Sports Guy: Are you nervous?

[ivanvamp]

From Bill Simmons' latest article: "The 10-2 Colts continue to chug along toward a first-round bye. I hate everything that's happening with this season -- my beloved Pats look completely worn out by the quest to go undefeated, the fallout from CameraGate and three straight months of the media's glare, and on the flip side, the Colts are quietly biding their time for a home playoff game in Week 19 and a cold weather war in Foxborough in Week 20. Everything about this scenario makes me nervous. Everything."

So I ask you: are you nervous? I'll tell you why I'm not.

1. The Patriots, while "losing steam" the past two weeks, are still *winning*. I'd be worried if they went 0-2 the past two weeks. Great teams find ways to win.

2. No matter what happens (barring an unmitigated disaster), the playoffs will go through Foxboro. That's a HUGE advantage for New England.

3. If they're tired, they will need some rest, right? Good thing for them they get a 1st round bye this year. That will come at just the right time. They'll have a second wind just as the Chargers roll into town for the divisional round of the playoffs. Cold weather game, at Gillette, Pats fully rested and recharged, against a warm-weather team that the Pats have beaten twice in a row....it still won't be easy, but you have to give them the definitive advantage there.

4. If they lose one of the next four, is that really a bad thing? I know this may seem to contradict my first statement, but losing one game wouldn't worry me. It would, if nothing else, allow the team to not worry at all about going undefeated, and if they were playing for that historical mark, now they could just rest key guys and play a little looser. Not a bad thing.

5. Everyone is worrying about the running game, but I think the one real benefit to Maroney not running so much this year is that he'll be well rested for the playoffs. Not worn down at all. He should be very fresh come playoff time, and that may be needed.

6. When all is said and done, the Patriots still have Belichick and Brady, the best coach/QB combo in the league. And that matters.

7. Last year, we all know that the Pats should have beaten the Colts in Indy. The Colts are still great, but now they'll play in Foxboro, and the Pats are improved. Gotta like their odds in that matchup.

So I'm not worried. How about you?

 

[Fixit]

He's become a complete nancy-boy. He even buys into the "no running game" thing, because I honestly don't think he really follows football anymore.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

the run defense and defense in general need to get fixed and start peaking. you have to wonder if they peaked too early.

this undefeated season thing has took on a life of it's own. the ultimate quest is the superbowl. hopefully the giants rest players week 17 so the pats can too. two weeks rest should be what the dr ordered.

 

[Fencer]

The Colts are the defending Super Bowl champs. Their recent track record against the Pats is excellent. I've been nervous about them all season.

A blowout win vs. them would have changed that. A come-from-behind squeaker did not.

Until the Pats wallop the Colts twice in a row, or maybe if Manning himself is the injured guy there, I won't stop being nervous about the Colts.

 

[Patjew]

He also mentions how the Pats resemble the 2004 and 2005 Colts teams because neither had a running game. Just don't tell that to Edge James, who ran for over 1500 yards each of those 2 years! Really, Simmons seems to be getting lazy in his analysis and accepts alot of non-factual NFL statements from his readers. He's much more into the NBA, it seems.

 

[Bella*chick]

He also mentions how the Pats resemble the 2004 and 2005 Colts teams because neither had a running game. Just don't tell that to Edge James, who ran for over 1500 yards each of those 2 years! Really, Simmons seems to be getting lazy in his analysis and accepts alot of non-factual NFL statements from his readers. He's much more into the NBA, it seems.

Yeah, I wondered about that statement. I'm thinking, wait a sec, did they or did they not have Edgerrin James running around out there?

The Sports Guy has some great columns, but in his world you are what you did last week.

 

[tombonneau]

I'm not nervous, but I'm not confident this team can beat the Colts in the AFCCG. Pats will be fielding pretty much the same D that Indy marched up and down on last year in the second half.

The only difference is they won't be coming off a draining cross-country trip to SD.

But anyone who thinks we'll kill Indy has another thing coming. I know I'm definitely rooting for a Pitt upset in Round 2 ...

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

The Colts are the defending Super Bowl champs. Their recent track record against the Pats is excellent. I've been nervous about them all season.

A blowout win vs. them would have changed that. A come-from-behind squeaker did not.

Until the Pats wallop the Colts twice in a row, or maybe if Manning himself is the injured guy there, I won't stop being nervous about the Colts.

I can't see the reffing being that horrendous two games in a row especially with home field advantage, not to mention crowd noise and brady's headset not working. I'm not sure much more could have gone against them.

 

[bradmahn]

I'm not nervous, but I'm not confident this team can beat the Colts in the AFCCG. Pats will be fielding pretty much the same D that Indy marched up and down on last year in the second half.

The only difference is they won't be coming off a draining cross-country trip to SD.

But anyone who thinks we'll kill Indy has another thing coming. I know I'm definitely rooting for a Pitt upset in Round 2 ...

Indy in New England is not the same as Indy in Indianapolis. Indy's defense is not the same without Freeney pressuring the QB. And Indy struggled to move the ball consistently against the Patriots at the RCA Dome. Indy does not scare me. No team scares me.

 

[jbb9s]

Indy does not scare me. No team scares me.

PITT in a cold weather Jan. game with the AFC's leading rusher jamming it up the gut and driving the 35 year old linebackers back 3 yards?

 

[Remix 6]

i was nervous against the Dolphins. put it that way. Any Given Sunday..i've known that all my life and i dont care what their record is or who they have..its gonna be a tough game imo until the score shows me otherwise(for every team)

 

[Haterproof]

I'm not nervous, but I'm not confident this team can beat the Colts in the AFCCG. Pats will be fielding pretty much the same D that Indy marched up and down on last year in the second half.

The only difference is they won't be coming off a draining cross-country trip to SD.

But anyone who thinks we'll kill Indy has another thing coming. I know I'm definitely rooting for a Pitt upset in Round 2 ...

Indy doesn't scare me at all (especially in NE come January).Bill will have his troops ready for war.All he has to do is show them the tapes of the 2006 AFC Championship for motivation.We know what happend last year.We've to kill the Colts & don't take our foot off the gas pedal.Of course this would be if they beat the Steelers (which I don't think they will).

 

[tombonneau]

Indy in New England is not the same as Indy in Indianapolis. Indy's defense is not the same without Freeney pressuring the QB. And Indy struggled to move the ball consistently against the Patriots at the RCA Dome. Indy does not scare me. No team scares me.

Indy hasn't had any problem the last few years beating us in Foxboro. They don't have nearly the advantage as the Dome, but likewise they aren't at any sort of severe disadvantage either.

The biggest key is no Freeney. He's the straw that stirs the drink with that D, and I doubt they get consistent pressure with their front 4 like they normally do.

And again, I'm not scared, but I am not confident either.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

the run defense and defense in general need to get fixed and start peaking. you have to wonder if they peaked too early.

This is my concern. The D has typically rounded into form in late November and December since 2001 (excluding 2002). The last two games haven't been promising in that regard. I'm hoping there is truth to the whole "3 night games in a row, 2 on the road" taking a toll on the team, something three home games and a brief roadtrip can hopefully resolve.

Regards,
Chris

 

[tombonneau]

Indy doesn't scare me at all (especially in NE come January).Bill will have his troops ready for war.All he has to do is show them the tapes of the 2006 AFC Championship for motivation.We know what happend last year.We've to kill the Colts & don't take our foot off the gas pedal.

If merely showing tapes from a previous loss is all BB had to do, we wouldn't have lost to Indy three straight and barely managed to keep the streak from reaching four.

I wish I could be brazenly confident about the Pats dismissing Indy with ease in the AFCCG, but recent history would suggest otherwise.

 

[Patjew]

I'm not nervous, but I'm not confident this team can beat the Colts in the AFCCG. Pats will be fielding pretty much the same D that Indy marched up and down on last year in the second half.

Really? So Rodney, AD, Seau, and Seymour won't be playing? Huh, I didn't know that.

 

[bradmahn]

PITT in a cold weather Jan. game with the AFC's leading rusher jamming it up the gut and driving the 35 year old linebackers back 3 yards?

Willie Parker doesn't "jam it up the gut" and we will see just how well the 32, 34, and 38 year old LBs do against the lousy offensive line of the Steelers this weekend (and I'm not nervous).

This is the problem, for the most part of this season the Patriots have done well to very good against the run. I'm not going to let one game sway the faith I have in the defense.

 

[Eugene Chung]

You guys worry too much. The '04-'05 Colts comparison doesn't work because the Colts D wasn't very good. The Pats D, even with two sub-par weeks, is better than those defenses. And if you haven't noticed, the Pats offense is better than the Colts offense in those years.

 

[bradmahn]

If merely showing tapes from a previous loss is all BB had to do, we wouldn't have lost to Indy three straight and barely managed to keep the streak from reaching four.

I wish I could be brazenly confident about the Pats dismissing Indy with ease in the AFCCG, but recent history would suggest otherwise.

And most recent history shows that, even with all the cards stacked against them, the Patriots handled the Colts.

 

[letekro]

He also mentions how the Pats resemble the 2004 and 2005 Colts teams because neither had a running game. Just don't tell that to Edge James, who ran for over 1500 yards each of those 2 years! Really, Simmons seems to be getting lazy in his analysis and accepts alot of non-factual NFL statements from his readers. He's much more into the NBA, it seems.

Oh definitely. I think he's noted in his columns that he is a casual football fan, but a rabid basketball fan.