Patriots Pregame Thread Pre Game Thread - Pats @ Bills

[SHOWTIME15]

Rarely do I meet a fan of any other team that does not hate the Patriots. It's hard for them to get past the 20 year run and the media hype over Spygate /deflategate/ other made-up gates.

LOL

Those scandals have contributed a lot to the hatred of NE. I don't see anyone hating the Bulls dynasty of the 90s (unless you're a Knicks or Pistons fan), the Niners of the 80s/90s, Steelers of the 70s, or Packers of the 60s, etc.

It didn't help that Roger didn't properly investigate Spygate (it took the NFL 4 days, whereas it took the league nearly 2 years in deflategate for a much lesser offense) and had the tapes/notes destroyed. Jeff Pash and his crew literally stomped on the tapes in a conference room at Gillette. A proper investigation would have told us whether the Pats gained or didn't gain an advantage with the videotaping and would have confirmed that there was no Rams walkthrough tape. The NFL's handling of the situation has allowed fans of other teams to formulate all sorts of theories and assumptions about the Pats that still percolate today.

 

[mike_usagisan]

Palardy has been pretty bad but if you compare his numbers with Bailey's, they're nearly identical.

Yards per punt: 42.6 to 42.1
Net yards per punt: 36.9 to 35.2
Touchback%: 13.2% to 13.5%

Bailey's dead cap hit for 2023 is $4.5 mil so the team will bring him back. They can cut him after next season if he doesn't perform well.

Right, but those Bailey numbers suggested that he was dealing with a health problem which ultimately led him to go on IR (it's not like he suddenly got injured in a game). Hopefully he gets back on track next season.

 

[jimnance]

Yup. I'm a believer in self-fulfilling prophecy. Staying positive against the odds can help you find solutions toward desired outcome you otherwise wouldn't have considered.

We've both experienced life. I've been in impossible situations,some life or death, where odds were against me and emerged unscathed.( mostly) I've also seen plenty of situations,in real life and sports, where that happened.
In my case,keeping calm and always staying positive was the biggest factor in staying alive. And as you know,Tunes, it doesn't have to be life or death. Just everyday tough situations as well.

 

[upstater1]

I think it will be a miracle if the Browns, Jets and Jags all win. If they can then I agree - it does happen that a team will smoke another one, then shockingly lose the rematch, especially back to back.

I think the Bills extra emotion everyone's talking about will be offset by their disrupted preparations. Having said that, any given regular week I would expect them to stomp us, with the way we play them the last few seasons.

So here's hoping we pull off the upset, then end up facing Cincy. I think that's our best chance to do anything.

They don't all have to win.

2 of the Patriots, Jets, Phins and Steelers are getting in.

There are 3 scenarios in which only 2 games need to go the Patriots way.

Scenario #1: Let's assume a Jags win. That's win #1. At that point, a Browns win gets the Patriots in. So in this scenario, only 2 games need to go our way.

Scenario #2: Jags win. Jets beat the Phins. Only 2 games need to go our way.

Scenario #3: In a scenario where the Phins win, then we need the Jags and Browns to win. Again, only 2 games need to go our way.

Scenario #3 is the least likely, IMO.

 

[crawhammer]

In my own personal experience the hatred level has gone down since TB12 left. Ironically that coincided with the team no longer being a contender. Additionally, Tom has the "Christian Laettner" persona which was also a contributing factor.

Laettner was voted the most hated college basketball player in history... two decades after he left Duke! ESPN has a 30 for 30 on Laettner called "I Hate Christian Laettner." Tom Brady is not comparable to Christian Laettner.

You want to know why the New England Patriots are hated...
Firstly, all the winning!
Secondly, all the supposed cheating.
Thirdly, the head coach.
Fourthly, all the winning!

 

[sb1]

Patriots have the statistically worst punting game in football. Dead last in yards per punt and net yards per punt. Palardy is dead last in the league in punt % inside the 20. Even our old friend Ken Walter wasn't last in anything.

Our defense looks even better when you factor in that with a stagnant offense...

 

[upstater1]

I think Cincy Buff and KC are all very close. Imo,the 3 best teams in the nfl,not just the afc. One of them will win the SIfB.
But Cincy is playing the best right now and thats what matters.
Burrow is also the best of the 3 qbs right now. Our odds are long beating any of those 3 on the road. But not impossible.
Jon and Marcus Jones plus Mills all could be back this week.
If you can run the ball and play defense you always have a chance. Pats are capable of doing both.

Josh Allen turns it on when he needs to.

I would take both KC and Buffalo in any game that is all the marbles.

 

[Grogan14]

I think Cincy Buff and KC are all very close. Imo,the 3 best teams in the nfl,not just the afc. One of them will win the SIfB.
But Cincy is playing the best right now and thats what matters.
Burrow is also the best of the 3 qbs right now. Our odds are long beating any of those 3 on the road. But not impossible.
Jon and Marcus Jones plus Mills all could be back this week.
If you can run the ball and play defense you always have a chance. Pats are capable of doing both.

You are underrating the eagles chances. If Hurts is healthy they are right up there with the 3 NFC teams

 

[crawhammer]

2 of the Patriots, Jets, Phins and Steelers are getting in.

Only one of those teams is getting the 7 seed.

 

[crawhammer]

If the Patriots lose then they need MIA, PIT and TEN to lose their games. Otherwise the season is over.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Hopefully we see a different approach defensively sunday. Teams have limited the bills playing man coverage & getting to josh. The bills supporting cast is weak outside of diggs & mills' return should help. The gameplan in the first matchup was iffy as they played zone & let the bills go down the field with long drives. Also can they put anyone besides bryant on mckenzie? They have to have seen enough to know that's a huge mismatch IMO.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Laettner was voted the most hated college basketball player in history... two decades after he left Duke! ESPN has a 30 for 30 on Laettner called "I Hate Christian Laettner." Tom Brady is not comparable to Christian Laettner.

I've see the 30/30 It was very good.

This is hilarious. Watch the 1st minute.



Tom is a perennial winner and has a ****iness about him. Absolutely comparable. People respect, but hate Tom because hes good looking, rich and wins. See jealousy. Jeff Gordon is another comparison. Derek Jeter is another.

 

[jimnance]

You are underrating the eagles chances. If Hurts is healthy they are right up there with the 3 NFC teams

I disagree. Hurts had a nice year,kinda like Tua- both surrounded by talent.
But Hurts is not in tge same class as Mahomes Allen or Burrow. Not even close. I don't believe Hurts is capable of coming from behind by double digits late in a playoff game. Those other 3 are. So is Brady,Rodgers and Herbert. Philly does have a good defense,so they a chance.
But they'd be the 5th best team if they played in the afc imo.

 

[Hyped]

I would like to think they have a punchers chance, but I have a feeling this is gonna be an azzkicking. I guess the best hope is that the Pats are suddenly well coached and the better prepared team, while the Bills are either unprepared (unlikely) or too high emotionally (very possible). I think Mac would need to have a career best (so far) game to have the Patriots play at the level the Bills are capable of this Sunday. I am not optimistic that Fatt Matt is going to be able to give Mac that opportunity. More than likely they'll be even more conservative on offense to not have Hamlin's secondary mates be the difference in this game. The defense is going to have to be unconscious out of their minds good to carry the offense in this one.

I wish I had more faith in the coaching on this one, bud. Matt Patricia sucks and he's not up to the challenge. I think the players can play, but the game plan needs to be wide eff'n open, and the offensive staff just doesn't have the sack. Unless Fat Matt suddenly gives his balls a tug, his conservative approach is going to doom them Sunday.

#firePatricia

I actually think a conservative plan will work better this time around. We should lean on Harris and Stevenson to move the chains…hit the screen/underneath passes to hit first downs. Control the time of possession and keep our D fresh all day.

Well…..at least in theory…

 

[JarOfMayo51]

i don’t think the Pats stand much of a chance in this one. they are going up against an emotional onslaught from Buffalo.

We're going to curb stomp the bills, Mac will go 500+ yards passing

We'll see Zappe sometime in the 3rd quarter when Pats are up by 40 points

 

[BadMoFo]

We're going to curb stomp the bills, Mac will go 500+ yards passing

We'll see Zappe sometime in the 3rd quarter when Pats are up by 40 points

Bartender, I'll have what he's having.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

 

[venecol]

I think Cincy Buff and KC are all very close. Imo,the 3 best teams in the nfl,not just the afc. One of them will win the SIfB.
But Cincy is playing the best right now and thats what matters.
Burrow is also the best of the 3 qbs right now. Our odds are long beating any of those 3 on the road. But not impossible.
Jon and Marcus Jones plus Mills all could be back this week.
If you can run the ball and play defense you always have a chance. Pats are capable of doing both.

Agree, except Pats have not been running the ball that great recently. Since the bye, rushing yds: 99, 45, 60, 103, 206, 61, 76.
Record in those games: W, L, L, W, L, L, W. I suspect it's because teams are stacking the box and forcing us to beat them by passing. Pats are #23 in rushing. Mac is going to need his best game to win, imo.

 

[venecol]

Palardy has been pretty bad but if you compare his numbers with Bailey's, they're nearly identical.

Not surprising since they're the two worse punters in the league.

 

[Guts]

We about to get steamrolled