Schedule Looks A Lot Less Menacing After Win Over Saints

[goheels22002]

Official Website of the New England Patriots | Games & Stats - Season Schedule

The way things are shaking out, the only elite team on the schedule now is the Broncos.

Teams that looked like real challengers like the Texans, Steelers and Ravens have all sorts of problems. The Ravens have some pieces but if they can't beat the Bills and struggle to put 20 points on the Board every week, it's hard to see them beating the Patriots.

Besides the Broncos, the Dolphins (2X) are the one team that poses the biggest problem, but getting blown out by the Saints and losing to the Ravens exposed a defense that will have real problems with the Patriots as the passing game starts getting revved up.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

The schedule gets alot more favorable now but really every week is still a tough game especially if:

- Mayo/Talib are out for an extended period
- Kelly/Gronk don't come back soon
- Pass protection issues persist
- Drops persist

Up until Denver it's all teams we should still beat but if those issues are there every game will be a dogfight and a loss in any would not shock me.

 

[goheels22002]

The schedule gets alot more favorable now but really every week is still a tough game especially if:

- Mayo/Talib are out for an extended period
- Kelly/Gronk don't come back soon
- Pass protection issues persist
- Drops persist

Up until Denver it's all teams we should still beat but if those issues are there every game will be a dogfight and a loss in any would not shock me.

Cincinnati taught us that the Patriots can stink on any given week, but the challenges the Pats face are a lot less than the mess in NY (take your pick of teams), Houston or Pittsburgh.

I'm bummed about Brian Hoyer and the Browns. That was one I was looking forward to, but now not so much.

 

[ahmed]

I bet a friend that we will get one of the byes... partly because I am a homer, partly because, other than the Broncos, the rest of the AFC has been weak, partly because we always find ways to win but mostly because of the much easier schedule going forward.

 

[jah]

Right now I have losses @NYJ, vs. DEN, @MIA, @BAL, but I'm sure we win at least 2 of those 4.

I think the biggest trap game to look out for is Pittsburgh. It's the closest Sunday to October 31 and they always beat us on Halloween weekend...

2-2 over those 4 likely/possible losses and a trap game (Steelers?) would put us at a very respectable 12-4.

 

[resdubwhite]

lose @NYJ

seriously?

 

[DocHoliday]

lose @NYJ

seriously?

Look, I hate the Jets as much as anyone, but that is a team built to beat the Patriots. It's a damn good defense and they usually play us hard.

I think we'll beat them, but I don't think anyone should sleep on them.

 

[resdubwhite]

Look, I hate the Jets as much as anyone, but that is a team built to beat the Patriots. It's a damn good defense and they usually play us hard.

I think we'll beat them, but I don't think anyone should sleep on them.

They're hardly racking up a hell of a lot of points these days and we're playing much much better D.

Not saying its a 100% win at all. But I think we find a way here. Rookies are more weeks in the system too.

 

[PatriotSeven]

Yeah I don't agree just because a team like the Jets will get very aggressive and even dirty if they have to, and they will have to if they want to win, which is the LAST thing we need.

Miami is underrated imo. They have the same issue we have had. They have receivers who dropped balls, but if we expect our rookies to get better, no reason to say they're not working on the same thing. Each week and each game is more experience for their QB and receivers, and they are maturing. I expect a REALLY tough game, imo. Probably the 2nd best team we will have faced by that time, 2nd only to the Saints.

Pittsburgh is predictable slow and the same. So this is probably the only game I feel ok about. I don't expect too many surprises out of them, because they just haven't changed much and have been a team on the decline. I don't see this win against the Jets as some sort of resurrection. They are what they are, an old team, with a depleted receivers core, a depleted D, with a predictable offense, with a banged up QB, who still makes boneheaded moves and will never be as efficient as Tom. They beat us before when they had the D and running game to dominate. I haven't seen this for the past 2 seasons, and definitely don't see it this year either.

And Carolina...they're bi-polar as hell this year. I mean really. They take the crown for being a bi-polar team and I think that's because they have a bi-polar QB. In a span of 3 weeks Cam Newton went from totally dominating, to being totally dominated, to totally dominating again. I just like that we're consistent. If he shows up, we'll have a tough time. Because their defense is damn good with Luke back there. The key appears to be to rush 5 against him and he will crumble. It's also worth pointing out that he's only really ever had 1 4th quarter comeback in his entire career, and that only counted because it was early in the 4th quarter. He crumbles late, so if we go up, that will put a lot of pressure on that offense. Also their best WR is still Steve Smith, and he's getting old. Not too scared.

 

[Oswlek]

Considering the injuries, I don't think the Pats are at a point when you can write a "W" for them against anyone. The good thing is, writing an "L" is equally premature.

 

[fxkane]

Considering the injuries, I don't think the Pats are at a point when you can write a "W" for them against anyone. The good thing is, writing an "L" is equally premature.

I agree. Even with fewer injuries, every one of our games has been a dogfight. So I don't know how we can believe that there won't be many more of these.

This said, I do agree with the lead post, that we can breathe a sigh of relief before taking on the rest of the schedule, which appears at least to be a little easier in a general sort of way.

 

[ATippett56]

Any given Sunday.

 

[Whitt25]

No offense, Goheels, but these kind of threads make me paranoid. Whenever people start saying things are getting easier or overlooking whatever team we're up against, we get our asses kicked. No, seriously. I still remember the "Anyone else have a good feeling?" thread about us vs the Ravens last season, the sending-Ray-Lewis-home countdown, and how Ravens were due to get blown out.

We can just as easily go 5-3 in two weeks. Hell, we can lose every single game after this one. Not saying it'll happen, but we gotta keep it one game at a time and never underestimate our opponents, ever. Keep the faith alive, but don't get too comfortable, especially with these injuries and whatnot.

 

[Ivan]

Considering the injuries, I don't think the Pats are at a point when you can write a "W" for them against anyone. The good thing is, writing an "L" is equally premature.

This is how I see it as well. Every week is going to be its own challenge and the Patriots are just going to have to keep getting better and the depth needs to keep coming through. If Mayo is out then Fletcher gets his chance to show what he can do for them.

Bottom line for me, I love this team, I think they play their asses off and find ways to win each week, and if they continue to do that they are going to be battle tested when the play-offs come rolling around. In the past you could write in wins before certain games, but that's not the situation right now and probably won't be this season.

 

[Oswlek]

This is how I see it as well. Every week is going to be its own challenge and the Patriots are just going to have to keep getting better and the depth needs to keep coming through. If Mayo is out then Fletcher gets his chance to show what he can do for them.

Bottom line for me, I love this team, I think they play their asses off and find ways to win each week, and if they continue to do that they are going to be battle tested when the play-offs come rolling around. In the past you could write in wins before certain games, but that's not the situation right now and probably won't be this season.

Yup. This isn't the most talented NE team of recent lore, but they have balls galore. A very fun team to watch.

Hell, even in their cover-your-eyes-awful performance against Cincy, they still were within striking distance at the end. Good things happen when you have a bunch of gamers.

 

[Deus Irae]

This thread is just crazy. There's no way the Patriots can beat a great team like the Jets unless Goodell and Kraft conspire and cheat so that the Patriots get all the calls...






























/Ray Ray

 

[The_Riddler]

I see a split with Miami, we win here they win down there, a loss to the Broncos and loss either at Carolina or Baltimore. This puts us at 12 and 4, hopefully completely healthy and a 2 seed in the conference.

Sure we would have to travel to Denver but if healthy I like our chances.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

This is no time to get kawky, with this team depleted beyond belief when can only live on the edge for so long. Having said that we must seize the opportunity to collected more W before the bye, and start by sweeping the jets.

We must stay focus and take care of our business if we want to prevent another Bengals like performance. I want to see the drops eliminated and i also want Talib back as soon as possible.

 

[JMC00]

Sure we would have to travel to Denver but if healthy I like our chances.

If Pats were to get the #2, odds are better that the AFCC game would be in Foxboro as opposed to Denver.

The "Manning One and Done Factor" is applied to those odds.

 

[tasmlab]

Pats are winning and losing by ONE play in pretty much every game regardless of the quality of opponent. I could see them going 9-1 or better in the remainder, but 10 bad plays could have them losing out.

Not quite the same when the back up qb is playing in the 4th quarter four scores up.

Makes for great television either way!