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Patriots Pregame Meal: Surprise Absences Throw Late Twist

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After what felt like two weeks off the Patriots are back to take on the Jets today. I gotta admit it, I miss Rex Ryan still, he made the season so much more interesting and his defenses usually gave Brady and the offense some trouble. I guess I won’t miss those parts, we’ll see what the young Jets can do today. I expect they’ll play with their hair on fire with nothing to lose, which might make it interesting early, but I expect the Pats to pull away in the second half.

Certainly hurts that they’ll be without Bilal Powell, who was the one multi-threat weapon that I thought could really get the Pats on their heels. Josh McCown might play up to Bill Belichick’s lofty expectations but ultimately this is a traditional offense and those haven’t really seemed to be a problem for the Patriots defense.

Yesterday was a crazy day of Patriots news, with Harvey Langi getting into a car accident and Stephon Gilmore mysteriously turning up with a concussion. Obviously I hope Langi and his wife are okay, I drive by the area where his accident happened all the time and it’s scary to imagine getting plowed into like that. On a football level it would seem like Langi season could very well be over which isn’t exactly a devastating blow for the team but it’s just another injury that thins depth, hurts a promising player’s development and is yet another linebacker down.

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Patriots Pregame Meal

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I don’t know about you guys but this morning felt like the real start of the NFL season for me. The Thursday night opener came upon us so quickly it never really felt like the real football had started. But now, on a foggy September morning it those old football feels are finally back, as is the nervousness for this big game. Here are some pregame reflections before the carnage unfolds this afternoon.

If you’re looking for an easy and entertaining way to kill a half hour of pregame this morning check out my latest venture with Nick Stevens and the awesome folks at MediaBoss, Patshow. We’re having a ton of fun hopefully bringing to the fans the kind of entertainment they’re missing with the Patriots. A show that embraces the fun of being a fan but also talks about the team in a reasonable and football-savvy way. Please help us spread the word about Patshow, as go live every Tuesday morning at www.facebook.com/patshow6. Please like and share as we try to grow the show each week!

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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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Pats Posits: A Last Minute Drive in Houston Finally Falls Short

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The Patriots and the Texans played a preseason game on Saturday night that came down to the final play, with Jacoby Brissett fumbling what was almost the game-winning touchdown pass.

It might’ve been thrilling if it weren’t the preseason…

But it is the preseason and how this game ended or what the score was matters not. What matters is how well the 2017 Patriots are coming together and who looked good, bad and injured in their second preseason game of the summer.

The headliners? Rex Burkhead‘s arrival, some defensive struggles but with some individual improved performances that could really help, and Stephen Gostkowski putting us all at peace.

Despite some more big plays allowed, I feel pretty good about the team right now after the second preseason game. Elandon Roberts appeared to be the only significant injury, while some of the guys who really needed to start playing well did so.

Of course we got to see Tom Brady play (meaningless, don’t tell him) football, so it was a good day no matter what.

Here’s them Posits as we inch closer and closer to the start of the regular season.

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Five Patriots to Watch vs. Texans

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The Patriots will play their second preseason game of the summer on Saturday night against the Texans, returning to Houston, where they were last seen winning Super Bowl 51.

It’s a good bet we’ll see more of the starters this week after Bill Belichick gave just about every top line player the night off in the first week of the preseason against the Jags.

The headlines for the Patriots, as they are for most teams, are all about overcoming injuries. Nate Solder has been out for a couple weeks, while one of his backups, LaAdrian Waddle had to leave joint practices with then Texans for medical evaluation back in Boston. Rookie left tackle Tony Garcia has also been missing time, leaving just Cam Fleming and Marcus Cannon, two players who should be protected as much as possible.

Tackle isn’t the only spot the Pats are dangerously thin. Defensive end Derek Rivers also had to return home to get his knee looked at and rookie Deitrich Wise continues to recover from a concussion he suffered in week one.

Simply put, the team cannot afford another injury at either of these two vital positions, but they can’t let that stand in their way of setting a baseline of performance against Houston. Between this week and next, the starters will get most of their work in. So it’ll be exciting to finally see some of the top end guys in action.

Here are five players that I’ll be keeping a close eye on.

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Pats Posits: Who Limped Off, Shined and Stunk vs. Jags?

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The Patriots completed their first game of the 2017 preseason, “losing” to the Jaguars 31-24.

Yes, no one cares about who wins or loses preseason games but there was still plenty to unpack from the contest, including some great performances by some young weapons and some dreadful performances from some young veterans who are supposed to be taking a positive step forward this season.

Let’s start with the only thing that truly matters after a preseason game — injuries. Yeah, guys can play good or bad, but ultimately there’s a long way to go and no roster spots were won or lost after one preseason game. But injuries can kill a season in an instant.

  • Dietrich Wise — Oh that rookie that everyone was abuzz about this preseason? He was kneed in the head and left the game in the first half. I feel weird saying “luckily it’s just a concussion” given what we know now. In the olden days this would be written off with a “he just got his bell rung.” Now it’s a “shit, I hope this doesn’t mean he’s donating his brain to a study someday but… he’ll probably be back soon.” Of course if you’re choosing between getting his leg broken in half and getting kneed in the head, the choice is obvious, but I still don’t feel good about it.
  • Elandon Roberts — Limped off, but one of those tough as nails guys. I think he’ll be okay. Looked like an ankle thing.

Okay, injuries are out of the way, let’s talk the good, the bad and the whatever.

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Tweets of Note: Patriots Camp Catch-up

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Things are about to get real at Patriots training camp next week. With the Jags coming to town for joint practices and then the preseason kicking off against them on Thursday night, the preseason is about to begin. With that comes “real” football and some actual film to break down which will be a welcome departure from relying on camp reports.

The team has gotten a bit dinged up in recent days and as a result Bill Belichick has been pulling back a bit, especially on important veteran starters. I’m sure the entire team is looking forward to competing against the Jags, and those practices should see the intensity shoot back up.

The Pats will be practicing both Friday and Saturday, then will have Sunday off prior to the joint practices that start on Monday.

Let’s take a quick look at the biggest storylines in camp right now…

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