Why can every team improve except the Patriots?

[Rob0729]

The Patriots will be lucky to win this game by 10. It's not going to be a blowout.

I think barring a flat performance or some big mental errors, the Pats win by 10-14 points.

 

[The Gr8est]

Because the fans of other teams, along with the media, are jealous of the Pats and/or tired of seeing them still on top after 10+ years and do not want to acknowlege anything that contradicts their fervent desires/opinion that the Pats will not continue winning.

 

[Joker]

I like everything about Houston except the QB.

I liked everything about the Ravens last year except the QB

For me, it comes down to QB pressure...does Bill intend to blitz Schaub?...if not and they just sit back in zone and play bend don't break, Andre Johnson WILL break them. He is in top form right now.

Control Foster and hit Schaub early and often, the Pats win this game.

 

[Metaphors]

except they're not healthier.....since playing the pats, the texans lost dobbins and sharpton, their 2 best LB's at that time when it comes to pass coverage and they still could not stop hernandez.......add to the fact that gronk is back, my question is 'who is going to cover the TE's?' bradie james?

all the bengals had to do is keep handing the ball off to green-ellis.....he'd still be running....the bengals had qhat could be the worst game plan ever

honestly? I think the outcomes for this one could be worse for the texans than the last one

there is nothing that the texans can even use from the last game in terms of adjustments.......it's not like 'well, if we do this or we do that, we'll fix what killed us in that game'......the texans playing the pats is a square peg in a round hole for them

Was going to post this but you beat me to it. Remember that the Texans effectively play a 5-2 defense, with the OLBs (Barwin, Reed, Mercilus) effectively playing on the line outside their DL. They will drop occasionally but that is more of a change-up rather than a strength.

So the Texans use their ILB and S positions to patrol the middle of the field. Lets look at the depth chart at those 2 positions, first ILB:

Bradie James - Serviceable player but not a difference-maker
Barrett Ruud - Street FA making 2nd start since middle of last year
Mister Alexander - Special teams guy signed last week
Cameron Collins - Just signed off practice squad

They are one injury away from having to throw out their base defense from lack of players. But can the safety position mitigate this?

Daniel Manning - Good player that has helped stabilize their secondary
Glover Quin - Helps in run support but can't cover worth a lick
Quinton Demps - Once useful nickel guy but has fallen out of favor
Shiloh Keo - Terrible but somehow still getting defensive snaps

Outside of Manning (who really should be patrolling the deep middle), who is covering any of the Pats middle of the field threats? They love to blitz but are unable to play lockdown man behind it. If they play zone, they will die by a thousand cuts.

Now that the 2 TE alignment is (hopefully) healthy, the Pats can adjust formations without changing personnel. The Texans base has 3 players (James, Ruud, Quin) that can be exploited. If they go nickel, the Pats just need to get through their DL to get some big runs.

Any given Sunday and the Texans offense can go a long way to mitigating the issues I mention above...but this is not a good matchup for the Texans. They need a lot of people to step up big time and they just haven't been doing it for the last month or so.

 

[aztecafut]

I think barring a flat performance or some big mental errors, the Pats win by 10-14 points.

If Houston comes into the game with the same game plan they used against us last time and the one they've used pretty much all season I think you could be right.

BUT seeing how the Pats exposed that game plan the last time I don't think that will be the case and that makes me nervous. Not because I think the Pats are overlooking the Texans but because the Texans might come in with a completely different game plan than they usually play and catch the Pats off guard like the Steelers and Jets did a couple of years ago. I know that Wade Phillips might stick to his guns on D but he is a talented DC capable of coming up with such a game plan to confuse Brady just enough to pull off the win and that my friend scares the hell out of me.

 

[Dutchmaster617]

Probably because your team is already close to perfect and the Texans were so outclassed last time that it makes a better story. EVERYONE in the country is calling this another by-week for you guys, isn't that enough?

Trust me, nothing is ever enough. Nobody is even respecting HOU from what I see, even Pats haters.

 

[aztecafut]

I know that there are a lot of posters on this board that are very savvy with stats a and stuff like that so I have a question for you. Do any of you know what BB's record is against opponents when he plays them the second time in the same season? I'm curious to know what his record is against those opponents when he beat them the first game compared to what it is when he lost to them first.

I yes I know these stats don't mean anything for Sunday but I'm hoping it will help me ease my nerves a little.

 

[JMC00]

I know that there are a lot of posters on this board that are very savvy with stats a and stuff like that so I have a question for you. Do any of you know what BB's record is against opponents when he plays them the second time in the same season? I'm curious to know what his record is against those opponents when he beat them the first game compared to what it is when he lost to them first.

I yes I know these stats don't mean anything for Sunday but I'm hoping it will help me ease my nerves a little.

you know what the weird thing is? say the Packers and Falcons were to get beat next week and the Pats somehow advanced to the SB all their matches would be rematches

If that doesn't tell you this Pats team has had a battle tested schedule I don't know what will.

 

[josh24]

I know that there are a lot of posters on this board that are very savvy with stats a and stuff like that so I have a question for you. Do any of you know what BB's record is against opponents when he plays them the second time in the same season? I'm curious to know what his record is against those opponents when he beat them the first game compared to what it is when he lost to them first.

I yes I know these stats don't mean anything for Sunday but I'm hoping it will help me ease my nerves a little.

I guess you mean teams BB face in the regular season and the playoffs in the same season, not just the second time, which would include divisional games.

2001 STL
L: 17-24
W: 20-17

2003 TEN
W: 38-30
W: 17-14

2003 IND
W: 38-34
W: 24-14

2004 IND
W: 27-24
W: 20-3

2004 PIT
L: 20-34
W: 41-27

2005 DEN
L: 20-28
L: 13-27

2006 NYJ
W: 24-17
L: 14-17
W: 37-16

2006 IND
L: 20-27
L: 34-38

2007 NYG
W: 38-35
L: 14-17

2009 BAL
W: 27-21
L: 14-33

2010 NYJ
L: 14-28
W: 45-3
L: 21-28

2011 DEN
W: 41-23
W: 45-10

2011 NYG
L: 20-24
L: 17-21

Overall: 15-13
Playoffs: 7-6

As you see, even though BB had a good start, he had lost 6 of the last 8 playoff games against a team he already played in the reg. season. Also, 3 of the last 4 teams (2007 NYG, 2009 BAL & 2010 NYJ) we beat in the most recent game between us, we lost to them in the playoffs.

The good thing is that this has nothing to do with our next game. Previous experiences will help us go through this game and, hopefully, BB will come with the right gameplan.

 

[Froob]

The Patriots will be lucky to win this game by 10. It's not going to be a blowout.

I'd say 10 is right where it will be. But, after that jets playoff game I'm more nervous about the pats playing anyone in the playoffs.

 

[borg]

Brady was launching deep pass after deep pass throughout the game to take advantage of the unprotected middle of the field as Houston preferred to send extra men at Brady.
Round 2....I expect the Texans to take a page from past Jets D's and flood the secondary. Expecting similar success on the deep ball seems a reach....substitute Branch for Stallworth and one threat is gone already. Can Brady find the same accuracy over the top? With Gronk available, I foresee a move the chains offense.
As pretend coach, I'm just beating the crap out of Schaub....the guy is a fraud and I see him wilting Sunday. The Pats just need to figure out who will get to Schaub because Mayo will be shadowing Foster all game

 

[Ivan]

Because the fans of other teams, along with the media, are jealous of the Pats and/or tired of seeing them still on top after 10+ years and do not want to acknowlege anything that contradicts their fervent desires/opinion that the Pats will not continue winning.

I can't blame them, if it were another franchise doing what they are doing I would most likely hate them as well and wouldn't look that closely at them. Patriot fans pay close attention to the team and are aware that they are a team on the way up and can point to the fact that their defense is exceptionally young and they are getting healthy as reasons they should continue to improve through the play-offs, whereas nationally they are stale and people just see Brady and Belichick as always there and are tired of them.

Personally I am sick of the Ravens, but I will be rooting for them against The Forehead this week.

 

[patsfanincleveland]

I can't blame them, if it were another franchise doing what they are doing I would most likely hate them as well and wouldn't look that closely at them. Patriot fans pay close attention to the team and are aware that they are a team on the way up and can point to the fact that their defense is exceptionally young and they are getting healthy as reasons they should continue to improve through the play-offs, whereas nationally they are stale and people just see Brady and Belichick as always there and are tired of them.

Personally I am sick of the Ravens, but I will be rooting for them against The Forehead this week.

The added dimension is both TB and BB are so anti-limelight. Ever notice you never see TB on the opening graphics per the Sunday Night Game of the Week?

The flip side is the possibility of being a media darling would mean no non existant face guarding calls in AFCCG's and bogus taping stories the day before SB's.

 

[patriotsdynasty12189]

How are the texans more dangerous if they could only score 19 points against a bad team like cincy?

Cincy is not a bad team