Patriots/NFL 2020 - Football is back

[BMC]

I don't think that is fair to classify Unitas and Marino as game managers. Griese sure. But Unitas had an excellent arm, made plays deep downfield and was a big reason why the Colts won late in games during his career. Marino was a talented thrower and could make plays in the pocket but he relied too much on his arm to win games, no thanks to Shula. Marino was also an arrogant dick that was always quick to blame everyone but himself for why his team lost.

No, no I meant that Unitas & Marino were game breaking QBs, not game managers like Griese was. Both Unitas & Marino could change or win games with just one throw. Griese was never a threat to do that.

I agree with you about Marino being an arrogant dick btw. His teammates must have loved him after he threw them under the bus

 

[McGarnagle]

Dan Marino always struck me as the kind of QB whose coordinator would call for a handoff, but then go into the huddle and tell the team that it's a deep passing play instead.

 

[EvilDead]

No, no I meant that Unitas & Marino were game breaking QBs, not game managers like Griese was. Both Unitas & Marino could change or win games with just one throw. Griese was never a threat to do that.

I agree with you about Marino being an arrogant dick btw. His teammates must have loved him after he threw them under the bus

Ah I see. And yes, Marino was the perfect teammate.

 

[Tuggy]

Early test. 2-2 would be good tbh

Pats have a really tough schedule this year.

I know a lot of people are confident going into the season but I'm not overly optimistic.

Tough schedule, first year starter, lack of weapons on offense...feels like a transition/rebuild year to me.

The defense will need to put up really good numbers again this season.

 

[N o o d l e s]

Pats have a really tough schedule this year.

I know a lot of people are confident going into the season but I'm not overly optimistic.

Tough schedule, first year starter, lack of weapons on offense...feels like a transition/rebuild year to me.

The defense will need to put up really good numbers again this season.

And now it looks like that tweet and the other reporters were all wrong. Hopefully the beginning is easier and they can string together some wins to get Stidham going.

 

[yazmybaby]

Does anyone know when we play the Bills in Buffalo?
I go to this game every year, nice and close to me, since I live close to Toronto.

 

[08SeaBass08]

Does anyone know when we play the Bills in Buffalo?
I go to this game every year, nice and close to me, since I live close to Toronto.

Schedule being released at 7:30 on Patriots.com

 

[08SeaBass08]

Ordway saying a "little birdie" told him Pats open against Dolphins. No location, though.

 

[McGarnagle]

Ordway saying a "little birdie" told him Pats open against Dolphins. No location, though.

Good way to ease in for Stiddy I think.

 

[Gee Wally]

this is....umm......pretty weird.

Police say arrested wife of NFL star held gun to his head

 

[Smitty93]

Pats have a really tough schedule this year.

I know a lot of people are confident going into the season but I'm not overly optimistic.

Tough schedule, first year starter, lack of weapons on offense...feels like a transition/rebuild year to me.

The defense will need to put up really good numbers again this season.

Yeah, to me it's not really about optimism or pessimism. There's not really a worst case scenario other than if they go 8-8, and Stidham is just mediocre and doesn't show potential to be a franchise QB. Then, you're not in the playoffs and you're not bad enough to draft a QB.

Personally, I'm fine with the other options (they're either good or terrible). I'm not going to panic or be angry if they're bad. If anything, the unknown is part of what I'm excited about. There's not much that would surprise me (besides going 0-16 or 16-0). We've had 20 great years. I'd be naive to think that could continue indefinitely. I'm confident that they'll be able to do a full rebuild if they have to.

 

[KrejciMVP]

43 wins for Belichick to get to Shula, he could do it, but thats a lot of wins for a rebuilding team

 

[McGarnagle]

43 wins for Belichick to get to Shula, he could do it, but thats a lot of wins for a rebuilding team

It's achievable in 5 years. The Pats don't show any signs of bottoming out, so at worst it'll take maybe 6 or 7 years. He should definitely get it, I don't see him retiring any time soon.

 

[N o o d l e s]

Week 4 @ K.C.

Get them out of the way early

 

[CDJ]

this is....umm......pretty weird.

Police say arrested wife of NFL star held gun to his head

Weirdest part is earl hooks up with girls in the same bed as his brother

 

[Fenway]

The NFL has unveiled its 2020 regular-season schedule. Here’s what New England’s slate looks like:
Sept. 13 vs. Miami, 1 p.m.
Sept. 20 at Seattle, 8:20 p.m.
Sept. 27 vs. Las Vegas, 1 p.m.
Oct. 4 at Kansas City, 4:25 p.m.
Oct. 11 vs. Denver, 1 p.m.
BYE WEEK
Oct. 25 vs. San Francisco, 4:25 p.m.
Nov. 1 at Buffalo, 1 p.m.
Nov. 9 at New York Jets, 8:15 p.m.
Nov. 15 vs. Baltimore, 8:20 p.m.
Nov. 22 at Houston, 1 p.m.
Nov. 28 vs. Arizona, 1 p.m.
Dec. 6 at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:25 p.m.
Dec. 10 at Los Angeles Rams, 8:20 p.m.
Dec. 20 at Miami, 1 p.m.
Dec. 28 vs. Buffalo, 8:15 p.m.
Jan. 3 vs. New York Jets, 1 p.m.

 

[GabeTravels]

Like that our LA trip gets both games out of the way at once...Short week playing the Rams sucks...but they'll stay out there and have a nice break coming back...almost like a mini bye.

 

[McGarnagle]

The NFL has unveiled its 2020 regular-season schedule. Here’s what New England’s slate looks like:
Sept. 13 vs. Miami, 1 p.m.
Sept. 20 at Seattle, 8:20 p.m.
Sept. 27 vs. Las Vegas, 1 p.m.
Oct. 4 at Kansas City, 4:25 p.m.
Oct. 11 vs. Denver, 1 p.m.
BYE WEEK
Oct. 25 vs. San Francisco, 4:25 p.m.
Nov. 1 at Buffalo, 1 p.m.
Nov. 9 at New York Jets, 8:15 p.m.
Nov. 15 vs. Baltimore, 8:20 p.m.
Nov. 22 at Houston, 1 p.m.
Nov. 28 vs. Arizona, 1 p.m.
Dec. 6 at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:25 p.m.
Dec. 10 at Los Angeles Rams, 8:20 p.m.
Dec. 20 at Miami, 1 p.m.
Dec. 28 vs. Buffalo, 8:15 p.m.
Jan. 3 vs. New York Jets, 1 p.m.

Chargers and Rams in back to back weeks is a f***ing godsend. The schedulemakers threw us a bone there, less cross-country flying, and more acclimation time. It's a Sunday-Thursday turnaround too, giving us a 9 day break before the divisional homestretch.

All things considered, this is about as well as the order of games could shake out given who we drew this year. Miami at home week 1 should benefit Stidham in his first start. Then gettign Seattle out of the way week 2 and coming back for the Raiders at home week three. We should walk into the bye week at 3-2, and that's fine. The one thing I don't like is having a short week off MNF headed into the Baltimore game. That's the one ehh part. But this could've been much, much worse, let's be honest.

I know I'm a homer, but this is 10-6 at worst here TBQH

 

[GabeTravels]

Why the Saturday game after Thanksgiving? That's weird.

 

[N o o d l e s]

I had them at around 10-6 based on just seeing opponents. Now I could definitely see it

 

[McGarnagle]

Why the Saturday game after Thanksgiving? That's weird.

Don't know, but it gives us an extra day to acclimate to the west coast.

 

[McGarnagle]

I had them at around 10-6 based on just seeing opponents. Now I could definitely see it

Sept. 13 vs. Miami, 1 p.m. W
Sept. 20 at Seattle, 8:20 p.m. L
Sept. 27 vs. Las Vegas, 1 p.m. W
Oct. 4 at Kansas City, 4:25 p.m. L
Oct. 11 vs. Denver, 1 p.m. W
BYE WEEK
Oct. 25 vs. San Francisco, 4:25 p.m. W
Nov. 1 at Buffalo, 1 p.m. L
Nov. 9 at New York Jets, 8:15 p.m. W
Nov. 15 vs. Baltimore, 8:20 p.m. L
Nov. 22 at Houston, 1 p.m. W
Nov. 28 vs. Arizona, 1 p.m. W
Dec. 6 at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:25 p.m. W
Dec. 10 at Los Angeles Rams, 8:20 p.m. W
Dec. 20 at Miami, 1 p.m. L
Dec. 28 vs. Buffalo, 8:15 p.m. W
Jan. 3 vs. New York Jets, 1 p.m. W

I'm feeling greedy. that's 11-5 and factoring in a late-season Miami loss because we always have a random clunker against them.

Worst case I see us dropping one of the two LA games and SF, so 9-7. But if they don't have the division on lock like they do every year, maybe Bill doesn't let them sleepwalk through Miami in December again. So back to 10-6.

 

[Tuggy]

I was definitely worried about the two LA trips. Never thought it'd be back to back

Can't ask for better than that.

 

[rfournier103]

43 wins for Belichick to get to Shula, he could do it, but thats a lot of wins for a rebuilding team

Even though the Patriots are re-tooling (rebuilding is more of a Cleveland Browns thing), they're not that bad off. There will be no easy games, and the Ravens and Chiefs are by far and away the class of the AFC. But having said that, the rest of the games are winnable, and I could see the Patriots anywhere from 8-8 to 11-5 depending on how the defense shapes up.

As far as catching Shula goes, do you really think Bill Belichick is going anywhere before he breaks that record? He is now 1000% in control of that football team (with only Bob and Jonathan to answer to) and I’m certain that the closer to the record he gets, the less likely he is to leave.

Belichick will never admit it, but nobody can ever convince me that he doesn’t want that record more than anything. A “perfect season” is a very very long shot at this point in time, but the all-time wins record is all but within his grasp.

Think Captain Ahab helming the Pequod.

I can’t wait for the season to start.

 

[DueDiligence]

Pats go 3-1 I think. Seattle would be an amazing win but as of right now I see the Seahawks D suffocating this offense. Even though San Francisco was just in a Super Bowl, I see them as vulnerable. Really, really vulnerable. The Chiefs gave everyone on the NFL a how to on stopping Shanahan and with Bill knowing everything to know about Jimmy G, I see the Niners losing. The Patriots have McVay and Goff figured out and the Rams took a massive step back last year so there's another win. And the Cardinals are a paper tiger. I don't care that they got Larry Fitzgerald and DeAndre Hopkins. They are still weak on the o line, their defense outside of Chandler Jones blows and they are led by a mediocre college coach who only has a job because of Sean McVay and Patrick Mahomes.

San Fran "really really vulnerable" ? They were a few minutes away from winning the Superbowl with only a few changes. I think they still win 11-12 games this year.
And the Cardinals? Got a great defensive player in Simmons at #8; a guy who will have immediate, huge impact on that unit.They also got a 1st round talent in Jones with their 3rd round pick. A guy who should be a starting offensive tackle after a few games.
Bottom line, Pats have their hands full and could easily start out 1-3.