Skins v. Pats Pregame Thread

Like someone said, Pats are on a mission. This one reminds me of their game against Joe Gibbs2 team. Only we don't have Joe Gibbs. :(

If we don't get shutout, and keep them under 45, it's probably a moral victory.

I really hate this notion and honestly, I feel that the Patriots are the only karma-free team in the league. They bend/break the rules, whine about it, and nothing happens to them.

To me, basically Brady bitched and whine his way out of his suspension. If this is any other team/any other player, the suspension would have stayed.

As a football fan, I want to like the Patriots, but I feel they do unnecessary things (Spygate, Deflagate, bogus injury reports, etc., etc.) that are annoying and they immediately cry about it when someone (i.e. the NFL, other teams) calls them out on it.

i think i have, or hope they do, the players mentality. the pats are just another good team. i like our chances, especially if we can make the game chippy

I really hate this notion and honestly, I feel that the Patriots are the only karma-free team in the league. They bend/break the rules, whine about it, and nothing happens to them.

To me, basically Brady bitched and whine his way out of his suspension. If this is any other team/any other player, the suspension would have stayed.

As a football fan, I want to like the Patriots, but I feel they do unnecessary things (Spygate, Deflagate, bogus injury reports, etc., etc.) that are annoying and they immediately cry about it when someone (i.e. the NFL, other teams) calls them out on it.

This. The Patriots are also single-handedly responsible for the biggest bandwagon I've ever seen. I literally had never met a Patriots fan prior to their first Super Bowl. Since New England is an "area" rather than a state, it makes it much easier to hop on. Even with all the success the Seahawks are having, I still don't see that bandwagon outside the Seattle area.

We should ask Gruden to make every member of the team watch this clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM-lOVgoUqI

To beat a champion, get pissed off and show no respect -- make it a dogfight.

FOXBORO -- The Patriots know that if receiver DeSean Jackson is on the field for Washington on Sunday, they'll have to be ready for the deep ball.

"They led the league in big-play passes last year and he had a lot of them," said Patriots coach Bill Belichick on Wednesday. "He’s a very explosive player, just tremendous at all three levels. He can catch and run, he can get over the top of the defense, and he’s a very good intermediate route runner who can get open and create space and take intermediate plays and turn those into big plays, too. Big threat."

Jackson left his team's Week 1 game against the Dolphins with a hamstring injury and hasn't played since, but he led the NFL with 13 catches of 40 yards or more last season.

Luckily for Patriots corners, they have two more-than-capable free safeties with good range -- Devin McCourty and Duron Harmon -- who can help them defend the deep part of the field against burners like Jackson.

"It's a blessing," Malcolm Butler said. "It's a blessing. Those guys, they're back there sniping, they come down and tackle. Couldn't ask for anyone else."

There's a fine line, though, between playing with a level of comfort -- knowing that someone will have your back if you get beat -- and playing over-aggressively. It's a line players like Butler have to toe, especially when facing deep threats like Jets wideout Brandon Marshall or Colts speedster TY Hilton.

"I think as a corner, you don’t count on that help," Belichick said. "I mean, you count on it on inside routes, but you don’t really count on it on go routes. The big part of that position is the quarterback. If the quarterback controls the free safety by looking him off, looking one way and throwing the other way, then that corner is probably not going to get any help. Now there are other components of that -- the pattern, the protection -- the quarterback’s ability to do that and so forth.

"I’m not saying that’s a given, but again, as a corner, it’s not like when you have a half field safety and you know that guy’s going to be back there at least on your half of the field. A middle of the field safety, there are some guys that can get over and guys that get great jumps on the ball and are instinctive and all that, and Duron and Devin have given us some of those plays, but I think as a corner, you can’t just sit there and say I have help over the top. You might, but you can’t really count on that."

It's a coaching point that has hit home for Patriots defensive backs, and one that they'll lean on this weekend with Washington's explosive playmakers in town.

"I'm still going to do my job," Butler said. "I'm not going to try to . . . All of us are still going to do our jobs. We're not going to try to do anything crazy just because we got the safeties behind us to make up for it. Just going to go out there and play the best we can, and deep down in our mind know that we got their help back there."

Butler: 'It's a blessing' to have help from Pats safeties | Comcast SportsNet - CSNNE.com (http://www.csnne.com/new-england-patriots/butler-its-blessing-have-help-pats-safeties?p=ya5nbcs&ocid=yahoo)

sorry for posting the whole article, just some really good thoughts and concept ideas explained well.

Our base defense basically plays to their strength.

I really don't think they will need to call a single run play against our 3 deep 4 underneath, eyes on the QB reacting to the receiver.

In the 4th quarter of a couple of playoff games last year (Baltimore I remember for certain), I think they went all pass all the time and moved the ball.

Will be a long day for our defense.

I think this game turns on Jason Hatcher and Chris Baker.

i do not think we will beat the patriots, and I don't think anyone really expects us to have much of a chance, but i agree with others who say that if we keep them from scoring over 45 point on us, it is a moral victory.I am scared though that they could put up 75+ on us....it could be a long day

i do not think we will beat the patriots, and I don't think anyone really expects us to have much of a chance, but i agree with others who say that if we keep them from scoring over 45 point on us, it is a moral victory.I am scared though that they could put up 75+ on us....it could be a long day

Come on yo, 75+? We aren't that old Gibbs team that got hammered on. Don't get me wrong, we'll definitely get creamed, but it won't be a complete and utter embarrassment.

I'm going with
Pats 34
Skins - 20

Come on yo, 75+? We aren't that old Gibbs team that got hammered on. Don't get me wrong, we'll definitely get creamed, but it won't be a complete and utter embarrassment.

I'm going with
Pats 34
Skins - 20

I hope you are right. I know Bill Bellicheck likes to keep his foot on the gas, so i would not be surprised if it ends up like 45-20 in the 3rd quarter, and he is still throwing it on 4th down etc.

really ???? with some of the predictions on here about the score if we get beat that bad we have a lot more issues than QB ..LIKE THE WHOLE TEAM SUCKS! I believe the skins will play tough and make it a game pats 38 skins 28 ….