By the time a team has played four games, they give us a pretty good idea of how they compare to others in the league. And, ladies and gentlemen, your New England Patriots do not compare well. With an up-and-down offense and a defense that provided stops about as frequently as the Autobahn, the Patriots … Continue reading Patriots Thursday Observations, Panthers Review

With three minutes left in the fourth quarter, few people watching this game would have predicted that the Texans would be the ones trying the Hail Mary pass. Despite getting slammed more often than a testy teenager's bedroom door, quarterback Tom Brady managed to throw a game-winning touchdown pass to receiver Brandin Cooks with 23 … Continue reading Patriots Thursday Observations, Texans Review

See? One win. That's all it took, really. One win in New Orleans to bring us back to a closer semblance of reality, a better understanding of where the Patriots sit as the end of September nears. Quarterback Tom Brady looked a lot more like his old self, the defense made some plays, and the … Continue reading Patriots Thursday Observations, Saints Review

Well, that, my friends, is how you shut the door on 2016. No more amazing comebacks fueled by consistent offense or timely defensive plays. No helpful, questionable offensive play calls from opposing coaches. Nope. Just a good, old-fashioned keister-whomp, a 42-27 drubbing courtesy of Kansas City. The lopsided loss evoked memories of past nemeses (Dan … Continue reading Patriots Thursday Observations, Chiefs Review

If you'll remember the final preseason game vs. the Giants that may or may not have taken place about seven weeks ago, you'll recall fondly the commanding presence of quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who opened the night's scoring with with a nine-yard dart pulled in by Cody Hollister in the end zone. Brissett kept the Pats … Continue reading Patriots Thursday Observations, Giants And Roster Review

Well, leave it to a natural disaster to give some perspective. Despite what I thought on Saturday night before Harvey hit Houston, maybe New England receiver Julian Edelman's knee injury is actually not the worst thing to happen to anyone, ever. Please consider donating to organizations helping out in and around the worst-hit areas. (You … Continue reading Patriots Thursday Observations, Lions Review

When it comes to judging preseason games, I'll defer to New England offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia's advice to his linemen up at Buffalo last season. After an up-and-down start, the Pats started pulling away, prompting the coach to tell his charges, "Lookit, nothing's ever, ever, ever as bad as it seems, okay, and – … Continue reading Patriots Thursday Observations, Texans Review

Well, even though it's been an entire week since New England lost to Jacksonville, 31-24, that game feeds into our expectations for Saturday night's tilt at Houston. How many starters will play, and for how long? After last week, who will continue to stand out (rookie receivers) or remain invisible (pass rushers)? Many players to … Continue reading Patriots Thursday Observations, Jaguars Review

In 2008, I wrote a descriptive account of training camp in Foxboro. In honor of today being the final day of 2017 camp open to fans, we're posting a link to that piece here. A few highlights include references to present and past players, e.g.: 2:42 p.m. – A horn sounds. Offense stays on the … Continue reading Patriots Flashback: 2008 Letter From Camp

Ah. Did the headline get you? I figured, as a Boston media site, it might be fun to experiment with some preseason click bait. In any case, the answer to this question – as typically befits headline inquiries – is no. Sorry. Won't do that again. At least not this season. Welcome back to Thursday … Continue reading Patriots Thursday Observations, Tom Brady To Retire?