Patriots 2018 Season

[Billz401]

I actually hope McDaniels takes a coaching job and sticks with it this offseason..

I used to think it was a good thing that the Pats would have continuity if Josh takes over when Bill retires.  This season has kinda soured me on that idea.  The playcalling has been really bad.

Same. I always felt like Brady benefitted from McDaniels since he came back from denver/st louis. The offense was always running on full cylinders, a lot of creative plays and quick passes to help our always garbage o line. Also at this stage of bradys career I felt like a new system with a new OC wouldnt bode well, but now that feeling has completely gone. I think brady could use a different creative mind on offense next year because this year the playcalling doesnt seem like it has been in tune with his strengths and weaknesses

[SparzWizard]

I actually hope McDaniels takes a coaching job and sticks with it this offseason..

I used to think it was a good thing that the Pats would have continuity if Josh takes over when Bill retires.  This season has kinda soured me on that idea.  The playcalling has been really bad.

McDaniels is already preparing his resume for the Green Bay Packers coaching position, hence why he's trying to draw up all these silly ridiculous plays like running up the middle for 1 or no yard gains, running up the middle on first/second/third and goals for no TD, not incorporating James White (as much) as soon as Rex Burkhead came back, and throwing to high-coverage Edelman/Gronk and not Patterson/Gordon/Hogan.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

I think the problem is that "above average" is a low bar compared to what we've had the last 15+ seasons, and also compared to what many of us thought they'd be this season. The defense has never looked good for more than 2 consecutive weeks, and the offense has gone downhill since the 6-game winning streak. A common condition for the Patriots' success has been "as long as they're healthy," but yesterday the offense struggled mightily despite missing no one.

I want to really underscore as well that, for me, it's not only that they are a mediocre (i.e. "above average" in a 32 team league).

It's that they are *boring,* often *painful* while also being not particularly good.

In the past, there were years when the Pats had an offense that put up a ton of points, where Gronk dominated or Brady was out of his mind, and the defense was awful.  Those teams were sometimes frustrating but often really satisfying to watch.

They pulled out trick plays sometimes and embarrassed lesser opponents.  They had several plays a game where it was clear they just totally outsmarted the opponent and got a huge chunk of yardage / scored a TD because they were better, smarter, and more experienced.


This year, it's all dink and dunk, a ton of short yardage runs and screen passes.  They don't have a reliable playmaker on offense.  Brady is unreliable in the red zone and throwing a lot more interceptions than in the past.  The defense occasionally gets some sacks but they give up a ton of rushing yards. 

They're just not enjoyable to watch AND they're not very good.


If they were boring but efficient and successful, fine.  We've seen Pats teams like that, too.  But they aren't that.


If you want to point out that there are plenty of fanbases that would be thrilled to watch a team that is grindy and creaky but nonetheless *decent* and that will have at least one home playoff game, that's fine.  You're correct.

There are a lot of fanbases in the NFL starving for a single season of competence.  You hand a starving person a piece of stale bread, they're going to gobble it up and thank you profusely because they were starving.

But as a Pats fan -- I know, I'm spoiled -- I'm *not* starving.  I've been well fed.  I don't have any need or desire to eat stale bread.

Like the fake hand off fake reverse, screen back to the rb they run 5 times a game that goes absolutely no where. I'm getting sick to my stomach every game watching some of these terrible play calls. I dont get how we can look so mediocre and boring on offense all game and then all of a sudden with 2 mins left down 7 we can March right down the field with some vertical passes.
And where the heck is james white? Hello top 7 fantasy points up til week 12 and then burkhead comes back and now hes the redheaded step child. I actually hope McDaniels takes a coaching job and sticks with it this offseason..

I've particularly noticed this because White is on my fantasy team and was having a great season until Burkhead came back. Burkhead is a useful player, but he's no White in the open field.

[nickagneta]

I actually hope McDaniels takes a coaching job and sticks with it this offseason..

I used to think it was a good thing that the Pats would have continuity if Josh takes over when Bill retires.  This season has kinda soured me on that idea.  The playcalling has been really bad.

I think McDaniels thinks his offensive line is good at run blocking and that Sony Michel is way better than he is.

Don't get me wrong. He has been very good and had a bunch of long runs negated this year due to stupid penalties. But the amount of times they have tried to go and be conservative and run, have cost them a lot of drives and a lot of three and outs.

[celticsclay]

I think the problem is that "above average" is a low bar compared to what we've had the last 15+ seasons, and also compared to what many of us thought they'd be this season. The defense has never looked good for more than 2 consecutive weeks, and the offense has gone downhill since the 6-game winning streak. A common condition for the Patriots' success has been "as long as they're healthy," but yesterday the offense struggled mightily despite missing no one.

I want to really underscore as well that, for me, it's not only that they are a mediocre (i.e. "above average" in a 32 team league).

It's that they are *boring,* often *painful* while also being not particularly good.

In the past, there were years when the Pats had an offense that put up a ton of points, where Gronk dominated or Brady was out of his mind, and the defense was awful.  Those teams were sometimes frustrating but often really satisfying to watch.

They pulled out trick plays sometimes and embarrassed lesser opponents.  They had several plays a game where it was clear they just totally outsmarted the opponent and got a huge chunk of yardage / scored a TD because they were better, smarter, and more experienced.


This year, it's all dink and dunk, a ton of short yardage runs and screen passes.  They don't have a reliable playmaker on offense.  Brady is unreliable in the red zone and throwing a lot more interceptions than in the past.  The defense occasionally gets some sacks but they give up a ton of rushing yards. 

They're just not enjoyable to watch AND they're not very good.


If they were boring but efficient and successful, fine.  We've seen Pats teams like that, too.  But they aren't that.


If you want to point out that there are plenty of fanbases that would be thrilled to watch a team that is grindy and creaky but nonetheless *decent* and that will have at least one home playoff game, that's fine.  You're correct.

There are a lot of fanbases in the NFL starving for a single season of competence.  You hand a starving person a piece of stale bread, they're going to gobble it up and thank you profusely because they were starving.

But as a Pats fan -- I know, I'm spoiled -- I'm *not* starving.  I've been well fed.  I don't have any need or desire to eat stale bread.

Like the fake hand off fake reverse, screen back to the rb they run 5 times a game that goes absolutely no where. I'm getting sick to my stomach every game watching some of these terrible play calls. I dont get how we can look so mediocre and boring on offense all game and then all of a sudden with 2 mins left down 7 we can March right down the field with some vertical passes.
And where the heck is james white? Hello top 7 fantasy points up til week 12 and then burkhead comes back and now hes the redheaded step child. I actually hope McDaniels takes a coaching job and sticks with it this offseason..

I've particularly noticed this because White is on my fantasy team and was having a great season until Burkhead came back. Burkhead is a useful player, but he's no White in the open field.

I just wanted to add that I have not understood this at all either!

[PhoSita]

Perhaps with James White they've been trying to limit wear and tear on him.  He was on pace for roughly a million touches earlier this season. 

Of course, saving him for the playoffs might backfire since they seem to have screwed themselves out of a playoff seeding that would give them a realistic chance to get to the SB.

They might also have desired to become less predictable by relying on him less.

Which, of course, hasn't worked because they're still running all the same lame short pass and middle run plays but with different, less talented players catching the ball.


Generally speaking, it's hard to understand how the Pats decided that their best route to victory in 2018 was to try to string together 5 and 6 yard catches / runs when the league is increasingly dominated by teams that spread it out and pick up yards in big chunks.

Maybe it's a recognition of Brady's limitations at his age, but even at that it's a little hard to understand.

[PhoSita]

Josh Gordon stepping away from the Patriots to "focus on his mental health."

I now feel sure that I ought to do the same, for the same reason.

What an awful season.

[Donoghus]

Josh Gordon stepping away from the Patriots to "focus on his mental health."

I now feel sure that I ought to do the same, for the same reason.

What an awful season.

Only in New England, where people are so spoiled now that heading towards an 11-5 season is an "awful" season. 

Sheesh....

Let's hope Gordon is able to get the help he needs.

[trickybilly]

Josh Gordon stepping away from the Patriots to "focus on his mental health."

I now feel sure that I ought to do the same, for the same reason.

What an awful season.

Just gave a lot of hope to others suffering from mental illness who are probably sick and tired of hearing the" what you're rich... How can you be suffering" refrain...

[PhoSita]

Josh Gordon stepping away from the Patriots to "focus on his mental health."

I now feel sure that I ought to do the same, for the same reason.

What an awful season.

Only in New England, where people are so spoiled now that heading towards an 11-5 season is an "awful" season. 

Sheesh....

Let's hope Gordon is able to get the help he needs.

I've already acknowledged that, yeah, I'm spoiled.

Creaking toward 11-5 and a likely first or second round playoff exit, with a team that is underwhelming in every area, and has gotten worse over the course of the season instead of better -- yeah, it's awful by the high standards the team has set.

Honestly, I don't think 11-5 is by any means guaranteed, either.

I'm bracing myself for the embarrassing playoff defeat, which increasingly looks like it'll be on Wild Card weekend, at home, which would make this one of the worst seasons of the Brady / Belichick era.


I don't begrudge Gordon doing what he needs to do for his mental health, by the way.  Indeed, I'm glad that he's doing what he needs to do for himself, instead of trying to push through it.

Although there are some reports that Gordon faced a suspension for violating the terms of his reinstatement (i.e. he probably failed a drug test), so the 'mental health' thing may be, to some extent, his effort to get out ahead of that story.  But people often use drugs to deal with mental illness, so the two things are not necessarily incongruent.

I think it's fair to say, though -- the fact that the team needed to rely on a guy that has barely played over the last two years due to issues with drugs and mental health in order to have a playmaker with any kind of juice in the passing game . . . that says a lot about how poorly the roster was set up from an offensive standpoint.

[moiso]

Josh Gordon stepping away from the Patriots to "focus on his mental health."

I now feel sure that I ought to do the same, for the same reason.

What an awful season.

Only in New England, where people are so spoiled now that heading towards an 11-5 season is an "awful" season. 

Sheesh....

Let's hope Gordon is able to get the help he needs.

I've already acknowledged that, yeah, I'm spoiled.

Creaking toward 11-5 and a likely first or second round playoff exit, with a team that is underwhelming in every area, and has gotten worse over the course of the season instead of better -- yeah, it's awful by the high standards the team has set.

Honestly, I don't think 11-5 is by any means guaranteed, either.

I'm bracing myself for the embarrassing playoff defeat, which increasingly looks like it'll be on Wild Card weekend, at home, which would make this one of the worst seasons of the Brady / Belichick era.


I don't begrudge Gordon doing what he needs to do for his mental health, by the way.  Indeed, I'm glad that he's doing what he needs to do for himself, instead of trying to push through it.

I think it's fair to say, though -- the fact that the team needed to rely on a guy that has barely played over the last two years due to issues with drugs and mental health in order to have a playmaker with any kind of juice in the passing game . . . that says a lot about how poorly the roster was set up from an offensive standpoint.

He may be facing another drug suspension from what I've read elsewhere. 

[PhoSita]

He may be facing another drug suspension from what I've read elsewhere.

Yeah, that makes me feel less bad for him.  Though as I said above, a lot of people who have problems with drug abuse have mental health issues that contribute to their issues with drugs.

Bottom line, the Pats never should have put themselves in a position where they had to rely on a guy like that to be a significant part of their offense. 

[A Future of Stevens]

I really hope he gets help. It's truly sad to watch him struggle with issues that plague so many in this country. Unfortunately for him his talent places a magnifier on his situation.

Is it time to officially put a fork in this season? We are back to having no explosive weapons.

[PhoSita]

Is it time to officially put a fork in this season? We are back to having no explosive weapons.

Hey now, you get to watch them gasp and sputter their way through two more regular season games and then struggle to win a playoff game at home on Wild Card Weekend against the Colts or Ravens.

So, lots of entertaining football left for the Pats this year.  For sure.


Probably the last few games of Gronk's career, though, so ... cherish whatever he does for the next month or so, I suppose.

[A Future of Stevens]

Is it time to officially put a fork in this season? We are back to having no explosive weapons.

Hey now, you get to watch them gasp and sputter their way through two more regular season games and then struggle to win a playoff game at home on Wild Card Weekend against the Colts or Ravens.

So, lots of entertaining football left for the Pats this year.  For sure.


Probably the last few games of Gronk's career, though, so ... cherish whatever he does for the next month or so, I suppose.

Part of me was holding out hope since there are 0 teams who look unbeatable this year. So is this the end of Brady also? Old quarterbacks need explosive weapons. Its almost a guarantee that Bill isn't going to use draft capital on a dominant safety valve for Brady.