Disclaimer: I am a Patriots fan. But I've been able to watch this team develop and mature.
Four things happened before the season that would prove to be harbingers of things to come.
The first was the draft. The Patriots scored bigly in the draft -
Four offensive starters - Will Campbell, Jared Wilson, Treyveon Henderson, Jack Westover. Two more guys who will have minor roles today - Kyle Williams, and Efton Chism.
And two guys on Defense who will start today - Craig Woodson, and Elijah Ponder.
The second was free agency - four starters on Offense - Stephon Diggs, Mack Hollins, Garrett Bradbury, and Morgan Moses.
And six guys on Defense - Khris Tonga, Milton Williams, Harold Landry (Injured being replaced by Elijah Ponder), Robert Spillane (injured sharing time with another offseason signing - Jack Gibbons, K'Laveon Chaisson, and Carlton Davis.
That's a ton of new faces at the core of this team! You don't know them? Of course you don't.
Thirdly - as the preseason wore down Vrabel cut two guys who raised eyebrows around here because they were amongst last year's best - Kyle Duggar, and Jabril Peppers. This was the final tipoff that Vrabel was remoulding this team with his kind of players.
Fourthly - as the season was about to kickoff it was announced that Defensive Coordinator, Terrell Williams had been diagnosed with cancer and he would be unable to fulfill the role he was hired for. Step in Zack Kuhr? Who? Yea the guy who has been responsible for developing a Defense that has allowed only three offensive touchdowns in the first three Playoff games is a guy nobody ever heard of.
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So this is who the Patriots are. A bunch of rookies and castoffs who wanted to play the game the way Mike Vrabel wanted them to play. The perception is that they are a bunch of who's thats. But the reality is they have been molded to be winners by Vrabel and his coaching staff.
And don't forget the lynchpin - I know in the playoffs he hasn't played up to his regular season rave but he's a kid in his second year who played his college football in the arm weather south. So the perception that many of you have as he's struggled to maintain accuracy in these cold weather Playoff games is that he is way overrated. Well today he is back in that warm weather. Watch out!
And finally a misperception about the Seattle Defense. Maye just got sacked five times in each of his three playoff games. That was by three of the best pass rushes in the NFL. But today he faces a pass rush that has only 10 sacks in their last 7 games (I always consider recency). Maye won't be fumbling today. And he will have the time to find his downfield targets - you know one of the two most important stats that he led the NFL YPP at 8.9; and accuracy at 72%.
Thought you might want to know the Patriots before you lay your money down.
I'll be on the Pats +5 -111 (Pinnacle now)
Buona Fortuna
Four things happened before the season that would prove to be harbingers of things to come.
The first was the draft. The Patriots scored bigly in the draft -
Four offensive starters - Will Campbell, Jared Wilson, Treyveon Henderson, Jack Westover. Two more guys who will have minor roles today - Kyle Williams, and Efton Chism.
And two guys on Defense who will start today - Craig Woodson, and Elijah Ponder.
The second was free agency - four starters on Offense - Stephon Diggs, Mack Hollins, Garrett Bradbury, and Morgan Moses.
And six guys on Defense - Khris Tonga, Milton Williams, Harold Landry (Injured being replaced by Elijah Ponder), Robert Spillane (injured sharing time with another offseason signing - Jack Gibbons, K'Laveon Chaisson, and Carlton Davis.
That's a ton of new faces at the core of this team! You don't know them? Of course you don't.
Thirdly - as the preseason wore down Vrabel cut two guys who raised eyebrows around here because they were amongst last year's best - Kyle Duggar, and Jabril Peppers. This was the final tipoff that Vrabel was remoulding this team with his kind of players.
Fourthly - as the season was about to kickoff it was announced that Defensive Coordinator, Terrell Williams had been diagnosed with cancer and he would be unable to fulfill the role he was hired for. Step in Zack Kuhr? Who? Yea the guy who has been responsible for developing a Defense that has allowed only three offensive touchdowns in the first three Playoff games is a guy nobody ever heard of.
////
So this is who the Patriots are. A bunch of rookies and castoffs who wanted to play the game the way Mike Vrabel wanted them to play. The perception is that they are a bunch of who's thats. But the reality is they have been molded to be winners by Vrabel and his coaching staff.
And don't forget the lynchpin - I know in the playoffs he hasn't played up to his regular season rave but he's a kid in his second year who played his college football in the arm weather south. So the perception that many of you have as he's struggled to maintain accuracy in these cold weather Playoff games is that he is way overrated. Well today he is back in that warm weather. Watch out!
And finally a misperception about the Seattle Defense. Maye just got sacked five times in each of his three playoff games. That was by three of the best pass rushes in the NFL. But today he faces a pass rush that has only 10 sacks in their last 7 games (I always consider recency). Maye won't be fumbling today. And he will have the time to find his downfield targets - you know one of the two most important stats that he led the NFL YPP at 8.9; and accuracy at 72%.
Thought you might want to know the Patriots before you lay your money down.
I'll be on the Pats +5 -111 (Pinnacle now)
Buona Fortuna
