Calm Down Everyone - Its only Pre-Season

[Mark Morse]

The season is a Marathon, not a sprint. To Tampa Bay and Baltimore its was very important to them to win the games. They need to establish a winning tradition. They game planned for the Patriots ... it was very obvious when Cassel audibled, Tamp Bay immediately called another defense. They had to be prepared to do that.

Last season we fell 2:50 short of another Super Bowl victory. Yes that game showed some weaknesses that if not corrected will be exposed. However, we sat out 20 guys with assortment of ailments. Do you think if it was regular season game we would see such a Vanilla defense? Do you think Tom Brady would play hurt?

It's a long season, lets just put in the time and be ready when the season kicks off against Kansas City.

 

[tombonneau]

I'm with you. It's was quite clear that Baltimore & Tampa Bay were pumped & jacked for a friggin' preseason game and really wanted to win to build confidence or what not. I've never seen players celebrate so much during a preseason game. It was pretty amazing.

I'd honestly rather have my team lose a preseason game than be that exciting about winning one.

 

[signbabybrady]

I agree wtih what your saying but can we sprint thru the rest of preseason and get to the games already seems like a snails pace right now.

 

[mdhprime]

The most important aspect of these first two preseason games is to look at who wasn't playing and I am not just talking about Brady. Most commentators have made mention that it felt like a regular season game because the Patriots were suiting up so few players. Once the team has more players come back (starters and backups alike) I am sure it will start to look a lot more like it's old self. Until then, I would rather see them stink up every preseason game rather than have a player come in and aggravate an injury before the regular season.

 

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

Are you nuts?

The Pats have now lost THREE games in a row. They have zero chance of recovering from an 0-2 start in the pre-season. Jets are 2-0, there is almost zero chance of being the pre-season champs. Jets are going to win that again this year. Its not fair. Almost every year the Jets are the pre-season champs.

 

[NEPatriot]

I don't like what I saw in the last 2 games. Time is running out and if we don't improve, we are done. Our new guys need to prove that they can be dependable. Of course, it doesn't do us any good if the injury list is getting longer.

A lot of uncertainty to this team right now and I don't feel good about it at all. I'm not sure if we have 16-0 in this season.

 

[Rob0729]

Come on! Preseason is everything. At this point, I would be estatic if we win 4 games*. We're doomed.








*In the first 4 games of the season.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

I agree, it is only preseason and BB will fix a lot of things between now and the opening weekend like bad tackling, not getting off blocks, and poor soft zone play in the secondary; but he can not fix healthy OL bodies.

We all agree that Brady is the best QB in football, and that our backups are pitiful, but how is Brady going to function behind an OL that is missing 40% of it's starters from a year ago and last night had our pro-bowl center knocked around like a rag doll.
As sad as this is to say, I think Yates outplayed Koppen last night and last night Yates was dreadful.
From what I saw, only Mankins was drving his guy off the LOS last night, the rest of the OL was being driven backwards, except for Yates, who was impersionating an astronomer! (he was pancaked so much that he got a great view of the night sky, repeatedly)

 

[lander]

Every NFL team forum has a thread right now entitled "Calm Down Everyone - Its only Pre-Season." I'm starting to think we should all just set up the thread every July so it's ready for use come training camp.

 

[Mark Morse]

I don't like what I saw in the last 2 games. Time is running out and if we don't improve, we are done. Our new guys need to prove that they can be dependable. Of course, it doesn't do us any good if the injury list is getting longer.

A lot of uncertainty to this team right now and I don't feel good about it at all. I'm not sure if we have 16-0 in this season.

If this were a regular season game anyone that could (Brady), would tape it up and be on the field. Who knew how hurt Ellis Hobbs was at the Super Bowl? Yet he played reasonably well (except that final TD).

The one certainty is that we have Bill Belechik as our coach. In Bill We Trust!!!

 

[stcjones]

I don't like what I saw in the last 2 games. Time is running out and if we don't improve, we are done. Our new guys need to prove that they can be dependable. Of course, it doesn't do us any good if the injury list is getting longer.

A lot of uncertainty to this team right now and I don't feel good about it at all. I'm not sure if we have 16-0 in this season.

I would agree especially in regards to the OL.....their play has been abyssmal.....Maybe BB has them playing crappy to not give any film room tape to our opponents....but if not....we are in for a LONG season....Also....their run blocking if you can call it that......is just as BAD as last season......The Secondary is also a huge area of concern......we shall see

 

[IcyPatriot]

Every NFL team forum has a thread right now entitled "Calm Down Everyone - Its only Pre-Season." I'm starting to think we should all just set up the thread every July so it's ready for use come training camp.

:eat2: ...

 

[BradyToMoss]

Look, the Bucs were running end-arounds on 3rd and 1 and were sending different zone blitzes all night long. The Pats showed "Nothing", like the smart team that they are and sat back in their base vanilla 3-4 that was so vanilla all it needed was as a cone.

Mayo, although there were some mis-reads, still showed that explosive speed and power and he'll only learn from what he did/didn't do tonight and not make those same mistakes again. He's Patrick Willis to be, we all know that.

Wheatley continues to look "solid" and worthy of starting whether it be for Hobbs or Bryant, he's earned a day-one start in my book.

Crabel, what can you say, he's going to be a game-changer.

All will be fine.............

 

[Eugene Chung]

Aren't the Colts a historically bad team in the preseason? Look how that turned out for them. I like DeOssie's statement from the Post Game saying the Pats didn't show anything. Hell, even Brian Griese hinted at that during his halftime interview.

 

[MVPKiller]

I would rather have our team go out and show what they have bee during games like this, than the alternative. Treating these games like they are "win at all costs" is pointless and would just lead to injuries. As much as I can't stand Mike Vick, it was just a few years ago he broke his leg in a pointless pre-season game and ended the Falcons season before it even started. Once KC rolls around, I'll start to care about what I'm seeing on the field.

 

[Mark Morse]

Another Point

The Patriots have already played three additional games this year and they are planning on playing 19-20 more to get where they want to be. Some of these teams an psyched to be beating the NE Patriots in pre-season. They are handing out game balls and running safety blitzes (yeah thats why Piscatelli was in the backfield after the bad shotgun snap).

Talk to me when it counts. Its evaluation time for players 50-60 because thats how many we will needs over the course of the season.

 

[Bostonian1962]

The season is a Marathon, not a sprint. To Tampa Bay and Baltimore its was very important to them to win the games. They need to establish a winning tradition. They game planned for the Patriots ... it was very obvious when Cassel audibled, Tamp Bay immediately called another defense. They had to be prepared to do that.

Last season we fell 2:50 short of another Super Bowl victory. Yes that game showed some weaknesses that if not corrected will be exposed. However, we sat out 20 guys with assortment of ailments. Do you think if it was regular season game we would see such a Vanilla defense? Do you think Tom Brady would play hurt?

It's a long season, lets just put in the time and be ready when the season kicks off against Kansas City.

How can you say that? We had this same discussion last year after some struggles in the preseason, and looked what happened in the regular season..........oh wait, NEVER MIND!

 

[Patriot_in_NY]

Ummmm, are we still playing pre-season games? I wasn't paying attention

Seriously, just about everyone with any sense has learned LONG AGO, that the preseason games are just another way for BB to **** with the rest of the league. I'm excited as anyone for the season to start, but folks I hate to tell you this, we still have a few weeks before REAL football starts.

Trivia of the DAY: Guess where the 2007 Patriots were at this time last year ---> 0-2 in pre-season games (including a loss to the Bucs ). All hope is not lost folks.

 

[RoughingthePasser]

Hopefully this thread title will calm the natives

 

[LuRkeR1978]

BB uses the preseason to evaluate new players and put them into situations, no more no less. Everyone here should know by now that 'situational football' is one of BB's monikers. Maybe he wants to see how certain players will react to a specific situation in a real game. Well, in order to archive that, eggs have to be broken.