Where would be now with Brady healthy?

[mgteich]

If we believe that we would be a heavy favorite to at least having a bye, then perhaps the defense is performing as well as one might expect. Perhaps they have simply not stepped up to the extra burden on them and the additional time on the field and the lack of garbage time (like last year when we were often a couple of touchdowns ahead).

I do indeed believe that we would be a heavy favorite to compete with the upstart Titans for championship in the AFC, if Brady were here.

So for me, there is no need to be talking about replacing and redoing the entire defense or even major parts. That is already being done. To put it another way, we have been bringing in new players. Mayo and Guyton are extraordinary rookie starters. We might have a future starting corner or backup help in Wheatley, Wilhite and/or Richardson. Meriweather has shown he is the real deal. And we have some linebackers we haven't heard from yet. Surely Redd and Crable are potential backups.

Sure, Vrabel and Bruschi have lost a couple of steps, as expected. They may be only good enough to be role players next year. So! Why is it a negative to have veteran role players. We used to consider such a situation a positive.

 

[jmt57]

I'd guess the Pats would be 8-2. A couple of extra plays made in the Jets and Colts games would make the difference. The Miami and San Diego games would still have been lost.

 

[Kontradiction]

Can we please stop with these hypothetical Brady threads? They are far too much of a tease for me to think about. Cassel is our man now. We may be a lot better (if not undefeated again) right now with Brady and we might not. But we won't know what this team (and this new defense) has with #12 under center until 2009. Enjoy this season for what it is worth.

 

[BradyManny]

I do indeed believe that we would be a heavy favorite to compete with the upstart Titans for championship in the AFC, if Brady were here.

Last year, there were only two teams that could compete with us: the Giants and the Colts. We destroyed the rest of the league. Our average margin of victory was almost as many points as the offense is scoring per game now. I see no evidence that we wouldn't be either 9-1 or 10-0 with Brady right now. And I believe we would be clear favorites over the Titans, not favorites with them.

Last year, teams came in wondering how many touchdowns they'd be down by halftime. This year, they come in expecting to beat us. That's the biggest difference to me. Someone could say "oh, well we still would've lost the game against the Phins or the Chargers"...No, if Brady were healthy, its a completely different scenario, and those games don't play out the same way.

 

[BradyManny]

I'd guess the Pats would be 8-2. A couple of extra plays made in the Jets and Colts games would make the difference. The Miami and San Diego games would still have been lost.

Disagree. See my above post.

 

[signbabybrady]

undefeated. The only game we lost that I question wether Brady would have made the difference is the Charger game. OK 9-1 then.

We beat the Colts no problem.
He somehow would have made a difference in the first half of the Jets game effectively keeping us out of the hole we dug.
I don't think Miami would have been able to use the wild cat the way they did if Brady was tourching their secondary the way he did last year.

That leaves the Chargers, and the way that game went down I don't know if anything would have changed it. But Brady certainly could go a long way.

 

[fumbrunner]

I'd guess the Pats would be 8-2. A couple of extra plays made in the Jets and Colts games would make the difference. The Miami and San Diego games would still have been lost.

Agreed. We would be the #2 seed right now. I dont see us losing the Jets or Colts game with Brady in there. Heck, a couple early scores against Miami and that would have been a competitive game as well.

 

[mgteich]

I agree that we need to enjoy this year for what it is.

My main point was that we shouldn't be criticizing the defense as much as we do. They are doing their part on a Brady-led team. Unfortunately, they are not up to making up the difference between Brady and Cassel.

I DO BELIEVE that the defense has improved over last year. It just isn't enough.

And someone should ADMINISTER FLU SHOTS!

 

[SoCal Pmen]

1 or 2 losses at most with TB at the helm. He would have kept the defense off the field a lot longer and forced teams to go one dimensional with their game plans after building a big lead.

 

[Rob0729]

I'd guess the Pats would be 8-2. A couple of extra plays made in the Jets and Colts games would make the difference. The Miami and San Diego games would still have been lost.

Actually I think the Pats could have won the Miami game. The Pats seemed to have the momentum early and were stopping them on defense and moving the ball on offense. The whole momentum shifted (for the rest of the game) on a Cassel INT.

I do agree with KontradictioN that these Brady threads are exercises in futility though. We asll know the Pats would have had a better record and been in a much better position to compete for the Super Bowl, but why bother speculating?

 

[Dolfaniss]

One loss, week 3 to Miami. No doubt Brady pulls out the Jets and Colts games. Probably beats the Chargers as well.

 

[tombonneau]

Actually I think the Pats could have won the Miami game. The Pats seemed to have the momentum early and were stopping them on defense and moving the ball on offense. The whole momentum shifted (for the rest of the game) on a Cassel INT.

Forget Brady; the Dolphins game would have been completely different had early in the game Cassel not been called "in the grasp" on his TD run, easily one of the worst officiating gaffes I've seen this year (and that's saying a lot).

 

[NEPatriot]

16-0 all the way

 

[Deus Irae]

This would have been a completely different team with Brady. It would be undefeated and people would be complaining that winning by 30 points was not enough and McDaniels and Pees had to go.

Hmmm... other than the record, not much would have changed.

 

[Sivy]

10-0, without a doubt.

 

[Sivy]

Can we please stop with these hypothetical Brady threads? They are far too much of a tease for me to think about. Cassel is our man now. We may be a lot better (if not undefeated again) right now with Brady and we might not. But we won't know what this team (and this new defense) has with #12 under center until 2009. Enjoy this season for what it is worth.

so, what should we talk about on a message board? Same old boring, stupid threads? I too wonder where we'd be if we had brady, its just a discussion, its not like he is trying to activate an alternate universe here.

 

[Sivy]

undefeated. The only game we lost that I question wether Brady would have made the difference is the Charger game. OK 9-1 then.

We beat the Colts no problem.
He somehow would have made a difference in the first half of the Jets game effectively keeping us out of the hole we dug.
I don't think Miami would have been able to use the wild cat the way they did if Brady was tourching their secondary the way he did last year.

That leaves the Chargers, and the way that game went down I don't know if anything would have changed it. But Brady certainly could go a long way.

actually, as I recall Cassel threw the ball at the ground for most of the game, some how I dont think brady would have done that, meaning the game could have been closer, with more points for the patriots on the board.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

It would be in clear control of the #2 seed at the least. That doesn't mean that the defense is fine, it just means TFB would have been TFB. Hard to imagine that with how well Cassel is playing, but that's just how good #12 is. This defense needs work.

 

[ScottieC]

10-0, there's no doubt.

The teams swagger would be tracked with a seismograph.

 

[Kontradiction]

so, what should we talk about on a message board? Same old boring, stupid threads? I too wonder where we'd be if we had brady, its just a discussion, its not like he is trying to activate an alternate universe here.

Well seeing as only one thread on the first page out of 20+ is a "what would happen if we had Brady?" thread, I'd say there is plenty to talk about besides that. It's a tease to talk about Brady being here much in the same as it is a kick in the groin to keep talking about "what if [insert theory here] had happened in the Super Bowl?"