Khyber53

Our most effective play in the red zone this year seems to have been the Sam Darnold, "fug it, nobody is open I'm just gonna run it in myself" play. In other words, NOT doing the play Brady has called. Let that marinate for a bit. Sam Darnold got five touchdowns in four weeks this way. Seems that Teddy had to forget the play and just run it in a few times himself, too last year. Our OC just isn't ready for prime time. He may have saved his job with the team getting a win last week.

Mac Jones will probably be the toughest rookie QB we'll face this year. Heck, he's been steady for Belichick and he doesn't seem like he's struggling to make the move to pro competition. And that's the scary thing. The rest of the Patriots team seems to be devoid of giant name players but they are still well built, under control and able to handle their jobs. Not a lot of flash, but not a lot of mistakes or weaknesses to exploit. Our best shot, regardless of our QB, is to make this a run heavy affair again and keep their offense on the bench. They've got a really good pass defense and probably the best way to disable that is to not throw very much at all. Let's face it, though, as of today, we're really not sure who we will have for personnel at all for this game.

They do, they do, but right now a lot of teams in the NFC look like legit contenders (GB, Tampa, Arizona, Dallas). The way injuries are hitting the league right now, any one of those teams could falter before the playoffs. This is a weird, weird year.

How about we get to like week 14 before we hand out crowns. We were giving the team crowns after week three...

She just happened to be wearing a big piece of nipple jewelry under her shirt that night. Yeah, an accident.

Sometimes you've just got to wear the clothes that fit ya.

I can see where you're coming from, but I think he's got a shot at it. Luvu might even get a shot at it. Still, Shaq runs that defense.

Trade for Garoppolo, have a steady player at QB for two years of contract (well what's left of this and next) with Darnold sitting on the bench and competing in training camp. Use the two years to draft and build our offensive line and put our signing efforts into retaining Burns, Reddick and DJ. Perhaps even go all in on Oline in the draft. Field worldbreaker team.

This is a season that is being greatly defined by injuries. Our last four games were definitely defined by injuries. New Orleans just took a big hit. The same could happen to any of the front runners. We are, crazily, just at the halfway-ish spot in the season, with a lot of football left to play. A couple of injuries here and there for our opponents could see some weird things happen in the play offs. Once there, well, anything can happen. Of course, our concussed QB puts a difficult wrinkle into our plans...

Let's see if he keeps improving. Nine more games should tell the tale.

Maybe that hard hit he took shook things back into place for him. Watch him turn into Megatron now. Also, the new hairstyle... much better look. Really, though, I'd love to see him turn it around and turn it on after that hit. We need the guy to be the guy we thought we'd given the contract to.

Carter did really well yesterday and he has been improving. Right now he's about an average MLB for the league, which isn't bad for a guy's first year as a fulltime starter. But let's face it, he's always going to be compared to Luke, Beason, Morgan and Mills. Those are mighty big shoes to fill. I'd say Shaq is filling Davis' shoes really well, but honestly, he's making a name for himself in a different way. Shaq is making plays all over the field like Luke and hitting like Davis, while being a big part in the pass defense. That contract sure doesn't seem so silly now, does it?

Been trying to say it for a couple of years now. He'd have had just as much attention last year but he spent so much time covering for Whitehead...

Sure was nice to have Shaq Thompson back on the field for us. The guy just sets the tone for the entire defense, and in a way, the entire team. That early interception by him changed the course of the game. In addition, Thompson on the field frees the rushers more to get to the ball knowing he's back there to help in the under pass coverage and to lay the lumber to any running backs that make it past the line. He's our MVP on the defense, doing the hard work and keeping it all together. It was against an undermanned Atlanta team, but any time you can keep Matt Ryan off his game and beat a division rival, it's a good thing. Shaq is the difference maker in that defense.

Right now, the kicking game isn't a worry. Gonzalez has been very good and I hope he can keep performing like this and make a home for himself. Punting was pretty decent yesterday, too.

In the end, it's a win, something that has become rare over the past few years. Does the team have a myriad of problems still? Yes. Do we have some concerning injuries? Yes and we picked up a major one yesterday. Do we still have faith in Rhule and Co.? Yesterday helped, but more wins are going to be necessary. But it was a win and a hard fought one. We're a running team instead of a passing team, Brady may have just figured that out.

Hope he heals well and quickly.

It'd be nice, it'd be a start. But looking at things as they are, it's going to be near impossible.

Jeez, can we drop this? This season has become enough of a drag without supposing that we just cut our best player.

Cold leftovers and tap water.

Just can't muster up much hope for this game. I think I ought to be saying more, but the well's run dry.

Let's just put it into one quick reason: We'd never be able to build a line that he would survive behind.

Just another hapless kid to get killed behind our offensive line.

And it would be the worst decision we've made in decades.

Sam's got 10 games to make a case for staying, for better or worse. And Joe Brady has about the same lifespan here. If somehow Brady can dial up some plays and protection, it'd help them both. If the defense can get some turnovers and shorten the field, that'd help. If Darnold would just get out of his own way, that'd help. If the receivers would just catch balls that hit them right in their hands (both hands!!!), it'd go a long way to helping. If CMC would get healthy, that'd help immensely. None of these things seems at thought to be impossible, and yet, here we are. Coach Rhule needs to do some coaching for his players and staff.