Here’s TFB keeping it on the level today. They know there’s still much work to be done and improvement to be made.
Guess Who Wasn’t at Patriots Practice Today?
Injuries are really starting to add up for the Patriots. McCourty and Brace were new additions to the hopefully still walking wounded, while Mike Wright and Myron Pryor remained out. Jonathan Wilhite if you hadn’t heard was also put on IR today, ending his season.
Not good, we need all these guys back and soon.
OH and Gerard Warren was missing too. He hurt his knee against the Bears but did return so maybe they’re just resting him. Hopefully. Otherwise your healthy defensive lineman are Wilfork (all-pro), Deaderick (7th round rookie), Love (undrafted rookie), and the FNG Louis Leonard. Eeeeeek!
NFL Playbook on the Patriots
Check out the video here. Mike Mayock breaks down the Pats and all is right with the world. I have to say that I agree with Mayock’s comments that “everybody’s getting a little carried away with the Patriots right now”.
I’m not going to complain about it. I love hearing everyone fawn over my team every time I turn on the TV. But really one loss can change that to the opposite end of the spectrum so I’m trying not to buy into the hype one way or another.
According to Football Outsiders the Pats have a 96.8% chance of having a bye in the playoffs. Obviously for a team with a lot of young guys who may or may not be hitting the rookie wall, as well as a couple veterans who are banged up, having an extra week of would be huge.
That is what matter most, continuing to improve, getting guys healthy and playing your best football about four to five weeks from right now.
The Pats are close, but as Mayock said in the Playbook segment, if they start turning the ball over or not forcing other teams to turn the ball over they won’t make it very far in the playoffs. That’s reality.
Patriots Football Outsiders DVOA Chart Updated
Both the defensive and offense continue to improve, this is exactly how you want to be trending as you head toward the playoffs. However Special Teams haven’t been anything special as of late, it would be a huge boost to see one of the returners bust one for six (that isn’t called back). Had Edelman’s punt return stood it would’ve been exactly what we’re talking about.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/patriots-football-outsiders-dvoa-chart-updated/
Fist Pumpin’ Brady
lovely.
Wes Welker’s eyes are blue-gray and wide. Their gaze is steady, and their focus is like something alive. It misses nothing in a circular field of vision that seems greater than other people’s. Welker sees spaces that nobody else sees. He looks at a field where everyone seems to be colliding and sees a place to run. He looks at a game played by much bigger men and sees a place in which a man who stands 5’ 9" and weighs 185 pounds can create a kind of art…. Wes Welker looks at a noisy, crowded, violent profession and sees a career.
Epic Wes Welker article coming out in Sports Illustrated this week.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/wes-welkers-eyes-are-blue-gray-and-wide-their/
Patriots History Tuesday 1996 Highlights
Since it’s Packers week I could’ve been a jerk and posted just the Super Lowlights from 1996. Instead let’s take a look at that whole season which really was when many of the seeds of the first dynasty were planted.
Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest, Ty Law, Ted Johnson, Lawyer Milloy and Adam Vinatieri weren’t born clutch players who knew how to perform on the biggest stages. This season was as much a learning process for those guys, where they learned what it would take to win a championship.
On a side note I wouldn’t mind seeing these mid-90’s uniforms brought back as throwbacks at some point. I still have a reversible Drew Bledsoe one that I bust out from time to time.
