Are the Patriots a 3rd place team?

[Patspsycho]

I dont understand why the people continue to bash people who give a honest opinion.. right now they are a thrid place team...

Who is rushing the passer??

Who is the third WR??? Although I think we upgraded huge at TE as long as the Grownkoski kid holds up...

But if we cant rush the passer it will be like last year.. So its only april and anything could happen, but there are some questions still left unawnsered on the team that need to get figured out before sept...

If you know who is rushing the passer, then your pass-rushing is ineffective!

 

[40yrpatsfan]

Oh my god!!!! Is anyone listening to Felger and Mazz right now!!!!????

They are TRASHING the Pats saying the fans have NO reason to be excited for this season. Everything we did in the draft is s**t!!

Can we organize a boycott to get these morons off the air?? I'm not looking for a homers perspective but this is seriously RIDICULOUS!

To be honest, I would love a homers perspective. I wish one of these shows would have the balls to act like homers.

I'm very bullish about this Pats team. Best defensive depth-speed-strength in many years. Brady will be all the way back this year. Losing Welker is offset to a degree by Edelman's similar skill set. Moss playing for a contract. Entire team sick of getting close so many times the past 5 years. I think we're due and this could definitely be the year.

 

[PatsSox363804]

Even if they are a 3rd place team (and I think they're better than that, personally) it's really annoying that we are fans of a team in seemingly the only media market that actively roots against all of the home teams.

 

[slash83]

3rd place team in the conference yeah, 3rd place in the division absolutely not.

 

[emoney_33]

right now they are a thrid place team...

This makes absolutely no sense, right now no one has a record.

Who is rushing the passer??

The Patriots, pass rush is more scheme and situation than one dominant force destroying the OL. Pass rushing is very important, a pass rusher is highly overrated here.

Who is the third WR??? Although I think we upgraded huge at TE as long as the Grownkoski kid holds up...

Assuming Welker at least misses the beginning of the season...

Holt, Tate, Patten, Price... one of them will win the reps.

But if we cant rush the passer it will be like last year..

You do know we were in fact NOT 3rd place in the division last year right?

So its only april and anything could happen, but there are some questions still left unawnsered on the team that need to get figured out before sept...

Hate to break it to ya, but there are exactly 0 teams with 0 unanswered questions right now.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Is anyone listening to this moron fan Matt who is arguing on WEEI right now that he's just sick and tired of the team trading down because they can get a better player at 18 than trading down (even if they take the same player...)...

It's just unfreakinbelievable.

 

[fair catch fryar]

It will definitely be a tougher year as I believe the AFC East is exceptionally better, but the Pats still have the biggest advantage that those clowns never seem to factor in....Tom Brady. I'll take my chances on winning the AFC East with #12 over any other QB in football, let alone the division. He has one more year under his belt after coming back from his injury. Granted receiving is a question mark going into the year, but wasn't it a concern heading into '06. If it hadn't been for a defensive collapse in the 2nd half in Indy then the Pats would've have easily beaten the Bears in the SB.

 

[Rob0729]

I do love how Felger on Friday trashed Belichick for trading down and picking up picks and drafting McCourty at 27 because he felt Belichick should have stayed at 22 and drafted McCourty there (Well, he didn't say McCourty specifically at 22, but Belichick states he would have drafted McCourty at 22 anyway and based on the players selected from 22 to 27, it is hard to argue he wouldn't have). As if McCourty would have been a better pick at 22.

Sorry, I have defended Felger a lot, but he has gone off the deep end a bit this offseason.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Is anyone listening to this moron fan Matt who is arguing on WEEI right now that he's just sick and tired of the team trading down because they can get a better player at 18 than trading down (even if they take the same player...)...

It's just unfreakinbelievable.

The same people who are complaining about the Pats trading down are probably the same people who WISHED they traded down from 21 in 2006 and thereby gave the Colts Maroney

You can't make some happy

 

[Rob0729]

BTW, the people who argue how much better the Jets have gotten and how worse the Pats have gotten refuse to see how many pieces both teams have lost. Both those teams have lost many key players.

I think the Jets' run offense has gone from a huge strength to a question mark. They have turned over the entire RB corp (only Shonn Greene remains and he goes from mostly a 3rd down/change of pace back to full time lead) and gotten rid of one of their best run blockers and replaced him with a raw rookie. That is a lot of changes for a position of strength to not be questioning whether they tinkered too much.

And don't get me started on all the head cases they have on the team and how many more they added this offseason. I give it till midseason until half the team will be showing up to the stadium with buses with their faces on the side.

The Dolphins have dismantled an already mediocre defense. Their NT tackle is gone for the first 8 games. Their two leading sackers are gone. They got rid of their starting FS (although he wasn't that good). They are also looking to dump Justin Smiley (not their best o-lineman, but a starter).

 

[40yrpatsfan]

I have (hate) to agree about the Jets part. They really improved their team, that was leading the AFCCG at half time. They really had no holes to fill prior to the draft, the draft was just a luxary after a very good offseason. And they still did very well in the draft (I disagree with Kiper, I think we did better), so I have to think, they are the favorites to win the division (unfortunately). I really think the only position where we have them beat is QB.

The Jets were on a roll at the end of last year, but no more so than the Giants of a couple years prior, and what happened to them? Fell off the earth. I really think that's what will happen to the Jets. They caught fire in a bottle late last season, but this is a new and separate season.

For starters, I think they're going to open the season 0-3. The Ravens are going to come in and smoke them in their new stadium opener. Then the Pats are going to beat them a week later before they get their sh*t together. Then they're @ Miami where they always have trouble. They also have to play the Vikings, @ Denver, the Packers, the Bengals, and @ NE and @ Pitt in December - there's 3-4 more losses for sure.

Holmes is suspended for the first 4 weeks. Cromartie will need half the season to get acclimated. Will Jenkins be his old self - don't know. Many veterans are already upset about the release or trading of Jones, Washington, Faneca, etc.

So their ceiling is 10-6, and I think they'll match last year's 9-7.

 

[Intommywetrst]

The Jets were on a roll at the end of last year, but no more so than the Giants of a couple years prior, and what happened to them? Fell off the earth. I really think that's what will happen to the Jets. They caught fire in a bottle late last season, but this is a new and separate season.

For starters, I think they're going to open the season 0-3. The Ravens are going to come in and smoke them in their new stadium opener. Then the Pats are going to beat them a week later before they get their sh*t together. Then they're @ Miami where they always have trouble. They also have to play the Vikings, @ Denver, the Packers, the Bengals, and @ NE and @ Pitt in December - there's 3-4 more losses for sure.

Holmes is suspended for the first 4 weeks. Cromartie will need half the season to get acclimated. Will Jenkins be his old self - don't know. Many veterans are already upset about the release or trading of Jones, Washington, Faneca, etc.

So their ceiling is 10-6, and I think they'll match last year's 9-7.

I think you're my favorite poster today.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

I do love how Felger on Friday trashed Belichick for trading down and picking up picks and drafting McCourty at 27 because he felt Belichick should have stayed at 22 and drafted McCourty there (Well, he didn't say McCourty specifically at 22, but Belichick states he would have drafted McCourty at 22 anyway and based on the players selected from 22 to 27, it is hard to argue he wouldn't have). As if McCourty would have been a better pick at 22.

Sorry, I have defended Felger a lot, but he has gone off the deep end a bit this offseason.

Matt the caller was pretty wound up. Sounded like he'd just come off a Felger high and was determined to spread the message. He prefaced it all by saying he wasn't real familiar with draftees (ours or any others available) and was basing his complaints purely on principle. It was honestly one of the more pathetic calls they've ever taken, and Glen let him go on for 5 minutes as they tried to explain his disconnect to him because he said they are flabbergasted at the number of texts and calls they are receiving who only want to make the same case. And they mentioned some media seem to be experiencing the same disconnect... The higher the pick is better philosophy.

At one point he tried to insinuate how it was clearly an indication of cheapness. Only Steve explained to him that if you have to pay the player you select with the pick you gain that dog won't hunt...

 

[ScottieC]

Last night I made the mistake of watching a sunday sports show with Felge, Borges and Gaspar.

I have never seen Gaspar on TV and have read some of his articles. He's young and fed right into the Felger-Borges Patriots hate. He said that he wondered if the patriots fans are willing to accept this team as a 3rd place team. Then they started to compare the Patriots to the Red Sox in that the ratings and attendance for the Red Sox have dropped.

Well comparing the Patriots to the Red Sox is like waving a red towel in front of this bull. Secondly these brainiacs forget that the jest were a 7-7 team on their way to 7-8 and out of the playoffs until the Colts took a dive

Yes the Jest and Fins have improved a bit over last year but after this draft, I think the Patriots have also. It will be a tougher division no doubt but declaring the Patriots a 3rd place team is a bit much, don't you think?

3rd Place????

I'm sorry, did I miss where the Patriots traded Tom Brady?

A bit much? Yea, I think so.

 

[Rob0729]

Matt the caller was pretty wound up. Sounded like he'd just come off a Felger high and was determined to spread the message. He prefaced it all by saying he wasn't real familiar with draftees (ours or any others available) and was basing his complaints purely on principle. It was honestly one of the more pathetic calls they've ever taken, and Glen let him go on for 5 minutes as they tried to explain his disconnect to him because he said they are flabbergasted at the number of texts and calls they are receiving who only want to make the same case. And they mentioned some media seem to be experiencing the same disconnect... The higher the pick is better philosophy.

At one point he tried to insinuate how it was clearly an indication of cheapness. Only Steve explained to him that if you have to pay the player you select with the pick you gain that dog won't hunt...

Well, Matt is the reason I hate the big show because they should have cut him off right when he showed he was a moron, but that is another argument for another thread.

But Felger is on a mission this offseason to rally against the Pats' strategy of "value" and going for guys who "fit their" system rather than being agressive and paying "studs". All the sudden, the Pats haven't had a winning season and the Daniel Snyder way of building a team wins championships.

Yes, on the face of it, the Patriots today doesn't look like they are a championship team. But if you said in September of 2006 that the Pats would be one minute away from going (and probably winning) the Super Bowl that season, most people would have said you were crazy. If you said in September of 2001 that the Patriots would beat the Greatest Show on Turf in the Super Bowl, you would have laughed even harder. Both those teams got where they got not because they had stud players, but good players who fit into the system. If anything, the Pats moved away from that in recent years and this draft looks like a strong push to get back to that philosophy.

 

[Ring 6]

I dont understand why the people continue to bash people who give a honest opinion.. right now they are a thrid place team...

Who is rushing the passer??

Who is the third WR??? Although I think we upgraded huge at TE as long as the Grownkoski kid holds up...

But if we cant rush the passer it will be like last year.. So its only april and anything could happen, but there are some questions still left unawnsered on the team that need to get figured out before sept...

No one is being bashed for giving an honest opinion.
They are being bashed (in the rare cases of bashing) for giving an opinion they fail to support.
Obviously you think the Pats pretty much suck, but you havent shown anywhere that I have seen how they have declined of the other teams who were mediocre last year (Jets 7-7 in games teams tried, Dolphins 7-9) have gotten better than us.
You are essentially saying we are 3rd behind 2 very average teams. Yesterday you said we were LIGHT YEARS BEHIND the Jets and Miami.

Other than whining:
Who will rush the passer (note that Miami lost their top 2, and the Jets had essentailly as many sacks as us last year) or who is the 3rd WR (its Edleman until Welker is healthy)
you aren't adding anything. We didnt rush the passer well last year and were 10-5 with one loss we pulled the starters from. Why does the pass rush now make us worse that a .500 or less than .500 team?
Do they have weaknesses?

 

[dhamz]

It is certainly possible this team finishes 3rd in the AFC East. Or 2nd. Or 1st. In the modern NFL it wouldn't make sense to discount any of those possibilities. On paper this team does have quality talent but doesn't look like the dominant team it has been much of the last decade. I think 4th place would be stunning based on how the Bills look on paper.

Seriously without having seen any of the rookies or knowing Welker's status or knowing how the 2 young QBs in NY and Mia develop there is no way to predict much of anything other than to say it is a lot closer on paper at least than it looked in previous Aprils.

 

[Ring 6]

I have (hate) to agree about the Jets part. They really improved their team, that was leading the AFCCG at half time. They really had no holes to fill prior to the draft, the draft was just a luxary after a very good offseason. And they still did very well in the draft (I disagree with Kiper, I think we did better), so I have to think, they are the favorites to win the division (unfortunately). I really think the only position where we have them beat is QB.

Please outline all of the imporvements they made.
I dont see it.

 

[Sean Pa Patriot]

No one is being bashed for giving an honest opinion.
They are being bashed (in the rare cases of bashing) for giving an opinion they fail to support.
Obviously you think the Pats pretty much suck, but you havent shown anywhere that I have seen how they have declined of the other teams who were mediocre last year (Jets 7-7 in games teams tried, Dolphins 7-9) have gotten better than us.
You are essentially saying we are 3rd behind 2 very average teams. Yesterday you said we were LIGHT YEARS BEHIND the Jets and Miami.

Other than whining:
Who will rush the passer (note that Miami lost their top 2, and the Jets had essentailly as many sacks as us last year) or who is the 3rd WR (its Edleman until Welker is healthy)
you aren't adding anything. We didnt rush the passer well last year and were 10-5 with one loss we pulled the starters from. Why does the pass rush now make us worse that a .500 or less than .500 team?
Do they have weaknesses?

No I did not say they suck, I see the jets and dolphins make some good improvements , and improve enough that the division is no longer a lock... Besides a solid draft and re sign quailty players what did we do, where we can say we are the clear cut fav??? Right now I see more talent on the jets defense then the pats defense, but the Pats have the better HC and QB.. The dolphins have a better running game than the pats, but i think we are even with them in WR and also better in hc and QB...

But you do know last year we lost to both mediocre jets and dolphins teams , and they have improved you have to admit that... But I guess its just common here that when your not saying everything is hunky dory in Pats land , pats fans must fight with other pats fans...

Boy I also remember in 2008 how everyone here was stoked about Whilhite and Wheatly, how is that working out??? And lets not forget about Shaun Crable the solution to the lb problems... So nothing is a given, the only given is the jets and dolphins have added people that have played at a nfl level, while we have added youth, which most times leads to a challenge in the early stages of a season...

 

[BSR]

No I did not say they suck, I see the jets and dolphins make some good improvements , and improve enough that the division is no longer a lock... Besides a solid draft and re sign quailty players what did we do, where we can say we are the clear cut fav??? Right now I see more talent on the jets defense then the pats defense, but the Pats have the better HC and QB.. The dolphins have a better running game than the pats, but i think we are even with them in WR and also better in hc and QB...

But you do know last year we lost to both mediocre jets and dolphins teams , and they have improved you have to admit that... But I guess its just common here that when your not saying everything is hunky dory in Pats land , pats fans must fight with other pats fans...

Boy I also remember in 2008 how everyone here was stoked about Whilhite and Wheatly, how is that working out??? And lets not forget about Shaun Crable the solution to the lb problems... So nothing is a given, the only given is the jets and dolphins have added people that have played at a nfl level, while we have added youth, which most times leads to a challenge in the early stages of a season...

Take a look at the performance of the QBs on the best teams last year...you will notice a trend. It all starts with the QB. Teams with good QBs rarely end up in third place, especially when there are no other good QBs in the division. Until Sanchez or Henne turn the corner then the Jets and Dolphins shouldn't be favored. Simple as that.