Is this a championship team?

If Gronk, Talib and Chandler Jones are healthy this is a championship team.

Yes with a healthy Gronk, Talib, and Dennard and with McCourty playing safety as well as improvements in the interior OL play.

No with the team we saw yesterday.

Stating the obvious, health is key.

Where's the "I dunno" button. This team is like the proverbial box of chocolates - you never know what you are going to get. They looked dominating there for a while but the last few weeks feel like an injury marred disaster. Hopefully it focuses them rather than makes the wheels fall off.

The defense is too inconsistent,decent one minute and horrid the next.

I want to see two playoff games in a row where the defense has matured into a championship caliber type before I can say they can win it all.

The offense we all know is certainly capable if they avoid turnovers.

KontradictioN said:

Yes with a healthy Gronk, Talib, and Dennard and with McCourty playing safety as well as improvements in the interior OL play.

No with the team we saw yesterday.

Stating the obvious, health is key.

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Agree Kontra and that is the reason it was so disheartening for me to see Talib trying to run with a hand on his hip. After trying for a couple of seasons to fix the pass defense BB made the trade for Talib that allowed him to put McCourty at Safety and suddenly the gaping hole in the defense vanished and a championship became a real possibility. Anything is possible, but without Talib, the equation changes dramatically.

PatsDeb said:

Where's the "I dunno" button. This team is like the proverbial box of chocolates - you never know what you are going to get. They looked dominating there for a while but the last few weeks feel like an injury marred disaster. Hopefully it focuses them rather than makes the wheels fall off.

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Inconsistency certainly would be the downfall of the 2012 NE Patriots if they do not improve going into the one and done games.....there are no more time for errors and mistakes once January rolls around.

One bad game now and its golfing in mid January for Tom Brady & co.

Every Patriot team has been flawed. Heck, we've had WRs playing DB in the past.

The only thing that matters is good health for key players - and everyone - EVERYONE - playing together as a team.

I voted "No" for the simple reason that this is not a healthy team. The secondary is good enough when Talib and Denard are 100%, but that hip injury of Talib's isn't going away soon, it appears. Forcing Arrington to the outside, we all know how that turns out. The cracks in the offensive line are starting to show, as well. Brady has really been beaten up the last few weeks and it is taking its toll on the offense.

I believe the Texans win showed more about the Texans than it did about the Pats. They mailed it in yesterday with a chance to solidify the one seed.

The Broncos, Seahawks, Niners, and Packers are all teams I believe are in a better position than the Pats to win a ring right now. And the way the Pats played yesterday, they can be bounced by any team that makes it to the playoffs. The return of Gronk will help, no question. But I don't know if it's enough.

The playoffs in recent years are about whatever team is hot. Despite calls to rest starters, I would rather see the Pats go all in dismantle the Fins on Sunday to get some momentum heading into the playoffs. Sadly, the health of the team may not allow this.

Lotta very, very good posts in this thread thus far.... Health in general and to the secondary in particular sees to be the consensus regarding our chances.

I have a slightly different take on it: Can Gostkowski make a 48 yarder to win a game with less than 15 seconds on the clock? Because, chances are, one or more playoff games will come down to that........ Just sayin'.....

Offensively as long as they don't play like yesterday then they're good to go as long as Gronk's back. I blame much of the inconsistency on offense due to a lack of variety in weapons. You take away Hernandez like the Jags did yesterday, you're stuck with two reliable WR targets that can't always be open, and a few midget running backs. Getting Gronk back will re-create the matchup nightmare we've been used to having.

Defensively a few things- first, obviously get healthy. That's getting Spikes, Talib, and Dennard healthy. I think Dennard and Spikes will be okay, and as long as Talib gets himself healthy so McCourty can play at safety we'll be good to go in the secondary.

As long as this team gets healthy, my one left concern will be the consistency of the pass rush. Much of it relies on Chandler Jones's performance moving forward. Hopefully he gets rolling after yesterday's performance at the end of the game.


So basically, get healthy and I say absolutely YES.

I voted no. I really think that this particular defense is a year away from being very good, right now they are passable to good enough. I really think that with a year under their belts, Highsmith and Jones are going to be beasts, both showed signs of heading towards stardom. I think Dennard, if he can get only probation from his court case, will also be THAT much better next season. I'd love to see the Pats sign Talib to a long term deal. BUT, right now, with the inconsistencies of both the Offense AND Defense, I don't think this is a Championship team.

Hopefully next season, we can see a full season of this offense in tact (meaning, please football gods, let's see this offense at full power, no injuries), and a young hungry defense, then I put them up against anyone. For them to win it all THIS season, they'd have to play as well as they did against Houston, in EVERY playoff game. I hope they can do it, but I don't think they can. I think Denver, Baltimore, Green Bay, Seattle and San Francisco are better all around teams right now.

I think so...just like my fantasy team this year.

Even with the recent stumbles, I don't think there is a team in the AFC that is better or at least better enough that they would beat the Pats 6-70times if they played 10 times. I think the Pats have just as much shot or more than anyone out of the AFC.

On the NFC side, I think the 49ers and possibly the Seahawks (they are a different team outside of Seattle) are built to beat the Pats (I am leaving the Giants out because they aren't likely to get in at this point).

Rob0729 said:

Even with the recent stumbles, I don't think there is a team in the AFC that is better or at least better enough that they would beat the Pats 6-70times if they played 10 times. I think the Pats have just as much shot or more than anyone out of the AFC.

On the NFC side, I think the 49ers and possibly the Seahawks (they are a different team outside of Seattle) are built to beat the Pats (I am leaving the Giants out because they aren't likely to get in at this point).

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Don't forget Rodgers who would feast on our secondary.

3 of the 5 AFC playoff teams have been beaten by the Pats this season. I like their chances in the post season. The NFC, not so sure. The Giants if they make it into the playoffs, might be beatable this year.

The answer is of course yes! The only team that could beat us in the AFC is Denver at Mile High. In that game I expect us to win in a tough game. I find it somewhat humorous that some are concerned about the Bengals at home. Are you kidding me?? Are you forgetting who their coach is? Not happening.

If we make it through the AFC (and we will) I will take my chances in a one game, winner take all against any NFC team.

dannydyn said:

Don't forget Rodgers who would feast on our secondary.

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I'm not afraid of any team with an offense. I am worried about any team that can rush the passer with just four players and still blanket the receivers. I think the Pats can keep up with Rodgers and the Packers in a horse race.

Barring yesterday's game, the Packers really haven't been an offensive juggernaut this year. Even with the 55 points they scored yesterday, they are scoring 8.5 PPG less than the Pats.

The Talib trade will end up being the difference from a 4th Lombardi and losing in the 2nd round.

Wildcard Round: AJ Green
Divisional Round: Demaryius Thomas
AFCCG: Andre Johnson

Talib held Johnson to just 4 catches and 40 something yards. (Arrington gave up the other half on one drive when Talib was injured...)

Thomas had 9 receptions for 180 yards the first game. If Talib shuts him down like he did with Johnson, the Broncos are toast.

What's "a championship team?"

In the NFL, the championship team is the team that wins the championship. There is a pretty broad consensus that that is not always the "best" team talent-wise in all three phases of the game.

In the NFL, the "championship team" is the team that has "enough" talent, that starts a good to very good QB, that is coached by a good to very good HC, that is playing its best football in January/February, that gets a little lucky and that stays healthy.

Do the Pats have "enough" talent? Yeah. On Offense, they have a superabundance and on Defense they have "enough" if the pieces are all working together. Most importantly they have the leadership on the field and in the locker room to coax the best out of all the pieces.

Do the Pats have a good to very good QB? No. They might well have the greatest of all time.

Do the Pats have a "good to very good HC?" See the QB answer immediately above.

Will they be playing their best football in January/February? Based on the last two weeks, "no," but it isn't yet January.

Can they get a little lucky? Well, if "The third time is the charm," they'll have used up their bad luck in the postseason over the last two trips to the big game with the Tyree catch and the Welker drop.

Can they stay healthy? Probably the "Million Dollar" or, in this case, the "Lombardi" Question.

GRONK helps. So will, I hope, getting Cunningham back this week.