LETS GOOOO! The Patriots have traded a conditional 5th round pick for Josh Gordon, which is actually cheaper than I had predicted. I will take that all day long. Also, reportedly if Josh Gordon is not active for 10 games, the Patriots will receive 7th round pick back from the Browns.
This is exactly what this team needs right now. Immense, immense talent. Sure he’s only played 11 games over the last 4 calendar years, but this is a guy that could thrive with a QB like Tom Brady throwing him the ball. Again, his best, and only, great season came in 2013 when he went 87 for 1,646 with 9 TDs. Not a lot of guys in this league that can even approach stats like that. And that was with bums like Jason Campbell, Brandon Weeden, and Brian Hoyer throwing him the ball.
Granted the Patriots put themselves in a shit situation by trading Brandon Cooks and letting Danny Amendola walk, but hey you play the hand you’re dealt. And right now the Patriots need a stud receiver. I’ll take that chance as its the ultimate low risk, high reward type move.
Felger and the talking heads will dump on the move, despite complaining for weeks about how the Patriots were hesitant to bring in a guy over concerns of receivers “learning the offense.” It was this or Kenny Britt or Dez Bryant. Dez is three years older than Gordon with a history of foot problems. We’ve already cut Britt once. Give me Gordon. If he’s a bum or he misses practices or he just doesn’t gel with Brady, then cut him.
It’s a great move in an area of need as Belichick jumps on an opportunity after biding his time and rotating in guys like Britt, Cordarrelle Patterson, Corey Coleman, Philip Dorsett, Jordan Matthews and others in 20 moves they made this season at the position.
Sunday was an ugly day for the New England Patriots. I was feeling pretty confident heading in and since I was in the great state of New Jersey I even placed a legal wager on my boys to pull it out. Welp, midway through the first quarter I knew I wasn’t getting that money back ever again. What seemed like a steamrolling by the Jaguars was a game that actually pivoted on just a handful of plays and missed opportunities, which I have painstakingly compiled below. Andddd go!
-Gostkowski missed another bunny in a key moment. Yuck, this guy is basically Tuukka Rask to me these days. He’s not as bad as sports talk radio says, but he’s definitely not as great as the team would have you believe. I know it’s only a handful of kicks he’s missed over the years, but they all seem to stick out in my memory because they all came in key situations. Regardless of his FG percentage, I do not want this guy anywhere near a game tying or game winning kick anymore.
-Refs missed a holding call against Gronk (and a potential roughing the passer) and the Pats were forced to kick on 4th down on their first drive, which as we mentioned above Gostkowski shanked with an absolute duck of a kick.
Gostkowski sends it OB right as Patriots end first drive pointless. Either the Telvin Smith jersey tug or Ngakoue “weight drop” should have been drive-extenders.
-A Jacksonville receiver fumbled a ball that jumped like a magic fucking bean right into another Jacksonville receiver’s hands for the luckiest of recoveries.
-This defense looked like swiss cheese all day, which is alarming, but it would be out of character for any Patriots fan to completely overreact. We’ve seen these early season losses when the team is still trying to figure it out. Whether it was the offensive line or the right linebacker rotation, we’ve seen it before and this year is probably no different especially when it comes to the wide receivers. Hell the Pats are like the high school jock who got a little too high on himself and dumped a perfectly nice girl (Kenny Britt), only to try and get her back after he’s put on the freshman 15 at college.
-Eric Rowe got roasted all day long. One of the plays against him was impossible to stop:
But he then immediately got beat for a TD he should have been able to defend.
-The defense got burned on 3rd down all game long as Bortles scrambled and found an open man or ran for first downs himself. Hell he’s got the third highest Avg Yards per Rush for a QB in the history of the league, just a tick behind Michael Vick.
-The defense was bad yes, but lets remember that it took a career day from Blake Bortles (29 of 45 for 377 yards, 4 touchdowns, 1 interception). Literally the best game of his career to topple the Patriots, which kind of stung after I clowned Bortles all week long and lost a little coin in the process, but hey thems the breaks.
Thats the most concerning visual from the entire game. It kind of felt like Brady and McDaniels were starting to worry that this team might not be able to get them where they want to go. Hopefully it’s just the two of them blowing off some steam on the new guys making mental errors.
-Breathe and say it with me….Julian Edelman will be back in 3 weeks.
-I’m pretty sure Mattes and I have stumbled onto some black magic as the two guys we picked for team MVPs on The 300s Podcast, Rex Burkhead and Trey Flowers, have each gotten concussions in the first two weeks. Another guy Mattes picked as a DPOY was Deatrich Wise, who left the game late with what the announcers speculated as some jumbled finger digits. I’m not comfortable with this type of power.
-At one point midway through the second half the broadcast team pointed out that it had been a full 45 minutes since Tom Brady had thrown the ball. That cannot help gameflow and momentum.
-The non-call of the Jags jumping offsides on 4th down late in the game as the Pats tried to draw the penalty before punting. As the broadcast team, and TV shots of a fuming Belichick pointed out, the offensive lineman needs to touch the the defender if he jumps onside otherwise he can reset and the refs won’t call it. Romo even pointed out in the replay you can see the official reach for his flag before deciding against it. That one hurt.
-Before the season I predicted the Pats would split with the Jags and the Texans and be 3-1 after the first month. After Week 2, we’re exactly where I expected so unless they drop a game to the Lions and old friend Matt Patricia
or the Dolphins, who tried their very best to give away a W to the Jets on Sunday, then we’re fine.
-Don’t get it twisted, this defense is somewhere between hot garbage and a cold lunch, BUT its probably a little bit better than the defense that was one stop away from winning back to back Super Bowls last year. So it may not always be pretty, it will probably be infuriatingly bad at times, but at the end of the day it should be good enough to keep the team alive as long as TB12 is under center…..and not a second longer.
-After predicting the Pats would do their best to eviscerate Jalen Ramsey for trash talking Gronk (I may have said something about making his children orphans, but I forget) and they did nothing of the sort. The offense could not get into a rhythm and anytime they did, their momentum was killed by turnovers and missed kicks.
-Cordarrelle Patterson killed a drive when he tripped over the Ghost of Christmas Past on a key third down. After the Pats defense came up huge and forced a quick 3 and out, the offense came out onto the field and these next two tweets came over the span of 6 minutes.
A short series and a terrible punt. The #Patriots have to smell blood here. #Jags
Patterson caught a screen out of the backfield and looked like he had room to run, but his feet would not cooperate as he tripped over nothing and fell down to end the drive in its tracks.
Anddd 5 minutes after that Bortles threw a pick to try and let the Patriots back into the game. Anddd then 3 minutes after that Brady was strip sacked and that was the game.
So I just have to tip my cap to the Jaguars. It’s only Week 2 so I hope they aren’t riding too high….
“It kind of felt like we won a Super Bowl, man,” safety Tashaun Gipson said. “I won’t even kid you. It was that type of atmosphere and environment.
….because we’ve seen this story before (see: Chiefs 2014), but alas I tip my cap.
-Josh Gordon?? I say yes because of the pure ability coupled with the age; 27 whereas Dez Bryant will be 30 soon.
But obviously the guy has been dealing with issues for years. The last, and only, good season Gordon had came back in 2013. Back when Shane Victorino played for the Red Sox. Tom E. Curran makes a pretty compelling argument against the receiver as well:
He’s played in 11 of a possible 65 games since his absurd 2013 season (86 catches, 1,646 yards). He needs full-time supervision, it seems. Permissiveness, understanding and contorting for Gordon’s needs all offseason got the Browns . . . a game. One catch. A touchdown. And then they threw up their hands.
How’s that return on emotional investment and time spent? Not real good. It’s not inhumane to tell a troubled person he is unemployable, which Gordon has been and seemingly still is.
Besides, the Patriots were already down the road with one wide receiver project, Cordarelle Patterson. Then they added Corey Coleman this week.
If feels like they are at capacity when it comes to getting talented but hard-to-reach downfield receivers assimilated. This isn’t July when there’s nothing to do but conditioning, working on timing and getting on the same page. There are games every seven days now, game plans to install, fine-tune and execute.
The reality is, nobody’s got time for Josh Gordon right now.
Despite all that, the Patriots are at least doing their due diligence on Gordon according to Bert Breer.
So that may have been more than just a few pivot points, but I think its just an early season misstep for the Pats (one that I expected) as they build for the longterm and assess what their strengths and weaknesses are. Plus I feel much more confident going against the Jags in the playoffs going for the split, rather than trying to beat Sacksonville twice in one season.
Up next is old friend Matt Patricia and my worst fantasy draft pick in a decade; Matt Stafford.
The NFL overtime system is broken and it’s easy to see why. I’m not talking about two ties in two weeks, though. The fact that the league has to put its overtime rules on the screen every time a game goes to overtime is all you need to know. I’ve never seen Fox or ESPN have to explain how extra innings or basketball overtime works. Even the NHL with its loser point, 4-on-4, 3-on-3, and shootout formats over the last 20 years is still pretty simple – play five minutes and if no one wins we go to a three-round shootout.
The fact that the NFL has to explain the rules every time a game goes to overtime is ridiculous. That’s arena league stuff. Fortunately, the solution is easy. The NFL will eventually adopt the college football overtime system, the Kansas Plan.
The Kansas Plan won’t be coming to the NFL next year, but it probably will be in the next decade or so. A criticism of the Kansas Plan is that it takes special teams out of the game, with no kickoffs or punts. Pretty soon, though, that’s what regular football could look like. With the NFL moving kickoffs up to the 35-yard line and moving touchbacks out to the 25-yard line, it’s clear that they want fewer kickoffs returned. Same in college football, which now treats any fair catch of a kickoff inside the 25-yard line as a touchback. It may be a while before the kickoff is eliminated entirely but it could happen in our lifetimes, and eliminating it in overtime would be an easy way to start.
The NFL said it shortened regular season overtime from 15 to 10 minutes for player safety reasons. Making the switch to the college football overtime system could easily be justified for that same reason.
And all due respect to punters, but if a game can’t be decided in 60 minutes I don’t mind taking the option to punt off the table for OT. Overtime is intended to force an outcome, one way or another. To force an outcome, game play has to be tweaked a little bit. I don’t mind telling a team they lose the right to punt after 60 minutes of play.
While I don’t believe the current NFL overtime system is unfair, the college overtime system is undoubtedly fairer. The Kansas Plan obviously gives each team an opportunity to possess the football. This eliminates the possibility of another Super Bowl (or any game, really) ending without one side getting an opportunity on offense. If I were a Falcons fan, I’d still be upset that Matt Ryan never got to touch the football in overtime in Super Bowl 51.
Unless the NFL wants to play full 15-minute quarters until the deadlock is broken, which it most certainly does not, it’s time they go back to college and adopt the Kansas Plan. College football overtime isn’t prefect, but it’s simpler, safer and fairer. You could do a lot worse than an overtime system that’s simple, fair and safe.
Red is 100% right. Jalen Ramsey talking trash about Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady does ring hollow, and the Patriots will probably hand him the beating of a lifetime this Sunday. Still, I can’t help but admire the balls on this guy.
The greatest quarterback and greatest tight end of all time are coming to town this weekend and he’s not impressed. But perhaps even ballsier than saying that he doesn’t think Gronk “is as great as people think he is,” was him saying that he could play in the NHL with just six months of training. That is despite the fact that he has never skated. That is a lie that Saul Goodman himself would be proud of.
It’s also an epic troll job. The number of NHL players bent out of shape over it is incredible.
Jesus Christ guys, get a grip. Everyone talks about how easygoing hockey players are, but these guys seem like an easy group to get a reaction out of. A football player was talking out of his ass guys, not disrespecting your sport. Disrespecting your sport might sound like someone calling it the fifth-most popular sport in the United States after football, basketball, baseball and college football. Hypothetically speaking.
Shout out to the Springfield Thunderbirds, though. They get it.
That’s an A+ response to Ramsey’s claim that he could play in the NHL. That team’s social media manager deserves a raise.
I don’t think his Patriots trash talk will have any impact on Sunday’s game and I don’t believe he will ever play in the NHL, but goddammit do I respect him for having the balls to make these outrageous statements.
It’s one thing to call Josh Allen and Joe Flacco trash because they are in fact not good at football. However, when Jalen Ramsey starts chirping Rob Gronkowski it kind of rings false.
“I don’t think Gronk’s good,” Ramsey told ESPN.com’s Mina Kimes in a story that was published late last month. He then clarified: “Let me say — I don’t think Gronk is as great as people think he is.”
If I know the Patriots, and I like to think I do, these guys love nothing more than stomping on the heads of their loudest and cockiest enemies before dancing on their graves. With that being said, are Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski going to make a orphans out of Jalen Ramsey’s children?
Not that good? Lets see…Gronk was voted the No. 1 tight end in the league by his peers last year, he is a 4x All-Pro, and thats before we even get into his career stats.
4th all time in Touchdowns for a TE
11th all time in Receiving Yards for a TE
21st all time in Receptions for a TE
1st all time in Receiving Yards per Game for a TE
All of that despite being *92nd* in Career Games Played for a TE. Gronk is one of the all-time greats and a hands down first ballot Hall of Famer at the ripe old age of 29.
Yet Jalen Ramsey has decided to put a target on his back by chirping Gronk for some reason.
Jaguars CB Jalen Ramsey on facing Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski. Ramsey previously said he didn’t think Gronk “is as great as people think he is.” pic.twitter.com/23erBn80vM
In the run-up to a December clash between the two AFC powerhouses in 2007, second year Steelers safety Anthony Smith guaranteed a win against the (undefeated) Patriots. When asked about it, he doubled down
Brady and the Patriots not only heard Smith, they went directly at him when the game began. Randy Moss caught a 63-yard touchdown running past Smith. And the Patriots used a double pass play to exploit Smith for a second score
Brady himself found Smith after one score, making sure his thoughts were understood.
Tom Brady and Randy Moss took that to heart and ruthlessly attacked Smith, roasted him, and just went out of their way to embarrass the guy on national TV for having the gall to question the Patriots.
Hell even Belichick got into the mud to put the finishing touches on the battered, bruised and beaten safety.
“We’ve played against a lot better safeties than him, I’ll tell you,” said the Patriots coach. By the game’s end, the stats told a stark picture. The Patriots passed 46 times for 399 yards and four touchdowns, barely bothering with a run game.
Now obviously Jalen Ramsey is no Anthony Smith, rather he was All-Pro last season, but you keep knocking on the devils door and sooner or later someone’s going to answer.
After a solid performance against the Texans at home in Week 1, the Patriots already have their first tough matchup of the year. This Sunday, they’re set to square off on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who, were it not for a big fourth-quarter Patriots comeback – capped off by a HUGE touchdown from Danny “Playoff” Amendola with 2:48 remaining – would have been last year’s AFC champions.
As always, here’s a quick snapshot of when, where, and how to watch the game along with the latest lines:
Somehow, the Patriots are favored in this one, but BUYER BEWARE. I don’t know if people are still somehow basing their opinion off of old, outdated perceptions, but these ain’t your granddaddy’s Jaguars.
Again, this is a team that was leading 20-10 early on in the fourth quarter against the Pats in last year’s AFC championship, and one that is bringing back pretty much every starter from a truly stifling defense that finished second in both yards allowed and points per game allowed in 2017. They also finished second in both sacks and interceptions to boot. Point being: their D is absolutely lethal, perhaps even “all-time” good. (Yes, they really are that freakin’ good.)
Jalen Ramsey (left) and A.J. Bouye (right) form unquestionably the best corner pairing in the game right now.
On the offensive side of things, the Jags are not quite as daunting, but they’re certainly not bereft of talent. Stud running back Leonard Fournette is expected to play, as long as his hamstring, which forced him out of action early on in Week 1, holds up at practice on Friday:
It’s the Patriots game. Only way Fournette is missing that is if there’s a setback. Hard to do with more rest. So, I’d relax. @_fournette also gotta keep snacking on kale, avocado, beans, & nuts etc.. #AntiCrampingFoods and of course stay hydrated. https://t.co/zuo4ohtoaN
Even though the Pats held him to just 3.2 yards per carry in January, he’s still probably one of the game’s best. Also, backup T.J. Yeldon, one of this week’s hottest fantasy pickups, is no slouch either; he finished the game with almost 70 total yards in relief of Fournette last Sunday, and let’s not forget he averaged 5.2 yards per carry as the team’s backup ball-carrier last year. Both backs can also catch balls out of the backfield, so the Pats will need to watch out for them all over the field on Sunday.
Fortunately, the Jaguars have Blake Bortles and a depleted receiving corps responsible for the other half of the offense. Bortles is perhaps one of the most intriguing players in the entire league; here’s a guy who’s thrown over 20 touchdowns in three straight seasons, including 35 of them in 2015, but one who has also thrown 48 picks over that same time frame and can oftentimes look like a lost Pop Warner player on the field.
To be fair, though, Bortles did come on strong toward the end of last season, and he played very well in the AFC championship (23/36, 293 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 98.5 RTG). You could do a lot worse than him at quarterback, and if you’re not careful he can flame you. However, after letting Allen Hurns walk this offseason and losing Marquis Lee for the year due to injury, the Jags receiving corps is still trying to flesh itself out. Besides Keelan Cole – who I’m expecting a big year from and who truly might’ve been one of the best receivers in the NFL over the last five or so weeks of 2017 – it’s a lot of young, highly-drafted guys (Dede Westbrook, D.J. Chark) or extremely overrated veterans (Donte Moncrief, Austin Sefarian-Jenkins) to choose from for Blakey Boy.
Stephon Gilmore and the rest of the secondary should be able to keep Bortles and the receivers at bay in this one, but Fournette and Yeldon could do some work against a Pats defense that gave up the second most receiving yards out of the opposing backfield last season. The Patriots also allowed the Texans to rush for over five yards per carry as a team last week – even when taking Deshaun Watson out of the picture and only accounting for their running backs – so the team could struggle to stop the ground game this week.
Though he was sacked three times, Brady played great against the Jags in January (26/38, 290 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INT, 108.4 RTG), but with much less to work with in terms of talent around him, things could be a bit more difficult this time around. Jalen Ramsey should be able to lock down Hogan (if, of course, he’s not on Gronk instead) and A.J. Bouye should be able to take care of whoever else. (Yeah, I know how good Phillip Dorsett looked last week, but don’t expect a repeat performance in Jacksonville.) Rex Burkhead and James White will likely be relied upon heavily again down in the Sunshine State as well.
Storylines to Keep an Eye On
(Can Trent Brown and the Boys Up Front Keep it Up?): Brown passed his first test in a Patriots uniform last week against a strong Texans pass-rush, but Houston’s front pales in comparison to the group the Jags possess. From monster-man Calais Campbell (12.5 sacks in 2017) to guys like Dante Fowler, Yannick Ngakoue, and Malik Jackson, Brown and the rest of the O-line are going to have their hands full once again.
(Will We See Sony Michel?/Running Back Rotation): After missing Week 1 while still recovering from a knee injury, rookie Sony Michel has been participating in positional drills once again at practice this week. While there’s been no real indication from anyone of note as to whether or not he’ll play this Sunday, Kevin Duffy of the Boston Herald points out that the rookie is hopeful:
“I’m doing all I can do to prepare,” Michel said in his first interview since suffering the knee injury. “Whatever coach’s plan is, I don’t know what his plan is, but my mindset is prepare as if I’m playing.”
After losing Jeremy Hill for the season this week to an ACL tear, Michel would certainly be a welcomed presence. I am unsure if the team wants the rookie to begin his NFL life against such a tough defense, but then again Bill is certainly not averse to throwing people right into the fire. If not, then newly signed Kenjon Barner might get a little more run than expected. Kenneth Farrow (Melvin Gordon’s backup with the then-San Diego Chargers in 2016) or preseason standout Ralph Webb could also get promoted from the practice squad. Otherwise, Burkhead and White are both going to be in for a long afternoon.
Come ahhhn, Sony. We’re getting anxious over here.
Prediction
The Patriots come out trying to establish the run and are not so successful. With Hogan and Gronk being locked down by the Jags secondary, this ultimately causes Brady to have to force balls to the likes of Dorsett and Cordarrelle Patterson, and that doesn’t go so well. Meanwhile, Bortles is able to move the ball a little better than expected against the Pats defense, to the tune of 300 yards and two scores. Brady, as he always does, finds a way to finally punch one or two in later in the game. Unfortunately, though, the Jags win out in the end 20-14.
ProFootballTalk – Corey Coleman is getting his third chance in the NFL. The Patriots are signing Coleman, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
So for all those OBSESSING over how the Patriots are going to supplement their depleted wide receiver corps, here is your answer. The Pats have added their third former first round pick in Corey Coleman, who joins Cordarrelle Patterson and Philip Dorsett on our personal island of secondhand Lexus. He comes to Foxboro via the couch, as Coleman was inauspiciously cut in training camp this year by the Bills seemingly minutes after being traded to Buffalo by the team that drafted him, the Browns.
To address the headline, Corey Coleman has broken his right hand twice. In 2 seasons. And I am no expert in human biology nor a pro athlete, but I believe you may need a right hand to play Wide Receiver, otherwise known as catching, in the NFL. If you break your right hand twice, there is simply no fuckin way that thing still works. Corey Coleman is a one-handed wide receiver, plain and simple. Therefore, unless we plan to get him the ball via end-arounds and other “gadget plays” (coughhandoffscough) then I really am curious as to how the hell this is going to work.
In the end, I suppose my loquacious colleague was correct when he said we are better off with Coleman than Dez Bryant. The more that I think about it, I can’t remember a bigger possession receiver like Bryant really adding much to the Pat’s, aside from Brandon LaFell, who also bought ALL THE WAY IN to the Patriot way. Maybe Coleman will too. Better than buying into Buffalo or Cleveland.
So I am going to start posting this every week. An opportunity for you the reader to both revel and commiserate with your favorite (Me, maybe Big Z) or least favorite (Bills Fan) 300s blogger. So without further or do……….
Papa Giorgio (Joey B’s Note: PG’s starting quarterback IRL is Nathan Peterman)
“Two words: Total Domination. Was it easy? No. Did I almost throw up blood when Aaron Rodgers was carted off the field with a knee injury? You betcha! Someone I managed to come out of week one 3-0 in all my leagues combined. As someone who does not take fantasy football too seriously, it was a nice start to what inevitably will be a horrifying, disastrous finish.”
Big Z
“I kept Le’Veon Bell in My keeper league. I picked up James Conner as his handcuff, but played Devonta Freeman instead in Week 1. Figured Pittsburgh had lots of other weapons, and might not lean too heavily on the second year player. Conner outscored Freeman by a cool 28 points, as I lost my Week 1 matchup by 12.”
Joey B
I had a solid, straightforward week 1 win. I only do one team because I honestly just can’t keep track of more than one. Team-wise, I grabbed Gronk in the first because it’s smart and I picked up/started James Connor because the Steelers have relied heavily on the run since Lincoln still had the back of his head. The only thing grinding my gears a bit is that I lost out on the league high score for the week because rather than having even an underwhelming, sub-average game Matthew Stafford shat the bed completely. Oh well, 1-0.
Now we get to the absolute novels written by Red and MATTES GOOOODDDAMN. Asked these guys for a blurb on their fantasy football week and I got Will Hunting’s thesis on the market economy in the southern colonies.
Red
“Ya know, I was initially pretty upset about accidentally drafting Matt Stafford in the 8th round because time ran out on my pick, but now? Well now I’m fucking furious. Thats what I get for playing chicken with the Yahoo fantasy football draft pick timer.
I won a fantasy league I was in with Donovan McNabb as my QB that I picked up in like the 15th round. It was his last year in Philly and his last year as a productive NFL starter, which was perfect for me. Drafting a QB late has been my template ever since. Welp, not this year.
Sure you could attribute my opening day loss to lack of preparation (I didn’t buy an $11 draft magazine this year) or the fact that I continue to rely on Seahawks running backs not named Marshawn Lynch prior to 2015, but I prefer to point out that Matthew Stafford threw 4 picks in the same week Alvin Kamara dropped 38 points on me.
Here’s to hoping Sam Darnold continues to do just what I had hoped and throw the ball to my sleeper pick, Quincy Enunwa, more than anyone else on the Jets. Quincy had 10 targets last night compared to 11 for the rest of the team combined.
On my bench, of course.
Goddamnit, why do I play this game?”
Mattes
“I tell ya, it really sucks to be 0-2 after just one week of football. BOTH sqauds lost this weekend, and neither matchup was close in either league. Even worse is the fact I was expected to be the week’s high-scorer in my full-point PPR league – with guys like Larry Fitz, Michael Thomas, David Johnson, and Jarvis Landy – but only two of those guys actually showed up. There was a few fleeting minutes of hope in my matchup against our very own Papa Giorgio, when Aaron Rodgers looked like he was about to be placed on the shelf for the second straight season. But alas, the legend came back and put up another THIRTY-TWO points to crush my Week 1 dreams. Although, with Amari Cooper putting up two whole points on Monday night, maybe it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. It also didn’t help to have the Saints defense in both leagues, who fell victim to some serious FitzMagic and blew chunks in their home opener. In one league, the got me -4, and the other they got me -8.
So I literally would’ve been better off not even starting a D/ST this week. COOL. I did have one particular Saints player, though, who went absolutely BANANAS, catching 16 balls for 180 yards and a score; his name is Michael Thomas, as previously mentioned, and I’m glad I snagged him for the second year in a row. Jordan Howard and Carlos Hyde look like a decent back pairing in one league, but David Johnson and Alex Collins didn’t live up to expectations in the other. Hopefully Kerryon Johnson, my sneaky pick for Rookie of the Year, takes the job away from a hopefully-washed-up LeGarrette Blount and serves as a solid No. 3 behind Howard and Hyde. And if Rex Burkhead ends up being the Patriots offensive MVP, as I predicted in the Pats preview podcast, I could be OK in my other league, too. Russell Wilson also proved he’s matchup-proof, putting up over 30 against a nasty Broncos D. Philip Rivers and Kirk Cousins look like a solid pairing in my two-QB league as well, so I’m not getting too down after the first week. It can only go up from here…right?”
As I sit here and write this, the 2018 NFL season has already officially begun, with the Eagles beating the Falcons in last night’s season opener, 18-12. We are now just about 48 hours away from REAL and MEANINGFUL Patriots action.
The team is set to square off against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. Before we get into a game preview, here’s a couple quick hits on when and where to watch the game along with a few of the latest lines:
This will be a matchup between what should be two of the AFC’s premier squads in 2018. Although the Texans missed out on the playoffs last year, that’s most likely due to the fact they lost then-super-rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson to an ACL tear just before Week 9, when the team was 3-4. Sure, they technically had a losing record with him under center before the injury, but of those seven games four were against playoff teams, and another was a mere three-point loss against a solid Seahawks team in which Watson threw for over 400 yards and four touchdowns to go along with another 67 yards on the ground. Watson also had 21 total touchdowns on the season at the time he went down.
I do think that Watson will regress a bit this year, as his touchdown rate was just silly last season, but he’s still probably the most talented quarterback the Texans have ever had in their 15-year history. Let’s not forget Watson also totaled 342 yards and two touchdowns against the Pats when the teams squared off last season, in what was just his third-ever NFL game. He, DeAndre Hopkins, and Lamar Miller form a pretty solid trio on the offensive side of things.
But enough about Watson. The Texans will also have two of their top defenders back this season, J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus, both of whom played just five games each for the team last year. Not only have the two combined for ONE HUNDRED AND FREAKIN’ EIGHT sacks since Mercilus’s rookie year in 2012, but Houston’s defense – which was a top-three unit in both 2015 and 2016 – fell all the way to 20th without them last year. I expect Houston’s D to be solid once again in 2018 if both guys can stay on the field. This offseason, the team also added safety Tyrann Mathieu – aka the Honey Badger and one of my absolute favorite players in the league – and he is expected to inject some much-needed skill and energy into the team’s defensive backfield.
He’s baaaaaaaaack.
OK. OK. But what about the Pats?
Well, this game is going to be all about timing routes and quick passes. (Hello, James White!) Brady is going to need to get the ball out quickly, and as long as he doesn’t get knocked around by Houston’s nasty pass-rush he could carve it up between the 20s. Aaron Colvin and a 34-year-old Johnathan Joseph are also a pretty lackluster pair of corners, so TB12 shouldn’t have too much trouble moving the ball as long as he stays standing.
The Texans actually were a top-15 team against the run last season, so I wouldn’t expect a huge game on the ground for the Pats offense. White and Rex Burkhead will likely be sent out of the backfield quite often, especially with the team being expected to take it slow with the latter. Jeremy Hill could actually get a little bit more burn than expected as well, as the team will still need someone to move the chains between the tackles and on the goal line.
As far as the defense goes, the Pats (hopefully) improved pass-rush should be able to do some serious work against the Texans HORRENDOUS offensive line, which was ranked dead-last by Pro Football Focus this offseason. It may be tough to corral Watson, though, which will probably force him out of the pocket and on the run quite a bit. Therefore, Dont’a Hightower and the rest of the linebacking corps will need to be on high alert throughout this one.
Storylines to Keep an Eye On
(Welcome to New England, Trent Brown): Brady’s new blindside protector certainly has his work cut out for him. As mentioned above, the Texans feature one of the league’s most ferocious pass-rushing units, and this will be Brown’s first chance to prove himself in a Pats uniform. He’s received very positive reviews throughout most of the offseason, but let’s just hope Watt & Co. don’t give him fits in his home debut.
Hopefully he’s still smiling around 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.
(James White is the X-Factor): With the team’s thin receiving corps and the need for Brady to get the ball out quickly in this one, I expect White to be HUGE for the Pats on Sunday. Not only can Brady check down to him in a hurry, but White’s underrated ability to carry the rock can also help keep the Texans D guessing, especially when the team runs out the Pony offense, which I also expect to see a lot of.
(Who Will Step Up Behind Hogan?): Barring another freak injury or Johnathan Joseph traveling back in time to his Pro Bowl days, Chris Hogan will be the team’s leading receiver in Week 1. But after that, who is going to step up? Will it be Phillip Dorsett, who looked solid in the team’s dress rehearsal? Will it be Cordarrelle Patterson, who has the skills to be a unique offensive weapon? Will it be Riley McCarron, a dark horse who was just promoted from the practice squad on Thursday? It’s anyone’s guess at this point.
Prediction
Save for some minor worry regarding Brady’s protection in this one, I still think the Pats are far and away the better overall team. Belichick won’t let Watson light him up two years in a row. Plus, Trey Flowers, Deatrich Wise, Adrian Clayborn, and the rest of the boys up front on defense should be able to consistently get in his face and throw him off his game. There are also still enough weapons on the Pats offense for them to move the ball and score some points against Houston’s D, as long as their fearsome crew up front is kept at bay. The Pats take this one 24-14.
The NFL season kicks off in mere hours and even though the Patriots aren’t playing tonight, it’s still a solid excuse to order some pizza and wings and throw back the last few Sam Summers in your fridge. With about 70 hours to go until the Pats kick off, the staff here at The 300s shared their final predictions for the upcoming Patriots season.
Red Let’s be candid here; on the last episode of The 300s Podcast I picked the Steelers to beat the Patriots in the AFC Championship game this year, but that was BEFORE the entire Steelers organization started openly trashing Le’Veon Bell to everyone in the media. I did not expect him to actually hold out into the regular season. So with that being said I would like to issue a referendum and put my support behind the Patriots reaching their 9th Super Bowl in the Brady/Belichick era and winning it all for their 6th ring together.
Its so easy to take the field, but I just don’t feel confident about any of them. The Eagles are trying to repeat which hasn’t happened since the Patriots did it in 2003-04 and they’re relying on Nick Foles until Carson Wentz comes back from a torn ACL. Despite his SB MVP trophy, I would not want to put my repeat aspirations on the shoulders of Foles.
Just looking at the AFC who are the biggest challengers? The Steelers are in open rebellion against the crown and look like a team about to collapse into chaos. The Chiefs are banking on a guy with 35 career Pass Attempts in Patrick Mahomes. Pass. The Jaguars are a legit threat, but that is a team built around a ton of young guys who I would like to see them prove it for another year before I crown them anything. Plus Blake Bortles is always ready to implode with a handful of awful games.
Gun to head I’m taking the Patriots to get back to their winning ways. Yes, the defense was abysmal last year, but they were also ONE stop away from winning the Super Bowl. So with an improved defensive line (Danny Shelton, Adrian Clayborn, Derek Rivers) and the return of Dont’a Hightower, I like that defense to improve this year. The offense will be a work in progress while Julian Edelman is out with his suspension, but the team figured it out without him for 16 games last year so I think they will make it work.
I’m still predicting a 12-4 record, but with the recent news out of Pittsburgh, I’m taking the Patriots to go to, and win, Super Bowl LIII.
Big Z I’m not predicting Tom Brady’s demise. That would be just as foolish as betting against the house in blackjack. I do wonder who the hell he is going to throw the ball to, though. Gronk is back, but the receiving corps is pretty thin after that. Brandin Cooks and Danny Amendola are gone. Julian Edelman will be coming back from a torn ACL after serving a four-game suspension. That leaves Chris Hogan as Brady’s top receiver. This feels a lot like 2006.
The coaching is good enough to get enough out of the defense, and the division is so weak there’s no real threat of the Patriots missing the playoffs. But in addition to appearing to be a bit thin in some areas, this team has played a lot of football over the last four years. I think they go 11-5, but run out of gas and lose on the road in the AFC Championship game.
Mattes
Insert overplayed line about how the Pats don’t have any good receivers and that we’re not going to be the same because of it here. OK, I THINK EVERYONE GETS IT BY NOW: the team’s a little thin in the receiving corps. I’m not going to sit here and waste any more time talking about it. We still have Gronk. We still have Hogan. Edelman will be back soon. We have a great stable of backs who can all (pretty much) catch the ball out of the backfield. Also, as mentioned in this week’s podcast, Cordarrelle Patterson could be a real sneaky solid player this year. No matter what, Brady’s going to figure it out. It’s Tom Fucking Brady. (Again, he once made it to an AFC Championship game with Reche Caldwell as his No. 1 receiver. Need I say more?)
I also think the defense will be much improved, especially the pass-rush. Considering the Pats were already fifth in the league in terms of points per game allowed last year, that’s saying something. I love the addition of Adrian Clayborn and Danny Shelton up front, and they’re only going to help the young guys like Flowers and Wise continue to wreak havoc on opposing QBs. Gilmore and McCourty will have the secondary on lock, and they will also be helped immensely by the team’s much-improved line. Sure, the linebackers are a little suspect, but I think the Pats have enough in the front and the back of the defense to make up for the lackluster play in the middle.
In order not to sound like a complete homer, I don’t like the injury trend we’ve seen so far this year, and it could be our undoing. With both of this year’s first-rounders currently on the shelf, one of which could be for the whole season, and other guys throughout the roster, especially along the O-line, dealing with other nagging ailments (like the “slight tear” in Burkhead’s knee), there could be a serious depth issues at certain points this year at multiple positions. But if everyone stays relatively healthy, I say we go 12-4 but unfortunately lose to the Jags or Steelers in the AFC Championship.
Papa Giorgi Tom vs. Time reared it’s ugly head once again this week in which Brady declared he’d like to play another five years, for like the 15th year in a row. We get it Tom, you’re from the future sent back to protect John Connor.
Well Tom, Edward Furlong doesn’t need your help anymore and it’s time you went back the way you came. Stop holding the AFC East hostage and go play with your children and wife before she leaves you for someone younger. Tom vs. Time? More like Tom vs. time spent on the couch. Gisele, if you’re reading this, I am available to spend time with you every Sunday at 1. Prediction: nothing I say matters and Pats win the Super Bowl because why should I be happy?
Who got it right and who got it wrong? Let us know on Twitter @The300sBoston
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