Last year they won 4 games and they are a better team now, if only because Brissett won't turn the ball over the way Mac and Zappe did.
On the other hand the schedule is tougher.
On the other hand the schedule is tougher.
Expectations for Patriots season
- Thread starter Eddie Jurak
- Start date
I've already written off this season and am confident we'll receive the #1 pick in next year's draft.
Prove me wrong, Patriots of 2024.
Prove me wrong, Patriots of 2024.
I'm guessing they're going to mildly exceed expectations, only because there's so little room for them to be worse
Besides, if I'm not going to see the glass as half-full just before the start of game 1...
Besides, if I'm not going to see the glass as half-full just before the start of game 1...
I'm going to say that they find a way to go 8-9 and we're talking about them being "in the hunt" at Christmastime. I'll say that after a 1-4 start, Maye takes over in Week 5 (Phins at Pats) and leads them 7-5 the rest of the way. Probably pie-in-the-sky but it's good to have hope.
I'd like to avoid the terrible season in which Maye doesn't play/shows no development. I'd rather have progress and pick 17th or whatever, than have no progress and pick third again.
I'd like to avoid the terrible season in which Maye doesn't play/shows no development. I'd rather have progress and pick 17th or whatever, than have no progress and pick third again.
Coaching is way worse. Talent seems worse. Schedule on paper is very tough. I’ll take the 4 or under which might be great for the Pats because 2 of these college QBs will get you a lot in a trade.
7-8 wins. The team will play wit pride and it's actually not that bad. There is a chance for a little upside surprise.
Disagree on the bolded. The offense, at least, is better coached than it has been since McDaniels was here. That might offset whatever we are losing elsewhere.
I love that 2 of the 80 people who voted have the Pats winning 11+ this year. I don't see it but I appreciate the optimism.
7-8 was as far as I could go. It is a very tough schedule and they just don't have the QB.
Facing Cinncy this week was absolute perfection, tho. Best time to face them, their camp was a disaster.
While I'm still not expecting many wins, this team is easy to root for, especially if they take care of the ball. What I didn't expect to feel is they have a good chance of ruining a team's playoff goals late in the season
So, maximally frustrating? That sounds about right.
It’s nice to feel understood.
I think it's just the opposite. I don't think there were many that thought Bill was a bad coach, but that he couldn't "shop for the groceries" anymore. But if White, Douglas, Thornton etc all play well and it looks like the biggest issue with last year's team was the QB I actually think that is better for Bill.
But this is stupid anyway and I can't believe people are still talking about this. If Bill wants to coach next year he will.
Yeah, I think Bill was almost certainly really happy that a guy who was one of his favorite players, and whose coaching career he shepherded got a big win.
With the Panthers being the Panthers and the Giants showing abso-fucking-lutely nothing it’s looking like the most realistic option for picks would be 3.
This QB and this OL, together, do not make up an NFL passing game, and I can't see how you win more than 5 games in the NFL without a passing game. But the special teams look miles better so maybe they end up stealing more games than you'd think.
This is how I feel as well. To me they executed their game to near perfection against the Bengals, but I still don't know how they win games when the opponent scores 17+. But hey, last year they were losing while allowing single digit points, so I'll take it.
Agree with both of you.
If the Pats score exactly 16 points each week, I do think they'd win something like 6 or 7 games.
If the Pats score exactly 16 points each week, I do think they'd win something like 6 or 7 games.
The oline yesterday wasn’t good in pass pro, but it was better than I expected. If that’s the baseline against any non elite opposing rush, I’m a lot more optimistic about getting Maye in there sooner than later.
That, combined with a much more effective defense than expected - way more out of Dugger, White, and Marcus Jones than I thought specifically - I feel like they might be in a lot more games than we thought a week ago. I still expect a losing record, but I saw enough yesterday to think 6-8 wins is more likely than 2-5.
That, combined with a much more effective defense than expected - way more out of Dugger, White, and Marcus Jones than I thought specifically - I feel like they might be in a lot more games than we thought a week ago. I still expect a losing record, but I saw enough yesterday to think 6-8 wins is more likely than 2-5.
What was nice about yesterday was that they finally beat a good QB. We've talked the past couple of years about how they've won games against backups and not-so-good QBs, but they beat a guy who most people believe is one of the better QBs in the NFL.
If the DL keeps getting that kind of push inside and outside, there should be more competitive games this year against good QBs. I still have doubts that we'll win any games at all if we fall behind by 10+ points at any point.
Getting a win like that yesterday gives me confidence that this won't be a 2-3 win dumpster fire kind of season. At the same time, I think its hard to see this offense scoring enough points to come anywhere close to .500 unless both Maye and Polk really break out and the offense looks fundamentally different by the end of the year. That was a fairly mediocre defense, our offensive gameplan was almost perfectly executed, we caught a couple breaks, and it was still 16 points with almost no chunk plays and very little ability to threaten in the red zone. I'm definitely not complaining about the win but I still think we lose a lot of 24-10 type games this season.
5-12.
5-12.
8-9
I think they have an upper third D, average ST, and will push for an average offense as well. Way too negative here I think, the exorcism of Mac and whatever Bill had going these last couple years leaves a blank slate for a run to 500 record if things go right…and playoffs next year.
I think they have an upper third D, average ST, and will push for an average offense as well. Way too negative here I think, the exorcism of Mac and whatever Bill had going these last couple years leaves a blank slate for a run to 500 record if things go right…and playoffs next year.
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If we struggle to win games but look, I don't know, competent, that's a good thing. There's only so far a coaching staff can take a team with this talent level, but if they play hard, don't commit stupid penalties then that's a "good" season, even if it ends up at 5 or 6 wins. We want to see organization and buy in. We saw that week 1.
Tonight's game still to play, of course, but in week 1, the Pats offense ranks:
#18 in yards gained
#25 in points scored
#17 in first downs (everyone above them had at least 1 gained by penalty; the Pats had none)
#12 in third down conversion %
So far, basically an average offense, or just a tick worse than average. Combine that with good special teams and a very good defense, and they could win more games than expected.
#18 in yards gained
#25 in points scored
#17 in first downs (everyone above them had at least 1 gained by penalty; the Pats had none)
#12 in third down conversion %
So far, basically an average offense, or just a tick worse than average. Combine that with good special teams and a very good defense, and they could win more games than expected.
I was thinking in the second half yesterday that watching this team felt like watching that very first Parcells team in 1993.
Those Pats were also the laughingstock of the league. The talent on the roster was... uneven. Even with rocket-armed (but rookie) Bledsoe in the pocket the offense spluttered out pretty frequently. The defense was swarming and feisty and had good game plans, even if they were frequently physically outmatched.
That team didn't score more than 16 points but once before the final weeks of the season. They ended up 5-11. But all that fall Pats fans would get together and talk excitedly about how you could start to see something good happening. And how good it felt that we'd put Dick McPherson and Rod Rust behind us. And all our friends who rooted for other teams would laugh at us and how pathetic it must be to root for such a loser franchise.
Those Pats were also the laughingstock of the league. The talent on the roster was... uneven. Even with rocket-armed (but rookie) Bledsoe in the pocket the offense spluttered out pretty frequently. The defense was swarming and feisty and had good game plans, even if they were frequently physically outmatched.
That team didn't score more than 16 points but once before the final weeks of the season. They ended up 5-11. But all that fall Pats fans would get together and talk excitedly about how you could start to see something good happening. And how good it felt that we'd put Dick McPherson and Rod Rust behind us. And all our friends who rooted for other teams would laugh at us and how pathetic it must be to root for such a loser franchise.
the Giants had 2 shots to hire him in 91 and 97 their ownership did not want him
he will not work for tepper unlees he pays him like 30 mil a year
the best shots are Cle and Den if den goes 1-16 or 2-15 i say that because View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYvQtTTQyeI&t=1s
he wouild had picked nix at 3
Let's not all go sucking each other's dicks yet.
The defense was good, but not as good as the final score indicated. A couple fumbles - one as the TE fell into the end zone - isn't going to happen every game. Nor is Stevenson fumbling and having the ball bounce right back to him as he's going down. Recovering all 3 fumbles in the game is good luck.
And Brissett was...maybe worse than I expected? Other than a few early throws, he never had any intention of throwing the ball beyond his checkdown. The one time they wanted him to give it a try, he lobbed an ugly duck into the end zone that was an easy pick negated by a great play (Henry?) to strip the ball out.
Any of those things go different, and we're saying "good D, bad O, meh execution - same as last year." Couple in that the refs called one of the best games in recent memory - not to be expected - my expectations for this team remain bottom-5 low.
The defense was good, but not as good as the final score indicated. A couple fumbles - one as the TE fell into the end zone - isn't going to happen every game. Nor is Stevenson fumbling and having the ball bounce right back to him as he's going down. Recovering all 3 fumbles in the game is good luck.
And Brissett was...maybe worse than I expected? Other than a few early throws, he never had any intention of throwing the ball beyond his checkdown. The one time they wanted him to give it a try, he lobbed an ugly duck into the end zone that was an easy pick negated by a great play (Henry?) to strip the ball out.
Any of those things go different, and we're saying "good D, bad O, meh execution - same as last year." Couple in that the refs called one of the best games in recent memory - not to be expected - my expectations for this team remain bottom-5 low.
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This is about where I'm at as well. I'll also add that any defense that takes away the quick hit passing game and stacks the box against Rham is probably going to shut down the Pats offense rather easily. I could see NE getting shut out a few times against the better defenses in the league.
Still feels like a 5 win team to me at best.