Brace Yourselves - We're in For A Tough Ride

[aluminum seats]

Injuries prior to and during the game killed the New England Patriots versus the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2004. Deion Branch and Corey Dillon did not dress. Tom Ashworth was lost for the season prior to the Pittsburgh Steelers game. Matt Light and Kevin Faulk went down during the game.

Yup. I was going to say that neither of those games (in '03 & '04) were as bad as yesterday's, because the '03 game was that bizarre Milloy-hangover game, and the Pitt game in '04 was filled with fluky plays in the first half, along w/the injuries you mention.

But I decided against it, because I think the larger point is that, regardless of the specifics, one game does not a season make, however it shakes out.

 

[Halifax_Pats_Fan]

I think going forward, and I don't know if it has been mentioned yet, is that our kick return game is on the minds of our opponents.

Seems to me that this team needs a spark to get it going and that everyone is slouching around and waiting for the next guy to provide that spark.

Mangini took Tate out of that game. Not only that, he put the ball into other players who were not accustomed to handing kick-offs. In his mind he substituted ~ 10 yards for more consistent field position AND so that Tate could not ignite this team.

The team needs to address this this week. I thought Tate could have come up on some of those plays. Tate can be a playmaker but he needs to learn this through experience...remember special teams are big for us this year in our wins and really in general.

 

[ATippett56]

IMO, '07 really made life difficult for some fans of this team.

The offensive personnel at the skill positions; aside from Brady, Welker, Morris; for the 2007 New England Patriots is completely different than 2010 New England Patriots.

2007 Wide Receivers
Randy Moss
Donte Stallworth
Jabar Gaffney
Wes Welker

2007 Tight Ends
Ben Watson
David Thomas
Kyle Brady

2007 Running Backs
Laurence Maroney
Kevin Faulk
Heath Evans
Kyle Eckel
Sammy Morris

 

[aluminum seats]

The offensive personnel at the skill positions; aside from Brady, Welker, Morris; for the 2007 New England Patriots is completely different than 2010 New England Patriots.

2007 Wide Receivers
Randy Moss
Donte Stallworth
Jabar Gaffney
Wes Welker

2007 Tight Ends
Ben Watson
David Thomas
Kyle Brady

2007 Running Backs
Laurence Maroney
Kevin Faulk
Heath Evans
Kyle Eckel
Sammy Morris

Imagine giving that team this year's TE crew.....they mighta scored some points then.

 

[Sean Pa Patriot]

Ive been resigned to the fact we could lose 4 in a row after yesterday... I just hope that it was just a one time stinker... And that we can be focused on Pitt ... it wont be easy, but i think if we steal pitt and beat indy at home then this game could be forgotten...

 

[stcjones]

I wrote this in the Moss thread, but it's time to get realistic.

They're about to play two very tough football teams, both of which could potentially give this team its first three game skid - and some of you need to get mentally prepared for that fact. I'm hoping they at least split these next two, but I know they're going to have a tough go of it these next two weeks.

One thing to keep in mind, we're fortunate that the whole league isn't very good this year, and anything can happen. So when the dust settles, try and remember that if they continue the season and finish at least .500 over the final eight games, the odds are pretty good they'll get a shot at the postseason. So it's time to focus on trying to take some of the positives from each loss and think about how they can try and improve going forward. Unless you like driving yourself - and the rest of us - completely crazy.

Good clear realism here Ian.......be prepared for a lot of growing pains and failures with some success when everything comes together. This is a team in transition/rebuild mode...and they are going to play like it...well said...

 

[emoney_33]

Ive been resigned to the fact we could lose 4 in a row after yesterday... I just hope that it was just a one time stinker... And that we can be focused on Pitt ... it wont be easy, but i think if we steal pitt and beat indy at home then this game could be forgotten...

Your unreal expectations and gross hyperbole is tiresome. You can remember this game for as long as you want. If you think this team has a likely chance of losing 4 games in a row then you simply aren't rational. If you truly do believe that though, I'm sure you can find some bets to make. It doesn't take beating 2 of the best teams in the NFL back to back to understand that bad games happen to all teams in the NFL every single year.

 

[emoney_33]

Good clear realism here Ian.......be prepared for a lot of growing pains and failures with some success when everything comes together. This is a team in transition/rebuild mode...and they are going to play like it...well said...

They are 6-2 and will certainly be in the playoffs, pretty damn good for rebuilding.

 

[SanAngeloState]

quite simply, I fear we will be annihilated. If the boys put up a good fight, then well, I guess they're still my team. If perchance, they should win next week, then I'll let my hopes get sky high.

 

[D-Money]

Wouldnt be surprise at all.The colts have had this team's number recently.I will take 1-1 the next 2 games but i hope that victory comes against the colts.We could possibly see close to 1000 yards of total yards by the opponent.

 

[D-Money]

Its nice to rebuilt but see some improvements from game to game.This D-line is a problem for this team.They are too soft.

 

[stcjones]

All due respect Ian, the Colts are 2 -3 as a road team this season. The Patriots are 4 - 0 at home this season, finished 8 -0 at home last season, and Brady has won 24 straight games at Gillette.

With all of the Colts many injuries this strikes me as a very winnable game IMHO.

It's still peyton manning...and its still the colts...they always play us tough...have good receiving corps and decent replacement for Clark in Tamme. Will be tough one.

 

[ATippett56]

Wouldnt be surprise at all.The colts have had this team's number recently.I will take 1-1 the next 2 games but i hope that victory comes against the colts.We could possibly see close to 1000 yards of total yards by the opponent.

The Colts have been dominant at home but suspect on the road this season.

 

[mgteich]

A little snow would help.

The Colts have been dominant at home but suspect on the road this season.

 

[PATSNUTme]

All yesterday said to me is that they had a bad day. It was one of those days when everything you touch turns to crap. People have them and teams have them.

This is a team that has 23 rookies or 2nd year players on their roster. I think that it's remarkable that they were 6-1 going into yesterdays game. Most teams with that many green players would be 1-6.

Now I do not expect them to win againts the Steelers nex week. They will just beat then in Pitt for the AFC Championship. That's never happened before, has it?

I do expect them to beat the Colts and lose to the Packers. 12-4 will win the division and get a 1st round bye. That is what I predicted all along so that's the way it's going to be.

 

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

They went 6-2 in the first half. If they go 5-3 in the second half they should make the playoffs. If they repeat and go 6-2 they should win the division.

 

[Rob0729]

The Colts have been dominant at home but suspect on the road this season.

Especially on defense. I think the crowd noise at Lincoln Financial Field gives Freeney and Mathis a jump on the ball which they don't get away when the stadium is quite with the home team's offense on the field.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

I wrote this in the Moss thread, but it's time to get realistic.

They're about to play two very tough football teams, both of which could potentially give this team its first three game skid - and some of you need to get mentally prepared for that fact. I'm hoping they at least split these next two, but I know they're going to have a tough go of it these next two weeks.

One thing to keep in mind, we're fortunate that the whole league isn't very good this year, and anything can happen. So when the dust settles, try and remember that if they continue the season and finish at least .500 over the final eight games, the odds are pretty good they'll get a shot at the postseason. So it's time to focus on trying to take some of the positives from each loss and think about how they can try and improve going forward. Unless you like driving yourself - and the rest of us - completely crazy.

Thanks, Ian, even if you sound a bit like a shepherd who is trying to regroup his flock after a few of its number tried to run off a cliff yesterday afternoon.

I think a lot of us on this Board invest a lot of our spare (after family, job and whatever else engages us) psychic energy in the Pats. I know I do. When you combine that investment with the fact that many on the Board have only known a Pats team that ranges from "Dominant" to "Real Good" year after year (unlike those of us who remember the "Stink" to "Really Stink" eras), I think the highs are sometimes too high and the lows are usually too low.

Call it what we may, "spoiled," "bandwagon," whatever; there's no changing the reality. If strong Pittsburgh and Indy teams exploit our young D over the next two weeks and if the Offense is unable to generate enough scoring to compensate, then we're going to have to listen to (a lot) more of the same. Then, they have to travel to Detroit on three days rest for a Thanksgiving game that I haven't felt good about since the schedule came out.

Anyway, I predicted 10--6 in the pre-season thread; lately, I was starting to think that might have been conservative, but I think I'll keep it there until we get through the next two weeks.

 

[stcjones]

R

On the plus side, looks like he's due for a game averaging over 4 ypg....

OK, maybe not.

Guys once and for all ..the primary reason for the success of a running game starts with the OFFENSIVE LINE blocking play...When BJGE or any of our backs get holes opened..they have a good ypc number...when they don't do their job.....the RB gets stuffed or struggles. Why did Hillis run all over the Pats yesterday? Because their OL controlled the line iof scrimmage and destroyed our D....Having an old and injured Fred Taylor in there isn't going to make a bit of a difference if the OL keeps laying eggs....

 

[stcjones]

There was a point in the 2001 season when the Pats suffered a pretty bad loss to the Dolphins in which they looked equally inept. Belichick buried the game ball from that game as a sign that the team needed to move on. Hopefully he's pulling out something like that this week.

Yeah BB better get another shovel....going to want to bury anything associated with yesterdays debacle...