PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

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Despite making a lot of tackles [Jerod Mayo] was rarely a downhill, impact type of player and seemed more of a clean-up specialist than a linebacker really influencing the game. In this regard he was not unlike the Jets’ David Harris. This season though, the move to the 4-3 seems to have helped him be more of a downhill force. He is making more of his tackles in the right area. 39 of his tackles have been defensive stops this season, a far better ratio than in previous seasons where he was aligned slightly further back from the line of scrimmage so that he could control both sides if necessary. The hype for Mayo has always outweighed the real impact he has on the defense, but it would also be somewhat unfair to say that he does little of substance, as his contribution and reliability are not to be underestimated, and he does get involved in a lot of plays, even if it is almost always fewer than the generosity of the New England scorer would suggest. The area where he still struggles the most is in coverage, where he has allowed 416 yards this season with 319 of them after the catch. Only four other 4-3 OLBs have allowed more YAC than Mayo has this season and throwing into his coverage yields opposing QBs a 92.0 QB rating.

Pro Football Focus Interview With BSMW — Boston Sports Media Watch

Thanks to Frenz for the heads up on this article. Last year when me and Frenz were tailgating before the Giants game we had a long discussion of Mayo asking if he was overrated. There’s no question he has all the intangibles you look for, though I do have a slight preference for fiery guys on the inside like Spikes. He started to make some big plays last year, like the game sealing interception against the Redskins. Still, his pass coverage can be glaringly awful at times. Just look at this play from the Super Bowl.

That should be an interception or the very least a pass defended. It’s the perfect call but Mayo just doesn’t get his head around. There’s a lot to like about Mayo, but there’s also a lot of places he can improve.

https://www.patspropaganda.com/despite-making-a-lot-of-tackles-jerod-mayo-was/

New England Patriots Off-Season/Pre-Camp Awards

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As we wind down into the final week of the dreadfully long Patriots off-season it’s time to give out some awards and make some camp predictions. Let us bid the off-season of Gronk a fond farewell as we are proud to present the PatsPropaganda Patriots Off-Season/Pre-Camp Awards.

Best Team Move: Locking Up Gronk Long Term

Ensuring that Gronk is a Patriot for the prime of his career was a move that will ensure long-term offensive success. He could be the biggest piece in aiding the inevitable transition from Brady to the next guy.

Worst Team Move: Failing to Lock Up Welker Long Term

It takes two to tango, but failing to come to a long term agreement with Welker makes it likely this is his last year in New England. We’re used to contract battles like this, and sadly this will just be the latest indispensable Patriot who gets dispensed of before we the fans are ready.

Player Addition Most Likely To Bust: Chandler Jones

The sudden and over-the-top love for Chandler Jones in the final days before the draft surprised more than a few pundits, even coming from respected voices like Mike Lombardi and Mike Mayock. Even today some fail to see what made Jones a first round pick. He should be brought along slowly, but he’s going to need to at least flash something this year. I am most curious to see Jones in pre-season action, because from what my uneducated eyes have seen I’m not sure he’s a true impact player.

Player Addition Least Likely To Bust: Brandon Lloyd

Things are never a slam dunk with the Patriots until they did what everyone thought they would and acquired Brandon Lloyd. So far in OTAs Lloyd has been as-advertised, drawing praise from Tom Brady and flashing in ways Ochocinco never did. If he stays healthy he will be a deadly addition and fill a major need by challenging defenses on the perimeter.

Best Under-The-Radar Addition: Trevor Scott

Scott is your prototypical Pats free agent signing. Flashed some versatile potential for a perennial loser before getting set back by an injury. Now he’s healthy and plays a position of need. He’s one of my favorites to be a major impact newcomer this year.

Undrafted Rookie Most Likely to Make 53-Man Roster: Justin Francis

There’s always at least one and I have to go with what the beat guys observed in OTAs, especially Bedard, on this one. But from the sound of it, Francis has a lot of what the Pat lack. Most obvious is his ability to rush the passer on the interior, but also the versatility he has to play in multiple spots along the line.

Most Likely to Get Injured in Training Camp: Joseph Addai

I refuse to believe the guy who scored the game winning TD in the 2006 AFCCG against us is going to be a Patriot this year. Let’s just go the safe route and have him get hurt the second week of camp. Plus I could never give a Patriot I actually like this award.

Most Likely to be Most Improved: Stevan Ridley

I think Ridley puts the fumblitis behind him and becomes a back who can play any down. Without much of any off-season last year he did pretty well. Now with a full off-season he should really blossom.

Worst Off-Season: (tie) Gronk’s Shirts/Brady’s Hair

Hard to pick one or the other here. Gronk’s shirts were consistently disregarded and destroyed, while Brady’s hair kept making odd choices that put it in the line of fire. I look forward to hearing nothing more about either of these things.

Most To Prove: Jermaine Cunningham

It’s well documented how Belichick had his eye on Cunningham for a long time before drafting him. He showed some potential in 2010 but last year it was a Murphy’s Law year. Scheme change, injuries, and poor performance put him in a rough sophomore slump that has some calling him a long shot to even make the roster. I still think he has something to add to this team, but he’ll have to stay healthy and take a big leap forward.

Player Most Needed Healthy: Sebastian Vollmer

It’s one thing to replace one tackle, and Solder should have that covered, but if Vollmer is banged up again this year it’s going to put some serious question marks along the Pats offensive line. Marcus Cannon isn’t a disaster and could possibly be pretty good, but suddenly having two second-year guys on the edges of your o-line is never something you can be totally comfortable with. A healthy Vollmer would give the Pats a level of continuity that they’ll really need for an offensive line facing significant changes/questions.

Biggest Question Mark: Ras-I Dowling

Can he stay healthy? How good is he really? No Patriot has more questions surrounding him than Ras-I. First and foremost is he just needs to stay healthy, which is easier said than done. But if he can do that he has a chance to make the entire Pats secondary better. He could be starting game one, or end up cut or on IR again. I have no idea.

Tightest Camp Battle: Donte Stallworth vs. Deion Branch

When you break it down I think these two guys are neck and neck for a roster spot. Stallworth’s a little more of a burner, Branch is a little more savvy. I give a slight edge to Branch unless he’s lost any more of his quickness.

Breakout Star of 2012: Stevan Ridley

Ridley finally should give the Pats a homerun threat in their backfield, something they really have never had during Belichick’s reign. We can expect Brandon Lloyd to do great thing, but Ridley should be the player that everyone is talking about this year.

Comeback Position of the Year: Fullback

There’s no guarantee that either Spencer Larson or Tony Fiametta will make the roster but it’s nice to see some traditional fullbacks back on the Pats roster.  I don’t think it signifies any real philosophical change for the Pats (as much as I wish it did), but both guys are interesting players that would bring a new wrinkle both in short yardage situations and even in passing ones.

Most Needing to Stay Healthy: Patrick Chung

There’s a lot on the line for Chung this year as he enters the final year of his rookie deal being the de facto leader of an oft torched secondary. No doubt he’s the Pats best safety, but just how much will the Pats be willing to spend to lock him up long term? Staying healthy is key, and not an easy thing to do for a player who plays where and how Chung does. His health could go a long way toward determining how much improved the defense is. Let’s remember every year Rodney Harrison stayed healthy the Pats went to the Super Bowl and that’s where Chung is playing now.

Best Rookie: Dont’a Hightower

I don’t know how Hightower will be used but I think he’ll be used a lot and give the Pats a lot of flexibility in their linebacking corps. Look for him, Ninkovich and Spikes to have a battle royale in camp to determine who plays where, but I think when the dust settles we’ll see more and more of Hightower. It’s hard not to be excited to add one of the best players off one of the best defenses in college football. He has to help, right?

Guy Not Named Brady We Can’t Afford to Lose: Vince Wilfork

I considered almost not writing this but it has to be said, I’m not sure what happens if Big Vince goes down for any period of time. He’s the key to the entire front 7, and where the defensive game plan starts. How well could the Pats get by with Gerard Warren, Kyle Love, Jonthan Fanene and Brandon Deaderick? I shutter even thinking about it. Let’s stop even talking about it.

The “No Expectations” Award: Shane Vereen

We forget Vereen was drafted before Ridley. No one knows exactly how he fits in, though it seems clear he’s fast and can catch. Is he good enough to make Woodhead irrelevant? That remains to be seen, but no other player has more limited expectations that Vereen, which is insane for a second round pick.

The “Super Tough” Award: Logan Mankins

As I’ve said before, if Belichick calls you “super tough” I don’t expect a little ACL tear to prevent you from coming back for the opener. I think Mankins should be out there day one and hopefully it’s not a down year for him because we certainly can’t afford that.

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On what about Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has surprised him so far:

“He actually wears the cut-off sweatshirts all of the time [laughing]. That’s actually the way he does his clothes, so I was definitely impressed by that.”

It Is What It Is » Brandon Lloyd talks about Tom Brady, Josh McDaniels and the sense of ‘urgency’ with the Patriots

https://www.patspropaganda.com/on-what-about-patriots-head-coach-bill-belichick/

Official Patriots Football Weekly Blog | From the Hart: Pats prospects rank high

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Official Patriots Football Weekly Blog | From the Hart: Pats prospects rank high

Thanks to Andy for lifting the Pats content from ESPN Insider. I’m happily surprised that Marcus Cannon made the list (along with Ridley and Mallett), he could be in for a big role this year.

“Cannon was a flat-out steal for the Patriots. He’s a huge guy with quick feet, and draftniks expected him to go as early as the second round before he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma before the draft. The Pats were perfectly happy to take him in the fifth round and wait for him to complete chemotherapy, and by Week 11 he was getting snaps in a regular-season game. Cannon was a right tackle at TCU and could spell Sebastian Vollmer in a pinch if necessary, but he’s much better suited for guard in the pros because he has trouble with bull rushers. He will likely replace Brian Waters at right guard whenever Waters decides he feels like retiring.”

Face value Patriots tickets: The Impossible Dream

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This morning Patriots tickets went on sale on Ticketmaster, and excited Pats fans with multiple browser windows open began their quest to secure face value tickets at 10am EST.

What followed shortly thereafter was a collection of responses like these from Twitter:

Even an informal twitter poll by yours truly failed to turn up one single fan who was able to get tickets this morning. This is nothing new, and there has to be a better way for regular fans to get tickets before they get bought up by the bots and resold at an increased price.

Here’s my proposal: why not go back to the old fashioned way? You know, have actual hard copies of tickets that real human beings can wait in line for and purchase?

The Patriots could even make an event out of it. I know more than a few people willing to drive down to Foxboro in early summer to wait in line with other fans. Put Pats highlights up on the jumbotron, play some music, get Coach Belichick to come out and shake hands, maybe cut some sleeves off (okay maybe that’s a little much). What a great way to get people pumped for the season!

And think of all the business it would drive to the Hall and Patriots Place! That’s money that goes back to the organization and not to ticket brokers like Stub Hub.

At least it would certainly be better to stand and wait with other passionate fans at the stadium than sitting in front of a computer, frantically refreshing multiple browsers only to find yourself screwed by Ticketmaster yet again.

It should not be this hard for average fans to get tickets at face value. Game day experiences are expensive enough without having to deal with all the increases the ticket brokers stick on them.

Ticketmaster is completely broken for sales days like today and it has been for a long time, yet it is still pitched to the fans as a chance to actually get tickets to a game, which rarely happens for anyone who’s not a ticket bot.

If the Pats are serious about getting tough on ticket brokers they should really look into new methods to get their tickets into the hands of their passionate fans who want and deserve them most. Ticketmaster is completely corrupted by online technology, and it’s unfair to continue to act as though getting tickets is as easy as logging on when the sale starts.

Rob Gronkowski Does ‘Crossys’ in Crowded L.A. Bar Bathroom With Brother, Stranger Following ESPYs – New England Patriots – NESN.com

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Rob Gronkowski Does ‘Crossys’ in Crowded L.A. Bar Bathroom With Brother, Stranger Following ESPYs – New England Patriots – NESN.com

Possibly the final off-field “Summer of Gronk” linkage of the summer. I hope..

“Gronkowski is in line for the bathroom. There’s a line, two urinals and a stall. They’re all waiting. Gronkowski is with his two brothers, who just looked awesome. He goes into the stall and he turns around to one of his brothers and says, ‘Crossys?’ The second brother goes in, the third brother goes in, and then there’s some guy who’s waiting — some small guy — and they say, ‘Let’s get him too.’ They grab this guy and pull him in, and they all pee in the bathroom together, in the stall.”