Halifax_Pats_Fan

yup....we will continue to be guilty until proven innocent...

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It is what it is - BB

PatsFanSince74

Good question. And a fair question, as I certainly didn't think we'd be 3--3 with this schedule. I divide my answer into two parts.

One, I was concerned about our Secondary from the beginning, which is why I had us at 12--4, despite the team's overall improvement in talent after going 13--3 last year. I optimistically thought that the addition of a couple of studs who could get after the Passer would take some of the pressure off of the Secondary, but I think I was wrong about that and I am concerned that this might not be "fixable" or that if it is fixable, it will take too long for people to grow into their responsibilities; it won't do us any good if the Pats are finally playing lights out in December but are 6--8. I hope I'm wrong about that.

Two, what I did not see coming was that the loss of the ability to "close" close games, which has cropped up in recent years, might now be a real issue. This is why I now think my 12--4 was optimistic. Two of the three losses (Baltimore and Seattle) are directly attributable to this in that the Offense got the ball with the lead and three or four minutes to play and politely handed it right back. Unlike some, I'm not ready to go off the deep end and start to question everything from Josh's play calling to whether Tom Brady still has "it." But, it is very worrisome and, since it is more "intangible" than the play of the Secondary, a bigger issue, IMO.

Despite all of that, I still can't imagine that they don't win the Division. The rest is up to how they're playing in December; anything is possible from a ring at 10--6 or 11--5 to "one and done" with the same record.

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It is what it is. It wasn't what it wasn't.

MoLewisrocks

I saw it in week one once Josh's grand tweek was revealed. Saw signs of it in preseason based on the OL situation and the way they were forcing issues like assimilating Lloyd come hell or high water. Whole offense was out of sorts all pre season and we are still seeing the effects/remnants of that six weeks in. Josh seemed to be treating the first few games of the season as an extension of his plan to reconfigure something that needed little more than tweeking in the off season. And it's cost them, especially once Hernendez went down and it becan to emerge that Gronk's subdued pre season wasn't just an anomoly.

supafly

Every year (at least in the current Brady/Belichick era) I go into the season thinking that we'll be 12-4, or something close to it.

Every year, regardless of schedule, added talent, weak spots, etc, I go into the season with the following assumptions, right/wrong/indifferent:

1 loss to a divisional foe

1 loss at home

1 loss away

1 loss to a "WTF" team/game that comes unexplained

That is the 'formula' that I pretty much stick with every year, and in my opinion it is reasonable to assume as much.

So far this year, we have all of the losses in my 'formula' covered, besides the divisional foe--which we've only played 1 out of 6 games so far.

No, I didn't think we'd be 3-3 at this point, I can guarantee you that; but I did think that there was a realistic chance at 4-2 through 6 games.

As many have pointed out, the best place to start is going into the bye with a 5-3 record, which would be the same as last year. We've still seen some great things from this team so far this year, and we've seen improvements in the running game, in the balance, in the defensive front seven and the rookies, and arguably in the SE position--as Llyod appears to be an upgrade over Branch.

If the team can iron out some of their differences in the secondary scheme/talent/whatever, and have a little bit more luck, we have a decent shot at going 12-4 or 11-5 with momentum heading into the playoffs.

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Patiently waiting to defend the next "bubble" player in this summer's training camp.....

patsfan-1982

i cant say i knew they would be a 500 team after 6 games i was thinking more like 5-1 with the seahawks being the only loss but i kind knew the defense was going to be bad i mean come on they were the 2th worst pass defense in NFL history last year and all they add it was a jag FS and a few rookies the only reason they ant dead last is because the front 7 is pretty good but there is not a nuff dept up front to keep them fresh for pass rush to help that bad secondary out