Official Pregame Thread: Pats @ Panthers

[denverpatsfan]

So Pats D focuses on CMC and the rookie nobody has heard of lights them up? Pats still pull out a win however. I've seen this time and time again.

 

[ashley]

Getting everyone ready for a Wednesday:

 

[Ross12]

IF the Patriots make the playoffs this season (odds are against; thanks miami!) I will be surprised and this season will be a success.
If the Pats miss the playoffs next season, I'll be depressed. Heard that seppuku is really, really painful though.

Just a reminder that the Pats are the #8 seed, so only one slot outside of the playoffs. They’re a half-game behind the #6 and #7 seeds, and one game behind the #5 seed. They are also one-and-a-half games behind Buffalo to win the division, with both Buffalo games still remaining.

Even the #1 seed is only two games ahead.

I personally wouldn’t say the odds are against them - let’s see what happens.

 

[RIpats88]

This is a very winnable game. If the pats can keep it up we might have a little run going.

The seeds are there. Last 3 weeks the offense has found something and the defense is starting to put it together. OL is starting to calm down.

We finally are starting to play to our talent level

 

[jimnance]

Heard that seppuku is really, really painful though.

So you heard that from a ghost?
Nobody who's ever done it is around to tell about it- so it might be painless.
Not that I'm advocating for it.

 

[PP2]

IF the Patriots make the playoffs this season (odds are against; thanks miami!) I will be surprised and this season will be a success.
If the Pats miss the playoffs next season, I'll be depressed. Heard that seppuku is really, really painful though.

I don't understand this thinking at all, whatsoever.. after 20 season of domination, 6 out of 9 superbowls, and about 100 AFCC's, we've had more than any fan would ever hope to have in their lifetime. I will never understand anyone who would get depressed after having such a long streak of good fortune.

For me at this point, just to be competitive is more than good enough, and we have that in Mac Jones. Anything more than that is icing on the cake. I have zero expectations.

 

[Pats2000]

Similar in a lot of ways to the Pats. Not much of a passing offense, a meh rushing offense (although will be better if McCaffery can go) and a decent defense. Banged up a bit but could give Mac trouble. Thinking this will not be a high scoring game.

Gilmore will be motivated but who knows how much of a real impact he would have. Maybe he'll cover Meyers? I guess?

I'd say probably 50-50 that Darnold will be able to come out of concussion protocol and play. He is using his legs a bit more this year and he hasn't really been known for that in the past.
Same with McCaffery playing.

PJ Walker is their backup and has no stats worth worrying about or sharing.

Rolled the Saints but somehow got clocked by the Giants.

Did you really just say the Pats don't have a good passing offense?

 

[sb1]

Did you really just say the Pats don't have a good passing offense?

Pats passing offense is 13th in the league. That's a lot closer to average than good.

To be fair it is better than the Panthers passing offense. We'll be facing PJ Walker and Walker is not an NFL caliber QB.

 

[ausbacker]

This is a very winnable game. If the pats can keep it up we might have a little run going.

The seeds are there. Last 3 weeks the offense has found something and the defense is starting to put it together. OL is starting to calm down.

We finally are starting to play to our talent level

Winnable game? The Panthers are thoroughly average, a mistake free performance should see the Pats belt them.

 

[Pats2000]

Mac needs to study film on how Gilmore plays. If he does not he'll fall into an INT trap baited by Gilmore. Or simply do not throw to Gilmore's guy.

Thank you John Madden

 

[Pats2000]

Please, we're getting better but we can't beat the Rams, Arizona, Packers, Dallas, or even Tampa if we make the super bowl. We're not there yet.

One or two plays and we would have had a chance to beat Tampa and Dallas.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Pats passing offense is 13th in the league. That's a lot closer to average than good.

To be fair it is better than the Panthers passing offense. We'll be facing PJ Walker and Walker is not an NFL caliber QB.

Yea if you look at all the semi-meaningful stats the passing offense is average but are in the upper 1/3rd in scoring.

So it's fair to say the NEP offense can do some things but consistent big plays in the passing game are not it (but improving).

 

[Kontradiction]

Not having Jaycee Horn helps us for sure. Their defense is still good enough to turn this into a slugfest but, whether Darnold plays or not, turnovers should flip the game in our favor. Outside of Moore, there really isn’t anyone else that you need to worry about through the air.

 

[Kontradiction]

One or two plays and we would have had a chance to beat Tampa and Dallas.

That argument goes both ways, though. One or two more plays and they would have beaten the Patriots convincingly

 

[goheels22002]

Winnable game? The Panthers are thoroughly average, a mistake free performance should see the Pats belt them.

The Patriots, statistically, are thoroughly average, too. Headed in the right direction, but average. 4-4, 16th in Yards per play, 13th in penalties, 9th in passing yards, 21st in rushing yards, etc. Biggest upside is the defense ranks 5th in the NFL in ppg allowed.

I see another Chargers-style game on the road against a Carolina team with a good offensive line that will test the Patriots front seven. They gashed the Falcons for 203 yards on the ground without McCaffrey. He's back from several weeks off due to injury. Belichick will out coach his counterpart and they'll keep the backup QB in check.

This one looks like a grinder once again. I agree that the Patriots should win this one, especially since they have no major injuries to worry about and have confidence coming off winning 3 of their last 4. A road win is always tough. Maybe 27-24 again.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Just a reminder that the Pats are the #8 seed, so only one slot outside of the playoffs. They’re a half-game behind the #6 and #7 seeds, and one game behind the #5 seed. They are also one-and-a-half games behind Buffalo to win the division, with both Buffalo games still remaining.

Even the #1 seed is only two games ahead.

I personally wouldn’t say the odds are against them - let’s see what happens.

also helps that our main competition for wild card spots are all in the afcn and afcw, and those divisions play each other this year. In addition to the in fighting within those 2 divisions where alot of these teams play each other twice. thats alot of automatic losses to the teams we are racing. still think barring really bad luck 10 wins easily gets us in and 9 wins would have still a solid shot at getting in.

 

[Pats2000]

That argument goes both ways, though. One or two more plays and they would have beaten the Patriots convincingly

You can go down that rabbit hole all you want. People are saying this team isn't good enough to beat other good teams. The fact is, they've hung with other good teams, taking them down to the wire with a Rookie QB. They just beat a good team as well, and blew out a bad team. My point is that they have the ability to beat good teams, they just needed to get over a hump. They apparently have done that, the next 4 games are all winnable and the Patriots should go on a run.

 

[Brotherblues]

So you heard that from a ghost?
Nobody who's ever done it is around to tell about it- so it might be painless.
Not that I'm advocating for it.

I imagine someone who changed his mind halfway did indeed find himself in a world of pain.

 

[Rob0729]

Dunno. IMO, it's comparable....a break down:

LT: A young Matt Light > Isaiah Wynn/Justin Herron
LG: Mike Onwenu/Ted Karras > Mike Compton
C: David Andrews = Damien Woody
RG: Shaq Mason > Joe Andruzzi
RT: Trent Brown/Mike Onwenu/Justin Herron > Greg Randall

D-Line: Hamiliton, Mitchell, McGinest, Pleasant, Seymour vs. Guy, Barmore, Wise, Godchaux, and Davis....only Seymour and McGinest really stand out here. So, the 2001 Patriots get the edge here.

Linebackers: Vrabel/Phifer/Bruschi/Chatham/Cox/Izzo vs. Hightower/Judon/Van Noy/Collins/Bentley/Uche..... Vrabel was very good, but not the Vrabel we knew in 2003-2007ish...ditto for Bruschi..he was coming on his own after being on ST's for a while...Cox was an old veteran by then who saw reduced snaps as the season progressed. Izzo was a ST Ace. Phifer was the best LB we had that year, IMO. Hightower needs no discussion....best LB we probably ever had in the BB era. ...but that depends on whether you count McGinest as a LBer or not.

Secondary: Ty Law/OTIS Smith/Tebucky Jones/Lawyer Milloy > Jackson/Mills/Phillips/DMac/Dugger....if we still had Gilmore, I might argue for the 2021 squad.

Comparable....the 2001 team had like 20+ free agents in camp...and things did not really start to shake out until maybe weeks 7 or 8...even when they were on their season ending 9 game winning streak there were times where I wasn't sure we would win...like @NYJ and @BUF. Then at the end of the season, we stumbled upon a BYE after the Jets upset the Raiders.

Let the 2021 season story be told......

The 2001 defense was the #1 scoring defense in the second half of the season and in the playoffs. In fact, Brady and the offense didn't perform well in the playoffs that year except in two key situations (the end of the Raiders game and the end of the Super Bowl). Otherwise the offense was mediocre and carried by defense and special teams. I cannot see this defense being remotely as good as the 2001 defense.

If the Pats get into the playoffs, anything can happen. We have seen teams that were fairly average in the regular season get hot in the playoffs and win the Super Bowl (the 2007 Giants, last year's Bucs to a certain extent). So it is possible for the Pats to get hot in the playoffs. But I wouldn't compare this team to 2001 especially since 2001 was still during the time where defense wins championships really meant it.

 

[sb1]

You can go down that rabbit hole all you want. People are saying this team isn't good enough to beat other good teams. The fact is, they've hung with other good teams, taking them down to the wire with a Rookie QB. They just beat a good team as well, and blew out a bad team. My point is that they have the ability to beat good teams, they just needed to get over a hump. They apparently have done that, the next 4 games are all winnable and the Patriots should go on a run.

It's not really a rabbit hole. Cowboys shot themselves in the foot as much as we did otherwise they would have beaten us in our house by 3 or more scores. Bucs had receivers drop balls for TDs, and Brady had an off day from the emotion of that game. I wouldn't expect either to happen again in a rematch.

Most losing teams in the league could probably point to a play or two per game that if it went the other way they'd be a winning team. Pats have a lot of work to do to before they can say they're real contenders.