Rob0729

Here we go:

1. I think a large share of the loss goes on Brady. He was just off from the last drive in the first half on. Poor clock management on that drive (I blame him for not taking the time out which made Belichick have to run down the field to make), some poor decisions, some poor throws, seemed rattled at times, etc. It wasn't all on him, but he deserves a good piece of the blame pie.
2. Chandler Jones needs to work on being more consistent (lobbying more for holding calls would help), but he is showing signs of being an elite DE. He is stout vs. the run and can rush the passer. The most amazing thing about his five sacks of the season, three of them have been strip sacks.
3. Glad to see Arrington finally benched. Everyone was blaming McCourty this season, but Arrington was clearly the weakest link in the secondary. Obviously, the secondary has some issues (to put it mildly), but I think Dennard can be much better with some more experience. He did show flashes yesterday. And the Edwards' TD there was not much more he could have done. Even elite CBs get burnt on plays with coverage like that. Granted he did get burnt several other times.
4. I am concerned a bit about the youth and inexperience on this team. I think a reason the Pats don't have a killer instinct at the end of games is in part because they decided to go so young. Wilfork can only do so much leadership on defense. Younger guys on offense seem to struggle down the end.
5. Other than the end of the game, I was impressed by the o-line. They kept Brady pretty clean considering this is a defense known to get to the QB. Again, the end of the game goes to the last bullet point.
6. Was it just me or did Slater injure himself celebrating a special team's stop? Looks like one of his teammates may have taken out his ankle to "congratulate" him. If that is the case and he is out for a significant time, that has to go down as one of the stupidest injuries since.... well, Edelman who may have broken his hand spiking the football during a TD celebration.
7. Troy Brown may be right. Spikes just may be the best run stuffing LB in the league.
8. I still think this team is a legitimate Super Bowl contender and other than the secondary are more mental and correctable errors. I also think the secondary can be fixed over time. Don't forget it was Dennard second game in the NFL and thrust into the starting role without preparation for it (taking back up reps at nickel and dime in practice). Wilson is also learning on the job. McCourty isn't nearly as bad as people make him out to be. Chung is inconsistent, but has the capability of being good.

IllegalContact

regarding number 3, my fear is for the rookie DB's and that they are going to follow the same path as all the other recent DB's in that their first year is going to be their best year given that the patricia/boyer/flores combo is going to destroy them.

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“ I think good coaches will coach with the personnel they have, and if you only have one (good) linebacker, you’re not going to play a 3–4. ”
—Hank Bullough, who installed one of the first 3–4 defenses with the New England Patriots.

JackBauer

It seemed to me on the deep ball McCourty gave up that he was in terrific position -- just couldn't make the play.

More often than not, seems to be the story of his career so far beyond his rookie season.

SeymourTrophies

Ultimately, losing in Seattle is not the end of the world. They have a good to great defense, and that stadium is tough for everyone. Brady made some errors I have never seen him make before. If Brady's going to cost us a game (he normally has two bad games a year), an away game to an out of conference team is the one to cost us. Big picture, this isn't the end of the world because of all of the tiebreaker implications. The AFC is wide open and the teams we thought were unbeatable (Texans, 49ers, Ravens) all suffered big losses either in the standings or in key players. Just make it to the playoffs and see what happens.

It just sucks that our front seven (six yesterday) is as solid as it is because our secondary is going the other way dramatically. I'm going to harp on the James Sanders cut internally for a while because a guy, even a mediocre guy, who knows how things are supposed to look and how to play center field would be really useful with all of the inexperience with the personnel. I've seen a lot of guys passing off receivers to the safety only for the safety to be way late to arrive.

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scott99

Rob,

I agree with a lot of your comments, and respect your views. I just wish I could be as upbeat as you. BUT, the first few words of your last comments "I still think this team is a legitimate Super Bowl contender", I couldn't disagree with you more. This team is far from a SB contender. They can not win games UNLESS they are way ahead, and even then they have to hold on for dear life. They CAN NOT win close games. The games they won were basically blow outs, by a combined average score of 39-21. The games they lost were a combined average score of 24-25. To be a SB contender, you HAVE to win AT LEAST 1 of those 3 games. I hate to say it, but this defense is terrible, though mostly the secondary. BUT, when was the last time this D came up with a sack when they needed it, especially late in the game when teams were driving for the win ? Tom Brady, maybe the greatest of all time, but he is no longer clutch. Yeah it sucked to give up the winning points late in the game, but they still had time to drive down field for the winning field goal, and they didn't get it done. Combined with not getting points at the end of the first half, and throwing an INT in the end zone, unacceptable. When is the last time the Pats came back to win a CLOSE game ?

The Pats schedule is going to be tough, with games against the rest of the NFC West (already 0-2 against them), the AFC East will be no cake walk, the Dolphins and Jets are now playing good football. I'd be thrilled with an AFC East title, and I'm not expecting anything else after (probable first round loss). I hope I'm extremely wrong, and I see some of my quotes come back to haunt me after a Super Bowl win, but I just don't see it.

Rob0729

You are talking about three games sample. Let's see how the season goes.

Also, I don't know if I buy the gotta win close games to be a contender argument. If the Pats 3 wins were close game wins and the losses were by 7 or more points a game, people would be complaining that this team isn't a contender because they can't win anything but close games.

This team is still a Super Bowl contender because every team has flaws especially in the AFC and the Pats are talented enough especially on offense to beat anyone. This is a young team and I think this team will be much better in December and January than it is now.

BTW, people were saying a lot of same thing around this time last year when the Pats lost back to back games vs. the Steelers and the Giants (can't beat good teams, can't beat a good QB, etc.).

Until the Pats prove they are not a contender which very few teams have shown at this point in the season. I have faith in Belichick and Brady pulling this team together. They did last year with some of the same concerns.

ctpatsfan77

In the last decade, being a Super Bowl contender has been a lot more about getting hot/lucky at the right time than it has been about anything else.

Hell, if you want proof, just look at the JEST.

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parthasas

I'm really afraid of this scenario. They have no more excuses left.

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Rob0729

Yeah, I think three of the last five Super Bowl winners were either Wild Card teams or 3rd or 4th seeds. The Giants were 9-7 last year (4th seed), the Packers were a Wild Card team in 2010 with a 10-6 record (and 8-6 after 14 games), and the Giants were a Wild Card in 2007.

SVN

Right now they are not a mentally strong team even though brady claims so. Pats of the past would never piss away leads in the 4th Q. They will never run 3 times and punt to burn the clock -will instead go for the 1st down. They choked down the stretch .This is like the 2008 team so far. Not good in crunch times at least on offense. I cant blame the defense- maybe the drafting and developing of the secondary yes. But they are poor -eveyrone knows that. Brady has all these wordly players and cant run a 4 min offense in 3 games this yr to finish a game off against the same defense he was shredding all game. Maybe yesterday he was bit concussed after the hit so they just called running plays but still...