I asked because #6 seed is FINE (especially because no one has played more on the road or has won as many road games in 2011- - so it's definitely "advantage-Pats" so far). What seed were the Jets last year? What seed were the Ravens in 2009? All that counts is getting into the playoffs and being on a roll.
I completely agree that the Defense needs to get better.
However, we have post-2007 posters on this board spouting that it is "the WORST defense in the NFL" and that "it can't stop NOBODY".
This type of nonsense is consistently being spewed by posters who back up their statements with yardage stats alone. Not scoring. Not red-zone. Not turnover. Not the fact that the 4 teams played by the Pats are 7-5 in non Pats games and that 3 of the 4 games were on the road. Nope. Just yardage.
The 2007 Patriots spawned an entire group of new football fans that were turned on by the stats.
Well the 6th seed is not fine for me . . . all I care about is Jan/Feb, everything else exhibition, we probably have only 3-5 more years of Brady and likely the same number of years of SB caliber team. Surely after TB leaves we still should be a good team making the playoffs here and there, but for me I want to ride this wave as long as i can as I think this team will very likely be the last great team in my life time . . . having watched football for 40 years I have seen the lows of the Pats when they could find any way to lose, listening to the games on the radio as the TV broadcast was blackedout as the stadium was not filled, and watching other teams and cities have the "good" teams . . .
but now it is our time, and I want to win more before we loose Brady and possibly BB too . . . true it is difficult to keep a championship caliber defense for a 10 years stretch and we were fortunate to had a lot of great players hit their maturity 27-32 years old during the 01-04 run and to a lesser degree 05-07, and yes one can not turn over a roster in one year, and sometimes draft choices and FAs don't panned out . . .
so am not really blaming anyone . . . but regardless, we still don't have a shut down defense and our defense is suspect . . . during the 01-04 run we had a solid defense and also one that made some big plays when needed . . . now were really don't have either, but we are making some big plays and our redzone D has improved . . . but for the most part our D deficiences are masked by the offense . . .
sometimes tho the D will have to step up and make plays when the offense is not going great, we were always able to do that 01-04, but in the last few years have not . . . '06 our old D, let us down to a degree in the AFFCG, notwithstanding Samuel pick six and we were all drained from the flu (not to mention not having Harrison - thanks Tenn and Jeff Fisher), in '07 we really started to run out of gas going into the playoffs and in SB 42 when our O was not doing great we needed our D to make a few stops, but the Gmen score 14 pts in the 4th and our D missed a few INTs on the last drive,
. . . in '09 when our D was in transition and not that strong, the Ravens spanked us, big bang clock missed an angle and Ray Rice went for a 80 yard TD and it was kind of game set and match, in '10 TB carries our team to a great degree, then he was a little off in the playoffs against J-E-S-Ts, when Chung tried the fack punt, our D did not come up and we see big bang clock and Chung handing onto Edwards as he scores, then we get back into the game and the jets TE takes a routine look in pass for about 30-40 yards while Spikes is chasing him and NY eventually scores . . .
so bottom line in the 06, 07, 09 and 10 playoffs our D could of made a play or two to change our fortunes but was not able to do so . . . similarily our present D as it stands it somewhat of the same situation, that is, it may not be able to make the big plays when needed, sure an open Chung can pick a ball thrown to him by the middle of road QB and we praise the red zone turnover, and the 70 or so yards yielded as "stats are for losers" but if we yeild 70 yards to a playoff caliber team in the playoffs, don't expect the ball thrown to an open defender . . .
of coarse the jury it still out on our D and it does take time for players to mature, and we got a young D, likely and hopfully our D will get stronger/have playmakers, in the next 3-5 years. Indeed our 01-04 D was comprised predominately from players who cut their teeth in the nfl in the mid 90s . . .
but until we have proven set of playmakers who can make plays and bend but don't break stops/turnovers, are able to stop teams between the 20s, and/or give up fewer yards, we are going to be left with heading into the playoffs and yeild up more than a desirable amount of red zone possessions,. . . sure in the regular season we can play Oakland and give the battlecry cliche "stats are for losers" but if we give one too many red zone possessions in the playoffs we will likely be loosers . . .
so we can whistle by the graveyard about our D between the 20s, and praise regular seasons wins, or come to realization that teams that yeild a lot of yards without a great level of proven play makers, will not, just as the pats had in '05, '06, '09 and '10, not have a great deal of success in the playoffs . . .
my two and half cents . . .
