BradyManny

Agree or disagree?

While I'm sure some are lining up on the Tobin as we speak, I can say I felt pretty devastated last Monday morning after seeing the Patriots defense get completely dismantled by Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers offense.

However - yesterday's game was not nearly the same feeling, and while the practical repercussions of the loss might have been quite negative, there were many positives to take away from the game - and realizing this will help your sanity this week.

Some thoughts on the patterns that are forming:

THE OFFENSE:

- Of late, Brady is not nearly as sharp as last season; or as the first several weeks of the year
- Outside of Brian Waters, the offensive line has struggled in both phases and it was being covered up by Brady early on, but won't hold against better DLs.
- We lack a commitment to the running game in the face of any adversity.

The good news: Any of these are fixable
The better news: The offense has showed great resolve all season. This is not like the 2009 Patriots. Their fourth quarter play has been nothing short of stellar: They came back from 31-24 to tie up the Bills. They were able to kill the clock & control the ball against the NYJ. They were uber-clutch against Dallas and against the Giants. And they had a great 4th quarter drive in Pittsburgh, which may have spurred a comeback if not derailed only by a blown call by the ref and some ensuing poor coaching/clock management.

The offense may or may not return to its elite form this season. It remains to be seen. There is some hope for it. But if they are elite in the fourth quarter - that is of great value, and was the hallmark of our championship teams early in the decade.

THE DEFENSE:

The source of much of my angst last Monday was the thought that this defense was utterly hopeless. Yesterday proved that isn't the case. Before you point to the meltdown in the 4th quarter, consider:
- Sergio Brown was only on the field b/c Chung was out
- Tracy White was on the field b/c of injuries to Spikes/Guyton.

Look, if Chung, Guyton & Spikes are hurt - we're screwed. But any team that loses 3 starters is screwed. So why lose sleep over it. We're either going to be healthy or we're not, and there's no point in wringing one's hands over how yesterday's loss occurred, given it was largely at the hands of players who really shouldn't even be on the field.

Outside of that disaster, the defense played well and showed that its performances in the Jets & Cowboys games were not aberrations. Maybe these guys only can play at home - but the fact that they can play to that level is the source of some real hope.

The absolute bottom line for me continues to be that the AFC is tremendously weak this year. And while the Packers are likely to destroy whatever team they face come February in the Super Bowl, I would welcome the opportunity, and I really don't see how this team is any less suited to be that hapless victim than the equally flawed Steelers, Ravens or Jets PROVIDED our defense continues build upon its 3 successful games of late. That might be a huge if, but it's a glimmer of hope that did not exist in some eyes a week ago.

TriplecHamp

not a chance in hell that I feel better than last week. Team lost its second straight game in what was eerily similar to superbowl 42. The offense was clutch but the D wasn't.

BradyManny

But again...that was Sergio Brown & Tracy White. Naturally, if that's our D, we're screwed. But it took 4 injuries (Barret, Guyton, Spikes, Chung) to cause that.

The two DPI calls were also things that aren't likely to occur going forward.

I'm looking purely at trends - and I think the defense playing well at home is a real trend. I do not take yesterdy's 4th quarter from the defense and apply it to the existing trend of choking 4th quarter leads, b/c too many freakish things happened that were not related to their performance, or indicative of future performance.

TriplecHamp

Injuries are a part of the game. The Giants were without their top RB, and Top receiver. Remember when Patriots fans used to talk about how we were deeper than the Jets (top heavy argument) now it looks like were as shallow as anybody in the NFL in the secondary. God forbid Chung or McCourtey go down. Nobody should be running into a wide receiver like a mad man like Brown did and Tracy white got beat twice.

A note on the DPI, our corners haven't done well playing the ball at all this season so to say thats unlikely is a stretch. If im the Jets next week Im running fades all day against man until Arrington proves he can stop Plax. McKelven couldn't do it so I pretty sure Arrington wont. Safety help will pretty much be a must next week and thats not the case for teams going against our offense. The underneath stuff will likely be there for the Jets.

BradyManny

That's fair - if Chung has a serious injury at some point this season, we absolutely do not have the depth to overcome it. But that's such a showstopper that I'm not going to worry about it at all. There's no point in worrying about things the team cannot control. If Chung is on the field, that defense played quite well yesterday - for the third time in 4 games.

PATRIOTSFANINPA

Is this thread for real?

A 2 game losing streak and we are supposed to feel better this week than last?

Geez,I bet the whole Patriot Nation will have a real hard on when we lose to the Jets and a 3 game losing streak....that would be even better than sex!

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BradyManny

Way to read nothing in the thread but the title and post anyway!

BradyFTW!

If Sanders and Meriweather were here, we'd be able to weather an injury to Chung. Have in the past.

sbpatfan

Chung isn't as great as everyone wants to believe he is. The defense went downhill after Spikes left.

PATRIOTSFANINPA

It doesn't matter,its retarded to think that a fan can feel better about 3 losses than 2 losses because some plays were better this week but in the end the same result,an L
.....It's just stupid,I don't care what the premise is.

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