The Quest for 7: Patriots Playoff News, Hope, McDaniels, Links 12.31.19

Morning! Welcome to The Quest for 7, where volunteer writer, Steven Viner, scours the net for seven Patriots related articles from other sites offering different points of view on the six-time champs. Paid subscribers not only get to read all seven, but they also get to check out his always fiery "Steve's Soapbox" at the end.

1. Desperate times calls for desperate measure according to Boston Sports Journal’s own Hector Longo. He calls out Sony Michel’s subpar year, stating the Patriots offense has one real option: Believe in Burkhead. I certainly feel Michel — New England’s bell cow from last year’s Super Bowl run — has at times run the ball with the aggressiveness of a skittish toddler. See if Longo’s take has you hopping on the Burk Bandwagon.

2.  Nearly 24 hours after that debacle of a loss, BSJ's own Greg Bedard is still spitting fire like Godzilla with heartburn. Felger & Mazz decided to use one of their 200-a-year days off, so Greg crashed the set with new hot takes, leaving a path of destruction in his wake. Check out the two-hour Podcast: Bedard on Patriots loss to Dolphins on Felger & Mazz 12.30.19.

3. In my Salty Tears Take of the day, Eric Stephen of SBNation clearly is a genius with his piece, The Patriots are the team of the decade, and it’s not even close. It's a smorgasbord of info on how the Patriots are the 31 other team's Daddy, and have had nooooo problem sending these whiney little brats to their room for a ten-year-time-out.

4. Every year, it’s a tradition in New England to celebrate, "Farewell Josh McDaniels Day." Recently, head coaches, Freddie Kitchens, Ron Rivera, and Pat Shurmur swiped their security cards to get into their team's facility and were greeted by a guard with their belongings in a box. Seven seconds later, these 3 Teams Requested Head Coaching Interviews With Patriots’ Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels. Funny how most outside of New England call the Patriots cheaters ... until one of their players or coaches join their team. Thinking man emoji.

5. Two weeks ago Bedard reported that the Patriots season could be ruined if Edelman's knee gives out. Concerned for Julian Edelman’s short and long term health, Greg blew into his conch to summons expert Dr. Flynn: Updating the injury situations for Tom Brady and Julian Edelman. So far, the knee has held up. But adding to the legend of Mighty Mouse, William Pitts posted on msn.com a report by Mike Giardi: Julian Edelman shoulder injury ‘worse than you can imagine.’ If the defense can get it's nastiness back, and Edelman is able to work his usual postseason magic, there still could be hope for #7.

6. Henry McKenna of Patriotswire tells us What the Patriots can expect from N’Keal Harry in the playoffs. The Patriots rookie wide receiver got off to a slow start, plagued by an ankle injury in camp. Since returning, the Hulk-like first-round pick has ascended each week, with a bigger role and more production. Could a star be born this postseason?

7. Last week, I ask our readers what team standing in the Patriots way to a 7^th Super Bowl title concerned them the most. Chosen in a landslide: Baltimore. I clicked through nearly 100 internet pages and found Scott Rogust of 12up piece on 3 Fatal Flaws that Could End Ravens' Playoff Run. Although, good, this article wasn’t chosen because it was the most in-depth. Honestly, I just couldn’t find another writer who has challenged this. If the Patriots can battle their way to the AFC Championship for a rematch with Baltimore — this probably doesn’t calm anyone's pulse.

STEVE'S SOAPBOX

I sense shenanigans are afoot with Josh McDaniels and Bill Belichick. Despite some trick plays sprinkled in, the Patriots offense seems to be running the same, stagnant plays, out of the same formations, at the same pace. Run, play-action, screen. Run, play-action, screen. Wash, rinse, repeat. Zzzzzzzz.

Are they hiding an ace up their sleeve, waiting for the playoffs?

Where is TB12’s old bread-and-butter? What happened to the Patriots going shotgun spread formation, no-huddle, with Vanilla Ice Brady using his lightning-fast release and brain to slice like a ninja, cut like a razor blade? It drove defensive ends and coordinators nuts. The ends couldn’t sniff Brady because the ball was gone faster than a bye, (too soon?) and coordinators couldn’t get the next play called never mind think of a strategic defense to counter. Brady throws for 7 yards, Brady for 4 yards, Brady for 6 yards, etc, etc, etc. Death by a thousand paper cuts. Remember?

Luckily I’m weird and watch every Patriots game several times, and I can confirm that this offense of yesteryear still exists, and they used it against potentially their toughest opponent. The Patriots were down 17-0 in Baltimore. McDaniels and Belichick put that ace into play and unleashed the no-huddle. And it looked good — even helped cut the score to 17-13. Patriots came out fast in the second half, slung their way to the Ravens' 30-yard line in less than 3 minutes, threatening to take the lead, but an Edelman fumble for a Baltimore scoop and score crushed all momentum.

Or so it seemed.

Because on the next series, Brady and company went back to the no-huddle and marched 75 yards for a touchdown. After that, they fell apart. But the point is, Baltimore was a top 3 defense for the last half of the year, and the Patriots offense had them spinning out of control for a while.

New England doesn’t have the same team as last year. David Andrews, Trent Brown, Rob Gronkowski, and James Develin are not walking through that tunnel, and if they did … well, that would be awesome, and they wouldn’t be old and gray, but it’s not happening! Stop with the "wash, rinse, repeat" offense. Forget only using the no-huddle spread before the half or down late in the game. Don't use it in desperation. Use it as a weapon! Please, McDaniels and Belichick, tell me you’ve been saving this ace for the playoffs?

Everyone, have a great New Year!

Be on the lookout for more The Quest for 7 features, leading into what is hopefully another epic Patriots' Super Bowl run.