The Patriots

[Boltnut]

Are you really predicting a big year for Bucs D ?

Pity the poor DBs.

Nutty, find your inner peace at Fat Man's Misery...

imp:

Bucs D still has a ways to go. They were 31st in the NFL in scoring defense (only 0.2 pts behind the Raiders' D). And that was with a "modern" DT McCoy... Will they be better with Suh at 3-tech and Devin White at MLB... yes. We'll see how those rookie press corners do...

[powderblueboy]

People seem to forget than the AFC West was a pretty weak division when we owned it from 2006-2009.

That didn't help us with not being injured.

1. 2006 AFC west pretty good - KC a playoff participant & Denver was 9-7: Chargers were running out of steam by the end of the season. They struggled
to beat a 2nd rate Cardinals team in the final regular season game to get home field by throughout. Rivers turned his ankle in that game & had a flat foot for the playoffs. If only that Cardinals team was the Jets from last year.
2. 2009 AFC west soft - Chargers completely healthy going into playoffs. That debacle had more to do with Norvell being a 3rd rate head coach.
3. 2008 AFC west soft - key team injuries of LT/ Merriman had little to do with the regular season play. Other than that, healthy. Still won a playoff game against Indy and played the Steelers tough until Jammer's injury late in the 1rst half - then the wheels came off the bus
4. 2007 AFC west soft - team healthy entering playoffs, except for key injury to Merriman when Jeff Fischer ordered the hit. Won two playoff games

Soft division equals playoff advantage. Why is this even an issue?

[wu-dai clan]

Bucs D still has a ways to go. They were 31st in the NFL in scoring defense (only 0.2 pts behind the Raiders' D). And that was with a "modern" DT McCoy... Will they be better with Suh at 3-tech and Devin White at MLB... yes. We'll see how those rookie press corners do...

I thought the Raiders should have drafted Devin White @ #4,
bypassing even Josh Allen, let alone Clelin Farrell.

I see it Nutty.

This is an awesome football player, a true tonesetter ala Singletary or Kuechle.

[powderblueboy]

I don't really get why people use this as an excuse as to why last years Pats team was healthy.

You can have players get injured regardless of how good/bad the teams you play are. When Brady tore his ACL in 2008 it was against a Chiefs team that would go 2-14 that year.

The Patriots were certainly not resting players at the end of the season. If they lost a game they lost the first round bye to Houston.

You are too focused on season ending injuries. Then there are the types of injuries were players play at 50%. These can be mitigated by rest, or limited play in easy victories. Remember, the Pets lost 38-3 that final game; they didn't show up according to Patriot commentators. With such easy victories, one can essentially save players like Gronk for the playoffs. He was in & out the whole year, but that wretched division still couldn't beat the Patriots without the aid of one freak play. Other than that one, none of those other games were close.

The old rule of throwing out the book when you play within the division doesn't pertain to the AFC East refuse. Patriots routinely run up the score on those clods.

[Panamamike]

Bucs D still has a ways to go. They were 31st in the NFL in scoring defense (only 0.2 pts behind the Raiders' D). And that was with a "modern" DT McCoy... Will they be better with Suh at 3-tech and Devin White at MLB... yes. We'll see how those rookie press corners do...

I am not convinced Suh is an upgrade. He now plays when he wants to. How much will he want to for a losing team?

[Boltjolt]

So what you are saying is that it took a fluke kickoff for one of those teams to beat New England last year? The season ended with a big game against the Pets, where the Pets quit during the pregame intros (according to Patriot commentators). On any given Sunday doesn't apply to the chronically infirm and feeble.

We are gauging the easy path to the playoffs year end year out for the Patriots were they can rest players and win games.

Your can use whatever excuse your want. They don't rest their players so don't know what your talking about there.

You have to beat the better teams in the playoffs and they keep doing it while we don't.The Patriots won 3 SBs after winning playoff games on the road. Seems the issue is yours.
They have 6 rings to our zero when our division was weak and we won it and didn't make it to a SB and went one and done a couple times.

[Boltjolt]

I am not convinced Suh is an upgrade. He now plays when he wants to. How much will he want to for a losing team?

Suh is not an upgrade to McCoy. He is just collecting a check at this point.

[Boltnut]

I am not convinced Suh is an upgrade. He now plays when he wants to. How much will he want to for a losing team?

I think Suh is being overlooked, somehow.

Over the last three seasons, Suh has been one of the most productive run stoppers in the entire NFL. He's earned a run-defense grade of 91.1 over that span, sixth among qualifying players at the position, while his 83 run stops are tied for the seventh-most.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-ndamukong-suh-remains-unsigned-but-could-be-a-valuable-asset-to-any-team-who-needs-an-impact-player-on-the-interior

His age might be an issue eventually. But he's had good pff numbers consistently his last 6 years. I think he'll be solid again this year. Playing next to Vita Vea (who had a pretty good 2nd half of last season) will allow him to move into the 3-tech position (a position his body type is better suited for). I expect the Bucs run defense to improve this year. And I think the DT's will tie up OL and let Devin White have some free runs to the QB next year on middle blitzes. Must get to those NFC South QB's quickly to have an effect on the pass defense. I think the Bucs did a great job addressing their needs through the draft and FA. Will they catch up to the pack..? We'll see. The NFC South is brutal!

[blueman]

I think Suh is being overlooked, somehow.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-ndamukong-suh-remains-unsigned-but-could-be-a-valuable-asset-to-any-team-who-needs-an-impact-player-on-the-interior

His age might be an issue eventually. But he's had good pff numbers consistently his last 6 years. I think he'll be solid again this year. Playing next to Vita Vea (who had a pretty good 2nd half of last season) will allow him to move into the 3-tech position (a position his body type is better suited for). I expect the Bucs run defense to improve this year. And I think the DT's will tie up OL and let Devin White have some free runs to the QB next year on middle blitzes. Must get to those NFC South QB's quickly to have an effect on the pass defense. I think the Bucs did a great job addressing their needs through the draft and FA. Will they catch up to the pack..? We'll see. The NFC South is brutal!

Yep, solid take. They needed to do something alright.

[Boltnut]

I thought the Raiders should have drafted Devin White @ #4,
bypassing even Josh Allen, let alone Clelin Farrell.

I see it Nutty.

This is an awesome football player, a true tonesetter ala Singletary or Kuechle.

I thought the Raiders were going to draft Josh Allen. He played OLB at Kentucky, so maybe they couldn't project him at DE...?

I wouldn't have criticized them for taking Devin White @ #4. White and Quinnen Williams were my favorite players from the 2019 draft class.

In the end, the Raiders picked up Te'von Coney as an UDFA and got Vontaze Burfict through FA to compete at LB.

If a young DE (Key, Ferrel, Crosby) emerges... the Raiders will be better than everyone expects.

[like54ninjas]

I thought the Raiders were going to draft Josh Allen. He played OLB at Kentucky, so maybe they couldn't project him at DE...?

I wouldn't have criticized them for taking Devin White @ #4. White and Quinnen Williams were my favorite players from the 2019 draft class.

In the end, the Raiders picked up Te'von Coney as an UDFA and got Vontaze Burfict through FA to compete at LB.

If a young DE (Key, Ferrel, Crosby) emerges... the Raiders will be better than everyone expects.

I concur. Raturds D is going to be improved. I really like their young DTs from the 18 draft. CB & LB are their big areas of weakness to be exploited.
JA is like 6' 5" 265# w/burst and bend. I can't see how that doesn't project to DE.

[Boltnut]

I concur. Raturds D is going to be improved. I really like their young DTs from the 18 draft. CB & LB are their big areas of weakness to be exploited.
JA is like 6' 5" 265# w/burst and bend. I can't see how that doesn't project to DE.

Yes. Raiders' strength on defense is their interior DL. The rest of the defense... waiting on guys to play up to their draft slots... If Gareon Conley continues to develop and Trayvon Mullen can take over at the CB position opposite Conley... they might be decent. Karl Joseph and LaMarcus Joyner will probably provide stability on the backend.