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Indefinite New England Patriots Thread (13 Viewers)

kyoun1e said:
Run It Up said:
Does anyone think Gordon could handle the NE playbook?

I feel like the easy answer is no.
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They need somebody outside the numbers. At least a threat.

You can't throw everything down the middle to Edelman/Gronk/Amendola.
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People have been saying this since Moss left and they have won a SB, lost a SB, and been to 5 straight AFCCG's since then.

Sure, if they found an inexpensive deep threat or outside receiver that would be a plus, but they are not going to rob Peter to pay Paul. They need to extend the contracts of several mainstays on defense, so I don't see them breaking the bank on a receiver.

Similarly, I don't see them going after Forte or Lynch unless they want to play for forty cents on the dollar.

They clearly need OL help more than anything else.

 
I don't disagree and when the rumors that Pitt was getting frustrated with Martavis I had really hoped NE might somehow snatched him from them. But I had the same concerns for him as I do with Gordon.

 
Patriots got beat up yesterday by a very good defense that played exceptionally well and had an excellent game plan. But before we jump into what NE needs to do to get back on top, I think it is very much worth reflecting with admiration on the Brady/Belichick era because we are definitely on the back nine (and probably on the final 3!). So with that in mind, let's take a moment to appreciate:

15 Seasons of Brady/Belichick

14 Healthy Seasons of Brady

13 Playoff Appearances (93% of the time when healthy)

10 AFC Conf. Championship appearances (77% of their playoff appearances result in an AFC Conf. Championship appearance)

6 Superbowl appearances (60% of their Conf. Championship appearances result in a SB berth)

4 Superbowl wins (67% win rate)

And I'll even add a comparison of the first 8 years (2000-2007) vs. second 8 years (2008-2015) even though Brady didn't play in 2000. So I guess you could consider this a full accounting of Belichick's first and second half splits:

1st 8 Years: 6 playoff appearances; 5 Conf Championship appearances; 3 SB berths; 3 SB wins

2nd 8 Years: 7 playoff appearances; 5 Conf Championship appearances; 3 SB berths; 1 SB win

Lots for fans to be thankful for and players/coaches to be proud of in the above stats!

Until next year....

 
fruity pebbles said:
Injuries are a cop out imo. They were generally healthy. Not 100% but who is. They had the majority of their guys back for the game yesterday. Denver beat them for the second time this year. The big games they lose, they lose because the other teams defensive line dominates our offensive line. Yesterday was no different.
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fruity pebbles said:
I can see why outsiders find some Pats fans so irritating. They never get flat out beat. Its always something....injuries, fluke plays, refs etc thats the reason they lost. Yesterday their offensive line was dominated and Brady made some key mistakes because of it.
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I'm not saying Pats were exceptional in dealing with injuries, at all. I know it's probably not backed by numbers, but this year felt like the worst ever for injuries throughout the league. Week after week teams would lose crucial players. And super entertaining players. It was a drag. It's like the knee joint is just not built for football.

Like, I'm an anti-Dallas guy. I just don't like the way Jones runs things. I didn't want to see DAL lose because they didn't have their quarterback, I wanted to see them lose with him. Because I want to be right about that front office structure being doomed. We didn't learn anything.

It was a pretty downer year, that way.

Injuries aren't an excuse, but you can still beech about them.

Pats kept juggling, but couldn't find a line combo that clicked, or someone in that patchwork would get hurt and we'd be juggling again.

I expect no sympathy. I didn't have any for SEA last year when buddy broke his arm. But I don't blame SEA fans for lamenting it, either.

 
bicycle_seat_sniffer said:
What happened to brandon lafell this year. Seemed like he was that missing piece last year. Solid 3rd option. Did he even have a target yesterday??
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The LeFell out of love with him this year from jump street. Didn't go well with his injury from months and months ago and never got out of the doghouse.

 
For a few games at the end of the season, it's like they were giving him lots of targets trying to get him over the dropsies, and he never did.

 
The better news is that they aren't going to lose a single impact starter on either side of the ball this offseason and have the cap room to re-sign some key pieces (Hightower and Collins need to be the top 2). This is a very young, improving defense that could easily make the leap into the top 3 next season.

The Pats should be back in the mix for a title again next year.

 
I still think a big wr who can stretch the field would be huge and open up some of the underneath stuff for Edelman and co. Another slot wr wouldn't hurt either.We already saw what an injury to Jules or Gronk does to the offense and we need more playmakers IMO for depth if nothing else. You can't guarantee 16 games out of both these guys every year and they take a beating week in and week out. If we go into 2016 without a serious upgrade in depth there I think we are asking for trouble. I don't see anyone on the roster filling those spots if injury happens. It's not like we have a lot of upside with any of these younger guys or K-Mart.

 
bicycle_seat_sniffer said:
They missed dion lewis. And if desean jackson gets cut. I think he is exactly what the pats o needs. Also i fully expect the pats to sign eric weddle
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Would love Weddle but don't see him coming unless he leaves big money on the table...the Pats have Hightower, Collins and Chandler Jones coming up soon...I can not picture letting Hightower or Collins getting to free agency...way too valuable...Jones is a real wildcard...he disappeared in the playoffs and the whole police station oddness looms very large over him...he could be the odd man out...if the Pats are gonna spend good money on D it has to be on their own players...also, they have big money tied-up in McCourty and with Chung, Harmon and Richards safety really isn't a position of need...

Lewis was a gigantic loss...he gives them something they have never had...a breakaway threat at RB...looking forward to having him back next year but with his injury history I would really like to see them add another RB that is multi-dimensional just in-case Lewis goes down again...James While is simply OK...don't mind having him on the team but would like to see someone better on the team to make this unit stronger...

 
Hightower and Jones have to be addressed in 2016. I think Butler has to be addressed this offseason. Collins can wait till 2017.

 
Hightower, Jones, and Collins all have one year left on their contracts. From what I have seen, LaFell, Mayo, and Chandler are not expected to be back.

 
The Pats couldn't run block all year and couldn't pass block for the last two months. Who should they have fired, the linebackers coach?

 
So with Mayo otw out, do you think they go after someone in FA to add depth at LB? Trevathan, Worrilow, Marshall?

I think best personnel grouping with Mayo gone is:

Grissom/Flowers/Collins WLB - Hightower MLB - Collins/Nink SLB

Jones/Flowers WDE - Easley 3DT - Brown DT - Sheard/Nink SDE

Hicks if they can resign him, Freeney, Branch, Siliga depth. Maybe extend Rufus Johnson?

Expecting Flowers and Grissom to get legit opportunities next year.

 
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I'd like to see the Pats kick the tires on Rueben Randle this offseason. They clearly need a WR who can win jump balls down the field and he fits the bill with his size/speed.

 
bostonfred said:
The good news is they'll have extra money against the cap, what with not having to sign those draft picks. Suck it, Goodell.
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Indeed. Sort of takes the sting out of the punishment. They can still acquire players, just not in the first round of the draft. I always thought this was a less significant punishment than many perceived because of this.

I've heard some Patriots fans describe the penalty as unprecedented, and the worse ever. I would submit a team is far more crippled when the league takes away salary cap dollars as happened in spades to a few franchises following the "uncapped' year.

I expect the Patriots to be annoyingly good for some time yet. They have a coach Q.B. pairing that is unprecedented, a sound defense with some rising stars, and a division which guarantees they will be in the playoffs again next year. I see Pittsburgh and Cincinnati as their only real competition in the AFC next year.

Love em or hate em their reign is not yet over.

 
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Workhorse said:
I'd like to see the Pats kick the tires on Rueben Randle this offseason. They clearly need a WR who can win jump balls down the field and he fits the bill with his size/speed.
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Ruebs, Marvin Jones, Brian Quick and his terrible injury history, Travis Benjamin, Rishard Matthews, Seth Roberts and Chris Matthews.

Think they all got something to offer.

 
QB's age 39+ who have thrown more than 8 TD's since 1975:

Code: 
Rk 		        Year 	Age 	Draft 	Tm 	Lg 	G 	GS 	Cmp 	Att 	Cmp% 	Yds 	TD 	Int 	TD% 	Int% 	Rate 	Sk 	Yds 	Y/A 	AY/A 	ANY/A 	Y/G 	W 	L 	T1 	Brett Favre 	2009 	40 	2-33 	MIN 	NFL 	16 	16 	363 	531 	68.36 	4202 	33 	7 	6.20 	1.32 	107.2 	34 	247 	7.91 	8.56 	7.61 	262.6 	12 	4 	02 	Warren Moon* 	1995 	39 		MIN 	NFL 	16 	16 	377 	606 	62.21 	4228 	33 	14 	5.40 	2.31 	91.5 	38 	277 	6.98 	7.03 	6.18 	264.3 	8 	8 	03 	Warren Moon* 	1997 	41 		SEA 	NFL 	15 	14 	313 	528 	59.28 	3678 	25 	16 	4.70 	3.03 	83.7 	30 	192 	6.97 	6.55 	5.85 	245.2 	7 	7 	04 	Brett Favre 	2008 	39 	2-33 	NYJ 	NFL 	16 	16 	343 	522 	65.71 	3472 	22 	22 	4.20 	4.21 	81.0 	30 	213 	6.65 	5.60 	4.91 	217.0 	9 	7 	05 	V Testaverde 	2004 	41 	1-1 	DAL 	NFL 	16 	15 	297 	495 	60.00 	3532 	17 	20 	3.40 	4.04 	76.4 	34 	182 	7.14 	6.00 	5.27 	220.8 	5 	10 	06 	Doug Flutie 	2001 	39 	11-285 	SDG 	NFL 	16 	16 	294 	521 	56.43 	3464 	15 	18 	2.90 	3.45 	72.0 	25 	168 	6.65 	5.67 	5.10 	216.5 	5 	11 	07 	Jim Plunkett 	1986 	39 	1-1 	RAI 	NFL 	10 	8 	133 	252 	52.78 	1986 	14 	9 	5.60 	3.57 	82.5 	27 	215 	7.88 	7.38 	5.90 	198.6 	3 	5 	08 	Brett Favre 	2010 	41 	2-33 	MIN 	NFL 	13 	13 	217 	358 	60.61 	2509 	11 	19 	3.10 	5.31 	69.9 	22 	139 	7.01 	5.23 	4.57 	193.0 	5 	8 	09 	Warren Moon* 	1998 	42 		SEA 	NFL 	10 	10 	145 	258 	56.20 	1632 	11 	8 	4.30 	3.10 	76.6 	22 	140 	6.33 	5.78 	4.83 	163.2 	4 	6 	010 	Doug Flutie 	2003 	41 	11-285 	SDG 	NFL 	7 	5 	91 	167 	54.49 	1097 	9 	4 	5.40 	2.40 	82.8 	8 	27 	6.57 	6.57 	6.11 	156.7 	2 	3 	011 	M Hasselbeck 	2015 	40 	6-187 	IND 	NFL 	8 	8 	156 	256 	60.94 	1690 	9 	5 	3.50 	1.95 	84.0 	16 	101 	6.60 	6.43 	5.68 	211.3 	5 	3 	012 	Peyton Manning 	2015 	39 	1-1 	DEN 	NFL 	10 	9 	198 	331 	59.82 	2249 	9 	17 	2.70 	5.14 	67.9 	16 	95 	6.79 	5.03 	4.52 	224.9 	7 	2 	0
 
Jeff Howe ‏@jeffphowe 17m17 minutes ago

The Patriots have lost linebackers coach Patrick Graham to the Giants, per source. Graham will be the NYG DL coach. Surprising move.

Jeff Howe & #8207;@jeffphowe 15m15 minutes ago

Graham is an outstanding coach. Thought he was the Pats' DC in waiting. Never heard players speak as highly of any other position coach.

 
I imagine he was holding out to see if Patricia would leave and I think hes sticking around for at least one more year so he got the green light to split.

In other news, there have been whispers of an extension for Brady - signed through 2017 (will be 40.)

Find that interesting, thought they would push that off.

Deals of note expiring this offseason:

  • Legarrette Blount
  • James Develin
  • Sealver Siliga
  • Cameron Fleming
  • Rufus Johnson
  • Justin Coleman
Deals of note expiring next offseason:

  • Sebastian Vollmer
  • Jabaal Sheard
  • Chandler Jones
  • Dont'a Hightower
  • Rob Ninkovich
  • Matthew Slater
  • Jamie Collins
  • Logan Ryan
  • Malcom Butler
2017 is gonna be brutal, they are gonna have to start restructuring these dudes now to stay ahead of the curve. Three best corners, seven best defensive players, just brutal.

 
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And what a roller coaster it was. The Kearse catch?

Shouldn't ever forget Hightowers shoestring tackle of Lynch on first and goal either.

 
Its only been a year guys :P

I couldn't find a video, but if you scroll down there photo of the end result is there and how close it was.

Lynch broke out of the contain and Hightower clipped him hard, but not hard enough to stop his progress as he made a stretch dive at which point he got completely stuffed by Ayers on a big hit and still barely stopped him - such a close play.

 
oiii.... this was a lost opportunity for the Pats. Props to Denver. But it hurts....... Belichick's arrogance in not playing to win one of the last 2 games was probably the difference in at least having a crack at Carolina (who looked basic).

 
I more look at it like we were just a little too beat up this year, but yeah, it was there.

Heard talk of bringing Scarnecchia back.

ETA: Not to take anything away from DEN. They played great. They are a great D.

 
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I have already heard talk of BB cost the team a title by not winning against the Jets or the Dolphins. Felger suggested the Patsw would have beaten Denver in Foxboro by at least 17, possibly more. I disagree. The way the Broncos defense was playing down the stretch, NE would have suffered the same fate even at home.

 
Anarchy99 said:
I have already heard talk of BB cost the team a title by not winning against the Jets or the Dolphins. Felger suggested the Patsw would have beaten Denver in Foxboro by at least 17, possibly more. I disagree. The way the Broncos defense was playing down the stretch, NE would have suffered the same fate even at home.
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Maybe winning by 17 or more is a stretch, but I think the Pats would have had a MUCH better chance in Foxboro. The Pats had to go with a silent count in Denver and the Broncos did an outstanding job timing the rush with the snap, often getting enough of a jump to put Vollmer and Cannon behind the 8-ball. In Foxboro, Brady would have been able to use a hard count and vary it to help keep Denver from getting that jump.

 
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