Why Patriots could win the next few Superbowls.

[Franchise12]

The Patriots contrarian approach on offense could punch their ticket to more consecutive Superbowl appearances and heres why...

The NFL has become a spread em out passing league with many elements of the college game becoming part of the pro game.

This proliferation of passing offenses has forced most defenses to evolve into smaller but faster defenses. 255 lb+ linebackers like ted johnson, Brandon spikes, james farrior, larry foote are mostly considered obsolete and have been replaced with linebackers who are basically glorified strong safeties (230 - 245 lbs). Nose tackles like wilfork, casey hampton, ted washington have been replaced with smaller penetrating DT's.

I believe the Patriots noticed this league wide shift and decided to turn the clock back offensively by commiting to an old school hat on hat running game with heavy usage of the fullback. It is going to be incredibly difficult for teams designed to stop the modern day passing attack to stop the patriots approach. Once our guards and fullback get to the second level they will physically be able to dominate these lightweight linebackers. Sony michel aint lying when he gives all the praise to develin and the oline. all sony and the rbs have to do is make one guy miss to turn a good run into an exeptional run.

Heres why this is great news. Because it will take the league a few years through the draft to evolve enough to stop it. Also the college game would have to evolve to provide the kind of defenders needed and that could take a few years as well.

I think the Pats will continue to overwhelmingly invest in their strength. I wont be surprised to see them draft a powerback and a blocking tight end.

We just need a WR to replace hogan who poses more of a threat downfield on playaction.

 

[supafly]

Belichick, Brady, and McD will always adapt to whatever they need to be in order to win the game. While your prediction makes a lot of sense, the heavy run packages in more jumbo-type of personnel groupings could have been a result of Gronkowski being a limited weapon in the passing game, as well as the lack of downfield targets once Gordon left.

I’m sure they’d openly welcome some improvement in the downfield passing targets, and I expect them to address that weakness. That said, there’s no reason why they wouldn’t stay committed to a heavy run game seeing as how they just took a first rounder who saw success. I’m expecting Michel to be a bigger part of the passing game next year, and I think the 2 targets that he received yesterday were a part of the “surprise” type of wrinkle developed for the SB. Unfortunately, neither one of the targets connected.

I’d like to see Allen retained, as well as a draft pick at TE—whether or not Gronkowski stays. If he does, we can likely find an improvement over Hollister who can still contribute on STs, while being more in the mold of what you’re suggesting as a power style type of fullback/tight end. Good stuff.

 

[pheenix11]

When everyone zigs, Belichick zags. He did the same thing on defense for years going with a 3-4 because the guys that fit that scheme were undervalued. Then everyone copied him and there were a bunch of 3-4 teams. So he switched again and went back towards a 4-3 scheme or 4-2-5 scheme.

Belichick is the original moneyball master. He looks for the undervalued players and positions and maximizes their value. Running backs are a dime a dozen now, especially fullbacks so it would not surprise me at all to see him further exploit this market inefficiency.

I guess that economics degree has paid off for him.

 

[Hyped]

Belichick, Brady, and McD will always adapt to whatever they need to be in order to win the game. While your prediction makes a lot of sense, the heavy run packages in more jumbo-type of personnel groupings could have been a result of Gronkowski being a limited weapon in the passing game, as well as the lack of downfield targets once Gordon left.

I’m sure they’d openly welcome some improvement in the downfield passing targets, and I expect them to address that weakness. That said, there’s no reason why they wouldn’t stay committed to a heavy run game seeing as how they just took a first rounder who saw success. I’m expecting Michel to be a bigger part of the passing game next year, and I think the 2 targets that he received yesterday were a part of the “surprise” type of wrinkle developed for the SB. Unfortunately, neither one of the targets connected.

I’d like to see Allen retained, as well as a draft pick at TE—whether or not Gronkowski stays. If he does, we can likely find an improvement over Hollister who can still contribute on STs, while being more in the mold of what you’re suggesting as a power style type of fullback/tight end. Good stuff.

Allen was an absolute killer yesterday. Throwing bodies around. I take back what I said in the past about him being overpaid...

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

We'll see. This team was INCREDIBLY healthy this season and still has a lot of aging veterans who would be expected to decline based on normal age/performance scales (Edelman, Gronkowski, McCourtys, Chung, etc.)

There's a lot more optimism, from my perspective, that several cheaper, younger rising stars have emerged, and I think their development is the key. Michel, Jackson, and Bentley all look very promising, and Wynn hasn't even played though he was the first pick of all of them. Others like Van Noy (from good to very good) and Gilmore (from very good to elite) appear to have gone up an entire level, while few major players showed major regression (Hightower returned to form, thankfully.) This is not normal; a lot of things went just right for this team to gel at the right time.

Next year's draft is another big opportunity for them, as with every team. I think they were very fortunate with their health this year and that's abnormal for so few injuries and such little test of depth.

I believe Trey Flowers is near the class of Seymour and Wilfork, in terms of his overall impact on the defensive line. I hope he returns, though obviously it would come at a steep price. He is criminally underrated (should be an all-pro, rather than these one-trick sack artists.) Flowers is just everyone all the time and get beat you is so many ways. Retaining him is critical.

I'm in the minority, but I think Gronkowski returns, but I think there will be some drama with his contract, and I hope Belichick will let him have some veteran leniency with practicing and the daily grind. That may be the only way he would play and probably the best way to keep him effective.

 

[ThexMojoxMan]

You're in good company, OP; Bill agrees:

"We'll be back too."

 

[pheenix11]

I’d say we had our share of injuries/misfortune this season.

Two big ones:
Isaiah Wynn
Jeremy Hill

One that hurt:
Josh Gordon

Minor:
Burkhead, Michel, Gronk, Edelman lost a few games each as well due to injury or suspension.

At one point we were down to James White as our only healthy back.

I think the biggest non injury compared to last year: Hightower. He was huge in the playoffs.

 

[supafly]

Allen was an absolute killer yesterday. Throwing bodies around. I take back what I said in the past about him being overpaid...

Me too!

 

[Snooky97]

I’d say we had our share of injuries/misfortune this season.

Two big ones:
Isaiah Wynn
Jeremy Hill

One that hurt:
Josh Gordon

Minor:
Burkhead, Michel, Gronk, Edelman lost a few games each as well due to injury or suspension.

At one point we were down to James White as our only healthy back.

I think the biggest non injury compared to last year: Hightower. He was huge in the playoffs.

Loosing Hill worried me at the time as he was the only guy who looked like a big back for us as well as a special teams.

Agree with your statement on HT. He’s a major major difference to this team on the defense. We missed him an awful lot, last year

 

[SHOWTIME15]

I hate that people think going to the Super Bowl is just automatic. Do the Pats have a shot? Sure, but a lot of luck needs to go into any Super Bowl winning year. We’ll see. Gronk returning is not guaranteed. And we don’t even know what our roster looks like next year.

 

[Snooky97]

I hate that people think going to the Super Bowl is just automatic. Do the Pats have a shot? Sure, but a lot of luck needs to go into any Super Bowl winning year. We’ll see.

I think one thing to bare in mind is what we have coming through..

We have nearly our whole draft class of this year coming back healthy, including Wynn and Bentley.

We have also got 12 picks for this years draft and I think of that 12, 6 of those are in the first 100. We have a real good chance to reload again and build this team.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

I think one thing to bare in mind is what we have coming through..

We have nearly our whole draft class of this year coming back healthy, including Wynn and Bentley.

We have also got 12 picks for this years draft and I think of that 12, 6 of those are in the first 100. We have a real good chance to reload again and build this team.

I am keeping my fingers crossed. The OP does not post here much, but it’s just not realistic to “win the next few super bowls.” I can see maybe 1 more in the Brady era.

 

[farn]

It’s is very difficult to get to / win the SB... I’ll be rooting, but not expecting...

This “new dynasty’s” best team, IMO, was 2015. It’s the only year they failed to make the SB. Injuries are common and many of the heavy hitters escaped serious injuries this season. Add to that - this will be a season of change for several key veterans, I think.

2019 is far from a guarantee. But we have some fighters left and they always have a shot.

 

[DarrylS]

The highest form of flattery is imitation, and many teams will try to replicate what the Pats have done this year.. while we were all led to believe that the 54-50 game between LAR and the Chiefs was the future of the NFL.. The Pats defied that with 3 outstanding defensive performances against offensive minded teams....

Unfortunately, for those teams who try to imitate, will not be as successful as they do not have the football mind of BB and his staff.. so as they follow the Pats will innovate and evolve and continue on what they are doing, the Pats will look like they are doing the same thing, but doing something completely different.

 

[Patstastic]

The only thing better than six is seven. That means (Pending they won it next season) they would've gone 4-2 in SB's since Pittsburgh won it all in 2008. Crazy.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

The only thing better than six is seven. That means (Pending they won it next season) they would've gone 4-2 in SB's since Pittsburgh won it all in 2008. Crazy.

What does Pittsburgh have to do with anything? You can say the Pats would have gone 4-2 since Seattle won in 2013...

 

[long distance]

This team was INCREDIBLY healthy this season and still has a lot of aging veterans who would be expected to decline based on normal age/performance scales (Edelman, Gronkowski, McCourtys, Chung, etc.)

Being an even year this was supposed to be a relatively healthy season but the luck with health mantra this year is way overblown & quite oblivious.

The team doesn't start in September. Just because they had all 53 players healthy in SB doesn't mean this team didn't lose plenty significant players earlier. It is true that at the end most of key players were relatively healthy which is all you can ask for in this league. But to call this incredibly healthy season is quite a stretch.

I’d say we had our share of injuries/misfortune this season.

Two big ones:
Isaiah Wynn
Jeremy Hill

One that hurt:
Josh Gordon

Minor:
Burkhead, Michel, Gronk, Edelman lost a few games each as well due to injury or suspension.

At one point we were down to James White as our only healthy back.

I think the biggest non injury compared to last year: Hightower. He was huge in the playoffs.

Id add that WR position never got the chance to sort itself out in competitive fashion like BB wants bc of ton of injuries just on this one position. At the end only Edelman remained as reliable WR target for Tom and that could easily bite them in the end.

They lost Britt, Mitchell, Matthews - all potential solid WR 2-3 options. They gained and lost legitimate WR #1 option in Gordon as mentioned.

Add that they never had fully healthy receiving TE which is/would be significant part of this offence. Its not just about Gronk, Hollister had a great preseason with Tom and showed flashes of a guy who can step up ahead of Hogan & co. as #3-4 receiver.

Add that they lost almost all of their drafted rookie class (with at least Wynn, Bentley, Dawson projected for significant roles on this team) which affects not only this season but also the next.

Add plenty of devastating health news early with young promising tackles.

They also lost #2 CB at the time in Rowe but sometimes injuries are addition by subtraction too..


Fortunately none of this mattered in the end - at least for this year. Most of all, so many players - mostly regarded as “JAGs“ - stepped up greatly with their ability and versatility.

It did take some toll on development though but i have a feeling most rookies of this class will be able to overcome this and give BB a strong young core to rely on going forward..
____

Id say more than “incredible health“ credit has to go once more to BB, Nick and coaches to always find and plug-in quality and depth players throughout the year.

 

[Patstastic]

What does Pittsburgh have to do with anything? You can say the Pats would have gone 4-2 since Seattle won in 2013...

Pittsburgh is the only other team with six SB's. I'm pointing out that the Pats have been to five SB's since the Steelers went to their last SB in 2010 (Lost to Packers). They are the Patriots direct competition when it comes to greatest NFL franchises.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Being an even year this was supposed to be a relatively healthy season but the luck with health mantra this year is way overblown & quite oblivious.

The team doesn't start in September. Just because they had all 53 players healthy in SB doesn't mean this team didn't lose plenty significant players earlier. It is true that at the end most of key players were relatively healthy which is all you can ask for in this league. But to call this incredibly healthy season is quite a stretch.




Id add that WR position never got the chance to sort itself out in competitive fashion like BB wants bc of ton of injuries just on this one position. At the end only Edelman remained as reliable WR target for Tom and that could easily bite them in the end.

They lost Britt, Mitchell, Matthews - all potential solid WR 2-3 options. They gained and lost legitimate WR #1 option in Gordon as mentioned.

Add that they never had fully healthy receiving TE which is/would be significant part of this offence. Its not just about Gronk, Hollister had a great preseason with Tom and showed flashes of a guy who can step up ahead of Hogan & co. as #3-4 receiver.

Add that they lost almost all of their drafted rookie class (with at least Wynn, Bentley, Dawson projected for significant roles on this team) which affects not only this season but also the next.

Add plenty of devastating health news early with young promising tackles.

They also lost #2 CB at the time in Rowe but sometimes injuries are addition by subtraction too..


Fortunately none of this mattered in the end - at least for this year. Most of all, so many players - mostly regarded as “JAGs“ - stepped up greatly with their ability and versatility.

It did take some toll on development though but i have a feeling most rookies of this class will be able to overcome this and give BB a strong young core to rely on going forward..

Of course, no team is going 100% healthy throughout the course of the season. But none of the players you cited were essential. If we lost, no one would say “we lost because Wynn, Hill, Britt, Mitchell or Matthews.” When we say “healthy,” we mean Brady, Edelman, HT, Gronk, etc.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Pittsburgh is the only other team with six SB's. I'm pointing out that the Pats have been to five SB's since the Steelers went to their last SB in 2010 (Lost to Packers). They are the Patriots direct competition when it comes to greatest NFL franchises.

Oh gotcha