Loss against Steelers would be a good thing (MERGED SLOWLY)

[patsox23]

Re: Loss against Steelers would be a good thing

Belichick would NEVER rest his starters before a BYE WEEK. Never has, never would, never will.

 

[chunga]

Re: Loss against Steelers would be a good thing

You want to go into the playoffs full throttle.

You sound young. One bye week is good, two is bad.

When the Pats had a bye week locked up a couple years ago, they played the starters well into the fourth quarter against the Niners week 17.

We need rest. Period. This defense is old. Two games off would be a good thing. It will bite us in the ass against Jacksonville. Not saying have them sit around for two weeks but two weeks without game play would be a good thing.

 

[chunga]

Re: Loss against Steelers would be a good thing

Belichick would NEVER rest his starters before a BYE WEEK. Never has, never would, never will.

Belichik would never, ever admit that his team was tired as he just did this week.

 

[Fanfrom1960]

Re: Loss against Steelers would be a good thing

We will be in trouble if we go into the playoffs undefeated, full throttle. They will look like the team in the second half against the Colts in last years AFC Championship game or the tired run D against the Ravens. Everyone plays their best against them because they want to be the team to beat the Pats. We need full focus and strength against the Jaguars and Colts. Addai and Taylor will eat up a tired team. We need two bye weeks. A loss this week will take a lot of pressure off the team and we can forget the Giants game. Treat it like the fifth exhibition game.

You do know that the Patriots will have a week off, in other words, two weeks (plus a day, maybe) between the Giants game and their first playoff game, right? Nowhere in your posts have you acknowledged this. If Jax comes into Fox, they'll be beat up from a playoff game and no time off since their bye, whenever that was. Finally, Belichick hasn't let up on the throttle late in the season in prior years, so I wouldn't expect him to start now. And, Brady would fight him tooth and nail if he tried to bench him.

 

[ClevTrev]

Re: Loss against Steelers would be a good thing

We know the Patriots win matchup wise against any team in the league. The main goal now is maintaining energy until the games count in January. That is what we've learned the most over the last couple of weeks.

You are forgetting that this team under BB attempts to win every game regardless of its record. Further, it takes each game as a separate challenge, does not look ahead, and refuses to acknowledge any goal beyond winning the next game. It appears you are tired and losing energy from this wild season and all this talk about the pressure of being perfect. Get some rest, drink healthy fluids, and chant your one-game-at-a-time mantra when you start to feel stress. Good luck!

 

[Patradomous]

Re: Loss against Steelers would be a good thing

I'd love for the Pats to beat the Steelers and go undefeated for my own selfish reasons.
But I agree with chunga..it might be the best thing for this team going forward.

 

[chunga]

Re: Loss against Steelers would be a good thing

You do know that the Patriots will have a week off, in other words, two weeks (plus a day, maybe) between the Giants game and their first playoff game, right? Nowhere in your posts have you acknowledged this. If Jax comes into Fox, they'll be beat up from a playoff game and no time off since their bye, whenever that was. Finally, Belichick hasn't let up on the throttle late in the season in prior years, so I wouldn't expect him to start now. And, Brady would fight him tooth and nail if he tried to bench him.

True. I mean't two Sundays without playing a game, including Giants.

 

[bradmahn]

Re: Loss against Steelers would be a good thing

This thread is sofa king stupid.

I don't give a damn if the Jets and Dolphins think they're Superman, it won't make a lick of a difference. The Giants could be in more of a position to be resting players than the Patriots, as they will not have a bye the following week.

The Patriots are going to finish 14-2 worst scenario possible, and that would still give them the number one seed. THEY WILL ABSOLUTELY STILL HAVE A BULL'S EYE ON THEIR BACKS. Would you rather the Steelers come into Gillette a second time and know that they got their asses handed to them in December or would you like them to come in knowing they've already beaten the Patriots?

The teams in the playoffs will be plenty motivated enough because (and I know this might shock you) their season is quite literally on the line. It would be stupid of the Patriots to want to lose a game because they're afraid of a team "trying real hard" to beat them because it's going to happen whether they're undefeated, have one loss, or finish 12-4.

 

[chunga]

Re: Loss against Steelers would be a good thing

You are forgetting that this team under BB attempts to win every game regardless of its record. Further, it takes each game as a separate challenge, does not look ahead, and refuses to acknowledge any goal beyond winning the next game. It appears you are tired and losing energy from this wild season and all this talk about the pressure of being perfect. Get some rest, drink healthy fluids, and chant your one-game-at-a-time mantra when you start to feel stress. Good luck!

Nope, I'm ready and well rested from my couch. The team is exhausted. I'm suprised there weren't more injuries on Monday night because of it.

 

[chunga]

Re: Loss against Steelers would be a good thing

This thread is sofa king stupid.

I don't give a damn if the Jets and Dolphins think they're Superman, it won't make a lick of a difference. The Giants could be in more of a position to be resting players than the Patriots, as they will not have a bye the following week.

The Patriots are going to finish 14-2 worst scenario possible, and that would still give them the number one seed. THEY WILL ABSOLUTELY STILL HAVE A BULL'S EYE ON THEIR BACKS. Would you rather the Steelers come into Gillette a second time and know that they got their asses handed to them in December or would you like them to come in knowing they've already beaten the Patriots?

The teams in the playoffs will be plenty motivated enough because (and I know this might shock you) their season is quite literally on the line. It would be stupid of the Patriots to want to lose a game because they're afraid of a team "trying real hard" to beat them because it's going to happen whether they're undefeated, have one loss, or finish 12-4.

Really, I disagree. Not saying that the Patriots are going to lay down on Sunday, they will give it everything they have, but I don't know how much is in the reserve right now. Just saying it wouldn't be a bad thing if they did lose this one for stated reasons. And I disagree, if the Pats lose two the bullseye would not be anywhere near as big. The media would toss them aside and jump on Big Ben and Peyton in a heartbeat.

 

[Lloyd_Christmas]

Re: Loss against Steelers would be a good thing

I think this thread is dumb, but I'll try to play Devil's advocate anyway just for fun:

Other teams (who have no playoff hopes) are treating their game vs the Pats as "Their Superbowl", thinking that if they end our undefeated season bid, they will have acheived something worth bragging about... something to hang their hat on in an otherwise fruitless season.

We have seen a number of teams play above their heads... with a passion and determination that we are finding hard to match week in and week out (indeed, any team would).

That being said, would those same teams view their game vs the Pats any differently if we were 11-1 and not 12-0? or would they still see us as the #1 team and the concensus choice to win the SB and still treat it like "Their Suberbowl"?

While some of the intensity might be gone, I still think teams would bring their A game in order to play the part of the spoiler. Yeah, we are cellar dwellars, but we beat the Patriots!

In any case, you play each game to win it and in no case is losing a game a 'good thing'. The closest you can come to arguing that is if losing a game will help you avoid a playoff matchup vs a team that you have consistently had trouble with. Even then, 'losing is good' is a hard sell.

 

[PowerAlley.com]

Re: Loss against Steelers would be a good thing

Tom Brady once said: "You cant lose 2 games until you lose 1 first"

Every great team has so "stinkers". At least the last 2 were stinkers and they won!

 

[bradmahn]

Re: Loss against Steelers would be a good thing

Really, I disagree. Not saying that the Patriots are going to lay down on Sunday, they will give it everything they have, but I don't know how much is in the reserve right now. Just saying it wouldn't be a bad thing if they did lose this one for stated reasons. And I disagree, if the Pats lose two the bullseye would not be anywhere near as big. The media would toss them aside and jump on Big Ben and Peyton in a heartbeat.

So media attention will sway the course of this season? Just as it did in '03?

The Patriots play two of the three worst teams in the NFL in the next four weeks, there should be plenty of time for them to rest up in the fourth quarter against patsies like the Jets and Dolphins. The Steelers game does not matter in this discussion, and the Giants, as has been mentioned, will have very little to play for in week sixteen. That leaves playoff teams that will be playing all out anyway. I don't see where being 16-0 + would be a terrible thing, especially when your main crux of an argument comes because "they're tired." They will have a bye and play two horrible teams in the next three weeks. Rest will not be an issue.

 

[Grizzafted]

Re: Loss against Steelers would be a good thing

In 2004, when the New England Patriots were 13-2 and had already locked up the #2 seed and a first round bye, they came out against the San Francisco 49ers and Brady played 3 quarters. The Patriots are going to play the season out, you don't want guys rusty.

 

[Charlotte Pats Fan]

Re: Loss against Steelers would be a good thing

Nope, I'm ready and well rested from my couch. The team is exhausted. I'm suprised there weren't more injuries on Monday night because of it.

There exhausted from playing 3 Primetime Night Games in a row.

Losing is never a good thing. I don't want to lose to the Steelers, Jets' or Fins. Giants , I dont care but if the Pats are 15-0 there is no way on earth they lose that game.

 

[chunga]

Re: Loss against Steelers would be a good thing

I think this thread is dumb, but I'll try to play Devil's advocate anyway just for fun:

Other teams (who have no playoff hopes) are treating their game vs the Pats as "Their Superbowl", thinking that if they end our undefeated season bid, they will have acheived something worth bragging about... something to hang their hat on in an otherwise fruitless season.

We have seen a number of teams play above their heads... with a passion and determination that we are finding hard to match week in and week out (indeed, any team would).

That being said, would those same teams view their game vs the Pats any differently if we were 11-1 and not 12-0? or would they still see us as the #1 team and the concensus choice to win the SB and still treat it like "Their Suberbowl"?

While some of the intensity might be gone, I still think teams would bring their A game in order to play the part of the spoiler. Yeah, we are cellar dwellars, but we beat the Patriots!

In any case, you play each game to win it and in no case is losing a game a 'good thing'. The closest you can come to arguing that is if losing a game will help you avoid a playoff matchup vs a team that you have consistently had trouble with. Even then, 'losing is good' is a hard sell.

This is different. The motivation is off the charts for opposing teams now. Philly was what, 23 point underdog, biggest in the NFL. Baltimore was a 20 point underdog at home. Biggest in the NFL. The non-stop talk about are the Patriots the greatest team in the history of the NFL. All the opposing team has to do is say, are we man enough to beat the best team in history of the league? Look at the play of the two no name quarterbacks over the last couple of weeks. I don't want Jacksonville coming in here with the motivation of being the biggest underdog in the history of the playoffs. This stuff does matter. The last two weeks have proven it.

 

[ClevTrev]

Re: Loss against Steelers would be a good thing

The Pats are tired and their undefeated season is the only story in the NFL. What should be meaningless games towards the end of the schedule are now going to be overscrutinized and the team is going to be under a microscope. A loss to the Steelers would deflect the media attention and give the Patriots an opportunity to begin resting players, disguising schemes for the playoffs and the best part about it, the media would write them off and crown the Steelers as the team to beat in the playoffs. We would still have home field and that would serve as extra motivation to beat them a second time. The team is feeling the pressure now and a loss or two would deflect that and make the Patriots not the only story in the league and perhaps and underdog.

Ok, I'll come back to the original premise in the thread, it is naive and ridiculous to think that the team is experiencing pressure and is, therefore, tired due to the attention about having a perfect season. This is wrong on so many levels, that it's hard for me to take this premise seriously, but here goes:

1. Purposely losing a game would not give the team any rest. You must field a full squad for offense, defense, and special teams to play a game. Who are you going to rest that will make that much of a difference?
2. At this time, the team is trying to secure home field advantage for the playoffs. Despite what some think, this is not yet guaranteed; yet, it is one of the most important objectives for success in the playoffs. Purposely losing a game directly conflicts with the home field advantage objective.
3. Is any team so arrogant that it can simply "pick a game to lose" out of its schedule and have the confidence that it can win all other games? You've got to be kidding me! No one thought the Eagles or Ravens games would be that close. What happens if you purposely lose one game and then lose the next and home field advantage as well?
4. Can you imagine the media response should there be a scintilla of evidence that the Pats purposely lost a game to "freshen up" for the playoffs? Spygate would pale in contrast to this news, and you'd have a guaranteed visit and response from Mr. Goodell.
5. And lastly, can you imagine BB planning a game to lose? Let's get real. This thread may be thought provoking, but it's so far out of the realm of reality, that at first, I kept hoping to find the sarcasm behind it.

In terms of the team's lack of energy, it's understandable due to the brutal schedule they've played and that every opponent from now to game 16 will treat this as their most important game of the season. This is why it's draining on the Patriots. It has nothing to do with being undefeated and thinking about perfection. It has everything to do with navigating through an NFL season with more challenges than the '72 Dolphins could ever have imagined and overcome.

 

[mcbee]

Re: Loss against Steelers would be a good thing

Patriots aren't exhausted, YOU ARE. You are not the Patriots.

Playing night games is a bear because it upsets the sleep cycle.

For this reason they're having a light Wednesday practice.

Deliberately losing games or "taking it easy" is pure folly. Losing is a HABIT. Winning is a HABIT.

Once they 'turn it off', how do you 'turn it back on'?

Plus why would you want to give Pittsburgh the psychological advantage of winning in Foxborough? They win this one and they'll be super confident of the playoffs....

You are tired, you are psychologicall weak and weary, but that's you not the team. It's a sign of narcicissism to think that how you feel affects the team or that the team feels the same way you do. Very childish. "Media Scrutiny"? That affects YOU, not the team. They're indifferent.

 

[bradmahn]

Re: Loss against Steelers would be a good thing

This is different. The motivation is off the charts for opposing teams now. Philly was what, 23 point underdog, biggest in the NFL. Baltimore was a 20 point underdog at home. Biggest in the NFL. The non-stop talk about are the Patriots the greatest team in the history of the NFL. All the opposing team has to do is say, are we man enough to beat the best team in history of the league? Look at the play of the two no name quarterbacks over the last couple of weeks. I don't want Jacksonville coming in here with the motivation of being the biggest underdog in the history of the playoffs. This stuff does matter. The last two weeks have proven it.

Every team will be a huge underdog regardless of what the Patriots do. They've squeaked out wins against the 5-7 Eagles and 4-8 Ravens, and Vegas still has the line at double digits against the 9-3 Steelers. If a team chooses to do so, the line will be motivation throughout the rest of the season.

I'm sorry, man, but your argument is ludicrous and completely irrelevant.

 

[chunga]

Re: Loss against Steelers would be a good thing

Not saying purposely lose, obviously. Saying that a loss this week would not be a bad thing.