Look at the avatar and you will see the team no one wants to play, not even the Patriots. With a servicable QB at the helm (finally) the Ravens will turn a lot of heads. In my opinion the AFC boils down to three teams: Ravens, Pats and Colts. While the Colts always find a way to get shilacked in the playoffs, the Patriots seem to always win the big games.AFC Championship: Ravens @ PatriotsCan anyone even remember the last time the Ravens lost an important game?
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Patriots are the best team in the NFL right now (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Ghost Rider
- Start date
matrix9280
Footballguy
2001 divisional playoff game was pretty important. i agree with you. when you can run the football and play great defense you have a chance against anyone anywhere.
I think the last time the Broncos won in Baltimore Elway was playing JV.yea good bump, just LIKE I SAID, we would put a hurtin' on the chiefs and continue to roll all the way to the super bowl....an no im not jokin'yea the patriots won, but you played to dolphins who are 0-7 on the road the past 2 years in the month of december.
matrix9280
Footballguy
not we my friend. they. the chiefs are a flawed team. everybody knew that. now there can be no denying it.
SeniorVBDStudent
Footballguy
The bandwagon ride is officially over when BassNBrew jumps on. 
Gatorman
Supreme Elite Maximum Tier
There is a really simple difference between the pats and the rest of the league right now (including my Dolphins)... The pats don't lose close games, PERIOD! And yes, I do consider yesterday's game a close game (3-0 for most of the game. Miami with a chance to get back in and then a fumble...)Kudos to the pats. Hopefully Miami meets you again in the second week of the playoffs.
Titans2003
Footballguy
I can't do anything but agree with this thread. When they need to score a ton of points, they do it. When they have to grind things out, they do it.Imagine this team with a stud running back. Insane.
I'm a lifelong pats fan and frankly I'm a little nervous seeing them getting this much credit this early in the season. I'd like to see them peaking a little later (ala 2001). That being said, I'd be lying if I said there was a team in the NFL that would be able to step up and beat the Pat's were the superbowl played today......now, 2 months from now is a different story, but we'll see if they can hold onto the thunder till then...Remember....Any Given Sunday. GO PATS! 
That's what I chalk it up to. In the pressure situation, week in and week out, somebody steps up and makes the play. Usually it's Brady, but yesterday it was Bruschi (that was a great pick). In todays parity rich NFL, that is the recipe for success. BB's longstanding philosophy is to grind it out with solid D and ball control, and put yourself in a position to win. They're always in position to win, save for week 1 when the other team had our number, and game plan. And, they constantly make the play. You've also got to look at their business model. They have very few highly paid superstars. I love our talent, but by having this lower wage scale among the starters, we're able to afford quality backups, which was huge this year. This also plays in to the two most recent drafts being outstanding. Somebody mentioned imagine this team w/ a stud RB. I see them taking several RB's this year in the draft. I'd love to see Lendale White come out of USC, but I think he'll stay another year, and he can use it. But, there's just not a stud RB in college ball this year that comes to mind as a sure fire NFL stud. Receivers though. Larry Fitzgerald or Mike Williams would fit nicely in NE. Maybe we can get Corey or Rudy from Cinci? Or here's a stretch, get San Diego to part w/ LT for a 1 and 2, or I'd even give up both of our late 1st rounders. They (SD) need a lot of help, and LT's clock is ticking, and he surely can't get it done alone. Look at how well trading a stud rb worked for Indi, and they way undersold Faulk. Okay, enough dreaming, but the future in NE is very intriguing. You've also got the Ty Law situation that is due to unfold next off season. My money says he takes the pay cut and stays with the winning recipe, but time will tell.
GRIDIRON ASSASSIN
Footballguy
No doubt imho....They've faced the most adversity and played one of the tougher schedules.Plus, they're a football 'team'... not much 'star' power...
matrix9280
Footballguy
:rotflmao: they have bad pass defense and haven't won a road game all year. the jags aren't a threat.
Not jumping on, just giving them their due. The Panthers will smack that #### in the big bowl. We're just getting our bad games out of the way and saving the good football for when it counts.The bandwagon ride is officially over when BassNBrew jumps on.
SeniorVBDStudent
Footballguy
2004 Draft:2 first round picks, 2 second round picks, 2 third round picks (or something like that; I think we traded away one of these picks already....).Pats fans are even looking at their players like widgets. We just need to be able to keep Belichick, Pioli, Weiss, and Romeo and we'll be good to go....
matrix9280
Footballguy
give brady some more respect. he's the best qb in the league. nothing the patriots do will be worth anything without him.
H.K.
Footballguy
Agreed. The New Jersey Devils have done extremely well in the NHL using the "no superstar" concept, much like the Patriots they play solid defense and take advantage of mistakes that they pressure their opponents into making. It's like communism, each player has a role and fills it. if you think you are bigger than the system, you are shipped out.Kudos to the Patriots front office for outstanding execution of a solid plan.
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roadkill1292
Footballguy
Tom Brady is NOT the best QB in the league. But the Patsies ARE the best team in the league so far. They've beaten a lotta good teams in a lotta different ways.
SeniorVBDStudent
Footballguy
I've been a Patriots supporter for 4 decades; you've been one for four days. Can it.
tombonneau
Footballguy
Code:
Somebody mentioned imagine this team w/ a stud RB. I see them taking several RB's this year in the draft. I'd love to see Lendale White come out of USC, but I think he'll stay another year, and he can use it. But, there's just not a stud RB in college ball this year that comes to mind as a sure fire NFL stud. Receivers though. Larry Fitzgerald or Mike Williams would fit nicely in NE. Maybe we can get Corey or Rudy from Cinci? Or here's a stretch, get San Diego to part w/ LT for a 1 and 2, or I'd even give up both of our late 1st rounders. They (SD) need a lot of help, and LT's clock is ticking, and he surely can't get it done alone. Look at how well trading a stud rb worked for Indi, and they way undersold Faulk. Okay, enough dreaming, but the future in NE is very intriguing. You've also got the Ty Law situation that is due to unfold next off season. My money says he takes the pay cut and stays with the winning recipe, but time will tell.
There generally are not more than 1 or 2 "sure fire" RB studs in a draft, but there is TONS of 1st round RB talent coming out this year. I'd think there will be at least 5 RBs taken in the first, depending on who comes out.I'd KILL for the Pats to get Mike Williams, I live in LA and have seen a lot of USC games (been riding the USC gravy train as well $$$ 
) and MW is simply the best WR in college ball. Period. Only problem he is sophomore. Not to mention he will be a top 3 pick. No way the Pats get him. :(matrix9280
Footballguy
how isn't he the best quarterback in the league? please don't tell me about the stats. when the game's on the line there's only one quarterback that i want and that's tom brady.
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Ghost Rider
Footballguy
I wouldn't call Brady the best QB in the NFL, but he is definitely up there. When the game is on the line, he just finds a way to make plays and that is an intangible that cannot be taught. You either have it or you don't. Brady has it.
KnowledgeReignsSupreme
Footballguy
How many times are they going to have to be blown out by good teams for people to stop saying this? You stop being the Champ when you make it quite clear that any half decent team can mop the floor up with your squad.They are squeaking by bad teams and getting blown off the field by good teams. They make the playoffs because, somehow, the other teams in their division are all more pathetic than they are.
The fact that they will get a #4 seed and at least 1 home playoff game is sad. They better hope a limping Leftwich-less Jags makes the #6 seed so they at least look competitive in the playoffs. Also luckily for them, San Diego being able to win a #6 seed looks very dire now, even with their 7-4 record (unless Jax falls apart).
meanjoegreen
Footballguy
It won't take much to win that division this year.
Jagerbomber
Footballguy
actually one of the main tennets of the Bellichick philosophy is that the past is the past. They're stopped being the Champions as of the beginning of the season, and they are lucky to play in such a crappy division (I think AFC East is worse than the NFC North and West). Unless they get a lot of people back (assuming that they pick up where they left off) it's potentially one and out for them in the playoffs.But if this helps you sleep at night, then who am I to tell you differently?
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ajlight
Footballguy
You stop being the champs when someone is crowned the new champs or you're 100% eliminated.
They are squeaking by bad teams and getting blown off the field by good teams. They make the playoffs because, somehow, the other teams in their division are all more pathetic than they are.
The fact that they will get a #4 seed and at least 1 home playoff game is sad. They better hope a limping Leftwich-less Jags makes the #6 seed so they at least look competitive in the playoffs. Also luckily for them, San Diego being able to win a #6 seed looks very dire now, even with their 7-4 record (unless Jax falls apart).
Painful game yesterday. The secondary wouldn't be as bad if the DL/LB could just get a pass rush on. I didn't see a whole lot of blitzing yesterday (or if that's what they call blitzing, they're in SERIOUS trouble).So they'll get a first round home game (all the wild card teams are obviously very good teams) and be eliminated. Even the return of Faulk and/or Dillon won't help this defense. ugh...
KnowledgeReignsSupreme
Footballguy
It's seems quite obvious to me that they already have. The previous Pats teams and any SB contender didn't get their asses handed to them on a stick anytime they played an above .500 team.Their average margin of victory is -3.2. IOW, they are being outscored by their opponents. If this were any team other than the Patriots, they'd be lumped in with all the other teams with bad defenses that pass a lot because they are trying to play catchup constantly. Even if they get a lead, they can't sit on it because a) they can't run the ball in the 2nd half and b) their defense is awful.
No reasonable NFL fan can look at this team and consider them a contender, much less compare them with the 2003/2004 Pats that won back to back Super Bowls.
Workhorse
Footballguy
That's a very fair assessment. Take a look at the Super Bowl winners over the past 30 years or so. Not a single winning team has had such a drastic defensive fall from their prior championship season as this year's Patriots team. Last year, they were SECOND in points allowed. They will almost certainly end up somewhere in the mid-20s this year. That's a HUGE dropoff.
Marc Levin
Hangs out with Oscar Zeta Acosta
double
(Miami Dolphin fan - 
)
Marc Levin
Hangs out with Oscar Zeta Acosta
They remind me MUCH more of that post-Super Bowl Champion Pats who went 8-8 than the ones who won the back to back Bowls.That 8-8 team had a lot of FA and injury losses and simply couldn't hang with the rest of the AFC. That's what this team looks like - they are VERY fortunate to have the entire rest of the AFC East completely fall apart or this Pats team would have a losing record right now and would not make the playoffs. Without being able to go at least 6-2 in the division, the Pats would not take the division - 8-8/9-7 would take the AFC East (and might end up taking the AFC East, actually).
NE will probably squeak by their first playoff game and will then get their butts handed to them by either Den, Pitt, Indy, or whoever they face in round 2. Pats had a great run, but that team, like the Eagles, are clearly on the backside of the success mountain.
Marc Levin
Hangs out with Oscar Zeta Acosta
???
Marc Levin
Hangs out with Oscar Zeta Acosta
you posted
as a one-line response to, seemingly, nothing. In this forum, we try to quote the comment we are responding to when posting a one-liner like that - you could have easily been responding "i don't think so" to MY comment that the Pats will lose in the 2nd round.See the confusion, Homey?
4thAndForever
Footballguy
I wouldn't be so sure. They still have the best coach in the league, arguably the best QB in the league (who isn't even 30 yet), a great young defensive line, top-notch understanding and management of the salary cap, and top-notch ownership. Clearly this isn't the same team as it has been the past couple of years, but to say their run is over may be a bit extreme, in my opinion. I could easily see them right back among the league's elite by this time next season, when they won't have such a difficult schedule and (hopefully) won't suffer the catastrophic number of injuries that they've suffered this season.
bostonfred
Footballguy
The Ref
Footballguy
Pats homer, season ticket holder of many years. This team is no where close to teams over the past few years. As a patriot fan there is good news and bad news.The bad news is there will be no Supper bowl this year.The good news is so long as BB and Pioli are around they will be able to replace the very big holes @ CB and S in the off-season.Even though I know they will not contend for the Supper Bowl, I still can't help think that any AFC team would be looking forward to hosting the Patriots in round 2 of the playoffs.
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