Some Patriots thoughts on this Tuesday:
1) This year has been bizarre from the start. I’m not just talking about football. But it has been bizarre for a fanbase that has expected to win every year. We were spoiled. We had Tom Brady in his prime. There were terrific veterans with a sprinkle of rookies and Un-Drafted Free Agents. It was easy to be a Patriots fan.
Now It’s hard, we will find out who are the true Patriots fans from the Band Wagon fans. They now know the suffering we the long term fans have had as the laughing stock of the league. This is how many of the other franchise in the league feel.
2) Cam Newton has been an embarrassment as a starting QB. We know why no one signed him, he can’t play anymore. Several times the Dolphins went to the “zero” defensive alignment, loading the box with 9 players and 2 CB’s, no safeties. Did Newton ever make an adjustment and take advantage of that? He makes too many mistakes reading defense, has absolutely awful mechanics, can’t throw a short pass. His windup to throw the ball is like a MLB pitcher, it is so long he takes forever to release the pass. Everything is a bullet and he has no touch on his passes. Hopefully Belichick will make the switch and give Stidham the start. Lets find out if he has anything to salvage.
3) I think the Patriots have wasted the final season of James White in a Patriots uniform. White is an Un-restricted Free Agent at the end of the year. The Patriots have been very stingy about paying RB’s. White is in my opinion the best receiving back in the league. He is great at picking up the blitz and I will be sad to see him go. He is another victim of the poor play by Newton.
4) The wide receivers have taken a lot of arrows for being the worst receiving group in the league. Not Sunday in Miami. Jakobi Meyers had another 6 catches. He had the big fumble and all the receivers were told to expect the Dolphins to try and strip the ball. Devin Asiasi should have had an easy catch but the rifleman Cam Newton fired a fastball high and off his hands. Dalton Keene had a TD if Newton threw the ball correctly as did Damiere Byrd. The TE’s were open but Newton never looked for them.
5) On defense, the Patriots were run all over. Too many young players. Our edge players are not big enough to hold the edge. Winowich and Uche are strictly pass rushing specialist. Afernee Jennings just doesn’t get it yet as a MLB. When Ja’Whun Bentley went down UDFA Terez Hall had to fill in. He was okay but made too many tackles downfield. Why didn’t the defensive coaches make an adjustment and load the box?
6) Gilmore is gone for the year. His injury is not as serious as it could have been. A torn quad. J.C. Jackson will get the top receiver and we will see if he is truly an elite DB in the league. He is a Restricted Free Agent that should get a big deal from the Patriots.
7) Don’t activate Edeleman. He adds nothing to the team this season. Get healthy and see if he can contribute next year. Let’s find out if Gunner Olszewski can add anything as a slot receiver.
8) That Jets game is lining up to be quite interesting (not). The Jets want to lose to get Trevor Lawrence. The Pats don’t want Lawrence in the division and should let the Jets win!
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Merrimack Valley native and lifelong fan of the New England Patriots. My earliest memories of the Patriots were attending as a child with my dad, the off-season practice at Phillips Academy. I was at the Patriots game at Harvard Stadium in 1970 where Bob “Harpo” Gladieux was called out of the stands by the stadium announcer over the PA to play in the game. Analyzing the draft since ESPN first started to televise it in 1980 and former writer for the Lowell Sun Newspaper.
