Uncomfortably predictable...

[Halifax_Pats_Fan]

A lot of people are predicting that we are going to go all the way this year. This makes me very uncomfortable. We had/have injuries, there is a question of chemistry and re-occuring injuries.

...and ultimately I just think we play better with either a chip on our shoulder or under the radar.

I wish the media would just shut their pie hole and let us quietly go about our business...we have to work for it just like everybody else...

does anybody else feel this way?

 

[Ring 6]

A lot of people are predicting that we are going to go all the way this year. This makes me very uncomfortable. We had/have injuries, there is a question of chemistry and re-occuring injuries.

...and ultimately I just think we play better with either a chip on our shoulder or under the radar.

I wish the media would just shut their pie hole and let us quietly go about our business...we have to work for it just like everybody else...

does anybody else feel this way?

I consider it irrelevant. BB coached teams are focussed on winning this week, not reading headlines.
I'm not sure about your chip on the shoulder feeling. We won 21 games in a row with a target on our back, we are something like 12-2 in playoff games. We were favored in most of those.

Are you uncomfortable because you don't want your hopes too high? or because of a legitimate factor?
As far as I'm concerned this teams goal should be to win the SB and anything less would not be a successful season, compared to what this team should be striving for.

Every team has injuries, we have won back to back SB with the most injuries ever by a SB Champ (1st and 2nd most back to back years).
I have no clue why you would think this team has chemistry issues. If you believe that, which teams in the NFL dont?

 

[Dragda]

A lot of people are predicting that we are going to go all the way this year. This makes me very uncomfortable. We had/have injuries, there is a question of chemistry and re-occuring injuries.

...and ultimately I just think we play better with either a chip on our shoulder or under the radar.

I wish the media would just shut their pie hole and let us quietly go about our business...we have to work for it just like everybody else...

does anybody else feel this way?

In the end it doesn't really matter what we all say or feel or read from the media. The team will find its disrespect card if that is its motivation.

I used to put some credence in the "oh no we're doomed" when the experts picked us to win it all. I really don't think it matters. The team really seems to manage this type of thing well.

 

[QuinielaBox]

I guess one area of concern is - I don't know who the punter is. Also, Gostkowski missed a couple of FG's against Carolina keeping the game artificially close.

Can Moss play the game?

Football is a very fickle sport.

 

[Halifax_Pats_Fan]

I consider it irrelevant. BB coached teams are focussed on winning this week, not reading headlines.
I'm not sure about your chip on the shoulder feeling. We won 21 games in a row with a target on our back, we are something like 12-2 in playoff games. We were favored in most of those.

Are you uncomfortable because you don't want your hopes too high? or because of a legitimate factor?
As far as I'm concerned this teams goal should be to win the SB and anything less would not be a successful season, compared to what this team should be striving for.

Every team has injuries, we have won back to back SB with the most injuries ever by a SB Champ (1st and 2nd most back to back years).
I have no clue why you would think this team has chemistry issues. If you believe that, which teams in the NFL dont?

No matter what the players tell you they read the headlines, proof of that being them getting so excited and saying they are dis-respected AFTER they win. They know what people are saying. They read this stuff obviously. They do have a great week to week focus I will give you that.

I feel in sports you always have to play and strive for better, if our "asses were crowned" then it diminishes this a bit in my eyes.

You are correct when you say my hopes are high as a NEP fan, however the "pundits" should realize that we have our injuries and chmenistry issues just like everybody else in the NFL. I guess you have to pick a side and make room for debate somewhere.

Just not liking the we being favored everywhere in the media thing.

Personally, as a fan, I would take the quiet, underdog, disrespect, overlook us role.

I think #12 likes that too....

...

 

[DefenseWinsChampionships]

.......................

 

[Oswlek]

The Patriots remind me of the Yankees of this year... I love the Yankees, but it took us halfway through the Season to finially get hot. Players such as A.Rod, Jeter, Abreau, Giambi... Im sorry but the whole feeling like a "Team" and chemesty just aint there... And in Football 16 games is not enough time to get that chemesty.

Im sorry but the Patriots are the best team money can buy as of right now with big name players such as Moss, Stallworth and A.Thomas.

A.Thomas may be a really good LB... But he is far from great, what made him great in Baltimore was the players around him. He was more of a product of a great system out in Baltimore... And I'm sorry but this Pats team has nothing on the Ravens D.

The Ravens D line had Suggs, Ngata, and Price on the D-Line last season. Im sorry but J.Green is no Suggs... Wilkfok is better than Ngata and Price is just as good as T.Warren.

A.Thomas was playing alongside R.Lewis, and once again... I'm sorry... But Teddy B is no Ray Lewis, not even close... R.Lewis is a top 3 MLB in all of Football. The Ravens also had one of the best secondary with two #1 CB's in C.McCalister who is a much better coverage corner than A.Samuel... Add the fact that they also have Rolle starting on the other side= better than any other CB on the Pats other than Samuel. E.Reed is freaking amazing... No way Sanders or any other Safety in the pats secondary can even sniff the level of play as a E.Reed.

Im sorry but that Ravens D gave A.Thomas so much time to make plays, and this years NE D is not even on the same playing field as last years Ravens D.

I just think the chemesty will be gone with this years NE team with Moss, Welker, Stallworth, Seymour out, Harrison out, and Maroneys first year starting.

Where to begin?

1) First, where do you buy one of those newfangled chemistry-o-meters? Absolutely no one talked about chemistry as a problem for NY until they started poorly. How do you measure it in a team that you don't even follow?

2) How do you know Thomas isn't great on his own. You do realize that Lewis was the 3rd best LB on his own team, right? Lewis hasn't been in the top 10 in the league at LB since 2003. I will grant you that Baltimore has a lot of talent on the D side of the ball, but I seem to recall another team that allowed less than 15 ppg last year that has some talent as well. d%#*!@t, who were they again? BTW, Rolle sucked last year and has for two years now. NE has two guys that are better than him. You are really out there if you want to prop up Rolle as an eample of Balt's talent edge.

3) As I said in the above post, NE allowed 2 more ppg than Baltimore and 1 less than Chicago. They were 5th in rushing ypg and 10th in ypc allowed. They allowed the fewest passing TDs in the league - despite three complete flukes coming in weeks 2 and 3. They did this with one ILB playing out of position with a broken hand, one ILB on IR, one OLB playing ILB with back issues and without the two top safeties for most of the year. Even if you want to say that Baltimore is *that* much better than NE, then you have to say that NE is easily one of the top 2-3 remaining defenses.

4) For some reason, I can't quite get my head around why Stalworth/Moss/Welker will have that much a harder time building chemistry than Caldwell/Jackson/Gabriel.

5) The "money can buy" is complete garbage. Do you even realize that Thomas was the only signing with significant $ involved?

I have no problem with other fans' opinions. I just can't stand it when people pass of utter crap like this. There is not one correct statement in that entire post other than McAlister and Suggs are excellent players.