Overstating the Obvious

I'm not breaking any new ground here, but as I look at the road ahead and also re-investigate previously failed Super Bowl campaigns....here's the not-so surprising conclusion I've uncovered...

The Patriots inability to protect TB against a strong pass rush, as well as it's inability to generate a pass rush and
take opposing QB's out of their comfort zones will be our undoing.....again.

The O-line is what we all know it is....but the defense cannot depend on our secondary to keep people covered for 10 plus seconds while our pass rush "tries" to get to the quarterback. With guys like Rodgers and Wilson...this will not work.

Also...offenses will just ignore Revis and Browner and pick at Ryan (who is horrific IMO) and Chung.

Much of this reminds me of the 2007 campaign...where as perfect as the regular season was...we saw the glaring weaknesses we had and hoped our high powered offense could overcome them.

Want a cookie?

Really too early for this kind of pessimism.

* Chandler Jones is back and should be 100-percent for the playoffs.
* The defense overall is healthy.
* This arguably is the Pats' best secondary in 10 years.
* If the offensive line is healthy, and I expect Connolly to be back, it can hold its own. Before yesterday Brady had been sacked only 16 times all season.

This team has a fighting chance against anyone, including Seattle and Green Bay.

I'd rather see a game like this at the end of the regular season (remember the Miami debacle in 2004) than in the playoffs. Something tells me that BB and company will use this as a teaching tool to prevent the team from getting too full of themselves after a 10-1 stretch....
Let's see if they make the adjustments and how they do against Buffalo's pretty formidable d-line.

Tunescribe said:

Really too early for this kind of pessimism.

* Chandler Jones is back and should be 100-percent for the playoffs.
* The defense overall is healthy.
* This arguably is the Pats' best secondary in 10 years.
* If the offensive line is healthy, and I expect Connolly to be back, it can hold its own. Before yesterday Brady had been sacked only 16 times all season.

This team has a fighting chance against anyone, including Seattle and Green Bay.

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It's not pessimism. Is the defense better than what we've had in long time? Absolutely!!!

This defense would win us the SB in 2007 and 2011. But in the next Super Bowl...potentially facing Rodgers or Wilson, sort of plays against what our D is built for. This D will kill any Manning, Cutler, Sanchez, Rivers...ETC.

But highly mobile and smart QB's...it will have a challenge.

JMC00 said:

Want a cookie?

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No thanks....your sister gives me all the sugar I need.

Slagathor said:

I'm not breaking any new ground here, but as I look at the road ahead and also re-investigate previously failed Super Bowl campaigns....here's the not-so surprising conclusion I've uncovered...

The Patriots inability to protect TB against a strong pass rush, as well as it's inability to generate a pass rush and
take opposing QB's out of their comfort zones will be our undoing.....again.

The O-line is what we all know it is....but the defense cannot depend on our secondary to keep people covered for 10 plus seconds while our pass rush "tries" to get to the quarterback. With guys like Rodgers and Wilson...this will not work.

Also...offenses will just ignore Revis and Browner and pick at Ryan (who is horrific IMO) and Chung.

Much of this reminds me of the 2007 campaign...where as perfect as the regular season was...we saw the glaring weaknesses we had and hoped our high powered offense could overcome them.

Click to expand...

While I agree with your assessment, I'm not too concerned about it. Excuse me for not seeing any real competition for the Pats in the AFC. Denver is garbage unless they are facing teams like Oakland, that helps anybody look bigger and badder than what they really are. Peyton is broke down, I don't believe in their overrated running back, and I'm sorry, but I must've missed Denver's GREAT defense in that game against Brady's offense several weeks ago. Denver is no more than hype and they're not even that anymore. Same thing with Pittsburgh. Antonio brown this, Roethlisberger that and I look at their schedule and I'm just shaking my head. 6 games were a given. The NFC south this year was nonexistent and who can't beat the Jags or the Titans these days. Steelers are hot garbage. The Colts, bad defense and Luck is sure to hand you the game on a silver platter. Outside of San Diego and possibly Miami, they know us too well and Tannehill, though I hate to say it and it was only Minnesota, but still he looked pretty good and determined to win. I don't see any reason why the Pats can't roll into the SB. Sure we have problems, mainly Josh McDaniels and penalties, but other teams have bigger problems.

IMO, the offenses in the NFC are a little weak, outside of GB and Dallas. I'm not too worried about Seattle's defense. Yeah, I keep hearing they are great and all, but they've only faced a bunch of scrubs for QBs, outside of Romo and Rivers and we saw what happened when they faced them. I'm not sold on Seattle. If we make the Superbowl we should be fine, unless Brady gets (1.)arrogant, like he did against the Giants in 2007. Steady trying to go deep, while his o-line was being dominated. (2.) Bad luck, Eli was lucky in both games or (3) Brady gets hurt, like I believe he did in that last SB against the Giants. He was killing it up until that sack.
Dallas got a whacky secondary and a not so reliable offense, stop Murray and force the mistake-prone Romo to throw it about 40 times and we got a victory. I'm not even worried about GB, they only beat us the first time because of a poor game-plan.

LivinLovin&Breathin_Brady said:

While I agree with your assessment, I'm not too concerned about it. Excuse me for not seeing any real competition for the Pats in the AFC. Denver is garbage unless they are facing teams like Oakland, that helps anybody look bigger and badder than what they really are. Peyton is broke down, I don't believe in their overrated running back, and I'm sorry, but I must've missed Denver's GREAT defense in that game against Brady's offense several weeks ago. Denver is no more than hype and they're not even that anymore. Same thing with Pittsburgh. Antonio brown this, Roethlisberger that and I look at their schedule and I'm just shaking my head. 6 games were a given. The NFC south this year was nonexistent and who can't beat the Jags or the Titans these days. Steelers are hot garbage. The Colts, bad defense and Luck is sure to hand you the game on a silver platter. Outside of San Diego and possibly Miami, they know us too well and Tannehill, though I hate to say it and it was only Minnesota, but still he looked pretty good and determined to win. I don't see any reason why the Pats can't roll into the SB. Sure we have problems, mainly Josh McDaniels and penalties, but other teams have bigger problems.

IMO, the offenses in the NFC are a little weak, outside of GB and Dallas. I'm not too worried about Seattle's defense. Yeah, I keep hearing they are great and all, but they've only faced a bunch of scrubs for QBs, outside of Romo and Rivers and we saw what happened when they faced them. I'm not sold on Seattle. If we make the Superbowl we should be fine, unless Brady gets (1.)arrogant, like he did against the Giants in 2007. Steady trying to go deep, while his o-line was being dominated. (2.) Bad luck, Eli was lucky in both games or (3) Brady gets hurt, like I believe he did in that last SB against the Giants. He was killing it up until that sack.
Dallas got a whacky secondary and a not so reliable offense, stop Murray and force the mistake-prone Romo to throw it about 40 times and we got a victory. I'm not even worried about GB, they only beat us the first time because of a poor game-plan.

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With a team like Seattle specifically, they are extremely fast and athletic. Between Wagner, Thomas and Chancellor, they can very easily eliminate Gronk. Sherman would definitely shut down Lafell. I am not as rosy at our chances against Seattle. They are a punch in mouth team the likes of we haven't faced yet.

Look past the Jets' won-loss record, and you will see that they have one of, if not the best defensive line in the NFL. Couple that with a starter from the Patriots' offensive line being out, New England's top possession receiver being out, and the club's primary running back being out, and the results on offense should not be unexpected.

The only defense that is better than the one the Pats faced yesterday that can still make the playoffs and the Patriots have not already beaten this year is Seattle. If it comes to those two meeting each other it's a tossup; the Hawks' prowess on defense is offset by their mediocrity on offense. Besides, it's way too early to even be thinking about them.

The Patriots just clinched a first round bye. What local sports talk radio host is already filling people's minds with doom and gloom because the Patriots didn't win by 30 points?

Slagathor said:

I'm not breaking any new ground here, but as I look at the road ahead and also re-investigate previously failed Super Bowl campaigns....here's the not-so surprising conclusion I've uncovered...

The Patriots inability to protect TB against a strong pass rush, as well as it's inability to generate a pass rush and
take opposing QB's out of their comfort zones will be our undoing.....again.

The O-line is what we all know it is....but the defense cannot depend on our secondary to keep people covered for 10 plus seconds while our pass rush "tries" to get to the quarterback. With guys like Rodgers and Wilson...this will not work.

Also...offenses will just ignore Revis and Browner and pick at Ryan (who is horrific IMO) and Chung.

Much of this reminds me of the 2007 campaign...where as perfect as the regular season was...we saw the glaring weaknesses we had and hoped our high powered offense could overcome them.

Click to expand...

I don't buy into the 2007 comparisons, but the basic premise is something a lot of people have discussed this season. The Patriots still have not adequately addressed the recent weaknesses, so meeting up with certain opponents is potentially a major problem.

jmt57 said:

Look past the Jets' won-loss record, and you will see that they have one of, if not the best defensive line in the NFL. Couple that with a starter from the Patriots' offensive line being out, New England's top possession receiver being out, and the club's primary running back being out, and the results on offense should not be unexpected.

The only defense that is better than the one the Pats faced yesterday that can still make the playoffs and the Patriots have not already beaten this year is Seattle. If it comes to those two meeting each other it's a tossup; the Hawks' prowess on defense is offset by their mediocrity on offense. Besides, it's way too early to even be thinking about them.

The Patriots just clinched a first round bye. What local sports talk radio host is already filling people's minds with doom and gloom because the Patriots didn't win by 30 points?

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2:00 pm is just around the corner...

LivinLovin&Breathin_Brady said:

Same thing with Pittsburgh. Antonio brown this, Roethlisberger that and I look at their schedule and I'm just shaking my head. 6 games were a given. The NFC south this year was nonexistent and who can't beat the Jags or the Titans these days. Steelers are hot garbage.
.

Click to expand...

I appreciate your love of the Patriots, but Antonio Brown is an amazing receiver.

Deus Irae said:

I don't buy into the 2007 comparisons, but the basic premise is something a lot of people have discussed this season. The Patriots still have not adequately addressed the recent weaknesses, so meeting up with certain opponents is potentially a major problem.

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Anyone else surprised that Deus would take a victory lap in he told us so that getting rid of Mankins was a mistake even though this time tomorrow the Pats might have HFA advantage locked up and is currently the odds on favorite to go to the Super Bowl.

Slagathor said:

I'm not breaking any new ground here, but as I look at the road ahead and also re-investigate previously failed Super Bowl campaigns....here's the not-so surprising conclusion I've uncovered...

The Patriots inability to protect TB against a strong pass rush, as well as it's inability to generate a pass rush and
take opposing QB's out of their comfort zones will be our undoing.....again.

The O-line is what we all know it is....but the defense cannot depend on our secondary to keep people covered for 10 plus seconds while our pass rush "tries" to get to the quarterback. With guys like Rodgers and Wilson...this will not work.

Also...offenses will just ignore Revis and Browner and pick at Ryan (who is horrific IMO) and Chung.

Much of this reminds me of the 2007 campaign...where as perfect as the regular season was...we saw the glaring weaknesses we had and hoped our high powered offense could overcome them.

Click to expand...

@Joker please save this to your hard drive so we can post it in 2015 when Logan Ryan makes the pro bowl.. I'll use my forum tracker to log this interaction.

I'd kill to have seen what you whiners were thinking prior to the SB with the Rams. As they say "That's Why They Play the Game". Let's get to the SB first before we hand the trophy over the the Seahawks

rsd said:

I'd kill to have seen what you whiners were thinking prior to the SB with the Rams. As they say "That's Why They Play the Game". Let's get to the SB first before we hand the trophy over the the Seahawks

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Patriots fans have watched 2 SB losses to the Giants. They are well versed in "anything can happen".


Let's close down the board, though, because the homers can't stand hearing bad things.

No, I think it's ridiculous to read too much into a single game (whether the SEA game or the Patriots game) for all the reasons others have mentioned already. People apparently forget the Patriots actually lost games back in 01, 03 and 04. Seahawks are playing great but they're also clobbered teams of late whose offenses aren't very good. Let's not crown them just yet.

"Slagathor" is an awesome screen name. Second best on the board?

rsd said:

No, I think it's ridiculous to read too much into a single game (whether the SEA game or the Patriots game) for all the reasons others have mentioned already. People apparently forget the Patriots actually lost games back in 01, 03 and 04. Seahawks are playing great but they're also clobbered teams of late whose offenses aren't very good. Let's not crown them just yet.

Click to expand...

Nobody is reading into just one game. They are reading into 15 games this year, and years of history before that. You surely know that.

You may be overstating the obvious.