PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

Mike Dussault

Rob Gronkowski and Nate Solder are OUT vs. Cardinals

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Deep breaths. Deeeeeeep breaths. That’s what I’m taking since this tweet came across my timeline…

Gronk pulled up in a mid-August training camp practice, tweaking his hamstring and wasn’t seen again until this week’s practice. Meanwhile, Solder, possibly forced to play because Tom Brady needed fourth-preseason-game-snaps, pulled up lame himself against the Giants. Now both will miss the season opener. Yikes.

First, perspective. These are two vital players. There is no need to trot them out there in the first game of the season against an NFC opponent. This is a game that is as close as you can get to meaningless in the regular season.

That doesn’t make it any less scary though. Especially for, you know, a young quarterback making his first career start.

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New England Patriots Gameplan: Week 1 at Arizona Cardinals

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Patriots Cardinals GameplanThe long cold offseason is finally over. Patriots football is back this Sunday as the Pats travel to Arizona and face a stiff test from a Cardinals team that was one of the best in the NFC last season.

Of course the center of the media coverage is Jimmy Garoppolo, embarking on the first of his four game 2016 tour. Garoppolo was just okay this preseason, but didn’t have a turnover, and that might be the most important key to success for him over this first quarter of the season.

While everyone’s talking about Garoppolo — how he really feels about Tom Brady, how he feels about Tom Brady having an enormous banner hanging over the home stadium, how he feels about Tom Brady not being around to give him advice — what I’m most interested in this weekend is the Patriots defense.

Simply put, they are stacked. And if Jimmy gives them the chance, they can win every one of these four games.

Here’s the gameplan for the Cardinals…

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Patriots Season Kickoff Contributor Roundtable

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With the season opener in Arizona quickly coming upon us, we took a moment with a few of the PatsPropaganda contributors to reflect upon training camp and get some generally feelings about the Patriots heading into the 2016 campaign.

Here’s what everyone had to say.

What was your biggest surprise of training camp?

Niko Davos: Cruel surprise? The extent of Sebastian Vollmer’s hip injury, which is expected to end his 2016-2017 campaign before it started. On a related note, however, the most pleasant surprise was the play of his replacement, Marcus Cannon. Cannon looked good throughout camp and preseason, and it would be a major factor if he could continue to play at this level into the regular season and beyond.

Adam Magnacca: I’m thrilled that all of the surprises this camp were good ones but I definitely wasn’t expecting Joe Thuney come in from Day 1 and lock down the LG position. I thought he was gonna come in and be a good to great backup on the interior of the line but boy did he prove me wrong. The more I learn about him the more I wanna grab a beer with him. But more importantly, I want him to play out of his mind this year and I have a good feeling about that position for the next 10 years.  *Honorable Mention: I loved watching Jacoby Brissett playing. I think if he keeps improving he could turn into a great Roethlisberger type player. I’m excited about his development. 

Rick Starke: I had Bryan Stork as a starter at guard in my preseason offensive line projection, so to go from “penciled in starter” to “total free agent, picked up by nobody” is kind of a big surprise, especially considering the calming influence he had on the line in 2014, and that he started at center, guard, and tackle last year.

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Can Jimmy Garoppolo Defy the Odds and Lead the Pats in his Four Games as a Starter?

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As we all know by now, New England Patriots starting quarterback Tom Brady will sit out the first four games of the NFL regular season. On the heels of that controversial ‘Deflategate’ saga, backup QB Jimmy Garoppolo now steps into the spotlight left by his future Hall of Fame teammate. Some diehard Pats fans are questioning Garoppolo ability, and are worried that he will choke in the spotlight.

Every NFL fan understands how the first handful of regular season games are essential to a team’s success. For the Pats, these four games could easily make or break their playoff chances, which is why there will be a significant amount of pressure on Jimmy Garoppolo. This is a new scenario for both the team’s backup QB and the fans, as New England hasn’t opened a season without Brady as the starter since 2001, when Drew Bledsoe was still at the helm.

Apart from being a quick-releasing, good-looking quarterback out of Eastern Illinois – who generally played well during his brief stints as backup QB in his rookie year – what else do we need to know about Jimmy G? First off, if Garoppolo plays like he did in the preseason against the New Orleans Saints, then we could see the Patriots go at least 3-1 in the first four games. Ultimately, for number 10, there are a lot of factors to consider, and head coach Bill Belichick might play a major role.

The Boston Globe reported how Bill Belichick got Jimmy Garoppolo up to speed way before the finality of the now-infamous ‘Deflategate’. What’s important, for now, is to focus on the task at hand and what lies ahead, as well as deflecting all the outside interruptions. “Distractions that demand our attention appear more numerous than ever before in human history,” according to an infographic entitled ‘Improving Concentration and Focus’ which explores several studies on the subject. In other words, the battle starts way before the Pats hit the gridiron, as the challenge lie with how Jimmy G handles the pressure and negates the odds stacked against him.

The prop odds for the New England Patriots’ record for the first four games of the 2016 NFL season are at: 4-0 (+1150), 3-1 (+180), 2-2 (+145), 1-3 (+335), and 0-4 (+1500). With three of the first four games played at home versus the Miami Dolphins, the Houston Texans, and the Buffalo Bills (the lone away game against the Cardinals in Arizona), it’s more likely the Jimmy Garoppolo and Pats will start 2-2. If history suggests something significant with the aforementioned record, then maybe – just maybe – we can repeat what happened in Super Bowls XXXVIII and XLIX.

For now, let’s just wait and see how Jimmy G fares amidst the attention, the distraction, and the pressure.

Patriots Trade for CB Eric Rowe

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Of course the Patriots weren’t done wheeling and dealing after Labor Day weekend, finalizing a deal today that sent Josh Kline and a 4th-round draft pick to the Eagles for cornerback Eric Rowe.

Rowe was the 47th overall pick in 2015 and is a bigger defensive back at 6’1″, 215 pounds. He played free safety his first three years at Utah before moving the cornerback as a senior. Here’s some of the scouting report from NFL.com on Rowe:

Tall cornerback with long frame. Has the ability to disrupt wide receivers off the line of scrimmage and can mirror them out of their release. Jams and disrupts shallow crossers. Will throw his body around in run support if needed. Solid tackler. Attacks ball at catch point and makes it hard for receiver to finish the catch. Was a three-year starter at free safety before moving to cornerback this year. Can break hard on throws in front of him. Instinctive in zone with ball skills to match.

Rowe’s length and ability to play press-man coverage has some teams excited while his ball skills have other teams interested. He doesn’t always play to his timed speed and a team will have to figure out whether or not he’s a safety or a cornerback, but he should come off the board on the second day.

Rowe’s a really interesting addition to a secondary we already looked at as stacked. But they can certainly use the skillset that Rowe has, which is unique but still fits the mold the Pats desire in their defensive backs these days.

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New England Patriots 2016 Game-by-Game Prediction

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I’m not really big on predictions, but barring something huge new england patriots 2016 predictionhappening (and I won’t even mention what kind of huge) the Patriots’ season will come down to one final play in the playoffs.

If they make that final play, whether it’s coming from behind or getting that final stop, there’s a good chance they’ll be Super Bowl champs.

That’s how good, and how much of a well-oiled machine Bill Belichick’s team is at this point of his tenure.

The schedule is a difficult one and you must embrace that challenge, because if you spend all season just waiting for the playoffs, there’s a good chance you’re going to miss all the fun football games.

If 2007 taught us anything, it’s how much you must cherish the regular season, even with it’s ups and downs, even with injury attrition, all of it. Then the playoffs roll around, you hold your breath and hope the bounces go your way.

Here’s one blogger’s loose prediction of how 2016 could unfold.

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The PatsPropaganda Podcast 9/5/16

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PatsPropaganda founder Mike Dussault is joined by site contributors Rick Starke, Niko Davos and Adam Magnacca to discuss the Patriots 2016 outlook and how the final roster shapes up after cutdowns.

Source: The PatsPropaganda Podcast 9/5/16 09/05 by PatsPropaganda | Sports Podcasts

The podcast is finally back and I was joined by Niko, Rick and Adam discussing the aftermath of training camp, where the Pats have dangerously thin depth and our rough predictions for Sunday’s season kickoff in Arizona.

We’ll be bringing more podcasts this season so stay tuned!