The optimist looking forward thread

[SoCal Pmen]

Last night sucked but its over and now its time to focus on what this could do moving forward and why they still could get home field advantage.

1. Build on the offensive momentum and chemistry this team has built - TB has now had 4 straight 300+ yard games.

2. It will get some of its key missing pieces back on offense namely Morris, Aiken, Tate and Taylor

3. Hopefully the defensive injuries are not serious and they will have the key players back that's made them one of the best defenses in league this year

4. They can still secure the #2 seed in the playoffs which still guarantees them a bye

5. Even if Indy secures the #1 seed, they would likely face Pittsburgh, Denver or San Diego in the playoffs - not easy wins

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

We need a healthy DL/OL for the playoffs. Preferably Taylor and Morris. O'brien can't call that shotgun draw 12 times in a game.

I think we'll be fine

 

[mcgraw_wv]

I want to see some wins over quality opponents...

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Last night sucked but its over and now its time to focus on what this could do moving forward and why they still could get home field advantage.

1. Build on the offensive momentum and chemistry this team has built - TB has now had 4 straight 300+ yard games.

2. It will get some of its key missing pieces back on offense namely Morris, Aiken, Tate and Taylor

3. Hopefully the defensive injuries are not serious and they will have the key players back that's made them one of the best defenses in league this year

4. They can still secure the #2 seed in the playoffs which still guarantees them a bye

5. Even if Indy secures the #1 seed, they would likely face Pittsburgh, Denver or San Diego in the playoffs - not easy wins

I think that we just need to focus on getting that playoff Bye. The Bengals have San Diego and Minnesota left. All we have to do is hope they lose at least one of these games and win out the rest of the schedule. I think the only really tough game we have is against New Orleans which I think we can beat. Denver I think will lose at least 2 more games. That would leave (I think):

1. Indy
2. New England
3. Cincinatti
4. San Diego/Denver
5. Pitt
6. Baltimore

 

[The Dynasty]

Last night sucked but its over and now its time to focus on what this could do moving forward and why they still could get home field advantage.

1. Build on the offensive momentum and chemistry this team has built - TB has now had 4 straight 300+ yard games.

2. It will get some of its key missing pieces back on offense namely Morris, Aiken, Tate and Taylor

3. Hopefully the defensive injuries are not serious and they will have the key players back that's made them one of the best defenses in league this year

4. They can still secure the #2 seed in the playoffs which still guarantees them a bye

5. Even if Indy secures the #1 seed, they would likely face Pittsburgh, Denver or San Diego in the playoffs - not easy wins

I agree with some of your points...

1. Yes, our O has looked very good the past 4 weeks. No complaining there.

2. Tate is on IR and isnt coming back...We do need Morris and Taylor to come back to take the load off of Maroney and Faulk

3. Yes, hopefully TBC's injury is not serious and we get can get our full DL back

4. We can still get the #2 seed is right, but I wouldnt mind playing on wild card weekend. It wouldnt be the end of the world.

5. Why be afraid of the Colts? We proved that we can go to Indy and play with them. We should want to see them again, not have someone beat them for us.

 

[PrairiePat]

I'll say one thing - if the Colts are the class of the NFL this year, and we dominated them all night in their house, what does that say about our team?

I think the offense looks like it's coming together nicely. The OL is playing leaps and bounds better than it was earlier in the year, the defense needs to get healthy but still has a lot of promise, and special teams look to be some of the best in recent memory.

Plenty of reasons to be optimists around here.

 

[crowell33]

I want to see some wins over quality opponents...

bingo. Trouncing the weak sisters of the NFL is wearing thin. As week 10 approaches the Pats have zero wins in an opponents stadium. Zero. We need a win against a good team to get back a little of our self respect.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

I think that we just need to focus on getting that playoff Bye. The Bengals have San Diego and Minnesota left. All we have to do is hope they lose at least one of these games and win out the rest of the schedule. I think the only really tough game we have is against New Orleans which I think we can beat. Denver I think will lose at least 2 more games. That would leave (I think):

1. Indy
2. New England
3. Cincinatti
4. San Diego/Denver
5. Pitt
6. Baltimore

I'm not positive but I would think Cincinatti would hold a tiebreak over us since they are undefeated in their division. We most likely have to finish with a better record than them unless at least one of our remaining losses is the Saints or Panthers and theirs are all AFC opponents.

 

[The Dynasty]

bingo. Trouncing the weak sisters of the NFL is wearing thin. As week 10 approaches the Pats have zero wins in an opponents stadium. Zero. We need a win against a good team to get back a little of our self respect.

We'll get our chance 2 weeks from today vs the Saints....

 

[ctpatsfan77]

1. Build on the offensive momentum and chemistry this team has built - TB has now had 4 straight 300+ yard games.

It took me a second to realize this, but, yeah, you're right. I'm sure they'll be playing up this fact just like when Manning did something similar this season. . . .

2. It will get some of its key missing pieces back on offense namely Morris, Aiken, Tate and Taylor

No Tate, but the others should be back. :crosses fingers:

4. They can still secure the #2 seed in the playoffs which still guarantees them a bye

True.

5. Even if Indy secures the #1 seed, they would likely face Pittsburgh, Denver or San Diego in the playoffs - not easy wins

True, especially San Diego. . . .

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I'm not positive but I would think Cincinatti would hold a tiebreak over us since they are undefeated in their division. We most likely have to finish with a better record than them unless at least one of our remaining losses is the Saints or Panthers and theirs are all AFC opponents.

It's actually in-conference record (which they'd still hold), then games against common opponents (if there are four or more). Division records never come into play, so a loss to an AFC West team would be just as bad for them as it is for New England.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

bingo. Trouncing the weak sisters of the NFL is wearing thin. As week 10 approaches the Pats have zero wins in an opponents stadium. Zero. We need a win against a good team to get back a little of our self respect.

If they've already lost their self-respect, they're already done.

In any case, it's not like the Patriots have been out of any game they've played this year, and they certainly seem to have improved from Week 1 to today, last night's loss notwithstanding.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

It's actually in-conference record (which they'd still hold), then games against common opponents (if there are four or more). Division records never come into play, so a loss to an AFC West team would be just as bad for them as it is for New England.

Oh ok, for some reason I thought division record came right after conference record

 

[BelichickFan]

1. Indy
2. New England
3. Cincinatti
4. San Diego/Denver
5. Pitt
6. Baltimore

Aside from the seedings, we've played toe to toe with 3 of these teams, a good argument could be made that we should have won all 3. "Should have won" won't work in the playoffs but we are very close to all these teams in an AFC field that's deep but without a dominant team.

 

[tombonneau]

Aside from the seedings, we've played toe to toe with 3 of these teams, a good argument could be made that we should have won all 3. "Should have won" won't work in the playoffs but we are very close to all these teams in an AFC field that's deep but without a dominant team.

Yeah, I guess the biggest positive is that the Pats clearly have the talent to beat the best teams in the league. I mean, statistically speaking with what was it 10min in the 4th quarter and a 17pt lead, the probability of winning must be 90%+. So they can beat the Colts of the world. They just need to put together 4 quarters.

Another positive is that nowadays the #1 seed is not the surefire path to the Super Bowl it once was. In fact, when is the last time the #1 seed won the Super Bowl?

 

[ctpatsfan77]

yeah, i guess the biggest positive is that the pats clearly have the talent to beat the best teams in the league. I mean, statistically speaking with what was it 10min in the 4th quarter and a 17pt lead, the probability of winning must be 90%+. So they can beat the colts of the world. They just need to put together 4 quarters.

Another positive is that nowadays the #1 seed is not the surefire path to the super bowl it once was. In fact, when is the last time the #1 seed won the super bowl?

Not since 2003, IIRC. . . .

 

[tombonneau]

Not since 2003, IIRC. . . .

Think you might be right. In fact, going beyond winning, and just making the SB, the #1 seed might stretch back that far to appearances.

OTTOMH, I think the Bears made it as a #1 but you might have to go back to 2004 to the Pats making it and winning, right?

 

[Patspsycho]

The big thing is that we prove is that we can drop 34 points on the #1 defense in the league. That should be a vote of confidence for the offense.

The defense.. merits analysis..

 

[SeauOUCH]

I agree with some of your points...


5. Why be afraid of the Colts? We proved that we can go to Indy and play with them. We should want to see them again, not have someone beat them for us.

Screw that, I don't wanna see the Colts again this year. Yes we can prob beat the Colts in Indy but beating the Colts & the officials is too much to overcome. Every time we play in Indy it seems the game is decided by a controversial call ( that always goes against us )

I'm still steamed about that fuggin spot, 99 out of 100 times thats a 1st down but somehow in Indy its short.

 

[Jimke]

The Patriots are going to have to improve their play to repeat

last year's 11 and 5 record. John Clayton's prediction of a 10

and 6 record and no playoffs is a distinct possibility.