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keep waiting. They got Miami then SF coming up.
Don't get the script flipped here bud. I still do not think the Pats are a real contender for the Super Bowl all I am saying is they are a gritty team that knows how to win. That is all, losing Brady killed any chance they had at a Super Bowl period. I still can't stand a team tat runs the score up. They get what they deserve and that is a loss in the Super Bowl last year. Have a good year NE
I think that so many people secretly wished for something bad to happen to New England last year that alot of them feel somewhat guilty about it now that they have gotten their wish.
Not really much of a drop off between Cassel and Brady.
yeah, and we had no chance to beat the rams in the superbowl, and the giants had no chance to beat us in the superbowl.I wouldn't throw dirt on them quite yet.but at least they won't be running any scores up this year, so you should be happy --- or at least find a bunch of other teams to hate.
I know you don't mean the favre led superjets.the same team everybody's scooping up in their fantasy drafts?and buffalo twice??omgtoughest schedule in football.
I am throwing dirt on them as far as the SB. Yes there are upsets all the time but the chances of them winning it now have went down a lot. I still hate the Pats but not as much as the Skins Eagles and Giants. I just hate the Pats for a different reason. That is for sure that they won't be running any score up this year lol. Good to keep your spirits up though. Geez you try and throw a compliment the Pats way, LOL. THEY ARE WHAT THEY ARE. Karma with a BIG K
Yeah right. they beat KC 42-10 and Jets 35-10 with Brady. Lets see when they play Indy and SD
I was referring to the season Brady came in for Bledsoe's injury. In the same situation, they look pretty similar.Sure, Brady is now a seasoned QB... but give Cassel some years starting in the same system.
Oakland smoked KC yesterday, at Arrowhead..I mean, OAKLAND shouldn't be blowing up any team like that , right?I doubt NE does nearly as well against better defenses or teams with better offenses that can actually score pts..one thing I doubt NE can do is get involved in a shootout...they won't be able to keep up...
The Jets looked pretty terrible yesterday. NE looked like a borderline playoff team, which I think is about right.the "smoke and mirrors" is how they used to have to win.NE used to be "boring", they didn't have any "stars" (according to some), they always won by a Vinatieri FG, they never won it but rather their opposition lost it, etc, etc, etc.The poster that made the comment, "NE can't win in a shootout" was probably right. They probably can't.but as fans, we underestimate how important field position is. how important SP/Teams is. how important clock management is.none of that is really glamorous.The NE Patriots are now like that old guy and young kid out golfing. The kid is crushing his driver but scrambling with his second and third shots to bogey, the old guy is 180 up the middle everytime and makes every chip and putt for an uneventful/boring par.
They just played the perfect game - no penalties, no turnovers and an incredible kicking game and ST.... Pats were one of the best ALL TIME teams last year.
IMO that KC game meant very little the moment Brady went down. It shouldn't be used as a measuring stick and will be totally disregarded in evaluation of the new look Patriots. NE is a PREPARED team...but I doubt they were prepared for Brady going down. Had NE played KC this week...with a week of gameplanning and preparation and Cass at QB.......would the result have been the same?Oakland smoked KC yesterday, at Arrowhead..I mean, OAKLAND shouldn't be blowing up any team like that , right?I doubt NE does nearly as well against better defenses or teams with better offenses that can actually score pts..one thing I doubt NE can do is get involved in a shootout...they won't be able to keep up...
We heard this argument alot in 2001.
They are what they are - A team with 1/3 of the starters new and a team that will have to stay healthy and develop as the year goes on.... Funny how the average fan see-saws all over the place on teams week to week.... This is why even as a Jets fan I never waivered that I thought the Giants could do it last year. People lose sight of how things work in the NFL and get so surprised every year.No way did I expect the Jets to be among the top AFC teams in week 2... It's a long season... You look at their schedule and most assumed 1-2 after the 1st three weeks and then a soft spot where they need to collect wins. They finish the year with SF and Miami so, if they are a playoff team, they must have those 2 wins in their back pocket.That was still a championship defense with a chip on their shoulders and team that played a flawless game with the QB they had.
They had a full week to gameplan for the Jets. The result was they scored exactly one touchdown, and that was thanks to an interception that set them up in the red zone. They had great field position all day, but only managed to turn it into 4 FGs. Maybe Cassell will get better as the season goes along, but this team looked a lot more like Chi/Balt/etc. than they did like the NE that we're used to. "Ugly" wins count the same as pretty-looking wins, and NE still looks like a team that can contend in a weak division and will probably be good for 10 wins or so, but they certainly weren't the same team yesterday as they were with Brady.
You mean the 1-1 Colts and the 0-2 Chargers?How about we give credit where credit is due and say "Let's see when they play Buffalo and Denver."
So you think the Jets team that squeaked by Miami who later got pounded by Arizona is a good test for how good New England is?NY and Miami are anemic and both play in New England's division.It's kinda funny. When everyone was jocking New England last year, I started noticing and pointing out that they weren't dominating teams they way were since the Dallas game. They went from beating teams 38-14 to playing a lot of close games against inferior teams (Philly, Baltimore to name a few). So it was no surprise to me that they got derailed in the Super Bowl.Right now, I see New England barely beating anemic teams like KC and NYJ and people are calling them the real deal for this year.19 against the Jets and 17 against KC? Where is the team that broke all the scoring records last year? I would be very disturbed as a Pats fan right now, despite being 2-0.Maybe the offense needs more time to gel under Cassel, but we'll definitely know a lot more about who this team is once week 10 is over and they've played SDG, IND, BUF and Denver.Up to now, they've looked like an average team that has beaten really bad teams (and has another really bad team @home next week).
The Chargers have lost 2 games on the last play to teams who are both 2-0 right now. Anyone counting them out right now is being ridiculous.
LOL. Are you expecting after one week of gameplanning that NE was going into New York and win any other way? KC does not equal NYJ...close but not quite. Cass will be playing much better 8 weeks from now...believe me.
I'm feeling that the "anemic" Jets are going to be just a little tougher than you're thinking....Jets have had some good games against better SD teams with less talented Jets teams in the recent past.Jets are still in transition, I wouldn't count them out either though.
Disturbed? We lost our league MVP QB and replaced him with a guy who hadn't started a game since high school, but we're supposed to be disturbed because we're 2-0 against suspect competition?
My evaluation of yesterdays game may be colored by the fact that I think the Jets were absurdly overrated and will probably not make it to .500 this year. If you think the Jets are a legitimate playoff team, then obviously you'll consider NE's win to be more impressive than I do. Seriously, though, the Jets suck, at least right now.
Agree completely. They are a lot less hateable this year. And if I were a Pats fan, that game yesterday would have pleased me a great deal. Clearly the only team they have to worry about in their own division is the Bills, and with the Bills who can really say how good they are at this point?
If by 'love' you mean a little less blindly irrational and utterly visceral bile inducing hatred then I'm right there with you.
smoke and mirrors?? How about solid coaching, a solid defense, solid special teams..and a solid offense who now has a QB that will manage the game..
Yeah imagine if they had played Cleveland, Baltimore, Houston, Jacksonville, Indy (O-Line injuries and a weak D), Oakland, St. Louis, Seattle, San Fran, Washington, New Orleans, Tampa, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit or Minn. They are likely better than all of those teams right now and have a shot to be some of those not listed. Right now they are not an elite team without Brady, but there is a lot of mediocrity in the league for a variety of reasons.
I think you've hit on it. This is most definitely not the same team that took the field with Brady under center. The doom & gloom for the Pats prospects after Brady went down was overstated, IMO, because the D is still solid and will hold most teams under 20. The biggest difference with this team is they may not average scoring 20. So the margin of error will be a lot smaller this year, and they won't always come out on top.However, the secondary looks better than anticipated at the top 2 spots, the run D still looks stout, and the special teams looks to be very solid. As long as the offense can move the ball some, mixing the run with the short passing game, this will be a difficult team to beat. There are several teams in the AFC that if they play their best, play clean with no mistakes, will beat this NE team. That said, many of those teams won't play their best, or will make a critical mistake, allowing the Pats to hang around and steal a W or 2.Playoff team, due to the schedule, looks to be a pretty good chance. Going deep in the playoffs will require development of Cassel in the offense and the D/ST to stay strong and healthy, and a break or 2 along the way. All IMHO, of course.
Cool post. Hopefully the forebearer of a kinder, gentler Shark Pool.
"the real deal"? What does that mean?I'm not sure anyone credible expects them to win the SuperBowl.They are in a pretty soft division and look like they have a chance to win that division even without Brady.It's the hyperbole along both sides that causes this confusion and polarization.Everything must be "BEST" or "WORST" ever.It'll be comical to see ESPN's headlines if/when NE is undefeated at the week 4 bye week and/or 4-0 (3 - 1) after SF in week 5.As a NE fan, all I was looking for after Brady went down was to make the playoffs and roll the dice once they're in.They have a decent chance at doing just that. If that's "the real deal", then so be it, I'm guilty too.
