The Game Goat Thread: Wk.8 at Buffalo

DeadlySplitter

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Oct 20, 2015
33,260
I mean, the kick went a bit too far, easy hop.

my issue with it is you were managing to get stops, besides the first drives of the halves. You just made it much easier for them to score again, just after your O got going. but hey, whatever.

and as far as Bentley - wow...
 

pappymojo

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Jul 28, 2010
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Agreeing with a post that coincides the dynasty with a single GOAT player, and pointing out that we are now in a complete rebuild because the GM stinks at making draft picks and personnel decisions seems like an odd combination. Our draft thread is called "Wait, Who?" which was quaint when he hit on off the board picks, but seems less so now.
I wasn't saying either of those things.

Edit: I think that Belichick's job as a GM has been very, very difficult due to the success has had on the field. Not only have their draft picks been lower, but they have also lost draft picks in part due to the jealously of the rest of the league. Not only has Belichick's job as GM here been hard, but he has done an amazing job for many, many years. Now some of their success was due to havnig Brady at QB, and some of their success was due to their ability to kick-the-can on Brady's salary over the years.

It just so happens, that this year they were not able to continue to delay the inevitable on his salary. While also dealing with the salary-cap fall-out of the Antonio Brown experiment, they also lost a number of other players to free agency. To me, this was already going to be a lost season. They simply didn't have any salary flexibility.

On top of all that, this year was difficult due to COVID. They had an abbreviated (if not outright lost) off-season. They also had their starting quarterback and their best defensive player test positive for COVID. Besides impacting the team and those players, this also made the team miss a lot of in-season practice opportunities. That game against Denver, they looked like a team that hadn't practiced in a while. That's not on Belichick.

To me, this year is a lost season and I am not in the least concerned about Belichick's ability to build a team. I'm still very positive on Belichick and I am confident that he will be able to build a competitive team next year.
 
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54thMA

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Aug 15, 2012
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Keep in mind that NE is often compared to teams like Baltimore and Pittsburgh, who consistently win. But over this 19-year dynasty...

- NE finished with fewer than 10 wins only once, in 2002 in Brady's "sophomore" year as a starter. Even then they went 9-7 and tied for first in the division (losing out on like a 3rd tier tiebreaker).

- Only twice did NE miss the playoffs (2002 and 2008, when they went 11-5, tied for first in the division, and again lost out on tiebreakers).

- Pittsburgh has had records of 6-10, 8-8 (4x), and 9-7. They missed the playoffs 7 times over this span.

- Baltimore has had records of 5-11 (2x), 6-10, 7-9, 8-8 (2x), and 9-7 (3x). They missed the playoffs 8 times over this span.

So these other great franchises have all had multiple down seasons where they got to have a bit of a reset. New England hasn't had that, like, at all, during their dynasty.

So to see the phrase, "This is what the fall of a dynasty looks like," it just makes me chuckle, because never in the history of the sport have we seen a run like the Patriots went on. Yeah, when you have to draft (because of your success) at the back of every round every single year, and when the NFL literally steals four draft picks from you (two 1sts, a 4th, and a 3rd) because other teams are jealous of your success, yeah, that stuff adds up. You can cover for that only for so long before you have to reset and start over.

Well, here we are, resetting and starting over. It's not a bad thing. This is easily the most relaxed I've been watching the Patriots since the dynasty started. It's ok. It really is.
I've been very relaxed this year too, I really had no idea what to expect, things have not gone well since the Chiefs game, but I'm ok with what's happening.

As you pointed out, as a fan EVERY SINGLE game they've played the past 20 years mattered, they were ALL important, 20 years of division titles, playoff games, AFCCG's, Super Bowls, year after year after year after year of it.

After Cam fumbled yesterday, I basically laughed it off, switched to the red zone and watched football the rest of the day and night.

Prior to this 20 year run, I was a Patriots fan, but also a fan of the game, I love football, I could watch any two teams play, I just love the sport, always have, always will.

It's nice not to live and die on every play, every snap, every down.

Time to reset and start again.

Looking forward to 2021 and what they can do; needless to say, for me this will be the most anticipated/important draft in 20 years...............................
 

tims4wins

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Jul 15, 2005
37,069
Hingham, MA
I've been very relaxed this year too, I really had no idea what to expect, things have not gone well since the Chiefs game, but I'm ok with what's happening.

As you pointed out, as a fan EVERY SINGLE game they've played the past 20 years mattered, they were ALL important, 20 years of division titles, playoff games, AFCCG's, Super Bowls, year after year after year after year of it.

After Cam fumbled yesterday, I basically laughed it off, switched to the red zone and watched football the rest of the day and night.

Prior to this 20 year run, I was a Patriots fan, but also a fan of the game, I love football, I could watch any two teams play, I just love the sport, always have, always will.

It's nice not to live and die on every play, every snap, every down.

Time to reset and start again.

Looking forward to 2021 and what they can do; needless to say, for me this will be the most anticipated/important draft in 20 years...............................
So true. Random example but remember back in 2012? 2013? They hosted Cleveland in December. A bad Cleveland team. And they were getting smoked. And I was miserable for almost 3 hours until the the Pats miracled their way to the win. Games against crappy Browns teams in December shouldn’t have me having near heart attacks. But because of the implications on home field advantage nearly every game from 2001-2019 had me in an unhealthy physical state.
 

54thMA

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Aug 15, 2012
10,154
Westwood MA
So true. Random example but remember back in 2012? 2013? They hosted Cleveland in December. A bad Cleveland team. And they were getting smoked. And I was miserable for almost 3 hours until the the Pats miracled their way to the win. Games against crappy Browns teams in December shouldn’t have me having near heart attacks. But because of the implications on home field advantage nearly every game from 2001-2019 had me in an unhealthy physical state.
That game yesterday had a 1977 to 1987 vibe to it, close but no cigar, something horrible happening towards the end to cause them to lose.

And yes, seriously think of all the stress we've been under for 20 years.......................can't be good for our long term prognosis.

"Sorry to hear about your heart attack, what did it; fatty diet, family history?.....................Nope, New England Patriots 2001-2019"..................but I'll take it............;)...................
 
Apr 24, 2019
1,278
The idea that Wino hasn't been playing much because Belichick "knows what he's got there" or whatever is absolutely the most bonkers-times-bananas thing I've read on SOSH in a long time.

EDIT: All it took was one sentence to go all typo.