We're onto Jacksonville

mgteich said:

It took 7 sacks. It is our corners that makes the opposing corners look good.

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Whatever it is, he looked like crap. No need to assume we'll make every QB look good, it's a new season although Bortles is a heck of a lot better than Taylor.

Hasn't anyone realized nobody is beating NE this year,look real hard at the schedule.This is an easy 16-0 year.Seriously who's gonna give the Pats a loss?It's like an NFL team playing a college schedule nobody else is in their league.AFC champs by default.Unless they rest starters week 17 this is a smooth undefeated season.It's really a shame there is no competition in the league anymore.

TheOutsider said:

Hasn't anyone realized nobody is beating NE this year,look real hard at the schedule.This is an easy 16-0 year.Seriously who's gonna give the Pats a loss?It's like an NFL team playing a college schedule nobody else is in their league.AFC champs by default.Unless they rest starters week 17 this is a smooth undefeated season.It's really a shame there is no competition in the league anymore.

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TheOutsider said:

Hasn't anyone realized nobody is beating NE this year,look real hard at the schedule.This is an easy 16-0 year.Seriously who's gonna give the Pats a loss?It's like an NFL team playing a college schedule nobody else is in their league.AFC champs by default.Unless they rest starters week 17 this is a smooth undefeated season.It's really a shame there is no competition in the league anymore.

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You don't understand how difficult it is to go 16-0. Even if we are 4-1 favorites in every game, we are likely to lose at least a couple of games.

mgteich said:

You don't understand how difficult it is to go 16-0. Even if we are 4-1 favorites in every game, we are likely to lose at least a couple of games.

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Possibly 1 fluke game but I don't really see it with this schedule.I would say outside chance @Jets or @giants

mgteich said:

You don't understand how difficult it is to go 16-0. Even if we are 4-1 favorites in every game, we are likely to lose at least a couple of games.

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Agreed that it is very unlikely to happen. Too many things can happen, injuries, bad bounces, playing a hot team, playing a team that's really good that we don't know about yet.

The 10/25 Jets game is looking tough, coming off back to back road games with the second being a Sunday night game.

That said, the schedule is favorable and going 16-0 (for any team) isn't what it was in 2007 as it's been done before. Assuming normal injuries (and not to 12 or 87) I am assuming we'll be around 13-3.

Denver's got a pretty solid defense (if nothing else) and the game is in Denver. That one'll be tough. And the @Miami and @NYJ games.

mgteich said:

You don't understand how difficult it is to go 16-0. Even if we are 4-1 favorites in every game, we are likely to lose at least a couple of games.

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Probabilities are unforgiving that way. As you say, the chances of a prohibitive 4-1 favorite winning 16 times in a row are minuscule even if the events are independent. And a season's worth of football games are NOT independent events. Once you make it to midseason unbeaten, you become a circled matchup on every opponent's schedule.

A Defiant Goose said:

Denver's got a pretty solid defense (if nothing else) and the game is in Denver. That one'll be tough. And the @Miami and @NYJ games.

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Didn't they have a top 5 defense in 2011 when we beat them twice, including once in Denver?

I know they had Tebow back then, but their offense right now doesn't appear to be a whole lot better than it was in 2011.

They've never shown they could contain Gronk. We're undefeated with him vs Denver. Brady has a pretty good track record against Wade's defenses too.

FourierSeries said:

Didn't they have a top 5 defense in 2011 when we beat them twice, including once in Denver?

I know they had Tebow back then, but their offense right now doesn't appear to be a whole lot better than it was in 2011.

They've never shown they could contain Gronk. We're undefeated with him vs Denver. Brady has a pretty good track record against Wade's defenses too.

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Make Miller and Ware run 20 yards upfield on every play for a half, and that will put an end to their pass rush. Tried and true. I have no idea why other teams don't do this.

I'd also throw at Talib early. Get a couple of completions on him, and he's a head case the rest of the day (ask Steve Smith).

patchick said:

Once you make it to midseason unbeaten, you become a circled matchup on every opponent's schedule.

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We benefit slightly in this piece because we're already the circled matchup, that's nothing new for this team.

TommyD4207 said:

Make Miller and Ware run 20 yards upfield on every play for a half, and that will put an end to their pass rush. Tried and true. I have no idea why other teams don't do this.

I'd also throw at Talib early. Get a couple of completions on him, and he's a head case the rest of the day (ask Steve Smith).

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Edelman and Amendola did pretty well against Talib and Harris last year. Von Miller, though he has had some good moments against us, has never been a huge factor. They've never beaten us with him on the field.

All of their top defensive players are usually nonfactors when playing NE. It's just a bad matchup for them.

FourierSeries said:

Didn't they have a top 5 defense in 2011 when we beat them twice, including once in Denver?

I know they had Tebow back then, but their offense right now doesn't appear to be a whole lot better than it was in 2011.

They've never shown they could contain Gronk. We're undefeated with him vs Denver. Brady has a pretty good track record against Wade's defenses too.

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Yea I'm not too worried about late November Seyton Manning. The 2011 defense had an over the hill Champ Bailey and...let me Google it real quick...Andre Goodman. Nothing like Talib and Chris Harris who are arguably the best duo in the league. I think the Patriots are capable of beating anyone on any field, except maybe Green Bay in Green Bay (as the teams stand right now). But prime time in Denver if their defense keeps playing the way they are will be one of the toughest games of the year I think.

But then, every time I think that about Denver the Pats go and beat em by 20+. So who knows.

A Defiant Goose said:

Yea I'm not too worried about late November Seyton Manning. The 2011 defense had an over the hill Champ Bailey and...let me Google it real quick...Andre Goodman. Nothing like Talib and Chris Harris who are arguably the best duo in the league. I think the Patriots are capable of beating anyone on any field, except maybe Green Bay in Green Bay (as the teams stand right now). But prime time in Denver if their defense keeps playing the way they are will be one of the toughest games of the year I think.

But then, every time I think that about Denver the Pats go and beat em by 20+. So who knows.

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Brady had no problem passing on them last year, despite their "top CB duo in the NFL."

FourierSeries said:

Edelman and Amendola did pretty well against Talib and Harris last year. Von Miller, though he has had some good moments against us, has never been a huge factor. They've never beaten us with him on the field.

All of their top defensive players are usually nonfactors when playing NE. It's just a bad matchup for them.

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Demarcus Ware is the only one on that line that even scares me a little bit, because he's not as dumb as Von Miller, and will eventually figure out he's being pushed up field. Hopefully, it will be after he's gassed.

I will say, @ Denver is a little different than playing here.

The thin air is a legit thing, and Belichick has never really figured out the right recipe to deal with it.

TommyD4207 said:

I will say, @ Denver is a little different than playing here.

The thin air is a legit thing, and Belichick has never really figured out the right recipe to deal with it.

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Well, the only time they played there with Gronk, they won decisively. The last game there (AFCCG in 2013) Brady had no one other than Edelman to throw it to. As long as we're healthy, I see a 10+ point victory.

FourierSeries said:

Brady had no problem passing on them last year, despite their "top CB duo in the NFL."

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Please don't make me argue in Denver's favor any more than I want to

A Defiant Goose said:

Please don't make me argue in Denver's favor any more than I want to

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I just don't see them as a threat. Let's wait until the GB game before we call them legit. They've gotten off to fast starts in each of the last 3 years and they have nothing to show for it.

TommyD4207 said:

I will say, @ Denver is a little different than playing here.

The thin air is a legit thing, and Belichick has never really figured out the right recipe to deal with it.

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@Denver is legit for sure. Of course, the way Peyton is getting hit it's probably 50-50 we'll be facing Osweiller in that game.