Patriots face a season long gauntlet after week #3.

bigballas · Sep 17, 2014

PatsFanInVa said:
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.

you mean 14-6 i hope.

PatCat · Sep 17, 2014

ensoul said:
The defense seems to be fixed. I have no idea where the improvement will come from but the offense has to get better if this team does not want to go 9-7 or 8-8. What is scary is that the offense had great field position all game because of the defense and the pats were only able to get one running TD (on the one yard line because of the D) and one passing TD. Yeah the pats scored 30 points but only 12 were because of the offense.

12 points=offense
6 points= defense
12 points special teams.

This isn't good enough.

Many seem to ignore this and don't realize our offense will be exposed against great defenses

Whitt25 · Sep 17, 2014

IMO, the gauntlet really starts when we play the Bengals. Chiefs aren't real, and I fully expect a W against them.

ensoul · Sep 17, 2014

PatCat said:
Many seem to ignore this and don't realize our offense will be exposed against great defenses

I know Edelman is not Calvin Johnson, Demaryius Thomsas or Dez Bryant but he is Brady’s go to guy. I am honestly surprised opposing teams are not doing more to neutralize Edelman and force Brady to throw to the other unestablished receivers. If a coach one day decides to double Edelman it could be an ugly game for the offense.

PatsFanSince74 · Sep 17, 2014

The OP is right. I had no idea what the posters were thinking who were all "14--2" or "15--1" in August.

Running that gauntlet and ending up 11--5 and winning the Division would be, IMO, a very successful season. 10--6 could well be enough to win the division, given that Miami, the Jets and Buffalo all look like they're going to keep knocking each other off. Before you scoff at my including the Jets in that, I watched the Jests game on Sunday (live in NYC) and they only lost (or at least failed to tie) the Packers in their house on the day of their home opener because the were the SOJ on the sidelines...but Geno did not suck...his one (costly) INT came on a ball he floated when he was hit.

I'm just as happy if they're 11--5, hot at the end and in good health after beating quality opposition as if they ended up with a better record on paper against a bunch of losers.

holyredeemer · Sep 17, 2014

Im still not 100% sold on the D being dominant. That Phins game is still fresh in my mind....and that run D is haunting my dreams. That being said, our offense is in terrible shape, and that is easily my number 1 concern. Every replay shown last week Brady was staring down his intended receiver as the route developed, and the big plays just havent been there. They look so lost amd confused on the field. As soon as we start meeting higher caliber pass d's on the field, Brady and Co. are going to be eaten alive.

Kontradiction · Sep 17, 2014

Whitt25 said:
IMO, the gauntlet really starts when we play the Bengals. Chiefs aren't real, and I fully expect a W against them.

The Chiefs just sustained drives of 14 and 19 plays against the Broncos and play some tough defense. You may be taking them a bit too lightly. That said, we should be able to shut them down on offense, especially if Charles is out.

FourierSeries · Sep 17, 2014

Also, I'm not afraid of Cincy at home either. They're a completely different team on the road than they are at home.

The Chargers game in SD will be tough. I could definitely see us dropping that one.

I think we go either 13-3 or 12-4 at the worst this year.

mgteich · Sep 17, 2014

PATS16N0 said:
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.

We should worry about every game, one game at a time.

But after I read how we should fear the Chiefs, I stopped reading.

PatsFanSince74 · Sep 17, 2014

mgteich said:
We should worry about every game, one game at a time.

But after I read how we should fear the Chiefs, I stopped reading.

Good thing he didn't post that before the season began or you might have stopped reading if he said we should take the Dolphins seriously!

Kontradiction · Sep 17, 2014

mgteich said:
We should worry about every game, one game at a time.

But after I read how we should fear the Chiefs, I stopped reading.

The Chiefs are a 2013 playoff team that just played the best team in the conference about as tough as you can play them, all the while missing their top safety (and a top safety in the conference) and one of the best RB's in the NFL. We're also playing them on the road, in prime time, when they may be their most hungry for a win with a passing offense that is the second worst in the NFL thus far. Why wouldn't you fear them?

JR4 · Sep 17, 2014

By the time PATS play Denver the "GeL" factor should be almost 100%.
They may lose a few more games before that happens, maybe none.

After the BYE week PATS should be what they will be. If they are a real Playoff quality team
they could win out from that point in the season. IMO.

( of course they need to stay mostly healthy not like last year )

Whitt25 · Sep 17, 2014

KontradictioN said:
The Chiefs just sustained drives of 14 and 19 plays against the Broncos and play some tough defense. You may be taking them a bit too lightly. That said, we should be able to shut them down on offense, especially if Charles is out.

Chiefs had a good day against the Broncos. Their game against the Titans is their true form. lol.

KontradictioN said:
The Chiefs are a 2013 playoff team that just played the best team in the conference about as tough as you can play them, all the while missing their top safety (and a top safety in the conference) and one of the best RB's in the NFL. We're also playing them on the road, in prime time, when they may be their most hungry for a win with a passing offense that is the second worst in the NFL thus far. Why wouldn't you fear them?

A 2013 playoff team that only got in because of an easy schedule. How many people kept saying Chiefs were the weakest undefeated team ever before they finally fell to the Broncos (which I'm sure nearly everyone except Chief fans were expecting.)? I believe they would've gotten a loss much earlier that season if Eagles played like they started playing near mid-season. And even earlier if, of course, Romo wasn't Romo.

Don't get me wrong. We can still lose to them and the Raiders. But I'm sure as hell not expecting it.

PatsFanInVa · Sep 17, 2014

Yes, w/6 losses, it better be a 14-6 season

On the Gel Factor: Hoping that it's a big one in what we've seen thus far, particularly on O-line and in the aerial game. I think we're built to dink and dunk and be able to control the clock... that is to say, we don't look like we have the tools for a shoot-out. It's nice to have a defense that looks as if it'll let us win those would-be shootout games.

But maybe the Gel Factor will result in some vertical capability and some of that crisp field-wide accuracy we've grown accustomed to. The Bradyh8t campaign almost has me convinced that he's got some sort of adult-onset polio or something.

tmajr3 · Sep 17, 2014

I'm going to my first Pats game, week 4 @KC.

My buddy I'm going with lives there and works with a few Chiefs season ticket holders. According to him, they are going to try and break the Seahawks sound record that night and it's MNF so they'll be hyped up at Arrowhead.

By no means will that be a gimme game.

As usually the Pats season will hinge on HEALTH!

Brady_to_Moss · Sep 17, 2014

cheifs with no Charles doesn't scare me

MrNathanDrake · Sep 17, 2014

I'd rather watch competitive games than blowouts.

jmt57 · Sep 17, 2014

As far as the Patriots 'facing a gauntlet', it's all relative. Here are some examples of other teams' schedules.

Denver: next six games are at Seattle, vs Arizona, at Jets (still, it's a long road trip), vs 49ers, vs Chargers, and then three straight road games - starting at Patriots.

Colts: starting with week 5 they play the Ravens, then a short week with a road trip at Houston, the Bengals, at Pittsburgh, at Giants, and home vs Patriots; they also finish with three of last four on the road.

Bengals: starting with week 5 they are at New England, vs Carolina, at Indy, then Baltimore; then in week 11 they have three straight road games, starting off at New Orleans.

Seahawks: weeks 11-16 are at KC, vs Arizona, at 49ers, at Eagles, vs 49ers, at Arizona; they are also on the road for three of the four games following this week's game vs Denver.

Packers: four of next six games on road (at Lions, at Bears, vs Vikings, at Miami, vs Carolina, at Saints), and right after that they have the Bears, Eagles and Pats in three of the next four games.

49ers: three of next five are on the road in a stretch that includes at Arizona, vs Eagles and at Denver; they finish the season with a five-game stretch that includes the Chargers, Arizona, and two against Seattle.

supafly · Sep 17, 2014

KontradictioN said:
The Chiefs just sustained drives of 14 and 19 plays against the Broncos and play some tough defense. You may be taking them a bit too lightly. That said, we should be able to shut them down on offense, especially if Charles is out.

It's always a challenge to win at Arrowhead, one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL.

Even if Charles is out, they'll just give his touches to Knile Davis--who is more than capable of giving us fits in my opinion.

Hopefully, we can get the offense on a better track beforehand, because I am envisioning a tough game myself.

Patriotic Fervor · Sep 18, 2014

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

Yes! I agree!

I've always said, if you want to be iron, you must face iron!

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