Pats picked as one of 8 teams with no shot at a SB this year

[sb1]

Chart of point spreads for each team for their schedule as of right now.

Pats are only favored in 3 games - but it's interesting that in the 14 games they're not favored they are no more than 4.5 point underdogs in all but one of them. (6.5 in Buffalo). Compare this to Houston's and Arizona's chart.. .that doesn't look like a team with literally "zero" shot at the Super Bowl. And we all know it's not likely the division is going chalk. It's a long season.

 

[Wozzy]

My guy, I'm just wondering if you could explain to me how, having ZERO CLUE what their young guys will develop into, someone could state they are better than the bunch of homegrown Hall of Famers and All Pros they had in 2001. I'll hang up and listen. Christ almighty.

He didn’t say they were better, he said they had more experienced established talent in 2001 and still nobody believed in them.

Barmore, Gonzalez, White, Duggar, Mapu, Mac, Rhamondre, Douglas, Boutte, and the young linemen are exceptional talents. That doesn’t cease to be true because they’re inexperienced and not battle tested.

 

[DaBruinz]

Huh? Where is the Richard Seymour, Ty Law, Matt Light, Lawyer Milloy, Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest, Tom Brady level home grown talent on this team?

Milloy, Law, and McGinest were the 3 you mentioned who were ESTABLISHED in 2001.
Bruschi was moving inside.
Seymour and Light were ROOKIES.
Brady was behind Bledsoe.

Could you be any more revisionist?

The 2001 Pats teams had 20 UFA/Street Free Agents on it. It had 8 rookies on it after having 19 ROOKIES (drafted/UDFA) in 2000.

The Pats have a bunch of home grown talent this year:
Defense:
Barmore, Dugger, Jon Jones

Offense:
Stevenson, Onwenu

Special Teams:
Cardona, Slater

Up & Coming:
Defense:
Jack Jones, Marcus Jones, Josh Uche

Offense:
Cole Strange

Special Teams:
Brandon Schooler

Rookies:
Defense: Gonzalez, Mapu, White

Offense: Douglas, Boutte, Mafi, Sow, Andrews

Special Teams:
Baringer, Ryland, Speed

 

[DaBruinz]

2001 is not a good comparison. Leaving Brady out of this since I don't think he was the difference maker that many do (yes, he was very good, but nowhere near what he would become). People forget how the Pats brought in so much talent that season to totally retool especially the defense. It was a long time ago, but after that year, Belichick and Pioli were praised for bringing in all these difference makers for pennies on the dollar including Mike Vrabel, David Patton, Roman Phifer, Bryan Cox, Mike Compton, Antowan Smith, Marc Edwards, and Anthony Pleasant.

This year, the Patriots were relatively quiet in free agency and mostly are bringing back the same team from last year. Some players may improve quite a bit and the rookie class is promising, but it won't be like 2001.

Vrabel was considered a part-time player in Pitt. No one knew he'd be a difference maker.
Patten was working outside the league. The Pats were laughed at for signing him.
Compton was considered a Jag
Marc Edwards was considered a Jag
Anthony Pleasant was considered to be washed up.
Roman Phifer was considered to be on the downside of his career.
Bryan Cox was considered to be washed up.

Then you have:
Torrance Small - Inactive week 1. Played in Games 2&3. Dressed for game 4. then Gone
Bert Emmanuel - Dressed for games 1 & 2. Inactive 3&4 then released.
Charles Johnson - active for 14/16 Regular season games.
Terrell Buckley -
Je'Rod Cherry - Special Teamer
Fred Coleman - SFA.
Larry Izzo (biggest addition to Special Teams)
Ben Kelly - Special Teamer
Marty Moore - Fan favorite Jag.
Riddick Parker - JAG
Terrance Shaw - JAG
Ken Walter - Brought in when Johnson went down.

Hindsight says that team was EXCELLENT on Defense. Average on offense. Very Good on Special Teams.

I see THIS team being Excellent on Defense and at least Average on offense. Special teams is the question mark, though adding Chris Board should make up for the loss of Cody Davis in the short term. I believe that Special Teams coverages will be improved and this will be a VG Special teams unit.

 

[DaBruinz]

My guy, I'm just wondering if you could explain to me how, having ZERO CLUE what their young guys will develop into, someone could state they are better than the bunch of homegrown Hall of Famers and All Pros they had in 2001. I'll hang up and listen. Christ almighty.

NONE of the guys you mentioned were ALL-PRO in 2001. Just because they became such later, doesn't change what they were in 2001.

 

[Pape]

well if this is the case, and we have no shot, i look forward to seeing the Pats on Hard ⨀⨀'ers next season

 

[Triumph]

You are confused. The same guy that identified T Brady can not identify Zappe? Thinking you are the smartest person in the room is on brand.

Semen, I dont watch the Pats games through Corkys used jock straps like you.

Either Cappelletti or Santos identified Brady and both announcers are deceased. They never saw Zappe play unless it was from heaven.

 

[VrabelJr]

During the dynasty years (decades?) we were preseason favorites to go to the Super Bowl nearly every year from 2004-2019 on and "only" made it eight times and every time we made it we always played against a team nobody would have picked to be there, aside from the Seahawks. All this to say teams are assembled in the offseason and built during the season.

We have the GOAT coach and a team of players that seem really locked in for the first time in a while. The narrative around training camp this summer felt completely different than recent years. I like our chances to make some noise.

 

[TheRainMaker]

People forget how the Pats brought in so much talent that season to totally retool especially the defense.

They brought in stop gaps Bill was familiar with such as: Roman Phifer, Otis Smith, Bryan Cox, Anthony Pleasant and Bobby Hamilton to help transition with the new defensive scheme. These guys considered over the hill at this point or their careers.

Belichick and Pioli were praised for bringing in all these difference makers for pennies on the dollar including Mike Vrabel, David Patton, Roman Phifer, Bryan Cox, Mike Compton, Antowan Smith, Marc Edwards, and Anthony Pleasant.

This was after the fact. The Pats went into the season as the least talented team in the NFL.

 

[TheRainMaker]

During the dynasty years (decades?) we were preseason favorites to go to the Super Bowl nearly every year from 2004-2019 on and "only" made it eight times and every time we made it we always played against a team nobody would have picked to be there, aside from the Seahawks. All this to say teams are assembled in the offseason and built during the season.

We have the GOAT coach and a team of players that seem really locked in for the first time in a while. The narrative around training camp this summer felt completely different than recent years. I like our chances to make some noise.

Eagles were the NFC favorite going into 2004 with the addition of Terrell Owens.

 

[sb1]

Stick with your boy Alabama

Top 5 draft slot for the 2024 draft.

Zappe Smurf gets cut and not even the 0-17 to be Cardinals want to pick your boy up. Yikes!

 

[ivanvamp]

I mean, I think best case scenario for New England this year is making the playoffs and maybe winning a game. Pretty low shot of winning the Super Bowl. But that's ok. It's a building process.

 

[mike_usagisan]

I mean, I think best case scenario for New England this year is making the playoffs and maybe winning a game. Pretty low shot of winning the Super Bowl. But that's ok. It's a building process.

I think the best case scenario is going 17-0 and winning the Super Bowl. But I agree that that's not very likely. I'll settle for showing real progress and giving me hope.

 

[VrabelJr]

Eagles were the NFC favorite going into 2004 with the addition of Terrell Owens.

Thanks for the correction. I always swap the Panthers and Eagles Super Bowl years for some reason.

 

[Wozzy]

I think the best case scenario is going 17-0 and winning the Super Bowl. But I agree that that's not very likely. I'll settle for showing real progress and giving me hope.

They could win the same amount of games as 2021, but be a substantially better team playing a substantially harder schedule.

If they win 10-11 games, whoever emerges most healthy after a rigorous regular season in the AFC East should be a force in the playoffs.

 

[Rob0729]

Vrabel was considered a part-time player in Pitt. No one knew he'd be a difference maker.
Patten was working outside the league. The Pats were laughed at for signing him.
Compton was considered a Jag
Marc Edwards was considered a Jag
Anthony Pleasant was considered to be washed up.
Roman Phifer was considered to be on the downside of his career.
Bryan Cox was considered to be washed up.

Then you have:
Torrance Small - Inactive week 1. Played in Games 2&3. Dressed for game 4. then Gone
Bert Emmanuel - Dressed for games 1 & 2. Inactive 3&4 then released.
Charles Johnson - active for 14/16 Regular season games.
Terrell Buckley -
Je'Rod Cherry - Special Teamer
Fred Coleman - SFA.
Larry Izzo (biggest addition to Special Teams)
Ben Kelly - Special Teamer
Marty Moore - Fan favorite Jag.
Riddick Parker - JAG
Terrance Shaw - JAG
Ken Walter - Brought in when Johnson went down.

Hindsight says that team was EXCELLENT on Defense. Average on offense. Very Good on Special Teams.

I see THIS team being Excellent on Defense and at least Average on offense. Special teams is the question mark, though adding Chris Board should make up for the loss of Cody Davis in the short term. I believe that Special Teams coverages will be improved and this will be a VG Special teams unit.

I never said the players that Belichick and Pioli signed were considered great players at the time they signed them. In fact, they were considered washed up or never weres. My point was they revamped the team with a lot of new players who made impact on the team that year. The Pats this year didn't add a lot of new players like that.

It wasn't until after the 2001 season that Belichick and Pioli got the credit for revamping the roster for pennies on the dollar.

 

[Rob0729]

Semen, I dont watch the Pats games through Corkys used jock straps like you.

Either Cappelletti or Santos identified Brady and both announcers are deceased. They never saw Zappe play unless it was from heaven.

Wait! You are not a Mac Jones homer? I am shocked. I thought you were his biggest fan. How could you not be a fan with that type of obsession?

 

[Rob0729]

Even though I don't see any real comparisons to the 2001 team, I don't count the Patriots out from making the playoffs and doing some damage if they get in.

Last year, people thought the Seahawks were going to be in the Bryce Young sweepstakes while the Broncos were going to be legitimate contenders. The opposite happened.

This year's AFC East could be last year's AFC West. People thought that was going to be the toughest division in football with all four teams having legitimate shots at the playoffs and possible even the Super Bowl. What happened was the Raiders and Broncos were frauds. The Chargers were a playoff team, but flamed out quickly. I could see the Bills taking a big step back and the Dolphins and Jets being way overhyped.

 

[sb1]

They could win the same amount of games as 2021, but be a substantially better team playing a substantially harder schedule.

If they win 10-11 games, whoever emerges most healthy after a rigorous regular season in the AFC East should be a force in the playoffs.

Now that he's without Brady that might get BB enough coach of the year votes to win it.

 

[UGAPatsfan]

If this team is playing good football in Dec, gets into the playoffs, and doesn’t look awful win or lose I’ll be pleased and looking forward to 2024.

Miss the playoffs, and win less than 8...honest evaluation with some tough decisions will be fair.