The Fall of An Empire: The Demise of the Patriots

[nycdan]

1 hour ago, Mecca said:

This is one of the strangest debates I've ever been a part of. Ok, Watkins is #9 in my rankings then. Alshon is injury prone, Jordy off a torn ACL, Evans and Amari coming off the dropsies last year. Watkins would be a top 5 receiver if he was in a more wide open passing attack. 

RB's. I agree with Elliot, but lets wait until we see him for a year before tossing him into the top 5.

Not strange.  It's a way to kill meaningless time until the season starts.  Top-5 arguments are always fun because sooner or later, someone takes it too seriously and bans ensue.  We're just priming the pump

 

[Larz]

is ernie adams still there ?

[HDKostempski]

 

7 hours ago, Jets Daily Dosage. said:

Their safeties and linebacker situation is still very good. The quarterback play of course is still excellent. The offensive line is where I see them really struggling. I think Brady is gonna be running for his life back there in all honesty

Brady is still excellent.  From what I saw of Garoppolo in preseason, not so much.  Most of his positive stats have come while playing against opponents' 2nd and 3rd stringers.  He's looked pretty dismal against the first stringers of such well-known defensive powerhouses like the Saints and the Bears.  My guess is that, at best, Garoppolo is very ordinary.  Can an ordinary QB get the ball to Gronk, Edelmann and Amendola as often as Brady?   I think that the NE passing offense requires more accuracy and consistency, not to mention leadership, than Garoppolo's shown so far.

I definitely agree about the OL.  I can't see it being all that good with either pass protection nor in the running game.  Vollmer is hurt and is likely to go on IR for hip and shoulder issues, so he's not going to be around for a while if at all.  That leaves Solder at LT as the one quality starter left.  One of their guards is a rookie.  Their center is a recent acquisition IIRC since their starting center, Stork, apparently has health issues (he failed his physical after being traded), although the original story was that he was traded because of his lack of discipline on the field.  The right side is a journeyman guard and now whoever it is replacing Vollmer.  It's a patchwork unit that the Pats are hoping their old OL coach can improve (he came out of retirement), but the reality is that while coaching can get the most out of the talent available, it can't create talent where it doesn't exist.  Instead of a unit with high draft picks and Pro Bowlers that was the Pats OL a couple of years ago, it's now a unit mostly of journeymen and subs.

 

 

 

 

[joewilly12]

Until the Jets beat the Patritos twice and win the AFC East and win the AFC Championship and a Super Bowl there is no demise in New England