CBS Sports Patriots season preview

[1960Pats]

When yards appear on a scoreboard then I'll call last year's Pats defense a 31st ranked defense. I'll go with the points allowed that had the Pats at 15 last season.

I don't care what Pete Prisco or anyone else thinks. These are the same dopes that wanted to crucify Belichick when he came here.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

Pat Kirwan authored part of the preview having to do with the X's and O's, he thinks the O will be better than last year. He mentions how Lloyd will impact the passing game.

His most interesting comments were about some of the rookies on D. Hen mentioned that BB likes to make it hard for the QB to read the D and when the Pats had a great D Bruschi, Willie Mac and Vrabel were the wild cards.

He sees Hightower filling the Bruschi role, C Jones in the MacGinest role and Bequette in the Vrabel role, be still my heart...

The rest is meh. PAt K is always a good read.

If the additions come to fruition, this offense is now at another level. The ability to attack at every level with variation of personnel and formations is simply mind boggling.

Also, Kirwan was one of the first to expound on the evolving critieria needed to evaluate defenses in the 2012 NFL. The "confusion" concept is vital in that this is needed to counter the elite offenses.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

He's also got the Giants at 13-3 when they'll be lucky to get another wild card this season against Philly and Dallas.

 

[RobertWeathers]

He's also got the Giants at 13-3 when they'll be lucky to get another wild card this season against Philly and Dallas.

Not a snowball's chance in hell they go 13-3. They are a very good team obviously but that schedule is brutal.

 

[Rob0729]

All of Prisco's record predictions are simply terrible... the Texans are going 9-7 in that division? The Ravens are going 9-7? Colts are going 1-15 with Luck? And somehow the Pats are coming out of all of this undefeated? LOL at a team winning its conference by 5 games.. Take a Pats homer who is really, really drunk and ask him to pencil in records, and he'd come up with this.

A few things:

- A Ravens drop is not that crazy. They likely lost Suggs for the season. Ray Lewis is 37. Ed Reed is going to be 34 at the start of the season. Three of their four biggest playmakers on defense could fall off in production, two by age and one by injury.
- The Colts went 3-13 in Peyton Manning's rookie season. The Colts getting three or less wins or even only one win is not all that crazy. They really don't have a lot of talent on that team and they are changing their schemes.
- The Texas could go 9-7. Schaub staying healthy all season is a big question. Also, many times teams who take big leaps into strong playoff competition one year can fall off the next. Teams like the Texans and 49ers could see themselves coming down to earth a little bit.
- I do agree that 16-0 prediction is a little ridiculous.

 

[Kontradiction]

Brady once again will throw the ball 40 times a game on average and still manage to rush for over 100 yards a game.

If this happens, the offense will be unstoppable.

 

[Salva135]

14-2 is a realistic aspiration with a return to the big game and I hope the Giants are there too meet us. Paybacks a *****. Just ask the the Yank-mee's. I don't know who your loyalties are with Salva but I think this team is feeling pissed-off and villified again.

If you think NE finishes less then 10-6 this year your a fool. Then were a hard out perioed.

0-4 preseason, 19-0 real season. Can't wait. Then NFLN and Espn will have to talk about us. Swallow your NE hate and suck it.

I know you're a fan, we're goin' on another good ride this year which will culminate in ring #4. Go to to the hall after all is said and done. You'll be proud. Trust me, I've been there.

Whoa, I was just making fun of his predictions overall... they're a bit over the top, as everyone else has pointed out... no disrespect... I wouldn't mind them coming true, obviously, hehe.

 

[Salva135]

A few things:

- A Ravens drop is not that crazy. They likely lost Suggs for the season. Ray Lewis is 37. Ed Reed is going to be 34 at the start of the season. Three of their four biggest playmakers on defense could fall off in production, two by age and one by injury.
- The Colts went 3-13 in Peyton Manning's rookie season. The Colts getting three or less wins or even only one win is not all that crazy. They really don't have a lot of talent on that team and they are changing their schemes.
- The Texas could go 9-7. Schaub staying healthy all season is a big question. Also, many times teams who take big leaps into strong playoff competition one year can fall off the next. Teams like the Texans and 49ers could see themselves coming down to earth a little bit.
- I do agree that 16-0 prediction is a little ridiculous.

I mean, they're all a bit plausible, but no other team in the AFC even wins 12 games? I find that very hard to believe. And as far as the Texans go, they have 4 almost automatic wins against the Colts and Jags this season, for them go 9-7 with that much talent on offense and defense is just extremely difficult to imagine. That team is legit, and people should not be sleeping on them as competitors for the AFC crown, they arguably were the best team in the conference prior to Schaub getting injured. You could make a case for any of his predictions, but they all seem off to me. But whatever.

 

[Salva135]

If this happens, the offense will be unstoppable.

LOL, that was my thought as well when I read that poorly worded sentence. :rocker:

 

[MrNathanDrake]

A few things:

- A Ravens drop is not that crazy. They likely lost Suggs for the season. Ray Lewis is 37. Ed Reed is going to be 34 at the start of the season. Three of their four biggest playmakers on defense could fall off in production, two by age and one by injury.
- The Colts went 3-13 in Peyton Manning's rookie season. The Colts getting three or less wins or even only one win is not all that crazy. They really don't have a lot of talent on that team and they are changing their schemes.
- The Texas could go 9-7. Schaub staying healthy all season is a big question. Also, many times teams who take big leaps into strong playoff competition one year can fall off the next. Teams like the Texans and 49ers could see themselves coming down to earth a little bit.
- I do agree that 16-0 prediction is a little ridiculous.

the texans are legit... and play in a weak division.

 

[Rob0729]

I mean, they're all a bit plausible, but no other team in the AFC even wins 12 games? I find that very hard to believe. And as far as the Texans go, they have 4 almost automatic wins against the Colts and Jags this season, for them go 9-7 with that much talent on offense and defense is just extremely difficult to imagine. That team is legit, and people should not be sleeping on them as competitors for the AFC crown, they arguably were the best team in the conference prior to Schaub getting injured. You could make a case for any of his predictions, but they all seem off to me. But whatever.

I don't know. The AFC may be as weak as it has been since the early to mid 90s. It is conceivable, but unlikely that only one team will have a 12 win record. I think it has happened more than once in the NFC over the last 15 years, but I could be wrong.

I think the Texans should have over 10 wins especially with the division they are in, but we see all the time a team that goes from .500 or under to 11-13 wins to go back the next year to have 8-10 wins. Atlanta was such a team last year.

You are misjudging the Texans' schedule though. The Texans' non-division schedule is not pretty though. They have the NFC West which is arguably the best division in football. They have the AFC East where the Pats are great and either the Jets or Bills could be playoff contenders (I personally think the Bills will be, but the Jets won't). They have Baltimore and Denver as their SOS games. There are potentially 6-7 losses in that bunch for even a good team.

 

[Rob0729]

the texans are legit... and play in a weak division.

We said that about the Falcons this time last year and they were a marginal playoff team.

The Texans' schedule is tough this year. Here are potentially really tough games for them:

@ Denver
@ Jets
Green Bay
Baltimore
Buffalo
@ Chicago
@ Detriot
@ New England

They have a stretch in the middle of there schedule where they have 4 potential playoff contenders in a six week stretch.

HoustonTexans.com | Season Schedule

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

I don't know. The AFC may be as weak as it has been since the early to mid 90s. It is conceivable, but unlikely that only one team will have a 12 win record. I think it has happened more than once in the NFC over the last 15 years, but I could be wrong.

I think the Texans should have over 10 wins especially with the division they are in, but we see all the time a team that goes from .500 or under to 11-13 wins to go back the next year to have 8-10 wins. Atlanta was such a team last year.

You are misjudging the Texans' schedule though. The Texans' non-division schedule is not pretty though. They have the NFC West which is arguably the best division in football. They have the AFC East where the Pats are great and either the Jets or Bills could be playoff contenders (I personally think the Bills will be, but the Jets won't). They have Baltimore and Denver as their SOS games. There are potentially 6-7 losses in that bunch for even a good team.

The AFC South is doing battle with the NFC North?

A rather tough division.

Without a consistent history of excellence, it would be plausible for the author to assign that record.

 

[Kontradiction]

I don't know. The AFC may be as weak as it has been since the early to mid 90s. It is conceivable, but unlikely that only one team will have a 12 win record. I think it has happened more than once in the NFC over the last 15 years, but I could be wrong.

I think the Texans should have over 10 wins especially with the division they are in, but we see all the time a team that goes from .500 or under to 11-13 wins to go back the next year to have 8-10 wins. Atlanta was such a team last year.

You are misjudging the Texans' schedule though. The Texans' non-division schedule is not pretty though. They have the NFC West which is arguably the best division in football. They have the AFC East where the Pats are great and either the Jets or Bills could be playoff contenders (I personally think the Bills will be, but the Jets won't). They have Baltimore and Denver as their SOS games. There are potentially 6-7 losses in that bunch for even a good team.

Since when?

 

[Rob0729]

Since when?

I think it will be this year. They have arguably the best team in the NFC, if not the NFL. The Lions could be a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The Bears are a legitimate playoff contender. All three could have 10 or more wins. Only the Vikes suck in that division.

 

[Kontradiction]

I think it will be this year. They have arguably the best team in the NFC, if not the NFL. The Lions could be a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The Bears are a legitimate playoff contender. All three could have 10 or more wins. Only the Vikes suck in that division.

Yeah but when did all of these teams migrate over to the NFC West?

 

[Rob0729]

Yeah but when did all of these teams migrate over to the NFC West?

Duh! North, South, East, West. They are all the same aren't they?

I meant to say NFC North, but my autocorrect feature turned it into West. It ain't my fault. Or that is at least what I am trying to sell.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

If this happens, the offense will be unstoppable.

Yeah, if Brady's rushing for 100 YPG. . . .

 

[BradyManny]

As someone who was on the 16-0 bandwagon early in 2007, I'm no stranger to making wildly optimistic prognostications.

But as a professional sports writer, to suggest any team will go 16-0 in a given year is just lunacy - there's too many variables, and the likelihood of a few letdown games is very high. Is it within the realm of possibility? Sure. Is it likely to happen? No. Should I put in a prediction that they will do it if I am a paid NFL analyst? Absolutely not. That's idiotic. Prisco remains an idiot.

 

[PatsGirl2011]

You can automatically assume at least 3 teams on your schedule will be better than expected, and at least 3 times will be worse than expected. I think we will see a lot of playoff contenders from last year take a step back in the NFC: Saints, Packers, 49ers. I think the Giants, Eagles, and Cowboys will all be better than last season. In the AFC, I think the Ravens and Bengals will fall off from last year. The Broncos can only improve, but I think the Chargers and Chiefs will have something to say about that. The Texans and Steelers are a wild card. I would say with that being said, the Pats have the least amount of question marks in the AFC and can win as things stand today. I still think 16-0 isn't happening, and I don't even think they will even go all out like last time to do it again.