Have the Patriots losses to the Phins & Ryan Tannehill ushered in a new AFCE era?
The Patriots list of what to do this preseason
Call me a hater, I’m fine with that; but I had almost as much fun with the Patriots Wildcard playoff loss as I did in the Miami Dolphins huge win in Week 17. Come on, be honest Phins fans: You enjoyed it almost as much, too!
I know I’m not in the minority on this one.
And how about that pick-6 on Brady’s last pass?
Wasn’t that a tasty gulp of cool refreshing ‘hatoraide?
Yes, seeing the Dolphins have the biggest NFL upset in the last twenty years against their arch-enemy is a savory memory. And the Phins robbery of the Patriots’ Bye Week did put the ‘ball on the Tee’ for Tannehill and the Titans to whack. But this Patriots loss bring a finality… and hope that the Week 17 loss didn’t.
If the Titans truly did execute the coup de grace on the Patriots dynasty, the AFCE is now up for grabs in 2020. It’s been a long 20 years since the Patriots locked up the division… aside from a couple of blips on the radar. The division now might now be wide open.
Unfortunately,the skeptic may say, ‘Miami has risen to the occasions and played spoiler before, but the Patriots always get back in the saddle and the Dolphins returned to irrelevance.
While skeptics do have history on their side, it’s fair to wonder, will it play out differently this time? What the odds are with the sports betting softwareservices that the Patriots are done? I don’t know? But I am sure that they are better than in many years past.
Does this playoff loss mark the end of the Pats era, Brady’s, or both?
I know the adages: Nothing is set in stone; Don’t count your chickens before they hatch; One in the hand is worth two in the bush. Yes, even though the Dolphins look good and the Patriots bad to close out the season, this offseason will determine everything for both regimes.
But doesn’t it feel different?
Kraft, Brady, and Belichick don’t appear to be unified, but the Dolphins are in lockstep. Will this divide split coach and quarterback?
Patriots have an old roster with a ton of players over 29 and Brady is a Free Agent who’ll be 43 this season, while Miami has one of the youngest rosters in the NFL.
Patriots have only two picks in the Top 100 of the 2020 Draft. The Phins are swimming in picks and have six in the Top 100 and five in the Top 60.
Whatever you want to say about Ryan Fitzpatrick, he had no O-line and no running game, and still was the best quarterback of the AFCE. Brady, on the other hand, was given loads of excuses due to poor talent around him. So who has the best Qb in the AFCE?
This doesn’t add up to the same ole, same ole’, does it?
The truth is, we won’t know till these questions are answered:
Where will Brady play, and if with the Patriots, for how much?
Does Kraft choose Brady over Belichick?
Will Fitzpatrick declare he is playing in 2020… and stay healthy?
Can Miami and the Patriots find a quality replacement quarterback for Brady or Fitzpatrick if they are unavailable for any reason?
Can Miami find quality offensive linemen? Can the Patriots find quality receivers?
Will Josh McDaniels return? Belichick can take over the defense, but not the offense.
Is future actually getting brighter for the Dolphins or is it just another mirage of ‘hopeium’. This will be a riveting offseason for many reasons beyond just the Dolphins roster. Buckle up Phins fans because this will be one huge NFL Free Agency and Draft. Go Phins!!!
In my opinion, big mistake replacing O’Shea with gailey…. replacing O’Shea period! Like I said, my opinion and everyone has one. Doesn’t mean it’s a good one or that I’m right. Would rather see a young, forward thinking OC than gaily.I thought O’Shea did a fine job in his first stint as OC. Especially in the last game. Who am I to say. I love Flores but this one leaves me questioning his decision for the first time. Scratching my head! GO PHINS!!!
I too have my reservations on letting O-Shea go, Norm. Been mulling it over in my head and putting together a bit on it. Thing is Gailey is a forward thinker. He was doing the spread before anyone pretty much. Still, I think I prefer O’Shea’s system… but it does have some drawbacks. I’m really on the fence. But like you this is just my opinion. A concern I have is that they will use the spread to slow and beat the rush rather than invest heavily in the OL. Building up this OL is my 1st and foremost want from this offseason.
From what Salguero writes, O’Shea was implementing a very difficult offense based of what NE runs and players were having a hard time learning it. Flores decided to abandon it and go with an offense that is less difficult to learn and execute.
In my opinion, big mistake replacing O’Shea with gailey…. replacing O’Shea period! Like I said, my opinion and everyone has one. Doesn’t mean it’s a good one or that I’m right. Would rather see a young, forward thinking OC than gaily.I thought O’Shea did a fine job in his first stint as OC. Especially in the last game. Who am I to say.
I love Flores but this one leaves me questioning his decision for the first time. Scratching my head!
GO PHINS!!!
I too have my reservations on letting O-Shea go, Norm. Been mulling it over in my head and putting together a bit on it. Thing is Gailey is a forward thinker. He was doing the spread before anyone pretty much. Still, I think I prefer O’Shea’s system… but it does have some drawbacks. I’m really on the fence. But like you this is just my opinion. A concern I have is that they will use the spread to slow and beat the rush rather than invest heavily in the OL. Building up this OL is my 1st and foremost want from this offseason.
From what Salguero writes, O’Shea was implementing a very difficult offense based of what NE runs and players were having a hard time learning it. Flores decided to abandon it and go with an offense that is less difficult to learn and execute.
Yeah, read that that was the drawback I was talking about, Fritz. I think this goes into many areas… I’m wondering if Rosen is tied into it?