**Patriots at Raiders** (-1.5, 45) 4:05 Kickoff (2 Viewers)

[apalmer]

Billy can’t even cut anyone since it was their best RB, best WR and starting QB all involved.

LOL at Mac Jones making the weakest tackle attempt of all time.

He thought “falling down & maybe causing him to trip” was a form of tackling.

Just so so so terribly bad.

Hey, that form of tackling made Ben Roethlisberger a hero

Nick Harper's Almost Touchdown off Brackett's Forced Fumble || 2005 AFC Divisional Playoffs

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[ZADO]

Nice picture of the Cole TD

 

[Anarchy99]

The last play called for a regular draw, RS was told to get down, and they would regroup for OT. No one on the offense expected any laterals, and RS and JM ad libbed that on their own. Everyone else was blocking and did not expect anything other than Stevenson getting tackled. The most surprised person of all was Mac Jones, as he neither expected to receive a lateral nor having to make a game saving tackle.

This only amplifies the offense being disenchanted with Patricia. They were trying to make a play. Everyone on the offense is frustrated with their inability to look like even a mediocre FCS offense.

This is Bill's fault...he put a totally unqualified person/friend in a position to fail...Patricia gets the heat, but it is BB's fault, and everyone knew it was coming back in August.

The last play was on RS and JM for going off script. They were instructed what to do, everyone knew the play and plan as called, but they changed it up mid-play.

BB will have to own the Patricia fiasco. In Bill's mind, coaches can switch sides of the ball, and from his perspective, it happens all the time. Bill went from offense to defense. McDaniels went from defense to offense. Charlie Weis moved to offense after coaching on the defensive side of the ball in college. Brian Flores went from being an offensive assistant for NE to working with the defense. Matt Patricia coached on offense in first two seasons in NE before moving to defense (and now is back on offense). To BB, guys moving from one side of the ball to the other is normal, as he's seen guys do it first-hand (himself included). But other teams generally don't do stuff like that. And guys that have switched sides of the ball don't do it as coordinators . . . they do it at the position group level.

You are more ready to burn things to the ground than I am, as I think they have some decent young pieces to work with (Stevenson, Thornton, Jones, Jones (not the QB), Barmore, Uche, Strong, Dugger, Onwenu). Since they are very unlikely to have a better QB option to work with next year, if they get an actual OC to work with next season, I am willing to give Mac another shot to see how he does with a competent play caller (you know, one that can get a play called before the play clock runs out). If they think Mac is beyond repair (which would also be a reasonable conclusion by this point), I suppose they could try Zappe again. I don't see them making a big move for someone like Rodgers or Lamar (and we've seen this year that simply adding a QB like Wilson or Watson is not automatically going to change the prognosis for a team).

I had a good chuckle from some of the articles out this week that map out scenarios where Brady, Gronk, Edelman, and Amendola could all end up on NE next year for one last gasp together. I want to know what those writers are smoking.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

The best part is that Meyers ridiculous toss was intended for the slowest guy on the field - where was Mac Jones going even if the toss was successful?

technically he could have passed it, right?

 

[Anarchy99]

Nice picture of the Cole TD

I don't have the time, energy, or desire to go searching the Twitterverse for other angles, but there were multiple shots posted last night where it looked like his foot was on the line. FOR EXAMPLE. There are white specs in the air.

There was also a reporter after the game that took pictures of the field where Coles made the catch, and the imprint on the field was on the chalk. Doesn't really matter at this point, the call was the call.

 

[Anarchy99]

The best part is that Meyers ridiculous toss was intended for the slowest guy on the field - where was Mac Jones going even if the toss was successful?

technically he could have passed it, right?

No. Once the ball crosses the line of scrimmage, no forward passes are permitted, even if the ball goes back behind the LOS. It's spelled out in the league's operations manual:

ARTICLE 2. LEGAL FORWARD PASS

The offensive team may make one forward pass from behind the line during each down. If the ball, whether in player possession or loose, crosses the line of scrimmage, a forward pass is not permissible, regardless of whether the ball returns behind the line of scrimmage before the pass is thrown.

 

[Boston]

The last play called for a regular draw, RS was told to get down, and they would regroup for OT. No one on the offense expected any laterals, and RS and JM ad libbed that on their own. Everyone else was blocking and did not expect anything other than Stevenson getting tackled. The most surprised person of all was Mac Jones, as he neither expected to receive a lateral nor having to make a game saving tackle.

This only amplifies the offense being disenchanted with Patricia. They were trying to make a play. Everyone on the offense is frustrated with their inability to look like even a mediocre FCS offense.

This is Bill's fault...he put a totally unqualified person/friend in a position to fail...Patricia gets the heat, but it is BB's fault, and everyone knew it was coming back in August.

The last play was on RS and JM for going off script. They were instructed what to do, everyone knew the play and plan as called, but they changed it up mid-play.

BB will have to own the Patricia fiasco. In Bill's mind, coaches can switch sides of the ball, and from his perspective, it happens all the time. Bill went from offense to defense. McDaniels went from defense to offense. Charlie Weis moved to offense after coaching on the defensive side of the ball in college. Brian Flores went from being an offensive assistant for NE to working with the defense. Matt Patricia coached on offense in first two seasons in NE before moving to defense (and now is back on offense). To BB, guys moving from one side of the ball to the other is normal, as he's seen guys do it first-hand (himself included). But other teams generally don't do stuff like that. And guys that have switched sides of the ball don't do it as coordinators . . . they do it at the position group level.

You are more ready to burn things to the ground than I am, as I think they have some decent young pieces to work with (Stevenson, Thornton, Jones, Jones (not the QB), Barmore, Uche, Strong, Dugger, Onwenu). Since they are very unlikely to have a better QB option to work with next year, if they get an actual OC to work with next season, I am willing to give Mac another shot to see how he does with a competent play caller (you know, one that can get a play called before the play clock runs out). If they think Mac is beyond repair (which would also be a reasonable conclusion by this point), I suppose they could try Zappe again. I don't see them making a big move for someone like Rodgers or Lamar (and we've seen this year that simply adding a QB like Wilson or Watson is not automatically going to change the prognosis for a team).

I had a good chuckle from some of the articles out this week that map out scenarios where Brady, Gronk, Edelman, and Amendola could all end up on NE next year for one last gasp together. I want to know what those writers are smoking.

They do have some decent pieces to work with, but they should have far more and while there is a decent core it is nothing too special compared to some other teams...it does not need to be burnt to the ground, but many aspects of the franchise need to change dramatically...Tom Brady is no longer here, and you cannot build the team the same way you did around him...it has zero chance of working unless your goal is to finish with 7-9 wins every year...moving guys to different sides of the ball is fine if it is baby steps but you do not take a guy like Patricia and make him an OC...if anyone other than BB did this it would be a fireable offense it is so egregious...one of the most important things for 2022 was to keep Mac moving forward so you had your QB for the future in place and they have gone 10 steps backwards in that area to the point it is a legit debacle...I think BB is the greatest of all time but right I am not sold that he can right this ship at this point in his career.

 

[efactor]

Rhamondre and Jakobi are going to be flying Frontier back to Boston.

The Rhamondre pitch was maybe a 5 out of 10 on the bonehead scale, the Jakobi play was 1000.

Disagree with Rhamondre. Not much to lose on his lateral. Maybe a recovery - but nobody was going to the house. And he lateraled it cleanly

Throwing it backwards 10 yards was just so idiotic. In a TIE GAME, no less.

Maybe somebody already suggested this and I just missed it, but the only thing I can think of is Myers got confused by the first lateral and momentairly thought they were behind. Seems unrealistic but he couldn't have possibly thought throwing the ball backward to Mac Jones in a tie game was a smart thing to do. Only takes a second to lose focus and do something really stupid.

 

[Dwayne Hoover]

Rhamondre and Jakobi are going to be flying Frontier back to Boston.

The Rhamondre pitch was maybe a 5 out of 10 on the bonehead scale, the Jakobi play was 1000.

Disagree with Rhamondre. Not much to lose on his lateral. Maybe a recovery - but nobody was going to the house. And he lateraled it cleanly

Throwing it backwards 10 yards was just so idiotic. In a TIE GAME, no less.

Maybe somebody already suggested this and I just missed it, but the only thing I can think of is Myers got confused by the first lateral and momentairly thought they were behind. Seems unrealistic but he couldn't have possibly thought throwing the ball backward to Mac Jones in a tie game was a smart thing to do. Only takes a second to lose focus and do something really stupid.

I don't think it's an unrealistic scenario, I think its exactly what happened.
He got caught up in the moment and it was almost like a muscle memory thing, as this is what you do in this scenario. Im sure he never expected the lateral from Stevenson, it was a jedi mind trick that backfired

 

[Mitchie]

Rhamondre and Jakobi are going to be flying Frontier back to Boston.

The Rhamondre pitch was maybe a 5 out of 10 on the bonehead scale, the Jakobi play was 1000.

Disagree with Rhamondre. Not much to lose on his lateral. Maybe a recovery - but nobody was going to the house. And he lateraled it cleanly

Throwing it backwards 10 yards was just so idiotic. In a TIE GAME, no less.

Maybe somebody already suggested this and I just missed it, but the only thing I can think of is Myers got confused by the first lateral and momentairly thought they were behind. Seems unrealistic but he couldn't have possibly thought throwing the ball backward to Mac Jones in a tie game was a smart thing to do. Only takes a second to lose focus and do something really stupid.

I do think that's kinda what happened. Like he's probably been involved in a lateral play like that many times in high school, college, etc. and after the first lateral, his old muscle memory sorta kicked in the moment without any thinking. Obviously not an excuse for such idiocy.

 

[ChiefD]

Nice picture of the Cole TD

Wow, what a cool photo that is.

 

[Anarchy99]

The last play called for a regular draw, RS was told to get down, and they would regroup for OT. No one on the offense expected any laterals, and RS and JM ad libbed that on their own. Everyone else was blocking and did not expect anything other than Stevenson getting tackled. The most surprised person of all was Mac Jones, as he neither expected to receive a lateral nor having to make a game saving tackle.

This only amplifies the offense being disenchanted with Patricia. They were trying to make a play. Everyone on the offense is frustrated with their inability to look like even a mediocre FCS offense.

This is Bill's fault...he put a totally unqualified person/friend in a position to fail...Patricia gets the heat, but it is BB's fault, and everyone knew it was coming back in August.

The last play was on RS and JM for going off script. They were instructed what to do, everyone knew the play and plan as called, but they changed it up mid-play.

BB will have to own the Patricia fiasco. In Bill's mind, coaches can switch sides of the ball, and from his perspective, it happens all the time. Bill went from offense to defense. McDaniels went from defense to offense. Charlie Weis moved to offense after coaching on the defensive side of the ball in college. Brian Flores went from being an offensive assistant for NE to working with the defense. Matt Patricia coached on offense in first two seasons in NE before moving to defense (and now is back on offense). To BB, guys moving from one side of the ball to the other is normal, as he's seen guys do it first-hand (himself included). But other teams generally don't do stuff like that. And guys that have switched sides of the ball don't do it as coordinators . . . they do it at the position group level.

You are more ready to burn things to the ground than I am, as I think they have some decent young pieces to work with (Stevenson, Thornton, Jones, Jones (not the QB), Barmore, Uche, Strong, Dugger, Onwenu). Since they are very unlikely to have a better QB option to work with next year, if they get an actual OC to work with next season, I am willing to give Mac another shot to see how he does with a competent play caller (you know, one that can get a play called before the play clock runs out). If they think Mac is beyond repair (which would also be a reasonable conclusion by this point), I suppose they could try Zappe again. I don't see them making a big move for someone like Rodgers or Lamar (and we've seen this year that simply adding a QB like Wilson or Watson is not automatically going to change the prognosis for a team).

I had a good chuckle from some of the articles out this week that map out scenarios where Brady, Gronk, Edelman, and Amendola could all end up on NE next year for one last gasp together. I want to know what those writers are smoking.

They do have some decent pieces to work with, but they should have far more and while there is a decent core it is nothing too special compared to some other teams...it does not need to be burnt to the ground, but many aspects of the franchise need to change dramatically...Tom Brady is no longer here, and you cannot build the team the same way you did around him...it has zero chance of working unless your goal is to finish with 7-9 wins every year...moving guys to different sides of the ball is fine if it is baby steps but you do not take a guy like Patricia and make him an OC...if anyone other than BB did this it would be a fireable offense it is so egregious...one of the most important things for 2022 was to keep Mac moving forward so you had your QB for the future in place and they have gone 10 steps backwards in that area to the point it is a legit debacle...I think BB is the greatest of all time but right I am not sold that he can right this ship at this point in his career.

NE joins 3/4 of the league's teams (if not more) are trying to come up with a plan to get themselves back into the SB mix. There are probably 5 teams that are legit contenders and 2-3 more that are on the fringe. Several teams with good records from last year pretty much evaporated into thin air (Rams, Packers, Cardinals, Bucs). The point being, a huge number of teams struggle to even get to where NE is (call them a 9 win / fringe playoff / middle of the road team). And even the better ones aren't a top contender for more than a year or two. Since NE won in 2018, NE, LAR, and TB all slid. GB, TEN, and NOS (who all made the conference championship) also have taken steps back. It's not easy to field a competitive team.

The roster churn in the NFL is crazy. Probably 40-50% of players rostered switch teams each year. Players get cut, drafted, signed, traded, etc. A ton changes from year to year. The Eagles and Vikings were both 8- or 9- win teams last year and are doing much better (24 wind better them so far). It's unlikely NE will make that same jump, but teams can tweak things and start playing better. For the Pats, new OL, new OC, and another playmaker on either side of the ball and they could start looking a lot better. That sounds easy, but likely very difficult to accomplish.

 

[Boston]

The last play called for a regular draw, RS was told to get down, and they would regroup for OT. No one on the offense expected any laterals, and RS and JM ad libbed that on their own. Everyone else was blocking and did not expect anything other than Stevenson getting tackled. The most surprised person of all was Mac Jones, as he neither expected to receive a lateral nor having to make a game saving tackle.

This only amplifies the offense being disenchanted with Patricia. They were trying to make a play. Everyone on the offense is frustrated with their inability to look like even a mediocre FCS offense.

This is Bill's fault...he put a totally unqualified person/friend in a position to fail...Patricia gets the heat, but it is BB's fault, and everyone knew it was coming back in August.

The last play was on RS and JM for going off script. They were instructed what to do, everyone knew the play and plan as called, but they changed it up mid-play.

BB will have to own the Patricia fiasco. In Bill's mind, coaches can switch sides of the ball, and from his perspective, it happens all the time. Bill went from offense to defense. McDaniels went from defense to offense. Charlie Weis moved to offense after coaching on the defensive side of the ball in college. Brian Flores went from being an offensive assistant for NE to working with the defense. Matt Patricia coached on offense in first two seasons in NE before moving to defense (and now is back on offense). To BB, guys moving from one side of the ball to the other is normal, as he's seen guys do it first-hand (himself included). But other teams generally don't do stuff like that. And guys that have switched sides of the ball don't do it as coordinators . . . they do it at the position group level.

You are more ready to burn things to the ground than I am, as I think they have some decent young pieces to work with (Stevenson, Thornton, Jones, Jones (not the QB), Barmore, Uche, Strong, Dugger, Onwenu). Since they are very unlikely to have a better QB option to work with next year, if they get an actual OC to work with next season, I am willing to give Mac another shot to see how he does with a competent play caller (you know, one that can get a play called before the play clock runs out). If they think Mac is beyond repair (which would also be a reasonable conclusion by this point), I suppose they could try Zappe again. I don't see them making a big move for someone like Rodgers or Lamar (and we've seen this year that simply adding a QB like Wilson or Watson is not automatically going to change the prognosis for a team).

I had a good chuckle from some of the articles out this week that map out scenarios where Brady, Gronk, Edelman, and Amendola could all end up on NE next year for one last gasp together. I want to know what those writers are smoking.

They do have some decent pieces to work with, but they should have far more and while there is a decent core it is nothing too special compared to some other teams...it does not need to be burnt to the ground, but many aspects of the franchise need to change dramatically...Tom Brady is no longer here, and you cannot build the team the same way you did around him...it has zero chance of working unless your goal is to finish with 7-9 wins every year...moving guys to different sides of the ball is fine if it is baby steps but you do not take a guy like Patricia and make him an OC...if anyone other than BB did this it would be a fireable offense it is so egregious...one of the most important things for 2022 was to keep Mac moving forward so you had your QB for the future in place and they have gone 10 steps backwards in that area to the point it is a legit debacle...I think BB is the greatest of all time but right I am not sold that he can right this ship at this point in his career.

NE joins 3/4 of the league's teams (if not more) are trying to come up with a plan to get themselves back into the SB mix. There are probably 5 teams that are legit contenders and 2-3 more that are on the fringe. Several teams with good records from last year pretty much evaporated into thin air (Rams, Packers, Cardinals, Bucs). The point being, a huge number of teams struggle to even get to where NE is (call them a 9 win / fringe playoff / middle of the road team). And even the better ones aren't a top contender for more than a year or two. Since NE won in 2018, NE, LAR, and TB all slid. GB, TEN, and NOS (who all made the conference championship) also have taken steps back. It's not easy to field a competitive team.

The roster churn in the NFL is crazy. Probably 40-50% of players rostered switch teams each year. Players get cut, drafted, signed, traded, etc. A ton changes from year to year. The Eagles and Vikings were both 8- or 9- win teams last year and are doing much better (24 wind better them so far). It's unlikely NE will make that same jump, but teams can tweak things and start playing better. For the Pats, new OL, new OC, and another playmaker on either side of the ball and they could start looking a lot better. That sounds easy, but likely very difficult to accomplish.

Very generic post…around here we now know what championship football is and how it is accomplished…and the Pats are far from it both on the field and off…they have gaping holes on the field, on the coaching staff and in the front office…unless 2022’s version of BB takes a long look in the mirror and is willing to change how he does business they will be stuck in mediocrity until the Krafts put him out to pasture.

 

[Lansdowne]

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This has happened to New England before...sort of

Miami was worse because the Pats had actual Super Bowl aspirations that season and the game was won if they just stopped the returner like they did 99.9% of the time. But this play last night was a comedy of errors with a deserved outcome.

 

[Anarchy99]

The last play called for a regular draw, RS was told to get down, and they would regroup for OT. No one on the offense expected any laterals, and RS and JM ad libbed that on their own. Everyone else was blocking and did not expect anything other than Stevenson getting tackled. The most surprised person of all was Mac Jones, as he neither expected to receive a lateral nor having to make a game saving tackle.

This only amplifies the offense being disenchanted with Patricia. They were trying to make a play. Everyone on the offense is frustrated with their inability to look like even a mediocre FCS offense.

This is Bill's fault...he put a totally unqualified person/friend in a position to fail...Patricia gets the heat, but it is BB's fault, and everyone knew it was coming back in August.

The last play was on RS and JM for going off script. They were instructed what to do, everyone knew the play and plan as called, but they changed it up mid-play.

BB will have to own the Patricia fiasco. In Bill's mind, coaches can switch sides of the ball, and from his perspective, it happens all the time. Bill went from offense to defense. McDaniels went from defense to offense. Charlie Weis moved to offense after coaching on the defensive side of the ball in college. Brian Flores went from being an offensive assistant for NE to working with the defense. Matt Patricia coached on offense in first two seasons in NE before moving to defense (and now is back on offense). To BB, guys moving from one side of the ball to the other is normal, as he's seen guys do it first-hand (himself included). But other teams generally don't do stuff like that. And guys that have switched sides of the ball don't do it as coordinators . . . they do it at the position group level.

You are more ready to burn things to the ground than I am, as I think they have some decent young pieces to work with (Stevenson, Thornton, Jones, Jones (not the QB), Barmore, Uche, Strong, Dugger, Onwenu). Since they are very unlikely to have a better QB option to work with next year, if they get an actual OC to work with next season, I am willing to give Mac another shot to see how he does with a competent play caller (you know, one that can get a play called before the play clock runs out). If they think Mac is beyond repair (which would also be a reasonable conclusion by this point), I suppose they could try Zappe again. I don't see them making a big move for someone like Rodgers or Lamar (and we've seen this year that simply adding a QB like Wilson or Watson is not automatically going to change the prognosis for a team).

I had a good chuckle from some of the articles out this week that map out scenarios where Brady, Gronk, Edelman, and Amendola could all end up on NE next year for one last gasp together. I want to know what those writers are smoking.

They do have some decent pieces to work with, but they should have far more and while there is a decent core it is nothing too special compared to some other teams...it does not need to be burnt to the ground, but many aspects of the franchise need to change dramatically...Tom Brady is no longer here, and you cannot build the team the same way you did around him...it has zero chance of working unless your goal is to finish with 7-9 wins every year...moving guys to different sides of the ball is fine if it is baby steps but you do not take a guy like Patricia and make him an OC...if anyone other than BB did this it would be a fireable offense it is so egregious...one of the most important things for 2022 was to keep Mac moving forward so you had your QB for the future in place and they have gone 10 steps backwards in that area to the point it is a legit debacle...I think BB is the greatest of all time but right I am not sold that he can right this ship at this point in his career.

NE joins 3/4 of the league's teams (if not more) are trying to come up with a plan to get themselves back into the SB mix. There are probably 5 teams that are legit contenders and 2-3 more that are on the fringe. Several teams with good records from last year pretty much evaporated into thin air (Rams, Packers, Cardinals, Bucs). The point being, a huge number of teams struggle to even get to where NE is (call them a 9 win / fringe playoff / middle of the road team). And even the better ones aren't a top contender for more than a year or two. Since NE won in 2018, NE, LAR, and TB all slid. GB, TEN, and NOS (who all made the conference championship) also have taken steps back. It's not easy to field a competitive team.

The roster churn in the NFL is crazy. Probably 40-50% of players rostered switch teams each year. Players get cut, drafted, signed, traded, etc. A ton changes from year to year. The Eagles and Vikings were both 8- or 9- win teams last year and are doing much better (24 wind better them so far). It's unlikely NE will make that same jump, but teams can tweak things and start playing better. For the Pats, new OL, new OC, and another playmaker on either side of the ball and they could start looking a lot better. That sounds easy, but likely very difficult to accomplish.

Very generic post…around here we now know what championship football is and how it is accomplished…and the Pats are far from it both on the field and off…they have gaping holes on the field, on the coaching staff and in the front office…unless 2022’s version of BB takes a long look in the mirror and is willing to change how he does business they will be stuck in mediocrity until the Krafts put him out to pasture.

And for people that know championship football, they will also know that bringing in a new regime, a new administration, and a new roster would most likely get them back to being the team that struggled to win 5 or 6 games a year. With the exception of Pete Carroll, the Patriots initially took a step back or had losing records when they switched coaches (even with BB). Would NE fans be happier if Bill was gone and they went 4-13, 3-14, and 5-12 and still looked inept after 3 years? That's very possible given that the Bills, Dolphins, and Jets look to be improving. And if BB left town and started winning with another franchise? Oof.

 

[Boston]

The last play called for a regular draw, RS was told to get down, and they would regroup for OT. No one on the offense expected any laterals, and RS and JM ad libbed that on their own. Everyone else was blocking and did not expect anything other than Stevenson getting tackled. The most surprised person of all was Mac Jones, as he neither expected to receive a lateral nor having to make a game saving tackle.

This only amplifies the offense being disenchanted with Patricia. They were trying to make a play. Everyone on the offense is frustrated with their inability to look like even a mediocre FCS offense.

This is Bill's fault...he put a totally unqualified person/friend in a position to fail...Patricia gets the heat, but it is BB's fault, and everyone knew it was coming back in August.

The last play was on RS and JM for going off script. They were instructed what to do, everyone knew the play and plan as called, but they changed it up mid-play.

BB will have to own the Patricia fiasco. In Bill's mind, coaches can switch sides of the ball, and from his perspective, it happens all the time. Bill went from offense to defense. McDaniels went from defense to offense. Charlie Weis moved to offense after coaching on the defensive side of the ball in college. Brian Flores went from being an offensive assistant for NE to working with the defense. Matt Patricia coached on offense in first two seasons in NE before moving to defense (and now is back on offense). To BB, guys moving from one side of the ball to the other is normal, as he's seen guys do it first-hand (himself included). But other teams generally don't do stuff like that. And guys that have switched sides of the ball don't do it as coordinators . . . they do it at the position group level.

You are more ready to burn things to the ground than I am, as I think they have some decent young pieces to work with (Stevenson, Thornton, Jones, Jones (not the QB), Barmore, Uche, Strong, Dugger, Onwenu). Since they are very unlikely to have a better QB option to work with next year, if they get an actual OC to work with next season, I am willing to give Mac another shot to see how he does with a competent play caller (you know, one that can get a play called before the play clock runs out). If they think Mac is beyond repair (which would also be a reasonable conclusion by this point), I suppose they could try Zappe again. I don't see them making a big move for someone like Rodgers or Lamar (and we've seen this year that simply adding a QB like Wilson or Watson is not automatically going to change the prognosis for a team).

I had a good chuckle from some of the articles out this week that map out scenarios where Brady, Gronk, Edelman, and Amendola could all end up on NE next year for one last gasp together. I want to know what those writers are smoking.

They do have some decent pieces to work with, but they should have far more and while there is a decent core it is nothing too special compared to some other teams...it does not need to be burnt to the ground, but many aspects of the franchise need to change dramatically...Tom Brady is no longer here, and you cannot build the team the same way you did around him...it has zero chance of working unless your goal is to finish with 7-9 wins every year...moving guys to different sides of the ball is fine if it is baby steps but you do not take a guy like Patricia and make him an OC...if anyone other than BB did this it would be a fireable offense it is so egregious...one of the most important things for 2022 was to keep Mac moving forward so you had your QB for the future in place and they have gone 10 steps backwards in that area to the point it is a legit debacle...I think BB is the greatest of all time but right I am not sold that he can right this ship at this point in his career.

NE joins 3/4 of the league's teams (if not more) are trying to come up with a plan to get themselves back into the SB mix. There are probably 5 teams that are legit contenders and 2-3 more that are on the fringe. Several teams with good records from last year pretty much evaporated into thin air (Rams, Packers, Cardinals, Bucs). The point being, a huge number of teams struggle to even get to where NE is (call them a 9 win / fringe playoff / middle of the road team). And even the better ones aren't a top contender for more than a year or two. Since NE won in 2018, NE, LAR, and TB all slid. GB, TEN, and NOS (who all made the conference championship) also have taken steps back. It's not easy to field a competitive team.

The roster churn in the NFL is crazy. Probably 40-50% of players rostered switch teams each year. Players get cut, drafted, signed, traded, etc. A ton changes from year to year. The Eagles and Vikings were both 8- or 9- win teams last year and are doing much better (24 wind better them so far). It's unlikely NE will make that same jump, but teams can tweak things and start playing better. For the Pats, new OL, new OC, and another playmaker on either side of the ball and they could start looking a lot better. That sounds easy, but likely very difficult to accomplish.

Very generic post…around here we now know what championship football is and how it is accomplished…and the Pats are far from it both on the field and off…they have gaping holes on the field, on the coaching staff and in the front office…unless 2022’s version of BB takes a long look in the mirror and is willing to change how he does business they will be stuck in mediocrity until the Krafts put him out to pasture.

And for people that know championship football, they will also know that bringing in a new regime, a new administration, and a new roster would most likely get them back to being the team that struggled to win 5 or 6 games a year. With the exception of Pete Carroll, the Patriots initially took a step back or had losing records when they switched coaches (even with BB). Would NE fans be happier if Bill was gone and they went 4-13, 3-14, and 5-12 and still looked inept after 3 years? That's very possible given that the Bills, Dolphins, and Jets look to be improving. And if BB left town and started winning with another franchise? Oof.

Here is the truth...most people don't want him gone but they also know he needs to change...this version of BB aint the one that was winning titles...so if he doesn't change and wants to continue down this path to undisciplined mediocrity than he has to go...simple as that.

 

[Rubi]

Since we are about to celebrate the anniversary of "The Immaculate Reception" we need a name for the final play in this game. Any suggestions?