PatsRule

I thought before the Bears game we would know where this team stands as far as elite teams in the NFL..I am still wondering where they are, I have more questions than answers about this team.Don't get me wrong a win is a win but the 2-9 Lions looked like a playoff team against the Pats..

Pro's : They find ways to win,but can they do it against good teams ?

Con's : No passion,emotion or sense of urgency
When was the last time you saw so many penalties and mental mistakes on a Belichek coached team?

The biggest concern is takeaways New England was always a team that protected the ball,not anymore.

The Patriots defense allowed John Kitna 3rd and 21, 3rd and 23 and another long 3rd down play which im my opinion was horrendous.

The 4th quarter when their backs were against the wall they woke up but you can't turn the switch on and off like that against a good team.

My concern is Bill Belichek may be losing this team,you don't mind if they get beat by a better team,but I look at the little things like penalties,protecting the ball and tackling.The basic fundementals of football they seem to be struggling with..

Gumby

Could this be the long term impact of losing OC and 2 DCs in 2 years?

...........losing the ability of coaching staff to keep the players focused over the long term.

or is it more a watered down gene pool from losing too many marquee 'patriots type players'?

or does this happen every year and they just play through it?

MDD

No that couldn't be it. Besides, keeping some of thoose players might have left us only FOUR million under the cap, at which time we would instantly turn into the Redskins and all the players would revolt out of jealosy.

5 Rings for Brady!!

We have a lot of people around here that simply say the glass is half full and we won. And we have a lot of people that change their opinions on every issue related to the team after each win or loss, and are ready to jump off a bridge on any given Monday.

I've been saying since week one that we need to play consistently on both sides of the ball each week, or at least attempt to work towards being consistent. I still don't see any consistency in any aspect of the team's play. The defense at least can blame injuries to a degree, and they have kept us in some games.

We won't win in the playoffs if we are still inconsistent from week to week. There are plenty of hungry teams out there that we will need to play. We can't show up with our 'B' game and beat anybody in this year's playoffs.

I equate inconsistency of effort and execution with not being focused and motivated to some degree. I don't think we can sleepwalk through the regular season and expect to be a great playoff team.

I keep looking for that spark of urgency which reminds me of when this team was on a mission to be great, and I have yet to see it.

There were moments in our superbowl runs where we knew the team was bonding together, and I haven't sensed any of those special moments this year when the Patriots decided that it was 'us against the world', and that they were going to 'do whatever it takes'. Hopefully the fire returns before the playoffs arrive.

Fixit

Let's say you buy a house. This house is a fixer-upper. The bank allots you $50,000 for repairs. You bust your butt and get the house exactly where you want it, but you only spend $44,000. Would you listen to anyone who said you skimped or didn't build your house the right way because you didn't spend all the money, or would your sole concern be getting the best value possible for every dollar you spent?

MDD

So that's the case here?

Fixit

Who knows? Not us.

I'm relatively sure that they know the holes that need plugging. Finding the right personnel, however, is a different story. A winning organization doesn't spend money just to spend money. Bob Kraft wants his team to win even more than we do.

Every year can't be 14-2.

ironwasp

This is a good thread and a lot of my concerns about the Pats are wrapped up in here.

I see a team of great potential, one with as many tools on the field as any team in the League, and that has the ability to win every game it plays. But I keep saying it playing below its ability level.

After each setback I have hoped that the team has been given the wake-up call that it needs, to understand that it must play with a greater level of intensity and concentration each week to build the kind of momentum that it needs, first of all to make the Play-Offs and secondly to have a decent run within.

And so this week, I'm hoping that the scare handed out by the 2-9 Lions (I have to keep looking at that "2-9 Lions" phrase to believe it) will be enough to carry us through a tough game in Miami next week and keep us on course for a 13-3 season and a shot at a week off.

And some of the interviews detailed on Reiss's blog, suggest that the players know and accept that when they got out on the field they did not have sufficient fire in their bellies to play at their highest level.

According to the 12 steps, accepting that there is a problem is the first stage of finding a solution. So let's hope everyone in that locker room is paying attenion and that next week they roar out onto that field and make a big statement of intent.

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miDeuce

I'm always a glass half full fan with this team but I agree with that this team has not really found an identity yet and time is running out. Yes we beat the Bears but I think that was more a case of the Bears losing the game than us winning it. I haven't felt like this team was a legit super bowl threat since the Cinci win. Yesterday was another lackluster performance, many are giving them a pass since this was a "trap" game. It kills me to say this but I really feel like this team as it is right now looks primed to be upset in the first round of the playoffs, especially playing at home. The last four games don't look quite as easy as they once did with Jax and Tenn both playing pretty good at the moment. There's still time for the Pats to come together and I really hope they do, they've got start clicking on all cylinders this weekend at Miami. If they go down there and cream them I think it will really be a spark for the postseason. But as we know, AFC East games are tight and a convincing win would really go far in helping this team establish themselves.

420jim

My biggest concern is TURNOVERS

How many this week?

My god, every time I think the Pats are starting to take control of the game they turn the ball over. From NFL.com

http://www.nfl.com/stats/teamsort/AF...S/2006/regular

the Pats have 12 ints and 12 fumbles lost (seems like a lot more don't it?)

Although they have 16 picks on "D" and 11 fumbles recovered (Seems like a lot less doesn't it?) for +4. I don't know but I'm sure that ain't gonna cut it in the play-offs.

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