@2dueces said: @erikthredd Running offenses are great as long as they stay ahead of the chains. A holding penalty or a 5 yard loss at anytime during the drive is a killer. Get behind 2 scores is a tough hill to climb with 20 minutes to go. Not saying it can’t be done but this game today you need those consistent 15 yard passes. Just ask the Ravens. They play downhill as good as any team and have yet to reach the championship and I believe their roster is stacked compared to the Patriots
I’m not worried about Cam completing 15+ yard passes, those type of passes were when he was at his best last season. It’s the shorter throws that were the ones he had a hard time with.
Jakobi Meyers & Damiere Byrd were the two best passing targets in 2020, this year those two would likely be considered in the 5th-7th best range behind Agholor,Smith,Henry,Bourne (& James White) in no particular order. Those four players give Cam plenty of targets downfield not named Meyers.
Looking at their schedule I see four games that are likely losses:
TB in NE
Tenn in NE
@ Buffalo
@ Miami
The rest of NE’s schedule are all winnable games. Honestly you can hit me with all of the doom & gloom you want but this 2021 Pats team is a much deeper talented team than a year ago. Sure, they’ll only go as far as Cam will take them but this time around Belichick actually brought in pieces to fit Cam’s game, in 2020 that wasn’t the case.
Echoing @erikthredd I will add that I’m thinking this team is going to be far better than last year on both sides of the ball. I am sticking with my prediction that Mac Jones will take over the reigns no later than week 5 and if Cam struggles early on it might be sooner. The WR’s don’t excite me at all but anything is better than last year
I think the one thing that they're really missing is a legit #1 WR but that shouldn't really hurt them much. Cam was horrible last season but a large part of that was placing him in an offense that was built around Tom Brady's strengths,getting the ball out quick and letting guys like White & Edelman make plays after the catch. That was something Cam clearly couldn't do especially when he was throwing to players like Izzo,Gunner & Harry who were all very inconsistent.
This time around Bill was able to bring in players to fit Cam's strengths. We saw he had a great connection with Greg Olson for years and BB brought in two legit starting TEs in Smith & Henry. Agholor & Bourne are both someone who could make plays downfield and Cam still has Meyers & White who he's played well with already. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a trade/signing for another WR when cutdowns are complete later this week.
I think Bill intends to stick with Cam for the foreseeable future so he put together a Ground & Pound type team that now has legit deep threats for play action. Say what you want about Cam on offense but this defense is pretty stacked right now especially at Linebacker,I don't see to many games where they give up big leads.
@erikthredd said:
I think the one thing that they're really missing is a legit #1 WR but that shouldn't really hurt them much. Cam was horrible last season but a large part of that was placing him in an offense that was built around Tom Brady's strengths,getting the ball out quick and letting guys like White & Edelman make plays after the catch. That was something Cam clearly couldn't do especially when he was throwing to players like Izzo,Gunner & Harry who were all very inconsistent.
This time around Bill was able to bring in players to fit Cam's strengths. We saw he had a great connection with Greg Olson for years and BB brought in two legit starting TEs in Smith & Henry. Agholor & Bourne are both someone who could make plays downfield and Cam still has Meyers & White who he's played well with already. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a trade/signing for another WR when cutdowns are complete later this week.
I think Bill intends to stick with Cam for the foreseeable future so he put together a Ground & Pound type team that now has legit deep threats for play action. Say what you want about Cam on offense but this defense is pretty stacked right now especially at Linebacker,I don't see to many games where they give up big leads.
Agreed with a lot of this except I WANT to see what Mac has and I do not have faith in Newton getting accurate throws downfield in any format. I’d love to see a legit #1 WR but even then we don’t have a Welker/Edelman type ball magnet
I really want to see Mac takeover too but for some reason I envision Bill has this sinister plan to beat Tom Brady with Cam Newton at QB. Hopefully that isn't the case.
The Bills brought back 10 starters on offense and replaced John Brown with Emmanuel Sanders. They beefed up their DL and brought back the rest of the starters. There is no way the game in New England is winnable for the Pats. I believe the Bills hung 38 on the Pats in Foxboro when they got rolling.
W.C.Fields "I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
@erikthredd said:
I really want to see Mac takeover too but for some reason I envision Bill has this sinister plan to beat Tom Brady with Cam Newton at QB. Hopefully that isn't the case.
I see the value in Jones being on the bench to eat up as much knowledge as he can but he won’t be running for his life after every snap since the line is pretty solid. I see both sides
@2dueces Cool,you just choose to totally overlook the fact that Bill Belichick spent an NFL record in guaranteed money in one offseason to rebuild his entire roster like that means nothing. If there's one thing we learned about Belichick's time in NE its that he's pretty damn great at finding players that fit well in his system especially on defense.
You're bragging about Buffalo scoring 38pts on this crew that day:
Feel free to check back in on how many of these players make the final roster this week. At least half of that list won't be on it.
Look we get it,Buffalo finally doesn't suck and won't have to keep calling Tom Brady "Daddy" any longer. You think this is somehow Buffalo's time to shine,Great, but let us know when they actually win something worth bragging about. Scoring 38 on a bunch of Jags in NE doesn't really mean much to anyone not rooting for Buffalo.
This is where you remind us that Buffalo just won the AFCE division title, I'm sure that banner will look great in that empty space replacing those four SB banners that were never won.
Who else is ready for some football? My Trash talking game is already in midseason form.
@erikthredd said: @2dueces Cool,you just choose to totally overlook the fact that Bill Belichick spent an NFL record in guaranteed money in one offseason to rebuild his entire roster like that means nothing. If there's one thing we learned about Belichick's time in NE its that he's pretty damn great at finding players that fit well in his system especially on defense.
You're bragging about Buffalo scoring 38pts on this crew that day:
Feel free to check back in on how many of these players make the final roster this week. At least half of that list won't be on it.
Look we get it,Buffalo finally doesn't suck and won't have to keep calling Tom Brady "Daddy" any longer. You think this is somehow Buffalo's time to shine,Great, but let us know when they actually win something worth bragging about. Scoring 38 on a bunch of Jags in NE doesn't really mean much to anyone not rooting for Buffalo.
This is where you remind us that Buffalo just won the AFCE division title, I'm sure that banner will look great in that empty space replacing those four SB banners that were never won.
Who else is ready for some football? My Trash talking game is already in midseason form.
@erikthredd said:
Sony Michel traded to the Rams a for 5th & 6th round pick in 2022.
Looks like the NFL made them rework their deal due to an issue with the conditions on one pick. NE now gets a 2022 6th and a 2023 4th.
Pretty much that same day Bill sent two late picks to Baltimore for their just drafted CB Shaun Wade.
@erikthredd said:
Sony Michel traded to the Rams a for 5th & 6th round pick in 2022.
Looks like the NFL made them rework their deal due to an issue with the conditions on one pick. NE now gets a 2022 6th and a 2023 4th.
Pretty much that same day Bill sent two late picks to Baltimore for their just drafted CB Shaun Wade.
The fact that the NFL even bothered to get into that is ridiculous
If past history is all you have to hang your hat on then stay in the den and stare at the trophies. Your cash cow bolted last year and BB genius was in plan view for all to see. You can spend $263 Million and still suck. It’s going to be a long disappointing , expensive year and if the Patriots don’t win now after $263 M well MR. craft might see the Cleveland in BB.
W.C.Fields "I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
@2dueces said:
If past history is all you have to hang your hat on then stay in the den and stare at the trophies. Your cash cow bolted last year and BB genius was in plan view for all to see. You can spend $263 Million and still suck. It’s going to be a long disappointing , expensive year and if the Patriots don’t win now after $263 M well MR. craft might see the Cleveland in BB.
And Josh Allen can have another HOF caliber season but without a trophy what does it really mean?
This is getting good. You guys are getting my NFL juices running.
Based on the reports and analysis I have seen pre and post draft, Mac Jones is looking like the steal of the draft. Like I have stated multiple times, Belichick is getting that HC wins record, and he wants it sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, that does not preclude him from making us endure Cam for at least part of this season if not the whole thing. But what it does mean is that NE will be back in form and this is the last year that I see Buffalo having a chance at the division title for quite awhile.
@2dueces said:
If past history is all you have to hang your hat on then stay in the den and stare at the trophies. Your cash cow bolted last year and BB genius was in plan view for all to see. You can spend $263 Million and still suck. It’s going to be a long disappointing , expensive year and if the Patriots don’t win now after $263 M well MR. craft might see the Cleveland in BB.
Joe, you crack me up. You brought up last seasons game in NE(you know the past) and got all prissy because I called a game on NE’s home field this season,a winnable game. I even shown enough respect to give Buffalo the win at their place and you still got all bent out of shape lol.
You then go on to point out the Bills have 10 returning starters and just because they scored 38 last time you tell us that there is no way that is a winnable game for NE lol. Cmon Joe,you're completely overcompensating on a meaningless mid/late season game. Come back and brag when the Bills actually win a Real Big Game.
I think as a Pats fan there's nothing that amuses me more than to ridicule Bills fans over these past 20 years. For 10+ years on ESPN's website I had to listen to them whine about not being able to make the playoffs every year because of Tom Brady as if there weren't 14 other games that they could have won and still made it into the postseason.
Now,the team finally manages to put together b2b seasons over .500 while winning a couple playoff games and our Bills fan thinks we should treat them like some unbeatable juggernaut.
Its going to be epic once Bills fans realize that they only traded in one Daddy,Tommy, for another, Patty.
Luckily for us Pats fans we won't have to wait too long to see that we'll still suck after spending $263M on a new roster.
@thisistheshow said:
This is getting good. You guys are getting my NFL juices running.
Based on the reports and analysis I have seen pre and post draft, Mac Jones is looking like the steal of the draft. Like I have stated multiple times, Belichick is getting that HC wins record, and he wants it sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, that does not preclude him from making us endure Cam for at least part of this season if not the whole thing. But what it does mean is that NE will be back in form and this is the last year that I see Buffalo having a chance at the division title for quite awhile.
It won't matter if Mac starts because from what I keep hearing since he was drafted is how many Alabama QBs end up in the Hall Of Fame? Thats some pretty deep stuff.
I have a similar anecdote that I like to use myself, How many Buffalo Bills players end up as SB Champions?
It makes sense. Everyone can see that Jones is the better option right now. And Belichick would want to give Cam a chance to catch on with another team. But I am definitely also surprised that it happened.
Here's who got released so far today:
Quarterback Cam Newton, offensive lineman Alex Redmond, cornerbacks Dee Virgin, D’Angelo Ross and Myles Bryant, tight end Matt LaCosse, and wide receivers Isaiah Zuber and Kristian Wilkerson have been released.
Here's hoping that Wilkerson can sneak back onto the PS at least. He had a pretty good connection with Mac during this last preseason game.
@thisistheshow said:
This is getting good. You guys are getting my NFL juices running.
Based on the reports and analysis I have seen pre and post draft, Mac Jones is looking like the steal of the draft. Like I have stated multiple times, Belichick is getting that HC wins record, and he wants it sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, that does not preclude him from making us endure Cam for at least part of this season if not the whole thing. But what it does mean is that NE will be back in form and this is the last year that I see Buffalo having a chance at the division title for quite awhile.
It won't matter if Mac starts because from what I keep hearing since he was drafted is how many Alabama QBs end up in the Hall Of Fame? Thats some pretty deep stuff.
I have a similar anecdote that I like to use myself, How many Buffalo Bills players end up as SB Champions?
I can't wait for these games to start.
Still in the basement staring at past trophies? Funny that the genius was nothing without Brady. He went to a team that hadn’t sniffed at winning season in 20 years. Bill? System? He can win with anyone remember? If he wins with Max Jones then I’ll bow to him. Until then he’s just another coach that HAD the GOAT dragging him along.
W.C.Fields "I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
@thisistheshow said:
This is getting good. You guys are getting my NFL juices running.
Based on the reports and analysis I have seen pre and post draft, Mac Jones is looking like the steal of the draft. Like I have stated multiple times, Belichick is getting that HC wins record, and he wants it sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, that does not preclude him from making us endure Cam for at least part of this season if not the whole thing. But what it does mean is that NE will be back in form and this is the last year that I see Buffalo having a chance at the division title for quite awhile.
It won't matter if Mac starts because from what I keep hearing since he was drafted is how many Alabama QBs end up in the Hall Of Fame? Thats some pretty deep stuff.
I have a similar anecdote that I like to use myself, How many Buffalo Bills players end up as SB Champions?
I can't wait for these games to start.
Still in the basement staring at past trophies? Funny that the genius was nothing without Brady. He went to a team that hadn’t sniffed at winning season in 20 years. Bill? System? He can win with anyone remember? If he wins with Max Jones then I’ll bow to him. Until then he’s just another coach that HAD the GOAT dragging him along.
...................
For Patriots fans, there is a palpable feeling that we are on the precipice of something potentially great. . It may never be what it once was, but it doesn't have to even be a quarter of that to still be really good. I don't think you should underestimate Belichick all that quickly. Of course Brady was huge part of what we were, but there is no reason t think that we cannot rise again to take control of the division and be a perennial playoff team with SB chances.
Asante Samuel @pick_six22
Cold blooded is a understatement! But without Brady he is just another coach in my opinion
Quote Tweet
Louis Riddick @LRiddickESPN
· 4h
Bill does what Bill does. Right or wrong, the man is cold blooded and will do what he thinks he has to do. Period. #Patriots
9:19 AM · Aug 31, 2021·Twitter for iPhone
456
W.C.Fields "I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
Asante Samuel @pick_six22
Cold blooded is a understatement! But without Brady he is just another coach in my opinion
Quote Tweet
Louis Riddick @LRiddickESPN
· 4h
Bill does what Bill does. Right or wrong, the man is cold blooded and will do what he thinks he has to do. Period. #Patriots
9:19 AM · Aug 31, 2021·Twitter for iPhone
456
@coinpalice said:
cam opened the door when he caught covid, Jones got more reps in practice and pre season
I don’t know if he is vaccinated or not, I could see that being a reason ie Bill not being able to count on him? Or maybe Can didn’t like his potential role, the dynamics of a discussion between him and Bill could be anything
Other than Cam there really weren't any other surprise cuts,imo. Hoyer is likely to be re-signed later in the week.
QB Cam Newton
QB Brian Hoyer
TE Troy Fumagalli*
TE Matt LaCosse
TE Kahale Warring
WR Marvin Hall
WR Tre Nixon
WR Devin Ross
WR Kristian Wilkerson
WR Isaiah Zuber
OL Korey Cunningham
OL James Ferentz
OL Jerald Hawkins
OL R.J. Prince
OL Alex Redmond
OL Will Sherman
DL Montravius Adams
DL Tashawn Bower
DL Akeem Spence
DL Nick Thurman
DT Bill Murray
LB Cassh Maluia
CB Michael Jackson Sr.
DB Myles Bryant
DB Adrian Colbert
DB Malik Grant
DB D'Angelo Ross
DB Dee Virgin
LS Brian Khoury
K Nick Folk
JMHO, but last year doesn't count because Belichick and the Patriots were scrambling to do something, anything, to manage a Team without Brady. Cam Newton worked as a stop-gap and fortunately, the Patriots had a pretty good crop of QB's coming out and an entire NCAA season of film to study. it's pretty risky going with a Rookie and an unknown quantity 3rd year player as the foundation of the Team. sure, Hoyer might come back but the jury has already rendered a verdict on him, he's a 3rd string back-up without any upside.
as the Bengals proved last year, every Team is one play away from the cellar. New England finished last year three-quarters of the way there, pinning the hope on Jones is a risky move. it wouldn't surprise me to see Belichick and the Patriots scour the available players for Offensive Lineman. for the sake of the franchise long term it would make sense to do that, they need to take extreme care with Mac Jones, one blind-side hit or one play where he makes a Rookie mistake and Bill's experiment will collapse.
@keets said:
this will be a "test year" for Belichick.
JMHO, but last year doesn't count because Belichick and the Patriots were scrambling to do something, anything, to manage a Team without Brady. Cam Newton worked as a stop-gap and fortunately, the Patriots had a pretty good crop of QB's coming out and an entire NCAA season of film to study. it's pretty risky going with a Rookie and an unknown quantity 3rd year player as the foundation of the Team. sure, Hoyer might come back but the jury has already rendered a verdict on him, he's a 3rd string back-up without any upside.
as the Bengals proved last year, every Team is one play away from the cellar. New England finished last year three-quarters of the way there, pinning the hope on Jones is a risky move. it wouldn't surprise me to see Belichick and the Patriots scour the available players for Offensive Lineman. for the sake of the franchise long term it would make sense to do that, they need to take extreme care with Mac Jones, one blind-side hit or one play where he makes a Rookie mistake and Bill's experiment will collapse.
While I wouldn't mind seeing BB bring in a better backup than Hoyer or Stidham I'm honestly not too worried if he sticks with these two going forward. Stidham had minor back surgery at the end of july and is expected to be back around late OCT/early Nov. From what I've read,Hoyer was released yesterday so NE could sneak a few injured players they'd like to keep onto IR then re-sign Hoyer in the coming days. Both players have multiple years in the system and given the hypothetical situation you're talking about, signing some random Qb off the scrap heap who doesn't know this system wouldn't really bring anything to this team for at least a month or two at best.
As far as protecting their QBs Belichick kept 10 offensive lineman (including one just traded for yesterday), 5 Tight Ends and a Fullback. That doesn't even account for the players that will end up on their practice squad at these positions. All reports are that this OL group is the deepest they've had in awhile.
i do agree that this is definitely a test year for this team. While most Pats fans wanted to see Jones start over Cam, he's still just a rookie and is going to have his growing pains along the way. If Jones leads them to a losing record this year while learning on the fly I'd honestly prefer that to whatever outcome we'd see had Cam not been cut.
I don't think that will be the case though, he played pretty much lights out during the preseason with the highest rookie QB rating since they started keeping track and all eight of the drives he started ended up with points on the board. At the very least BB & McDaniels use him as a game manager to go along with a strong run game & defense.
why is the pre-season relevant for Mac Jones while pretty much everyone at this forum agrees that it is irrelevant so far as what it shows us about what to expect?? nothing we just saw in three games is close to what we'll see for the next 18 weeks, not the players, not the plays, not the defensive schemes, not the blitzes, etc.
my hope for Mac Jones is that he doesn't get hurt. he will succeed eventually, but an injury like what Joe Burrow suffered could change the path forward.
His preseason performance absolutely mattered enough for the coach to outright release the other guy Mac was competing with for the job. If Jones played like ass in those three games Cam would still be the starter week one,so yeah it is totally relevant regardless of what our forum fOoTbAlL eXpErTs say.
Trying to make the argument that he's somehow more susceptible to injury because Joe Burrow got hurt just seems like a strawman argument. Sure he could get hurt week one, he also could be injury-free through a 17 game schedule an that goes for every starting QB not just some rookie. In his favor he has a quick release and a pretty deep group of blockers that include four starters that started on at least one SB winning team each. He should be fine.
After having a little fun with @erikthredd , perk and other Patriots fans I’ll give you my football opinion of the Patriots.
I don’t have to tell you the weakness last year. The Dolphins racked up 260 on the ground and the Patriots were 26th against the run. Of course Cam was a glaring handicap but what can you expect when you only have $1M to spend on a QB. Heck college players are getting more than that for shoes.
So in comes a beefy DL and a rookie QB. Did they address the needs? Anything is better than last year.
The OL is going to be really good and I think Harris will be the man rather than RB by committee. The Patriots will rely heavily on the run to protect Mac Jones but not a run first team. If in 2nd an 15, they won’t be afraid to let Jones pass.
So what does it all mean?
I’ll state the obvious. The teams goes as far as Mac Jones progresses.
I think they pass the Dolphins because Tua isn’t the answer and has no ceiling.
I see a possible high of 10 wins. Both lines will be good but without Gilmore will have to see the secondary. The LB group is solid but receivers? We’ll Bill has had his problems with quality receivers.
W.C.Fields "I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
@2dueces said:
After having a little fun with @erikthredd , perk and other Patriots fans I’ll give you my football opinion of the Patriots.
I don’t have to tell you the weakness last year. The Dolphins racked up 260 on the ground and the Patriots were 26th against the run. Of course Cam was a glaring handicap but what can you expect when you only have $1M to spend on a QB. Heck college players are getting more than that for shoes.
So in comes a beefy DL and a rookie QB. Did they address the needs? Anything is better than last year.
The OL is going to be really good and I think Harris will be the man rather than RB by committee. The Patriots will rely heavily on the run to protect Mac Jones but not a run first team. If in 2nd an 15, they won’t be afraid to let Jones pass.
So what does it all mean?
I’ll state the obvious. The teams goes as far as Mac Jones progresses.
I think they pass the Dolphins because Tua isn’t the answer and has no ceiling.
I see a possible high of 10 wins. Both lines will be good but without Gilmore will have to see the secondary. The LB group is solid but receivers? We’ll Bill has had his problems with quality receivers.
The lack of quality receivers is still a glaring problem. Hoodie was so used to inserting random WR’s in there with Brady he didn’t really need to focus that much attention on that part of the roster, Ofcourse it always helped to have Gronk and Edelman to anchor the passing game. Out of all the receivers in NE I think Bourne might be the best. That’s not saying a heck of a lot. RB and TE will be Jones biggest asset providing he can utilize them
I still think that at the very least they need to add another body at the Wr position just for depth purposes but I feel much better knowing Mac is throwing to whoever is out there over Cam. His accuracy should make it much easier to make a connection with one of these guys at least to the point that someone ends up being his guy,so to speak, like how Jakobi Meyers was for Cam a year ago. He had a pretty good connection with Wilkerson during the preseason games going 9-13 for 93 yards throwing to him but Wilkerson is likely on the PS until needed. With just Agholor,Bourne,Meyers,Gunner (& Malcolm Perry just claimed off waivers from Miami) healthy that might be sooner rather than later.
I think the one thing we do get to look forward to though is McDaniels running plenty of two TE sets with Smith & Henry and even the younger TEs once they're healthy. Some of the more entertaining seasons on offense where when Gronk/Hernandez & Gronk/Bennett were making plays all over the place.
I think the one thing we do get to look forward to though is McDaniels running plenty of two TE sets with Smith & Henry and even the younger TEs once they're healthy. Some of the more entertaining seasons on offense where when Gronk/Hernandez & Gronk/Bennett were making plays all over the place.
Oh you can take this to the bank. It’s gonna be a run heavy offense. Chew clock, keep the ball away from high powered offenses and win 17-13, 20-17. If Mac Jones throws for over 300 yards the Patriots are behind. I don’t see a lot of Patriots games scoring in the 50+ points. Opening day line is 43. That’s pretty low in this day and age.
W.C.Fields "I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
It’s finally game day! IR report from Thursday was pretty thin with four questionable,most notably Agholor with an ankle, and just Matt Perry out. Hopefully Agholor plays.
@thisistheshow said:
My usual streaming site is possibly down, and I won't be able to watch the NE game. Any updates or insights are welcome!!
Have you tried? reddit.nflbite.com
You’re going to get pop-ups no matter what but I’d definitely make sure your ad blocker is on.
Edit: here refresh this page about 5mins before game time and there will be be a list of about 20 different game links, I usually use buffstream first or givemeredditstreams second.
reddit.nflbite.com/game/new-england-patriots-vs-miami-dolphins-live-stream/
@thisistheshow said:
My usual streaming site is possibly down, and I won't be able to watch the NE game. Any updates or insights are welcome!!
Have you tried? reddit.nflbite.com
You’re going to get pop-ups no matter what but I’d definitely make sure your ad blocker is on.
Edit: here refresh this page about 5mins before game time and there will be be a list of about 20 different game links, I usually use buffstream first or givemeredditstreams second.
reddit.nflbite.com/game/new-england-patriots-vs-miami-dolphins-live-stream/
I’m optimistic we can pull it off today, it’s insane to think the last time Pats fans were excited about a first round drafted QB was 1993? With Bledsoe!!
@perkdog said:
I’m optimistic we can pull it off today, it’s insane to think the last time Pats fans were excited about a first round drafted QB was 1993? With Bledsoe!!
......
I remember it very well. I was so excited. Looking back, he was great. It's all relative
Comments
I’m not worried about Cam completing 15+ yard passes, those type of passes were when he was at his best last season. It’s the shorter throws that were the ones he had a hard time with.
Jakobi Meyers & Damiere Byrd were the two best passing targets in 2020, this year those two would likely be considered in the 5th-7th best range behind Agholor,Smith,Henry,Bourne (& James White) in no particular order. Those four players give Cam plenty of targets downfield not named Meyers.
Looking at their schedule I see four games that are likely losses:
TB in NE
Tenn in NE
@ Buffalo
@ Miami
The rest of NE’s schedule are all winnable games. Honestly you can hit me with all of the doom & gloom you want but this 2021 Pats team is a much deeper talented team than a year ago. Sure, they’ll only go as far as Cam will take them but this time around Belichick actually brought in pieces to fit Cam’s game, in 2020 that wasn’t the case.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
Echoing @erikthredd I will add that I’m thinking this team is going to be far better than last year on both sides of the ball. I am sticking with my prediction that Mac Jones will take over the reigns no later than week 5 and if Cam struggles early on it might be sooner. The WR’s don’t excite me at all but anything is better than last year
I think the one thing that they're really missing is a legit #1 WR but that shouldn't really hurt them much. Cam was horrible last season but a large part of that was placing him in an offense that was built around Tom Brady's strengths,getting the ball out quick and letting guys like White & Edelman make plays after the catch. That was something Cam clearly couldn't do especially when he was throwing to players like Izzo,Gunner & Harry who were all very inconsistent.
This time around Bill was able to bring in players to fit Cam's strengths. We saw he had a great connection with Greg Olson for years and BB brought in two legit starting TEs in Smith & Henry. Agholor & Bourne are both someone who could make plays downfield and Cam still has Meyers & White who he's played well with already. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a trade/signing for another WR when cutdowns are complete later this week.
I think Bill intends to stick with Cam for the foreseeable future so he put together a Ground & Pound type team that now has legit deep threats for play action. Say what you want about Cam on offense but this defense is pretty stacked right now especially at Linebacker,I don't see to many games where they give up big leads.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
Agreed with a lot of this except I WANT to see what Mac has and I do not have faith in Newton getting accurate throws downfield in any format. I’d love to see a legit #1 WR but even then we don’t have a Welker/Edelman type ball magnet
I really want to see Mac takeover too but for some reason I envision Bill has this sinister plan to beat Tom Brady with Cam Newton at QB. Hopefully that isn't the case.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
The Bills brought back 10 starters on offense and replaced John Brown with Emmanuel Sanders. They beefed up their DL and brought back the rest of the starters. There is no way the game in New England is winnable for the Pats. I believe the Bills hung 38 on the Pats in Foxboro when they got rolling.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
I see the value in Jones being on the bench to eat up as much knowledge as he can but he won’t be running for his life after every snap since the line is pretty solid. I see both sides
@2dueces Cool,you just choose to totally overlook the fact that Bill Belichick spent an NFL record in guaranteed money in one offseason to rebuild his entire roster like that means nothing. If there's one thing we learned about Belichick's time in NE its that he's pretty damn great at finding players that fit well in his system especially on defense.
You're bragging about Buffalo scoring 38pts on this crew that day:
Feel free to check back in on how many of these players make the final roster this week. At least half of that list won't be on it.
Look we get it,Buffalo finally doesn't suck and won't have to keep calling Tom Brady "Daddy" any longer. You think this is somehow Buffalo's time to shine,Great, but let us know when they actually win something worth bragging about. Scoring 38 on a bunch of Jags in NE doesn't really mean much to anyone not rooting for Buffalo.
This is where you remind us that Buffalo just won the AFCE division title, I'm sure that banner will look great in that empty space replacing those four SB banners that were never won.
Who else is ready for some football? My Trash talking game is already in midseason form.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
😂😂😂😂😂😂
Looks like the NFL made them rework their deal due to an issue with the conditions on one pick. NE now gets a 2022 6th and a 2023 4th.
Pretty much that same day Bill sent two late picks to Baltimore for their just drafted CB Shaun Wade.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
The fact that the NFL even bothered to get into that is ridiculous
If past history is all you have to hang your hat on then stay in the den and stare at the trophies. Your cash cow bolted last year and BB genius was in plan view for all to see. You can spend $263 Million and still suck. It’s going to be a long disappointing , expensive year and if the Patriots don’t win now after $263 M well MR. craft might see the Cleveland in BB.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
And Josh Allen can have another HOF caliber season but without a trophy what does it really mean?
This is getting good. You guys are getting my NFL juices running.
Based on the reports and analysis I have seen pre and post draft, Mac Jones is looking like the steal of the draft. Like I have stated multiple times, Belichick is getting that HC wins record, and he wants it sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, that does not preclude him from making us endure Cam for at least part of this season if not the whole thing. But what it does mean is that NE will be back in form and this is the last year that I see Buffalo having a chance at the division title for quite awhile.
Joe, you crack me up. You brought up last seasons game in NE(you know the past) and got all prissy because I called a game on NE’s home field this season,a winnable game. I even shown enough respect to give Buffalo the win at their place and you still got all bent out of shape lol.
You then go on to point out the Bills have 10 returning starters and just because they scored 38 last time you tell us that there is no way that is a winnable game for NE lol. Cmon Joe,you're completely overcompensating on a meaningless mid/late season game. Come back and brag when the Bills actually win a Real Big Game.
I think as a Pats fan there's nothing that amuses me more than to ridicule Bills fans over these past 20 years. For 10+ years on ESPN's website I had to listen to them whine about not being able to make the playoffs every year because of Tom Brady as if there weren't 14 other games that they could have won and still made it into the postseason.
Now,the team finally manages to put together b2b seasons over .500 while winning a couple playoff games and our Bills fan thinks we should treat them like some unbeatable juggernaut.
Its going to be epic once Bills fans realize that they only traded in one Daddy,Tommy, for another, Patty.
Luckily for us Pats fans we won't have to wait too long to see that we'll still suck after spending $263M on a new roster.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
It won't matter if Mac starts because from what I keep hearing since he was drafted is how many Alabama QBs end up in the Hall Of Fame? Thats some pretty deep stuff.
I have a similar anecdote that I like to use myself, How many Buffalo Bills players end up as SB Champions?
I can't wait for these games to start.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
Cam Newton RELEASED
I absolutely did NOT see this coming!! WOW
HELL YEAH!!
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
It makes sense. Everyone can see that Jones is the better option right now. And Belichick would want to give Cam a chance to catch on with another team. But I am definitely also surprised that it happened.
Here's who got released so far today:
Quarterback Cam Newton, offensive lineman Alex Redmond, cornerbacks Dee Virgin, D’Angelo Ross and Myles Bryant, tight end Matt LaCosse, and wide receivers Isaiah Zuber and Kristian Wilkerson have been released.
Here's hoping that Wilkerson can sneak back onto the PS at least. He had a pretty good connection with Mac during this last preseason game.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
To all my Patriots fans 🙌
Here's an NFL roster cuts tracker that gets updated:
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2021-nfl-roster-cuts-tracker-see-every-cut-from-all-32-teams-after-initial-rosters-trimmed-to-53-players/
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
Gilmore got put on the 6 week PUP list. Hopefully they figure out some type of extension while he's out.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
Live press conference with Bill
https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1ZkJzeYDlmgGv
edit: this must have been right before the news Cam was released.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
................
FELICIDADES!
This is great news. It restores some faith for me , too, and that is a great feeling. I just could not fathom why Belichick was staying with Cam.
Still in the basement staring at past trophies? Funny that the genius was nothing without Brady. He went to a team that hadn’t sniffed at winning season in 20 years. Bill? System? He can win with anyone remember? If he wins with Max Jones then I’ll bow to him. Until then he’s just another coach that HAD the GOAT dragging him along.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
...................
For Patriots fans, there is a palpable feeling that we are on the precipice of something potentially great. . It may never be what it once was, but it doesn't have to even be a quarter of that to still be really good. I don't think you should underestimate Belichick all that quickly. Of course Brady was huge part of what we were, but there is no reason t think that we cannot rise again to take control of the division and be a perennial playoff team with SB chances.
Conversation
Asante Samuel
@pick_six22
Cold blooded is a understatement! But without Brady he is just another coach in my opinion
Quote Tweet
Louis Riddick
@LRiddickESPN
· 4h
Bill does what Bill does. Right or wrong, the man is cold blooded and will do what he thinks he has to do. Period. #Patriots
9:19 AM · Aug 31, 2021·Twitter for iPhone
456
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
cam opened the door when he caught covid, Jones got more reps in practice and pre season
They are not lying lol
I don’t know if he is vaccinated or not, I could see that being a reason ie Bill not being able to count on him? Or maybe Can didn’t like his potential role, the dynamics of a discussion between him and Bill could be anything
Other than Cam there really weren't any other surprise cuts,imo. Hoyer is likely to be re-signed later in the week.
QB Cam Newton
QB Brian Hoyer
TE Troy Fumagalli*
TE Matt LaCosse
TE Kahale Warring
WR Marvin Hall
WR Tre Nixon
WR Devin Ross
WR Kristian Wilkerson
WR Isaiah Zuber
OL Korey Cunningham
OL James Ferentz
OL Jerald Hawkins
OL R.J. Prince
OL Alex Redmond
OL Will Sherman
DL Montravius Adams
DL Tashawn Bower
DL Akeem Spence
DL Nick Thurman
DT Bill Murray
LB Cassh Maluia
CB Michael Jackson Sr.
DB Myles Bryant
DB Adrian Colbert
DB Malik Grant
DB D'Angelo Ross
DB Dee Virgin
LS Brian Khoury
K Nick Folk
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
this will be a "test year" for Belichick.
JMHO, but last year doesn't count because Belichick and the Patriots were scrambling to do something, anything, to manage a Team without Brady. Cam Newton worked as a stop-gap and fortunately, the Patriots had a pretty good crop of QB's coming out and an entire NCAA season of film to study. it's pretty risky going with a Rookie and an unknown quantity 3rd year player as the foundation of the Team. sure, Hoyer might come back but the jury has already rendered a verdict on him, he's a 3rd string back-up without any upside.
as the Bengals proved last year, every Team is one play away from the cellar. New England finished last year three-quarters of the way there, pinning the hope on Jones is a risky move. it wouldn't surprise me to see Belichick and the Patriots scour the available players for Offensive Lineman. for the sake of the franchise long term it would make sense to do that, they need to take extreme care with Mac Jones, one blind-side hit or one play where he makes a Rookie mistake and Bill's experiment will collapse.
While I wouldn't mind seeing BB bring in a better backup than Hoyer or Stidham I'm honestly not too worried if he sticks with these two going forward. Stidham had minor back surgery at the end of july and is expected to be back around late OCT/early Nov. From what I've read,Hoyer was released yesterday so NE could sneak a few injured players they'd like to keep onto IR then re-sign Hoyer in the coming days. Both players have multiple years in the system and given the hypothetical situation you're talking about, signing some random Qb off the scrap heap who doesn't know this system wouldn't really bring anything to this team for at least a month or two at best.
As far as protecting their QBs Belichick kept 10 offensive lineman (including one just traded for yesterday), 5 Tight Ends and a Fullback. That doesn't even account for the players that will end up on their practice squad at these positions. All reports are that this OL group is the deepest they've had in awhile.
i do agree that this is definitely a test year for this team. While most Pats fans wanted to see Jones start over Cam, he's still just a rookie and is going to have his growing pains along the way. If Jones leads them to a losing record this year while learning on the fly I'd honestly prefer that to whatever outcome we'd see had Cam not been cut.
I don't think that will be the case though, he played pretty much lights out during the preseason with the highest rookie QB rating since they started keeping track and all eight of the drives he started ended up with points on the board. At the very least BB & McDaniels use him as a game manager to go along with a strong run game & defense.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
why is the pre-season relevant for Mac Jones while pretty much everyone at this forum agrees that it is irrelevant so far as what it shows us about what to expect?? nothing we just saw in three games is close to what we'll see for the next 18 weeks, not the players, not the plays, not the defensive schemes, not the blitzes, etc.
my hope for Mac Jones is that he doesn't get hurt. he will succeed eventually, but an injury like what Joe Burrow suffered could change the path forward.
His preseason performance absolutely mattered enough for the coach to outright release the other guy Mac was competing with for the job. If Jones played like ass in those three games Cam would still be the starter week one,so yeah it is totally relevant regardless of what our forum fOoTbAlL eXpErTs say.
Trying to make the argument that he's somehow more susceptible to injury because Joe Burrow got hurt just seems like a strawman argument. Sure he could get hurt week one, he also could be injury-free through a 17 game schedule an that goes for every starting QB not just some rookie. In his favor he has a quick release and a pretty deep group of blockers that include four starters that started on at least one SB winning team each. He should be fine.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
This is some pretty crappy news.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/32139996/david-patten-three-super-bowl-winner-new-england-patriots-dies-47
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
.........
I posted a video of all of his Patriots TDs on your other thread.
After having a little fun with @erikthredd , perk and other Patriots fans I’ll give you my football opinion of the Patriots.
I don’t have to tell you the weakness last year. The Dolphins racked up 260 on the ground and the Patriots were 26th against the run. Of course Cam was a glaring handicap but what can you expect when you only have $1M to spend on a QB. Heck college players are getting more than that for shoes.
So in comes a beefy DL and a rookie QB. Did they address the needs? Anything is better than last year.
The OL is going to be really good and I think Harris will be the man rather than RB by committee. The Patriots will rely heavily on the run to protect Mac Jones but not a run first team. If in 2nd an 15, they won’t be afraid to let Jones pass.
So what does it all mean?
I’ll state the obvious. The teams goes as far as Mac Jones progresses.
I think they pass the Dolphins because Tua isn’t the answer and has no ceiling.
I see a possible high of 10 wins. Both lines will be good but without Gilmore will have to see the secondary. The LB group is solid but receivers? We’ll Bill has had his problems with quality receivers.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
The lack of quality receivers is still a glaring problem. Hoodie was so used to inserting random WR’s in there with Brady he didn’t really need to focus that much attention on that part of the roster, Ofcourse it always helped to have Gronk and Edelman to anchor the passing game. Out of all the receivers in NE I think Bourne might be the best. That’s not saying a heck of a lot. RB and TE will be Jones biggest asset providing he can utilize them
I still think that at the very least they need to add another body at the Wr position just for depth purposes but I feel much better knowing Mac is throwing to whoever is out there over Cam. His accuracy should make it much easier to make a connection with one of these guys at least to the point that someone ends up being his guy,so to speak, like how Jakobi Meyers was for Cam a year ago. He had a pretty good connection with Wilkerson during the preseason games going 9-13 for 93 yards throwing to him but Wilkerson is likely on the PS until needed. With just Agholor,Bourne,Meyers,Gunner (& Malcolm Perry just claimed off waivers from Miami) healthy that might be sooner rather than later.
I think the one thing we do get to look forward to though is McDaniels running plenty of two TE sets with Smith & Henry and even the younger TEs once they're healthy. Some of the more entertaining seasons on offense where when Gronk/Hernandez & Gronk/Bennett were making plays all over the place.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
I think the one thing we do get to look forward to though is McDaniels running plenty of two TE sets with Smith & Henry and even the younger TEs once they're healthy. Some of the more entertaining seasons on offense where when Gronk/Hernandez & Gronk/Bennett were making plays all over the place.
Oh you can take this to the bank. It’s gonna be a run heavy offense. Chew clock, keep the ball away from high powered offenses and win 17-13, 20-17. If Mac Jones throws for over 300 yards the Patriots are behind. I don’t see a lot of Patriots games scoring in the 50+ points. Opening day line is 43. That’s pretty low in this day and age.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
It’s finally game day! IR report from Thursday was pretty thin with four questionable,most notably Agholor with an ankle, and just Matt Perry out. Hopefully Agholor plays.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
My usual streaming site is possibly down, and I won't be able to watch the NE game. Any updates or insights are welcome!!
Have you tried? reddit.nflbite.com
You’re going to get pop-ups no matter what but I’d definitely make sure your ad blocker is on.
Edit: here refresh this page about 5mins before game time and there will be be a list of about 20 different game links, I usually use buffstream first or givemeredditstreams second.
reddit.nflbite.com/game/new-england-patriots-vs-miami-dolphins-live-stream/
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
....
Thank you!
I’m optimistic we can pull it off today, it’s insane to think the last time Pats fans were excited about a first round drafted QB was 1993? With Bledsoe!!
......
I remember it very well. I was so excited. Looking back, he was great. It's all relative