Looking At The Patriots 2022

[DropKickFlutie]

But...since week nine Josh Uche has an overall grade of 92.6, 1st among edge defenders in that span. He's earning more playing time.

right but if he's only playing in pass rush downs, can't compare with a guy who stays on the field all 3 downs.
so the pff scores are apples to oranges

 

[chevss454]

right but if he's only playing in pass rush downs, can't compare with a guy who stays on the field all 3 downs.

He's doing all he can to get on the field and I like that.

 

[Ryan91]

You know, we're all acting like the season is lost, but if the Patriots take care of business over the next 2 weeks they're in a good spot to make the playoffs given the remaining schedule for all involved.

Currently one game out of the last WC spot, tied with just one other team. We hold the tiebreaker with the team in the 7 spot (Jets) and the team currently tied with us at 6-6 (Chargers). And generally, our conference record is good - 3 of our losses were to the NFC so we look good in most tiebreaker scenarios.

Chargers and #6 Dolphins play each other, so we essentially have a half game on them - we distance ourselves from a competitor or the Dolphins fall to just one game ahead, with a game against them in Foxborough pending. Winning that game would tie all tiebreakers with the Dolphins. For the tiebreaker to matter they'd have to lose one other game. Unless that's to the Packers that would put us ahead on tiebreakers.

We are two games behind the Bengals, but we have a have a game against them pending, and winning it would give us the tiebreaker.

The Jets and the Dolphins play each other, which means one of them is a half game closer to us.

Plus, everyone we're currently behind for the WC has a game against the Bills on tap. So check this out: if the Bills win out, including beating the Patriots, a 10-7 Patriots team makes the playoffs no matter what, as we have to catch either the Phins or Jets in that scenario, and we win on tiebreakers.

Bengals (2 games up):
Browns
Bucs
Patriots
Bills
Ravens

Miami (2 up):
Chargers
Bills
Packers
Patriots
Jets

Jets (1 up):
Bills
Lions
Jags
Seahawks
Dolphins

Chargers (even):
Dolphins
Titans
Colts
Rams
Broncos

Patriots:
Cardinals
Raiders
Bengals
Dolphins
Bills

The point? Apart from cheering for the Patriots, I guess we're Bills fans the rest of the way...

I hope you thoroughly disinfected your keyboard after typing that last sentence, sadly you are right, and now I feel dirty too.

I struggle to see 4 wins in a row though, the Bengals will be a tough ask IMO. I think the Pats will struggle to make the playoffs this year, and whilst that would be a step backwards given the team made the playoffs last year, the slightly improved drafting position isn't a terrible thing and gives more options.

Patricia will still be on this team next year, but I don't want to see him take on an active coaching role, and I don't think making Joe Judge the OC is an overly great idea either. I know that BB likes to promote from within and give "his guys" a shot, but I think the time has come to look outside the team at options both around the League and in the College Game, I'm sure there are plenty of coaches who would jump at the chance to work with Belichick

 

[chevss454]

View: https://twitter.com/PFF_Moo/status/1600197719233990657

 

[chevss454]

Players are wearing masks in the locker room. A bug is going around

 

[rivshark86]

The NFC fans are everywhere. Every city town, and county. Ugggvhhh…..

Masks stop bacteria, not viruses. I hope they are wearing M95s, and goggles. Many viruses enter through the eyes.

 

[chevss454]

Absolutely give him a call and investigate

View: https://twitter.com/ezlazar/status/1600267447189360660

 

[chevss454]

We need him as a blocker since our OL is so bad. Sad but true

View: https://twitter.com/tkyles39/status/1600177553041285133

 

[HSanders]

Absolutely give him a call and investigate

View: https://twitter.com/ezlazar/status/1600267447189360660

my first thought. i have 0 idea why he was canned and why now. i'm thinking, "did he walk into strunk's office and whip it out and slap it on her desk?????" i mean what the actual...?? no one in the media i heard yesterday understood it either though they were all "told it was a football only decision". well you just gave the guy a big fat extension in the offseason. wtf has he done since that's 2/3 of the way through the season fireable????

 

[Big/Sky/Fly]

this

Will BB draft a high end WR though? Not another Bourne or Agholor, I mean, a 1st round pick on a burner WR...he actually should...as long as he's not a bust.

 

[Big/Sky/Fly]

my first thought. i have 0 idea why he was canned and why now. i'm thinking, "did he walk into strunk's office and whip it out and slap it on her desk?????" i mean what the actual...?? no one in the media i heard yesterday understood it either though they were all "told it was a football only decision". well you just gave the guy a big fat extension in the offseason. wtf has he done since that's 2/3 of the way through the season fireable????

He never kept her in the loop...that and apparently Vrabel wants more say and power.

 

[rivshark86]

my first thought. i have 0 idea why he was canned and why now. i'm thinking, "did he walk into strunk's office and whip it out and slap it on her desk?????" i mean what the actual...?? no one in the media i heard yesterday understood it either though they were all "told it was a football only decision". well you just gave the guy a big fat extension in the offseason. wtf has he done since that's 2/3 of the way through the season fireable????

Why would we want this guy? So we can pair him with Bill O’Brien? I hope not.

He got fired because he traded away AJ brown, who just plastered them for 100 and 2, and replaced him with Robert Woods and Burks who’ve done nothing. Burks can hardly get on the field. Their secondary can’t stop anyone. Vrable has had that team dramatically outperforming their talent.

 

[Hawg73]

Will BB draft a high end WR though? Not another Bourne or Agholor, I mean, a 1st round pick on a burner WR...he actually should...as long as he's not a bust.

Sure that's a possibility, but I can see us looking to invest heavily in OTs.

I have to believe that Wynn is mercifully gone and Trent Brown has been absolutely bi-polar. Cajuste isn't the answer, nor is Cannon. I think we will absolutely draft one or two solid prospects and add some veteran depth in FA. Bill never overreacts to an injury-depleted position, but I think he's likely had enough of trying to run an offense in which the edges are so vulnerable that it impacts the whole flow of what we're trying to do.

I know Trent was playing with an illness last week, but there were times when he appeared to be going through the motions. I thought it was a terrible performance. He worked hard to shed weight since we reacquired him from the Raiders and yet has been banged up and penalized for holds and pre-snaps and has had a number of sub-par games sandwiching a couple of games where he looked, I thought, very solid.

I can't take much more of this issue and think it should be the focus of a major overhaul in the offseason, but we're still in the middle of getting ship-wrecked and we've got
to make it to shore alive before we start thinking about getting rescued.

 

[HSanders]

Why would we want this guy? So we can pair him with Bill O’Brien? I hope not.

He got fired because he traded away AJ brown, who just plastered them for 100 and 2, and replaced him with Robert Woods and Burks who’ve done nothing. Burks can hardly get on the field. Their secondary can’t stop anyone. Vrable has had that team dramatically outperforming their talent.

firing him for 1 wr trade when they've never had a losing season under his watch is dumb. he predates vrabel by 2 years.

 

[foobahl]

He never kept her in the loop...that and apparently Vrabel wants more say and power.

Or maybe Vrabes walked in and flooped it on her desk

 

[HSanders]

Or maybe Vrabes walked in and flooped it on her desk

i thought he cut it off?

Titans coach Vrabel jokes he would cut OFF penis for Super Bowl win

Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel was asked by some of his players on a recent podcast if he would be willing to cut off his own penis if it meant he would win a Super Bowl. His answer: Why not?

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[foobahl]

The O line is problem #1. I don't know if it is nagging injuries, effort or coaching. There are 5 offensive lineman out there each play. What I mean is there is not an offensive line. It is individuals. Matty P is responsible for the O line and it should be his 1st priority, nothing else. If that means god forbid Judge has to take over play calling so be it. I mean really, how much worse can it get. At least if we can keep Mac upright for 3 seconds we can see if Mac is having a sophomore slump. Mac himself needs to be more willing to make it happen. It really struck me and I posted in some thread about Brock Purdy saying he took one on chin because he needed to show the team he was all in. He completed that pass and got crushed. Mac is getting sacked a lot while falling backwards. I am not blaming Mac alone, but he needs to be part of the solution.

 

[Flagg the Wanderer]

Sure that's a possibility, but I can see us looking to invest heavily in OTs.

I have to believe that Wynn is mercifully gone and Trent Brown has been absolutely bi-polar. Cajuste isn't the answer, nor is Cannon. I think we will absolutely draft one or two solid prospects and add some veteran depth in FA. Bill never overreacts to an injury-depleted position, but I think he's likely had enough of trying to run an offense in which the edges are so vulnerable that it impacts the whole flow of what we're trying to do.

I know Trent was playing with an illness last week, but there were times when he appeared to be going through the motions. I thought it was a terrible performance. He worked hard to shed weight since we reacquired him from the Raiders and yet has been banged up and penalized for holds and pre-snaps and has had a number of sub-par games sandwiching a couple of games where he looked, I thought, very solid.

I can't take much more of this issue and think it should be the focus of a major overhaul in the offseason, but we're still in the middle of getting ship-wrecked and we've got
to make it to shore alive before we start thinking about getting rescued.

Yeah, and note that Cannon, Cajuste, McDermott, and Wynn are all FAs. That leaves...just Trent Brown, who will be a 7.75MM cap hit, only 1.25MM of it dead money. Plus Steuber, the late 2022 pick (but my understanding is that the staff didn't think he had a future). I smell a positional reboot! I could maybe see re-signing Cajuste for short money.

FAs on the OL are pretty spotty this year. I don't see us spending $20MM+/year on Orlando Brown, but I wouldn't be totally floored if they picked up Conklin from Cleveland, Fant from the Jets, or shorter money for Dillard from Philly if his health checks out. McGlinchey is available, and if they want to continue to move towards majoring in zone blocking that may be an investment that makes sense...it would certainly be a clear signal. I'll wait until the offseason to go into the FA OTs more deeply.

Draft? Always in flux, but there are a bunch of guys who are probably in the mid-1st through 3rd round that could fit. My favorites ATM are Wright from Tennessee and Cohen from Alabama, both currently generally slated as ~3rd rounders, along with Paris Johnson from Oohi, but he's currently slated mid-first, and I don't think he's worth that high a pick. Probably. Maybe.

 

[chevss454]

View: https://twitter.com/DakRandallNESN/status/1600539725617631233

 

[chevss454]

Yeah, and note that Cannon, Cajuste, McDermott, and Wynn are all FAs. That leaves...just Trent Brown, who will be a 7.75MM cap hit, only 1.25MM of it dead money. Plus Steuber, the late 2022 pick (but my understanding is that the staff didn't think he had a future). I smell a positional reboot! I could maybe see re-signing Cajuste for short money.

FAs on the OL are pretty spotty this year. I don't see us spending $20MM+/year on Orlando Brown, but I wouldn't be totally floored if they picked up Conklin from Cleveland, Fant from the Jets, or shorter money for Dillard from Philly if his health checks out. McGlinchey is available, and if they want to continue to move towards majoring in zone blocking that may be an investment that makes sense...it would certainly be a clear signal. I'll wait until the offseason to go into the FA OTs more deeply.

Draft? Always in flux, but there are a bunch of guys who are probably in the mid-1st through 3rd round that could fit. My favorites ATM are Wright from Tennessee and Cohen from Alabama, both currently generally slated as ~3rd rounders, along with Paris Johnson from Oohi, but he's currently slated mid-first, and I don't think he's worth that high a pick. Probably. Maybe.

Plus Jonnu Smith’s cap hit will be $17.4M in 2023. A $9M increase from 2022. There would be a $19.1M in dead cap by cutting him. Cutting Hunter Henry would save $10.5M in cap space.
We'd like both more involved with the offense but until the OL is rebuilt they're stuck blocking.