Looking back (at the 2015 Pats) to look forward

[brdmaverick]

I'm sure this isn't anything new for most of you, but I was thinking about what makes a championship team and how the Pats can try to achieve that status.

In a world of parity, the Pats do have some advantages......

1.) They have the best quarterback in the game WHO does not feel the need to be paid like the best quarterback in the game. His wife's unique financial situation and Brady's hunger for championships allow him to not occupy all of his team's salary cap.

2.) Because of a winning culture, the Pats are successful at getting success-starved vets to take deals that have team friendly terms.

But there is another group of players that are important to championship teams that the Pats are disadvantaged from the rest of the league: good players on rookie deals outplaying their salaries

1.) They are disadvantaged in that they are always picking from the bottom of the draft (which, yes, is a sign of your success).

2.) They are disadvantaged by the league for deflategate (a 2015 first round pick could have helped in the Super Bowl)

I look back and think it was more of a shame that the 2015 Pats didn't win as opposed to the 2017 pats. The 2015 Pats had great players on rookie deals like C.Jones, D.Hightower, J. Collins, and M.Butler. In the AFC Championship game the following 11 guys logged the most defensive snaps...

Secondary: D.McCourty, P.Chung, , M.Butler, L.Ryan, J.Coleman

Linebacker: D.Hightower, J.Collins

Defensive Line: J.Sheard, C.Jones, R.Ninkovich, M.Brown

That has the look of a championship D, but they lost to the corpse of Peyton Manning. Sure, a tough team was waiting the Super Bowl (I'm not one of those people who says, the Broncos beat the Panthers, since we beat the Broncos we would have beaten the Panthers, too), but this Pats team had championship-type roster. it's more of a shame that this team didn't win than the 2017 team.

 

[supafly]

Both teams had obvious flaws that they had to overcome to get as far as they did, but I’m not sure that 2015 was necessarily better than 2017.

 

[Bradyking12]

If '15 had injury luck we continue our undefeated streak and finish 19-0 imo, but with all our guys coming back I expect 19-0 finally to happen in 2018

 

[brdmaverick]

If '15 had injury luck we continue our undefeated streak and finish 19-0 imo, but with all our guys coming back I expect 19-0 finally to happen in 2018

Right, just like if completely healthy (at least Edelman and Hightower) the 2017 team probably wins.

My biggest concern, however, is that three of Brady's top targets (Edelman, Gronk, and Amendola) are always at risk of being injured. So the reality of having all three healthy for the entirety of a playoff run is very low, imo.

 

[maust]

If '15 had injury luck we continue our undefeated streak and finish 19-0 imo, but with all our guys coming back I expect 19-0 finally to happen in 2018

 

[supafly]

If '15 had injury luck we continue our undefeated streak and finish 19-0 imo, but with all our guys coming back I expect 19-0 finally to happen in 2018

Yeah sure, because all of those guys will come back and there won’t be any new injuries to replace them with, right? Isn’t that how it works?

Congrats for being the first guy to talk about a 19-0 season (which is a figment of people’s imaginations if you hadn’t already noticed), right after the 2 worst defensive performances in the 18 year Bill Belichick era.

 

[fightingirish595]

“I expect 19-0”

 

[captain stone]

Both teams had obvious flaws that they had to overcome to get as far as they did, but I’m not sure that 2015 was necessarily better than 2017.

The 2015 defense, though not very deep, was still much, Much, MUCH better than the 2017 defense.
OTOH, because of the season-ending injuries to Lewis, Blunt & Develin, the 2015 running game was The Worst of the Bill & Tom era.

 

[Tony2046]

I've actually started to look into this but am still in the research part of it. Have a long ways to go.

Super Bowl participants:

2013 - Seahawks - QB: $1.5 million - rank 30th.
2013 - Broncos - QB: $18.7 million - rank 3rd.

2014 - Patriots - QB: $15.4 million - rank 13th.
2014 - Seahhawks - QB: $2.0 million - rank 30th

2015 - Broncos - QB: $19.0 million - rank 7th.
2015 - Panthers - QB: $15.4 million - rank 11th.

2016 - Patriots - QB: $15.2 million - rank 17th.
2016 - Falcons - QB: $25.5 million - rank 1st.

2017 - Eagles - QB: $1.9 million - rank 27th.
2017 - Patriots - QB: $14.5 million - rank 16th.

Four of the last five Super Bowls have had a bottom of the salary cap QB participating.

We can get into average draft pick position and the parity issue later but initially we can see what the Patriots are up against every single season.

Also when discussing Brady's rookie season don't forget that Drew Bledsoe was part of the cap space in 2001.

 

[Mike the Brit]

The 2015 defense, though not very deep, was still much, Much, MUCH better than the 2017 defense.
OTOH, because of the season-ending injuries to Lewis, Blunt & Develin, the 2015 running game was The Worst of the Bill & Tom era.

The Captain is right. In his day, Steven Jackson was a great back, but his day had gone when they brought him in. In fact, it was an amazing achievement to come as close to beating the Donkeys as they did.

 

[supafly]

“I expect 19-0”

The expectations are high around these parts. Gotta love it.

For example, I “expect” to wake up next to a blonde, a brunette, and a redhead tomorrow morning. I’ll let you know how that works out.

 

[supafly]

The Captain is right. In his day, Steven Jackson was a great back, but his day had gone when they brought him in. In fact, it was an amazing achievement to come as close to beating the Donkeys as they did.

Brady led the team in rushing that day with 13 yards. That’s all you need to know, right there.

 

[oldrover]

2015 was a brutal year for injuries... reminds this old-timer of 1974, when your NE Pats gave this then 14-year-old fan hope with a 6-1 over the first half...




...then finished 1-6.

I know, I know... where'd it all go...

 

[captain stone]

2015 was a brutal year for injuries... reminds this old-timer of 1974, when your NE Pats gave this then 14-year-old fan hope with a 6-1 over the first half...




...then finished 1-6.

I know, I know... where'd it all go...

And what year was it: 1989, '90 or '91 when we lost 3 or 4 players - Garin Veris, Ronnie Lippett & 1 or 2 others - to season-ending injuries during the last game of the pre-season? Utterly depressing.

 

[Chevy]

The expectations are high around these parts. Gotta love it.

For example, I “expect” to wake up next to a blonde, a brunette, and a redhead tomorrow morning. I’ll let you know how that works out.

It can happen ...