No matter what happens its been a good season

[Sean Pa Patriot]

We may win 3 more games , and still not get in ,and that is ok... We all felt once sept 7th at around 130 pm when Tom Brady was lost, this was going to be a different year... But if they win 3 or even lose 1 game and, this team finshes 10-6 without the following...

Tom Brady
Lawrence Maroney
Lamont Jordan for a while
Rodney Harrison
Terrence Wheatly
Adalius thomas
Ty Warren - for a few weeks
Now Tedy Bruschi , and hopefully not Vince Wilfork... Its been a success to me.

Bill Belichick has coached these guys up, Cassel ' growing pains might have cost us 2 games,but he has grown up and hopefully he gets a chance in the playoffs.. Wes Welker is a joy to watch, its been fun to watch, the pitt game and the jets game may cost us the playoffs, but we all I think most of us, were resigned to the fact that the super bowl was gone sept 7th.. I just want a playoff birth, maybee the Ravens could drop 2 games, but they are playing well.. maybee Miami could lose 2 games ,the jets could slip up against Buffalo.. Who knows lets win the next 3 games and let the chips fall where they may.. The next 3 weeks will be fun, weather we are playing football in jan, or we are retooling for next yr.. Its been a good season , and the team has not quit, that is all as us fans could ask for... I would like the playoffs, but if we finish 11-5 and miss the playoffs, as belichick says it is what it is, Im dissapointed but glad we gave a fight with what we had..

 

[Pats726]

Agreed......

 

[j00fek]

this season has been much better than i thought it would be, at least i still want to watch the last 3 weeks of the season.

even if they dont get in i will be satisfied with the season. cant have too high hopes with all these injury's...

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Good post. It's been a good year considering the circumstances. Still kind of painful if another year during our famous run goes without a title. I'd really like this dynasty to go down as the greatest ever but I guess that is getting much too greedy. Bottom line is this team won 3 titles in 4 years, only 1 other team has ever done that and they did it in an era where it was much easier to maintain a winning team. That's good enough for me.

I disagree about Cassel's growing pains costing us any games. All our losses can be pinned on either poor defense and/or really silly mistakes that were out of Cassel's control. Yeah with Brady our record would probably be better, but he's Tom Brady. IMO Cassel has played well enough for this team to be at least 11-3 right now.

 

[Halifax_Pats_Fan]

no disrespect to Brady but this team is more than just him. I expected quality play from New England even once Brady went down.

I do agree it has been a good year so far....

 

[102 Pat]

Take away Gaffney's drop in Indy and if the Jets could of been stopped on 3rd and 15 in OT and maybe it's a different story. Still, one heck of a year that will be very interesting for these last 3 weeks. Hopefully, there's some January football in the forecast.

 

[nepatz11]

I agree with the OP to win even 8 games this season is a miracle most other teams would have stunk!

 

[T-ShirtDynasty]

Not just a "good" season, but exciting/tense as hell again. The other night my wife commented that last year she thought I had "grown up" because I wasn't screaming at the TV anymore, but now I'm back to yelling like a madman every sunday.

 

[JoePats]

Take away Gaffney's drop in Indy and if the Jets could of been stopped on 3rd and 15 in OT and maybe it's a different story. Still, one heck of a year that will be very interesting for these last 3 weeks. Hopefully, there's some January football in the forecast.

Or the Dave Thomas dumb penalty.

 

[JSn]

Second phenomenal year in a row. 2007 was domination, 2008 is grit.

 

[NJPatsfan26]

Very well said. This year has been amazing in my eyes. We have come further than many thought we would.

So here's to the Pats and the remainder of the season!!!:eat2:

GO PATS!!

 

[ctpatsfan77]

And, regardless of how the rest of the season plays out, this will be the eighth consecutive year without a losing record. One more win and this will be an NFL-leading eighth consecutive year above .500. [Think about this for a second--even in a cr*p year where nothing seems to be going right, the Pats are still in the playoff hunt with three weeks to go, and will not have a losing record.]

 

[bakes781]

They still need to win 2 of the last 3 to reach the 10-6 mark I predicted after Brady went down for me to consider it a success, but I'm very encouraged by what I saw from Matt Cassel. It's unlikely that he remains with the Pats, but it shows that this personell/coaching staff trully knows what it's doing.

 

[Mountain_Commando]

Good post. It's been a good year considering the circumstances. Still kind of painful if another year during our famous run goes without a title. I'd really like this dynasty to go down as the greatest ever but I guess that is getting much too greedy. Bottom line is this team won 3 titles in 4 years, only 1 other team has ever done that and they did it in an era where it was much easier to maintain a winning team. That's good enough for me.

Totally agree. I think we all want to see Pats be the greatest NFL dynasty ever. But hey, we have 3 more years to the end of the decade. I don't think its asking for too much, not when we have such a great coach/team/players/system.

I disagree about Cassel's growing pains costing us any games. All our losses can be pinned on either poor defense and/or really silly mistakes that were out of Cassel's control. Yeah with Brady our record would probably be better, but he's Tom Brady. IMO Cassel has played well enough for this team to be at least 11-3 right now.

Cassel really stepped up. Poor fella never even started after high school. He had HUGE shoes to fill. It took him a few games, but he delivered. That's testament to Belichick's coaching ability, and the outstanding system that Pats have built up. Cassel is lucky he got to benefit from it.

 

[Mountain_Commando]

I was totally bummed after the Steeler's game, but then I asked myself:

QB - Tom Brady - Knee - Out for year
S - Rodney Harrison - Quad - Out for year
LB - Adalius Thomas - Forearm - Out for year
CB - Terrence Wheatley - Wrist - Out for year
S - Tank Williams - Knee - Out for year
LB - Bo Ruud - Ankle - Out for year
LB - Shawn Crable - Shin - Out for year
LB - Kenny Smith - Arm - Out for year
LB - Eric Alexander - Hamstring - Out for year
CB - Jason Webster - Ankle - Out for year
DL - Ty Warren - Groin - Out for year
LB - Tedy Bruschi - Knee - Out for year
NT - Vince Wilfork - Shoulder - Unknown
S - James Sanders - Ribs - Unknown

Can anyone name ONE other team in the whole league which can absorb the kind of injuries Pats have had...and STILL be tied for AFC east lead?

Proud to be a Pats fan!

 

[WhiZa]

Can anyone name ONE other team in the whole league which can absorb the kind of injuries Pats have had...and STILL be tied for AFC east lead?

Proud to be a Pats fan!

I started to look that up and the Raven's had 16 players in IR since a few weeks ago and they are doing well. Not to take anything away from the Patriots as the players they lost were more crucial:

EDIT: found a better IR site http://www.walterfootball.com/injuryreportnfl.php

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Great topic!

My only difference is that I don't see Cassel having been the factor that cost us 2 games. Cassel played his worst against Miami and Pitt, both games where pretty much the entire team collapsed as well. In contrast, he was masterful against the Jets and good against Indy. In those close losses, other players' misques clearly cost us the games, not Cassel.

 

[Halifax_Pats_Fan]

Great topic!

My only difference is that I don't see Cassel having been the factor that cost us 2 games. Cassel played his worst against Miami and Pitt, both games where pretty much the entire team collapsed as well. In contrast, he was masterful against the Jets and good against Indy. In those close losses, other players' misques clearly cost us the games, not Cassel.

yeah, I like Cassel a lot man and I hope he gets a great payday in a team/system he is happy to be with. He and the rest of the team picked us up off the mat in September and I have a lot of respect for him.

He has played well, threw some bad balls but threw a lot more good ones, and has been making good decisions. In a way I hate to see him go, and putting myself in his shoes the whole "this is the business" thing is gonna rear it's head after the season is over.

Personally it would suck playing with and for your teamates knowing there is a good chance you are not gonna be with these group os guys much longer.

Despite all that he is playing well and is giving us a good season. My hat is off to him and I wish him the best going forward, wherever that is going to be....

 

[Deus Irae]

Great topic!

My only difference is that I don't see Cassel having been the factor that cost us 2 games. Cassel played his worst against Miami and Pitt, both games where pretty much the entire team collapsed as well. In contrast, he was masterful against the Jets and good against Indy. In those close losses, other players' misques clearly cost us the games, not Cassel.

One could argue that it was Cassel's failings, particularly on the "and goal" drive, that lost the Chargers game. I think there was plenty of blame to go around in that game (I gave Moss a hard time about that game, for example), but I think that one could make the argument that Cassel was the main culprit and not be thought insane.

 

[richpats]

I am glad that the Pats are keeping themselves in the playoff hunt....that being said, if we miss out on the playoffs we are going to think a lot about a few critical mistakes and wonder what could have been.