Steph McDonald

Some thoughts and observations on the Patriots 36 – 20 Win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Foxboro:

First, apologies for not posting on Week 2: Battle in Seattle. The site was down with technical issues and once resolved, the takes were colder than my 1st pumpkin beer of the season. My type A-minus personality is moving on to the Raiders.

It was another gorgeous Fall day that felt like Summer in New England. If I didn’t know what comes after it, Fall would be my favorite time of year and a 1pm home game for the Patriots is a major reason why. I’ve never had a pumpkin spice latte and don’t feel I’ve missed out, but I do love Fall flavors, so when I came across seasonal apple cider flavored seltzer it made perfect sense to mix up a batch of *skinny* apple cideritas for the game. Dangerously delicious, especially during an early game, but we’re only guaranteed 16 of these per year so each one is cause for cheer(s).

Here’s what stood out:

• The NFL allowed teams to raise the volume on the fake crowd noise pumped in during the game and I didn’t really notice except when it sounded like Boo’s raining down from the invisible Foxboro Faithful before the end of the 1st quarter.
• It was a fairly ugly start, and fans are allowed to express their frustration, but I’d like to think real Pats fans would cut the team a little more slack. Maybe I’m just a giant homer
• And it sure wasn’t pretty watching our D get gouged by Joshua Jacobs, but they held on and kept the Raiders out of the end zone
• There were a few times Cam Newton looked flustered and panicky and its never a good thing when I’m cheering for a great punt, so when with 6:20 left in the 1st I noted “we look bad/ I don’t have a good feeling about this one” Pats fans, you are welcome because immediately after that the defense had a sweet fumble recovery and momentum shifted
• How much does Jon Gruden hate Foxboro? I’m guessing its a LOT since it looked like maybe that fumble was recovered by Vegas and we got the call, but I’ll take it all day
• Terrible interception by Cam into triple coverage, but great job by the D holding them to 3 points
• Zuber? Who?! You really never know who or what Bill Belichick is gonna pull out of the supply closet
• J.J. Taylor continuing to impress, Sony Michel taking his game to the next level both running and catching passes, and Rex Burkhead getting himself a hat trick on the day. The backs really carried the team in this one
• And its interesting to note that through the first 3 games of the season we’ve seen really 3 different approaches. Week 1 was tons of Cam running and RPO plays; Week 2 lots of Newton passing was almost enough to win; Week 3 showed that the team can win even if Cam doesn’t have to be Superman. Love to see it
• Can’t say enough about the Defense, especially after the half. Winovitch continues to be a disruptive and opportunistic force and Derek Rivers is turning into a beast
• Speaking of Dereks, Derek Carr looks really…INTENSE.
• As frustrating as the 1st half was to watch the team struggle to move the ball, sticking with the run game paid off and helped sell the play action that took over in the second half. Along with some excellent blocking up front and from the receivers
• Huge credit goes to the offensive line, replacing David Andrews and it never skipped a beat
• If the Patriots can continue to have that kind of success running the ball I like their chances to compete with anyone and it is incredibly fun to watch

Next week at Kansas City is going to be a huge, HUGE challenge up against Patrick Mahomes’ super explosive offense, but if the secondary can prevent the big plays downfield (without the gift of DPI, Gilmore) and the offense can slow down the game by running the ball and controlling the time of possession, I’m saying there’s a chance. Who would’ve thought 3 weeks into the season that we would be looking this good in all three phases, complementing each other, compensating for strengths and weaknesses, and enjoying the games this much? It wasn’t me a few long months ago, that’s for sure. This team seems to have each other’s backs and genuinely like each other. Guess what? Football is fun again in Foxboro!!

As always, Go Pats!

Just a few of my thoughts and observations after the Week 1 21 – 11 Win over the Miami Dolphins in Foxboro…

An absolutely gorgeous early Fall day for football in New England! If you’d told me back in March that the NFL would be starting the regular season as scheduled, in a recognizable form, I’d have politely asked for 2 of whatever you were having. But here we are, and it was so great to have some semblance of “normal” to escape to on a Sunday afternoon.

Of course, there was much that was not at all normal, most noticeably the lack of fans in the stadium. Weird, for sure, but I actually enjoyed being able to hear more of the on field chatter. Surprised there wasn’t the need for lots of bleeping of language, and it was a new element to the game. It will be interesting to see if the opposing team being able to hear more of the verbiage of play calling will be a factor going forward. That said, the fake crowd noise was kind of awkward, and at one point in the broadcast it almost drowned out Tony Romo and Jim Nance, which was bizarre and unnecessary, but a silent stadium would have been even creepier so pick your poison.

The masks were in full effect on the sidelines, but not worn consistently. Some were only covering mouths, leaving noses exposed. Some were worn as chin straps, accomplishing nothing. I was happy to see that it looked like Bill Belichick was wearing an N95 medical mask, the mask that protects both the wearer and the public, since we kind of need to keep that guy healthy. Strange that I even would know that, but again, here we are.

So much anticipation for the first look at the new, Brady-less Patriots. Without preseason games for any glimpses, and limited training camp views for the press, there was little to no idea what to expect. We knew what Cam Newton looked like in his prime and what he could bring as a new kind of weapon for Belichick and McDaniels if healthy, and yesterday did not disappoint. Without reading too much into one game and keeping in mind that the Miami Dolphins probably aren’t the stiffest competition this team will face, it was a great start. In the past we’ve heard Bill Belichick treats September as an extension of the preseason, so curious to see how he views September with none. By the way, I’m completely ok with never bringing back those relatively meaningless injury threat games.

So, some first impressions:

• The Patriots deferring the kick-off was a familiar start, and felt like a good omen
• I liked what I saw from Ja’Whaun Bentley leading the Defense to a nice 3 & out to start. We’ll need lots more good play from him
• Damiere Byrd’s muffed punt return was a scary start for the offense and not a good look for him
• Sony Michel looked good and of course it was great to see him appear to bounce back after last season
• Cam Newton as a dual threat is so fun to watch! You could see the Dolphins front getting frustrated and it boiled over by the end of the game
• Chase Winovich looked dominant rushing the passer and stopping the run. We’ll need him to keep bringing that energy and playmaking
• No penalties in the 1st quarter, plus the run heavy approach makes for a quicker pace of game than we’re used to. Nance and Romo actually joked about finishing early and this game was the 1st in the books yesterday
• Does Cam Newton have the best teeth in the NFL? That smile after running for 1st down was brilliant!
• How about seeing Pat Patriot up overlooking the game also wearing #1 and a mesh mask? Strange times…
• Bummer that the 1st two sweet interceptions (Gilmore’s and Adrian Phillips’) resulted in zero points after Folk’s FG miss. Hoping he can get it together
• Absolutely loved that the 1st TD of the season was Newton running it in, and loved the 2nd TD even more when he gave the ball to David Andrews, back from a missed last season, for the spike. Bodes well for team chemistry for sure
• Edelman really led the charge on the drive to start the 2nd half. His passion, energy and physical toughness are unmatched. Just love that guy so much
• Encouraging to see some nice catches for N’Keal Harry, until the fumble out of the end zone. Hate that touchback rule, but it is what it is and hopefully he can build on the good rapport with Newton and shake that one off
• UDFA J.J. Taylor getting some carries seemingly out of nowhere was uncharacteristic of Patriot teams past, but how great that the backfield has so much talent and potential? And how much do we think Bill Belichick is loving a return to old school smash mouth run it down their throats football? Feels a little like early 2000’s Patriots
• DPI is such a subjective call and shouldn’t be that kind of game changer, but Gilmore did interfere, which basically allowed Miami to score
• Rex Burkhead looked healthy and productive as well. Let’s hope he can stay that way
• Loved the pass disruption from Derek Rivers – another guy who can really be a force if he can take it to the next level and I’m crossing my fingers we’ll see more from him
• Sweet pick in the end zone by J.C. Jackson to effectively ice the game. That guy is such a good young player. If he can cut down on the penalties that dogged him last season he’ll be getting a big contract somewhere
• I actually didn’t mind the chippiness at the end of the game. Seemed like the frustration and maybe on field trash talk got to the Dolphins, but I liked the Patriots having Cam’s back while protecting him from retaliation. Its a physical game and the emotional side of it is a factor, good and bad

Again, not reading too much into Week 1, but it was just so fantastic to have the relative normalcy of Patriots football, and a well-earned victory to start the season was just what the doctor ordered to help my heart heal after long and painful offseason. I’m cautiously optimistic about this team and confident that it will most definitely not be boring! We’ll know significantly more after the road trip to Seattle for Sunday night against a strong Seahawks team and I cannot wait. Go Pats!!

The number is currently at 6 Patriots players opting out of the upcoming season. As it stands, Marcus Cannon, Dan Vitale, Najee Toran, Brandon Bolden, Dont’a Hightower, and now Patrick Chung have all made the decision to sit out this year due to Covid-19 pandemic concerns. This is completely understandable and a personal decision that I’m certain was not easy.

It obviously frees up tons of salary cap space and of course it will be fascinating to see what Bill Belichick does with that, but seeing what is happening right now in baseball with the Marlins as an example of what can go very wrong very fast makes even the most determined optimist question how realistic our hopes for an actual full NFL season really are.

My 15 year old commented “Tank for Trevor (Lawrence)”, the Clemson quarterback most are projecting as the top pick in next year’s draft, but I just don’t see it for a Bill Belichick team. He is way too much of a competitor and historian of the game, who I believe is chasing Don Shula’s record for most games won in his career. Bill knows he only has so many games left to accomplish this. Its hard to imagine him wasting a year of potential wins to maybe get a player of the future. Not to mention, what a challenge for a coach who loves to make adjustments. Is this not the ultimate test for a head coach, to somehow pull off a winning season under the worst possible conditions and the first post-Brady?

Its very much a fluid situation right now, so we’ll stay tuned and try to stay optimistic. We really need sports as a distraction from everything else going on around the country and globe, so everything crossed it can be done safely.

I think its safe to say that Big Picture Real World 2020 has been, so far, kind of a bummer. Some are calling it a Dumpster fire, which is a descriptive image that’s not quite accurate for the current moment. A Dumpster fire is automatically self-contained, and with protective equipment and tools, the lid can be closed and the fire will smother itself out. That definitely does NOT seem to be the case for Big Picture 2020.

Here, though, its about football, where we go to escape from that real world stuff. But for Patriots fans, maybe the worst and seemingly longest off-season in team history CAN be described as kind of a Dumpster fire.

We knew there was some pretty flammable stuff in there. I covered my ears and closed my eyes like a kid in denial but still heard the rumblings and saw the signs. The Seth Wickersham bombshell piece. The body language and demeanor of “the most miserable 8-0 quarterback in the league”. The frustrating lack of rapport with the young receivers and balls in the dirt. The Brookline mansion listing. The looming free agency with no contract discussions. Even Tom Brady Sr. told us it would end badly years ago.

But still I felt gut-punched. I had held out hope that there would be a last minute deal and Tom Brady’s legacy would be that rare unicorn athlete who retired with his original team. I always try to guard my heart but just couldn’t when it came to Thomas Edward Patrick Brady. He could do no wrong in my mind. Always keeping it professional. Hardest working competitor and humble role model for the new guys. Team over individual accomplishments. Spotless image on and off the field. Someone I pointed to as an example for my boys in both sports and life. I’ve literally said “thank Tom Brady” after a crisis averted. He’s laminated on my celebrity hall pass.

When the deadline for free agency passed with no joyous announcement I smelled the smoke. I already knew March 17, 2020 was going to be a bad day before it even began. We’d just learned schools were closed for the rest of the year. My oldest hockey player’s small town team had their once in a lifetime, Cinderella story trip to Nationals in California cancelled, and our family vacation there for it was off. No recognizable St. Patrick’s Day, quarantine, bleaching the groceries, PANDEMIC.

So when I woke to the news of Tom Brady moving on, it made total sense for Big Picture 2020, and the Patriots Dumpster fire was fully ablaze and engulfed. I cycled through the stages of grief multiple times and I’m not ashamed to admit it felt like actual mourning. Like, “a grown adult woman with kids maybe shouldn’t be blubbering this way over a football player” kind of reaction in my weak moments. But this was someone I pretty much worshipped for 20 years. The 16-20 Patriots games per season are basically sacred in my house and he was an enormous part of that. And when we later learned he was reuniting with Gronk in Tampa, adding fuel to the fire, I’m not gonna lie, it felt a little like the husband running off with the nanny for a bit there. Irrational maybe, but we all have our “hobbies and interests”, right?

With time and distance comes perspective, and while we’ll probably never know all the factors that built and sparked the Dumpster fire of 2020, its not relevant here right now. I believe, until I’m proven wrong, that Bill Belichick has his flame retardant football hazmat suit on. He probably designed it himself and cut the sleeves off. He’s assembling the tools to get the lid closed and put that sucker out (maybe even using some of my favorite drink, Bill’s special Kool-Aid) because this is going to be an intriguing season, no matter what. Fingers crossed for the rest of both Big Picture and Patriots 2020.