Patriots Offseason 2022

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aloyouis said:
I would argue that the Bills were FAR BETTER on Saturday.
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You could argue. I don't think you're correct, but you could, I guess. It's not like the Patriots got out in space a ton. Harris ran pretty well early until it was 14-0, and they quit running.
 
The D was so deflating to watch on Saturday. I have to admit I was jealous watching the Niners last night and their front 7 just tearing at the Dallas line and putting through to Dak and constantly getting to him and making his life hell.

There's nothing better when you see your team doing that.
 
First thing I'm sure Bill will do will start a team-wide in-depth analysis as to why over a number of seasons now, the team has just petered out near the end of the season. And we the slow starts are a feature in this where we go behind by big margins very quickly. The facts are stark here.

Curran put these facts out there.

Last season, the Patriots demolished the Chargers 45-0 on December 6 to get to 6-6. Then they got outscored 74-24 by the Rams, Bills and Dolphins over their next three. They beat the Bills handily in Week 17.

In 2019, they were 10-1 going to December. They got dismissed easily by the Texans and Chiefs. They beat up on the Bengals and Bills. Then got stunned by the Dolphins in the season finale and dusted by Tennessee in the playoffs.

The weird thing is, they’re not just losing these late-season games. Frequently, they’re getting demolished, especially in the first 30 minutes or 20.

This year, it was down 20-0 to Indy, 20-7 to Buffalo and 17-0 to Miami before getting down 27-0 to the Bills by halftime Saturday night.

In 2020, they got down 17-0 to the Rams and 24-9 to the Bills. They did have a 6-0 halftime lead over Miami before succumbing, 24-12.


In 2019, they fell behind Houston 21-3 and 23-7 against the Chiefs in back-to-back weeks. The losses to Miami and the playoff loss to Tennessee were tight the whole way.

You can even go back to 2018 and see back-to-back December losses to Miami (the Miami Miracle) and Pittsburgh that dropped the Patriots to 9-5 before they got right against the Bills and Jets in the final two weeks and rode that wave into the postseason to win a Super Bowl.
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We used to talk about the team hitting its stride by thanksgiving and forging its identity. That's no longer the case.

Bill touched on this.

"You know, we had our ups and downs -- slower start, some higher points in the middle of the season and didn't finish the way that we wanted to," Bill Belichick said via video conference on Sunday. "I think we need to go back and take a longer view of just everything. Certainly last night's game was important. Not in any way trying to minimize that. But at the same time, there were 17 other meaningful games, so 18 in all, that I think we really need to look at and see how we can do a better job of everything, coaching, playing, schematically, whatever adjustments we need to make there and so forth, and just in season planning for next year."
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And then there are the penalties...
Against the Colts, they had eight penalties for 50 yards and gave up a blocked punt. Their first drive was waylaid by an illegal man downfield penalty followed by a delay of game followed by a 15-yard sack. Their second drive was ruined by a downfield drop and a blocked punt on back-to-back plays.

Against Buffalo, it was three-and-out with a sack on third down on the first drive, a drop by N’Keal Harry followed by a pick on the third drive. On defense, an encroachment on fourth down allowed a Buffalo touchdown drive to continue.

Mental errors with the penalties and preparation issues. Physical errors with sacks and drops. And scheme errors when they just can’t stop Tua Tagovailoa, for instance, never mind Josh Allen and the Bills.


It’s three seasons running of seeing a general late-season malaise. And, while Belichick is right that they all count the same in the standings, there’s no question the Patriots have traditionally tried to build to a powerful close while regarding the start of the season as kind of an extended training camp.
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So....what are the theories out there for this late-season malaise that keeps hitting this team?

www.nbcsports.com

Curran: Late-season meltdowns becoming the norm for these Patriots

The Patriots used to peak at the end of the season, but in recent years they have wilted when the games have mattered most. As our Tom E. Curran writes in the wake of Saturday’s beatdown, the trend is troubling.
www.nbcsports.com www.nbcsports.com
 
Roberto71 said:
I'd keep Jonnu Smith. I think there's potential there that we haven't used yet.

Does Jamie Collins stay or go?
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Jonnu Smith just needs to be used more and differently.

Collins should be kept. Retire HT. Draft big and speedy linebackers. Jabril Cox like linebackers.
 
Normally I'm not the 'X is available and I've heard of him so the Patriots should sign him' guy, but this would make way too much sense.

sidelionreport.com

What will the Detroit Lions do with Trey Flowers?

With his 2021 season hampered by a knee injury and now possibly over, what will the Lions do with Trey Flowers come the offseason?
sidelionreport.com sidelionreport.com
 
TommyD420 said:
Normally I'm not the 'X is available and I've heard of him so the Patriots should sign him' guy, but this would make way too much sense.

sidelionreport.com

What will the Detroit Lions do with Trey Flowers?

With his 2021 season hampered by a knee injury and now possibly over, what will the Lions do with Trey Flowers come the offseason?
sidelionreport.com sidelionreport.com
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Would love to get him back. But what would the cost be on the cap?
 
This reads like Brandon Bolden is done playing

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This could be layperson BS speculation, but I wanted to toss it out there.

1. Any chance BB reevaluates the strength/conditioning program (particularly for the defensive front -7)? They just look antiquated out there. Stocky, massive thighs and asses, very downhill, angular, strong in a straight line, but seemingly zero lateral quickness, ability to change direction or play in space. A lot of it is personnel, obviously, but take someone like Judon: Go watch his BAL highlights and compare that to his NE highlights. He looks heavier in NE, stockier, his ass and quads appear bigger, doesn't seem quite as explosive or quick, doesn't look as comfortable playing in space. Might need to modernize the strength/conditioning regiment for the defensive front-7.

2. Semi-related to #1: Do we have any idea of when they feed the team before games? (This relates to the slow starts). I recall hearing Mac eats steak, eggs, and spaghetti before games. That's not a huge deal so long as he has a 4-8+ hour lead time to digest, but if they're putting out a buffet-style spread an hour or two before games and letting these guys feast on carbs, that'd go a long way towards explaining the poor energy. I made a remark during the Indy game (the beginning of the bad end to the season) that they looked fat and happy; at the time I meant that metaphorically, but I seriously wonder if there might be some literal truth to it. Obviously you need calories/nutrients to perform at a high level, but I don't think you want these guys with much (if any) food in their system anytime near the start of the game. Load the carbs 4-8+ hours in advance and otherwise keep the stomach empty as you get near kickoff. Electrolytes/fluids/fruit should be the only thing available to the players within 2-3 hours of kickoff.
 
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SkiptoMyLou said:



This one stings a little.
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BB should have kept Berrios to succeed Edelman. That would have solved the slot problem. I still don't fully understand that move.
Now I have to find another one.
 
chevss454 said:
Yeah, maybe not.
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I listened to Bills presser and my god does he love Bolden! A reporter asked about his play all season and made the mistake of saying his good play was a surprise...Bill then said he disagreed, (was quite forceful about it), with that and said nobody in that team, any player or coach was surprised at Brandon's play. He said he is consistent day in and day out and he was doing this kind of role before James White got there...
 
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