PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

Sunday Almost-Fun Day: Pats Leftovers

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Two weeks from today, the New England Patriots will take the field in Arizona to face the Cardinals and get their 2016 campaign under way. Yes, the excitement is palpable.

As I touched on in the Posits after the game, I kind of find it funny how there’s a sizable portion of the fanbase, fanned by many voices in the local media, freaking out about Jimmy Garoppolo. It’s four games people. The Patriots season will not be lost or broken in those four games unless there’s a season-ending injury to someone important.

Garoppolo won’t be perfect, but he should play safe enough to keep every game winnable. Yes, the defenses he’ll face are all pretty good. But you also have to like how the Patriots’ defense matches up with the opposing offenses. And let’s remember the Pats have started 2-2 in two of the last four seasons, WITH BRADY.

All I really care about is the team that we’ll take into the playoffs, so all this freaking out about Garoppolo seems pointless. And again, if he doesn’t turn the ball over, the Pats will have a chance to win every game.

Here’s some holdover thoughts after re-watching Panthers game…

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Pats Posits: Good Luck Once Brady Comes Back

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Hip hip hooray the Patriots made it through the third preseason game without any injuries!

Oh and they beat the Panthers 19-17 too.

Jimmy Garoppolo played the first three series, Tom Brady played the next four, then Garoppolo returned for three more. Jacoby Brissett came in to finish things off late in the third quarter. I’m sure the radio airwaves in Boston will find a way to complain about Brady playing too much or too little or too early or too late, but I sure enjoyed seeing #12 out there.

At this point, any game with Brady is a gift so I just try to enjoy it and hope he doesn’t get hurt.

Brady had a vintage, pinpoint 33-yard touchdown to Chris Hogan. It’s a very good start for an important new piece of the offense, and a nice reminder that Brady isn’t suddenly throwing Peyton Manning ducks.

Jimmy Garoppolo was 9 of 15 for 57 yards. No TDs. No picks. This performance will be under the microscope the next two weeks leading up to Arizona so get ready to hear it analyzed into the dirt. PFF won’t be kind. The Pats are dead meat.

But all the “analysis” about Brady’s playing time or Garoppolo’s competence loses the forest for the trees. The forest is that the big bad New England Patriots football machine that we’ll see from October on looks more ready than ever to tear shit up.

That’s what I prefer to think about.

Here are the Posits.

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Review/Preview: 5 Things We Watched & 5 Things to Watch

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Before I begin my “What we watched, what to watch piece”, I just want to ask a question, I know we’re all hopped up on outrage about the latest whatever, but seriously, can everyone chill the f— out?

In the last week, there’s been plenty of unnecessary spikes in blood pressure for Patriots fans.

First, it was the Dion and Vollmer news. Driving to work, I received texts that read simply: “Dion.” Then right after. “Vollmer.” I jumped on Twitter, nearly crashing my car, assuming both players had murder/suicided each other.

For perspective, read Mike’s piece. My take: Vollmer has been injured a lot in his professional career, so the team has prepared for this eventuality and likely think Cannon (under Scar) can fill in capably. And Dion Lewis was coming back from an ACL that he tore November 8th last year. While we’ve been spoiled by quicker returns (see Alien Gronk), it can take up to a year to return from ACL surgery and with a setback Lewis will be back within a calendar year.

Then there’s the absurd press conference hubbub to explain Brady’s absence over the last few days. Obviously there’s nothing to see here, but that doesn’t stop the Hucksters from hucking. The hucksters of Boston are numerous, but just as numerous are the smart objective and analytical takes that you can find on any number of sites, and certainly at Pats Propaganda with Mike and the rest of our crew. Just because we’re addicted, doesn’t mean we need to go buy the cheap stuff under the bridge.

Just a reminder, the Patriots made it to the AFCCG game last year (and nearly won) without either Lewis or Vollmer. Let’s all take our beta-blockers, a hit on the hookah and remember that Brady and Belichick nearly won a Super Bowl with Reche Caldwell as the primary weapon. Reche Caldwell!

Thanks for indulging: On to what we watched and what to watch…

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6.5 Patriots Things to Watch vs. Panthers

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Yes, most football writers only do five things to watch for each game, but for this preseason contest I’m taking my blogging game to the next level. That’s right, you not only get an extra thing to watch, you get a half of one too!

The third game of the preseason is always the highwater mark of the summer before the real bullets start flying. We should see Jimmy Garoppolo into the third quarter, along with the starting defense. Though there won’t be any gameplanning (thanks coach), it’s still a chance to see (most of) our best versus (most of) someone else’s best, so it’s an intriguing game.

Just one reminder, even for this kinda-important third preseason game, all that really matters tonight is that no one gets a season-ending injury. I’ll take Garoppolo looking terrible and the defense getting lit up over anyone (on either team) going down with a major boo boo. That’s really the only thing that can stand between the Patriots and another deep playoff run — a key injury.

So let’s get through this one, stay healthy, wrap things up with a meaningless game next Thursday against the Giants and get the train rolling for the regular season.

Here are the 6.5 things I’ll be watching closely.

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Report: Patriots Trade for Barkevious Mingo

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patriots barkevious mingo

Big trade today as the Patriots acquired 2013 6th-overall pick Barkevious Mingo for a 2017 5th-round draft pick.

Mingo hadn’t lived up to expectations in Cleveland, like so many before him. This offseason he bulked up, adding 20 pounds, getting up to around 260 pounds. That extra weight should help, and at least shows some dedication. Cleveland didn’t pick up his fifth-year option this offseason, so he’ll be a free agent next year.

He had five sacks as a rookie, but just two in 2014 and none last year. He ended up playing mostly special teams in 2015 which of course adds to his value in New England.

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5 Questions Looming Over Patriots

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One week from today the Patriots will play a mostly meaningless last preseason game, relying primarily on the 23 players who will either be on the practice squad or the street shortly after.

But there are still plenty of questions looming. Position battles to be won. Final roster spots to be claimed. Make no mistake, the 2016 Patriots are still far from set.

Yes, tomorrow will be a fascinating test (despite the lack of gameplanning as BB pointed out this week) and the competition is still tight at a number of spots.

Here are five areas that will have to be figured out in the next eight days.

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Stork, Washington Latest Patriots Casualties

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Significant news this morning as the Patriots released (PM update: traded to Redskins) Bryan Stork, their third-year center who started Super Bowl 49 for them. I can’t say this is a total surprise, as earlier this week I projected Stork to be cut with David Andrews winning the starting center job. This was one of the most interesting starter battles in training camp.

Stork showed a lot of promise as a rookie, but has had four concussions (at least) in his first two years. He was also a little unpredictable, taking a unnecessary swing at one of the Bears last week in joint practices and getting kicked out of practice. When the Patriots jettisoned Logan Mankins, Stork brought hope that another bearded mauler would rise from the ashes. In 2014, he largely lived up to that.

But ultimately Andrews was just the more steady of the two, staying healthy and under control. Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald also reported that Andrews was Brady’s favorite of the two. So now the job is Andrews, and he’ll be backed up by Josh Kline and perhaps rookie Ted Karras who has also taken snaps at center.

The Pats also cut Nate Washington, which could be packaged with the Donald Brown cut from earlier this week. Both players were the kind of free agents the Patriots give chances to, to see if maybe they can find some magic in New England near the end of the career. Neither could and both were jettisoned with enough time to potentially catch on with another team.

Things are starting to shape up as the Pats’ roster now stands at 79. They’ll have to get down to 75 on August 30th, but have some flexibility should they want to bring anyone in for a look before then.