Pre Game Thread - Pats @ Bills

[venecol]

We are all Buffalo!
How dare you root for the Patriots!
View attachment 48873

I think the coverage area w/ Dedes Feely is too small.

 

[venecol]

I hope Zappe starts Sunday.

That's our only chance.

 

[Tunescribe]

I hope Zappe starts Sunday.

That's our only chance.

 

[Ross12]

We are all Buffalo!
How dare you root for the Patriots!
View attachment 48873

For god's sake, why do I have to be in the 15% of the country that ISN'T showing this game?

 

[PatsWSB47]

LOL the changes are mainly because of me. I love it.

Quite a legacy to strive for if you're 9 years old.

 

[Jlaff]

I'm sorry but the phrase "just like Lawrence Taylor" cannot be used when discussing any ST player.

Belichick can fit "Lawrence Taylor" into any topic.

 

[Ian]

Belichick can fit "Lawrence Taylor" into any topic.

He's the master of "Six Degrees of Lawrence Taylor."

 

[Jlaff]

There are plenty of people who fall in the middle and are willing to discuss both sides without going all or nothing and repeating the same talking points. The former is what we want. The latter really isn't.

That's the biggest emphasis I've made with a few people privately. It's O.K. to disagree. But provide enough context and thought in order to be able to have a real dialogue. You've got some people where one poster will take the time to provide insightful and interesting information to rebut an opinion, only for it to be responded to with a quick: "I disagree with you, he sucks." kind of answer.

That's a waste of time, and it badly detracts from the spirit of what this place is supposed to be.

Not going to lie, I'm tired of it. There are a lot of people who care and have been here a long time, and it's been getting progressively worse over the last year or two. Now that I've gotten a little more up to speed technically, I'm working on addressing it and have a pretty good solution coming.

I spent time looking through dozens of forums and other mediums to try and get a good sense of how to approach it. Given the discussions I've had with the mods, who also provided some good input, I feel like this should get us in a much better place. I know this is probably going to upset a few people when it goes live, but the overall community is what matters, and that's the real and true impetus behind all of this.

It should be noted that the same contingent constantly complaining about "unacceptable" divergent viewpoints on, for example, Mac, are all too happy to complain about Patricia non-stop and pin every problem on him.

I don't care. It doesn't bother me. I've complained about Patricia often enough. But, IIRC, I was receiving headshake/Goodell clown emotes for saying Patricia may have exceeded expectations by not being the worst OC in the league, and that the offence seemed to be slowly improving as he (maybe) started to figure a few things out. And to be completely clear that's fine, it's a debate forum, among other things.

Still, it's incredibly hypocritical to get up on a high horse and call people fake fans for criticizing certain players or aspects of the team then turn around and level the same type of criticism against the team elsewhere. They're effectively seeking to censor viewpoints they don't like and have anointed themselves arbiters of "acceptable" criticism of the team.

 

[Jlaff]

He's the master of "Six Degrees of Lawrence Taylor."

I'd have to think Brady would be legitimately annoyed with hearing about Taylor and Johnny Foxboro all the time. And it continues, lol. Taylor didn't win him 6 Superbowls.

 

[venecol]

 

[GreenCow]

Boy, this playoff scenario just got complicated with the NFL memo.
Bottom line, Cincy was going to win that game. And it seems that the Bills got a big boost in all of this, and the Pats are getting screwed.
Such is the new era of Pats football.

Cinci was going to win this game? You say that based on them being up 7-3 in the FIRST QUARTER?

As if you didn’t see Cinci blow a 22-0 lead against YOUR team just last week!?

What an odd thing to say.

 

[PScottman]

I hope Zappe starts Sunday.

I heard he almost did last week too...at cornerback.

 

[PScottman]

For god's sake, why do I have to be in the 15% of the country that ISN'T showing this game?

Right there with ya brother. While being in one of those counties in the country that never experiences home price collapse etc because of massive government cash...being subjected to Ravens/Commanders....bbbbbllllllaaaaaaaaaargh.

 

[Triumph]

Oh, that's an easy question to answer. There is no need to hear any of my opinions however long when it comes to talking about THIS football team. The site is now polluted with nothing more that ideologues who clear no longer root FOR the team, but exist solely to run it down.

FALSE

Pointing out what is blatantly wrong with this Pats team is not running it down. The facts are that more people are coming around and becoming hip to who the problems are with this team. Some believe its Patricia, some say Jones, some say the WRs, some point the finger at the OL.

EVERYONE here wants the Pats to be successful and to win. That's why we come here win or lose every day for the last 20+ years.

There is ZERO interest in anything positive. Saying something positive will only bring on a wrath of negative responses and ringing put downs about being a "fanboy". Sadly it is hardly worth my time to respond

FICTION

Credit is freely given where credit is due. Everyone here is effusive with praise for the 2022 NE defense. Its special with a bunch of guys that play their guts out every damn week. They are not the problem and they are what has kept the Pats in these games all season. 7 defensive TDs tied for a franchise record. The blockbuster 2022 draft is nothing but praise. Stevenson and Marcus Jones get nothing but respect.

THIS is a thread where we SHOULD be discussing whether the best strategy to slow the game down, which seems the likeliest plan, or, If I had may way, would be to alternate our strategy to use our hurry up offense to limit the Bill personnel changes and slow down their rush. We can still run the ball doing this. I believe this is an all or nothing game where the OTHER team has a LOT going for it. Let's do the unexpected, we have nothing less to lose.

How did Parcells slow Jim Kelly and the K Gun offense down to win a Super Bowl?

Not by passing.

Clearly even another win will bring down even MORE of the negativism that pervades this site.

DISHONESTY

This place would be in a state of shock. I will not mind beating the Bills legitimately to earn a playoff spot. I will mind backing into the payoffs with Titans, Steelers and Dolphins losses.

A LOSS would bring out more truth which some people like to call negativity because it exposes them as being wrong. Bagdad Bob was a real fan and look where it got him.

 

[Triumph]

A positive attitude is everything. It's the one thing we can always control.

Im positive that the Pats are going to lose.

A positive attitude is worthless without ability.

 

[gitgronked82]

Pats win, Bengals win - Pats play Bengals
Pats win, Bengals lose - Pats play Bills
Pats lose (but still get in), Bengals win - Pats play Bills
Pats lose (but still get in), Bengals lose - Pats play Bills

Imagine a scenario where the Bills play "out of their minds" against the Patriots and beat them handily this week, but the Titans, Dolphins and Steelers all lose, so it sets up a Patriots v. Bills rematch next week. Then the Bills run out of steam due to giving it all they had mentally the prior week and fall in wild card weekend.

This is almost true. If pats lose but still get in and the chiefs lose, pats play chiefs.

 

[Nikolai]

To be fair, I feel like this is everyday

 

[Ross12]

This is almost true. If pats lose but still get in and the chiefs lose, pats play chiefs.

Ahhh I didn’t think of that one.

 

[ashley]

getting everyone ready for a Saturday with some additional roster moves:

 

[gitgronked82]

Ahhh I didn’t think of that one.