Patriots Daily News Thread Patriots Tuesday 10/24/23

[Steve102]

I need to see consistency from Mac before I say we don’t need a QB.
But today 10/24 I am in the let’s fortify the O line and get Mac weapons club.
Really the let’s get Ju Ju and Devante out of New England club and get a dominant third down pass catching back club.
Let’s bring in a bruising fullback club.

I will agree. If the guy goes 25-30 for 270ish and a couple TDs every week, I don't think we can ask for a lot more. Protect the ball, move the chains, punch it in when in the red area. A true stud at WR will open up a lot for the TEs and Pop Douglas, but it all starts up front. Let's get consistent with line play and move forward with your plan.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Mac's lack of using the middle of the field (inside the numbers) has been my #1 criticism all year. Made it difficult to truly evaluate the WRs.

That is correct. It also made it more difficult on the OL than it had to be. I assume Mac can see the MOF and he was shying away from it because teams had 8 guys in the box, but the MOF has been open all year, and Mac has pretty much ignored it. I think it might have been in the coaching to teach Mac how to use the outside the field first and the MOF second? Teaching Mac from the outside in? It is curious like Lazar says.

 

[PatsFan2]

I will agree. If the guy goes 25-30 for 270ish and a couple TDs every week, I don't think we can ask for a lot more. Protect the ball, move the chains, punch it in when in the red area. A true stud at WR will open up a lot for the TEs and Pop Douglas, but it all starts up front. Let's get consistent with line play and move forward with your plan.

Pop Douglas is a walking First Down his shiftiness has translated: Bourne is the man. Now we need to get that Third WR clicking with Mac not named Juju or Parker. Will it be Reagor or Thornton??

 

[Jim Beankie]

This is what I have been saying. Mac has not been throwing the ball over the middle, like a slant, but did against the Bills. Lazar says he does not understand what changed because the middle of the field has been open all year. If you look at Lazar's first video it is Mac throwing the slant to Reagor against the Bills - an easy toss and catch for 10+ yards - and then Lazar shows a very similar play against the Raiders where Reagor is wide open at the bottom of the screen on a slant, #83, and Mac did not throw to him. Lazar is trying to understand where the MOF passes have been all year and why Mac started throwing them against Buffalo.

Let's hope the passes over the MOF continue, but this type of easy pass for 10 yards is all on Mac. It is a quick release pass that is not on the OL or the receivers. Mac finally "clicked" against Buffalo, let's hope he can keep doing it. The OL was better and gave Mac confidence, but Lazar is showing that Mac also started using all of the field which was not dependent on the OL or "weapons".

For the 2nd vid / Raiders, I think he saw the LB #5 moving in that direction, so he went for the safe play, considering he'd been a TO machine recently.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Pop Douglas is a walking First Down his shiftiness has translated: Bourne is the man. Now we need to get that Third WR clicking with Mac not named Juju or Parker. Will it be Reagor or Thornton??

Reagor has bounced around, so something is not quite right with him like he has trouble catching the ball (remember Agholor?). Thornton would be the ideal guy because of the speed and his hands, but the Pats are not using him much for some reason.

 

[Sfpat]

That is correct. It also made it more difficult on the OL than it had to be. I assume Mac can see the MOF and he was shying away from it because teams had 8 guys in the box, but the MOF has been open all year, and Mac has pretty much ignored it. I think it might have been in the coaching to teach Mac how to use the outside the field first and the MOF second? Teaching Mac from the outside in? It is curious like Lazar says.

I remember my concern with Brady in his younger days was that he mostly threw to the MOF and rarely threw to the outside. Mac has been the total opposite this year.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

For the 2nd vid / Raiders, I think he saw the LB #5 moving in that direction, so he went for the safe play, considering he'd been a TO machine recently.

I agree with this, but Reagor is still wide open for a quick pass, the DB is way off the line. Hopefully Mac starts to see the field better every week, and gains confidence since the same OL is coming back against the Dolphins.

 

[PatsFan2]

Reagor has bounced around, so something is not quite right with him like he has trouble catching the ball (remember Agholor?). Thornton would be the ideal guy because of the speed and his hands, but the Pats are not using him much for some reason.

That's on OCBOB that have to change I can't think of a better time than this Sunday in Miami.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

I remember my concern with Brady in his younger days was that he mostly threw in the MOF and rarely threw to the outside. Mac has been the total opposite this year.

Brady would thread very tight windows, almost zero WR separation, to the MOF like to Edelman and Gronk. I am not sure Mac has the ball speed, but the MOF is open.

 

[PatsFan2]

I agree with this, but Reagor is still wide open for a quick pass, the DB is way off the line. Hopefully Mac starts to see the field better every week, and gains confidence since the same OL is coming back against the Dolphins.

Have you seen how many Rookies are playing well for their respective Teams?? Second year Thornton better get his act together or just Trade him.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Have you seen how many Rookies are playing well for their respective Teams?? Second year Thornton better get his act together or just Trade him.

Yes Thornton needs to figure it out, but "trade him" is a bit premature. Every player is not going to be an All-pro, that is OK, and some players take longer to develop, that is OK too. Let's see what happens. Trading all "non-All pros" and every developing player is not the answer. Continuing to work together and develop as a team is the answer.

 

[UGAPatsfan]

If Mac can reclaim enough to be a serviceable player, we don’t need to go QB in the first round. Could grab the Michigan kid in the 2nd and sit him a season.

Then take Brock bowers or Harrison Jr with the 1. Either would add a lot to offense.

 

[SammyBlueCat]

Some part of me wonders if Bill and Mac have seen the calls for them both to lose their jobs in the media and have bonded together over it. I kind of expected there would be a lot more reported hostility by now but it's been kinda quiet and instead they just got a big win against a major AFC power team.

Now Bill gets fresh bulletin board material like Richard Sherman saying "that's nice but they still suck, they won't sniff the playoffs" etc. Bill absolutely loves the "nobody believes in you" card.

Slightly Off Topic: Who give $0.02 what Richard Sherman has to say???

 

[Wax Frog]

Juju is going be on us like a cheap suit very difficult contract to shed unless we plan on eating the dead $$$$. I wouldn't be against it terrible signing knowing what we do now.

OT - I miss animated avatars... Nostalgia...

 

[PatsFan2]

OT - I miss animated avatars... Nostalgia...

I know I forget he use to walk.

 

[Steve102]

Have you seen how many Rookies are playing well for their respective Teams?? Second year Thornton better get his act together or just Trade him.

Kid has no trade value.

 

[Rob0729]

Not that is much of a shock, but...

 

[mgteich]

Parker, Reagor, and Thornton have been open on slants all year and Mac did not make the play - that was Lazar's point. Not throwing to the middle of the field has been a Mac deficiency, not a problem with the receivers.

So, with a healthy line, we are able to pass protect, run protect AND have Parker, Reagor and Thornton free over the middle. Of course, we have 6 targets without them, but WOW.

OK, I'll say it, how exactly is this the worse Offense in the league, the worst team in the league and a team that needs to be completely rebuilt?

 

[PatsFan2]

Not that is much of a shock, but...

Got some guys for next year get well Marcus.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

So, with a healthy line, we are able to pass protect, run protect AND have Parker, Reagor and Thornton free over the middle. Of course, we have 6 targets without them, but WOW.

OK, I'll say it, how exactly is this the worse Offense in the league, the worst team in the league and a team that needs to be completely rebuilt?

I don't think the team or offense has to be completely rebuilt. I am not sure why you ask. Clearly an OT, maybe a LT and move T Brown to RT, would be great, a #1 WR, and a functioning QB would help a lot. Mac was functioning well against Buffalo. Let's hope Mac builds on that. We can pick up the other offensive pieces in FA or the draft- the Pats cap room provides a lot of flexibility.