Who are you and what have you done with our beloved patriots?

[Tony2046]

AFC - Chargers, Houston in Houston, Steelers.
NFC - Saints, Rams, Seahawks if they can make it.

All teams the Patriots do not match up well with as of 2018. All teams that would hammer them on the ground. The Texans and Seahawks would get the traditional supremely vanilla defense - terrified of the QB scrambling for a few yards here and there and would give up chunk plays through the air as well.

Chargers yes.

Steelers - Put up 17 in Pittsburgh. It took a season's worst offensive performance including incredible penalties to lose that game.

Texans - One more weapon for Watson and I'd agree but they don't have enough. imo.

Saints - Yes.

Rams - Cashed in for a season or two but suddenly Goff is tossing ints and incompletions. We'll see. Not much different than KC. High flying offense carrying the rest of the team. Tough game but Pats have proven capable of beating high flying flash in the pans.

Seahawks - Maybe. I haven't really watched them this season so don't know.

 

[203Pat]

Infinitely? Sometimes it seems like posters here have a kitchen full of "as seen on TV" Ronco appliances and drawer full of dull Ronco slicing dicing knives.

The Hollywood Rams? Tons of talent just lost two in a row. Goff is tossing picks and incompletions all of sudden. Their defense won't bail them out of any poor offensive showings.

KC? - One of the worst defenses in the league. Just lost Hunt.

Texans - Give Watson one more goto guy and I'd agree with you. But they don't have that second guy.

Saints and Chargers yes. Balanced teams.

The Rams have the best RB and the most disruptive defensive player in the league and an explosive receiver group. Goff has hit a rough patch but get him back at home and I’m sure he will be fine. There’s no way you can tell me that roster isn’t better than ours. I don’t think there’s one position group we more talented than them.

KC losing Hunt was a blow but the RB by committee is doing okay but they still has one of the most explosive receivers in the league, a superstar QB, and at this point the best receiving TE in the league. Their defense is about as bad as ours but at least they have a pass rush with Dee Ford and Chris Jones. Eric Berry is also coming back and in all likelihood we will be seeing them in Arrowhead.

For the Texans Watson is looking much better than when we played and they have been getting solid performances from Lamar Miller until he got dinged up and they also have Hopkins one of the best receivers in the league. Their defense is loaded and against our struggling tackles I wouldn’t want to seem them right now.

The homerism on this board knows no bounds. It doesn’t make you a bad fan to see the writing on the wall, the roster needs some athleticism. Bad drafts will do that to you.

 

[1960Pats]

This team is completely healthy. Normally when we start losing, it’s because someone is injured but nope we have everyone healthy who’s gotten us to a super bowl in the past. They have so much potential but have not fired on all cylinders at all this year. Maybe Houston wins out and we have to host a wild card game and get bounced like 09 and never get to firing on all cylinders. Maybe Houston loses at Philly and we beat buf and NYJ and the demise is exaggerated just like 2014. Who knows. Normally we have these issues worked out. Now it’s all about wait and see.

Danny Amendola is a big piece that's missing from our SB success. That sticks out the most to me. He made a lot of big plays in crunch time.

There's also a difference without Nate Solder, though it's not as noticeable. His replacement has been a penalty waiting to happen.

Throw in a less effective defense and I see a lot of differences.

 

[1960Pats]

It's not really. Relative to the rest of the league it's pretty good.

And certainly deeper, which has allowed the team to advance in the past in spite of injuries.

 

[203Pat]

And certainly deeper, which has allowed the team to advance in the past in spite of injuries.

Our roster is deeper?

 

[mosslost]

Fans of the 70s Steelers, 80s Niners, 90s Cowboys all thought it would last forever too.

The Patriots problem is the drafting has been brutal, you have zero pro bowl level players under 30, there's no gamebreakers on this roster anymore.

There's no one special.

with all due respect to those teams, their dynasties can't even hold a candle to the Brady/Belichick Pats.

The Pats are going to be fine for a few more seasons too. Tenth straight Division title, good chance at 8th straight AFCCG appearance in my opinion. The Dynasty will last longer than 20 years. And then it will be real interesting to see how they deal with it. This is not the last season of it as so many seem to be thinking.

I actually think we are going to make a strong showing this year.

 

[stcjones]

I’m nominating this for post of the year!! Great realistic objective viewpoint on McD....could not agree more....they need to move him along....

It's difficult to fathom why McDaniels was begged to stay. For this? To run a screen to a thirty-two-year-old wideout on third-and-four? To throw twice at your best WR in the entirety of a pivotal game? I really think half the OCs in the league, were they given Brady, Gordon, White, Michel, Patterson, and Edelman, could get better results; I would venture that there are more than a couple that would get dramatically better results.

 

[stcjones]

We need to nail the upcoming draft and free agency

Yes with someone other than BB doing the drafting!!!!

 

[Triumph]

Blocking is an issue.

From the right side.

4 sacks
15 hits
23 pressures
2 holds
1 trip

Some say that Brady is developing a tendency of falling off to his left to avoid being hit from the right side.

 

[SammyBlueCat]

.

The homerism on this board knows no bounds. It doesn’t make you a bad fan to see the writing on the wall, the roster needs some athleticism. Bad drafts will do that to you.

Likewise the Gloom and Doom Negative people are tiring.

 

[TheRainMaker]

The Dynasty will last longer than 20 years.

I would’ve agreed with that had they kept Jimmy G and transitioned him from Brady.

The likihood the Pats continue this train is very slim given how difficult it is to find a good QB.

 

[Ring 6]

Those are fantastic numbers. 1 sack every 3.5 games and only hit once a game.
It doesn’t get better than that.

 

[Kontradiction]

Chargers yes.

Steelers - Put up 17 in Pittsburgh. It took a season's worst offensive performance including incredible penalties to lose that game.

Only reason they didn't have more is because Ben made some brain dead throws. They'd also have Conner this time around. However, they and the Texans I would be the most weary about putting money on (if I gambled) against the Pats.

Saints - Yes.

Saints would demolish this team. It would look like the 2009 contest.

Rams - Cashed in for a season or two but suddenly Goff is tossing ints and incompletions. We'll see. Not much different than KC. High flying offense carrying the rest of the team. Tough game but Pats have proven capable of beating high flying flash in the pans.

I'm not sure Goff would have to do much. Gurley would run through that unit like **** through a goose.

Seahawks - Maybe. I haven't really watched them this season so don't know.

Mentioned them because they stick to their ground game (our weakness on defense) and have a mobile QB (and we all know how we play them... extremely conservatively).

 

[TheRainMaker]

Likewise the Gloom and Doom Negative people are tiring.

There is still a real possibility that the Pats could still get the #2 despite how bad they are struggling right now. I think a bye week will do them wonders and I believe they’ll have enough to get back to the AFCCG.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

No, but they are a little less soft than the Colts of 2012-2014. This team is losing football games in the trenches, which is what those Colts teams did.

Yeah, I think for sure the Pats badly need an upgrade on the DL, but I would also like to see a more physically dominant OL.

 

[tasmlab]

And, if people recall the 2001 team, they didn't think we had stars back then either. some people grow into the role and others the greatness appears after a few more seasons. I don't think we have that level of talent, but coaching and leveraging players strengths makes our players better.

There weren't many stars on the 2001 team, but by 2004 being on the team made you a star.

 

[Triumph]

The football genius already knows that the pressure is not affecting Brady




Brady is throwing the ball away in lieu of being hit.

 

[tasmlab]

Blocking is an issue.

From the right side.

4 sacks
15 hits
23 pressures
2 holds
1 trip

Some say that Brady is developing a tendency of falling off to his left to avoid being hit from the right side.

Football question: Are Brown's and Cannon's numbers so much worse because they play outside, or because of bad play?

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Saints would demolish this team. It would look like the 2009 contest.

I'm not sure Goff would have to do much. Gurley would run through that unit like **** through a goose.

Mentioned them because they stick to their ground game (our weakness on defense) and have a mobile QB (and we all know how we play them... extremely conservatively).

I am not sold on the Saints. They have not been that impressive, and neither has any team from the NFC. Really, none of the top teams in the league look amazing - the Chargers might be an exception.

Seattle have a great run game but I don’t think Bill will drool over their receivers like he did with KC and Pittsburgh’s. Put Gilmore on Baldwin and JC Jackson on Lockett. This would allow us to have an extra man in the box.

I hate to say this but Philly could be a tough match up again. They have very good DL and OL as well as receivers. If Foles plays well, I could see them going anywhere and win.

 

[maust]

Football question: Are Brown's and Cannon's numbers so much worse because they play outside, or because of bad play?

Yes