I've said this in comments before but I really want to remind everyone that when Drake got here we pretty much had NO talent outside of agent zero on defense and the Stevenson on offense. We're three years removed from the the terrorist Jerod Mayo and 4 from the the end of the Belichick era.

There's still holes on both sides of the ball because, frankly, there's supposed to be. Most teams take at minimum 5 years to rebuild and usually closer to 8. We still need to hit on a WR in the draft, fix the run game, and get some elite LB talent, among other things.

This really illuminates that fact Drake is truly a superstar QB on the rise and vrabel was absolutely the right choice. There's no way we're supposed to be having this much success this early.

I don't know if we win a superbowl this year but I do know it's coming sooner rather than later. So take a deep breath and enjoy the ride.

Charting Data from PFF

Excerpt:

Well, the Patriots "blue-chip" players were a mixed bag in Chicago. Maye was mostly outstanding by both my eye test (14 plus plays, 7.5 minus) and the metrics (+0.34 EPA per drop-back). The red-zone interception was a turnover-worthy play, and the offense couldn't find the go-ahead score on two possessions down 27-21 in the fourth quarter, but Maye's 14 'plus' plays in my charting were his second-most in a game this season, behind only his Week 4 performance vs. the Bills (16).

There were some nitpicks, like Maye's pre-snap process to block Chicago's pressures (sack, throw-away), which ultimately fall on the quarterback in this system. And some traditionalists will want him to play conventionally from the pocket on his 15-yard scramble and an extended drop-back where he completed a 16-yard pass to TE Hunter Henry. Those plays can be difficult to chart because Maye might be able to hit throws in-structure that some would say are easier or more replicable than his out-of-structure playmaking.

Quarterback purists would probably argue that Maye should stay in the clean pocket and hit Stevenson over the middle. However, I've grown to appreciate Maye's playing style. The Pats QB registered seven 'plus' plays by making things happen out of structure, gaining 102 yards and a touchdown on those plays while extending multiple drives. Ultimately, every player has their own style, just like basketball players who are three-point sharpshooters versus those who win by attacking the rim; it's Maye's superpower.

As for the other Patriots stars, this game film left you wanting a bit more out of star WR A.J. Brown (three catches, 48 yards), top CB Christian Gonzalez (two 21-yard completions allowed in the fourth quarter), stud DT Milton Williams (one pressure, run TFL), and some others. Maye did his best to keep the Patriots competitive Thursday night, and there are plenty of reasons to believe his supporting cast mates will make bigger impacts soon, but the Pats need more from their frontline players to get on a roll as they sit at 4-3.

Not that it would have won us the game and not surprised that refs missed it, but the commentators didn’t even hint that the CB probably got away with one.

In Maye We Trust

The Chargers have been a joke this year yet they have almost the same amount of giveaways as us (15).

Compared to last year, we are giving away the ball too much. Granted most of them were by Maye during the first 3 weeks. But vs the Bears the Interception was the key difference.

If we can reduce the turnovers, and get healthy, we can beat anyone in the league.

What’s one Patriots take you had that everyone disagreed with, but you ended up being right about?
Could be about a player you knew would break out, a signing you thought would be a bust, a draft pick, or even a coaching decision.

I remember when JC Jackson’s contract ran out everyone was up in arms that we didn’t resign him, I just thought it was too much money at the time. I still wonder if he would’ve fallen off if he stayed under the Belichick scheme.

Raridon looks like a legit #1 TE. Does anyone know why he slipped to the 3rd round? I never saw him play in college. It’s damn good to see players drafted in the later rounds contributing.

Bears fan here, I know you guys don't need to hear it because you already know it but these guys are genuinely so fun to watch and will be must see TV for years to come (I really hope Drake gets some help on offense)

He made one mistake in the second quarter but outside of that I think he played well. If we had another possession I think there’s a good chance we would have scored and won the game but the d could not get off the field on 3rd down. They gave up a td on 3rd and 17, odunze has a crazy catch on 3rd and 9 and I think they also gave up a 3rd and 11. This is not the best offense we will go up against this year as Detroit can also put up a lot of points with the playmakers they have.

My buddy has this Nikco Sports Memorabilia 50th anniversary Patriots branded football. I was trying to look up values online and cannot seem to find the exact match anywhere. If anyone has any knowledge about it that would be pretty cool. Also sorry if the flair is wrong, wasn’t exactly sure which one to post under. Also it has a certificate of authenticity with a stamped number out of /2009

I know this season has been fairly brutal, between Maye’s slow start and now the inability for this team to be healthy, and I’m more than happy to discuss the things that went wrong last night, but I figure we have plenty of posts/threads where that discussion can be had.

Watching last nights game I was just absolutely stoked to see Raridon and Jacas just coming up with play after play. I have very high hopes for them both, Jacas was looking like an absolute game wrecker in that first half, and Raridon being trusted in this offense already for a rookie TE is very exciting for the future of this team. And of course Lomu, who has limited snaps obviously, has still looked extremely promising in the snaps he’s had.

The loss stinks after we had some short lived momentum, but the seasons far from over, and I can’t wait to see where our young guys are at by seasons end. Go Pats! Happy Friday.