Ranking our 2021 opponents

[sb1]

Patriots: Ranking 2021 opponents, from Jets to Buccaneers (usatoday.com)

I'd put the Jets above the Jags being a division rival. Panthers are a bit too high and I'm sure Cam will be amped up for this game. Tempting to put Buf over Tampa being a division rival but I think the Pats can beat the Bills at least once. They probably should have last year with an inferior roster. They're not beating Tampa if Tampa is healthy.

 

[masterbouncer]

Patriots: Ranking 2021 opponents, from Jets to Buccaneers (usatoday.com)

I'd put the Jets above the Jags being a division rival. Panthers are a bit too high and I'm sure Cam will be amped up for this game. Tempting to put Buf over Tampa being a division rival but I think the Pats can beat the Bills at least once. They probably should have last year with an inferior roster. They're not beating Tampa if Tampa is healthy.

to be honest not sure about Tampa, depending on health but also on the actual form of the teams, if the DBs can keep up their level from most of the last two years and a huge improvment on the run D# can be seen I think the Pats would have exactly what it takes to give the Bucs a good fight

the main issue will be on the offensive side of the ball what this team can achieve and if, whoever is starting at QB, can play also like a QB who belongs to the NFL, have my doubts on that

 

[Triumph]

Brady wont win another Super Bowl. He should have walked away after winning number 7.

His career will begin to deteriorate this season. Tampa will lose in NE and the Pats game will expose Brady giving the rest of the NFL a blueprint for success. The blue print had always been there. Rex devised it. Drop 8 in coverage and rush 3 forcing Brady to hold the ball. Brady cant stand that because of the internal clock ticking away. Bradys MO is a fast rhythm, up tempo, getting rid of the ball.

 

[Triumph]

Tampa will be a great game.

Brady, Gronk and Edelman. Too bad they are going to lose.

 

[everlong]

Brady wont win another Super Bowl. He should have walked away after winning number 7.

His career will begin to deteriorate this season. Tampa will lose in NE and the Pats game will expose Brady giving the rest of the NFL a blueprint for success. The blue print had always been there. Rex devised it. Drop 8 in coverage and rush 3 forcing Brady to hold the ball. Brady cant stand that because of the internal clock ticking away. Bradys MO is a fast rhythm, up tempo, getting rid of the ball.

That doesn't work any longer because he has weapons to stretch the field. Whenever teams played coverage last year and the rush couldn't get there with 3 or 4 he would pick them apart.

There was also nothing physically to suggest your Kellermanesque prediction will come true. Sure at his age it could but he looked fine.

As for the Pats beating the Bucs it definitely could happen but timing of the game and how Bill fills out the rest of the roster will play a major part in that. My prediction has been Bucs at Pats week two on Sunday night. If that's the case I don't like the Pats chances. the Bucs will have a long week to prepare, the weather will be nice (unless it's windy and rainy) and I expect the Pats will go back to the trend of getting better as the year goes along. Now if the schedule comes out and it's week 13 on a Sunday night I like their chances a lot more.

 

[sb1]

If this was last year's roster - Bucs by 40.

But with a better roster and I expect better QB play (Can't be worse right?) I can see it going more like the KC game last season. Pats hang around for most of the game, they force Brady into a couple of mistakes but the better team pulls away at the end. Probably something like 27-14 Bucs.

Pats aren't ready yet to be a threat to the top teams in the league. In a couple of years if all goes well they will be.

 

[sb1]

Brady wont win another Super Bowl. He should have walked away after winning number 7.

His career will begin to deteriorate this season. Tampa will lose in NE and the Pats game will expose Brady giving the rest of the NFL a blueprint for success. The blue print had always been there. Rex devised it. Drop 8 in coverage and rush 3 forcing Brady to hold the ball. Brady cant stand that because of the internal clock ticking away. Bradys MO is a fast rhythm, up tempo, getting rid of the ball.

The 2010 Pats also had a very ordinary running game and that plays right into Rex's scheme. The Bucs running game is very good.

I'd say the right blueprint is the Giants Super Bowl one. Unrelenting and ferocious pressure up the middle to make Brady move off his position.

Makes me sad to think that the Giants credited Romeo Crennel of all people for designing that scheme against Brady and the 07 Pats. Crennel's Browns didn't have the players to execute it as well as the Giants did. I don't think the 2021 Pats do either.

 

[Sicilian]

I almost feel like Houston will be the easiest, depending on the Watson situation. That is a team in shambles right now, and those tend to be the ones our coaches scheme well against. Plus take Watson out of the game last year and even our muddled 2020 Patriots probably beat them by 10.

Some of these others will depend on when they fall in the schedule. If we get the Cowboys early while Dak is still getting back up to speed, that game is easier than later in the year (unless he gets hurt again). I have a gut feeling it will be the opposite with Indy. If we get them early, I think Wentz will be doing fine, with a combination of fresh start motivation and health. Getting them later in the year might be better, but I'll admit I'm basing that on nothing but a hunch.

 

[50-yard-line]

I'd put Cleveland > Miami. Cleveland might Cleveland, sure, but they're loaded.

And the Saints are too high, as that game is in New England.

 

[jmt57]

In terms of difficulty I would rank the 2021 schedule this way. The games against the Florida teams could shift dependent on when they are played (weather).

1. vs Tampa Bay
2. at Buffalo
3. at Miami
4. at Cleveland
5. vs Titans
6. vs Bills
7. at Indy
8. vs Dolphins
9. at Chargers
10. vs Saints
11. vs Cowboys
12. at Falcons
13. at Texans
14. at Panthers
15. vs Jaguars
16. at Jets
17. vs Jets

 

[tasmlab]

Man, wouldn't care to be a Jets or Panthers fan right now. The Jets get rid of their newish first-round QB pick to do it all over again and the Panthers are betting on the QB who wasn't good enough for the 2-14 Jets.

Although both teams are probably glad not to have Cam as their starter either :-\

 

[Hyped]

I love the schedule...I think only the Bucs, Browns, Titans, and Colts should be tough games for us. The Bills and the Fish...split-ville at worst, IMO. The Jets? sweep....Cowboys? Not worried.

12-5

 

[TheRainMaker]

Brady wont win another Super Bowl. He should have walked away after winning number 7.

His career will begin to deteriorate this season. Tampa will lose in NE and the Pats game will expose Brady giving the rest of the NFL a blueprint for success. The blue print had always been there. Rex devised it. Drop 8 in coverage and rush 3 forcing Brady to hold the ball. Brady cant stand that because of the internal clock ticking away. Bradys MO is a fast rhythm, up tempo, getting rid of the ball.

Bill vs Tom will be the matchup of the year. Tom will finally find out what Bill thinks his weaknesses are. Both will want to beat each other for bragging rights. The Pats are the only team in the league that have the secondary to slow down any passing attack, so the team that wins in the trenches could be the determining factor.

Tampa will be a great game.

Brady, Gronk and Edelman. Too bad they are going to lose.

If this game isn't prime time, the NFL really has their head's up their azzes! This is one game the NFL has to step in and tell CBS/Fox it's off limits and NBC is getting it. Bill vs Tom could be their only meeting ever.

Makes me sad to think that the Giants credited Romeo Crennel of all people for designing that scheme against Brady and the 07 Pats. Crennel's Browns didn't have the players to execute it as well as the Giants did. I don't think the 2021 Pats do either.

I didn't know much about Crennel getting credit, but Spags told McDaniel's in an ESPN special discussing that game that Spags had to throw out their normal game plan they ran all year as he feared the Pats would've whooped their azzes. One example was they normally send one LB (Antonio Pierce) with their four man rush on obvious passing downs. Instead, they sent Mitchell, who hadn't blitzed once all year, which resulted in Brady either getting sacked or threw an incomplete pass. They ended up punting. McDaniels admitted they were thrown off and had had trouble adjusting.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Double post

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

I see 4 tiers in my current opinions of the teams

Very difficult - elite teams last year basically returning the same team
Tb
Buf x 2

Moderately tough
Fins x 2 - improving but not super intimidated long as tua is the qb. We’ve short up our run d and offense which both killed us in the loss last year.
Tennessee- tough but they started to fade last year
Browns
Colts

Suprised if we lost
Chargers
Saints - have done well without brees but I think they take a tumble with him completely gone
Cowboys
Panthers
Falcons

Cream puff
Jets x 2
Jags
Houston- may not have Watson

If we can steal one of the very tough games, take 2/5 of tier 2, limit to 2 stinkers of the games we should win that’s 10 wins, very doable. I’d predict More wins with a qb upgrade