An Independent Patriots Blog
Guys, Marcus Cannon is good.
I know, I know, I know…but hear me out. I looked at the tape. I looked at when he played in 2011 as a rookie. I watched him when he played in the Dave DeGuglielmo (spelled that without having to look it up thank you very much) offense where they were rotated in and out like a clock and I watched him this preseason back under the legendary Dante Scarnecchia. He’s good.
Two weeks from today, the New England Patriots will take the field in Arizona to face the Cardinals and get their 2016 campaign under way. Yes, the excitement is palpable.
As I touched on in the Posits after the game, I kind of find it funny how there’s a sizable portion of the fanbase, fanned by many voices in the local media, freaking out about Jimmy Garoppolo. It’s four games people. The Patriots season will not be lost or broken in those four games unless there’s a season-ending injury to someone important.
Garoppolo won’t be perfect, but he should play safe enough to keep every game winnable. Yes, the defenses he’ll face are all pretty good. But you also have to like how the Patriots’ defense matches up with the opposing offenses. And let’s remember the Pats have started 2-2 in two of the last four seasons, WITH BRADY.
All I really care about is the team that we’ll take into the playoffs, so all this freaking out about Garoppolo seems pointless. And again, if he doesn’t turn the ball over, the Pats will have a chance to win every game.
Here’s some holdover thoughts after re-watching Panthers game…
Hip hip hooray the Patriots made it through the third preseason game without any injuries!
Oh and they beat the Panthers 19-17 too.
Jimmy Garoppolo played the first three series, Tom Brady played the next four, then Garoppolo returned for three more. Jacoby Brissett came in to finish things off late in the third quarter. I’m sure the radio airwaves in Boston will find a way to complain about Brady playing too much or too little or too early or too late, but I sure enjoyed seeing #12 out there.
At this point, any game with Brady is a gift so I just try to enjoy it and hope he doesn’t get hurt.
Brady had a vintage, pinpoint 33-yard touchdown to Chris Hogan. It’s a very good start for an important new piece of the offense, and a nice reminder that Brady isn’t suddenly throwing Peyton Manning ducks.
Jimmy Garoppolo was 9 of 15 for 57 yards. No TDs. No picks. This performance will be under the microscope the next two weeks leading up to Arizona so get ready to hear it analyzed into the dirt. PFF won’t be kind. The Pats are dead meat.
But all the “analysis” about Brady’s playing time or Garoppolo’s competence loses the forest for the trees. The forest is that the big bad New England Patriots football machine that we’ll see from October on looks more ready than ever to tear shit up.
That’s what I prefer to think about.
Here are the Posits.
[Read more…] about Pats Posits: Good Luck Once Brady Comes Back
Before I begin my “What we watched, what to watch piece”, I just want to ask a question, I know we’re all hopped up on outrage about the latest whatever, but seriously, can everyone chill the f— out?
In the last week, there’s been plenty of unnecessary spikes in blood pressure for Patriots fans.
First, it was the Dion and Vollmer news. Driving to work, I received texts that read simply: “Dion.” Then right after. “Vollmer.” I jumped on Twitter, nearly crashing my car, assuming both players had murder/suicided each other.
For perspective, read Mike’s piece. My take: Vollmer has been injured a lot in his professional career, so the team has prepared for this eventuality and likely think Cannon (under Scar) can fill in capably. And Dion Lewis was coming back from an ACL that he tore November 8th last year. While we’ve been spoiled by quicker returns (see Alien Gronk), it can take up to a year to return from ACL surgery and with a setback Lewis will be back within a calendar year.
Then there’s the absurd press conference hubbub to explain Brady’s absence over the last few days. Obviously there’s nothing to see here, but that doesn’t stop the Hucksters from hucking. The hucksters of Boston are numerous, but just as numerous are the smart objective and analytical takes that you can find on any number of sites, and certainly at Pats Propaganda with Mike and the rest of our crew. Just because we’re addicted, doesn’t mean we need to go buy the cheap stuff under the bridge.
Just a reminder, the Patriots made it to the AFCCG game last year (and nearly won) without either Lewis or Vollmer. Let’s all take our beta-blockers, a hit on the hookah and remember that Brady and Belichick nearly won a Super Bowl with Reche Caldwell as the primary weapon. Reche Caldwell!
Thanks for indulging: On to what we watched and what to watch…
[Read more…] about Review/Preview: 5 Things We Watched & 5 Things to Watch
Yes, most football writers only do five things to watch for each game, but for this preseason contest I’m taking my blogging game to the next level. That’s right, you not only get an extra thing to watch, you get a half of one too!
The third game of the preseason is always the highwater mark of the summer before the real bullets start flying. We should see Jimmy Garoppolo into the third quarter, along with the starting defense. Though there won’t be any gameplanning (thanks coach), it’s still a chance to see (most of) our best versus (most of) someone else’s best, so it’s an intriguing game.
Just one reminder, even for this kinda-important third preseason game, all that really matters tonight is that no one gets a season-ending injury. I’ll take Garoppolo looking terrible and the defense getting lit up over anyone (on either team) going down with a major boo boo. That’s really the only thing that can stand between the Patriots and another deep playoff run — a key injury.
So let’s get through this one, stay healthy, wrap things up with a meaningless game next Thursday against the Giants and get the train rolling for the regular season.
Here are the 6.5 things I’ll be watching closely.
[Read more…] about 6.5 Patriots Things to Watch vs. Panthers
Big trade today as the Patriots acquired 2013 6th-overall pick Barkevious Mingo for a 2017 5th-round draft pick.
Browns are trading the sixth overall pick from the 2013 draft, LB Barkevious Mingo, to the New England Patriots, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 25, 2016
Mingo hadn’t lived up to expectations in Cleveland, like so many before him. This offseason he bulked up, adding 20 pounds, getting up to around 260 pounds. That extra weight should help, and at least shows some dedication. Cleveland didn’t pick up his fifth-year option this offseason, so he’ll be a free agent next year.
He had five sacks as a rookie, but just two in 2014 and none last year. He ended up playing mostly special teams in 2015 which of course adds to his value in New England.
[Read more…] about Report: Patriots Trade for Barkevious Mingo
One week from today the Patriots will play a mostly meaningless last preseason game, relying primarily on the 23 players who will either be on the practice squad or the street shortly after.
But there are still plenty of questions looming. Position battles to be won. Final roster spots to be claimed. Make no mistake, the 2016 Patriots are still far from set.
Yes, tomorrow will be a fascinating test (despite the lack of gameplanning as BB pointed out this week) and the competition is still tight at a number of spots.
Here are five areas that will have to be figured out in the next eight days.
Bottom Line Apparel presents The Bottom Line Patriots Player of the Week It’s pretty hard to choose from all the deserving Pats after such a dominant win, but Gronk was absolutely unstoppable so it has to go to him. He’s been dealing with a lot of injury issues this year, but he looked like his […]
