Borges at it again

[pats1]

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2006/12/19/patriots_playoff_pitfalls/

ON FOOTBALL
Patriots: Playoff pitfalls?

By Ron Borges, Globe Staff | December 19, 2006

There are mathematical chances and real chances, and with two weeks to go it is probably time for Patriots fans to face the real ones, which are that there will be a long row to hoe for their team to return to the Super Bowl this year. It is hardly Mission Impossible, given the shaky caliber of their competition in the parity-infested NFL. But it is more likely their plane will be hit by lightning for the second time this season than that they will capture lightning in a Gatorade bottle for the second time this millennium (the Super Bowl win over the Rams being the first).

...

The rest of the article goes on to say why the Pats can't beat the Bengals, Chargers, Ravens, or Broncos.

Let's the games decide who can win, Wrong.

 

[Clonamery]

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2006/12/19/patriots_playoff_pitfalls/



The rest of the article goes on to say why the Pats can't beat the Bengals, Chargers, Ravens, or Broncos.

Let's the games decide who can win, Wrong.

Only the Chargers have looked (nearly) infallible.

 

[patsgo]

did you expect anything else? this is not news worthy same old bs its not worth the post

 

[Robdude]

I guess it depends on what everyone thinks of the team this year. The Poll "Which Team are We?" looks at the this also. Anyone that voted that the Pats are a Mediocre team (7 people) has to side with Borges on this one. I also think there are match-ups that we will have a very tough time with.

Understanding that on any given sunday either team can win. I do not like a match up against the Broncos or the Chargers. I think that with our passing game the way it is we would suffer. Even in a lop-sided win (Texans) the passing game still did not look good. Our leading receiver had 6 catches for only 26 yards and the screen pass was the most effective pass play we had.

The problem with Borges, IMHO, is not that he is so wrong here. It is that he looooves pointing out the negatives. He goes over the top in his effort to put down the team. I do not know why he writes about the Patriots when he shows a dislike for them so much. How can someone get enjoyment from their job if it is mostly negative.

 

[marty]

Promised myself not long ago to never talk about this idiot again. It what he's looking for!~

 

[spacecrime]

The article could be written for any and all teams that make the playoffs. It is not easy to advance to the SB even once you get into the playoffs. Every game is against a top opponent, and games can be decided by the bounce of a ball, where a tipped pass comes down, or even an official's call.

Rather than talk about the general case of how tough it is for a playoff team to make it to the SB, as a journalist might, Borges limits his yapping to the Patriots because he is not only a hack, but a bitter hack with a grudge that is destroying him.

 

[DarrylS]

Borges vitreol for the Pats is well documented at BSMW, this guy has absolutely no journalistic integrity, and his dislike for BB is well known.. how he can continue to write this crap, without being held in check by the Globe is beyond me. Union or no union, there are remedies to control his anger towards this team and the paper needs to step up.

 

[thomas144]

I don't share his confidence about the Patriots making the playoffs. I think it's about a 50-50 chance right now that they will win one of their remaining games. If they lose both, and the Jets win both, the Jets win the division.

There's no sense getting bent out of shape about it, but this game against the Jaguars is HUGE.

 

[Patsrock77]

If people dont like Borges, who I cant stand. Then dont read his articles. Also for once I actually agree with his article. He doesnt say they cant beat those teams, just that it is more difficult than certain teams. Guys take off your Patriot colored glasses.

 

[Jimke]

Borges may very well be correct. Without Deon Branch and David Givens,

this team is worse than the 2005 team. They will have to struggle to win

one of their last two games. They may get lucky because the Jets play

at Miami next Monday night.

 

[Pujo]

Fact is, we're not one of the top teams in the AFC playoffs this year, we're one of the "rest". That's what we were in 2001, also, so no doubt we could win, but he's right that we have more distant odds than some of the other teams this year.

 

[Rob0729]

I don't share his confidence about the Patriots making the playoffs. I think it's about a 50-50 chance right now that they will win one of their remaining games. If they lose both, and the Jets win both, the Jets win the division.

There's no sense getting bent out of shape about it, but this game against the Jaguars is HUGE.

I am very confident the Pats will make the playoffs even if they lose their last two. They would need to lose there last two and the Jets, Jags, and Broncos would all have to win their last two. There are far too many players to have to be perfect and us to lose out for this to happen. The Bengals have become irrelevant to us after last night. The Jags, Jets, and Broncos are all playing too inconsistent to expect them to all win out. I think the Pats are playing good enough to expect them to win one of the last two.

I think it is a fairly safe bet the Pats will go at least 1-1 over the next two games. I would put it at closer to 75-80% chance. The Pats have beaten some good teams and the Jags and Titans aren't great passing teams and usually we get burnt by teams that can pass on us this year. Fred Taylor is probably out this game and Maurice Jones-Drew supposably reinjured his knee so that makes it even harder for the Jags to run on us which they will need to do to beat us.

Tennessee has been surging lately, but they have also played teams at the right time like teams that have been struggling as of late like the Giants (who have lost 5 out of 6 games) and the Colts (who lost 3 out of 4 during the stretch they played the Titans). Tennessee had to bring the Texans into overtime two weeks ago. They were totally outplayed by the Jags this past weekend, but had three defensive TDs all for long returns (83, 92, and 61 yards respectively). Even if you get a lot of turnovers, you can't expect to score three defensive TDs in a game more than once a season or two, maybe once a decade. In fact, I bet there are a lot of teams that haven't scored three defensive TDs in a game.

 

[Rob0729]

Fact is, we're not one of the top teams in the AFC playoffs this year, we're one of the "rest". That's what we were in 2001, also, so no doubt we could win, but he's right that we have more distant odds than some of the other teams this year.

I think we are a second tier team. Only San Deigo can be an elite team. We are in the group after that. I still don't know if I trust Schottenheimer in the playoffs. If he falls into his typical post-season rut, the AFC is wide open.

 

[Robdude]

The interesting part of this (to me) is not about Borges but what teams do we match up well against? I do think we will make the play offs and their are paths to the SB that do not scare me and there are paths that do. I do not fear the Ravens, Jets, Bengals or Colts. The defenses for the Colts and Bengals are suspect. The Ravens have issues with their offense. And the Jets...are the Jets and I think they had an easier schedule then most (like us) but they are not as good.

 

[RayClay]

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2006/12/19/patriots_playoff_pitfalls/



The rest of the article goes on to say why the Pats can't beat the Bengals, Chargers, Ravens, or Broncos.

Let's the games decide who can win, Wrong.

Didn't we beat the Bengals the last time we couldn't beat them?

I know T.J. told me we couldn't cover them after we covered them.:bricks:

 

[Rob0729]

The interesting part of this (to me) is not about Borges but what teams do we match up well against? I do think we will make the play offs and their are paths to the SB that do not scare me and there are paths that do. I do not fear the Ravens, Jets, Bengals or Colts. The defenses for the Colts and Bengals are suspect. The Ravens have issues with their offense. And the Jets...are the Jets and I think they had an easier schedule then most (like us) but they are not as good.

I think the Colts are one and done in the playoffs virtually no matter who they face. They let defenses play in the playoffs and their offense hasn't been consistent this year. Any team with a decent running game is probably going to beat them in the playoffs.

There is no teams other than San Diego who have played totally consistent football who are going into the playoffs. Every team has their weaknesses. I don't think the Pats are definitely huge underdogs against in the playoffs other than San Diego.

 

[RayClay]

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2006/12/19/patriots_playoff_pitfalls/



The rest of the article goes on to say why the Pats can't beat the Bengals, Chargers, Ravens, or Broncos.

Let's the games decide who can win, Wrong.

Pretty factually correct, in my mind. We have a good record, but we're likely to be 4th which means an extra game.

On the glass half full side, I only see one team with playoff success and a playoff defense and that's Baltimore.

Hot shot offenses often fail come playoff time and playoff tested teams do what it takes.

If we play Cinci, I can't think of another team we have more of a psychological advantage against.

They're still in denial about the first game. We scrambled their brains and confidence so much, it's taken them a half season to recover.

It's never easy, so I say "bring it on".

 

[pats1]

Fact is, we're not one of the top teams in the AFC playoffs this year, we're one of the "rest". That's what we were in 2001, also, so no doubt we could win, but he's right that we have more distant odds than some of the other teams this year.

The second seed in 2001 (with an 11-5 record) is not 'one of the top teams in the AFC playoffs?'

 

[tombonneau]

This is far from a typical Borges hatchet job; rather, this is a fairly accurate assessment of the Pats playoff hopes. But again, as someone else posted, you could basically say the same thing about any other AFC team that isn't from San Diego.

 

[MDD]

Promised myself not long ago to never talk about this idiot again. It what he's looking for!~

Bingo.

With that said, this column, though pessimistic, wasn't bad. I mean, he says at the end that the Pats are capable of beating any of those potential first round teams if they get their heads on straight, but they could lose to any one of them if they play sloppy.

What part of that isn't accurate?