The Bandwagon - On it or Off It?

[Halifax_Pats_Fan]

The only bandwagon I am on, is the next one....

 

[captain stone]

Was only a side-car rider anyway, but now I'm completely Off.

Smells like 2021 all over again: a (mirage?) winning streak vs mostly the dregs of the league, being Exposed near the finish... One & Done in the POs...?

 

[mgteich]

Was only a side-car rider anyway, but now I'm completely Off.

Smells like 2021 all over again: a (mirage?) winning streak vs mostly the dregs of the league, being Exposed near the finish... One & Done in the POs...?

I am definitely ON the bandwagon.

With our injured coming back, we will be a much better team than the one that played Sunday.
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That being said, we will likely have troubles with almost any team in the playoffs, presuming that BAL beats out PIT. That's fine. If we get hot, we can win it all, or as you say we could lose our first game.

 

[Bill Lee]

Was only a side-car rider anyway, but now I'm completely Off.

I am definitely ON the bandwagon.

It's all about managing expectations.

I'm still on the Vrabel/Maye bandwagon for sure.

10 wins and a shot at a few more is definitely a great season for a team that went 4-13 the last two seasons.

OTOH, a lot will have to go our way to do anything but be one-and-done in the playoffs.

The BUF game exposed weaknesses in all three aspects of our team, O/D/ST, even after having a bye-week to prepare.

I don't see how the issues can be resolved this season, but will be watching regardless.

 

[Huckleberry1]

I’m on it more than ever before.

Same here, they have brought them back into contention, and done so way ahead of schedule, imo they will be contenders for years and years to come. I realize that's not good enough for those who demand success and perfection on every play, or they are abysmal failures who really suck, but for any rational person that should be good enough.

 

[Huckleberry1]

Captain Quit and his miserable band of quitters have made themselves perfectly clear, their motto is GO BRONCO's! They are ordering their Bo Nix jerseys as we speak.

 

[Huckleberry1]

It's all about managing expectations.

I'm still on the Vrabel/Maye bandwagon for sure.

10 wins and a shot at a few more is definitely a great season for a team that went 4-13 the last two seasons.

OTOH, a lot will have to go our way to do anything but be one-and-done in the playoffs.

The BUF game exposed weaknesses in all three aspects of our team, O/D/ST, even after having a bye-week to prepare.

I don't see how the issues can be resolved this season, but will be watching regardless.

The issues can't be resolved without another really good offseason, but any sane fan should have realized that to begin with. Even Vrabel has acknowledged that they have more work to d to get where they want to be. This is why they were smart not to go all in at the trade deadline, when the same people who are ****ting on them now wanted them to trade away their future for overpriced trade candidates.

 

[Tunescribe]

Was only a side-car rider anyway, but now I'm completely Off.

Smells like 2021 all over again: a (mirage?) winning streak vs mostly the dregs of the league, being Exposed near the finish... One & Done in the POs...?

 

[A Defiant Goose]

After this game, I'm still on the bandwagon. Our defense played about as poorly as possible and we were right there to win it at the end. All we would've needed it a standard defensive holding call that's properly made on 4th and 5 and the win's within reach. I think that hold gets called probably at least 80% of the time.

I don't think the Bills win a potential 3rd match up, and if they're the AFC favorites I think we have a fighter's chance at a championship right now

 

[A Defiant Goose]

The issues can't be resolved without another really good offseason, but any sane fan should have realized that to begin with. Even Vrabel has acknowledged that they have more work to d to get where they want to be. This is why they were smart not to go all in at the trade deadline, when the same people who are ****ting on them now wanted them to trade away their future for overpriced trade candidates.

In defense of the "sell out for a win now" crowd...if we mortgaged the future for Myles Garrett this season I think it's probably an easy Super Bowl win lol

 

[PatsFanInVa]

"Bandwagon goes over bump in road, sidecar in ditch, news at 11!"

I'm onboard till the end OF COURSE, because you don't ditch at the first bump in the road. They beat us by 4, we beat them by 3. I think we see them again before it's over, so once you're off my bandwagon, go get yourself your number 17 jersey and we'll see you in the visitors section Because damn.

Seriously - did the 2001 Patriots look like the Team Of Destiny? Come on now.

We need to be healthy when we see Buffalo again to have our best shot, which is an issue for just about everybody now. We also got outcoached in terms of not adjusting to Buf.'s adjustments, and okay I'll say it, out-flagged. Does that happen again in the playoffs? (Shrug) That's why they play the games. Plan to outplay them by a TD in the playoffs, though, because I do think the league has shown its hand. And I never go on those conspiracy theories.

There's a little Baltimore hill straight ahead, and our run D is suddenly... challenged. Yes, that correlates to injury. I'd love to be a fly on the wall as the Pats prepare for the Ravens, but we know they allow 233 yards/game passing (28 more than us, and down around the league's worst) vs. 111 on the ground... seems like a Maye daye. (Maye be.) I'll be screaming at the screen, probably "G*** **** IT TACKLE HIM" if Jackson gets truly healthy... but I don't think the Ravens get the W.

I'd love to see the no-interception Drake Maye, yet with whatever downfield output is needed to put the Ravens away, and I know we need to keep pounding against the Baltimore run D until we get a Hendo Hundo and at least one run TD, with Rham giving no rest for the Balmer weary. Or the other way around. Because together they will end you. Sorry, it's the bandwagon and all. Point is, they're better against the run but can be had, and that makes them defend both dimensions.

Hoping for Spillane back - if we were just being cautious and he needed one more week, that's one thing... if the foot keeps just not feeling right, grrrr. Give him a shot and rub some dirt on it.

BELIEVE... this season's a good one to start the next dynasty. What's that., bandwagon GPS? "Taking the measure of the good teams, recalibrating..."

 

[Water Boy]

I'll be waving my pom poms, but my expectations are lower than they were a week ago.

 

[Huckleberry1]

"Bandwagon goes over bump in road, sidecar in ditch, news at 11!"

I'm onboard till the end OF COURSE, because you don't ditch at the first bump in the road. They beat us by 4, we beat them by 3. I think we see them again before it's over, so once you're off my bandwagon, go get yourself your number 17 jersey and we'll see you in the visitors section Because damn.

Seriously - did the 2001 Patriots look like the Team Of Destiny? Come on now.

We need to be healthy when we see Buffalo again to have our best shot, which is an issue for just about everybody now. We also got outcoached in terms of not adjusting to Buf.'s adjustments, and okay I'll say it, out-flagged. Does that happen again in the playoffs? (Shrug) That's why they play the games. Plan to outplay them by a TD in the playoffs, though, because I do think the league has shown its hand. And I never go on those conspiracy theories.

There's a little Baltimore hill straight ahead, and our run D is suddenly... challenged. Yes, that correlates to injury. I'd love to be a fly on the wall as the Pats prepare for the Ravens, but we know they allow 233 yards/game passing (28 more than us, and down around the league's worst) vs. 111 on the ground... seems like a Maye daye. (Maye be.) I'll be screaming at the screen, probably "G*** **** IT TACKLE HIM" if Jackson gets truly healthy... but I don't think the Ravens get the W.

I'd love to see the no-interception Drake Maye, yet with whatever downfield output is needed to put the Ravens away, and I know we need to keep pounding against the Baltimore run D until we get a Hendo Hundo and at least one run TD, with Rham giving no rest for the Balmer weary. Or the other way around. Because together they will end you. Sorry, it's the bandwagon and all. Point is, they're better against the run but can be had, and that makes them defend both dimensions.

Hoping for Spillane back - if we were just being cautious and he needed one more week, that's one thing... if the foot keeps just not feeling right, grrrr. Give him a shot and rub some dirt on it.

BELIEVE... this season's a good one to start the next dynasty. What's that., bandwagon GPS? "Taking the measure of the good teams, recalibrating..."

I believe that Vrabel sees good health as more important than home field and he will protect Spillane, Williams, Campbell etc... until they are really healthy. He would rather try and win at full strength than count on home field to make the difference. And given how ****ty our home field advantage is who could blame him. Gillette is more like 65,000 at a poetry reading than it is a menace to opposing teams.

 

[jal]

We will need:

1) Drake Maye to be a superstar at least twice with no "bad" games
2) Run D "fixed" by Milton Williams/Spillane return (fixed meaning not god-awful, situationally good at minimum)
3) Luck - refs, fumbles, dropped/not dropped INTs, etc.

Which puts us in pretty much the same bucket as everyone else bar maybe the Rams - stars have to align. Nobody has a high % chance of winning this thing (e.g., 25%+) except possibly the Rams and even for them it's maybe 25-30% at best. So pray to the football gods!

 

[n1997y]

they are a good team, not great. Need a true #1 WR and a pass rusher

I started to hit “agree” but your insistence on the #1 WR killed it for me. We don’t need anything other than a balanced passing game, with an effective running game to complement it, and an OL that can pass protect as well as run block to make the offense work.

On the other side of the ball we need a better pass rush and a better run defense. Getting Spillane back would help the run D. Getting Williams back will help the pass rush.

 

[jal]

I started to hit “agree” but your insistence on the #1 WR killed it for me. We don’t need anything other than a balanced passing game, with an effective running game to complement it, and an OL that can pass protect as well as run block to make the offense work.

On the other side of the ball we need a better pass rush and a better run defense. Getting Spillane back would help the run D. Getting Williams back will help the pass rush.

We don't need a #1 WR but we do need some "gotta have it" guys who can make that play when you really need it and the defense knows you are going to pass - e.g., Edelman, Gronk, Branch, Troy Brown, even Amendola. Can Diggs be that? Henry? If so, then we have all we need. Remains to be proven.

 

[imahobgoblin]

I have no bandwagon. I am a Patriots fan no matter what our record.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

I believe that Vrabel sees good health as more important than home field and he will protect Spillane, Williams, Campbell etc... until they are really healthy. He would rather try and win at full strength than count on home field to make the difference. And given how ****ty our home field advantage is who could blame him. Gillette is more like 65,000 at a poetry reading than it is a menace to opposing teams.

Okay so my main reply is oh sh**, Spillane in a walking boot...

MSN

But as to the bolded part, I give you the thoughts of e.e. cummings:

[Buffalo Bill 's]

Buffalo Bill ’s defunct who used to ride a watersmooth-silver stallion and break onetwothreefourfive pigeonsjustlikethat …

www.poetryfoundation.org

 

[TommyD4207]

I believe that Vrabel sees good health as more important than home field and he will protect Spillane, Williams, Campbell etc... until they are really healthy. He would rather try and win at full strength than count on home field to make the difference. And given how ****ty our home field advantage is who could blame him. Gillette is more like 65,000 at a poetry reading than it is a menace to opposing teams.

Nah, it's been rocking this year. Once the wine and cheese crowd decided it wasn't the cool place to be anymore, actual fans took their place.

To the point where the national announcers have commented on it multiple times, surprised how loud it was.

 

[Tunescribe]

He would rather try and win at full strength than count on home field to make the difference. And given how ****ty our home field advantage is who could blame him. Gillette is more like 65,000 at a poetry reading than it is a menace to opposing teams.

This is nonsense. You haven't attended any games this season, obviously.