Are the Patriots fading?

[Bella*chick]

WE LOST CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES WITH WELKER TOO.

Has everybody forgotten that little fact? So how can that be where we screwed up when we replaced his production?

Gronk out, Hernandez scum, Mayo, Wilfork out…THAT'S WHAT WENT WRONG.

That guy is an IDIOT.

 

[borg]

CHB on 98.5 now.....bring your hate

 

[Uncle Rico]

One of the youngest teams in the league made the AFCCG 3 years in a row.

If that's fading not sure what the other 31 teams in the league are about.

100%. So funny to see all these columns burying the Pats and whining about their shortcomings when there are 29 other teams that can only wish they were so flawed.

Future is bright.

 

[The Brandon Five]

The Patriots will fade when Brady does. It's impossible to tell whether or not that's happening right now, though. He badly missed on some throws down the stretch on Sunday but, with that being said, he also had one of the worst WR corps in the league to work with as well. Get him some weapons to go along with (what will be then) the second year guys and get some pieces on defense and we should be right back there again.

Might be that he has trouble adjusting to how the ball carries in the rarified air of Denver...his longest TD there was 73 yards in the Divisional Playoff game in 2005. I don't remember the play, so I am not sure how much of that was in the air vs. YAC.

 

[Kontradiction]

I think Brady is right there with Marino, Montana, and Manning as the greatest ever.

I also think you're wrong. I've never thought of Brady as a great long-ball thrower, and that's been a missing ingredient the last couple of years when the middle of the field (Gronkowski) fell apart.

Brady's long ball has been fine, as he's demonstrated time and again when he has a receiver open downfield. Problem is that the offense has been based around the short passing game since 2010 and they've only had receivers that have excelled in that area of the field instead of receivers that compliment one another. Dobson showed flashes of being able to threaten different areas of the field, but he was not consistent enough even before he got injured. The fact that Matthew "stone hands" Slater was playing receiver just to try to stretch the field this past Sunday should tell you everything you need to know.

 

[Patsrock]

I am sick of the Patriots haven't won a Super Bowl in 9 seasons crap from reporters and other fans.

What about these teams and how they haven't won a Super Bowl in a lot more years or never

Arizona-never
Det-never
Philly-never
Tenn-never
SD-never
Buf-never
Clev-never
Minn-never
Atl-never
Cincy-never
Sea-never
Jac-never
Car-never
Hou-never
NYJ-45
KC-44
Mia-40
Oak-30
Chi-28
Was-22
SF-18
Dal-18
Den-15
StL=14
TB-11

 

[Gronkandez]

It's actually an $8 million cap hit. Which unless they redo it there is no way they are taking that hit for their 4th receiving option when they have to pay Decker.

Also they didn't mess up the Welker situation. Welker and his agent thought there would be multiple offers after the Pats offered him their deal. There was only one team who offered him a better deal and it was the Titans. But Welker told the Patriots no, so they moved on. Then Welker had to beg Denver to make that deal which it was a 1 year $6 million deal made to look like a 2 year deal $12 million.

If Welker truly wanted to be here he would have been here.

I just looked up his contract details and it says the contract is fully guaranteed. I think they mean just the salary portion is guaranteed, not the roster bonus. So I think cutting him would only shave their cap number from $8M down to $5M?

EDIT: I verified from many other sources that his 2014 Salary is NOT guaranteed.

3/13/2013: Signed a two-year, $12 million contract. The deal is fully guaranteed, including a $4 million signing bonus. Another $150,000 is available through incentives for each year Welker catches 90-plus passes. 2013: $2 million, 2014: $3 million (+ $3 million roster bonus), 2015: Free agent

Wes Welker - Denver Broncos - 2014 Player Profile - Rotoworld.com

 

[Crononaut]

3 straight AFC championships is fading? I think the writer might be the one who is fading...

Yep, the 49ers might as well pack it in now too, make way for all those teams that can't string together enough wins to make a title game and therefore are emerging as the future. GMAFB.

 

[reflexblue]

Shaughnessy: Fading Patriots are lucky Broncos didn't beat them much worse - The Denver Post

Came across this article by Shaughnessy,he made a lot of good points on losing back to back AFC Championship, on Brady running out of time, on this team being vulnerable, and last, the whole Welker situation where it appears that we messed up.

He may not be liked here but it's hard to disagree when we keep losing big games.

I went back and looked at about ten of your posts. Were you born a troll or did you work at becoming one.

 

[Patsrock]

I just looked up his contract details and it says the contract is fully guaranteed. I think they mean just the salary portion is guaranteed, not the roster bonus. So I think cutting him would only shave their cap number from $8M down to $5M?

EDIT: I verified from many other sources that his 2014 Salary is NOT guaranteed.



Wes Welker - Denver Broncos - 2014 Player Profile - Rotoworld.com

» Over the Cap- Wes Welker Salary Cap and Contract Page

Says they would save 6M in releasing him.

 

[Christiancat]

Yep, the 49ers might as well pack it in now too, make way for all those teams that can't string together enough wins to make a title game and therefore are emerging as the future. GMAFB.

The 49ers have made the nfc championship game the past three years. With one of those 3 years also making the Super Bowl.

 

[Whitt25]

The 49ers have made the afc championship game the past three years. With one of those 3 years also making the Super Bowl.

It's called sarcasm.

 

[Tunescribe]

Shaughnessy: Fading Patriots are lucky Broncos didn't beat them much worse - The Denver Post

Came across this article by Shaughnessy,he made a lot of good points on losing back to back AFC Championship, on Brady running out of time, on this team being vulnerable, and last, the whole Welker situation where it appears that we messed up.

He may not be liked here but it's hard to disagree when we keep losing big games.

It's a load of crap to bait people like you.

Here is a succinct rebuttal to his nonsense: the season ended with 10 of 22 starters sidelined and a whopping 15 players on IR. There, my friend, is your "fade."

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

We've made it at least as far as the conference championship game 3 years in a row and 8 times since 2001.

Please list for me the other teams making it to at least 8 conference championship games in 12 years in the Super Bowl era. Please feel free to even include those teams built before the salary cap existed.

not the Steelers, who made it that far 7 times in 13 years, 1972-1984
Pittsburgh Steelers Playoff History - Pro-Football-Reference.com

not the 49ers, but almost, who did 7 in 12, 8 in 13, and 9 in 14 years 1991-1994
San Francisco 49ers Playoff History - Pro-Football-Reference.com

The Cowboys did do it, 10 times in 13 years 1970-1982
Dallas Cowboys Playoff History - Pro-Football-Reference.com

So we are STILL in the midst of a top 3 run, with the salary cap, with the 2nd youngest team in the league, with the best coach ever, with a QB still with some tread on the tires.

 

[Ivan]

The Patriots will fade when Brady does. It's impossible to tell whether or not that's happening right now, though. He badly missed on some throws down the stretch on Sunday but, with that being said, he also had one of the worst WR corps in the league to work with as well. Get him some weapons to go along with (what will be then) the second year guys and get some pieces on defense and we should be right back there again.

I agree but Brady also has to go back to taking what is there and moving the chains. Too often imo he starts taking really bad shots downfield, such as the one to Slater the other day, when a first down is readily available for him. I agree they need to get him more weapons though and i don't think that simply expecting the young WR's to step up next season is a good approach.bring in serious competition for them and see who survives. Add a really good WR prospect and a really good TE prospect early in the draft and address some other needs in free agency. they have to get more creative with their cap and find some of the ways around it that other teams use, they are too conservative with it and need to make the push to get over the hump before it is too late. Their consistency from season to season is incredibly impressive but ultimately they need another ring to finalize the legacies of both Belichick and Brady and have this era end on the right note.

 

[patsfan13]

Well Brady would seem to have 2-5 years left as an efficient QB, and certainly a knowledgeable QB with an off the charts football IQ that won't fade when he loses some arm strength.


As for the roster it is the 2nd youngest in the league. fade, not yet the column is a few years premature.

 

[Bella*chick]

The 49ers have made the afc championship game the past three years. With one of those 3 years also making the Super Bowl.

They made the nfc championship game, not afc. And they did take a step down from last year when they actually made the Superbowl so a dope COULD argue that it is the beginnings of a fade.

The point is it's dumb to say it.

 

[Christiancat]

As far as the Patriots they are doing fine. They made the afc championship 3 times over the past 3 years and in 2011 made a Super Bowl appearance.

 

[Christiancat]

They made the nfc championship game, not afc. And they did take a step down from last year when they actually made the Superbowl so a dope COULD argue that it is the beginnings of a fade.

The point is it's dumb to say it.

Yeah not thinking and writing to fast on my ipad. I corrected that little error in my post. I don't agree that it's the beginning of a fade. The 49ers lost by 3 points in the Super Bowl.

 

[Crononaut]

The 49ers have made the afc championship game the past three years. With one of those 3 years also making the Super Bowl.

Precisely. And they're described (correctly) as resurgent, dominant, and one of the best teams in football. Just pointing out the absurdity of the article by highlighting another team who, over the past three years, has had a nearly identical playoff outcome.

It's amazing how quickly fans grow complacent with success. Two years ago the Texans win their first playoff game ever (I think). Then this year past it's Superbowl or bust? Granted we all know how THAT turned out, but that was legitimately the expectation of the fan base. After ONE great season!