The View from Patriots Wire

[BeyondTheProcess]

Putting key injuries, which decide most things in the end, aside, the AFCE will be a season long horserace between the Bills and the Pats.   Bills will struggle with a total misfit roster on defense for 1st half of season, then probably figure it out and be ready by the time the post season tournament starts.   The tournament will be the crap shoot it always is. 

 

Let's hope this is the year the Bills have the roster and scheme some tournament time where they can just take the trophy and not rely on the refs to get it right and get some luck as well.  

[H2o]

12 hours ago, uticaclub said:

A lot more competition at WR in Green Bay. He would have been our WR1 last year

Saying he would have been our #1 with our crap receiving corps means nothing. He is MEH at best. Who was his competition? An underperforming rookie in Matthew Golden? Dontayvion Wicks? Jayden Reed? Luke Musgrave? Watson only played 10 games. As GB's #1 last year he had 55 catches for 724 yds with 6 TD's. That's Gabe Davis numbers. He's nothing special and is not a threat. 

12 hours ago, Buffalo Junction said:

That’s my point though. Those two 100 yard games were in the playoffs. Against the Jets for a 1pm Sunday game he might be invisible. Prime time game and he shows up big, especially on third and fourth down. The only playoff game he didn’t ball out in he was knocked out with a concussion. 

Your point is he's basically a JAG, but he's had two Playoff games in 4 years (63 career games) with 100 yards so we better watch out?  

[Shaw66]

There's something else that's worth saying here, and that's about Drake May.

 

The NFL has completely changed over the last 10 years or so. It used to be the case that quarterbacks had to play in the league for several years before they started playing really well. That changed with Mahomes, and since that time we've had a series of quarterbacks come into the league who were very good to outstanding in their rookie or second season. The fans and the press anoint these people as though they are already booked into the Hall of Fame. The reality has been that after a year or two, those quarterbacks either hit a plateau or actually slide back into the middle of the pack.

 

Thinking the Patriots are an annual Super Bowl contender because they have Drake May at quarterback may be accurate, but recent experience in the NFL has suggested that outstanding early performance does not necessarily mean you have a great franchise quarterback.

 

May has not yet proven himself to be an elite quarterback; in fact, it is impossible to prove yourself an elite quarterback in the first couple of years. He still has a lot to accomplish before he's in the elite category. He's less likely to prove himself to be a star in the next two years then he is likely to be traded even up for the kid in Houston.

[BuffaloBillyG]

53 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

There's something else that's worth saying here, and that's about Drake May.

 

The NFL has completely changed over the last 10 years or so. It used to be the case that quarterbacks had to play in the league for several years before they started playing really well. That changed with Mahomes, and since that time we've had a series of quarterbacks come into the league who were very good to outstanding in their rookie or second season. The fans and the press anoint these people as though they are already booked into the Hall of Fame. The reality has been that after a year or two, those quarterbacks either hit a plateau or actually slide back into the middle of the pack.

 

Thinking the Patriots are an annual Super Bowl contender because they have Drake May at quarterback may be accurate, but recent experience in the NFL has suggested that outstanding early performance does not necessarily mean you have a great franchise quarterback.

 

May has not yet proven himself to be an elite quarterback; in fact, it is impossible to prove yourself an elite quarterback in the first couple of years. He still has a lot to accomplish before he's in the elite category. He's less likely to prove himself to be a star in the next two years then he is likely to be traded even up for the kid in Houston.

This is spot on. 

 

May had a wonderful season last year. But he also had a lot of things go right for him that don't always happen. I said at the end of last year, he may never have a season where it all came together like it did for him. He's managed to stay healthy, but we all know that in the NFL, the bell eventually tolls for everyone. Could he be the next elite QB? Sure. Could he regress like CJ Stroud did? Absolutely. 

 

Including playoffs, Maye has 33 starts. This is right about the window teams catch on to a QB. And looking  back at the playoffs last year, teams were doing just that. If he can alter his game and evolve, he's got a chance to stay good. If not, he's got a chance to be Mac Jones. 

[Coffeesforclosers]

Boston is drinking the bong water again.

 

McD's schemes and concepts on D were played out and predictable. The Bills had this confirmed by candidates in the HC interview process, if not by years of post season results.

 

However, Sean did figure out that the schematic answer to Drake Maye is to play Cover 6. Maye's output fell off a cliff after that, and other NFL teams that almost never played Cover 6, played it against NE for the rest of the year. Maye was historically bad from then on, but their D was Just That Good. Just not against JA.

 

If Maye grows up and figures out how to read the field against all defensive looks, of course they're dangerous. Until then, they're another "Run the Ball and Play Defense" team that tops out at 10-7.

 

[Dillenger4]

They are underestimating DJ Moore and definitely our New Defense. Jim LenRod will have a tough D. DJ will be a beast!

[BringBackFlutie]

Maybe people just need something to do, but we all lived through the drought. You can make all the offseason moves you want, spend all the money you want... it doesn't really matter if you don't have a QB. On the other hand- if you have a QB, you can add or remove whatever you want, and you'll be contending. The real difference outside of QB seems to be coaching.

[Shaw66]

29 minutes ago, BringBackFlutie said:

Maybe people just need something to do, but we all lived through the drought. You can make all the offseason moves you want, spend all the money you want... it doesn't really matter if you don't have a QB. On the other hand- if you have a QB, you can add or remove whatever you want, and you'll be contending. The real difference outside of QB seems to be coaching.

I've been saying this for a couple of decades.  All that matters is the QB and the coach. All the others, of course, have to be good players, but which ones you have at all those positions doesn't really matter beyond that.  With a QB and a coach, you have a chance. If you're missing one of those, you don't. 

[Southern McButterpants]

My IQ dropped 10 points reading that. 🥸

[Logic]

I expect the Pats to come crashing back to earth somewhat this year.

Maye is a good head coach and Maye is a good young quarterback, but I think their run to the playoffs last year (based largely on a historically easy schedule) has their fans feeling more confident than they should. As it was, last season, by the time the playoffs rolled around, no one feared the Pats. 

I'm also not 100% convinced that we've heard the last of the Vrabel-Russini drama and the distractions it comes with.

Meanwhile, national prognosticators keep saying that the Bills' window is closed and their time has passed, and all they keep doing is going out and winning 11+ games and making the playoffs every season.

Obviously, if Brady proves to be a downgrade at head coach, then the writeup linked will prove prescient. If Brady keeps the Bills on track and they keep winning at roughly the same pace they have the past six years, then that writer is going to look foolish.

At the end of the day, the Bills have Josh Allen in his prime. Count them out at your own peril.

[machine gun kelly]

First, OP, why the heck are you going to a Pats fan site?  What did you expect from one of the most annoying fan bases in the country?  
 

Second, yes, Doubs and Brown are great finds, and we should’ve done the same with both Moore, and another peripheral receiver.  But of course Beane relies on Josh to be Superman.  Outside of the second stud peripheral WR, we did fine between the free agency and the draft. He’d better damn we’ll find a stud next year, or if you’re blaming the lack of SBs, blame Beane.  This falls on him!  Five years of ignoring what Josh needs is criminal.

 

I still though think after that cream puff schedule, now the Cheats have to face the AFCW, and NFCN, just like us, and a 1st place schedule for the rest.

 

i honestly don’t understand uncles your a masochist why you look at a Pats website.  Of course they are slanted.  They cheated their way to the SB, and will be lucky to win 10 games this year.  The Bills will reclaim their 5 year throne.

 

Just remember we are 11-13 wins under McD for six years, and 10-6 the year before.  Maye has some learning to do this year.

Edited June 27 by machine gun kelly

[Jauronimo]

I understand their take.  On paper the divisional champs made bigger moves than we did and have pulled further away.  But games aren't played on paper and New England isn't going to catch everyone's backup QB this year.

[eball]

3 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

There's something else that's worth saying here, and that's about Drake May.

 

The NFL has completely changed over the last 10 years or so. It used to be the case that quarterbacks had to play in the league for several years before they started playing really well. That changed with Mahomes, and since that time we've had a series of quarterbacks come into the league who were very good to outstanding in their rookie or second season. The fans and the press anoint these people as though they are already booked into the Hall of Fame. The reality has been that after a year or two, those quarterbacks either hit a plateau or actually slide back into the middle of the pack.

 

Thinking the Patriots are an annual Super Bowl contender because they have Drake May at quarterback may be accurate, but recent experience in the NFL has suggested that outstanding early performance does not necessarily mean you have a great franchise quarterback.

 

May has not yet proven himself to be an elite quarterback; in fact, it is impossible to prove yourself an elite quarterback in the first couple of years. He still has a lot to accomplish before he's in the elite category. He's less likely to prove himself to be a star in the next two years then he is likely to be traded even up for the kid in Houston.

 

2 hours ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

This is spot on. 

 

May had a wonderful season last year. But he also had a lot of things go right for him that don't always happen. I said at the end of last year, he may never have a season where it all came together like it did for him. He's managed to stay healthy, but we all know that in the NFL, the bell eventually tolls for everyone. Could he be the next elite QB? Sure. Could he regress like CJ Stroud did? Absolutely. 

 

Including playoffs, Maye has 33 starts. This is right about the window teams catch on to a QB. And looking  back at the playoffs last year, teams were doing just that. If he can alter his game and evolve, he's got a chance to stay good. If not, he's got a chance to be Mac Jones. 

 

I watched this kid for two years at UNC. All of the "tools" you want, but none (that I saw) of the "dog" that wills a team to victory. People want to blame the cast around him at UNC for why the Heels collapsed at the end of both of Maye's seasons...it's too convenient.

 

If I'm wrong and he turns into an elite NFL QB I'll eat my crow...but I'm pretty confident in my assessment.

 

 

[mjt328]

Patriots had possibly the easiest schedule in NFL history.

 

Opponents had a win percent of .391, which was the lowest since 1999 (27 years ago), and the third lowest in the last 50 years.  Their schedule was almost identical to the Top 10 draft list from March.  They even got the Bengals without Joe Burrow, and then the Broncos wihout Bo Nix (in the playoffs).

 

It usually takes 2-3 seasons to know for sure if any player is for real, especially a QB.  Lots of guys start quick and then fade.  See Jaden Daniels, CJ Stroud or even Tua.  It wasn't too long ago the Patriots believed they had an answer in Mac Jones.  I'll be skeptical of Drake Maye as a yearly MVP candidate until I've seen it for more than one season against the NFL's worst competition.

 

[chris heff]

Didn’t Pat's fans anoint McCorkle as the next Tom Brady after half a season?

[Shaw66]

3 hours ago, eball said:

 

 

I watched this kid for two years at UNC. All of the "tools" you want, but none (that I saw) of the "dog" that wills a team to victory. People want to blame the cast around him at UNC for why the Heels collapsed at the end of both of Maye's seasons...it's too convenient.

 

If I'm wrong and he turns into an elite NFL QB I'll eat my crow...but I'm pretty confident in my assessment.

 

 

You make it sound like he's a Trent Edwards type. I could see that.

[PatsFanNH]

On 6/25/2026 at 3:46 PM, LeviF said:

It's somewhat justified in the sense that this guy sees what everyone sees: a GM that is relying on his generational QB to carry the passing game entirely on his back. Nothing new or groundbreaking about that.

 

Awfully short memory (or no memory?) of Allen against the Pats last year:

 

41 of 59 (69.5%), 446 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT, 112.7 passer rating.

 

I mean it's not sensational or lighting the world on fire but most QBs would love that stat line over two games against a "top 10 defensive unit."

 

It's also extremely high on Maye who showed up and did almost nothing in the playoffs. Granted, he didn't have to do much until the Super Bowl but he managed to fall on his face there.

Great points. I will give Maye a pass as it came out he was playing through injury through most of the playoffs.  Also it’s a Patriots sight so they are going lean more Pats than anything else just like a Bills or even a lowly Jets sight. 
 

This year should be interesting unlike before Maye actually has a true 1 at WR and a motivated one at that.  

[billieve420]

If Maye takes another step going into year 3, it’s going to be a dog fight for the division. Physically he is talented but can he take his game to another level mentally when it comes to diagnosing defenses. Defensively they should be solid on that side of the ball. In minicamp on certain plays they were forcing Maye to call his own plays by rushing them to the line and challenging Maye to read the defense they were in and then make the correct call. Think the Pats will be decent  this year but we will see how much their schedule last year played into it.

[billsfan89]

Even with the AJ Brown trade I’m not overly impressed with the Pats offseason. It wasn’t bad but I just don’t feel like the Pats upgraded their roster all the much?

[PrimeTime101]

9 hours ago, Logic said:

I expect the Pats to come crashing back to earth somewhat this year.

Maye is a good head coach and Maye is a good young quarterback, but I think their run to the playoffs last year (based largely on a historically easy schedule) has their fans feeling more confident than they should. As it was, last season, by the time the playoffs rolled around, no one feared the Pats. 

I'm also not 100% convinced that we've heard the last of the Vrabel-Russini drama and the distractions it comes with.

Meanwhile, national prognosticators keep saying that the Bills' window is closed and their time has passed, and all they keep doing is going out and winning 11+ games and making the playoffs every season.

Obviously, if Brady proves to be a downgrade at head coach, then the writeup linked will prove prescient. If Brady keeps the Bills on track and they keep winning at roughly the same pace they have the past six years, then that writer is going to look foolish.

At the end of the day, the Bills have Josh Allen in his prime. Count them out at your own peril.

he does both?