2008 Schedule...My thoughts

[lapatsfan]

1. I get to attend 3 games this year (San Diego, Oakland and San Fran)
2. The Pats have a very demanding schedule with 4 west coast games.
3. Why are we playing in Indianapolis again? (we are also playing there in 2009)

 

[Pats726]

Re: 2008 Schedule.... My thoughts

1. I get to attend 3 games this year (San Diego, Oakland and San Fran)
2. The Pats have a very demanding schedule with 4 west coast games.
3. Why are we playing in Indianapolis again? (we are also playing there in 2009)

Not sure Indy was away last year....and next year it has to do with the playing of that division...Pitts is at home again...

 

[WhiskeyBreath]

Re: 2008 Schedule.... My thoughts

It was pre determined that they would have to play the AFC South champion at home and the Colts won the South. Pretty sure we go to Indy in 09 as well.

The only bad thing about next years schedule is the 4 west coast trips. I love their matchups next year.

 

[Patjew]

Re: 2008 Schedule.... My thoughts

1. I get to attend 3 games this year (San Diego, Oakland and San Fran)
2. The Pats have a very demanding schedule with 4 west coast games.
3. Why are we playing in Indianapolis again? (we are also playing there in 2009)

I think Indy came to NE in 2004, 2005 and 2006 regular seasons (not to mention 2003 and 2004 playoffs). Indy won the last 2 there, of course.

 

[BradfordPatsFan]

Re: 2008 Schedule.... My thoughts

The two divisions inside the conference that a team does not play in their entirety (next year the pats play the AFC west in its entirety), are on a two year rotating schedule home and away.

The rationale behind this a few years ago was that the NFL did not expect the same teams to win the divisions consistently. It has been that way in the NFC for the most part. However, in the AFC it has, more often than not, been the Colts, Patriots, and Pittsburgh winning their respective divisions since 2002, making it seem like someone is getting the shaft. The Pats hosted the Colts several years in a row too. It all works out.

 

[Watson's IQ]

Re: 2008 Schedule.... My thoughts

1. I get to attend 3 games this year (San Diego, Oakland and San Fran)
2. The Pats have a very demanding schedule with 4 west coast games.
3. Why are we playing in Indianapolis again? (we are also playing there in 2009)

Otheres have answered your Indy question. I acknowledge that 4 west coast trips is no fun (except for you), but to call their schedule demanding is a bit of a stretch. The Patriots play one of the easiest schedules (based on the winning percentage of the teams last year) in the history of the NFL next year. So I'm not going to jump right to demanding.

Oh, and before some smart guy jumps all over this and says "but gee, a ton of teams in the NFL get better every year, how do you know it will be so soft?", I KNOW that. For better or worse, how good they were last year is as reliable method as any of declaring the strength of the Patriots schedule (at this point), and just as many of those teams are likely to be worse as they are to be better.

 

[Patjew]

Re: 2008 Schedule.... My thoughts

Otheres have answered your Indy question. I acknowledge that 4 west coast trips is no fun (except for you), but to call their schedule demanding is a bit of a stretch. The Patriots play one of the easiest schedules (based on the winning percentage of the teams last year) in the history of the NFL next year. So I'm not going to jump right to demanding.

I'm not worried about the schedule per se, but as someone who does alot of flying, I can tell you that 4 transcontinental roundtrips is going to take a toll on the players. I'm curious to see how these will be staggered throughout the season. A 2-2 record for these 4 games wouldn't surprise me, nor would fatigued play in the games after these trips.

 

[oldskool138]

Re: 2008 Schedule.... My thoughts

A 2-2 record for these 4 games wouldn't surprise me, nor would fatigued play in the games after these trips.

Yeah, I mean, look how gassed they were after all those nighttime games last season. (Not sarcasm). Granted, they won them all but they games took their toll.

I hope there's no league rule that says a team must return to it's home stadium after every game. I'd like to see them stay on the west coast for a week if they have back-to-back west coast games.

 

[Rob0729]

Re: 2008 Schedule.... My thoughts

1. I get to attend 3 games this year (San Diego, Oakland and San Fran)
2. The Pats have a very demanding schedule with 4 west coast games.
3. Why are we playing in Indianapolis again? (we are also playing there in 2009)

Our travel schedule is tough, but our strength of schedule is very easy. Granted strength of schedule this far before the start of the season means very little, but I haven't really seen any of the NFC or AFC West teams making themselves significantly better so far this offseason.

Seattle may have upgraded their running game, but they have no WRs. Arizona has lost a few pieces on their defense and may be forced to trade Larry Fitzgerald if they can't get a deal done. The 49ers have done some upgrades, but nothing significant. The Rams will get better by being healthy, but got a long way to go. San Deigo has done nothing. KC has done nothing. The Raiders might have been better off if they actually did nothing.

I guess many of these teams will improve in the draft, but how much. I think the Pats may have gotten a break with the schedule as far as quality of opponents and the west coast trips will be a bit of an equalizer.

As far as Indy, we played something like 4 or 5 straight regular season home games in Foxboro against them. I can't really complain about three away games in a row.

 

[BradfordPatsFan]

Re: 2008 Schedule.... My thoughts

Seattle has had several seasons in which they traveled across the country at least three times.

In 2004 Seattle went to Tampa (the week after playing at NO), New England, New York. They were 2-1 in those games.

In 2005, Seattle played at Tampa, Washington, Tennessee (not exactly the east coast but still quite a flight), and Philly. They were 2-2. They went to the Super Bowl that year, didn't they?

One of those years they logged the most travel miles by any NFL team in history, I believe.

It sucks but it isn't impossible to be successful with all of that travel.

 

[hernandeztribe]

I am pretty stoked that the Patriots are coming to the west coast for four games. I am in the same boat as IanPatriot. I have been a NE fans since 1994. 1994 was tought year for us fans in LA, we lost both the Raiders and the the Rams, and I am glad they left. Go Pats!!!

 

[SoCal Bong]

Wasn't the schedule supposed to be released today? In fact the NFL Network had a one hour program on their listings for today that is no longer there. What happened and when will the schedule really be released?

BTW, for anyone thinking about attending road games, be sure to join the Yahoo Group in my sig below so that you can tailgate with Pats fans.

 

[Haterproof]

The only tough thing about the schedule are the 4 west coast trips.Other than that the schedule is a very favorable one.The ultimate gift would be to have 1 west coast game a month.

 

[Kontradiction]

Re: 2008 Schedule.... My thoughts

One of those years they logged the most travel miles by any NFL team in history, I believe.

That was in 2005, the year they went to the Super Bowl.

 

[SoCal Bong]

Wasn't the schedule supposed to be released today? In fact the NFL Network had a one hour program on their listings for today that is no longer there. What happened and when will the schedule really be released?

Guess I wasn't going crazy...

http://www.nflgridirongab.com/2008/03/08/2008-nfl-schedule-to-be-released-april-3rd/

2008 NFL Schedule To be Released April 3rd
Posted by Matt Loede under NFL

The NFL seems to have been putting out the schedule out earlier and earlier each year, and this year, the league very well may have the schedule out as early as ever. ProFootballTalk.com discovered that the official NFL website has put out their TV schedule for early April, and as of right now - the schedule says that the schedule will be released on April 3rd at 4:30pm on their franchise show - NFL Total Access.Last season the schedule was also supposed to be released on NFL Network, as they had advertised a special with the release around April 7th, but instead it got pushed back till April 10th. While we know what teams will play who, about the only “for sure” in the schedule will be the fact that the Giants will play that opening Thursday night opener at the Meadowlands. I vote that we see an opening night NFC Divisional Playoff rematch with the Cowboys vs the Giants. We shall see.

 

[LuthierJr]

sure we play the "weakest" schedule when looking at the teams records last year, but these are the teams that will get the best draft picks, and could be one of the more improved teams. I still think we should coast to the playoffs, but it may not be as easy as some like to say...

 

[PatsFanSince74]

1. I get to attend 3 games this year (San Diego, Oakland and San Fran)
2. The Pats have a very demanding schedule with 4 west coast games.
3. Why are we playing in Indianapolis again? (we are also playing there in 2009)

reiss addressed the indy question in his mailbag this week. apparently it's three years in one place, three in the other. the game was, i believe, in foxboro from 04--06. apologies in advance if someone else has already pointed this out.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Re: 2008 Schedule.... My thoughts

I'm not worried about the schedule per se, but as someone who does alot of flying, I can tell you that 4 transcontinental roundtrips is going to take a toll on the players. I'm curious to see how these will be staggered throughout the season. A 2-2 record for these 4 games wouldn't surprise me, nor would fatigued play in the games after these trips.

i once sat next to Ernie Els on a flight from London down to Singapore (back when he still flew Commercial, albeit First Class). I left him alone of course since it's not cool to bother these guys, but when dinner was served he struck up a conversation (it's a 12 hour flight) and I recall that he, a world-class athlete and in great shape at the time, expressed amazement at how i was able to function with all the travelling i did. that's all by way of saying that this travel is going to be tuff on our guys. it's not just the game they're playing on the left coast, where the time change might actually work in their favor if it's a late game, but its the following week's game that worries me just as much, especially if it's a short week. we should be realistic that this might cost us a game that we "should have won."

 

[Kontradiction]

How to do we end up playing the "weakest schedule" anyway? Should we technically have the toughest schedule due to our record? Or does that just belong to the Super Bowl winner?

 

[castlelong1]

If the Patriots get lucky and have two or more west coast dates together they should not fly back and instead get acclimated. Sure, several exec guys and what not need an office. (you know, the George Costanza asa Yankee types.) The team needs a field. I'm sure Mr. Kraft can donate a building to some college out there.

Other than Jet lag this is an easy schedule. While on any given sunday and all, @Indy, @Miami (traditional worry), Denver(see @Miami), and @SD I'm not worried.

Sure Pitt and @Seattle might be tough, and who knows about the any given Sunday guys like SF or KC, but I only see 4 tough games.

That said, watch St. Louis become a surprise power.