Time To Circle The Wagons

[mgteich]

We're not 0-3 trying to be the first 0-3 team to get to the playoffs since Buffalo ten years ago. We have an excellent 2-1 team with an very inexperienced QB and a major hole on defense. We also have a defense that was flat and seriously outcoached. Belichick, Pees, Capers and the rest should be embarrassed.

We were all expecting some roster moves after Game One. They never came. Let's see where we are.

SPECIAL TEAMS
These units are fine, especially with Aiken healthy. We also had Alexander and Washington out, so we have serious reserves.

OFFENSE
We are going to have QB - receiver communication issues for awhile. We also have to recognize that our QB just isn't as good as Brady, no matter who is starting by midseason. The QB will not have the same kind of reads or be able to take advantage of the same number of options. Personally, I have no other problems with the offense. Yates is fine. Kaycur is an average RT and will get beaten by top defenders. It is up to those developing schemes to compensate. We now have two healthy TE's.

DEFENSE
We just got beaten by a college team, both in terms of schemes and personnel. Shame on the players and coaches! Many of us wanted an additional two players for run defense, another ILB and another SS. The examples were Seau and Lynch, but other chocies were possible.

BOTTOM LINE
We have the greatest team in the history of the league (Player 2 through 53), but as many of us have been saying for weeks: we need to pick up a veteran QB, a veteran ILB and a veteran SS.

 

[Wotan_the_Wanderer]

Many of us wanted an additional two players for run defense, another ILB and another SS. The examples were Seau and Lynch, but other chocies were possible.

Preaching to the choir on both players. In addition to the Fish RBs, their TEs killed us in the middle of the field today and on at least one long gain, it was with AD in coverage.

 

[spacecrime]

we need to pick up a veteran QB, a veteran ILB and a veteran SS.

Can we dispense with the "We need a veteran" baloney?

There is no magic to being a veteran. All it means is that you have played a few years. It doesn't mean you are any good.

If you think Culpepper will give us a better chance of winning, fine. I disagree, but I can understand what you are saying.

But signing a guy because he is a veteran is not the way to go.

 

[dtbrks]

BOTTOM LINE
We have the greatest team in the history of the league (Player 2 through 53), but as many of us have been saying for weeks: we need to pick up a veteran QB, a veteran ILB and a veteran SS.

While I do believe we are still a good team, I do not believe we are the greatest team in the history of the NFL from player 2-53.

Maybe I misinterpreted your point. Maybe you mean we have the greatest TEAM, as in chemistry, coaching, knowledge, guts, drive, persistence, etc and not the best players ever assembled from 2-53. If that's your point, I could then be persuaded

 

[thechris]

BOTTOM LINE
We have the greatest team in the history of the league (Player 2 through 53), but as many of us have been saying for weeks: we need to pick up a veteran QB, a veteran ILB and a veteran SS.

Say what? Greatest team in the history of the league after 3 weeks of football?

 

[Leave No Doubt]

This could be a VERY interesting couple of weeks indeed.

 

[BelichickFan]

We also have to recognize that our QB just isn't good

I tweaked your post to make my opinion.

 

[Brady to Brown]

I tweaked your post to make my opinion.

I understand that many are saying Cassel does not play defense but that aside he does not play QB well either. If the Pats get behind by 10 points or more during any game this season its game over.

 

[mgteich]

To suggest that having a QB who has started more than game since high school is not baloney. However, I will be clearer. I think that we would have a better chance getting to the playoffs and the Super Bowl with Culpepper or Garcia at QB than with Cassel. The reason I usually say "veteran" is because it is Pioli who knows which players are available. I would be happy with any veteran that they choose to bring in.

Can we dispense with the "We need a veteran" baloney?

There is no magic to being a veteran. All it means is that you have played a few years. It doesn't mean you are any good.

If you think Culpepper will give us a better chance of winning, fine. I disagree, but I can understand what you are saying.

But signing a guy because he is a veteran is not the way to go.

 

[Deus Irae]

To suggest that having a QB who has started more than game since high school is not baloney. However, I will be clearer. I think that we would have a better chance getting to the playoffs and the Super Bowl with Culpepper or Garcia at QB than with Cassel. The reason I usually say "veteran" is because it is Pioli who knows which players are available. I would be happy with any veteran that they choose to bring in.

They brought in a veteran named Matt Cassel.

 

[mgteich]

I believe that had we won the Super Bowl last year we would have been considered the best team of all time or certainly one of the top four. IMHO, we lost because our running backs and linebackers ran out of gas. We were 2 minutes away. We added Jordan and Mayo. Morris is back. Is it that simple? I think it is.
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Going into this season, I think we arguably had a better team than at the end of last year.

I believe than Hobbs, O'Neal, Sanders and Wheatley are better than Samuel, Hobbs, Gay and Spann who were last year's corners. I believe that Mayo is already better than Seau, although I would still like to add Seau. The DL is stronger with a healthy Seymour. So, I think the defense is arguably stronger now, but even stronger later when Wheatley and Mayo have more experience.

I believe that the offense was stronger at the start of the season than at the end of last season, with the addition of a healthy Morris and Thomas and with the addition of Jordan. I think that this more than outweighs the loss of Neal.

I believe that the special teams were stronger to start the season with the addition of Aiken and Slater.

So, with Brady playing, I think that we had an opportunity yet again to be one of the top four teams in the history of the game. I do believe that Brady is one of the top QB's, on a par with those of the other top teams. I also believe that the rest of team is on a par with those teams. Hence, I believe that our 2-53 are among the best ever, or at least are among the very best ever with Brady leading them.

The open question is how far the patriots can go without Brady. Personally, I have no doubt that we would be a favorite to go deep into the playoffs if Garcia or Culpepper were now our QB. Maybe we'd struggle for a few weeks, but we would be a force as we starting to drive toward the playoffs. I don't have the same confidence in Cassel. Do you disagree?

While I do believe we are still a good team, I do not believe we are the greatest team in the history of the NFL from player 2-53.

Maybe I misinterpreted your point. Maybe you mean we have the greatest TEAM, as in chemistry, coaching, knowledge, guts, drive, persistence, etc and not the best players ever assembled from 2-53. If that's your point, I could then be persuaded

 

[Brady to Brown]

They brought in a veteran named Matt Cassel.

A veteran of what? The Patriots playbook?

I am sure Belichick knows the Patriots playbook from cover to cover as well. It does not mean he could run it on the field as the QB.