Pats ability to beat good teams - Page 2 - New England Patriots Forums

TomBrady'sGoat · 11-07-2006, 09:09 AM

eh, it is what it is. The Patriots have not beaten Indy or the Broncos in 5 games the last two years.

If we qualify elite teams as 'Indy and Denver' then the Pats have not beaten an elite team the last two years. One of those team's just happens to be the one team the Pats seem to have no answer to. The other... they had no shot in last year's game with the defense and running back injuries and this year they simply got straight-up beaten.

Q: What was the difference between Jacksonville (12-4) and Denver (13-3)last year?
A: Denver beat NE, while Jax lost to NE

Seems like calling Denver elite and Jacksonville not is a self-fulfilling prophecy. If Jax beat the Pats then they would have been another elite team that the Pats lost to. If Denver lost to NE they would have been a division winner knocked out in their first playoff game. Losing to NE prevented Jax from elite status and beating NE established it for Denver.

If the Pats lost to the eventual superbowl champion Steelers they'd be in the 'elite - loss' column. Since the Pats beat them they get simply chalked up to good.

Let's see how the playoffs go this year. Another year getting knocked out before the AFC championship game and we can discuss the team's struggles against elite foes.

I will admit though that the team has lost its air of invincibility and I will no longer go into a tough game knowing they will somehow win. Then again there was no way that could last.

SVN · 11-07-2006, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rabthepat

I have seen all the Chargers games this year with Direct TV's short cuts. I think they might be the surprise team from the AFC this year. They might struggle with Denver but they match up well with the Colts and Pats. Remember, even though they struggled last year they went into Indy last year and beat them. Rivers is not a rookie. It is his 3rd year in the league and look at his stats. They also have the best RB combo in the league with LT and Turner. And who on the Pats is going to cover Gates?

I think the Pats can still do it if they get their act together but if we don't my money is on San Diego. The Colts always choke, Jake the Mistake isn't a SuperBowl QB and Baltimore doesn't have enough offense.

chargers arent a surprise team, its the east coast bias at its best...if the chargers played in the east coast people would notice them more...

***Tunescribe*** · 11-07-2006, 07:50 PM

My fear is that when all is said and done come playoff time, inconsistency at wide receiver (Gabriel, Caldwell and Jackson taking time to jell) and at safety (with Rodney and Wilson in and out of the lineup) will be big obstacles to overcome. I hope I'm wrong, but we're already halfway through the season.

TomBrady'sGoat · 11-08-2006, 01:49 PM

The lack of chargers love could be east coast bias, or it could be related to 1) the way they faded last year 2) having a rookie qb 3) being coached by a guy who has two hands wrapped around his neck at all times.

the Chargers are a wild card right now. Yeah, they can play great and take you down. They can also beat themselves.

As for the media, I think a lot of mediots were pushing the Chargers last year just to have them miss the playoffs. That usually makes them a little hesitant the following year.

But you're probably right. East coast bias is a much simpler and less thoughtful explanation.