Teams New England Patriots - The Pats

[Exe Gesis]

Re: This years Pats?

Of course you'll be lucky. In 08 without Brady, you missed out. But this year, the whole AEast has/is/will get a lot stronger. So the Pats are no sure thing at all to be on the doorstep of a WC. It could end up like a typical NFC East ladder, with a spread like...

10-6, 9-7, 8-8, 6-10. Ie, a game here and there can very easily decide the whole ladder....just like it did in 08.

 

[Eagle87]

Re: This years Pats?

Explain how they "should" win it? Should is pretty presumptuous imo.

After sorting out the team (loss of Brady), they finished as well as any team in the NFL and were clearly the best team in the AFC East by the end of the season.

Miami might get better but were lucky in close games and good easily go backwards. Buffalo signed TO but seriously, they are still an average group. NY will be going with a new coach and a new QB - who knows but their group was pretty average in the second half of last season.

The Pats welcome back one of the best QB's of the last decade. They get some guys back from injury. They have already been actively signing free-agents to improve the team in weaker areas, they have money left to spend and the draft to come.

The best team in the Division by end of last season, adding the biggest impact player (Brady), a raft of veteran free agents (with more to come) and 3 picks in the Top 47 in the upcoming Draft.... as he said, they should win the Division.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Re: This years Pats?

Eagle87....

I still read a lot of presumption in this post.

Eg...

Miami might get better but were lucky in close games and good easily go backwards.

MIGHT get better? Why not? LUCKY in close games?? What happened to that saying "good teams win close games"? COULD easily go backwards? Based on what? Why COULD the Dolphins so easily go backwards but not the Patriots?

Buffalo signed TO but seriously, they are still an average group.

Adding TO immediately gives Buffalo legitimacy, just like Moss going to NE and it immediately translating to record breaking offense. Plus, Buffalo was on fire early before collapsing. So they're not THAT bad of a team.

NY will be going with a new coach and a new QB - who knows but their group was pretty average in the second half of last season.

True, like Buffalo, they collapsed. But they certainly still were in a 3-horse race right to the last game. Rex Ryan immediately gives them a legitimate shot at getting a whole lot better. Favre was actually the reason they collapsed, not their younger QBs. If one of them was allowed to play they wouldnt have collapsed. It was continuing to play an injured Favre that cost them a playoff spot.

Now...with your Pats comments....again, it is still just as presumptuously valid to say "what if" about the Pats after losing Pioli and Brady's knee as well as the Pats D and OL is still a concern.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

Re: This years Pats?

Now...with your Pats comments....again, it is still just as presumptuously valid to say "what if" about the Pats after losing Pioli and Brady's knee as well as the Pats D and OL is still a concern.

What ifs can go both ways you know. Last year we basically had scraps playing defense, we had arguably the best player in the competition go down 10 minutes into the season and had him replaced by a guy who hadn't started in 4 years. You can also throw on top of all of that the improvement by 2 of our divisional rivals which made life a lot tougher in the East. After all that we managed to finish on 11-5, and very unlucky to miss out on a wildcard spot.

Write us off at your own peril.

 

[Dagless]

Re: This years Pats?

And who will be replacing those scraps next year?

 

[Exe Gesis]

Re: This years Pats?

What ifs can go both ways you know.

That's exactly my point! You guys are carrying on like you've got the division title home and hosed already, and that it's more "expected" that the other teams are going to go backwards while your team can only go upwards.

Not to mention stating that you wouldve won the NFL title for sure if Brady was playing 08.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Re: This years Pats?

After all that we managed to finish on 11-5, and very unlucky to miss out on a wildcard spot.

And, this too was my point!

You were 'unlucky' to miss out in 08, which justifies the notion that "youd be lucky to make the WC in 09". The reasoning that just cos Brady returns is somehow gonna mean a sure fire division title and NFL title is laughable. Very little genuine concern is being granted to how big a loss Pioli is, McDaniels as OC, Brady's knee (including how Carson Palmer was very gun-shy about his knee on return the year after, so Brady could be the same too). As well as Cassel now leaving, what if Brady gets re-injured? Can you rely on O'Connell? What about the still-existing OL and DL problems? They got better in the end of the season, but theyre certainly not consistent. Dont know the stats, but im pretty sure Cassell was sacked a damn lot and had more hurries and hits on him. I see no reason for any Pats fan or analyst to take a "default" attitude like "meh we'll win no sweat, pfft". No reason for confidence, let alone over-confidence.

Btw, the Steelers are the champions and the newest Dynasty. Pats are over the hill now as a dynasty. Only going down from here. End of an era. Be prepared for a Raiders-like decade. Dunno how you people are gonna cope when the team outright sucks at some point in the next 2-3 years.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

Re: This years Pats?

And who will be replacing those scraps next year?

What I meant was we had a lot of injuries on defense last year that we had to cover. Anyway I will wait until after free agency and the draft until I make a proper assessment on the defense.

That's exactly my point! You guys are carrying on like you've got the division title home and hosed already, and that it's more "expected" that the other teams are going to go backwards while your team can only go upwards.

Not to mention stating that you wouldve won the NFL title for sure if Brady was playing 08.

Where did I say that it's expected that the other teams will go back? Didn't I say something like the East is getting tougher? And I never said we'd have won the title 'for sure', you're just putting words in my mouth now.

 

[Dagless]

Re: This years Pats?

What I meant was we had a lot of injuries on defense last year that we had to cover. Anyway I will wait until after free agency and the draft until I make a proper assessment on the defense.




Where did I say that it's expected that the other teams will go back? Didn't I say something like the East is getting tougher? And I never said we'd have won the title 'for sure', you're just putting words in my mouth now.

What huge injuries really made your D that much worse?

Harrison? 36 years old, and was having a so-so year, but in his last 4 seasons I think he has missed at least half his games. Need a long term fill in anyway, ie first yearer most likely, ie scraps.

Thomas? Was there for most of the year, looked a lot slower.

Don't really see any big names that could suddenly return the Pats D to 'respectable' in regards to AFC div winner Ds (West doesn't count )

No more free rides for the Pats through the East.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Re: This years Pats?

Where did I say that it's expected that the other teams will go back? Didn't I say something like the East is getting tougher? And I never said we'd have won the title 'for sure',

The general attitude by Pats fans as evident in this thread is that you "should" win the div title.

you're just putting words in my mouth now.

twisting them, i'll admit.

If I had to give a guesstimate I'd say we'd have gone 12/13-4/3, a deep playoff run ending possibly with another championship.

 

[_shifty_]

Re: This years Pats?

Explain how they "should" win it? Should is pretty presumptuous imo.

badly worded.
they should be favourites i guess i meant

 

[Burningleviathan]

Re: This years Pats?

How do QB's normally do after a year out of the game? I would think there would be some adjustment period before Brady gets back to what he was or close to it. Depends on how the Pats start the season. Could easily drop two or three early and struggle from there.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Re: This years Pats?

Exactly, BL. I wonder what their schedule is for the first 6 games.

Adjustment period just related to football plus coming back from a major knee-injury, timid or gun-shy for up to a whole season...like Carson Palmer did.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Re: This years Pats?

badly worded.
they should be favourites i guess i meant

Not sure about that either.
Miami would be more favorite imo. They're only getting better and more talented. The Jets are on the rise with Ryan as HC, will get a major influx of talent. Bills are hovering between mediocrity and playoffs every season. And the Pats are in their winding-down period now from greatness.

Over the next 5 year window, one could make a case for the Dolphins #1 and Jets and Pats equally #2 to be the team to dominate the division titles. Not sure over 10 years, but over 5.

 

[Burningleviathan]

Re: This years Pats?

I wouldn't be so keen on the Dophins just yet. It was a great rise last year but i'd need to see them back it up first. I don't think they'll head back to 1-15 territory but an 8-8 type season is a possibility. The division has a bunch of question marks all over it really.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Re: This years Pats?

I think the whole division will concertina. First place like 10-6 or 9-7, and last place like 6-10. Like the NFC East/South often do. So a team who wins it could be getting better tho their record is not. Different from the NFC/AFC West where they concertina because all the teams are so shit.

 

[neddy36]

Re: This years Pats?

Boston's Jackie McMullen said on Around the Horn that they only have 6 players remaining from their last Superbowl team. I thought that was an interesting fact.

 

[Riggy1]

Re: This years Pats?

Boston's Jackie McMullen said on Around the Horn that they only have 6 players remaining from their last Superbowl team. I thought that was an interesting fact.

superbowl team or superbowl winning team?

 

[Exe Gesis]

Re: This years Pats?

superbowl team (07)

 

[Riggy1]

Re: This years Pats?

superbowl team (07)

I was thinking that but it seems unbeleivable

 

[neddy36]

Re: This years Pats?

Yeah she went on to say...."In only one and half years, only 6 remain". I find it hard to believe but she is respected and its her home town team.

 

[Riggy1]

Re: This years Pats?

Maroney?
Moss?
WElker?
Watson?
Neal?
Koppen?
Kaczur?
Mankins?

thats 8 players just on offense

add to that

Seymour
Warren
Hobbs

on defense.

and there are 11 players from their last superbowl team.

 

[wce_all_da_way]

Re: This years Pats?

Maybe she meant quality players?

*Waits for abuse from Pats fans*

 

[Riggy1]

Re: This years Pats?

Maybe she meant quality players?

*Waits for abuse from Pats fans*

lol.

um Moss?

she said 7. Who are the other 6?

 

[fuey]

Re: This years Pats?

Pennington, Edwards and Clemens combined still aren't as talented as Brady post-knee injury, pre-knee injury or whenever. When Brady leaves, THAT'S when the Pats will be shit again, and that's why they'll win the division again next season. ENOUGH OF THE BS, teams go as far as their QB can take them.

And lets not forget the effect a great coach has on a team.

Jets are going through a transition, Bills in a similar position but a bit further ahead, and the Dolphins don't yet have the play-makers to make a sustained challenge just yet.