PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

Mike Dussault

Pats Posits: Wednesday Edition

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Look at me banging out some Pats Posits every day this week! Obviously there’s a ton to talk about, so let’s hop right in!

Pats Sign Trey Williams

I’m not a big fan of in-season additions but I really felt like they had to do something at the running back position this week and on Tuesday they did, adding Trey Williams who had been cut by the Cowboys. On paper Williams seems a lot like Dion Lewis, including the ability to make defenders miss, but like Lewis he is undersized. He didn’t get a carry with the Cowboys but given how things have looked with Blount/White/Bolden I think he’ll get a shot in New England. Of course this is just an undrafted rookie so expecting him to come in and do anything at all might be a long shot. Still, he has undeniable explosion and given what we have right now, it can’t hurt to take a look at him over the last five games.

Whiny Pats Fans

Frank Schwab of YahooSports was complaining a bit on Twitter yesterday asking if Patriots fans really felt like they had it bad. Look, I hate whining about referees more than most people and really the only thing about the Broncos game that really bothered me is that it truly seems like Gronkowski is being unfairly targeted by the refs with all these OPI calls. Of course the Patriots don’t have it bad, we all know that. All we want is fairness and after Deflategate, when the NFL purposefully spread misinformation and lies to win their case in the court of public opinion, is it any surprise that Patriots fans are on high alert for anything unfair? So I’m not crying about some bad calls, I’m crying about a player being unfairly singled out and that’s all.

Malcom Brown

Taking a closer look at the Broncos game I was even more impressed with how good Malcom Brown is getting. He’s really elusive for a man his size and has an uncanny ability to slip around blocks with his quickness. He continues to make bigger and bigger plays and combined with Alan Branch, they’re forming a stout interior. Hard for me to say it, but he certainly looks like the better overall player compared to my boo Domnique Easley at this point, though their roles are entirely different.

Injuries

Not to rain on the parade, but as much as I’ve been saying “just get healthy for the playoffs,” it’s probably too much to expect the Pats can have Edelman, Gronk and maybe Hightower out until the playoffs then just have them all step in and play like it’s the 2014 playoff run. They can certainly still beat the entire stable of AFC teams, but I think we’re fooling ourselves a bit if we think the offense can just pick up where it left off two months previously. Edelman especially is a concern considering his injury and how physical he plays, with lots of cutting.

Defense

Honestly the defense blowing the Broncos game is probably the best thing that could’ve happened to them (and the team as a whole). But give me Collins and Hightower back in there (assuming everyone else stays healthy) and I feel like this is a defense that could shut down anyone. Right now I’m just praying for Butler and Ryan to make it all the way without getting dinged. They’re playing so well together, it would be a devastating blow to lose one of them. Again, hopefully the Gronk Return will break the injury curse of the last two months.

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WIN TWO TICKETS TO PATS-EAGLES!

I’ve got a pair of tickets to give away to this Sunday’s game between the Patriots and Eagles courtesy of our partnership with @NRGEnergy!

In the past I’ve run caption contests, Pats fans posing in their best Pats swag and tailgate surprise giveaways but this week it’s all about Rob Gronkowski.

We nearly lost Gronk for the season last weekend. Pats fans all came to depressed acceptance that the Super Bowl was now likely out of reach as the big tight end writhed in pain on a field of light snow.

But in a shocking twist, there’s great injury news! Gronk’s season is not done. The Gronk is alive!!!!

So for the tickets I want something as Gronk-y as you can make it. Tweet me Pics, videos, Memes, GIFs, selfies…anything that will make me laugh! 

How you felt when Gronk went down. What about when you heard he was gonna be okay? What can you Gronk Spike? Send me something Gronkin’ hilarious!

Entry Tweet Rules

1. Follow @nrgenergy on twitter.

2. Include: @PatsPropaganda #FanEnergy in the tweet.

3. Tweet the Gronkiest thing you can think of.

Finalists will be picked Wednesday 6pm EST. Voting ends 12pm EST Thursday. Good luck to all!

https://www.patspropaganda.com/win-two-tickets-to-pats-eagles-ive-got-a-pair-of/

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robgronkwowski:

Tom Brady on injuries

“It is so hard to see these guys get hurt this way.

It is hard to see your friends get taken down like that.”

This was so painful to watch Brady process Gronk was done for the season. Of course now this makes his return something quite exciting to look forward to.

https://www.patspropaganda.com/robgronkwowski-tom-brady-on-injuries-it-is-so/

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p-a-t-r-i-o-t-s-football:

tony-perfect:

 Intercepted by Chandler Jones

I love him omg

https://www.patspropaganda.com/p-a-t-r-i-o-t-s-football-tony-perfect/

Pats Posits: Tuesday Edition

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I continue to try and wrap my head around this season, as it’s a script we haven’t seen before. Usually a Patriots season goes one of two ways – they lose a couple games along the way but figure it all out by January for a Super Bowl run, or injuries decimate their chances and they either just miss the playoffs or get beat by a more healthy team. Usually one of these or a combination of sorts.

This year however they raced out to a 10-0 start, losing significant players nearly every week in October and November. Now, they have a one game lead for the top AFC seed, but it’s up to a cast of fill-ins to get them to the playoffs at which time they’re expected to suddenly be back at (almost) full health.

I guess we have to call it the year of non-season-ending injuries.

But as I touched upon in Monday’s Posits, Dion Lewis still truly hurts and the Pats overall lack of a run game since he went down could ultimately be their undoing. 

Simply put, they aren’t winning on first and second down with the ground game and the result is more and more third and longs. In eight games with Lewis, the Pats had 35 3rd downs that were eight yards or longer. In just three games since he went down they’ve had 18. Their yards-per-rushing-attempt on first and second down have dropped from 4.07 to 3.13.

Now the running game’s importance can be minimized to a degree, but as we saw last night, it certainly hurts when you can’t run the clock out. Again, I think they should consider a street free agent who gets out of the backfield quickly, unlike Blount who takes time to build momentum and speed.

But if Gronk/Edelman/Amendola are back for the playoffs and the offensive line settles into a rhythm, they’ll be so much better than what we’re seeing on the field now.

Defense

Still so annoyed with the defense not putting the clamps down against Brock Osweiler at the end of the game. Just when I was reaching a comfort zone with the defense they give up 17 points in the fourth quarter and then, the cherry on top, giving up a 48-yard rushing walkoff TD on a 3rd-and-1 when a stop would’ve given Brady another shot at the win.

Maybe if this was 2010 or 2011 we’d just chalk it up to the fact that there was no talent on our defense. They couldn’t get by without turnovers, but this defense’s only excuse is that Dont’a Hightower went out in the second quarter.

I know the run defense suffered without him, but they still forced four three-and-outs in the second half.

Once they started having success with the run they started having big play success. The 36-yard pass to Demaryius Thomas and the 39 yarder to Emmanuel Sanders on the Broncos final drive of regulation to take the lead were killers and set back all the good work they did against the pass all game until that point.

The Patriots had this game and let it get away despite everything, which is why they’ll be in the mix down to the end for the Super Bowl. Once again all that really mattered was which team made the final play. That’s pretty much always what it comes down to and regardless of everything else, this year will be no different.