I know they can be a SOB in the play-offs but I don't see them advancing to the SB this year.
They will win the AFC E ( of course) while finishing against Buffalo and the Jets. So, you have to pencil them in for 11-5.
Houston, currently at 10-4, plays @ Philly and will be hosting Jacksonville. Regardless of how Philly played on Sunday, The DL of Houston should be enough to rattle Foles and I don't see Jacksonville beating them with so much on the line. Thus, Houston finishes either the #1 or #2.
That would give NE three games they needed to win to advance.
Say they don't advance. Appears Gronk is going to hang them up ( smart thing) and that could be the wild-card to Brady saying enough is enough. If that happens, I see the whole thing blowing up and Bill deciding to quit as well.
An 18 year run with the future holding no QB, ? at HC, and no longer a popular destination for FA's to go to have a legitimate shot to win a SB.
And honestly, I hope the whole thing blows the F up.
While I'm not a fan of the commish, or pure parity which is his ultimate goal, NE has been really the only outlier when he took over. Pencil them in as AFC East champs every year along with hosting at least one div round playoff games. If it blows up, the East is wide open.
With the likes of Brady, Ben, Rivers, Brees, Eli gone ( sooner than later), the NFL doesn't have enough young, potential starts waiting to take over at QB. Mahomes- sure.
Wentz/Luck- Not sure about that. Last years drafted QB's? Mayfield has promise with Darnold/Rosen/Allen playing for traditional lousy organizations.
So, what the NFL will be left with is pure parity with very average QB's with a star or 2 playing in smaller markets ( see Mahomes/Mayfield).
Therefor, if changes aren't made swiftly ( eliminate Thur games, better officiating, main focus on American fans as opposed to London/Europe and Mexico), the stands you see on TV will rival what we all saw on Sunday in the second half- and the weather will have nothing to do with it.
When Belichick and Brady do leave, I could see a Chicago Bulls once Jordan retired (the 2nd time). The 1997/1998 Bulls went 62-20 and won another championship. The next year, Jordan retired, Jackson bailed, the Bulls traded off all their assets and only the lockout kept them from being an all time door mat, as they finished 13-37.
The problem is the AFC is now wide open, so you'll have to kill the Pats to get them out. But what I see from them is they will get to the AFC Championship (again), but I could see them losing. Next year, I see Belichick and Brady back, they make the playoffs, but this time around they behind the Chiefs and Texans and they get bounced early. In 2020, both are gone and the Pats go 2-14. There won't be a slow decent. It will be some Hindenburg shit when that all comes crashing down.
In Miami, took a sack at the end of the half with no TO's costing them three points.
Last week...threw a horrible sideline throw that was picked while in FG range in the 4th quarter.
Giants are about to find that out the hard way since this group could not get pressure on my pop Warner team from the early nineties. Luck is the man and barring injury will do great things. I expect them to hang forty on the Giants this week.
Wentz? Walking injury and may not be the best QB on his team. Foles goes on a run here they may cut Wentz.
As far as New England, I can't wait for it all to collapse. They have had an unreal run though.
In Miami, took a sack at the end of the half with no TO's costing them three points.
Last week...threw a horrible sideline throw that was picked while in FG range in the 4th quarter.
Pitt was getting heat on him, it really is not rocket science. How did Brees look when Dallas setup camp in their backfield?
Brady is unreal, but move the QB off his spot and hit him and play will decline. Ask Eli he will tell you.
Giants are about to find that out the hard way since this group could not get pressure on my pop Warner team from the early nineties. Luck is the man and barring injury will do great things. I expect them to hang forty on the Giants this week.
Wentz? Walking injury and may not be the best QB on his team. Foles goes on a run here they may cut Wentz.
As far as New England, I can't wait for it all to collapse. They have had an unreal run though.
Doubt Foles goes on another run, but even if he did, they aren't cutting Wentz. At a minimum they'd keep him as a backup QB, but he also has (significant) trade value.
I know it's popular that BB and TB will ride off together, but BB seems like one of those guys that will coach until he physically can't.
LOL. I didn't yet read your post when I posted.
2) However, this unit is weaker than the 2016 Pats..but they still can make a run. They still can get the 2 seed and even if not, I'd like them at the 3 seed to win in Houston should they advance.
-Let's not forget, the Pats shouldn't have made the Super Bowl last season...Jacksonville had them beat and Pit had them beat in December. That d was bad.
-I chalk this up to a reloading season.
3) Disagree about the Pats fanbase. Pats had no legitimacy before Kraft came, as soon as he purchased the team Pats sold out every game and the base was there.
If we are going to hold them not selling out when they had no owner and played badly, then how about the Iggles who in the mid 80s just a few years after making the Super Bowl had blackouts?
Pats are a solid 1A in Boston, and I'd argue with the under 40, they are more popular.
Over the last decade, the offense has been the cornerstone of that team. And they could mask the many defensive deficiencies they've had. But this year the offense has sputtered more than expected and they've been able to protect this defense. A defense that is really light on talent. Certainly one of the poorer jobs Belichick has ever done assembling and coaching that side of the ball.
I read that their rush defense is Belichick's worst in 25 years.
The play in Miami was the very last play you'd ever expect to happen to New England. When you see things like that you can't help but wonder if their times has finally come...
Furthermore, they aren't going to have the luxury of playing in Foxboro throughout the playoffs this time, absent some crazy twists and turns. They have been ordinary on the road in the playoffs the last decade. And this year they have been poor on the road throughout the regular season. So you have to assume this is a strong year to play against them...
As for them this season, I don't see it with them. But I'll never count them out.
At this point, not sure why anyone would consider them anything but a very strong contender to be the AFC rep again in the SB.
The run is definitely coming to a close sooner than later.
The run is definitely coming to a close sooner than later.
Although the Pats did win in 2016 without Gronk.
I think this is just a light year for them talent wise, which should be expected. Again, look at the other final four teams from last season.
I know it's popular that BB and TB will ride off together, but BB seems like one of those guys that will coach until he physically can't.
I like to think that the Giant fans that stuck with the team during the really long lean years did so because of family tradition.
Dads rooted for the Giants along with uncles and cousins. The kids then kept it up because that was what they grew up with.That, and the fact that they longed for those familial relationships.
How that plays out in New England? I don't know. I can, however, make an educated guess that the Patriot's fans do not have the same family history that the Giants fans did/do.
There is a lot of talk in the Boston media, which you can take with a grain of salt...BB is upset with how Kraft has hand cuffed his decisions, while siding with Brady.....BB wanted to trade Gronk to Detroit, and it was vetoed.....so supposedly, he is letting Brady/McDaniels run the show on offense, letting them sink or swim with their decisions...
There is a lot of talk in the Boston media, which you can take with a grain of salt...BB is upset with how Kraft has hand cuffed his decisions, while siding with Brady.....BB wanted to trade Gronk to Detroit, and it was vetoed.....so supposedly, he is letting Brady/McDaniels run the show on offense, letting them sink or swim with their decisions...
I really can’t see Belichick going the martyr route.
Now, to keep JM from taking the Colts job, he could have extended him more authority. That makes more sense to me. But not a willingness to put personal dispute with Kraft ahead of team goals.