So much coming at us here in the early days of the offseason it’s hard to keep a handle on it, so I’m going with a Pats Posits Tuesday Edition so I can chime in on all of it. For those of you braving the waters of ESPN and sports radio bless your hearts, I’ve been in mostly a bubble since Sunday night and I’ve really quite enjoyed it. Every now and then I’ll see something stupid they’re talking about and am reminded why I’ve been abstaining.
— Matt Patricia has officially been named the head coach of the Lions and it appears he’s taking Patriots special teams coach Joe Judge with him. So this will be a hard reset on all three coordinator spots and I wonder if Belichick holds back with the actual coordinator titles as he promotes from within. It was how he protected McDaniels and Patricia in their early days and could make sense here for Brian Flores and Chad O’Shea. Still rumors of Greg Schiano joining the staff, which would be another Belichick reclamation project. I think it would be good to get another perspective like Schiano in an assistant head coach role.
— I still can’t get over the game Tom Brady had in the Super Bowl. I’d bet that the Brady Cliff Gang has been mostly quiet these last couple days and if they’re not quiet they’re just doubling down on stupidity once again. All things considered this might’ve been Brady’s best overall Super Bowl game. Yes, the fumble at the end was a crappy button on the end of it, but outside of that what more could you ask from Brady in a game like this? As we hit 2018 there’s no question we’re in the twilight of his career and each game he QBs here on out is a gift. If that was his last Super Bowl I think he put another feather in his Patriot hat despite the loss.
— The defense is certainly worth a full post and I’m kind of sitting on it until I can stomach the All-22 later this week. But in looking at the depth chart it’s sure nice to see all the bodies who are already coming back — Hightower, Derek Rivers, Harvey Langi, maybe Shea McClellin, Take the young pieces who emerged this year — Adam Butler, Dietrich Wise and Marquis Flowers — and at least it feels like the starting point of 2018, before free agency and the draft, has a lot more promise than what we ended the season with.
— A quick glance at the upcoming free agents and the starting places are at left tackle and running back. Those are where the glaring starting holes are on the team and while I think locking up Solder for a couple more years is a no-brainer, I really have no idea what happens with Dion Lewis and Rex Burkhead. I’m sure receiver will get plenty of focus but really, with Edelman and Mitchell back, and I’d bet Danny Amendola is an easy re-sign, with Philip Dorsett and Kenny Britt joining Hogan and Cooks and it’s really a good training camp squad already. Would definitely look to add a development Edelman/Amendola quick-open guy via the draft.
— I am befuddled by the Malcolm Butler benching decision as anyone, but the level of bickering without truly knowing what it was about is surprising. While I think Butler could’ve helped (because how badly could he have really hurt) I have trouble pretending he was the missing savior for the defense in this one. Let’s just remember that Butler admitted he had a down year, he got hit with a killer flu that forced him to stay behind in Foxboro and then Ian Rapoport reported he had a terrible week of practice once he did get to Minny, along with a curfew issue. Would I have thrown him out there in the second half to see if he brought a spark with his energy? Yup. But this was a season-long issue and I can’t pound the lectern when I don’t truly know how deep those issues went before getting compounded by all the events of the week leading up to the big game.
— As precipitous as Butler’s fall from grace was, Stephon Gilmore grew into the role of shutdown corner nearly as rapidly. He was the target of many’s ire early this season but as things progressed he clearly grew into the player the Pats paid all that money. In his second year hopefully there won’t be as many early hiccups for him, but clearly he can man-up just about any receiver in the league.
We’re putting something together for Patshow this week, it won’t be then usual studio show but Nick and I will be chatting to wrap up this Super Bowl. Then next week we’re aiming to have our 2017 season finale, maybe even from a bar location. Will keep you all posted.
From a content standpoint I’ll remain on the Super Bowl analysis this week as I dive into the film review and then next week we’ll get into the offseason, which I take step-by-step — internal free agency, external free agency and then draft.
Plenty more to come as the Pats re-build their coaching staff. Hopefully there are no other big surprises lurking on that front.
Just wanted to say thanks for a great year of PatsPropaganda, Mike. Here’s hoping the Pats do well in the offseason.
Thank you!
It is easier to avoid the noise when you live out of state. I was happy they overcame their first half sloppiness to make it an enjoyable game, despite the loss. That was the best offensive line the Pats faced all year. D had very little push and minimal penetration. Of course the Pats O line had the game they needed to give the team a chance in the 2nd half; against a much tougher front 7. An approximation of the 2016 season from Branch could have helped them with all the other injuries and trade miscalculations ( Ealey and Marsh). I can’t imagine too many other situations where a 4th and 1 call from a team’s own 35 yard line was an easier go. That defensive effort left everyone hoping beyond hope. Of course Brady was similarly beating a tougher D. This loss was easier to accept than some others. Eagles players and staff took this one.
I’ll echo Matt’s thoughts above as well, Mike. Thanks for all your thoughts and writing throughout the year, and I hope the Pats have a good and productive offseason as well. (No Days Off!)
Appreciate it!
Nice article, I couldn’t agree with you more. Nothing like a media bubble, heck they live in one right? One thing that’s got in my craw, all the speculation on Butler. It’s insane, especially coming from Pat’s fans, anyone that’s been with the team, even since 14′ has got to know by now that the Pat’s are all in on situational football and that includes players. My thought on Butler was from the beginning of the season, it seemed he felt slighted on the Gilmore deal and I thought he would be in the right if that were the case. Neither of them played outstanding, in fact, our whole secondary felt like a dumpster fire. All year though, every time I’d yell at the TV “Gilmore WTF!” the next play he would be heroic. Same with Butler and McCourty, hell all of them, I’d say “Our Defence is a joke” and then they’d turn around and shove my words back in my mouth. I don’t know man it was crazy. With all the political garbage and the Wickershaming it was a crazy year. Here’s a question I need answered though, and you may just be the guy to answer it. How is in this Salary cap generation that any team caries cap space? I mean you have a full team and a few guys that proved themselves in previous years and they’re unhappy over pay and the team is got double-digit MILLIONS hanging around? Why not pay them? My kid is playing D1 football for UMaine and they’ve been dangling the scholarship carrot over his head for 2 years, he’s made the deans list and 1st all academic 2 years in a row and jumped through every hoop, I’m shocked this kind of thing carries over to the pros and it kinda bums me out, wouldn’t they get more out of everyone if they got what they worked for? In light of the fact that they have it? I can kinda understand how a college does it but it seems in the pros there’s no excuse for it, what do you think? Crap this is long! Thanks for all your awesome posts! #Notdone #blitzforabagofsix #GoPats
Great job Mike keeping us (mostly) sane. Trying to avoid the noise but the cliff crowd (Max K, Carter, etc) are apparently not afraid to look even dumber by allowing their mouths to produce th words that an MVP season, an 8th SB trip, throwing 500+ yards to two undrafted white guys somehow tarnishes Brady’s legacy and the end is here. The damage is real.
Would lov Lewis to be back but he’ll probably get paid somewhere else. Need more athleticism on D, EDGE, LB even an heir to DMac/Chung who are getting up there. Can’t shake that the thought that a 1st round talent via the lost first rounder could have made a difference in this game. They are stacked deep at WR like never before except 07 which was korenrop heavy. Mitchell and Edelmen coming back, and I believe Danny will be back, Hogan, if Britt can assimilate, Cooks. Will Mrty B play? Don’t need the Brady replacement now. Probably a two year window to add to the hardware. Gotta go pedal to the metal but typically not BB style. Still going to enjoy this era down to the bitter end. It ain’t over yet. We are on to 2018.