PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

Analysis

Patriots 2018 Regular Season Schedule Breakdown

by

The Patriots 2018 schedule has been leaked early online so it won’t interfere with my Bruins playoff watching tonight. Nice. I always get excited when the campaign is laid out, the games are set and no matter who is or isn’t playing, the Patriots will take the field.

This season’s schedule features five primetime games in the first nine weeks of the season, a week 11 bye, then six Sunday games, four of which are at 1pm. On the surface there’s nothing that unfair or difficult about this schedule. Not that I ever really complain about that kind of thing since the opponents are set long in advance, but it’s nice not have any crazy road trips back to back or anything similar.

Most of all it’s just nice to finally know when it will all go down. Here’s a bunch of quick-hit thoughts on the 2018 schedule.

[Read more…] about Patriots 2018 Regular Season Schedule Breakdown

Making Sense of Brady, Gronk and the Future of the Patriots

by

This offseason sure has had a different feel to it than any other in the last 17 years. Yes, there was always turnover, interesting moves that surprised us all, but the holy duo of Belichick and Brady were always secure and that meant that the Patriots were basically secure.

Now, after a year with plenty of rumblings about off-field problems, we still don’t know if Brady or Gronk are fully in for the 2018 season and that uncertainty is splitting Patriots fans down the middle even as they prepare for what should be an exciting couple of weeks featuring the release of the schedule and the draft.

There are so many camps right now within Patriots Nation. There’s those still furious and waiting for an explanation from Belichick about why he benched Malcolm Butler in the Super Bowl. There are those who are frustrated with Brady and Gronk for dragging this stuff out well into the offseason as we’re staring down the barrel of 2018. And then there are those outside of New England, content to watch it all finally burn to the ground.

I also know there are plenty out there who think it’s all “fake news”, that this is all media-driven and everything will be a-okay when the opening game comes around, with Brady throwing touchdowns to Gronk then both high-fiving Belichick as they begin another campaign for title number six. As a faithful blogger of the team I’ve been a big “Ignore the Noise” kind of guy, but there’s too much noise this time to believe it’s all a total fabrication, especially when reports are coming both locally and nationally.

There’s too much smoke for there not to be some kind of fire and now the million dollar question is can that fire be put out in time for another run in 2018?

[Read more…] about Making Sense of Brady, Gronk and the Future of the Patriots

Patriots Stocking Brady’s Potential Weaponry with Matthews, Niklas

by

The Patriots continued to round out the middle portion of their roster this week with three moves, all on the offensive side of the ball, starting with offensive linemen Luke Bowanko and TE Troy Niklas, and ending for now with wide receiver Jordan Matthews.

Matthews was a second-round pick in 2014, was traded to the Bills last preseason but ended the year on injured reserve, meaning the Patriots got him a good discount. He works primarily out of the slot, which makes him a good candidate to help replace Danny Amendola. However, Matthews isn’t exactly the quick-open kind of guy that Amendola or Julian Edelman are. He’s a bigger slot receiver but with good hands and a good feel for getting open.

More on him and Niklas as we get closer and closer to the draft!

[Read more…] about Patriots Stocking Brady’s Potential Weaponry with Matthews, Niklas

Patriots Trade Cooks to Rams, Pick Up Another First-Round Pick

by

Brandin Cooks had one of the more interesting first seasons for a new Patriots receiver. He put up over 1,000 yards on 65 catches with seven touchdowns, yet there was still debate if Cooks was everything Patriots fans expected him to be. After all, these same fans had been complaining about the lack of a deep threat since Belichick traded away Randy Moss, and yet now Cooks is gone after just one season, traded to the Rams for a first round pick, while also swapping a fourth-rounder down to a sixth rounder.

The Pats’ picks are now:

1.23 (LAR)
1.31
2.43 (SF)
2.63
3.95
6.TBD (LAR)
6.210
7.219

That’s plenty of ammo to move up and down the draft board to give a much-needed influx of talent in necessary spots such as left tackle, linebacker and defensive end. Just for fun, based on the draft value chart the Patriots could get all the way up to ninth overall with a package of the 23rd and 31st pick. But I doubt they’ll do that.

The trade of Cooks isn’t a total shocker and re-allocates some capital into the first round of the draft.They’ve made just two first-round picks in the last five years, and only Malcom Brown is still on the roster. Now, with two first rounders the Pats look ready to do some damage. It will also open up more cap space, with @Patscap currently having their number at $14.7 million.

[Read more…] about Patriots Trade Cooks to Rams, Pick Up Another First-Round Pick

A Gronking to Forget

by

As it was reported by ESPN/Jeff Darlington over the weekend, Rob Gronkowski is “pretty certain” he’ll return to the Patriots in 2018. He’ll probably come back but maybe there’s still kind of a slight chance he might retire or want a new contract or BB to say sorry or force a trade or go to the WWE or become an actor or something.

It’s so hard to be mad at Gronk, but this wishy-washy stuff is getting old. I don’t know if this is coming from Gronk or his agents in a push to get him out of New England and into a monster deal somewhere else or what but it’s really dragging on.

The South Florida connection of Darling to Drew Rosenhaus is an easy one to make. Earlier this offseason Tom E. Curran had the first “Gronk No Happy” report.

From Darlington:

[Read more…] about A Gronking to Forget

A Brief History of Patriots-Influenced NFL Rule Changes

by

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQcONqYsQ_w

The Patriots’ dominance of the past 17 years has transformed the NFL landscape in a number of ways. First, their constant iron fist rule over the Dolphins, Jets and Bills has sent all three teams into endless cycles of GM/Coach/QB combos. Every now and then they’ll get lucky in their home stadium and get an early season-defining win over Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, but outside of the 2010 Jets, no AFC East team has beaten the Patriots in a meaningful game in a long, long time.

That goes for most of the rest of the NFL, with notable challengers the 2000s Colts, 2009-2012 Ravens, and the 2005/Peyton Manning Broncos. For almost two decades the division and conference teams outside New England were built to take down the Patriots and yet none could find the “blueprint” to beat the Pats outside of play a near-perfect 60-minute game. It’s amazing how hard that is for the great majority of NFL teams most of the time.

That competitive push against extended into the offseason, especially after the Pats’ dynastic run got kicked off with a game-saving, stupid-rule-called-correct, it’s no surprise that with increasing frequency rules that benefit, or are exploited by, the Patriots get put under the microscope each time the geniuses running the NFL competition committee decide what will improve the game.

Let’s take a look back at some NFL rule changes made because of the Patriots.

[Read more…] about A Brief History of Patriots-Influenced NFL Rule Changes

Pats Keep Linebacker Marquis Flowers for Another Year

by

Linebacker remains one of the biggest needs on the roster, but the Patriots made a solid depth move at the position by re-signing Marquis Flowers to a one-year deal worth $2.55 million. This is a significant raise after Flowers was making just under $700K after being traded from the Bengals to the Patriots for a seventh-round pick.

Thought to be just a special teamer, Flowers really started to come on at the end of the season, logging 3.5 sacks and nine tackles in the final two games of the regular season. He added a sack and four tackles against the Titans in the AFCDG. After playing just 72 snaps on defense in Cinci, he played 238 for the Patriots and added 123 in the three playoff games, including 18 in the Super Bowl. Yes, the Pats injury apocalypse at linebacker had something to do with Flowers ascension, but he made the most of the opportunity and brings much-needed athleticism to the position group and having just turned 26 he still has some potential.

With the release of Shea McClellan there really is no bad signing at linebacker these days for the Pats, and given Flowers’ progression over the course of the year and his ability to play special teams, Flowers could once again find himself being a significant player in 2018 and should be aiming to cash in even further with another solid year.