We're On To 2019

We're On To 2019

Have I read everything written and viewed every video recorded and listened to any podcast I could find covering Super Bowl LIII and the Patriots 6th Lombardi Trophy?

Yes. Yes I have.

Now what?

Time to start watching YouTube highlights of college players I've never heard of because pigskin pundits and bobbleheads are projecting them to picks by the New England Patriots in the 2019 draft.

Time to ask myself important, life-altering, existential crisis-level questions like, "Would Demaryius Thomas be an upgrade over Chris Hogan?"

The Copycat League That Can't Copy The Patriots

It's almost an annual rite for pigskin pundits and bobbleheads.

Why don't other NFL teams do what the Patriots do?

Despite being too old, too slow, with no playmakers and no defense, they just keep winning. Tom Brady is a system quarterback who dinks and dunks and checks down to his running backs. Blake Bortles can't do that? Okay, bad example. Anyway. With all the videotape and advanced analytics available to NFL teams, the modern nutritional programs, training techniques and sleep technologies, how is it no other NFL franchise has figured the Patriots out?

The Patriots lost 5 games this year and that was considered a down year for a franchise that wins at an outrageous 75% success rate since Bill Belichick became head coach.

How is it so rare the Patriots are punked by their competition?

In Defense of Super Bowl LIII

So, you didn't like Super Bowl LIII.

Are you sure you're actually a football fan?

Bill Belichick Just Ruined Football For You (Again)

Huh. I guess it's true. Defense does win championships.

Nobody Likes You

The Patriots "underdog" mentality has been less than charitably described as bullshit by pigskin pundits and bobbleheads.

The money guys have made New England 2.5-point favorites, so, not underdogs as far as that goes. ESPN's FPI says Los Angeles has a 52% chance of winning but pigskin pundits and bobbleheads favor the Patriots 6 to 4. I've got to think some of those picking the Pats are working a reverse jynx but even so… underdogs?

Maybe it's really just semantics.

Almost There

Which one of Sean McVay's weapons will Bill Belichick try to take away? Is the most important match up in SB53 Josh McDaniels vs. Wade Phillips? The Patriots O-Line vs. the Rams D-Line? Millennials vs. their dads? Is this finally the end of the New England Hegemony? (Sorry, but we're way past Dynasty at this point.) Will Tom Brady live forever?

My gridiron sensibilities have been assaulted by a double A-gap blitz of rumors, assumptions, numbers, graphs, Madden simulations, positional breakdowns, expert predictions, and failed attempts to humanize Ndamukong Suh. Despite the relentless efforts of pigskin pundits and bobbleheads to tell me everything about SB53, I now feel like I know nothing.

Same as it ever was.