Curran: Patriots have cut cord to past

[SVN]

Curran: Patriots have cut cord to past

pretty decent

 

[RayClay]

Nails it 100% IMO. Somebody should excerpt some quotes from that. I'm tired, but people need that perspective.

 

[Jackson 2]

Bingo, Tom E. got Bingo...

 

[Gwedd]

Yeah... nice article. I especially liked the "Monsignor Felger' bit.

 

[wiggins!]

"We keep relating what we see now to what we watched from 2001 through 2007 because that period's Patriots are the measuring stick for excellence.

But it's not a fair comparison anymore. This struck me Sunday and Monday. The 2010 Patriots shouldn't be expected to deliver excellence even if Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are the quarterback and head coach."

 

[wiggins!]

more from the article.....talking to those who were "down" after the indy win:

"I don't know if I heard this on Monday: "Holy crap, they've beaten Baltimore in OT a week after trading Randy Moss, San Diego on the road, Miami on the road, Pittsburgh on the road and the Colts and Vikings at home with THESE guys?"

 

[ausbacker]

He's repeated what most of us have said all the way. This team is performing above expectation and that we should ride out the rocky nature of this a long the way.

 

[Kasmir]

And yet we're going to wonder why an offense with Danny Woodhead and BenJarvus Green-Ellis at running back...can't close out the Indianapolis Colts?

What do Danny and Benny have to do to get some respect for what they're accomplishing?

 

[RayClay]

What do Danny and Benny have to do to get some respect for what they're accomplishing?

Keep doing what they're doing. No reason to get all sensitive. Show me another team in the league, successful or not, who almost completely relies on two UDFAs for all the running and third down back functions. Sammy hasn't even played much.

 

[Grizzafted]

great article.

love the current team but there was a little flare of nostalgia, reading that, for the old days. i think it was the image of harrison and bruschi smashing holes in the walls with their helmets. boy we have been blessed haven't we.

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

great article, made me look in the mirror. I started the year thinking this team would go 5-5 in the first 10 games while the defense got better, and then they would "kick it in for the final 8-9 games". I compared them to the '01 "standard".
They have exceeded that standard by a long shot, and Sunday, I was frustrated as I witnessed the Colts mounting another furious comeback in the last 9 minutes. The offense not being able to take time off the clock and the defense not being able to get off the field. But on Sunday, I was able to get reflective and realize, it was Peyton effing Manning they were facing, and they stopped him. It took 8+ minutes and 240+ yards, but they stopped him.
This team of "no names" is really exciting, and I want to see them do well, do really well. The '04 team was always my favorite, this is rivalling that team.

 

[DarrylS]

Very nice article.. this team has performed above all expectations... this team is filled with young'uns.. this will be one of my all time favorite Patriot teams.

 

[ewg_gestalt]

Watching the Patriots this year has been exhilarating and maddening by turns, but it's been fascinating watching a franchise completely remake itself, almost overnight, by returning to its roots. The job Belichick has done in making a bunch of guys who basically didn't know each other twelve months ago into a high-functioning team—with several admitted flaws—is practically unparalleled in sports. Sure, you can put together a Godzilla team of all-stars, but how many people have done half of what Belichick's done with a roster nearly half of whom were still in college two years ago?

 

[40yrpatsfan]

I can't find the exact quote, but after the game Caldwell remarked at how great the Patriots "execution" was. That's one of the more amazing aspects of this Pats team. With so many newcomers, in a game of this magnitude, they have:

- zero turnovers
- 1 penalty
- flawless offense for 3+ qtrs
- force 3 INT's from Peyton Manning
- have the poise to hang in there on the final drive.

That's an amazing performance.

 

[convertedpatsfan]

Watching the Patriots this year has been exhilarating and maddening by turns, but it's been fascinating watching a franchise completely remake itself, almost overnight, by returning to its roots. The job Belichick has done in making a bunch of guys who basically didn't know each other twelve months ago into a high-functioning team—with several admitted flaws—is practically unparalleled in sports. Sure, you can put together a Godzilla team of all-stars, but how many people have done half of what Belichick's done with a roster nearly half of whom were still in college two years ago?

Agreed. This has been one of the most exciting years to watch because there are so many new guys and so many twists and turns. Yes, we have our flaws, as does every team in the NFL right now, but if you said we'd be 8-2 going into Thanksgiving, I'd think you were drunk. One of the best jobs by the best coach in football.

 

[mosi]

I can't find the exact quote, but after the game Caldwell remarked at how great the Patriots "execution" was. That's one of the more amazing aspects of this Pats team. With so many newcomers, in a game of this magnitude, they have:

- zero turnovers
- 1 penalty
- flawless offense for 3+ qtrs
- force 3 INT's from Peyton Manning
- have the poise to hang in there on the final drive.

That's an amazing performance.

The Curran article is amazing. Your post highlights to me how great of a coach Belichick is. His goal is to win the game and he will do whatever it takes to win the war, not just the battle. If that means giving up yards, that is OK. If it baiting a rookie QB into making a mistake, that is what he will do.

Belichick will never get the credit he deserves but this is all about him.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Great piece.

"They are who they are."

Which ain't too bad.

 

[buile]

- zero turnovers
- 1 penalty
- flawless offense for 3+ qtrs
- force 3 INT's from Peyton Manning
- have the poise to hang in there on the final drive.

That's an amazing performance.

Yes, it is. The turnover differential is the difference in the game. Green-Ellis isn't putting the ball on the ground. Brady with 2 TDs and 0 INTs in a game like this is *better* than 4TDs and 3 INTs. Lack of penalties maximized our drives and forced Indy to make the plays to convert.

That final drive by Indy, yes, I couldn't help but reference the Old Patriots... the past few years, we haven't seen the Big Play on defense to seal a big game. But this year, we're seeing that again. Cunningham and Sanders made the play for the win... just what we needed.

 

[RhodyPatriot]

Agree with the overall theme of the column. However good old Tommy C is letting the VETERAN OFFENSE off the hook a little too easily.
Let's see there is that HOF QB behind that veteran O Line that's had an outstanding year and how about those those veteran WR's, that veteran and very talented TE in Algie ......but the whole groups gets a pass because there are kids in the backfield and other kids at TE???
Uhhhhhh NO!!!

Yes Tommy C, this offense should have been able to close out a game in the 4th qtr against a small and quite average Indy Colt D. But they couldn't do it and that needs to be analyzed and then corrected. It is troubling how they refused to exploit the obvious physical mismatch they had at TE against the Colts. They took bullets out of their own gun and made their own offense weaker and more predictable.
Sorry Tom but this Patriot O doesn't get nor do they deserve the free pass the D does.

I've not gotten on the Patriots defense and criticized them as a group all year long and I will not get on that defense. They are young, they are learning and the loss of Lee Bodden was huge. I've gotten on Brandon I've got stylin', not game Meriweather and will continue to do so until he actually makes a big play for this team. ( Psssst hey Brandon, catching a pass that's thrown right to you is not "making" a big play but you think it is and that's the problem. Sorry Bra)

Thrilled this team is 8 - 2 and have beaten the likes of Indy, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Baltimore, Minny etc
THRILLED with this team.

But you can be thrilled and excited and appreciative of what you're seeing and still be able to analyze and critique what you're seeing.
It is OK to criticize this team Patriot fans.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

A good reflection on what makes many of the post Colts thread so maddening.

Our biggest problem is that our 4 rookie/4 second year starting defense has been weak playing softer, "prevent" defense while playing with big leads in the second half.

Of all the problems and weaknesses a team can have; that's about the best problem to have.