PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

Pats Posits: Who Limped Off, Shined and Stunk vs. Jags?

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The Patriots completed their first game of the 2017 preseason, “losing” to the Jaguars 31-24.

Yes, no one cares about who wins or loses preseason games but there was still plenty to unpack from the contest, including some great performances by some young weapons and some dreadful performances from some young veterans who are supposed to be taking a positive step forward this season.

Let’s start with the only thing that truly matters after a preseason game — injuries. Yeah, guys can play good or bad, but ultimately there’s a long way to go and no roster spots were won or lost after one preseason game. But injuries can kill a season in an instant.

  • Dietrich Wise — Oh that rookie that everyone was abuzz about this preseason? He was kneed in the head and left the game in the first half. I feel weird saying “luckily it’s just a concussion” given what we know now. In the olden days this would be written off with a “he just got his bell rung.” Now it’s a “shit, I hope this doesn’t mean he’s donating his brain to a study someday but… he’ll probably be back soon.” Of course if you’re choosing between getting his leg broken in half and getting kneed in the head, the choice is obvious, but I still don’t feel good about it.
  • Elandon Roberts — Limped off, but one of those tough as nails guys. I think he’ll be okay. Looked like an ankle thing.

Okay, injuries are out of the way, let’s talk the good, the bad and the whatever.

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Blogging Reflections on the 2007 Pats

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNVN5TePlyA

A couple really good and long pieces reflecting upon the 2007 Patriots popped up yesterday — one from The Ringer’s Kevin Clark, the other from ESPN’s Bill Barnwell. I suggest you check both out, assuming you’ve gotten over 18-1 in the last 10 years. I know I have, two Super Bowl wins certainly helped.

I thought it was a good chance to do some reflecting myself, without getting into the nitty gritty that Clark and Barnwell do, instead focusing more on what it was like to be a Patriots fan that season, and how that season gave birth to the very blog you’re reading right now.

I can’t talk about 2007 without first talking about 2006. 2006 was the year I truly became Pats obsessed. I think it was because they lost their first playoff game in Denver that year and suddenly it dawned on me that Brady-Belichick had a long road ahead of them, but a finite number chances to win more Super Bowls.

So in 2006, I made my first trip back home to see them live, hitting up the opener against the Bills. My sister Mary and I were so excited to get down to Foxboro we ended up in an empty parking lot just as the gates opened with nothing more than a case of beer and a tennis ball. Still, it was a glorious day that saw the Bills score a touchdown before we even made it to our nosebleed seats.

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Tuesday Patriots-Jags Tweets of Note

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Made a brief stop by practice in a fan capacity today and found it to be absolutely packed despite some light rain. So I didn’t get much time to watch any of the action. Luckily the dedicated beat staff provided plenty of interesting tweets to keep us in the loop.

Here are the ones that stood out to me from Tuesday’s practice with the Jags, likely the last time we’ll see anything meaningful at a practice until the weekend.

 


Edelman’s quickness is just so unstoppable. I’m falling for his fake and I’m sitting in front of my computer. Imagine being on the field and having to try and keep up with him.

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Point Blank: A Vince Wilfork Appreciation Post

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After having to gather myself to write a send off for Rob Ninkovich last week, now having to do one for Vince Wilfork is making things a little misty here in the Ministry of PatsPropaganda. Wilfork retired yesterday after two final years in Houston, meaning his final game was appropriately in Foxboro against the Patriots.

Now we can forget about those two years Big Vince had as a Texan and just remember him as the Patriots stalwart that he was. The Patriots have planned a press conference for Wilfork on Wednesday and I’m so fired up for it. It will be great to welcome Vince home one last time and hopefully we’ll be seeing more of him and the former first lady of Patriots Nation, Bianca, around Foxboro.

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Patriots-Jaguars Monday Practice Report

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Just got back from my second credentialed practice of the summer and it was by far the most interesting and entertaining. It was a long workout, going over two hours and featured plenty of 11-on-11 work in the last half hour.

If there was a headline of this practice it would have to be that the Brady-Cooks connection is hitting a new level. I wasn’t around to see what practices with Randy Moss looked like, but Brady is throwing deep to Cooks early and often. Cooks came down with multiple deep catches that drew oohs and aahs from the crowd.

And it wasn’t just Cooks, Chris Hogan got into the action on the deep balls, while Edelman and Gronk had a handful of their usual big plays.

All in all, you look at the offense and it’s easy to imagine what a nightmare they’re going to be for defenses all season long.

More on everything from a fun day of practice after the jump…

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Patriots to Watch vs. Jags in Practice

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Excited to be headed back to training camp practice with a press credential this morning. Well, the excitement now is really more to see some actual competition on the football field and to finally see the Patriots players take their camp frustrations out on another team.

There’s been plenty to be excited about through the first week-and-a-half of practices. Young players like Deatrich Wise, Adam Butler and Harvey Langi have gotten thrown right into the fire. New veterans like Stephon Gilmore and Brandin Cooks have brought new excitement on both sides of the ball.

But getting worked up over the first week of training camp can be foolish. The list of training camp players we thought would be lifelong legendary Patriots — like Zack Sudfeld, Kenbrell Thompkins and Anthony Johnson. Those guys all ended up doing nothing for the do nothing Jets. So yeah, let’s keep our heads on straight about a few good training camp practices.

Today things get a little more interesting though. We’ll see the rookies go against some new competition and try to apply what they’ve learned over the past couple months.

Here are the five Patriots I’ll be focusing my attention on this morning.

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Can a Butler Do It Again for Patriots?

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Adam Butler, an unsigned rookie free agent defensive linemen out of Vanderbilt, has turned heads in the last week of Patriots training camp. Saturday’s scrimmage had him showing up in quite a few reports:


Greg Bedard (Boston Sports Journal):

DT Adam Butler continues to be impressive. The best young interior pass rusher. Little weak against the run.

Butler was one of the undrafted rookies that I didn’t take a close enough look at in the preseason, despite him checking a number of versatility boxes — he played all along the defensive line and even some offensive line.

Now it appears that the undrafted rookie could have a shot at actually making the team. Granted we’re just 10 days into camp and have yet to see him in any game action, but on a team famous for their undrafted rookies, Butler appears to be making an early push.

Let’s take a closer look at Butler and what he might bring to the Pats.

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