Skree
In the Starting Line-Up
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CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.It's as if every year they field the greatest team in NFL history. I understand the 2 SBs being bad memories for us all. But, the continued fear of a team that, for the most part, perennially blows is irrational. They stink, and their QB stinks.The Giants are in the Fans heads. The Pats will demolish them.
That's for the team to worry. Haha.
Home - Buffalo, Miami, NY Jets, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Philadelphia, Washington, Pittsburgh
Away - Buffalo, Miami, NY Jets, Houston, Indianapolis, Dallas, NY Giants, Denver
I feel we'll sweep the div. 2 coaching changes and if we don't get miami too early (weather factor), we should be good there. Session opener likely steelers. They start slow. Only worrying home game, philly. But foles is coming back from injury. Our secondary (if all return) matches up well.
Don't fear Dallas, Giants, Colts or Denver. Houston might be tricky though. Bob knows us well. And if we don't upgrade the interior line, might be a long day against watt and clowney.
I say we have a shot at 16-0 and whatever happens in the playoffs, happens.
SOS rankings especially at this time of the year are useless. Every year there are teams that are supposed to be playoffs contenders before the season starts and end up being sub .500 and teams supposed to be 3-4 win teams that go to the playoffs.
Go back and look at all the "experts'" preseason picks. There were quite a few people picking the Saints to go to and even win the Super Bowl. They ended up with a losing record and couldn't even win the NFC South where teams were fighting not to go to the playoffs.
We have a shot but it's incredibly taxing to go 16-0 and then 19-0. Also the losses seem to make the team more humble, even though if we kept this team mostly together next year, they'll be humble.
How are the pats going to stay hungry?
Won't that Dallas game be on Thanksgiving? Dallas & Detroit are the two usual Thanksgiving day teams and you know they're going to want to the Super Bowl champions on a big viewing day.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have the toughest schedule since they're ranked No.1. The Atlanta Falcons have the easiest since they're dead last at No.32. However, the New England Patriots are ranked at No.22. http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25066031
Here's the list of Home & Away games for the 2015-16 season if some if you didn't know:
http://www.fbschedules.com/nfl-15/2015-new-england-patriots-football-schedule.php
Our home games should be no problem but, as always, the road games are going to be tough. Not only do we have to face our division rivals but we have Dallas (meh), Denver (ugh), and the New York Giants (*gulps*)
We should be able to beat Dallas but the last time they faced us was in Gillette and we almost lost but, thanks to Tom Brady's TD pass with, like, 15 or 16 seconds left, we won. Denver had the better of us at Mile High the past couple times (they won in 2009 and the 2013 AFC Championship game) but hopefully, with the way things are going over there, we may be able to beat them. And there's New York. In my opinion, they're a far more bigger thorn in our side than any other team (although Baltimore isn't far off). Last time we beat them in the regular season was when the Patriots won 38-35 to go 16-0. The only time we've beaten them since then was in the 2013-14 preseason (when we had Tebow). It would be great if we could just blow them out by scoring 50+ points.
Now I know it's too early to predict Win/Loss records but it looks like we "could" be able to go undefeated again in the regular season judging by how things are looking. But, if not, then maybe 14-2 or 13-3 can do.
There were ten teams that the "experts" were wrong about this year, by a considerable margin.
These teams were better than predicted;
Buffalo was picked 26 and ended up 16 (+10)
Pitt 20-7 (+13, though I think that 7 is too high)
Detroit 22-6 (+16)
Dallas 24-4 (+20)
These teams were worse;
St Louis 12-21 (-9)
NYJ 19-29 (-10)
Wash 14-27 (-13)
NO 11-25 (-14)
SF 3-18 (-15)
Chicago 7-26 (-19)
Won't that Dallas game be on Thanksgiving? Dallas & Detroit are the two usual Thanksgiving day teams and you know they're going to want to the Super Bowl champions on a big viewing day.
Pre-season SOS is meaningless, IMO. Teams change both from year to year and within a season. So, you never really know which "team" you are playing in any given week, even when you know its name in April.The Pittsburgh Steelers have the toughest schedule since they're ranked No.1. The Atlanta Falcons have the easiest since they're dead last at No.32. However, the New England Patriots are ranked at No.22. http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25066031
Here's the list of Home & Away games for the 2015-16 season if some if you didn't know:
http://www.fbschedules.com/nfl-15/2015-new-england-patriots-football-schedule.php
Our home games should be no problem but, as always, the road games are going to be tough. Not only do we have to face our division rivals but we have Dallas (meh), Denver (ugh), and the New York Giants (*gulps*)
We should be able to beat Dallas but the last time they faced us was in Gillette and we almost lost but, thanks to Tom Brady's TD pass with, like, 15 or 16 seconds left, we won. Denver had the better of us at Mile High the past couple times (they won in 2009 and the 2013 AFC Championship game) but hopefully, with the way things are going over there, we may be able to beat them. And there's New York. In my opinion, they're a far more bigger thorn in our side than any other team (although Baltimore isn't far off). Last time we beat them in the regular season was when the Patriots won 38-35 to go 16-0. The only time we've beaten them since then was in the 2013-14 preseason (when we had Tebow). It would be great if we could just blow them out by scoring 50+ points.
Now I know it's too early to predict Win/Loss records but it looks like we "could" be able to go undefeated again in the regular season judging by how things are looking. But, if not, then maybe 14-2 or 13-3 can do.
Yeah. I think the progress and development of a team within a season is far more significant than the possible change from season to season (though I don't dismiss the latter). As I posted above, you don't really know which "team" you will be playing on a given date even if you know its name in April.ehh.... If you look at that list, the only real surprises were the Saints and 49ers. You could argue about the Bears because of just how bad they looked, but a lot of people were expecting that team to fall with the return of Cutler.
Yeah. I think the progress and development of a team within a season is far more significant than the possible change from season to season (though I don't dismiss the latter). As I posted above, you don't really know which "team" you will be playing on a given date even if you know its name in April.
Judging by the last 2 years (Both Balt and Sea were the night game) Pats will be the night game on Thanksgiving which means it's doubtful it will be Dallas.
No argument there in principle and the "law of big numbers" over a 256 game NFL season supports your point; in the end things generally sort out as expected, with, of course, the exceptions that make every rule from time to time, but we don't need to go off on that tangent, since it would be a tangent.True when looking at specific games and specific times, but not so true in general. We "know", with pretty damned good certainty, about the majority of teams by the time the season starts. There's usually a couple of teams which are radically different than expected, and it's usually for the worse (N.O., ATL), but most teams stay within expected range. Just looking at the AFCE and AFCN (first two divisions in the standings) from last year:
We knew the Patriots were the class of the AFCE
We knew the Bills and Dolphins were the middle teams, and that at least one of them would be a borderline playoff team
We knew the Jets were crap
We knew the Bengals were a playoff level team
We expected the Ravens and Steelers to be in the playoff mix
Seriously, look at the entire AFC from last year. 16 teams, 0 real surprises. When we "knew", we really did know.
...We knew the Pats were the class of the AFCE, but opponents would rather have gotten them in September than December.