An Independent Patriots Blog
Triple H meets Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (by Rick Capone)
“I’m on track to be back for sure…”
Music to my ears, Gronk.
Is it crazy to anyone else how Gronk a) towers over Triple H, b) seems nervous about meeting Triple H and c) what a boss Triple H is?
H/T to @PatriotsSB49 for the find.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/triple-h-meets-patriots-tight-end-rob-gronkowski/
Brandon Spikes: Fresh start best for both sides – ESPN
Probably for the best and I can’t say anything bad about Spikes. I enjoyed the heck out of watching him play. He brought such a ferocity to the middle of the defense and that will not easily be replaced.
He was just what the Pats needed in 2010 after getting run all over by the Ravens in the 2009 playoff game. He made an instant impact as a rookie.
His injury issues were fairly consistent unfortunately, that’s part of the deal when you play like he does. Was he a target in the passing game? Sure. But we also can’t forget his interception in the 2011 AFC Championship game and that he had a fair number of passes defenses in 2012.
Is he an elite three-down linebacker? No, but what he does well he does better than almost anyone else in the NFL.
WIsh Spikes the best and thank him for all the huge hits and #PowWwwWs. Hopefully he doesn’t end up with Pepper in Buffalo. I know me, RIdley and Vereen don’t feel like seeing him twice a year blowing up our running game.
I think we’re privileged to have, probably, the finest coach and the finest quarterback, and we happen to have them at the same time – Robert Kraft
https://www.patspropaganda.com/jcincleats-i-think-were-privileged-to-have-2/
If you didn’t have fun this season I got nothing for ya…
https://www.patspropaganda.com/if-you-didnt-have-fun-this-season-i-got-nothing/
Maybe for a year or two if it all comes together just right, but it’s hard to throw together a bunch of big names with big contracts and have everyone on the same page.
I’ve played and watched enough sports to truly believe it’s rarely the most talented team that wins the championship at the end of the season. Because that’s what we’re talking about. The Patriots have won more games than anyone else the last decade, yet the main talking point is that they haven’t won another Super Bowl.
So we’re talking about a very special set of circumstances you’re trying to create with team building, with a number of variables that cannot be controlled. You need a team to win three or four-straight games in January and February.
And it’s not like the Pats don’t spend to the cap, that’s the biggest misunderstanding. They just believe in spreading it out as much as they can. So can a team that gives a bunch of high end contracts but basically has no depth make it through the fifth month of the season without losing any of those high-priced free agent they signed? They’re living on the edge and usually their lack of depth will catch up to them.
More often than not you’ll lose a top player or two and it’s the teams that can overcome that that make Super Bowl runs.
I hate the “go all in” thing. What that really means is “sign a some high priced free agents that were stars for other teams at some point”. Just because they were stars elsewhere doesn’t mean they still be stars with your team or that they’ll still have the same desire after getting a big fat contract.
The Pats “go all in” every season, but by making hard decisions on their own players and building a team that can withstand the inevitable injuries that pile up over the course of the season.
It’s certainly not sexy and can be frustrating when they stick to a salary they think a player is worth and don’t budge, but it wins games. Lots of them. The Pats just have to find the right balance and stay healthy enough and they’ll have a shot at the Super Bowl every season.
