PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

dietrich wise

Breaking Down Patriots PUP List

by

I speculated a couple weeks ago about which Patriots would start the season on the PUP list. With the announcement of who’s on the list coming over the weekend here’s a quick breakdown of each player and what it means for them and the team.

Sony Michel – Not that much of a surprise though it’s surely vexing for many Patriots fans out there who are already growing tired of Michel’s knee issues after he was taken in the first round. Michel had another “clean up” this offseason after getting one during last season as well. It’s amazing though how quickly we forget Michel’s epic playoff run. You’d think he might get a little leniency but that’s not how it works around here with first-round picks. I’m fine bringing Michel along slowly, especially because it will give rookie third-rounder Damien Harris a chance to show what he can do. And if Burkhead can stay healthy they might even consider giving Michel the first six weeks of the season off. If he’s there when it counts in January the Pats will be in a good spot.

[Read more…] about Breaking Down Patriots PUP List

Film Review: Finding Some Silver Linings

by

I was surprised that watching the All-22 of the Patriots loss to the Lions made me feel a lot better about the Patriots chances of turning the season around from the 1-2 start. This is almost always the case, because you get a sense of how close the Pats were on many plays that went against them.

It’s small consolation, but it’s a clear illustration that all is not lost and that a 23-10 loss isn’t the worst thing to ever happen to a football team even if it was the second week in a row the Pats didn’t really show up.

I had to take this one in as a total experience, not a specific play by play, drive by drive breakdown but I came away with some general thoughts that were much different than what I came away with as I depressingly crawled into bed close to midnight on Sunday.

The first good takeaway is the Ja’whaun Bentley is a keeper. Yes, he had mistakes that took away from his overall impressive play, but this is the kind of player the Patriots defense needs badly and he should only continue to improve. His reaction speed is so impressive, better I dare say than any other linebacker on the roster. Watching his interception and he sticks with his receiver like glue and effortlessly makes the pick.

I don’t know where the Patriots defense is headed, but I’m pretty positive that Bentley is going to be a building block.

The other good guy I’ll mention is Dietrich Wise, who appears to still be viewed mostly as a pass rusher at this point, but he brings great energy and is one of the only consistently disruptive players up front. Bentley and Wise are the future on defense.

[Read more…] about Film Review: Finding Some Silver Linings

Pats Posits: This Feels Different

by

The Patriots have had plenty of September stinkers over the years where an average-to-terrible team goes toe-to-toe with them and either flames out right at the end or dispatches the Patriots, and the punditry gleefully jumps to pronounce the dynasty dead.

Usually, in those games, it was just a case of a good football team playing bad football and the Pats would snap out of it with a statement win near the end of the month and then they’d cruise into the playoffs, constantly getting better and fighting through the kind of injuries that would derail every other team.

I’ve spent the early parts of those seasons being level-headed, reminding everyone how hard it is to win in the NFL, how amazing it was that we just took for granted that the Pats had been doing it for going on two decades. Because it was always clear to me that those Patriots teams that sputtered in September were far better than they looked on the field. I still believed that last week after the perfect storm loss to Jacksonville, but now, after an all-around flat performance in Detroit, even I’m starting to wonder if this is finally the year the Patriots just don’t have it.

Boil it down and we’re seeing a team that lost some key clutch playmakers while none of the replacements have stepped up. Aside from Dietrich Wise, no other young player has shown anything. Coming off the Jags loss it was easy to just assume the Pats would bounce back, but that meant brushing aside the losses of Patrick Chung and Trey Flowers, arguably their two best defenders.

So yes, this looks exactly how you’d expect a team to look that doesn’t have Amendola, Edelman, Lewis, Chung, and Flowers, while Dont’a Hightower, Duron Harmon and Devin McCourty have begun to regress and none of the developmental players have developed. No one outside of Brady-Gronk-White and Wise for a down or two were able to make any impact.

[Read more…] about Pats Posits: This Feels Different

Lingering Questions For Patriots Preseason Week 3

by

Clarity comes quickly when training camp opens. We instantly get at least a partial picture of who’s hurt, who’s in the mix for playing significant roles on offense, defense and, most often ignored, special teams. Now we’re closing in on a month of practices with two games already in the bag, but there remain some lingering questions that could have significant implications for the 2018 Pats.

Let’s run them down as we get ready for a week three preseason game in Carolina that should provide even more of that clarity.

  1. Who’s returning punts weeks 1-4? Even after Julian Edelman returns from suspension I don’t think anyone wants to use him full time returning punts when he’s so critical to the offense. They were lucky to get by doing it with Danny Amendola last year. Thus far we’ve seen Riley McCarron as the primary punt returner and he’s done little to prove he’s anything more than a guy who can catch punts and get tackled. The favorite could be Cyrus Jones, but with a logjam at cornerback, he’s got a lot of ground to make up. Could McCarron or Jones win a roster spot solely to return punts? Just one solid return against the Panthers could make the case.
  2. Can Marcus Cannon stay healthy? I hate asking if anyone can stay healthy because this is football and a career can end in one snap due to one weird play. But Cannon missed the last nine games and playoffs last year and has been MIA at camp for a couple weeks now. I do love the idea of what the Brown-Thuney-Andrews-Mason-Cannon line can do, but I’m starting to wonder if and when we’ll actually see that group. LaAdrian Waddle is once again a guy to lean on and Ulrick John, the best of the rest, could be making a roster push.
  3. Dorsett, Britt or Decker? Anyone? We know that when the games get meaningful that a core of Edelman, Chris Hogan, Rob Gronkowski and James White is going to be very hard to stop. Mix in some Cordarrelle Patterson with gimmicky stuff and the Pats have a good core that tops most teams in the NFL. But the true ceiling of the offense, especially in the first month will depend on one of the Dorsett, Britt or Decker trio stepping up and making plays. Thus far all three have been quiet (or injured in the case of Britt) and time is running out. I kn5ow Dorsett’s going to get a ton of snaps, but I remain unconvinced he’s going to be a game-changer. Britt’s the better outside fit for the offense in my view and Decker is much needed in the slot. These last two games will tell us a lot about the direction of the offense.
  4. Roberts vs Bentley? Both Elandon Roberts and Ja’whaun Bentley are going to play this season, but whether Roberts makes a third-year leap or Bentley translates his preseason play to the regular season will determine if the Patriots have solved their middle field athleticism problems. The thinking man’s analysis of how to attack the Pats centers on the middle linebacker spot, a position Mike Lombardi wrote defines the speed of a defense. Last year, they were undermanned and slow and got exposed by the Eagles.
  5. Second-Year Defenders Lead the Way? Last season the pass rush was devastated, losing Rob Ninkovich, Chris Long and Jabaal Sheard. Injuries didn’t help and forced Dietrich Wise and Adam Butler into significant roles. Now, with Derek Rivers back and looking like the top pick he was, these second-year players must ignite the pass rush. Potentially aided by a more aggressive attack under Brian Flores, along with the disruptive Adrian Clayborn and contract-year Trey Flowers, this is the group that must get after opposing quarterbacks. How well they do will have a huge impact on how good this defense is for this year and into the future.

Video: Patriots Training Camp Practice #4 Report

by

Another great time getting a behind-the-scenes glimpse courtesy of the Patriots today. This will be my only time playing a real journalist this training camp but I still plan to hit up a few practices from the fan stands, where I’m more comfortable anyway and am still able to see just as much as from the sun-baked hill in front of the media tent.

Anyway, here’s a few things I left out from the video, while also expanding a bit on some of the five main takeaways.

— Berrios is stocky but reps are really limited for him right now.

— Patterson made another tough catch today, he’s making one per day now and earning trust. He’ll be a valuable player and the Pats are using him in a variety of ways on offense. He took some punts after practice and they were ugly.

— Brett Bielema is an active voice that stands out. I heard him often yelling coaching points to Jomal Wiltz for whatever that is worth. Wiltz did have a nice pass break up on Chris Hogan but has otherwise been quiet. Bielema’s presence is noticeable, especially to former Arkansas players like Trey Flowers and Dietrich Wise I’m sure.

[Read more…] about Video: Patriots Training Camp Practice #4 Report

Video: Patriots Training Camp Practice #2 Report

by

Great to finally see some football today at a muggy second practice! As we try to get Patshow Season #2 going I’m going to try and use my video producer skills to bring some more video content. Let me know what you guys think!

A few other things I forgot to mention in the video:

— Marcus Cannon did leave practice early, walking off under his own power. LaAdrian Waddle slipped into his reps. Hopefully Cannon is back sooner than later, though his injury history is starting to add up.

— Stephon Gilmore had an AFC Championship-sealer-esque diving pass break up over Julian Edelman. Gilmore is on the left side this year and is the a clear-cut number one cornerback.

— As much as I wanted to notice him nothing about Sony Michel really stood out to me. Again, IT’S NO PADS, DAY TWO. All the backs had their share of work, including Burkhead, Gillislee and Hill, and I can’t say any of them really stood out, though Burkhead always looks shot out of a rocket.

— As I mention, Edelman looks like Edelman, and it’s such great news.

— On and by the way, Brady is still Brady. Yikes.

[Read more…] about Video: Patriots Training Camp Practice #2 Report

Patriots Training Camp Battle Preview: Defensive End

by

The Patriots’ defensive end group suffered heavy departures and attrition in 2017. Chris Long and Jabaal Sheard, key passing-down contibutors for the Super Bowl 52 squad, left via free agency. When Rob Ninkovich retired just a week into training camp it was the biggest blow of all.

Outside his four-game suspension to start 2016 and Ninkovich started every game since mid-way through the 2010 season. You don’t simply replace that kind of reliability, not to mention clutch plays that the “Jet Killer” Ninkovich made on a regular basis.

Third-round pick Derek Rivers tore his ACL in training camp, another critical blow at a ravaged position. Cassius Marsh played 267 defensive snaps, then asked out. It was just too much.

The Patriots were then forced to lean completely on Trey Flowers, while using rookies Dietrich Wise and Adam Butler, Bills practice squadder Eric Lee, and later James Harrison, the strongest edge-setter of them all, as replacements.

2017’s defensive ends were a shell of what they had been since the early 2010’s, before Ninkovich and Chandler Jones started a run of having two strong starters at the top and an array of pass rushers behind them. Though in 2013 and 2014 it was pretty much just Ninkovich and Jones who miraculously played almost every snap and never got hurt.

Will things be better this year? It sure looks like it.

[Read more…] about Patriots Training Camp Battle Preview: Defensive End