Patriots face a season long gauntlet after week #3.

Not `looking past anyone` but this Raiders game is the lul before the storm. Starting in week #4, we're basically facing most of the probable 2014 NFC and AFC play off bracket. It really makes the Raiders game hard to get excited about. I savor every game, and it's best not to look beyond any of them, but let's be honest.... the Raiders are in for the beating of their 2014 lives.

I want to see if this defense is as championship caliber as we hope it is, and we're going to get those answers after we get this week out of the way.

Check this schedule, in case you haven't in awhile.

Week #4: Alex Smith and the Chiefs at Arrowhead. Chiefs might not be supreme world beaters, but home field, they have a good quarterback, decent all around team, almost came against the Broncos until it went all Andy Reid in the final moments. Good warm up.

Week #5: Andy Dalton's Bengals come to the Razor. (Browner returns)

Week #6 and #7: Two division games. Bills and SOJ.

Week #8: Jay Cutler and Da' Bears coming to the Razor.

Week #9: Peyton Manning and the Broncos at the Razor.

Week #10: BYE

Week #11: Andrew Luck and the Colts in Indy.

Week #12: Stafford, Megatron and the Lions at the Razor.

Week #13: Aaron Rodgers and the Pack at Lambeau Field.

Week #14: Phillip Rivers and the Chargers in San Diego.

Week #15, #16 and #17: Divisional, divisional, divisional.

All that's really missing is the Eagles, Niners and Seahawks. A lot of these teams are going to be in the play offs. Probably 75% of the 2014 post season bracket is represented on our coming schedule, with a lot of the league's premier quarterbacks and offenses.

We want the #1 seed and want the Patriot post-season played at home, but I'm really excited about the potential to go into the play offs a battle hardened football team this season, and this schedule gives us that opportunity. We put week #3 behind us with a W, and we won't have to wait long to have all our questions answered about this football team, on both sides of the ball.

If there was any Patriot team over the last few years that I would want to have this schedule for, it's definitely this one.

Think we still pull off the #1 seed? If Marty McFly told me we lose one of these games, I'd guess it's the Chargers in their house, but all of them are winnable.

Serious schedule about to get serious.

18-1 here we come in reverse fashion of 07! Honestly this is gonna tell us if we should expect a trip to Arizona or not

I think we will beat the raiders, but don't write them off as a clear cut decisive win

Stat years are fun but I'm not expecting 50 touchdown passes this season, so I'm actually thrilled that we have to basically play the play offs three times over this year (with some Jets thrown in on the side).

Great for our defense and our entire team.

Archeryaddict12 said:

18-1 here we come in reverse fashion of 07! Honestly this is gonna tell us if we should expect a trip to Arizona or not

I think we will beat the raiders, but don't write them off as a clear cut decisive win

Click to expand...

The Raiders are the Glass Joe of this journey. lol.

I just take it week by week, especially this early in the season. After two games, I think the defense looks very promising. The offense appears to have serious problems, specifically the same kinds of problems that have cost them in the playoffs in recent years.

Am I the only one who thinks we will completely blow out the Packers in Green Bay? I'm not impressed with GB at all, and I believe our secondary will be even better in week 13 than it is now. Wouldn't be surprised if we keep them under 20 points.

FourierSeries said:

Am I the only one who thinks we will completely blow out the Packers in Green Bay? I'm not impressed with GB at all, and I believe our secondary will be even better in week 13 than it is now. Wouldn't be surprised if we keep them under 20 points.

Click to expand...

I agree. Rodgers holds on to the ball, and our defensive backs should have his field on lock down. I'm expecting that one to be a monster game for Chandler. I actually think we lay the smack down on a lot of these teams, but I'm a huge homer, and always have trouble envisioning us losing.

But I agree. The Pack gets a beat down

Does look like a tough schedule, but you never know if last years teams are still good. Bye week is perfect, anyway.

I've thought that it was a very challenging schedule since the spring when it was released.

I never understood those who claimed that this schedule "looked easy," b/c it doesn't. It never did.

We could finish 11-5 and still be much better than last year at 12-4 down the stretch.

the first 4 games after Oakland KC cincy jets and bills will not be a big test to the defense Jamaal Charles is out for the next 5 to 6 weeks A.J Green maybe out vs the pats, what dose 4 teams will test is the pats OL they are 4 of the best DL's in the NFL and we will get to see if they can keep Brady on his feet,

after that is when we see if this defense is for real six of the best pass offenses in the NFL back to back to back its going to be fun to watch

patsfan-1982 said:

Jamaal Charles is out for the next 5 to 6 weeks A.J Green maybe out vs the pats

Click to expand...

Whether or not Charles plays, it will be tough to go to Arrowhead with Knile Davis, who's basically a spitting imagine without as much talent. Davis has looked very good in his opportunities and gets a lot of touches in both the running and passing game. I don't think it'll make much difference either way, to be perfectly honest.

AJ Green's injury isn't going to keep him out vs. the Pats. Even if he misses the next 3 weeks, which is extremely doubtful (the Bengals have a bye week before playing New England), he'll only miss ONE game which would be this upcoming Sunday.

According to all reports that I've read, they may be cautious and keep him out until after the bye, which would give him 3 weeks of rest. The injury is not believed to be anything close to serious, so holding him out for 3 weeks would be a very good precautionary choice.

supafly said:

I think you're getting waaaaay ahead of yourself with these predictions.

1) Here is the report on Jamaal Charles:

"According to CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora, "early indications" are Jamaal Charles' ankle sprain is "mild."
The same goes for SS Eric Berry, who like Charles exited Sunday's loss to Denver and did not return. Per La Canfora, the team is "hopeful neither will miss significant time." "

While he certainly could miss the game vs New England in a couple of weeks, he very well may not. We really don't have any idea, but I highly doubt that he's definitely "out for the next 5 to 6 weeks" as you report. We saw the Bills list CJ Spiller last year with a "high ankle sprain" multiple times, and yet he was able to somehow push through it. Whether or not Charles plays, it will be tough to go to Arrowhead with Knile Davis, who's basically a spitting imagine without as much talent. Davis has looked very good in his opportunities and gets a lot of touches in both the running and passing game. I don't think it'll make much difference either way, to be perfectly honest.

2) AJ Green's injury isn't going to keep him out vs. the Pats. Even if he misses the next 3 weeks, which is extremely doubtful (the Bengals have a bye week before playing New England), he'll only miss ONE game which would be this upcoming Sunday.

According to all reports that I've read, they may be cautious and keep him out until after the bye, which would give him 3 weeks of rest. The injury is not believed to be anything close to serious, so holding him out for 3 weeks would be a very good precautionary choice.

Click to expand...

if they all play that's even better it will make for a more fun game to watch and let pats defense see top NFL talent sooner then later

patsfan-1982 said:

if they all play that's even better it will make for a more fun game to watch and let pats defense see top NFL talent sooner then later

Click to expand...

Yeah, I definitely think there's no doubt that AJ Green will play, unless he has a major setback. He may even play this week and take the 2 weeks between the next game with the bye to rest.

If Knile Davis plays instead of Charles (definitely possible), we'll still have a hell of a challenge out at Arrowhead. We've got to get the offense moving in the right direction this week vs OAK.

In the NFL every game is a tough game, when the going gets tough, the tough get going... this is where BB excels keeping the other team off balance and neutralizing their strength...

The bad news is, knowing this makes the Raiders a trap game.

Expectations schedule:
- Raiders game: Holding breath so that we don't stink up the trap game.

- Chiefs @Arrowhead: Holding breath for what should be our first real test. Here's where we see whether W1 was a blip and have some confidence with our answer.

- Bengals @ Home: Holding breath etc. etc. etc.

I'll be very surprised if we don't lose at least 1 more before the bye. On the bright side, that pace should still get us into the off-season.

And of course with every loss and some wins, the henny-pennies will declare the sky to have fallen. I don't think the sky falls on BB teams anymore. I don't know. It does not happen until it happens. That's why it's called a "game" not a "certainty." (Sure used to feel like a certainty some years though )

Tom texted his congrats to Hoyer last week, and I assume did not text condolences to Cassel... kind of cool to have 3 of what I think of as "Patriots" QBs starting in this league. Theoretically the one we have on the bench now is ultimately the best we've picked. Let's hope it's still the best call to keep him on the bench a while.

18-1, the right way? I'm taking a scrappy 13-6 squad if that's what it takes, shocking us with every post-season win.

I'm watching week to week for signs that TFB can gel with the current receiving corps and start to look more like TFB. "The decline" might be a real thing. It might be a lack o weapons. It might be playcalling as we hear in every gameday thread.

But even more, I'm holding my breath to see whether this team defense rears up and becomes a feared defense. Hard to go by one performance against a Peterson-less Vikings team, and if it stomps the Raiders, once again, I can only be so enthusiastic about that.... then comes the real run, as Darryl points out.

To me that's the more exciting part, and the part that reminds me more of the good ol' 2001-04 Pats. Not looking backwards; just celebrating balance. And if the balance points back toward having a defense-minded squad? I can live with that.

We can say for sure that TFB needs a strong D for that elusive next ring either way. Let's hope he gets that D, and lives up to what they bring for years to come... and that it's the right call for it to be TFB reaping those benefits.

In Bill We Trust... but in storylines we invest ourselves...

PS, yay, we still don't have any abusers! And we cut our murderer a couple years ago! Woo hoo!

The whole season is a gauntlet. You just take one game at a time and go from there.

Yeah what Mayo said.

The most interesting game of week 3 to me is the Chargers vs. Bills. Are the 2014 Bills for real, and with two divisional games vs. the Pats, how much more difficult does this season get if they keep winning?

The Bills have pulled this routine more than a few times, where they collapse mid season after a promising start but so far this year have looked much improved.

The Pats game @SanDiego could be tougher than vs. Denver after watching the Chargers beat Seattle.

patsfan-1982 said:

what those 4 teams will test is the pats OL they are 4 of the best DL's in the NFL

Click to expand...

The Bengals O-line will also pose a problem.

Through 2 weeks, Dalton; 0 sacks, 0 knockdowns

This is a very favorable schedule, a cakewalk schedule will get you nowhere....