Patriots 2019 Season

[jambr380]

So is this the "The Patriots are done, cooked. Brady is too old. This is the end of the dynasty. The Pats have no shot at winning the Super Bowl" time of year where so many fans make definitive statements about the ultimate demise of the team only to look pretty foolish later?

The thing is eventually these people will be right. Assuming Brady doesn't retire or eave after this year and continues to play there will eventually be a year when he/and or the team isnt good enough. I agree that betting against them is foolish but Brady is 42 years old and has one reliable weapon on offense. I don't think its crazy to believe they may not have it this year.

Eventually those people being right is irrelevant at this point, though. The Pats went from 3 to 6 SBs when people began talking about Brady retiring. Every single one of us is going to die one day. I know that sounds like a bold prediction, but it is absolutely true. Do I get credit for being right about that? Remember this gem from Trent Dilfer in 2014?

“We saw a weak team,” Dilfer said. “The New England Patriots, let’s face it, they’re not good anymore.”

And the 'decline' began well before then. In 2009 (Jets) and 2010 (Ravens), the Pats were one and done in the playoffs. They managed to get their one last hurrah in 2011 when they made it to the SB again, but they blew it against the Giants.

I get it, Brady will retire, BB will retire, and there will be a rebuild of sorts, but talking about the Pats being done now is just lame. Like, everybody and their mother was wrong about that years ago.

[PhoSita]

Is there any doubt that Antonio Brown would have made a difference today?

Big difference. We wouldn't have to see the abomination of Dorsett or Meyers catching balls. But this OL is trash and that's not going to get fixed anytime soon.

AB is a piece of trash and it was 100% correct at the time and in retrospect for them to dump that guy ASAP and never look back.

Some things matter more than football.

[nickagneta]

So is this the "The Patriots are done, cooked. Brady is too old. This is the end of the dynasty. The Pats have no shot at winning the Super Bowl" time of year where so many fans make definitive statements about the ultimate demise of the team only to look pretty foolish later?

The thing is eventually these people will be right. Assuming Brady doesn't retire or eave after this year and continues to play there will eventually be a year when he/and or the team isnt good enough. I agree that betting against them is foolish but Brady is 42 years old and has one reliable weapon on offense. I don't think its crazy to believe they may not have it this year.

Yes, they will eventually be right but even a stopped clock is right twice a day. Jumping to the "Brady and the Pats are done" hot take has been a right of way for millions of people and for many who post in these Patriots threads for years and years.

Heck, last year someone was arguing the Pats couldn't win it because some beloved ESPN stat(I think DVOA) said they couldn't. It's ridiculous.

If this team has proven anything over the last two decades it's, don't count them out until the last whistle is blown in their last game of the year.

[Fan from VT]

Obviously AB's not going to be walking through that door anytime soon, or ever. Thoughts on Sanu vs Gordon? Doesn't seem like Sanu's been an upgrade at all. He had what, 1 reception for 13 yards today and I'm pretty sure he didn't play that many snaps. Why would we get rid of Gordon who at least has been in the system for a year and a half and seems to be healthy in Seattle? Makes zero sense.

The personnel moves this year, especially in terms of the WR group, have been flat out awful. Bordering on braindead. I know Flash wasn't the best, but he had 4 games of 45+ yards. I like Sanu, but I don't see the upgrade.

Losing AB and DT were both bad calls, especially when we've kept guys like LaCosse, Izzo and Burkhead, who provide nothing to the offence. Just terrible.

Really great decisions to ax Demaryius Thomas and Josh Gordon and trade for Sanu. =P

This Pats team is cooked. Basically, if the defense surrenders, oh, 17-20 points, it's probably gonna be a loss. The offense is that bad.

I alway laugh at myself when I do this, because 6 superbowls, but:

- Using a 1st round pick on a 2 down running back in a pass-first increasingly reliant on versatility league
- Using 1st and 2nd round draft capital on Nkeal Henry and Sanu, while letting Thomas and Gordon go
- Trying for field goals on 4th and short with a kicker who was unemployed to start the year and had appendectomy surgery not that long ago against one of the best offenses in the league knowing you're going to need points on the board to win.

It's pretty bleak, relatively speaking. Does not bode well for a deep playoff run.

Yeah man we’re really missing the massive 81 yards Gordon has put up in Seattle

I think his point is that Gordon is still better than every current Pats receiver not named Edelman, and could be helping this team.

Yeah, i mean first, 81 yards would be 50% of our total passing yards yesterday, and anyway, gordon’s actual yards are secondary; i mean this is no 2007 offense, but earlier just having gordon run his routes made people like dorsett look 50% better due to roles and open space.

[PhoSita]

So is this the "The Patriots are done, cooked. Brady is too old. This is the end of the dynasty. The Pats have no shot at winning the Super Bowl" time of year where so many fans make definitive statements about the ultimate demise of the team only to look pretty foolish later?

The thing is eventually these people will be right. Assuming Brady doesn't retire or eave after this year and continues to play there will eventually be a year when he/and or the team isnt good enough. I agree that betting against them is foolish but Brady is 42 years old and has one reliable weapon on offense. I don't think its crazy to believe they may not have it this year.

Yes, they will eventually be right but even a stopped clock is right twice a day. Jumping to the "Brady and the Pats are done" hot take has been a right of way for millions of people and for many who post in these Patriots threads for years and years.

Heck, last year someone was arguing the Pats couldn't win it because some beloved ESPN stat(I think DVOA) said they couldn't. It's ridiculous.

If this team has proven anything over the last two decades it's, don't count them out until the last whistle is blown in their last game of the year.

It's true, as a past doubter of the Pats I am fully in the "I won't assume the Pats are done until they're eliminated" thing.  The Pats have earned that.  They've made me look foolish many times.  They're the vampire team that refuses to ever permanently die.


Even so, things look pretty bad right now and I don't have a lot of confidence that they will beat any good team that they face.

[Moranis]

So is this the "The Patriots are done, cooked. Brady is too old. This is the end of the dynasty. The Pats have no shot at winning the Super Bowl" time of year where so many fans make definitive statements about the ultimate demise of the team only to look pretty foolish later?

When have they been 2-3 against teams with a winning record though and the last 3 were all losses when they looked awful in those games?  I mean the Texans were down 38-3 to the Broncos after beating the Patriots the week before.  The Patriots have scored 20 or less points in 4 of the last 5 games (and they won 2 of those).  This isn't a regular Patriots team.  This one just isn't very good on offense.  Yes, they still have Brady, but he looks very old.  He has now had 8 straight games without a passer rating above 100.  In 2001 his last 5 regular season games and his 3 playoff games, he did that.  That has been the only other time in his career he has had a stretch of games that long under 100.  He has the 2nd lowest completion % in his career.  And this is a part of a trend.  Brady's numbers have been getting worse since 2016.  They have dropped significantly this year, but he has been trending in this direction. 

The OL isn't very good.  The RB's are bleh.  They have Edelman and who at WR?  Do they even have a TE on the roster?

Defense is solid, but I don't think it is an all time type defense that can overcome what really is a poor offense.

A lot of folks (including me, and probably you) said the same thing about the Pats last season.  They can't win on the road, Brady's numbers have declined, there defense isn't that good, blah blah blah.

We still have the GOAT Coach and GOAT QB, and GOAT offensive coordinator.  Let's see where the rest of the season takes us.

GOAT offensive coordinator?  Give me a break.

Pats last year had a couple of stinker games in losses, but they were generally a pretty solid team on both sides of the ball.  Brady, while in his decline, was also still very good.  They were 5-2 against teams with a winning record in the regular season (and 4-0 against playoff teams). 

This is just a different team when you really start breaking it down. 

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

So is this the "The Patriots are done, cooked. Brady is too old. This is the end of the dynasty. The Pats have no shot at winning the Super Bowl" time of year where so many fans make definitive statements about the ultimate demise of the team only to look pretty foolish later?

When have they been 2-3 against teams with a winning record though and the last 3 were all losses when they looked awful in those games?  I mean the Texans were down 38-3 to the Broncos after beating the Patriots the week before.  The Patriots have scored 20 or less points in 4 of the last 5 games (and they won 2 of those).  This isn't a regular Patriots team.  This one just isn't very good on offense.  Yes, they still have Brady, but he looks very old.  He has now had 8 straight games without a passer rating above 100.  In 2001 his last 5 regular season games and his 3 playoff games, he did that.  That has been the only other time in his career he has had a stretch of games that long under 100.  He has the 2nd lowest completion % in his career.  And this is a part of a trend.  Brady's numbers have been getting worse since 2016.  They have dropped significantly this year, but he has been trending in this direction. 

The OL isn't very good.  The RB's are bleh.  They have Edelman and who at WR?  Do they even have a TE on the roster?

Defense is solid, but I don't think it is an all time type defense that can overcome what really is a poor offense.

A lot of folks (including me, and probably you) said the same thing about the Pats last season.  They can't win on the road, Brady's numbers have declined, there defense isn't that good, blah blah blah.

We still have the GOAT Coach and GOAT QB, and GOAT offensive coordinator.  Let's see where the rest of the season takes us.

GOAT offensive coordinator?  Give me a break.

Pats last year had a couple of stinker games in losses, but they were generally a pretty solid team on both sides of the ball.  Brady, while in his decline, was also still very good.  They were 5-2 against teams with a winning record in the regular season (and 4-0 against playoff teams). 

This is just a different team when you really start breaking it down.

I've never heard McDaniels called the GOAT offensive coordinator; I certainly wouldn't call him that. He's been very good, for sure, but, in my view, he too frequently seems to go into brainfart mode in the redzone.

Anyway, I've been HAPPILY wrong about the Pats many times, and would be glad to be wrong once again, but this year's team does seem different—as you pointed out, their performance against good teams this season has been decidedly worse than it was last season, and Brady has looked, to me, shakier this year. His lack of weapons hasn't helped, and isn't his fault, but he's also made plenty of bad throws this season, including that interception yesterday, and several near-interceptions in recent weeks. I'm sure he and the whole offense would look better if, say, Sanu gets healthy and becomes a consistent weapon, and the Pats go back to James White in the short-passing game more often, but will those things happen? Who knows. But right now, if the D can't hold the opposition to 20 or less, the Pats probably lose.

[gouki88]

Obviously AB's not going to be walking through that door anytime soon, or ever. Thoughts on Sanu vs Gordon? Doesn't seem like Sanu's been an upgrade at all. He had what, 1 reception for 13 yards today and I'm pretty sure he didn't play that many snaps. Why would we get rid of Gordon who at least has been in the system for a year and a half and seems to be healthy in Seattle? Makes zero sense.

The personnel moves this year, especially in terms of the WR group, have been flat out awful. Bordering on braindead. I know Flash wasn't the best, but he had 4 games of 45+ yards. I like Sanu, but I don't see the upgrade.

Losing AB and DT were both bad calls, especially when we've kept guys like LaCosse, Izzo and Burkhead, who provide nothing to the offence. Just terrible.

Really great decisions to ax Demaryius Thomas and Josh Gordon and trade for Sanu. =P

This Pats team is cooked. Basically, if the defense surrenders, oh, 17-20 points, it's probably gonna be a loss. The offense is that bad.

I alway laugh at myself when I do this, because 6 superbowls, but:

- Using a 1st round pick on a 2 down running back in a pass-first increasingly reliant on versatility league
- Using 1st and 2nd round draft capital on Nkeal Henry and Sanu, while letting Thomas and Gordon go
- Trying for field goals on 4th and short with a kicker who was unemployed to start the year and had appendectomy surgery not that long ago against one of the best offenses in the league knowing you're going to need points on the board to win.

It's pretty bleak, relatively speaking. Does not bode well for a deep playoff run.

Yeah man we’re really missing the massive 81 yards Gordon has put up in Seattle

No, what we’re missing is the 48 yards he gave us every game. Especially when his effective replacement has had over 23 yards one time.

[ozgod]

So is this the "The Patriots are done, cooked. Brady is too old. This is the end of the dynasty. The Pats have no shot at winning the Super Bowl" time of year where so many fans make definitive statements about the ultimate demise of the team only to look pretty foolish later?

When have they been 2-3 against teams with a winning record though and the last 3 were all losses when they looked awful in those games?  I mean the Texans were down 38-3 to the Broncos after beating the Patriots the week before.  The Patriots have scored 20 or less points in 4 of the last 5 games (and they won 2 of those).  This isn't a regular Patriots team.  This one just isn't very good on offense.  Yes, they still have Brady, but he looks very old.  He has now had 8 straight games without a passer rating above 100.  In 2001 his last 5 regular season games and his 3 playoff games, he did that.  That has been the only other time in his career he has had a stretch of games that long under 100.  He has the 2nd lowest completion % in his career.  And this is a part of a trend.  Brady's numbers have been getting worse since 2016.  They have dropped significantly this year, but he has been trending in this direction. 

The OL isn't very good.  The RB's are bleh.  They have Edelman and who at WR?  Do they even have a TE on the roster?

Defense is solid, but I don't think it is an all time type defense that can overcome what really is a poor offense.

A lot of folks (including me, and probably you) said the same thing about the Pats last season.  They can't win on the road, Brady's numbers have declined, there defense isn't that good, blah blah blah.

We still have the GOAT Coach and GOAT QB, and GOAT offensive coordinator.  Let's see where the rest of the season takes us.

We need Develin back. He's a huge part of why our running game was good last season. As Belichick said, we're fortunate to have one James Develin, to expect two James Develins is too much. And it was.

[JSD]

New cheating scandal...

[JSD]

New cheating scandal...

https://heavy.com/sports/2019/12/patriots-caught-filming-bengals-cheating-scandal/amp/

[jambr380]

New cheating scandal...

https://heavy.com/sports/2019/12/patriots-caught-filming-bengals-cheating-scandal/amp/

There is a lot there, but this pretty much says it all:

Though the league is still investigating the incident, the Bengals public relations team was aware of the incident and approved the Patriots’ request to film in the press box.

Basically, nothing to see here. But of course Patriot haters will be out in droves calling for suspensions, fines, and stripping of draft picks.

[GreenFaith1819]

New cheating scandal...

https://heavy.com/sports/2019/12/patriots-caught-filming-bengals-cheating-scandal/amp/

There is a lot there, but this pretty much says it all:

Though the league is still investigating the incident, the Bengals public relations team was aware of the incident and approved the Patriots’ request to film in the press box.

Basically, nothing to see here. But of course Patriot haters will be out in droves calling for suspensions, fines, and stripping of draft picks.

Send one of those draft picks Washington's way.

Maybe we can flip it somehow for Bruce Allen's replacement.

[Boris Badenov]

New cheating scandal...

https://heavy.com/sports/2019/12/patriots-caught-filming-bengals-cheating-scandal/amp/

There is a lot there, but this pretty much says it all:

Though the league is still investigating the incident, the Bengals public relations team was aware of the incident and approved the Patriots’ request to film in the press box.

Basically, nothing to see here. But of course Patriot haters will be out in droves calling for suspensions, fines, and stripping of draft picks.

The upside: after a week of answering questions about this nonsense, everyone in the locker room will be back into "us against the haters" mode, just in time for the end of the season and playoffs.

[ozgod]

After being nice for a few days, AB is back to ranting on Twitter. I guess he read Adam Schefter's article that confirmed the Pats weren't planning to re-sign him 


https://twitter.com/AB84