Pre Game Thread - Pats @ Packers

[Pats1971]

1. One possible justification for his non-answers is if the swelling of the ankle hasn't gone down enough to make a proper determination on the extent of the injury. Not sure that matters w/ an MRI but I'm not an orthopedic surgeon.

2. Other possibility, injury isn't as bad as originally reported.

3. This is exactly why you get all of the media speculation. They have no choice but to get their own sources (a cousin of a friend of the cafeteria worker at Gillete). So complaining about what the media puts out there is useless. It's a monster 100% created by Belichick's non-ansers to perfectly reasonable questions. 96.875% of the other coaches would answer these simple questions.

If the injury is not that bad, then Mac might need to toughen up a bit, but I am not sure that is teh issue. When you are getting a second opinion on if you should have surgery or not, something is bad

 

[Hyped]

3. This is exactly why you get all of the media speculation. They have no choice but to get their own sources (a cousin of a friend of the cafeteria worker at Gillete). So complaining about what the media puts out there is useless. It's a monster 100% created by Belichick's non-ansers to perfectly reasonable questions. 96.875% of the other coaches would answer these simple questions.

But LaFluer doesn't know who will play QB this week. And Campbell's staff won't be able to make advance preparations for week 5....

Not answering those questions does have a strategic advantage...however small.

 

[Pats1971]

But LaFluer doesn't know who will play QB this week. And Campbell's staff won't be able to make advance preparations for week 5....

Not answering those questions does have a strategic advantage...however small.

If LaFluer thinks even slightly that Mac will play sunday he should be fired as a head coach.

 

[venecol]

If the injury is not that bad, then Mac might need to toughen up a bit, but I am not sure that is teh issue. When you are getting a second opinion on if you should have surgery or not, something is bad

But that story is from an unknown source, not directly from Mac. That's the point, nobody seems to know anything with any degree of confidence because they won't quote their sources. It's par for the course with Bill and his skull and bones secret society.

 

[Sicilian]

1. One possible justification for his non-answers is if the swelling of the ankle hasn't gone down enough to make a proper determination on the extent of the injury. Not sure that matters w/ an MRI but I'm not an orthopedic surgeon.

2. Other possibility, injury isn't as bad as originally reported.

3. This is exactly why you get all of the media speculation. They have no choice but to get their own sources (a cousin of a friend of the cafeteria worker at Gillete). So complaining about what the media puts out there is useless. It's a monster 100% created by Belichick's non-ansers to perfectly reasonable questions. 96.875% of the other coaches would answer these simple questions.

On point 3, I agree, though the flip side of that is if you're more open, a lot of reporters look for "gotcha" moments where they take something you said in one context and use it to call out a perceived contradiction once there's different context. So it's kind of a pick your poison kind of deal. Which annoying media habit can you personally tolerate more? People filling a void with speculation, or people dissecting every word you say in case you slip up? I'm not saying there's a right answer here, and I don't even blame the media members themselves for it. I kind of blame US for needing a 24/7 sports news cycle that forces them to have daily press conferences and regular articles to write.

 

[venecol]

But LaFluer doesn't know who will play QB this week. And Campbell's staff won't be able to make advance preparations for week 5....

Not answering those questions does have a strategic advantage...however small.

You're not serious with this, are you?

 

[Hyped]

If LaFluer thinks even slightly that Mac will play sunday he should be fired as a head coach.

Maybe, but he still has to take it day by day....

 

[Pats1971]

On point 3, I agree, though the flip side of that is if you're more open, a lot of reporters look for "gotcha" moments where they take something you said in one context and use it to call out a perceived contradiction once there's different context. So it's kind of a pick your poison kind of deal. Which annoying media habit can you personally tolerate more? People filling a void with speculation, or people dissecting every word you say in case you slip up? I'm not saying there's a right answer here, and I don't even blame the media members themselves for it. I kind of blame US for needing a 24/7 sports news cycle that forces them to have daily press conferences and regular articles to write.

I agree with that. Sports media is not even news anymore, its just hot takes and talking points that will get a rise out of people and get clicks, but as you said a reporter has to ask the question about a starting QB

 

[Froob]

I'm ready, let Chef Hoyardee cook

 

[Bourne Patriot]

If the injury is not that bad, then Mac might need to toughen up a bit, but I am not sure that is teh issue. When you are getting a second opinion on if you should have surgery or not, something is bad

Yes, I thought the MRI confirmed he had a "severe high ankle sprain". I don't know how it can be one of those "not as bad a first thought" situations.

Bills probably gonna reel off "he's getting better" at every press conference for 8 weeks until he's back on the field. At some point around week 6 onwards opposing teams may start to wonder if Mac is starting or not. Perhaps this is his logic.

 

[Sicilian]

I agree with that. Sports media is not even news anymore, its just hot takes and talking points that will get a rise out of people and get clicks, but as you said a reporter has to ask the question about a starting QB

Yup, and as much as I hate listening to guys like Felger and Mazz, the fact is they have to fill roughly 4 hours a day with sports talk, often during times when the most noteworthy thing happening is the Red Sox promoting a D level prospect from single-A Lowell to single-A Salem. Hard to blame any of them for doing whatever it takes to fill that much time.

 

[Pats1971]

Yes, I thought the MRI confirmed he had a "severe high ankle sprain". I don't know how it can be one of those "not as bad a first thought" situations.

Bills probably gonna reel off "he's getting better" at every press conference for 8 weeks until he's back on the field. At some point around week 6 onwards opposing teams may start to wonder if Mac is starting or not. Perhaps this is his logic.

Thats a good point. Right now its silly to say the day by day thing, but at some point it might mean something.

 

[upstater1]

If the injury is not that bad, then Mac might need to toughen up a bit, but I am not sure that is teh issue. When you are getting a second opinion on if you should have surgery or not, something is bad

Or the level of pain is unrelated to the severity of the injury. High ankle sprains are notoriously painful.

 

[upstater1]

Yup, and as much as I hate listening to guys like Felger and Mazz, the fact is they have to fill roughly 4 hours a day with sports talk, often during times when the most noteworthy thing happening is the Red Sox promoting a D level prospect from single-A Lowell to single-A Salem. Hard to blame any of them for doing whatever it takes to fill that much time.

I listen to sports radio in Buffalo. They are 100 times better than 98.5 the sportshub.

Good sports talk can be done.

It's not very hard.

Heck, Buffalo only has 1 1/2 franchises, not 5!!

 

[ashley]

 

[italian pat patriot]

Honestly...winning @ Lambeau in these conditions i would call this as an EPIC win...

 

[SVN]

 

[JMC00]

The 1 catch was the 1 he almost intercepted but Hill snagged it from him

 

[upstater1]

If LaFluer thinks even slightly that Mac will play sunday he should be fired as a head coach.

But... weeks ahead, it doesn't pay to say, Mac is DEFINITELY out for 3 or 4 weeks. In a few weeks, it pays to keep teams guessing

 

[upstater1]

View attachment 45788

The 1 catch was the 1 he almost intercepted but Hill snagged it from him

If Jack Jones and Marcus Jones work out, this team will be well on the way to rebuilding, because CB is still as of now an area of need along with OT and LB, not to mention WR.

But if the Jones's can replace Mills, we won't need to spend draft currency there.

Algholor is coming off the books this year.

Hopefully we sign Meyers & Tyquan pans out. This team is NOT very far away, with the exception of LB, which needs a complete overhaul.