PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

Archives for December 2012

just looked at the teams ‘that the texans had to play to get to 11-1….only the packers really stand out and they gave texans quite the beating. i’m guessing it’s fair to say the patriots faced stiffer competition? do you think weaker/stronger schedules have anything to do with how teams develop in the long run? i mean pats faced arizona, denver, ravens, seahawks, etc etc. makes you feel better about the o line and how well they can hold up tonight right?

by

Yes, I think if there’s one thing 2007 cemented in my head it’s that the season is about a progression to playing your best football in January and February. That doesn’t mean I subscribe to the false notion of “peaking at the right time”. It’s not like every team that wins the Super Bowl went undefeated after Thanksgiving.

So how do you get to play your best football in January and February? You need to get exposed and then evolve. You need to get hit with adversity. And lastly, you must develop a clutch touch. No idea how you manufacture that last one, but that’s probably the most important.

So yes, playing good teams certainly helps, but more than anything it’s about playing in good games, and having your back against the wall as much as possible.

Regardless of what tonight’s result is this game will be a long term benefit to the Patriots. Though if they end up having to play an extra playoff game that certainly makes things a little more difficult.

Pats Propaganda Flashback: The Myth of Dominating After Thanksgiving

by

Pats Propaganda Flashback: The Myth of Dominating After Thanksgiving

Thought this article was worth a flashback. Check out the Super Bowl champs records after Thanksgiving:

  • ‘11 Giants: 3-3
  • ‘10 Packers: 3-3
  • ‘09 Saints: 3-3
  • ‘08 Steelers: 5-1
  • ‘07 Giants: 3-3
  • 06 Colts: 3-3
  • ‘05 Steelers: 4-2
  • ‘04 Patriots: 5-1
  • ‘03 Patriots: 6-0
  • ‘02 Buccaneers: 4-2
  • ‘01 Patriots: 6-0

by

Holy Hoodie (literally)! They’re selling cut off sleeve BB hoodies at the Patriots Pro Shop now! Genius!

(via Official New England Patriots ProShop – Nike Property of Patriots Hood-Navy w/Cut Sleeves)

https://www.patspropaganda.com/holy-hoodie-literally-theyre-selling-cut-off/

Does DONTA have the strength or ability to play as an interior crusher or defensively end in the NFL?

by

I hope we don’t ever have to find out for sure, but I think Hightower could be a suitable fill-in for Spikes at middle linebacker if needed.

But what we’ve seen primarily out of him this year is at strongside linebacker and a bit of nickel linebacker. I don’t think we’ll really get a full sense of what he’s capable until next year with a season in the system under his belt. I know a lot of people wanted to see him as a hand-down pass rusher when Cunningham and Jones were out but we haven’t seen much of that.

I would love to see them continue to utilize his blitzing skills. He’s a strong player and can do multiple things. As he gets more and more experience he should continue to blossom, he’s just been a bit inconsistent this year, as should be expected.

Great College Football Bowl Game Resource!

by

We take a quick break from our regularly scheduled Patriots programming to bring our college football fan readers a great resource for all the College Football bowl games!

Looking for an easy page with concise summaries and odds on all the bowl action? Look no further!

We’re just four days away from the start of bowl season, and if you have no fan allegiance in the minor bowl games like the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl  featuring Ball State and Central Florida this is a great resource to get educated for having a little wagering fun to make it more interesting.

You’ll find a quick summary of all the games and odds and betting information on all, including how all teams have performed against the spread as well as on their over/under lines for the season.

You won’t find a better and easier to access page out there so bookmark it and check back early and often!

Hey Mike, those articles about the improved running game and about how awsome this year Brady is, and deservers an MVP recognition for that, are great but I’m an extremly anxious fan so I always care about the flaws and I didn’t find anything about Gostkowski. However, the way that I see, right now he is the biggest question mark in this team. And I’m worried. This team really needs a reliable kicker, especially in the playoffs. Are you concerned like me?

by

No question Gostkowski has missed some makeable field goals this year, most notably the one against the Cardinals that cost the Patriots the game.

Still he’s not that far off from where he’s been in the past, here’s his FG% for his career:

  • 2006 – 76.9%
  • 2007 – 87.5%
  • 2008 – 90.0%
  • 2009 – 83.9%
  • 2010 – 76.9% (8 games, injured)
  • 2011 – 84.6%
  • 2012 – 80.0%

He’s already hit 13 field goals of 40+ yards which ties a career best from last season. So has he been a little off this year? Yup. Is it enough to really worry about headed into the post-season? Not yet.

The interesting thing is  how much the Patriots needed Adam Vinatieri in the 2001 and 2003 Super Bowls runs, and the clutch kicks he had to make. Gostkowski has never had a kick the magnitude of those yet.

We’ll see what happens this year, but yeah, I might be a little more nervous than usual, especially given his clutch miss at home in September, not that that has any real impact.