With our D, are we one and done?

[GrogansArmy]

Lets face it, in the playoffs you aren't going to face a crappy D and crappy O. Looking back at the teams we've faced:

Week 1 - Dolphins (non-playoff team) - W
Week 2 - Chargers (non-playoff team) - W
Week 3 - Bills (non-playoff team) - L
Week 4 - Raiders (possible playoff team) - W
Week 5 - Jets (non-playoff team) - W
Week 6 - Cowboys (possible playoff team) - W
Week 7 - BYE
Week 8 - Steelers (playoff team) - L
Week 9 - Giants (possible playoff team) - L
Week 10 - Jets (non-playoff team) - W
Week 11 - Chiefs (non-playoff team) - W
Week 12 - Eagles (non-playoff team) - W
Week 13 - Colts (non-playoff team) - W
Week 14 - Redskins (non-playoff team) - W
Week 15 - Broncos (possible playoff team) - W
Week 16 - Dolphins (non-playoff team) - W
Week 17 - Bills (non-playoff team) - ?

It seems we've beaten the teams we should (except for the first bills game, and are 3-2 vs. playoff teams or possible playoff teams. Doesn't really bode well for the playoffs...

I think our D might bite us in the ass in the playoffs. I know, once in the playoffs anything can happen, but looking at our W/L, I have a bad feeling for the playoffs... convince me I'm wrong?

 

[Sciz]

If you say so about the Pats, you have to do the same about the Packers.

 

[Guts]

Patriots have the best QB in the NFL under center and a GOAT coach. They have better shot than anyone in the AFC and once in the Super Bowl if they get there Brady can beat NO, GB, or SF. The defense is mentally tough and I think that's a very good intagible to have come playoff time. They do make me nervous but with Brady and Belichick on the team I feel pretty confident with this team heading into the divisional round.

 

[patsfan-1982]

if u asked me are they one and done about 6 weeks ago i would have said yes but they are winning close games wich tells me the defense is doing a nuff to get the win, and the most of all the coaching stiff is doing a great job i say they win it all

 

[bondjames.]

I usually like being optimistic, but this defense just does not do it for me. Unreliable. I pray that brady and co. play lights out (unlike last years playoffs).

 

[BingoBrown]

Whichever team makes the least mistakes and capitalizes the other teams
mistakes wins.Its the playoffs and the competition is good and very good
but not perfect.

 

[GrogansArmy]

The teams with good defenses (ravens/steelers) know how to slow down or even stop Brady, and thats where our defense comes in. Unfortunately our defense can't stop a herd of turtles rampaging through peanut butter in the middle of february.

 

[fnordcircle]

This is literally the five billionth thread about how we are one and done because of our defense.

If we keep posting threads about it maybe we'll hit some sort of critical mass, tear open the space-time continuum and be able to peer into the future and determine if we will win a playoff game with Obama as president or not.

So keep posting threads about being one and done because of our defense dudes. Let's do it for science. :itsok:

 

[Banjo]

The only scenario I see for a one and done is if the Texans win and the 5th seed Steelers/Ravens win, setting up Patriots vs. the 5th seed. That would be a major challenge to overcome.

Still, I think the Patriots are good enough to get one or two playoff wins. But they have no chance against Rodgers or Brees. Records for most points and yards allowed in a Super Bowl would have a good chance of being broken.

 

[mb6592]

If you say so about the Pats, you have to do the same about the Packers.

except that the Packers are 6-0 vs playoff teams or possible playoff teams

 

[highlander2190]

You can't just look at the season and say those are the play off teams and those aren't and determine how good the team is. It's not about who you play, it's when you play them. Going back through the season schedule:

Week 1 - Dolphins: MNF game, season opener in their house - W
Week 2 - Chargers: coming off their 1st victory in season opener - W
Week 3 - Bills: Home game with a 2-0 start aiming to stop losing streak against the Pats -L
Week 4 - Raiders: Home game with 2-1 start after a big win against Jets - W
Week 5 - Jets: away game on a 2 game losing streak - W
Week 6 - Cowboys: away game coming off a bye - W
Week 7 - BYE
Week 8 - Steelers: home game against a rival on a 3 game winning streak - L
Week 9 - Giants: away game, pats recently beaten, started 5-2 - L
Week 10 - Jets: home game on 3 game win streak, going for division lead - W
Week 11 - Chiefs: 2 game losing streak, just lost starting QB - W
Week 12 - Eagles: coming off big away win against division rival with backup QB - W
Week 13 - Colts: brand new QB placed in, long losing streak - W
Week 14 - Redskins: home game, on losing streak but starting to get hot, following week killed Giants at NY - W
Week 15 - Broncos: home game on 6 game win streak, against team with bad history against them - W
Week 16 - Dolphins: away game against division rivals, 5-2 in last 7 - W



Like every team in the NFL our team has certainly caught some breaks on who we faced and when, but we've also hit some teams while they were hot and had to overcome that. You also look at the games we lost, they were low scoring games except the bills) that were lost by no more than a TD.

Although the defense can look bad at times, a lot of people overlook at what it has done right for the majority of the season, simply because they look at stats or focus on what went wrong in each game. Here's a little fact that you won't find stated in any book.

-At the exception of the Bills,Raiders and Steelers games this season the Pats have held every single opponent to 7 points or less for at least 1 half of the game.

Considering those 3 games happened during the 1st half of the season where people where still adjusting and getting settled in, I'd say that is pretty impressive.Even looking at the raiders and steelers games. The Raiders could only manage a field goal and a TD in each half (1 being a garbage time TD). The steelers were held to 0TD's 2FG's and a safety that shouldn't have counted in the second half of their game. May I add on that the steelers could only score 23 points despite having possession for nearly 3 whole quarters.

This defense is more than capable of coming up big for us when we need them to. If we get healthy I think fans will be pleasantly surprised by what this team can do.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Fyi, the Jets are, in fact, a possible playoff team. A good playoff team? Maybe not but a possible playoff team nonetheless.

Listen, the Patriots have a weakness in the secondary. There isn't a fair assessment of the secondary that doesn't believe that. However, the Patriots are a four phased team: offense, defense, STs, coaching. If the Patriots execute as they are capable of and have shown they can in all four phases, the Patriots can beat anyone.

If the Patriots go into the playoffs with this defense and struggle on O? Or even if they just play poor STs, commit stupid penalties, miss assignments, drop passes and commit TOs, and the coaching staff doesn't make the changes necessary to alter the execution of the team, the Patriots are one and done. This is the state of the Patriots. Confidence won't be high to beat the best but it shouldn't be a feeling of low confidence either. They have a real good shot if they play well. If they don't they're done.

 

[ALP]

well, i didnt expect to be one and done either in 09, and especially not in 10


so that shows you how much trying to guess this ahead of time will mean

 

[IllegalContact]

If you say so about the Pats, you have to do the same about the Packers.

If you think that's how it works, so be it......except that the packers beat some pretty good teams.

The answer boils down to the offense for the pats and whether opposing defenses can keep them off for a whole game.

I think the pats will win the divisional as I think whoever makes the playoff as the 6 seed will win in Houston. We are talking between bengals and jets.

The AFCC will be tough and will come down to whether the ravens or steelers defenses can do the things that throw Brady off.....both teams have done it before, but Brady has had good moment against both.

 

[wistahpatsfan]

Comparing who played who means nothing. The Pats beat the Chargers who crushed the Ravens. Does that mean the Pats will crush the Ravens? THis is futile. Offense rules this league, and it's very possible we get a team on an off day or Brady gets hot or someone like Woodhead goes off. Same can be said for any playoff team. Ask GB if they'd want to play the Chiefs in KC again.

 

[DarrylS]

While there are a lot of forminable defenses in the AFC who are in the playoffs, with the exception of Rothlisberger there are not a lot of good QB's.. so we could make it to Indy.

As concerning our Defense is, more concerning is the amount of significant injuries which may slow this whole team down. We seem to continue to get injuries that impede our progress... last week Light, Mankins and possibly Brady.

It is a credit to our coaching staff that they have someone in the wings ready to step in, but the quality is not the same.

 

[supafly]

If you say so about the Pats, you have to do the same about the Packers.

except that the Packers are 6-0 vs playoff teams or possible playoff teams

Took the words right out of my mouth..

On top of that, the Packers have a much better defense to boot. It's not even close. They have some good guys up front in Raji and Cullen Jenkins, a playmaker in the LB with Clay Mathhews, and MUCH better talent in the secondary with one of the best CB's in the game with Charles Woodson.

Hell, even Tramon Williams would easily be a #1 CB on this Patriots team, and has put up incredible numbers in the past 4 seasons since his arrival into the league:

19 INT in 4 yrs, with 65 (SIXTY-FIVE) passes defended. T.Williams will have his second consecutive year with 20+ passes defended AND at least 4 INT's....to me, those numbers are insane... What's even better for Packer fans is that they guy on the other side (Woodson) will also have 20+ passes defended this yr, and has 7 INT's to go with it.

Those are ridiculous numbers from their 2 top CB's.

Green Bay gets a bad rap due to the fact that all of the teams are playing from behind, and that is NOT something that is in conjunction with the 2011 N.England Patriots, who although have had leads this yr, are usually battling it out with teams right through 50-75% of the game. The Packers actually make you play from behind right from the start. It doesn't take them 2-3 quarters to get the lead, and that is specifically why no one tends to bring up their 31st ranked secondary. The numbers are skewed. I'm sure the homerist of homers will say that the same bodes for the Patriots, but that is not true. Unless you're talking about the 2007 Patriots, that is.

Their KR (rookie, to boot) Randall Cobb averages 28 yards per return, and will be one of the most explosive KR's in the league for the next 5-6 years. Their kicker Mason Crosby is better than Gostkowski, especially when the chips are down; and has better overall range.

And we all know what the offense can do..Rodgers will come damn close to breaking Brady's record of 50 TD's thrown, and he'll do it with almost one less full game than Brady had in 2007. That offense would torch this NE defense like you can't even imagine. You can fool yourself, and pretend that NE could somehow slow them down, but no one here can actually believe that.

Had it not been for the loss to KC, all you'd hear about night and day 24/7 is how this yr's Packer team may be the best ever to play.

If the 2 teams met in Gillette stadium in NE, I'd imagine that the Pats could slow them down and make it a closer game, but otherwise I don't honestly see how NE could even keep it within 10-14 pts. That's NOT a knock on NE, who is having an incredible season, and should be lauded for their tenacity. That's just an honest viewpoint of the difference in the 2 teams. You can try and spin it all you want, (and I can only guess at to what poster will try to do that) but NE is no more than a top 3-4 team in the NFL this yr; which is incredible in itself, but they are not in the same league at the Packers.

I'd imagine the same scenario with the Saints, just a lesser degree. Unless either one of those teams shoots themselves in the foot somehow, or NE could all of the sudden pressure the QB with a bunch of exotic blitz schemes and better talent in the LB core, both would pick apart this shoddy NE secondary like it's their job.

Let's try and get past the Steelers and the Ravens first, and then go from there. With 2 weeks to prepare for one of the elite NFC teams, I'd imagine that Belichick would somehow find a way to show them something, but it will be a long way just to try and get to that point. The 2011 Pats are impressive in some areas, but I think the talent level is the difference, and that's on defense..in the secondary to be specific.

 

[Gostkowski for 3]

Are the patriots defense one and done? I think no. I hope no.

But with these guys you really can't be sure, or even honestly really that confident.

 

[letekro]

The D is good enough if the offense plays well and doesn't turn it over. Otherwise, we're in trouble. Basically, the same situation as every other team.

 

[Kid~Brady]

The teams with good defenses (ravens/steelers) know how to slow down or even stop Brady, and thats where our defense comes in. Unfortunately our defense can't stop a herd of turtles rampaging through peanut butter in the middle of february.

Wrong.

No one ever "stops" Brady... slow down, maybe yes. Brady will always score eventually, even when he has one of those bad games. Just this past week against the Phins, we were down 17-0, Brady and co made the neccasary adjustments and came back to win.