Fortress Of Good Fortune

Week 1: Philadelphia Eagles 25, New England Patriots 20 (0-1) (Sunday, September 10, 2023)

Very mixed bag of a day. The game started out horribly for the Pats' D (shades of last year, *shudder*) but they finally stopped majig stupid mistakes and pulling penalties to get within striking distance of victory. Sadly, not to be. The defense was good, special teams not bad, offense mixed. They've got to win games like this. Time for moral victories is over.

The highlight of the day was the ceremony honoring Tom Brady at halftime. The crowd loved to see him running out on the fiels in his Pats jersey once again. Short speeches were made (owner Bob Kraft, then Tom). Tom was very appreciative and thrilled the crowd by saying he was a Patriot for life! :D Kraft said the 4-year waiting for the Patriots Hall Of Fame would be waived and Tom would be inducted next June(not Pro HOF, so he still has to wait 5 years for eligibility there). Tom also rang the bell of the new lighthouse before the game. A very nice day.

Miami won, New England lost, and Buffalo and New York play tonight. EDIT: Jets beat the Bills in OT but lost their famous QB during the first series before he ever completed his first pass as a Jet. Jets gonna Jet!

Next week Pats host the Dolphins.

AFC EAST

Miami 1-0

NYJ 1-0 (OT)

NE 0-1

BUFF 0-1 (OT)

Crossposts: https://bradygirl-12.livejournal.com/1568616.html

Happy St. Patrick's Day! May ye be happy and healthy as spring comes 'round the corner. :)

Parades all over the place last weekend, and the most famous one in Southie (Sout Boston) this Sunday. In this part of the country, every town and hamlet hosts one, it seems. :)

Speaking of the Irish, Tom Brady's back! I KNEW that retirement wouldn't last. Just didn't feel like the real deal.

Weird how it went down, though. Retire for two months and then un-retire? Gotta be some record! Maybe Giselle decided hubby's retirement wasn't what it was cracked up to be. ;)

Guaranteed Tom wouldn't be this flaky if he was still playing for Bill Belichick!

Crossposts: https://bradygirl-12.livejournal.com/1520608.html

(Wild Card Weekend): Buffalo Bills 47, New England Patriots 17 (10-8) (0-1) (Saturday, January 15, 2022)

Stink, stank, stunk!

No heart, no pride, no NUTHIN'!

The offense made some effort but the defense was abysmal. The Bills scored a TD on seven straight possessions! The Pats' D simply could not stop them, couldn't tackle, couldn't even slow them down. Special teams: meh. Worst playoff performance under Bill Belichick.

A LOT of improvements need to be made in the off-season. They definitely improved since last season and got a promising young QB, but what a dismal performance last night. Ever since the bye week, they regressed big time.

Oh, well, now it's time to root for Tom and the Bucs! :) 1;00 today versus the Eagles.

EDIT: Tom and the Bucs waxed the Eagles, 31-15. On to the Divisional Round! :)

Week 6: Dallas Cowboys 35, New England Patriots 29 (OT) (2-4) (Sunday, October 17, 2021)

"You are what your record says you are."

Boy, Coach Bill Parcells was right when he came up with that quote years ago. Once gain, the Pats had their chances but couldn't execute. Good teams make the plays they need. Mediocre teams are 0-4 at home (first time since the '90s).

Meanwhile, Brady and the Buccaneers sit atop their division with a 5-1 record. How's the post-Brady era workin' out for you, Coach Belichick?

Buffalo plays tonight, New England and Miami lost, and New York was on their bye week.

EDIT: Buffalo lost.

AFC EAST

BUFF 4-2

NE 2-4

NYJ 1-4 (Bye)

Miami 1-5

(Preseason) Week 3: New England Patriots 22, New York Giants 20 (3-0) (Sunday, August 29, 2021)

The final preseason game was actually entertaining! Some guys probably made the team, and we all watched the Cam/Mac competition.

Well, that competition ended a few days ago when the Pats cut Cam. The theory is he was told Mac was the starter and he didn't want to be a back-up, so he asked to be released. The thing is, he isn't that good anymore, so I doubt he'll be snapped up as a starting QB. Good luck to him, though, as being the guy after Brady couldn't have been easy!

The Patriots open at home on September 12th to begin the season against the Miami Dolphins.

Whoo hoo, we'll never see the likes of Tom Brady again! SEVEN Super Bowl rings! No Hollywood screenwriter would ever dare write that, it's too incredible.

DOMINANT performance by the Bucs, both offense (2 TDs for Gronk!) and defense, and special teams were great, too! So much for a Kansas City dynasty. Call me in 20 years if they go to the Super Bowl 9 times (Pats during TB era) and 10 times (Tom Brady).

'Tis a glorious day! :)

Week 17: New England Patriots 28, New York Jets 14 (7-9) (Sunday, January 3, 2021)

So endeth the season!

Actually, it was a pretty good game, the Patriots coming back for a win against the Jets was good, and the players had fun. They scored TDs and one was by a tight end, the first time that position scored all year! J.C. Jackson snagged his 11th INT, second-best in the NFL. How this guy didn't make the Pro Bowl is a mystery. What a snub!

Anyway, the season was a bust as far as the division and playoffs were concerned, but not unexpected after Tom left. He had another great game this week and the Bucs are in the playoffs, so I'll probably root for him as far as his team goes. Otherwise I'll be laidback this year as far as watching the games go.

New England and Buffalo won and New York and Miami lost.

See you next season! :)

AFC EAST

BUFF 13-3

Miami 10-6

NE 7-9

NYJ 2-14

Week 15: Miami Dolphins 22, New England Patriots 12 (6-9) (Sunday, December 20, 2020)

No playoffs!

That's not something we've heard around here since 2008.

The Patriots shut out the Dolphins in the first half, but then the wheels fell off. The trips into the red zone only yielded field goals, not touchdowns. The offense was bad, but the defense couldn't stop a runny nose. The Dolphins ran all over them, and they're not known for a good running game. Sheesh!

Buffalo, Miami and the Jets won, and the Patriots lost.

Interesting note: when the Jets won, they took themselves out of the No. 1 pick in the draft, and in 2021, it's likely very talented QB Trevor Lawrence will be taken No. 1. SO very Jets! :D

Tom and the Bucs win again, and next week, Pats face division winner Buffalo on Monday Night Football. Hoo boy!

AFC EAST

BUFF 11-3

Miami 9-5

NE 6-8

NYJ 1-13

Week 13: New England Patriots 45, Los Angeles Chargers 0 (Sunday, December 6, 2020)

Well, that was a thing! :)

The Patriots blew the doors off the Chargers, defeating them 45-0, the biggest deficit at home in Chargers' history. All three phases of the team did a great lob: offense, defense, and special teams.

Special teams really sparkled. Gunner Olszlewski ran a punt return back for a 70-yard touchdown, and a blocked field goal resulted in Devin McCourty scoring a TD. Kicking and punting were perfect.

Cam looked good, and the offense actually moved the ball! The defense forced turnovers, and it helped that L.A.'s special teams were atrocious. Charger rookie phenom Justin Herbert got schooled by Belichick. :)

It was a spectacle, and a lot of fun to watch.

No Tom news. He and Tampa Bay were on their bye. :)

The Patriots and Dolphins won and the Jets (of course!) lost. The Bills are playing Monday night.

The Pats have a short week as they play on Thursday against the L.A. Rams in the same stadium. :)

AFC EAST

BUFF 9-3

Miami 8-4

NE 6-6

NYJ 0-12

Week 11: Houston Texans 27, New England Patriots 20 (4-6) (Sunday, November 22, 2020)

So, that was a thing. Once again, for the 5th time this season, the Patriots had a chance at the end of the game to tie or win, but couldn't pull the trigger. Talk about frustration!

The defense is really falling apart, and after a really good game last week against the Ravens! Jeez Louise!

So the Patriots, Dolphins and Jets lost, and the Bills were on a bye.

Tom didn't have a great game, which is a sad note for him. Guess it was an all-around crappy week.

Next week: the Arizona Cardinals!

AFC EAST

BUFF 7-3 (Bye)

Miami 6-4

NE 4-6

NYJ 0-10