

6. The Falcons and Cowboys are for real.

 

[Gwedd]

3: Cyrus Jones reminds me of Edelman and Bethel Johnson. They both got their start on ST. Edelman worked his way to be a top receiver and Johnson never made an impact other then on ST. Unless Jones can make an impact on ST, I doubt he will get much of a look at DB.

6: Good luck on the elections on Nov 8. As a Canadian, I must say the Electoral College makes no sense to me.

I agree completely with your take on Jones. I am certainly biased, being a big fan of his, but I think he'll turn out just fine. Right now, it seems to me that it wasn't his play that got him dog housed, but drawing a foul (at an inopportune time) AND getting ejected in the process. Coach won't tolerate that, and I believe he's letting Jones cool his heels and meditate on the errors of his ways. Jones did VERY well for Alabama, and I suspect that, as a rookie, he's also having to make a whole lot of adjustments in both lifestyle, work environment, and game speed. he's got the tools, and his past under Coach Saban shows he can take coaching. RELAX, and enjoy the ride. He'll be fine.

As to the electoral college, these United States formed a Republic, not a democracy. A democracy is mob rule. The winner is whomever gets 50% +1 of the votes cast. The Electoral College ensures that every state has an impact on the election. If it were simply a popular vote, then every national election woud be controlled by a handful of population centers located in the major states.

 

[Patstopia]

Awesome as always, just a few observations I would like to add.

To me I don't care why Collins was traded, all that matters is that they can replace him with someone on the roster. In BB we trust has always been my motto, and I know without a doubt he does what he thinks is right for the team. Usually he is right, but he is not infallible so we shall see.

The second thing I have to remind people about is the team may be 'healthier', but we are still short handed and under full strength. We started the year with our 'star' RB on pup, our starting LG on pup, our starting RT on pup. Edelman is slowly returning to form, but they seem to be taking it slow with him. So healthier yes, healthy not yet. I would like to see if Jackson and Vollmer could run block as well as Solder and Thuney.

 

[deroc5050]

It was around this time of the season last year when we lost Lewis.. he was the first casualty. Then we lost Edelman.. then almost lost Gronk but that was just for a game but he may have been hampered by the injury. We ended up losing Blount at some point.. We lost some O line men..

By the play offs all they had was a weakend Edelman running his short routes, and Gronk. With a banged up O line and no running attack what so ever. And potentially just an extra point away from going to the Super Bowl.

If we stay healthy we win, although I would like to see the D play better.

 

[Mike the Brit]

Thanks for the thoughts, as always, Ken.

There's an article today in the ProJo about Ivan Fears that has the following tidbit and this seems as good a place as any to share it.

The running back group will only become more dangerous if Lewis can get back on the field. The quick, shifty back started six of seven games in 2015 before suffering a season-ending knee injury Nov. 8 against the Redskins.

“We really haven’t seen Dion that much, to be honest. Hopefully we’ll see a lot more in the next week or so. From what I’ve seen so far, he looks really good,” Fears said.

Kevin McNamara: Fears plays important role for Patriots​

Getting Dion Lewis back at last season's level would be enormous, and even 85% would still be a big upgrade on James White, IMHO.

 

[supafly]

I suppose he'd franchise and trade? That would require cap space?

That's not what I was getting at, but yes--a tag and trade requires available cap space to initially place the tag.

I was speaking of the possibly (admittedly slight) that Bill would choose to pay both QBs for one or two years during a transition period.

 

[cmasspatsfan]

The NHL had some close plays at the blue line (off/on sides) and had to go to replay for a ruling, solution: cameras on the blue line, and they did this between the last game and first playoff game, I swear the NFL isn't doing it because BB suggested it and they're all spiteful arseholes in the NYFL.

 

[NormZauchin]

One thing that you didn't mention with regard to Collins is that he already has his ring. While veterans like Long come here in the hope of winning a championship after collecting big money elsewhere, the reverse process may be at work for players like Collins.

 

[everlong]

Great write up as usual. There is a solution to the Thursday night games. Have the teams playing on Thursday night get their bye the week before. Then they are playing in 11 days rest and have 10 days after. It might not work at the beginning of the season but it solves the problem of playing in three days rest....

I've said this before but I'd go a step further and extend the season to 18 weeks and have each team have effectively two byes however one would be used to give team the 11 and 10 days off as you suggest. Further it would increase revenues by adding an extra week of games on all four days.

Not that the NFL isn't idiotic enough but the schedule making in general is pathetic. Granted it was a turnaround game but when the Patriots played the we're on to Cincinnati game they played KC on Monday night while the Bungles were on a bye week. On what planet is that fair? The Seahawks play the Bills on Monday night then have to travel cross country to play the Patriots coming off a bye week. Why? This is so stupid.

Regarding Collins, obviously there's more to the story. My big thing is the compensation. That seems ridiculous. If it was even a second rounder I don't think I would still be hung up on it. The Chandler Jones trade I never had an issue with and completely understood why. It is so hard to believe some NFC wannabe with a porous defense would give up a second rounder. Christ Chris Chambers got an unconditional second rounder at the trade deadline back in day and he never came close to fulfilling his physical potential compared to Collins.

 

[RedSleevesPinkStripes]

The Patriots may not be perfect, but there aren't any terribly scary teams this year. Hopefully the 2nd half injuries are better than last year. Sitting atop at 7-1, the Pats continue to be the Gold Standard of NFL.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

I've said this before but I'd go a step further and extend the season to 18 weeks and have each team have effectively two byes however one would be used to give team the 11 and 10 days off as you suggest. Further it would increase revenues by adding an extra week of games on all four days.
.

That is the smartest alternative so it obviously won't happen. Now it is 17 weeks and 16 games. Make it 19 weeks and 16 games and both sides win. The owners get two more weeks of games while the players get the same wear and tear on their bodies with a little extra rest during the season. You could start the season a week or two earlier so it doesn't end much later.....

 

[1960Pats]

The NHL had some close plays at the blue line (off/on sides) and had to go to replay for a ruling, solution: cameras on the blue line, and they did this between the last game and first playoff game, I swear the NFL isn't doing it because BB suggested it and they're all spiteful arseholes in the NYFL.

I'm not so sure that because BB suggested it the NYFL won't do it. We agree on the spiteful arseholes part though. As rich as those owners are, I could be persuaded that they might actually be too cheap to add cameras to every game.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

I'm not so sure that because BB suggested it the NYFL won't do it. We agree on the spiteful arseholes part though. As rich as those owners are, I could be persuaded that they might actually be too cheap to add cameras to every game.

I disagree. Because BB suggested it, they don't want to admit he was right. If anybody else had suggested it, it would have been enacted already.

 

[1960Pats]

I disagree. Because BB suggested it, they don't want to admit he was right. If anybody else had suggested it, it would have been enacted already.

Upon further review, the call is reversed and the NYFL is spiteful and arseholes.

After I read your response I kept thinking about Harbawl successfully crying to Fraudger about it after the Pats score a legitimate TD vs the Ratbirds. There'd be four cameras on each goal line at every game.