2023 AFC East Preview: Scouting the New England Patriots
August 9, 2023
2023 AFC East Preview: Scouting the New England Patriots
17 comments
Full disclosure, I am a Bills fan. That being said each off-season I take my fan hat off and put my analyst hat on and attempt to be as un-bias as possible when looking at the 4 teams in the AFC East.
After completing my research on the Patriots it became to me that the general consensus on the Patriots is wayyyy off the mark. Their line is 6.5? This team was built with purpose and an obvious identity. While I don’t think they will be world beaters in 2023 I am confident that they will be one of the tougher outs on most team’s schedules this season.
Well done. I generally agree but it’s the off-season so I’ll be riding my 17-0 predication until that is swiftly dispelled…likely week 1.
Why use all those words when all you had to say
“20-0 don’t run from it!”
It’s a shame that this level of quality isn’t standard in sports journalism. That was a good read. I hope BR is taking notes… but I doubt it.
good work and thanks for sharing
pats potential top 10 OL? that is not the common narrative you’d read here!
This was a great read! You did an awesome job with taking off your fan hat and really looking at the team. Thanks for the quality content!
If we get 8 wins again. I want a new QB
That was great. I rarely read other teams beat writers but it was fun seeing a rivals perspective on the Pats.
I appreciate your analysis. The only reason I see this team getting closer to the floor is that game managing clock control style of play requires damn near perfect play to work. If a team goes on any sort of run against the patriots the offense doesn’t have much to comeback .
Also, genuine question. What value is a two tight end tandem if neither can block? The hidden value of Gronk was the patriots could line up in 11 and if a team used base, Gronk could matchup on a linebacker or safety then get open. If they ran sub he was an elite enough blocker to move the extra db. Neither of the patriots tight ends have those skills so I could imagine teams just playing sub against the patriots when they deploy multiple tight ends.
I’m similarly interested in Firkser as OP. If that’s their vision for him, he could really diversify our “heavy” packages. He’s my fav for TE3, though Sokol could win it
I’m assuming they’re referring to 2019 and 2020 for Juju’s WR1 years, which I don’t think shine as badly on him as the stats would indicate. In 2019 he had one game with a healthy (and still top 10) Big Ben. And mind you, he went 6 of 8 for 78 yards against the leagues best secondary in that game. From then on he get about half a season with Mason Rudolph, who I’m not sure is good even among backups, and got hurt and went to IR. In 2020, as a 1A/1B with Johnson, he was often running short routes to accommodate a terrible rushing offense and an aging Ben. And if he were to repeat his 97 catch 2020 performance, I’d be happy with it, though that ypc would tell me our run game went to shit, concerns about Mac’s arm strength were real, or both.
Good write up. Thanks for writing and sharing.
It really shocks me people think we’re going to go 6-11
Decent write up, but I find it just slightly off. Let’s say slightly wide right.
Fair assessment. Only place I strongly disagree is the floor. Even with the complete shit show on the offensive coaching staff last season they still won 8 games. Yes they have a harder schedule but I still can’t see them winning less than 7 games barring some string of catastrophic injuries.
Great writeup. Bravo.
There are pundits making bank who aren’t nearly as good at this as you are. Really exceptional viewpoints.
Have you done your write ups on the Fins and the Jests? I didn’t see them on your page. Would really look forward to your take on them as well.
I appreciate this relatively sober assessment. I’m more optimistic about the offense but I recognize that’s because I’m a fan. I still think, though, that my 11-6 prediction will end up being closer to where the Pats end up.
The defense improved on a solid unit from a season ago and As always under BB they will be solid enough and sometimes great.
The real question is how will Mac Jones perform with his first real season with a legit OC, a better group of WRs and two legit TEs, and an improved OL. He has the weapons, he has the coaching and the line. We’re gonna find out if he’s the answer or the problem real fast. I will say some of the pundits putting him as a bottom 5 QB behind the likes of Baker, Fields, Djones, and Pickett is absolutely atrocious.
All that said this team is going to surprise some people i expect somewhere in the 11-5/ 9-7 range and maybe an improbable run in the playoffs.
17 comments
Full disclosure, I am a Bills fan. That being said each off-season I take my fan hat off and put my analyst hat on and attempt to be as un-bias as possible when looking at the 4 teams in the AFC East.
After completing my research on the Patriots it became to me that the general consensus on the Patriots is wayyyy off the mark. Their line is 6.5? This team was built with purpose and an obvious identity. While I don’t think they will be world beaters in 2023 I am confident that they will be one of the tougher outs on most team’s schedules this season.
P.S. Last season’s [write-up](https://www.cover1.net/2022-afc-east-preview-scouting-the-new-england-patriots/) predicted all AFC East teams within 1 win and nailed the Patriots record exactly.
Well done. I generally agree but it’s the off-season so I’ll be riding my 17-0 predication until that is swiftly dispelled…likely week 1.
Why use all those words when all you had to say
“20-0 don’t run from it!”
It’s a shame that this level of quality isn’t standard in sports journalism. That was a good read. I hope BR is taking notes… but I doubt it.
good work and thanks for sharing
pats potential top 10 OL? that is not the common narrative you’d read here!
This was a great read! You did an awesome job with taking off your fan hat and really looking at the team. Thanks for the quality content!
If we get 8 wins again. I want a new QB
That was great. I rarely read other teams beat writers but it was fun seeing a rivals perspective on the Pats.
I appreciate your analysis. The only reason I see this team getting closer to the floor is that game managing clock control style of play requires damn near perfect play to work. If a team goes on any sort of run against the patriots the offense doesn’t have much to comeback .
Also, genuine question. What value is a two tight end tandem if neither can block? The hidden value of Gronk was the patriots could line up in 11 and if a team used base, Gronk could matchup on a linebacker or safety then get open. If they ran sub he was an elite enough blocker to move the extra db. Neither of the patriots tight ends have those skills so I could imagine teams just playing sub against the patriots when they deploy multiple tight ends.
I’m similarly interested in Firkser as OP. If that’s their vision for him, he could really diversify our “heavy” packages. He’s my fav for TE3, though Sokol could win it
I’m assuming they’re referring to 2019 and 2020 for Juju’s WR1 years, which I don’t think shine as badly on him as the stats would indicate. In 2019 he had one game with a healthy (and still top 10) Big Ben. And mind you, he went 6 of 8 for 78 yards against the leagues best secondary in that game. From then on he get about half a season with Mason Rudolph, who I’m not sure is good even among backups, and got hurt and went to IR. In 2020, as a 1A/1B with Johnson, he was often running short routes to accommodate a terrible rushing offense and an aging Ben. And if he were to repeat his 97 catch 2020 performance, I’d be happy with it, though that ypc would tell me our run game went to shit, concerns about Mac’s arm strength were real, or both.
Good write up. Thanks for writing and sharing.
It really shocks me people think we’re going to go 6-11
Decent write up, but I find it just slightly off. Let’s say slightly wide right.
Fair assessment. Only place I strongly disagree is the floor. Even with the complete shit show on the offensive coaching staff last season they still won 8 games. Yes they have a harder schedule but I still can’t see them winning less than 7 games barring some string of catastrophic injuries.
Great writeup. Bravo.
There are pundits making bank who aren’t nearly as good at this as you are. Really exceptional viewpoints.
Have you done your write ups on the Fins and the Jests? I didn’t see them on your page. Would really look forward to your take on them as well.
I appreciate this relatively sober assessment. I’m more optimistic about the offense but I recognize that’s because I’m a fan. I still think, though, that my 11-6 prediction will end up being closer to where the Pats end up.
The defense improved on a solid unit from a season ago and As always under BB they will be solid enough and sometimes great.
The real question is how will Mac Jones perform with his first real season with a legit OC, a better group of WRs and two legit TEs, and an improved OL. He has the weapons, he has the coaching and the line. We’re gonna find out if he’s the answer or the problem real fast. I will say some of the pundits putting him as a bottom 5 QB behind the likes of Baker, Fields, Djones, and Pickett is absolutely atrocious.
All that said this team is going to surprise some people i expect somewhere in the 11-5/ 9-7 range and maybe an improbable run in the playoffs.