Patriots 2020 Season

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

New England Patriots linebacker Dont'a Hightower is opting out of the 2020 season, league sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Tuesday.‬

Running back Brandon Bolden also is planning to opt out of the season, a source told ESPN. Starting offensive tackle Marcus Cannon, fullback Danny Vitale and reserve offensive lineman Najee Toran earlier decided to opt out for the Patriots.

The NFL should just cancel the season. As should MLB.

They might as well cancel the NBA and NHL too. I was watching that scrimmage the other night and it just didn't feel legit. The players were playing hard, the game was pretty crisp and yet... I dunno, with the fans gone it's not the same vibe at all. It kind of made me not want to watch, despite being starved for sports.

I just don't see how a championship this year fits in with the championships from all the other years. Might as well slap on that asterisk now.

The NBA re-start has been fantastic so far. Excellent competition, great games, very good vibes, and it's looking like we're going to have some epic playoff matchups. I think the problem from what you watched early on is that it was a scrimmage. All scrimmages are disappointing.

In comparison, MLB is a mess with cancelled games and quarantined players all over the place from covid-19, and the NFL looks like it will be even worse.

8 Patriots players opted out already:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/28/us/donta-hightower-patriots-opt-out-coronavirus-spt-trnd/index.html

66 NFL players in total have opted out so far:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/09/us/nfl-football-future-spt-trnd/index.html

The NFL recently decided against a bubble, which was a big mistake. That would have salvaged their season imo.

I didn't want the NBA to start back up.  But I'm with you -- very pleasantly surprised at how well this is going.  I agree with Kraidstar that this season is an asterisk season -- it's just different, but games have been pretty enjoyable and agree that the playoffs will be exciting. Just hope LAL loses.

I really think the NFL needs to sit this one out.

Not that I want the Lakers to win the title, but in a way, it would be appropriate for them to win it this year—it would give them another questionable title to go with those 5 that they stole from Minneapolis, LOL. And would certainly give Lakers fans and Cs fans something else to argue about.

That said, I hope they DON'T win it. And for any team besides the Lakers (and Cs) that DOES win it this year, I might feel just a little bad, because many people will never view the title as legitimate (even though each team's fans would view it as legit if their team won!).

I don't buy this illegitimate argument. The teams end up playing pretty close to a full regular season. The games in the re-start are even harder as there are no bad teams in the schedule.

The playoffs will be a full playoff schedule. Any team that ends up winning it will have fully earned it, and it can be argued that they overcame more than most teams need to in a 'regular' year. Nobody looks at the Spurs title in the lockout season as illegitimate.

**My only caveat to saying this year's winner will be legitimate is the usual caveat, the officials !

LOL, yeah, good point!

[johnnygreen]

Cam Newton has been named the starting QB.

In related news, water is wet. As soon as he signed with the Patriots, he was destined to be the starter. I seriously don't know what a lot of people saw in Jarrett Stidham. He is a backup at best.

[Neurotic Guy]

New England Patriots linebacker Dont'a Hightower is opting out of the 2020 season, league sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Tuesday.‬

Running back Brandon Bolden also is planning to opt out of the season, a source told ESPN. Starting offensive tackle Marcus Cannon, fullback Danny Vitale and reserve offensive lineman Najee Toran earlier decided to opt out for the Patriots.

The NFL should just cancel the season. As should MLB.

They might as well cancel the NBA and NHL too. I was watching that scrimmage the other night and it just didn't feel legit. The players were playing hard, the game was pretty crisp and yet... I dunno, with the fans gone it's not the same vibe at all. It kind of made me not want to watch, despite being starved for sports.

I just don't see how a championship this year fits in with the championships from all the other years. Might as well slap on that asterisk now.

The NBA re-start has been fantastic so far. Excellent competition, great games, very good vibes, and it's looking like we're going to have some epic playoff matchups. I think the problem from what you watched early on is that it was a scrimmage. All scrimmages are disappointing.

In comparison, MLB is a mess with cancelled games and quarantined players all over the place from covid-19, and the NFL looks like it will be even worse.

8 Patriots players opted out already:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/28/us/donta-hightower-patriots-opt-out-coronavirus-spt-trnd/index.html

66 NFL players in total have opted out so far:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/09/us/nfl-football-future-spt-trnd/index.html

The NFL recently decided against a bubble, which was a big mistake. That would have salvaged their season imo.

I didn't want the NBA to start back up.  But I'm with you -- very pleasantly surprised at how well this is going.  I agree with Kraidstar that this season is an asterisk season -- it's just different, but games have been pretty enjoyable and agree that the playoffs will be exciting. Just hope LAL loses.

I really think the NFL needs to sit this one out.

Not that I want the Lakers to win the title, but in a way, it would be appropriate for them to win it this year—it would give them another questionable title to go with those 5 that they stole from Minneapolis, LOL. And would certainly give Lakers fans and Cs fans something else to argue about.

That said, I hope they DON'T win it. And for any team besides the Lakers (and Cs) that DOES win it this year, I might feel just a little bad, because many people will never view the title as legitimate (even though each team's fans would view it as legit if their team won!).

I don't buy this illegitimate argument. The teams end up playing pretty close to a full regular season. The games in the re-start are even harder as there are no bad teams in the schedule.

The playoffs will be a full playoff schedule. Any team that ends up winning it will have fully earned it, and it can be argued that they overcame more than most teams need to in a 'regular' year. Nobody looks at the Spurs title in the lockout season as illegitimate.

**My only caveat to saying this year's winner will be legitimate is the usual caveat, the officials !

LOL, yeah, good point!

I guess one of the “illegitimate” arguments would regarding home court advantage.  Think about where Bucks-Heat might be right now if 1st 2 games were in Milwaukee.

[BitterJim]

Well, it looks like Cam has Covid:

https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1312408359774060544

What are the chances that this turns into another Titans situation? I would think that the starting QB spends a lot of time in close contact with other players

[SHAQATTACK]

Well, it looks like Cam has Covid:

https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1312408359774060544

What are the chances that this turns into another Titans situation? I would think that the starting QB spends a lot of time in close contact with other players

i see a " bitter" ending ....

[ozgod]

https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1312421746679648264

[hpantazo]

Good luck to the Patriots for their health

[kraidstar]

Pats should sit the game out. If I am BB I threaten to boycott the game if they don't do a true postponement.

What a horrible year for Boston sports.

Bruins get their season derailed by Covid. C's have horrible injury luck in the bubble, while the Lakers catch every break imaginable.

Sox punt on the season.

now this for the Pats.

Honestly this sports year is one big asterisk. Hats off to all our players for their efforts in a crazy and ridiculous situation.

[BitterJim]

https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1312421746679648264

This is what they said about the Titans/Steelers game at first. I just can't see the organization being completely sure that no one else has it (before having all the players travel together) in time for a game in KC

[ozgod]

https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1312421746679648264

This is what they said about the Titans/Steelers game at first. I just can't see the organization being completely sure that no one else has it (before having all the players travel together) in time for a game in KC

Yep I'm hoping they postpone it for weeks personally

[hpantazo]

So is the Patriots season basically over at this point? If they lose Cam Newton for several weeks do you expect them to still make the playoffs?

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

So is the Patriots season basically over at this point? If they lose Cam Newton for several weeks do you expect them to still make the playoffs?

If they lose Newton for several weeks, I think they're done. Even with Newton, I don't expect them to be a higher seed or last long in the playoffs.

[Neurotic Guy]

So is the Patriots season basically over at this point? If they lose Cam Newton for several weeks do you expect them to still make the playoffs?

If they lose Newton for several weeks, I think they're done. Even with Newton, I don't expect them to be a higher seed or last long in the playoffs.

Any reasonable guess on the first 4 weeks would had them 2-2 and that where they’ll be.  The they have, Denver at home, bye, and San Fran at home.  Assuming  Can is out for that long which he probably won’t be, 3-3 is still possible and playoffs are possible.

More likely I think is that there is a spike in Covid that starts a significant exodus by players leading to a canceled season.

[SparzWizard]

I guess those Patriots players who chose to opt-out early made the right choice.

Sucks for Cam. Hope he gets well soon. As for the playoff-run...could be lost.

[Phantom255x]

So is the Patriots season basically over at this point? If they lose Cam Newton for several weeks do you expect them to still make the playoffs?

Truthfully I think the whole NFL season could be in jeopardy soon if they get more cases. This isn't like the MLB where they can just schedule doubleheaders or have stretches of "5 games in 3 days" to make up games. NFL's probably going to have to really consider adding another 1-2 weeks to the season to make up games. Otherwise if they play this game on Tuesday, then the Chiefs are legit in a stretch where they have 3 games in 9 days, since they'll have another game next Sunday AND Thursday night football next week