bwdjr

Skins fan chiming in. Personally I think John Clayton is a idiot to say these things. What is your opinion on this article.

Skins #1 Fan

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Success is becoming more challenging for coach Bill Belichick.

He won three Super Bowls preaching the team concept. His players still completely buy into the concept and are positioning themselves for a fourth ring. The Patriots are 7-0 and everyone is jumping onto their bandwagon.

The latest supporters are the oddsmakers. For Sunday's game against the Redskins, the oddsmakers are installing the Patriots as 16½ point favorites. That's right, 16½ points. Thanks to Jason Campbell's development as a quarterback and coach Joe Gibbs' recommitment to being a running team, the 4-2 Redskins are an NFC playoff contender.

To be treated like Temple going against Ohio State is a great motivating tool for Gibbs, a Hall of Fame coach. Making it worse is that most NFL observers outside the Patriots organization are looking past the Redskins game to New England's Week 9 showdown against the Colts, perhaps the most anticipated regular-season game since the start of the millennium.

Each morning, Belichick has to load up a dozen "We're focused on the Redskins" answers for his press conferences. He's having enough trouble getting the world to stop focusing on the individual and offensive records the Patriots could break.

Even though he believes his team is focused on the task at hand, Belichick knows Sunday could be a trap game. The Redskins are good, and they are physical. They may not have the best secondary in football, but they present a lot of headaches for the Patriots coach.

Gibbs can line up for former high first-round picks against the Patriots' talented group of receivers. Shawn Springs and Carlos Rogers are first-round corners still in their prime. Fred Smoot is a second-round choice working as the third corner.

Mobile, physical safeties LaRon Landry and Sean Taylor present other problems. Taylor lost a lot of weight and leads the league with five interceptions. Landry has enough range to be a force against the run and help out in coverage.

The big fear for Belichick is how physical the Redskins will be with his receivers. The Patriots' receivers haven't faced a lot of bump-and-run man coverage. And because Brady has been so accurate, New England's receivers have received very few hits in the middle of the field.

As much as Belichick wants to win the game, he doesn't want to come out of it with a banged-up team. Despite what the oddsmakers think, Belichick has to be a little worried about the Skins.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/column...ohn&id=3078941

bradmahn

Uhh, thanks John. That was mighty insightful. Good thing you told us Belichick would be concerned with this team, cause he is in the habit of overlooking the challenges opponents pose.

Really, the point of his article is that people like him (ESPN and the majority of the sports media) don't give the Redskins enough credit and are overlooking this game, but Belichick isn't going to take them lightly. Them's a whole lotta words ta say nuffin.

desi-patsfan

Once again a trap game. It looks like unless the team we are play is named the Colts...we are playing a trap game.

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NYPatsFan

Clayton is an idiot but I can't find fault with his analysis.

I do think the national sports media is jumping ahead to the Pats v. Colts game and it's disrespectful to everybody involved.

rusH1023

Exactly. There's always something negative to spin on the game if they're not playing the Colts. Remember that until last week, the Pat's couldn't win in Miami. Ridiculous.

Pat the Pats Fan

Of the national media jumping ahead, consider Clayton included.....

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A sarcastic Bill Belichick on Tom Brady's finger injury, "It's not life threatening."

Aqua4Ever04

I don't understand the hate for Clayton, he's one of the best writers out there IMO. (Hall of fame write that is.)

Patriot_in_NY

You are such a tard

On to the story. The whole premiss of the article is lost right about here;

Yeah, like the oddmaker give a crap about bandwagons, streaks, "feel good" stories, spygate or any of that crap. They are there to MAKE MONEY and GET PEOPLE TO BET. Like they'd make a ton of money giving the skins +3. Get real, they call em like they see em.

I stopped reading after that opening statement.

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Aqua4Ever04

Yep, I prefer a certain writer, crucify me.

I don't understand the dislike for this guy considering those he works around. He owns Sean Salisbarry in a daily basis on those NFL segments.

ATippett56

Just another Peyton Manning ballwasher.

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