{"id":26402,"date":"2019-12-08T05:00:26","date_gmt":"2019-12-08T10:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/?p=26402"},"modified":"2019-12-07T12:12:24","modified_gmt":"2019-12-07T17:12:24","slug":"new-england-patriots-news-12-08-afc-east-notes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2019\/12\/08\/new-england-patriots-news-12-08-afc-east-notes\/","title":{"rendered":"New England Patriots News 12-08, AFC East Notes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Good morning, here is your <\/span>Sunday Patriots news 12-08 and AFC East notes<\/b> this week.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Gameday! The Patriots are back at home to take on the Chiefs in the late afternoon game later today.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Yesterday was Pearl Harbor Day and we paused to remember those Americans who died that day as we were thrust into World War II. Today, 78 years ago, we declared war on Japan and the world changed forever.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The weather isn\u2019t supposed to be a factor in Foxboro this week for a change and the Patriots finish with three of their final four games at home. With KC, Buffalo, and Miami on the slate, they only travel to Cincinnati to finish off the year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b>Quick Hitters For the Pats and the NFL:<\/b><\/h3>\n

Nick Folk –<\/b> The veteran kicker is back with the team according to ESPN\u2019s Field Yates. Folk suffered appendicitis and was released for Kai Forbath But after one week, and an extra point miss, Forbath is gone and Folk is back.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dez Bryant –<\/b> Is the latest contestant for \u201cWhose Name Can We Throw at a Wall at WR?\u201d Dez Bryant! Come on Down! Please stop with the nonsense, the team is going to bring in a guy who doesn\u2019t know the offense and has played for two years with a month to go in the season? Ah, we\u2019ll take the under.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of the tweets this week have been unintentionally hilarious. I saw two different folks begging Kraft to allow AB to return as <\/span>\u201cPatriots Nation is suffering\u201d<\/i><\/b>, sorry, but if there is one fan base that ISN\u2019T suffering it is this one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Bart Scott –\u00a0 <\/b>Is the latest NFL player that seemingly has a future in politics. Just like nearly every candidate has a preponderance to spout \u201cfacts\u201d without checking, Scott was the latest hot take artist to firmly place his foot in his mouth (again). \u201cThey\u2019ve (Patriots) never won when they had to go on the road!\u201d Sounds great on tape for the anti-NE crowd. But rewind to January…AFCCG in Arrowhead. Not to mention not one but two conference title games in Pittsburgh…oops.<\/span><\/p>\n

My Cause, My Cleats –<\/b> Lots of good entries from the Patriots this season. I like all of them. But sorry, Alejandro Villanueva of Pittsburgh gets my vote with a cause that close to my heart, (and one I\u2019ve donated to), the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Villanueva was a Lieutenant in the 75th Ranger Regiment and did multiple combat tours in Afghanistan. Was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor. The SOWF helps families and children of our Special Operations warriors who have been killed or severely wounded in combat. Hey Bill, there\u2019s an Army guy worth having…just sayin\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

4th & 2 Podcast<\/b> – If you\u2019ve haven\u2019t checked out our <\/span>PatsFans.com podcast,<\/span><\/a> \u201cPatriots 4th & 2\u201d in a bit, Please do check it out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

McDaniels, Caserio Already On the Hot List of Hires:\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

Bill Belichick has always had to retool his coaching staff and front office people seemingly every year. This spring was no exception as the team lost a slew of coaches including the de facto Defensive Coordinator and all of the defensive staff save Belichick\u2019s own son Steve.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And although we\u2019re only three-quarters of the way through the 2019 season, a couple of names are already surfacing on other team\u2019s radar. Josh McDaniels and Nick Caserio are once again two of the hottest names to be mentioned as being coveted by other teams.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Caserio has been courted twice by the Houston Texans. Houston was even charged with tampering by New England this spring. Now Houston, as of last week, stated that they\u2019re fine with having no GM and allowing Bill O\u2019Brien to run the show as the head coach and de facto GM. Don\u2019t believe it. O\u2019Brien smartly deflected it as to avoid another tampering charge. Look for Houston to make another big push for his services as Caserio\u2019s chances of landing an extension in New England are slim.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Josh McDaniels has already been rumored to be on the Dallas Cowboys\u2019 radar as well as the Carolina Panthers who have fired head coach Ron Rivera. Rivera was always a highly thought of coach despite three winning seasons in nine years at the helm. The Dallas job would carry plenty of prestige (and no doubt a high salary) but with the meddling Jerry Jones trying to own, act as the general manager, and be the de facto head coach is not a good situation for any coach.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tom Brady Leaving? Too Soon for That Talk:<\/b><\/h3>\n

You know the post-season is approaching when all of the talk is designed to scare the snot out of Patriots fans. \u201cIs This the Year they Fall?\u201d, \u201cThe Pats Can\u2019t Win on the Road\u201d, and now with four games to play and the team just a tie-breaker out of the top seed in the AFC, \u201cAre We Seeing the End of Tom Brady in NE?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Aren\u2019t we used to this by now? It isn\u2019t a NE post-season upcoming without a writer from the \u201cnetwork\u201d trying to dig up some dirt, or in the case of this fall, writing a bunch of words without saying a single thing, or some other pseudo-controversy. Now its Brady.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Tom Brady’s status is in doubt… something we’ve known since the spring. (SBalestrieri)<\/p><\/div>\n

Look Brady may well be done in New England after this season, he could retire, he could become a free agent and sign to be the quarterback of the London Silly Nannies (Family Guy reference). Or he could pack Gisele and the kinder up and decide to run for political office.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Honestly, (and excuse my French), I don\u2019t give a s***. And neither should you. This isn’t breaking news, we’ve known this since the spring.\u00a0 There are four more games left to play and then the playoffs beckon. This season there are so many intriguing storylines to watch, it would a shame to be sidetracked by needless worrying over silly crap that won\u2019t be addressed until after the season is over. The endless fodder with that is just rot.<\/span><\/p>\n

And when the season is over, hopefully, with the team making one more trip to Miami, there will be plenty of time for the doom-sayers to sound the death knell and begin the mourning phase for the franchise. But for now, just ignore the same old BS and enjoy the ride.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

NFL Schedule Week 14, Who Are Your Winners:<\/b><\/h3>\n

How are you feeling about the games this week? We have a post on our PatsFans Forum where our readers can predict the slate of games for that week. I did it on our weekly Sunday column here and will post it up below. Here is the link if you\u2019d care to pick your own: <\/span>https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/new-england-patriots\/messageboard\/picks\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Last Week: 5-11 (ouch)<\/span>
\n<\/span>Season:121-70-1<\/span><\/p>\n

Thursday Night Football <\/span>
\n<\/span>Dallas<\/b> over Chicago 0-1\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sunday<\/span>
\n<\/span>Atlanta <\/b>over Carolina<\/span>
\n<\/span>Indianapolis<\/b> over Tampa Bay<\/span>
\n<\/span>NY Jets <\/b>over Miami<\/span>
\n<\/b>SF 49ers<\/b> over New Orleans<\/span>
\n<\/span>Minnesota <\/b>over Detroit<\/span>
\n<\/b>Houston<\/b> over Denver<\/span>
\n<\/span>Baltimore <\/b>over Buffalo<\/span>
\n<\/b>Cleveland<\/b> over Cincinnati<\/span>
\n<\/span>Green Bay <\/b>over Washington<\/span>
\n<\/b>LA Chargers<\/b> over Jacksonville<\/span>
\n<\/span>Pittsburgh<\/b> over Arizona<\/span>
\n<\/span>Oakland <\/b>over Tennessee<\/span>
\n<\/b>New England<\/b> over Kansas City<\/span>
\n<\/span>SNF Seattle<\/b> over LA Rams<\/span>
\n<\/span>MNF Philadelphia<\/b> over NY Giants<\/span><\/p>\n

Bye week: No teams<\/span><\/p>\n

Thursday Night Football – <\/span>Baltimore<\/b> over NYJets<\/span><\/p>\n

Eastbound and Down AFC East Notes:<\/b><\/h3>\n

Bills Have a Tremendous Opportunity At Their Doorstep:<\/b><\/h3>\n

The Buffalo Bills are the NFL\u2019s biggest secret at 9-3. Nobody has (other than in Western NY) given them much love this season. They\u2019ve been virtually ignored as being a \u201cfluke team from the woeful AFC East\u201d so far. They did get a few raised eyebrows when they curb-stomped Dallas on Thanksgiving Day, but the Cowboys have been in free fall. But all of that can change today.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

They have the opportunity, and the personnel to knock off the mighty Baltimore Ravens today and vault themselves right into the mix of the AFC race. That will be no easy task, but they\u2019ll be at home in front of a loud, raucous crowd and have the defense to slow down the Ravens. If they were to upset Baltimore, it opens up a lot of different scenarios.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A Bills win with a Patriots loss sets up a game in two weeks for the AFC East crown. And coincidentally, another Buffalo win there puts them where? The #1 seed. Now, there is a ton of ifs there, but for the first time in a very long time, the Bills can control their own destiny come playoff time and actually host a playoff game.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dolphins Staff Has Weathered the Storm :<\/b><\/h3>\n

The Miami Dolphins have played hard for head coach Brian Flores and his new coaching staff all season long in a rebuilding year. But they\u2019ve remained competitive and won a couple of ballgames and that has the needle pointing up in Miami.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Miami\u2019s staff is free of the distractions of whether or not they\u2019ll be here next year and can go about the business of building a better team in 2020. Cleveland, Cincinnati, the NY Giants, Dallas and the Dolphins\u2019 opponent today the NY Jets all face wholesale changes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Flores is building something in South Beach, whether or not he can take Miami back up to the level where they aspire to be, will in no small way go to whether they can find a franchise QB next spring. Tua look good in teal?<\/span><\/p>\n

Jets May Have to Go Without Bell Today:<\/b><\/h3>\n

The New York Jets have a game at home with the Miami Dolphins today. But they may have to go without their $52.5 million dollar running back Le\u2019Veon Bell. Bell has missed practice for two straight days with an illness.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cI don\u2019t know. They just said it was an illness. He\u2019s sick,\u201d coach Adam Gase said. \u201cIt\u2019s probably the same thing that\u2019s going on with a lot of these other teams. The biggest thing was getting him checked out and then getting him out of the building so nobody else gets sick.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Bell has averaged just 3.2 yards per rush this season, his first with the Jets and his first without that stellar offensive line of the Steelers to run behind. Which shows how important that line is to running backs (take not Sony Michel haters). The Jets and Miami are playing today for the purpose of who has the ignominious title of being in last place in the division. Tickets are readily available.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

________________<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span><\/i>Well, the more you see them, the more you can get used to playing them. One of the problems with the RPO play, just in general, is just the offensive pass interference and blocking down field conflicting with the pass. So, if it\u2019s a run, it\u2019s no problem. If the ball actually gets thrown, like what happened last week in the Houston game \u2013 it was called once. I would say any time you run that play there\u2019s some degree of, \u201cIs there blocking down field or not?\u201d Sometimes there is, sometimes there isn\u2019t. It\u2019s a tough call for the officials, but that\u2019s sort of what that play \u2013 the complications of that play defensively.\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u2013 <\/span><\/i>Bill Belichick being asked about how difficult it is to defend the RPO (run\/pass option).<\/span><\/p>\n

________________<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo, how was your week?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Follow me on Twitter @SteveB7SFG or email me at<\/span><\/i> stevebpatsfans@gmail.com<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

Listen to our<\/span><\/i> Patriots 4th and 2<\/span><\/i><\/a> podcasts on blog talk radio as Russ Goldman, Derek Havens and myself from<\/span><\/i> PatsFans.com<\/span><\/i><\/a> discuss the latest Patriots news and game analysis.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Good morning, here is your Sunday Patriots news 12-08 and AFC East notes this week.\u00a0 Gameday! The Patriots are back at home to take on the Chiefs in the late afternoon game later today.\u00a0 Yesterday was Pearl Harbor Day and we paused to remember those Americans who died that day as we were thrust into 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