Patriots Pregame Thread Pregame discussion: week 17, @ Jete

[One-If-By-Sea]

Normally I would say they should have no issue beating the Jets & Dolphins. However, Seattle almost lost to the Rivers led Colts. Buffalo lost to Miami. Texans & Broncos nearly lost to the Raiders & Chiefs respectively. This has been a weird year where dregs beat/compete with good teams more than ever.

I think the Lolphins are a different team since Buffalo lost to them.

 

[The Gr8est]

Good lord the players being ruled out this week is ugly. Didn’t expect that.

Hollins is a big one that was unexpected.

 

[PatsFan2]

The following SEVEN players have been ruled out against the Jets:

• WR Mack Hollins (abdomen)
• WR Kayshon Boutte (concussion protocol)
• G Jared Wilson (concussion protocol)
• DT Milton Williams (ankle — IR return)
• DT Khyris Tonga (foot)
• LB Harold Landry III (knee)
• LB Robert Spillane (ankle)

Having BOTH Williams and Tonga out hurts. Likely also means that one of the two elevations will be a DT
With both Hollins and Boutte out, the Pats will likely be elevating one of Jiles or Webb. My bet is Jiles.. It also means that Kyle Williams is going to have to really step up his game.

The Pats already took the step of signing Jaimes to the 53 to cover Wilson being out.

The Pats already have Chaisson, Jennings, Ponder and Swinson for edge players.

Gibbens, Ellis and Tavai are going to have to step things up..


Regardless of the Elevations, the Pats will only have 47 active unless they dress Devito as more than the Emergency 3rd QB. They could be making a move to put someone on the IR tomorrow. IF they do, it wouldn't surprise me if it was Jared Wilson or Kayshon Boutte or both.

I hope Jeremiah Webb gets the WR elevation also KW has arrived DB.

 

[Foxypats]

I am hoping some of the injured players can suit up for Miami, even if it is limited action. Some of them have not played for weeks, we don't want them completely rusty for the first play off game. Would be good to see Milly and Tonga back .

 

[Uptown]

O-ver-rated…

 

[Uptown]

 

[Urgent]

Maybe this was covered elsewhere - with the Verizon-Fox impasse - is the game going to be available on television?

Fios customers in Boston and Providence lose FOX channels

A contract dispute with Cox Media Group has led to a blackout of local channels, including Fox affiliate Boston 25 News, as of Dec. 15.

www.boston.com

The Fox game this past weekend did not broadcast in the Boston area.

 

[Joey007]

Offense at least looks like it’ll be in mostly good shape for Sunday.

 

[Uptown]

But Nix is better…Spare me..

 

[Zuma]

I hope Jeremiah Webb gets the WR elevation also KW has arrived DB.

Why you hope Webb over Jiles? I could be wrong but I feel Jiles has shown more the past couple years. Also he is 6'3" 220.

 

[mgteich]

no need for an inactive list

 

[Huckleberry1]

But Nix is better…Spare me..

Sam is an angry delusional man.

 

[mgteich]

WR's without Hollins or Boutte is tough. Maye will be forced to force it to Diggs and finally KW more - which might create Jets to finally get a pick or two - I hope not. Not even sure how usable Pop will be with a hammy. Maybe Jiles can get the call and play the Hollins role - he was doing well in preseason.
More likely, this will just be a ground & pound game. Be smart and churn clock, and try to escape without injury and a win.

On the front 7 - another game leaning on Durden & Gregory & probably call-up for Pharms.
Hopefully Tavai & Gibbens can keep improving, maybe a bit of work for Muma??

Henry and Hooper should have great games.

 

[mgteich]

Why you hope Webb over Jiles? I could be wrong but I feel Jiles has shown more the past couple years. Also he is 6'3" 220.

I expect us to elevate two defensive front seven players. Barmore, Durden and Gregory are not nearly enough.

I suppose Tavai could play some DL.

 

[Dec54]

Sam is an angry delusional man.

Is he still here I thought he would have honored his bet

 

[NormZauchin]

I think that we are back to the Brady days. We have a superhero QB and everyone should think that we are the best. If Maye, Diggs, Williams, Spillane were all out, should we be rated #1? Of course not.

I don't agree, but your idea on Power Ranking meaning that the strength of a team if everyone were 100% healthy is a perfectly good definition.
=======
Brady is saying that on a neutral field and given the current players available seven team should be favored over us. The bettors agree with Brady and they are betting real money. BUF was favored over us. BALT was favored over us. If all our players were healthy, we would have been favored in those games., perhaps by a TD.
=================
A team is as good as the team that can be put out there on a given day.
===========
Consider a team that is pre-season #1 and has the top QB in the league. In Game 1. their top 10 QB is insured with an ACL and likely won't be back until at least Week 10. Their top defender is injured and put on IR for at 6 weeks in the second game. Per your reasoning, this team should stay at #1.
=======
To be clear, you seem to be saying that our Power Ranking should be the same even if Campbell, Williams, Tonga and Wilson were out for the year. I strongly disagree.

One extreme is to rate the team as if everyone were healthy and playing.

The other extreme is to presume that the team should be rated as if injured players aren't coming back.

A middle ground is to rate the team understanding given that one unknown is how much anyone injured with contribute.
===========

Let's go back to September 23, 2001. The Patriots, ranked number 29 by Dr. Z after losing their first game of the season, have just lost for a substantial time their starting quarterback, Drew Bledsoe. They now have the unknown Tom Brady leading them. I guess they should fall to 31 or 32 in the rankings and stay there till Bledsoe returns.

 

[Grogan14]

Should the Pats pulll a “Buffalo Bills” and intentionally lose to screw over the Jets draft position ( sarcasm)

 

[PatsFan2]

Our later Bye-Week was like a curse instead of a blessing.

 

[PatsFan2]

Should the Pats pulll a “Buffalo Bills” and intentionally losecto screw over the Jets draft position ( sarcasm)

 

[DaBruinz]

I hope Jeremiah Webb gets the WR elevation also KW has arrived DB.

Says the guy who wanted to jettison him earlier in the year and crapped all over him regularly. Sit down, Francis.