Will the Pats now play the role of Dolphins to the 90s Bills?

[Big Turk]

Seems like the Pats might be the divisional rival that gets stomped by the Bills for the next few years similar to how the Dolphins did in the late 80s and 90s. Sometimes the games were good, but most of the time the Bills were in control and some were Bills blowouts. Playoff wins solidified the rivalry.

 

I don't see the Pats competing anytime soon, so this could be fun.

[buffalo2218]

Pats may fall further than that. BB may not be around that much longer, and there's nothing about Jones that remotely looks like that team will be in the playoff mix every year

[dorquemada]

Just now, buffalo2218 said:

Pats may fall further than that. BB may not be around that much longer, and there's nothing about Jones that remotely looks like that team will be in the playoff mix every year

agreed.  When the wheels come off there it’s gonna happen all at once

[Yobogoya!]

I get where you’re coming from, I think good defense and run game could be enough for Belichick to beat up enough teams each year to be in the postseason mix til he finally calls it quits. 

 

But I mean, Mac Jones ain’t no Dan Marino. The comparison might be a bit too generous in that regard. 

[Sharky7337]

I don't know I think the could be a more serious headache then the perennially flawed dolphins teams.

 

They may even still win it  but I think there dominance is over.

Edited January 16, 2022 by Sharky7337

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

16 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

Seems like the Pats might be the divisional rival that gets stomped by the Bills for the next few years similar to how the Dolphins did in the late 80s and 90s. Sometimes the games were good, but most of the time the Bills were in control and some were Bills blowouts. Playoff wins solidified the rivalry.

 

I don't see the Pats competing anytime soon, so this could be fun.

please stop

 

The Bills utterly destroyed the Putz twice this season and got a fluke win in the gale force winds 

 

overall 4-1 in the last 2 seasons

2-1 this season 

 

/thread 

Edited January 16, 2022 by SlimShady'sSpaceForce

[Warcodered]

I think a Marino is required for that.

[ALLEN1QB]

The dolphins team was much better

[Big Turk]

31 minutes ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

please stop

 

The Bills utterly destroyed the Putz twice this season and got a fluke win in the gale force winds 

 

overall 4-1 in the last 2 seasons

2-1 this season 

 

/thread 

 

I get your point but I would expect them to close the gap a little bit maybe...they aren't going to have no real weapons on offense forever.

[BillsFanSD]

If the Pats had Herbert or somebody like that, sure.

 

They don't have that guy.

[Process]

Good spot to point out that the pats spent a billion dollars on a bunch of very average players last off season..bahaha

 

I don't see them being serious contenders any time soon.

[Success]

I definitely see a similarity between BB & Shula. 

 

Shula was the BB of his day in the 70's & 80's.  Feared and a notch above the rest of the league. Then, the game kind of passed him by - Marino kept that team competitive.

 

[zow2]

We were talking about this point last night.

For us 50+ folks Miami killed us in the 70’s. Then we flipped the script early 80’s and when Kelly came we owned them,  and still beat them regularly.

Then in 2000’s NE gets Brady and dominates us for 19 years or whatever. Now we have Allen and have flipped the script on NE for two straight seasons. How many more. ??

[JDamn86]

Well.. I think the division is the Bills but one would have to think.. unless Bill retires it will be competitive. He was able to get to the playoffs in a "rebuilding mode" with a middle of the pack defense and a rookie QB. Not just go 8-8 but actually win 10 games, get to the post season with a rookie QB who can only go up from here. If the kid's rookie season was enough to win 10 games, before BB retools in the offseason adding weapons which Im sure he will and retooling the defense then just imagine how far that can go. With that being said Buffalo will be a perrenial Superbowl contender and will likely win one or two.. but New England can still be a formidable playoff foe at least until BB retires.. 10-8 in try number 1? And thats a failure for him? Sheesh

[mjd1001]

The Pats might have a few years of struggling to even make a wildcard, let a long contend for a division title.

 

Miami is going through some changes, but the Pats just don't match up well against them. And unless the Bills take some serious steps back, there are 4 games for the Pats they will be lucky to go 2-2, with 1-3 more likely.

 

Is Mac Jones the answer? Can get get a lot better? The physical talent isn't great, but he could become more accurate and even better at making reads...so I won't rule out he will be a very good QB...but odds are what we saw might be his ceiling for the next few years.  he could get better but many QB's have that 2nd year where Defenses adjust to them.  It normally is more difficult for QBs with less physical talent.

 

The Defense.  They are going to rely on it for a while, but again, we may have seen their best year this year for a while.  J.C. Jackson is their 'superstar' and they are likely to pay him like one...but from all I have seen of him, he is a good DB that can be beaten by good wrs.  McCourty, Collins, and Hightower have been the playmakers here in the past, but they are all on the wrong side of 30 years old and all of them are showing major signs of slowing down. They have a lot of young guys on that D-unit, but none of them are showing consistent signs of being difference makers.

 

They aren't picking until 21st in the draft (I think), and they only have 4 picks in the first 5 rounds. (normally I'm not sweating not having a 5th rounder, but they need as many young/fast top 100 college talent guys as possible)

 

If everything goes right for the Pats, the Bills and Phins have major injury issues next year...and the Jets fail to improve at all, then maybe the Pats can contend for a division title.  I just see them being a 'middling' team for the next few years myself though.

Edited January 16, 2022 by mjd1001

[QLBillsFan]

18 minutes ago, ALLEN1QB said:

The dolphins team was much better

Absolutely. Very good O with an average D. The Pats are average on both sides of the ball. I think we will see some improvement from Mac but he’s fairly close to his ceiling.

The Pats are not built on O for the current NFL to excel. I think this year they outplayed expectations. Some of which was the good fortune of schedule vs beat up opponents. On D they may lose JCJ and are slow at LB. Not a ton of cap as they made some unproductive FA signings. 

 

I see them with 8 or 9 wins next year. Is hoody going to fire his kid as DC? Don’t think so. About .500 without Tommy. AFC QB’s, JA, Herbert, Lamar, Mahomes, Joe B. All 26 or under. Where does Mac fit in with that group?

[GETTOTHE50]

No team in the division is even remotely close to where the Bills are. Pats got lucky from a weak schedule this year, but they won’t be in the playoffs next year. 

[LeGOATski]

The whole division's gonna play that roll. Bills stomp them all.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

Yep

 

 

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

43 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

 

I get your point but I would expect them to close the gap a little bit maybe...they aren't going to have no real weapons on offense forever.

they spent $160 mil in FA this season and lost 4 games to Buffalo and Tua. 
 

Can Mac improve?  Sure he can. will he?  Who knows.  
 

when he proves he can, then we can discuss it.  
 

Crowning rookies is dumb IMO. 

Baker, Lamar, Tua are all prime examples