PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

Patriots Gameplan: Week 1 vs. Kansas City Chiefs

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And just like that another season is upon us! On Thursday night the Patriots will raise their fifth banner (and I’ll be there to see it) as the incredible run continues. I think we’re long past the “just happy to be here” phase and firmly in the “squeeze every last record out of TB and BB before it’s over” mode. It’s amazing how fast it’s all going by yet seems impossibly long ago when the duo won their first together.

Now we’re off on the 2017 season, which will have its own set of challenges, and the first opponent is one who has always scared me a bit. I know that might sound silly — being afraid of Alex Smith!? But in a conference where there really aren’t many contenders to the Pats’ dominance, the Kansas City Chiefs are just the kind of team who can steal a game from New England.

In an oft-fluky first game of the season, the low mistake Chiefs have the playing style and pieces to make this a close game. Let’s face it, no matter who the opponent, the Patriots’ September clashes always seem to be more interesting than expected. And that’s even when they’re playing shitty AFC East teams! Imagine what could happen when they’re playing a well-coached, well-prepared team that play clean football.

It should be a good, competitive game. Yes, the fifth banner will be revealed, but also to be revealed is the Patriots true plans for a dynamic new offense that is dripping with speed, even without Julian Edelman.

Here’s the gameplan for knocking off the Chiefs on opening night.

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Brady and Cooks Primed to Shine

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After completing the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, it wasn’t a surprise that the New England Patriots were heavily favored the win the Super Bowl for a second consecutive season. With most of the team, including future Hall of Famers Tom Brady and Bill Belichick coming back, it’s hard to bet against the Pats.

Check out the Patriots odds offered by major sportsbooks if you want to put your money where the expectations are.

But those hopes took a hit during the preseason, when wide receiver Julian Edelman tore his ACL and was lost for the season.  Edelman came through time and time again in the most biggest moments and replacing that kind of production won’t be easy.

With the game on the line Tom Brady knew he could trust Edelman to be right where he expected him to be, and that made the Patriots’ offense almost impossible to stop.

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A Preview of the Real 2017 Patriots

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After an entire offseason spent analyzing who the 2017 Patriots would be, we now have just a short window between actually finding out who made it through training camp and the official start of the campaign. This is why injuries are such a huge part of the game. No one could’ve predicted the early defining characteristic of the 2017 Patriots would be replacing an injured Julian Edelman but here we are.

So it’s a good time to take a quick breath and analyze this edition of the Patriots before the proverbial train leaves the station. You’ve read plenty of season previews by this point, but it’s really only the one that happens right now that truly matters.

Now we know who we’re taking to battle and what the strengths and weaknesses could potentially be. As always it’s important to remember that September really is just an extension of the preseason. The schemes, especially on defense, really start out slowly. Random guys will still get long looks in significant roles. The team will probably have a flat game where an inferior team on paper plays them tough. They’ll fight through it and ignore any noise.

This is September. Don’t overreact. Let things play out and let the coaching staff figure out exactly what they have and how to best use everyone. Then it’s pedal to the metal.

Let’s dive in.

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McClellan to IR, Bolden re-signed

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Some interesting roster developments today as Shea McClellin was moved to IR and Brandon Bolden was re-signed to the roster. On the practice squad, an offensive lineman that I liked a little too much in 2016 along with a few other new faces were seen. Roster building continues.

On Bolden it’s good to get him back. I’ve never been his biggest fan but it was more directed toward him as a running back. As a special teamer I think he’s the kind of smart, tough player you win football games with. Add in that he’s a well-respected leader off the field and it feels even better to bring him back for a campaign without Edelman or Ninkovich. They don’t need him at running back now, so welcome back BBHulksmash.

As for McClellin, I held out slim hope that he would start making consistent plays on defense but now it appears we’ll have to wait until next year and a mystery injury recovery later for that. The hit on the Pats linebacker/edge depth continue, but the good news is Dietrich Ward was not listed on the injury report, so I’d expect him to play A LOT.

Nate Solder was another notable player absent from the injury report after being in and out all summer. Solder is entering the last year of his deal and the Pats are handling more delicately than Brady. If Tony Garcia can somehow return from a mystery non-football illness, maybe the team can see if they might have a potential replacement at left tackle. Maybe they’re making Solder prove he’s still durable for giving him another contract.

These Thursday Season Kickoff games come up on you quick and the low end roster moves are a blur. It will be an exciting week. New Patshow Wednesday afternoon! Game Thursday. Here. We. Go.

10 Posits on Do Your Job II

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I don’t know about you guys but I pretty much live for specials like NFL Films’ Do Your Job II which premiered last night on NBC. It was one of the rare glimpses behind the Patriots curtain, with rare insight into what went on behind the scenes of last year’s playoff run.

DYJ2 now joins Do Your Job 1 and Bill Belichick’s A Football Life as some of the only true peeks as to what goes on behind the scenes in Foxboro. This is the kind of stuff that I think about constantly when I’m writing this blog — football strategy… what sets the Patriots apart from the rest of the league that has been trying, and failing, to catch them for the past decade-and-a-half-plus.

Well there was plenty of that, and this special was once again filled with sights and sounds to delight all Patriots fans who wonder what makes the Patriots so good.

The fact that we’re now just a few days away from the Patriots season kickoff (and I think I just got a ticket to the game) has me ready to EXPLODE with football fandom. Let’s take a look at 10 things that stuck out to me from DYJ2.

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Patriots Set Practice Squad

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It was a far quieter day than I expected on the Patriots roster front and good thing too, as the internet in the Ministry of PatsPropaganda was out for most of the day. The Patriots did end up setting their nine-man practice squad and surprisingly it features all players who were in training camp with the team.

Usually there’s at least a couple players who were elsewhere this summer but were cut and signed to New England. But that was not the case this year and, at least initially, that’s a good sign of how much the team liked their own players.

Let’s take a look at the initial nine guys signed to the practice squad.

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Patriots (Initial) 53-Man Roster Posits

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The Patriots finally got down to 53 players on Saturday night, once again reminding us that the “4pm deadline” means little in practice. Still, there were plenty of surprises throughout the day including three trades, from which the Patriots acquired two new players — Cassius Marsh and Phillip Dorsett.

Here’s how my initial depth chart looks like however it’s important to remember that there are very likely more moves coming and some of the low end surprises on the roster might not even be on there very long. This extends even past this weekend and into the season. The Patriots never stop tinkering and trying to improve, whether injuries force their hands or they just feel like they can get better in a certain spot.

 

Let’s break it down…

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