PatsPropaganda

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jeremy hill

Pats Posits: And We’re Off…

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The Patriots got the 2018 season rolling yesterday with a 27-20 win over the Texans. For all the talk of last season and offseason drama, the Patriots very much looked like the same old Patriots that have laid waste to the league for the last 17 seasons.

Tom Brady finished with three touchdowns and one tipped-ball interception, looking nothing like an average 41-year old should look navigating an NFL pocket. The biggest difference was that he still had Rob Gronkowski, and the devastating QB-TE combo was just unstoppable.

This was nothing like last year’s maddening loss in the opener to the Chiefs. The Patriots have depth and new personnel issues, but they managed to rotate plenty of players in and showed that there isn’t any personnel problem that can’t be overcome with good coaching. Most exciting is a defense that has had an influx of improvement on a variety of fronts.

Yes, if you’re not a self-hating, self-punishing Patriots fan you should feel pretty good today. Clearly, the New England Football Machine is still firing on all cylinders and looks like they’ll once again be a formidable opponent for every team they face.

Let’s fire off a bunch of Posits and we finally get into the regular season flow!

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Patriots Gameplan: Preseason Week 3 vs. Carolina Panthers

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I swear to Hoodie, I’m not going to call week three of the preseason a “dress rehearsal” but it’s really the last time we’re going to get anything much of interest before the annual scrubfest against the Giants. This will be the last time we see anyone important before the bullets are real against the Texans, and for that reason, there will be plenty to react to from tonight’s game.

A good place to start would be these five lingering questions, where you can swap in Eric Decker for Kenny Britt. If he remembers how to catch he’s got to be close to a roster lock. If he’s not, you know he fell off a cliff. There’s no question all eyes will be on the receivers, especially Phillip Dorsett. If he busts a big play, things will look on track. Better than a big play, I’d rather a tough catch, but that won’t get the kind of attention a long gain would.

As has been the case in the preseason I’m diverting from the usual gameplan because, well, preseason games are minimally gameplanned. All they want to do is avoid bad plays that have no chance for success. Otherwise, it’s vanilla ice cream on both sides of the ball. However last week showed a bit of an exception with de facto defensive coordinator Brian Flores sending more blitzes than I can recall seeing in the preseason.

This week there will be even more of a focus on the defense because Cam Newton is the kind of quarterback that the Patriots don’t blitz. He’s also the kind that gave them fits last year, so this first half at least should be an excellent test for the new front.

More on that and everything else I’ll be watching in the final dress re… meaningless audition of the summer.

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Pats Posits: Real and Fake Concerns, Excitement

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I’ve got to head down to Philly for a few days so I won’t be able to jump into film analysis of this game as I’d like to, but maybe that’s for the best because nothing gets overreacted to like the first preseason game. The void of football games since the Super Bowl left the media circus chasing their tail all offseason. Now they’ll effortlessly jump into the attempted analysis of a football game that should be taken with a very big grain of salt.

What’s real and what’s not? There was plenty in the first half to get annoyed about but will those things actually matter next month when the regular season starts? What about the good stuff of the second half? Can we get excited about that stuff? It’s hard to sort it all out in the preseason, with no gameplanning and scrubs often on the other side of the ball.

Let’s break down what’s real and what’s not in some Posits before I hit the road in my Patriots-license plated car, praying I don’t get egged by some unruly Eagles fans.

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Patriots Training Camp Report: Friday (TFB-Day)

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Got back from another muggy Patriots practice, that featured alternating rain and glaring sun. I was on my game though, setting up right against one of the few trees on the hill that overlooks the stadium. The advantages up there: shade, slight wind, watching the practice from the end zone which makes it a lot easier to scout the players.

A lot of the important guys had their snaps limited, starting with Tom Brady, but also including Dont’a Hightower, Devin McCourty, Rob Gronkowski and Stephon Gilmore. That gave some of the younger players a chance at more reps with starting-caliber players.

Here are some of those who are getting some more chances:

— Christian Sam saw time playing with Hightower as the top nickel linebacker duo and seemed comfortable within the defense. He’s making strides.

— Riley McCarron got plenty of chances but he showed inconsistency. Not sure him or Berrios can stake a claim on a roster spot right now. Did think it was Berrios’ best practice that I’ve seen, gaining separation on Jomal Wiltz on one snap for whatever that’s worth.

— Wiltz and Ryan Lewis saw plenty of time at cornerback today. Neither stood out like JC Jackson has to me. Jackson is getting time as a gunner too, so he’s really looking like he could have an inside spot on a job at this point.

— Eddie Pleasant and Nicholas Grigsby look mostly like roster locks right now, playing multiple special teams units and getting valuable reps on defense as well.

— The whole offense took a lap after a sloppy exchange. They had already fumbled one. Funny to see Brady, who wasn’t really practicing at this point, take a lap with them. It drew happy birthday cheers from the audience, even though it was a penalty lap.

— Mike Gillislee was back in pads and looks explosive on a couple carries to me. Jeremy Hill has a spot on the kickoff return team right now so it’d look like he’s adding more value than Gillislee so he’s got his work cut out for him.

— I am so curious to see how Jacob Hollister looks in the preseason. He’s been great at camp, catching everything thrown his direction, consistently getting open. When we talk about filling in for Edelman weeks one through four, Hollister could be a significant part of the equation. Between him and Decker, the Pats will have some inside size this year that they’ve never really had.

— If you missed my 53-man projection from yesterday I can say that I feel even better about my defensive picks after today’s practice.

Patriots Training Camp Battle Preview: Running Back

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The Patriots ground game jumped from 17th in the rushing DVOA in 2016 all the way to third in 2017, good enough for their third-best ranking since 2000. But with leading rusher Dion Lewis gone to Tennesee, the Patriots will be looking to re-adjust their backfield, with first-round pick Sony Michel the centerpiece.

Despite the impressive season from the running backs, I felt like the Patriots went away from what worked best for them in the playoffs. In games where they gave Lewis the ball 10-plus times the team was 10-0, with a 15.6 average point margin of victory. That was on display against the Titans in the first round of the playoffs, but Lewis would get just nine carries against the Jags and Eagles in the last two playoff games.

I know it’s hard to complain when you put up as much yardage in the Super Bowl as the Patriots did, but they also lost the time of possession battle by 10 minutes and were 2-4 in the red zone. Lewis was second on the team in red zone touchdowns. For as much attention as Malcolm Butler draws in criticism of usage, I’d put Lewis up there as well.

But alas, Lewis is gone and the Pats will have to figure out who’s up next. They have a bunch of interesting options, but Michel’s ceiling could determine if this ground game can remain atop the league rankings in 2018.

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Pats Posits: Sunday Ramblings

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The initial wave and excitement of free agency are over as we now start to settle in on the mid and lower tier free agents and the draft. The team building process is a year-long activity for the Patriots, but last week is the short little window that everyone loses their minds over. Each season I find myself caring less and less about talking people off the ledge. Bill Belichick has 18 offseasons of precedent and if you don’t understand how they do business you’re willfully not paying attention.

Sometimes they do make a splash, like with Adalius Thomas and Stephon Gilmore, but most often it’s things like swinging low-risk trades for affordable vets like Kony Ealy or Jason McCourty, signing vet free agents to short, affordable deals like Jabaal Sheard or Adrian Clayborn, grabbing unremarkable castoffs who turn into special players like Rob Ninkovich or making in-season moves to shore up weaknesses like Akiem Hicks or Akeem Ayers.

I included a few busts in there because in the NFL no one bats a thousand. It’s just as easy to point out personnel moves that missed the mark as it is those that were hit out of the park. The important thing, as most of us should’ve learned by now, is to build a team that is strong top-to-bottom because injuries and poor performance can torpedo any best-laid plan.  I know having Tom Brady certainly helps cover up personnel misfires as does an established system and clear expectations handed down by a well-organized coaching staff that is designed to disseminate Belichick’s coaching points.

The bottom line is that the team building process is far more than one week in mid-March and there are plenty of moves to come despite the fact that outside of left tackle the Patriots already have a pretty impressive roster that could compete in the playoffs without adding any rookies.

I’ve gotten a little behind this week outside of the major acquisitions, so here are some quick-hit thoughts on all that has been going on.

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Patriots Free Agency Reset, Visits Rundown

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After re-signing Rex Burkhead and acquiring Jason McCourty via trade, the Patriots have picked up the pace of their free agency period the last two days, and with a number of visits reported there should be plenty more moves to come.

Once again there’s been plenty of outrage about the lack of big-name signings, which has left me wondering why people are far more enamored with an aging star over a promising player who never blossomed. The latter is always cheaper and come with far more upside. If anything the annoying part about them is they come to New England, resurrect their career and then move on to a bigger contract elsewhere. Guys like Akiem Hicks, Aqib Talib, even Brandon Browner are just a few that jump to mind in that regard.

The old stars get everyone excited because your mind immediately imagines them at the peak of their careers as if that is the player the Patriots are getting. Sometimes the Patriots do get one of those guys on a cheaper deal because they “want to win”, but most of the time they’re getting paid for past performance, not what they’re still capable of and that’s why the Pats avoid them.

Anyway, here’s a quick rundown of reported visits that the Patriots have scheduled and my thoughts on them. I try not to get too excited or invested when reports of interest or even visits are reported. Sometimes it’s smoke from the agents. Sometimes they can’t even pass a physical. Other times they leave and sign elsewhere. The point is, don’t get invested until they sign.

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