9-3 feels great...but something is still missing

[ATippett56]

Taylor is a poor example. Hes 37 and has been in decline for years.

Flacco is throwing the ball 6 more times a game this year without Mason, Heap and Housh to throw to. Thats a lot of experience to walk out the door. Teams are keying on Boldin as well.

The Baltimore Ravens offense is in transition this season just like the New England Patriots defensive secondary.

 

[randomk1]

I don't see how losing outside in 2006 has any impact on how well they will do in 2011.

Meh...why is that not relevant when he points out that a dome team has been losing games outside in the cold?

I think it's a big advantage to GB if it's between the Saints and them.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

Not sure if this is a joke or not. The only reason why this team is 9-3 is a combination of playing against back up QB's and a having a bunch of weak ass teams with below 500 records to feast upon. Even with all that this teams secondary is getting shredded by anybody and everybody. This is certainly not BB the GM or BB the coach best year.

When this team actually starts to play, you know, a good team, in the playoffs it is probably not going to go well.

Let me guess, you have never been confused for Albert Einstein.

 

[ensoul]

Let me guess, you have never been confused for Albert Einstein.

Let me guess, you're one of those people that go around insulting people for no reason instead of sticking to the discussion at hand.

 

[ATippett56]

Let me guess, you're one of those people that go around insulting people for no reason instead of sticking to the discussion at hand.

Lately the PatsFans message board has resulted in posters insulting others if they disagree with their way of thinking.

 

[loloooooooooooo]

Seriously how many teams in this league even has a decent QB now? the seperation between elite and bad qbs have widened since last year... It goes from Brady, Brees, Rodgers, Roethlisberger to below average qbs like Ryan and Flacco(both have been worse). The Ravens, Packers, Steelers all have not faced much decent teams. I'd say the Saint faced the most competition

 

[Deus Irae]

Seriously how many teams in this league even has a decent QB now? the seperation between elite and bad qbs have widened since last year... It goes from Brady, Brees, Rodgers, Roethlisberger to below average qbs like Ryan and Flacco(both have been worse). The Ravens, Packers, Steelers all have not faced much decent teams. I'd say the Saint faced the most competition

Another way to approach this is to ask the question a little differently:

How many bad teams have healthy good quarterbacks that aren't having horrible seasons?

I believe the answer is going to be either 0 or 1.


Look at all the teams currently in the playoffs:

Patriots
Texans (recent replacement)
Ravens
Broncos (winning, great TD/turnover ratio)
Steelers
Bengals

Packers
49ers
Saints
Cowboys
Bears (recent replacement)
Falcons

With the exception of the Ravens (noting that two teams just lost their starters), the teams are reflective of the quarterback play.

 

[Ron Sellers]

In the NFC, I just don't see how the Packers will be/can be denied a return trip to the SB. The Saints are awesome, but they haven't won an outdoor playoff game in their history and are 1--4 since 2006 in outdoor games played in December. I don't see that changing on the Frozen Tundra in January 2012.

In the AFC, I think any of the four 9--3 teams could get hot and put the pieces together not only to go to Indy, but to beat the Pack. I like the way Houston is "finding ways to win" with different QB's; teams that find ways to win in December usually do pretty well in January.

I don't see how losing outside in 2006 has any impact on how well they will do in 2011.

I do agree that what happened in 2006 doesn't really much to do with this year's team. However, what does have to be disconcerting to Saints fans is the difference in performance of the current team when they are on the road versus their performance at home. They're 3-3 on the road, and struggled mightily in a couple of those wins - and twice lost to teams (Bucs, Rams) they should have handled easily.

The Saints are simply not the same team at all when they have to go on the road that they are when they're able to play at home.

 

[PatsFan24]

Agreed that the team depends on Brady. If he has an off day they lose.

 

[ATippett56]

The Saints are simply not the same team at all when they have to go on the road that they are when they're able to play at home.

The same can be said about the Baltimore Ravens this year.

Baltimore Ravens Schedule at NFL.com

 

[NEPatriot]

Yes it is called a secondary. I am not looking at their record as a judgement as to how good they are but what I see on the field. What I have seen all season shows me no indication this team is as good as the 9-3 Steelers and Ravens. I am enjoying this season but I am under no illusions that this team is going to win a SB.

I don't think it's just the secondary. We get no push from our DL, which means we either have to try and blitz or let QB's sit back and have a lot of time to throw. In addition, O'Brien's game plan is usually very conservative early on and he's slow to make adjustments. Also, our OL hasn't been giving Brady the protection that he had earlier in the year.

 

[Ron Sellers]

I would bet my house that the NFC team respresentative wins this years Super Bowl .... Both Green Bay and New Orleans are miles ahead of the AFC top teams.

Considering the team's history in the SB, fans of this team should know better than any other that there is no absolute certainty as to who will or won't win the SB - especially considering there is still 25% of the season yet to be played.

At this time in 2001 the Rams were 10-2 en route to a 14-2, and conventional wisdom was that there was no way that the Greatest Show On Turf would not win the SB. The Pats were 6-5 and few thought they would make the playoffs; nobody was even thinking about the SB.

Take the viewpoint of the current Packers, multiply by ten, and that's what people thought of the 2007 Pats. The Giants had just been blown out by 24 at home, struggled to beat the hapless Lions the week before, and at 6-5 most figured that they wouldn't make the playoffs. We all know what happened there.

Fast forward to 2011, and just a few weeks ago people were talking about the Lions going undefeated, the Chargers would clinch the AFCW by Thanksgiving, the Bills were headed to the playoffs, and Brady-Rivers was going to be the new top NFL QB rivalry.


Much can and will change between now and January or February. I wouldn't assume anything - positive or negative - in regards to this, or any other NFL team.

 

[RhodyPatriot]

The Patriots are like an 8 cylinder engine only running on 5 or 6.
The defense cannot be relied upon when it matters and the offense rarely plays a strong 60 minutes.
The Patriots are very fortunate that mediocrity reigns in the NFL in 2011, which explains their 9 - 3 record.

 

[ATippett56]

The Ravens have a Sanchez clone in Flacco. He struggles to complete 55% of his passes. The Pats run defense is solid and I dont fear Ray Rice at all. No Sir.

Yet with all those supposed offensive problems the Ravens are sixth in scoring this season.

NFL Stats: by Team Category

 

[Triumph]

Yet with all those supposed offensive problems the Ravens are sixth in scoring this season.

NFL Stats: by Team Category

14 points came from the defense and 14 points from special teams NFL Stats: by Team Category

Flacco only has 13 TDs through 12 games. Approximately 1 TD per game.

 

[ATippett56]

The Patriots are very fortunate that mediocrity reigns in the NFL in 2011, which explains their 9 - 3 record.

The New England Patriots have only beaten three teams with winning records to date:

New York Jets 7-5
Oakland Raiders 7-5
Dallas Cowboys 7-5

 

[ATippett56]

14 points came from the defense and 14 points from special teams NFL Stats: by Team Category

Flacco only has 13 TDs through 12 games. Approximately 1 TD per game.

As I recall, football is a TEAM sport: offense, defense, special teams

 

[PatriotFan77]

The New England Patriots have only beaten three teams with winning records to date:

New York Jets 7-5
Oakland Raiders 7-5
Dallas Cowboys 7-5

So have the Steelers.

Tennessee
New England
Cincinnati

What is your point?

 

[Mack Herron]

I don't think it's just the secondary. We get no push from our DL, which means we either have to try and blitz or let QB's sit back and have a lot of time to throw. In addition, O'Brien's game plan is usually very conservative early on and he's slow to make adjustments. Also, our OL hasn't been giving Brady the protection that he had earlier in the year.

It is easy to focus on all the FAs roaming the secondary but the loss of Wright and Pryor were huge. When they went down, we lost our 2 most athletic inside guys and virtually all of our inside pressure. Now with few DL threats it is easy for most teams to block our DL and there is ample time for WRs to run double moves and deep patterns. Been a problem from day 1 and still is.

 

[Ron Sellers]

The Patriots are like an 8 cylinder engine only running on 5 or 6.
The defense cannot be relied upon when it matters and the offense rarely plays a strong 60 minutes.
The Patriots are very fortunate that mediocrity reigns in the NFL in 2011, which explains their 9 - 3 record.

The New England Patriots have only beaten three teams with winning records to date:

New York Jets 7-5
Oakland Raiders 7-5
Dallas Cowboys 7-5

Same number of teams the Steelers and Texans have beaten that have winning records, if I'm not mistaken.