Monday 12/30/24
The Patriots were drilled 40-7 on Saturday by the Chargers. I didn't even know the Patriots were playing and only came across the game because I thought that was the station carrying BC's bowl game--which they lost--against Nebraska (turns out it was in the rest of the country--in New England it was moved to...MeTV; BC football and Svengoolie--how strange). It's not very often that BC and the Pats are playing at the same time. I'm unsure if that's ever happened before in my lifetime. Maybe on a Thursday night.
I had to laugh at the Patriots, just as I laughed when I saw some quote this morning from a Patriot player saying that it wasn't right for the fans to boo and chant "Fire Mayo," and the team deserves support, etc.
We must try to be rational.
Of course the Patriots deserve to be booed. Record-wise, there have been worse Patriots teams than this one, but this may be the worst team they've ever fielded, and if it's not the worst, it's the team with the bleakest immediate future. Personally, I don't think they have a short term problem. I see many years of being a bad team in front of this franchise. Possibly decades. But a solid six, seven years more of being bad.
Drake Maye got concussed--or very probably--and the Patriots, being as inept as they are, actually put him back in the game to risk having his brain scrambled further while on their way to 3-13. Think about that--this team is going to have the same record--for all intents and purposes--as they had last year with Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe as its quarterbacks. What an indictment that is.
What is Maye going to do? I am not as impressed with him as most are. He could end being good, but he could end up being nothing. I see these flickers of ability, but his game hasn't improved over the course of this year as I'd have liked it to. But let's say he improves, he's good, all of that. He's going to need to survive the term of this contract, and then get the hell out of New England.
Here's what I know. You can say you read it here first. If the Patriots bring back the same coach, OC, DC, the coaches, and the same front office, they will have a similar record next year regardless of what they do with the roster, and I don't expect them to have a much better one than they do now, if they have a better one at all. It'd be great if you could get the owner and his son to go as well, but that's not on the table, unfortunately. But if you bring back these people in charge, you'll go 2-15 or 3-14 or 4-13 or 5-12 or whatever it is next year. Mark that down, because it will happen.
The Red Sox were never cursed, because it's just sports, but what the Red Sox were for all of those years--with that reputation--is what you're seeing the Patriots become. Some idiot will eventually call it the Curse of Brady or something. You're settling into a Detroit Lions-like run of futility.
Presently, the Patriots have the number one pick in the 2025 draft. People who don't know sports who are Patriots fans are excited about this, but the truth is, this isn't how you get good. There are so many bad teams that are always picking high who remain bad teams. People think high draft picks are the recipe for success, but not in the NFL.
The Patriots may very well win next week against Buffalo because Buffalo has nothing to play for and who knows who will be in their line-up. I suspect that if the Patriots win they won't have the number one pick, so we'll see how Mayo and company handle this. Then again, if the Patriots were trying to lose, how would you know?
Somehow, though, the Jets are even worse. The Jets are something else. They stand apart. Regarding Aaron Rodgers: All of that physical talent and he's going to have one Super Bowl win to show for it. I'd expect him to be all done after this year. Who would want that? Somewhat similar to Bill Belichick after last year. An all-time great, but a case of "get away from me" by everyone in the league.
If I had to guess, I think Mayo and staff go. And it's the PR side of things as much as anything with Robert Kraft. The team being booed, the empty seats.
As for BC: The final score said 20-15, but scores can be misleading. What? How is that possible? Because Nebraska was in control the whole game. It never felt in doubt or that BC would win. BC blocked a punt late and punched it in from inside the five and so there was only a five-point margin of victory, but BC's offense couldn't drive and score and there was no way they were coming back from 20-8 when they needed two touchdowns.
I had said in here the other day that I like bowl season, but I should have added that what I don't like about it is the opting out. BC has an All-American. A real force on the defensive line. He didn't play. There should be some kind of rule because with some of these teams you're getting more second-stringers than starters, so what is really being presented here and what are we watching?
Speaking of laughing: How are you not supposed to laugh when you see an out-of-shape man in his fifties wearing a Christian Gonzalez jersey?
Exciting game at the World Juniors yesterday between Finland and the US, which Finland took in OT. It's three-on-three for OT, so that first face-off becomes crucial. The US won it, then had possession for like the next minute and a half. But as soon as Finland touched the puck--with one of the BC kids going to the ice--you knew that could very well be that. They went from the one end to the other on the odd-man rush, the puck carrier shot and beat the goalie on the short side, and there was team USA's first loss. They play Canada tomorrow, and that could be their second. I liked the US to repeat in this tournament, but I also would have expected them to come out and handle their business against Finland. That US team last year was pretty loaded.
As I predicted, the Celtics lost at home yesterday to the Pacers. The Celtics are not a good home team. They are an underachieving team in 2024-25 that is not going to successfully defend their title. They're now five games back of the Cavs in the loss column for the top seed in the East and one game up on the Knicks. They have a Joe Mazzulla problem. Here's the issue with Mazzulla: He thinks he's smarter than everyone else. Which is fine if you are, not so fine if you're not. And he isn't. Play basketball somewhat like it's meant to be played. Don't just chuck threes. You have all of these good players who have a lot of experience together and chemistry with each other. Lean into that. Not everything has to be from distance.
This would upset people, because it goes counter to the narrative being pushed right now, but Josh Allen is not having some amazing year. He's having what social media people think is an amazing year and what is thought of as an amazing year in a social media age, in large part because he rushes for touchdowns. Allen is not in the top ten in passing yards this year. He's sixth in touchdown passes. He's ninth in passer rating. He's good. Joe Burrow has been much better, and as I said at the start of the season, I've not been some huge Burrow guy. But this year, he's been the guy, the best quarterback in the league, and if the Bengals make the playoffs--which I'd put at, I don't know, I'd say there's a 40% chance of with a week to go (despite the "official" percentage chance)--he should be the MVP. He won't be, because of narrative. The world wants to give this MVP to Josh Allen, and so Josh Allen will be the MVP.
And as much as I don't like thinking this, I do believe the Chiefs will accomplish what no one else ever has and win their third Super Bowl in a row. And I don't even think Patrick Mahomes is that good anymore. Perhaps he'll have some resurgence going forward. His prime skill now is making the play that his team must have in order to win the game. No matter what else he's doing--or not doing--the rest of the time. I think the Chiefs will gut their way to a title with their experience, moxie, their coaching, their defense, and Mahomes making that play or handful of plays.
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