As of March 15, have the Dolphins caught the Pats?

[drewdagreat]

No way. We are ahead. They still have no line or secondary.

 

[primetime]

Yes, they have. Both teams are 0-0.

 

[cdillon28]

If Daunte is healthy and the Dolphins can get it together on Defense then the Phins will challenge the Patriots for the AFC East if the Patriots stand pat without filling any holes that have been created (not counting the NFL draft) by some offseason losses at this present time.

 

[patsox23]

For the love of CHRIST, this is ridiculous. Miami is a team we almost beat with 2nd and 3rd stringers in week 17 last year. Culpepper is obviously an upgrade, but I would be surprised if he put up better numbers on us than Frerotte did, given how insanely efficient he managed to be against us.

This thread and this new poster are a freakin' JOKE. Newbies shouldn't have to be screened, but this guy's making me think otherwise.

 

[Jacky Roberts]

For the love of CHRIST, this is ridiculous. Miami is a team we almost beat with 2nd and 3rd stringers in week 17 last year. Culpepper is obviously an upgrade, but I would be surprised if he put up better numbers on us than Frerotte did, given how insanely efficient he managed to be against us.

This thread and this new poster are a freakin' JOKE. Newbies shouldn't have to be screened, but this guy's making me think otherwise.

The thread is about the Pats and Miami's situation as of today. Things will change, but the point is the impression that the Pats are asleep at the switch while their chief rival finally got the QB they needed. Sorry if I left my pom poms at home, but anyone who isn't concerned right now is whistling past the graveyard.

 

[InBillITrust]

Culpepper makes Miami a better team, and Nick Saban is a good coach. We can't all be homers here. I think Miami will give the Pats a run for their money next year, and finish something like 10-6. I still see the Pats edging them for the division however.

 

[PATSNUTme]

That 3/18 game has been worrying the **** out of me ever since the schedule came out.

 

[OldEnglandPatriot]

I think beating them with 2nd/3rd string, as pointed out, INCLUDING a QB taking his first snaps in the NFL, speaks volumes.

I guess they'll at least giving us a run for our money for the division, but I can't see the Pats failing to be AFCE champs. Again.

 

[Patriotic Fervor]

...but the point is the impression that the Pats are asleep at the switch while their chief rival finally got the QB they needed. Sorry if I left my pom poms at home, but anyone who isn't concerned right now is whistling past the graveyard.

What a gratuious statement!

Asleep at the switch? Whistling past the graveyard? Where do you get off coming out with stuff like that?

You think you know more than this front office? Let's see you put forth a plan for player acquisition for this team. To give you every benefit of the doubt, it doesn't even have to be comprehensive.

Just let us see something.

If you can't do that, then don't bother posting the stupid comments.

 

[Jacky Roberts]

What a gratuious statement!

Asleep at the switch? Whistling past the graveyard? Where do you get off coming out with stuff like that?

You think you know more than this front office? Let's see you put forth a plan for player acquisition for this team. To give you every benefit of the doubt, it doesn't even have to be comprehensive.

Just let us see something.

If you can't do that, then don't bother posting the stupid comments.

Do you know what "giving the impression" means? It means that it appears they are doing nothing while their competition is making great strides. Did you read the entire thing I wrote? Obviously not.

Player acquisition: Ok, sign the best kicker available (Vinatieri). How bout starting with that?

 

[JoeSixPat]

If the season started tomorrow, I think the Patriots would be a step behind Miami. Culpepper is injured and a lot depends on him, but with what Miami has done coupled with what Belichick hasn't done, have the Fins made the AFC East a two horse race? Are they ahead right now?

Not to pile on, but asking this question is akin to Pete Carrol saying that "if only we could have played another quarter we could have beaten them..."

Games aren't 5 quarters long and no games are won in March.

Indeed it seems to me that injuries have played a key role for many SB winners - whether they are healthy and peaking at the right time and whether they have the quality middle class backup players to step in and keep the team moving forward when starters are injured.

There's no guarantee that any of the players the Dolphins or any of those players signed thus far in FA will have any impact come January

 

[cdillon28]

Do you know what "giving the impression" means? It means that it appears they are doing nothing while their competition is making great strides. Did you read the entire thing I wrote? Obviously not.

Player acquisition: Ok, sign the best kicker available (Vinatieri). How bout starting with that?

Unlike some of the members of this fine website. I can see what you're saying.
Hey look, for the most part we are all Patriot fans, we see that the Pats are 20 million under the cap and doing nothing (not with their own players or free agents). We see are closest rival getting better on offense and we know that Saban will sure up his defense. It's natural to feel a little anxious. No one is screaming Bill and Scott are clueless that's not what people are doing, but when you look at the total miss that BB had with Monty and Chad Brown at linebacker and the miss with Duane Starks, any sane individual would question what the leadership there in Foxboro is doing. Listen I love the good times right now. I just don't want to go back to the bad times.

 

[AzPatsFan]

Not even close. The Phish have no offensive line. They have no defensive backfield anymore. Their interior DL is getting awfully old and depth is nonexistent.

It si true that Sabsn has done a job obtaining competitive skill position players on offens but that is all; while he has dismantled the defense and scrapped all his efforts from last year on stabilizing the O-line.

Cripes, you guys seem to think that you meeasure a team by QB, RB and WRs abd TE only. Sorry about that it takes a whole lot more, than five players to make a team...

 

[minvardar]

This is how BB and SP do it every single year lately. They wait patiently until all the foolish teams overspend for players and then find players who are released at a later date. Do you think Givens is worth 5 millon a year? Do you think Randle El a #3 receiver should be paid #1 money? Do you think a center should make 36 million over 6 years? Do you think you should pay a left guard 7 million a year (7% of salary cap)? I can go on and on but I won't. If you answered yes to any of these questions then you need to be a redskins fan. I repeat this is what they do every year. And every year the worriers come out and think we are doomed.

No we were not very lucky with Starks, Brown, Beisel (jury still out on him). But it was not those signings that cost us against Denver. It was turnovers. last I checked none of these three lost any turnovers. We can't get good free agents every year, nobody can.

Vinatieri wants 3.5 million a year. Pats will not pay that. I don't tyhink anyone will. But if someone does they have just spent 3.5% of their cap on a kicker. Not good business. I believe they would make Adam the highest paid kicker but not at 3.5 million. Didn't they already offer to make him the highest paid kicker?

Anyway I will continue to shake my head at the people who cannot help themselves. You know, the ones who panic and start we are doomed threads.

 

[CrazyDave]

Do you know what "giving the impression" means? It means that it appears they are doing nothing while their competition is making great strides.

.

Player acquisition: Ok, sign the best kicker available (Vinatieri). How bout starting with that?

Personally, I don't think signing some FA's, and "making great strides" are necessarily the same thing. We signed 2 LB's last year, but I don't think we made any great strides by doing so

Does that mean we should sign him no matter how much $ he wants?
I'm not trying to pile on, just putting my 2cents in.

 

[Mike the Brit]

This is how BB and SP do it every single year lately.

You're absolutely right: they're bottom feeders. That was great when they put together the first SB team -- they had a whole long list of guys who had been overlooked/badly coached/written off too early (many of them from the Jets). In those days, no one really saw them coming. "Oh well, Vrabel hasn't done a lot here but he'll have a chance to start in New England. Why not?" Now, though, I think it's got a lot harder.

No we were not very lucky with Starks, Brown, Beisel (jury still out on him). But it was not those signings that cost us against Denver. It was turnovers.

That begs the question, if I may say so -- the reason that they didn't give up any turn-overs was that they weren't on the field. Why was that?

last I checked none of these three lost any turnovers. We can't get good free agents every year, nobody can.

Vinatieri wants 3.5 million a year. Pats will not pay that. I don't tyhink anyone will. But if someone does they have just spent 3.5% of their cap on a kicker. Not good business. I believe they would make Adam the highest paid kicker but not at 3.5 million. Didn't they already offer to make him the highest paid kicker?

Supposedly, 3.5 million.

Anyway I will continue to shake my head at the people who cannot help themselves. You know, the ones who panic and start we are doomed threads.

I agree.

Ten characters

 

[Patriotic Fervor]

Do you know what "giving the impression" means?

Yeah, in your case it seems to mean you know more than the front office people.

It means that it appears they are doing nothing while their competition is making great strides.

To quote Einstien, "Never confuse motion with action."

Did you read the entire thing I wrote? Obviously not.

Yes, I did. In retrospect, it proved to be a waste of time.

Player acquisition: Ok, sign the best kicker available (Vinatieri). How bout starting with that?

I applaud your "start". Now, imagine you're the team GM. You gonna pay this guy $3½ million a year for however long he wants the contract? And if you do, how are you going to present this picture to other, deserving players on your team (i.e., the rest of them)?

They're doing "nothing" because that's what conditions warrant. They are not "asleep at the switch", and they most assuredly are not "whistling past the graveyard".

They seem to have a much firmer grasp on reality than you do.

Entertain us. Show us some more player acquisition moves....

 

[NE_PATS_FAN_54]

If the season started tomorrow, I think the Patriots would be a step behind Miami. Culpepper is injured and a lot depends on him, but with what Miami has done coupled with what Belichick hasn't done, have the Fins made the AFC East a two horse race? Are they ahead right now?

well of course, thats why the season starts in september

 

[Patriotic Fervor]

Originally Posted by minvardar
This is how BB and SP do it every single year lately.

You're absolutely right: they're bottom feeders. That was great when they put together the first SB team -- they had a whole long list of guys who had been overlooked/badly coached/written off too early (many of them from the Jets). In those days, no one really saw them coming. "Oh well, Vrabel hasn't done a lot here but he'll have a chance to start in New England. Why not?" Now, though, I think it's got a lot harder.

Yes, it has. But they aren't necessarily "bottom feeders". Couldn't, wouldn't, you rather say, "shrewd judges of talent"?


No we were not very lucky with Starks, Brown, Beisel (jury still out on him). But it was not those signings that cost us against Denver. It was turnovers.

That begs the question, if I may say so -- the reason that they didn't give up any turn-overs was that they weren't on the field. Why was that?

Because they are defensive players! I thought you knew the difference!


last I checked none of these three lost any turnovers. We can't get good free agents every year, nobody can.

Vinatieri wants 3.5 million a year. Pats will not pay that. I don't tyhink anyone will. But if someone does they have just spent 3.5% of their cap on a kicker. Not good business. I believe they would make Adam the highest paid kicker but not at 3.5 million. Didn't they already offer to make him the highest paid kicker?

Supposedly, 3.5 million.

No, they offered him 2.5 million. No bonuses, no guaranteed money. Just 2½ mil on an essentially "make good" contract.


Anyway I will continue to shake my head at the people who cannot help themselves. You know, the ones who panic and start we are doomed threads.

I agree.

Don't we all?

Post requires at least 10 characters, and here they are!

 

[Welker83]

I like to hold back predictions till at least after the draft...