Is this year a "Superbowl" or bust year?

[Kid~Brady]

Being Patriots fans, we are all used to excellency and winning on a consistent basis. Keeping this in mind, especially after last season's ending, we grown hungrier for another superbowl.

We were that close with a terrible defense and now that this team has stacked up on offense and "hopefully" upgraded the defense, we expect big things. McDaniels being back in the offense screams 2007-ish like offense again. Maybe now, just maybe this defense can muster up some solid play and take them over the top.

Thoughts?

 

[Gostkowski for 3]

I can't see anyway the season being considered a success unless it ends in a superbowl title.

 

[BradyManny]

Yup. When you're a couple minutes from a title and improve your team a fair amount, you should be aiming high.

Last season was not a Super Bowl or bust year. We grinded our way to that title game in spite of injuries and some holes on the roster. We've now addressed those holes on paper, and our expectation should be that materializes and we continue to be the class of the AFC.

 

[shmessy]

Every year has been since around 2003-2004.

 

[randomk1]

After last year it's definitely #4 or murderous rage.

 

[randomk1]

Every year has been since around 2003-2004.

I honestly didn't feel that way before 2010.

 

[Rossmci90]

It depends on what you mean by "or bust".

Regardless of what happens this season (barring the loss of Belichick/Brady) then the Patriots will still be Superbowl contenders in 2013. Under BB this team will never be built so that it all rests on one year.

 

[Ron Sellers]

To me "Superbowl (or World Series, Stanley Cup, etc.) or bust" implies one of two things.

First is that this is the final year for the core group of a team to have a shot at winning it all: that core of key players is going to be dispersed due to retirement, free agency or trades, or is expected to immediately vastly deteriorate due to age, injury or diminishing skills.

Second would be that the team is perceived to be the overwhelming favorite to win the championship, and therefore anything less than that would be an embarrassing underachievement (i.e., 'bust').


I do not see the Patriots fitting into either one of those categories. The core group should be expected to remain intact (even if this is Wes Welker's final year in Foxboro). Brady, Wilfork, Gronkowski, Hernandez, etc. will still be on the roster in 2013. Football isn't like basketball, where teams consist of one superstar, one very good player, and a half dozen complimentary players; the loss of one player does not automatically mean the team is going to now lose twice as often as they win.

Though some here will surely disagree, the second scenario does not apply either. While the Pats may have as good (or better) chance of any team of winning it all, there are at least a half dozen other teams that have almost just as good a chance of winning the SB. There are so many teams that are so close together that it would not be surprising at all if the Pats did not win the SB.

 

[NEGoldenAge]

First is that this is the final year for the core group of a team to have a shot at winning it all: that core of key players is going to be dispersed due to retirement, free agency or trades, or is expected to immediately vastly deteriorate due to age, injury or diminishing skills.

This is exactly what I was thinking. Considering how young much of the talent is on this team, they should have a legitimate shot for years to come.

 

[BradyManny]

There are so many teams that are so close together that it would not be surprising at all if the Pats did not win the SB.

But all those teams are in the NFC - I'd say we are the favorites to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, provided we have decent health this year, mainly to our QB.

 

[Ron Sellers]

But all those teams are in the NFC - I'd say we are the favorites to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, provided we have decent health this year, mainly to our QB.

Favorites? Yes, just like the Packers are the favorites in the NFC.

Would it be shocking if the Packers did not represent the NFC, or the Patriots did not represent the AFC? No, it would not be. It's not as if there is a monumental chasm between the Pats and teams like the Ravens or Texans.

 

[PatriotDynasty_12]

Yes, we're Patriots fans who have been watching Brady and BB operate over the last 10 years. This team has all the pieces together, especially with Welker for at least 1 more year.

 

[bunuel]

Would you feel anything but emptiness inside if the Pats gets ousted in the divisional round this year?

If no, it's 'Super Bowl or Bust'.
If yes, it's not.

 

[Sicilian]

As a fan, I never expect anything past reaching the conference championship in any sport, at least at the beginning of the season. As good as I think the Patriots CAN be this year, there will be at least a fifteen players who surprise us (for good or bad reasons) or get injured. Depending on who those are, this team could end up in a variety of finishes.

Aside from that, the nature of football leaves a little more to chance, just based on the one and one playoff format. At this moment, there's no reason this team shouldn't make it to the AFC championship game. Asking for anything more than that or "bust" in August is being a spoiled, entitled fan.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Unfortunately, any year with Brady is generally viewed as a "bust" if it doesn't end in a trip to the Super Bowl. That's nuts, of course, but it's not going to change.

My own view is that the pieces are in place this year, moreso than last year. Brady's clock is ticking, as great QB clocks tend to start ticking in their mid thirties.

So, while he has nothing left to prove, I hope Tom Brady gets another pass at the big gold ring.

 

[BradyManny]

Unfortunately, any year with Brady is generally viewed as a "bust" if it doesn't end in a trip to the Super Bowl. That's nuts, of course, but it's not going to change.

Well, I wouldn't say it's nuts. He has been one of the five best players in the league for a decade now, and we certainly have the best coach in the league.

Between those two things, we have a huge advantage over the rest of the league. A title should always be the target. We've been heart-breakingly close to three more now, and sadly the Mannings got in our way each time.

Look at it this way. Brady has been the starter for our team in 10 seasons now (2008, obviously, doesn't factor in). We've made the Super Bowl in half of those and were a minute away in a 6th. One of those ten seasons was his ACL rehab year when he wasn't himself. Another was his second year as a starter when he played through a shoulder injury.

The odds are in our favor.

 

[BradyFTW!]

For as long as Brady and Belichick are around, I'd say that internally they're looking at every year as a Super Bowl or bust year. They're good enough to win it all, and they know that, so I can't imagine that they're aiming for anything less.

 

[Anteros]

I haven't been this excited about a pre-season since 2007. I'm not saying the Pats will go undefeated it's just that the way the team has gone about re-building the talent pool (Re-loading?) reminds me of that year.

Super Bowl or Bust indeed.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Well, I wouldn't say it's nuts. He has been one of the five best players in the league for a decade now, and we certainly have the best coach in the league.

Between those two things, we have a huge advantage over the rest of the league. A title should always be the target. We've been heart-breakingly close to three more now, and sadly the Mannings got in our way each time.

Look at it this way. Brady has been the starter for our team in 10 seasons now (2008, obviously, doesn't factor in). We've made the Super Bowl in half of those and were a minute away in a 6th. One of those ten seasons was his ACL rehab year when he wasn't himself. Another was his second year as a starter when he played through a shoulder injury.

The odds are in our favor.

It's still "nuts" to think a season is a "bust" if they don't get to the SB.

The odds are indeed, typically, in their favor, but there are too many random variables to write a season off as a bust because the team didn't make it to the big game.

I think Bob Kraft has it just about right when he says that his goal for the team every season is to be "competitive" to win the division and contend for the Super Bowl. I would agree that any season with TB at QB would be a bust if the Pats didn't contend for the division.

 

[eagle eye]

I remember the days when we hoped that we might make a 'run' at the playoffs. The last decade and a bit under BB has been nothing short of amazing. The six years before that were pretty good too.

There is no such thing as a win or bust for this team imo. Its just great that they are almost always in contention for it and I'm happy with that. Winning the whole thing is so special and its great when it happens.

Of course for Brady's sake I hope it happens soon and he can then be talked about as the greatest QB to ever play the game and I'll love seeing the Patriot haters just swallow hard because they cannot deny him that.

Anyways I'm just loving how competitive this team is year after year. Belichick is a genius, Tom Brady is so special and we've got the greatest owner in the NFL. When you have special people in all those three positions its no surprise how good its been for us New England fans.

I do get the feeling though that the younger fans who weren't around in the barron times expect more than us that were around in those tough years before Bob Kraft bought the franchise.