Consensus SB Favorites A Few Days Ago

[mgteich]

I enjoy this type of thread. Belichick has been negotiating for four months to decide which key member of the defense to chuck: And of course, as predicted, our response is that we were Super Bowl favorites before, Belichick is the best, we are still Super Bowl favorites. My guess is that many would have said the same it both Wilfork and Seymour were gone. After all, we've added Brace and Pryor.
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It is amazing how unimportant key players are to the patriots.

 

[Deus Irae]

Semour was in for 695 snaps last season. The nearest to that on the defensive line was Wilfork, with 614. Seymour demands a double team on just about every play. Anyone who thinks Green will do the same should also know that I've got a lovely bridge to sell them.

ProFootballFocus.com - Cumulative Team Statistics

 

[Hercules Rockefeller]

In Lawyer's case, though, he was replaced by a superior player (Harrison). It caused some very, very short term issues (aka the next two weeks), but even later that year the team was better for having made that swap. Your point still definitely stands to an extent, but I don't think that the situations are quite as comparable as you're portraying.

Actually, Harrison was signed well before training camp and the perceived plan was to start he and Milloy in the same defensive backfield. Milloy was replaced by a rookie who had never played the position--Eugene Wilson. Milloy was a better player than Geno.

Also, I used Milloy as an example from the Patriots' past. The Alan Faneca example is, in my opinion, more apt.

 

[JD10367]

What? Suddenly the Pats are no longer the consensus pick amongst talking heads?!?

 

[JD10367]

I enjoy this type of thread. Belichick has been negotiating for four months to decide which key member of the defense to chuck: And of course, as predicted, our response is that we were Super Bowl favorites before, Belichick is the best, we are still Super Bowl favorites. My guess is that many would have said the same it both Wilfork and Seymour were gone. After all, we've added Brace and Pryor.
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It is amazing how unimportant key players are to the patriots.

I enjoy this type of thread. Belichick makes a hard decision, a calculated gamble, that some armchair QBs don't agree with and, of course, as predicted, they respond that Belichick must be some sort of idiot, that the man who was lauded as a genius while winning three Super Bowls, the guy whose defensive game plan is in Canton, the guy who is considered one of the best coaches ever, has suddenly developed a case of Matt Millenitis. After all, it's clear that, under his leadership, the Pats have been a flash in the pan, and he has no idea how to plan long-term for the best of the club.

It is amazing how unimportant the key coach is to the fans.

 

[mayoclinic]

I enjoy this type of thread. Belichick makes a hard decision, a calculated gamble, that some armchair QBs don't agree with and, of course, as predicted, they respond that Belichick must be some sort of idiot, that the man who was lauded as a genius while winning three Super Bowls, the guy whose defensive game plan is in Canton, the guy who is considered one of the best coaches ever, has suddenly developed a case of Matt Millenitis. After all, it's clear that, under his leadership, the Pats have been a flash in the pan, and he has no idea how to plan long-term for the best of the club.

It is amazing how unimportant the key coach is to the fans.

I hope its not Matt Millenitis. That's usually a terminal diagnosis.

 

[JonVaughnTD]

Yeah I don't think Belichick cares too much about winning the Superbowl this year.

 

[patriotscpfc]

If we keep Taylor and one other back healthy and rested until post-season, we will win the Superbowl without doubt.

Obviously this means no Brady, Moss, Thomas, Mayo injuries.

I think if we got to post-season with some fresh RB's, then we would be in better shape than 07 when Moss had the injury, Brady had an injury running up to the SB and we couldn't run the ball when we needed to.

 

[shmessy]

If we keep Taylor and one other back healthy and rested until post-season, we will win the Superbowl without doubt.

Obviously this means no Brady, Moss, Thomas, Mayo injuries.

I think if we got to post-season with some fresh RB's, then we would be in better shape than 07 when Moss had the injury, Brady had an injury running up to the SB and we couldn't run the ball when we needed to.

The team with the best 53 players usually wins the Super Bowl. Otherwise, Dan Snyder would have a few SB rings by now.

 

[Deus Irae]

I enjoy this type of thread. Belichick makes a hard decision, a calculated gamble, that some armchair QBs don't agree with and, of course, as predicted, they respond that Belichick must be some sort of idiot, that the man who was lauded as a genius while winning three Super Bowls, the guy whose defensive game plan is in Canton, the guy who is considered one of the best coaches ever, has suddenly developed a case of Matt Millenitis. After all, it's clear that, under his leadership, the Pats have been a flash in the pan, and he has no idea how to plan long-term for the best of the club.

It is amazing how unimportant the key coach is to the fans.

Could you please point out the threads or posts calling Belichick an idiot?

 

[patriotscpfc]

The team with the best 53 players usually wins the Super Bowl. Otherwise, Dan Snyder would have a few SB rings by now.

Thanks Professor.

Which is why we are still favourites and still should be in the eyes of the journalists.

 

[Deus Irae]

It's a sad day anytime Felger and Mazzarotti are the voices of reason.

Today is a sad day.

 

[Ring 6]

I'm not sure what part of my post you're struggling with. It's pretty straightforward. And if not paying Graham was the right move, perhaps you can explain Thomas, Baker, Smith, et al, to me, because it pretty clearly shows that letting Graham go without the alternatives in place has led to turmoil at the position.

But, thanks for playing!

But your argument would imply that every team that didnt win the SB lost because of a player they chose not to sign.

Had we paid Graham, the make up of the team would have been different, because of the effect on the cap.
Its a slippery slope to look at one decision in a vacuum and say that no others were dependant upon it.
Thats why I dont think you look at BB or any other NFL decision maker from the narrow standpoint of judging individual decisions. They are so interrelated in a capped world, that the consequences that aren't obvious are hard to account for.

 

[Deus Irae]

But your argument would imply that every team that didnt win the SB lost because of a player they chose not to sign.

Had we paid Graham, the make up of the team would have been different, because of the effect on the cap.
Its a slippery slope to look at one decision in a vacuum and say that no others were dependant upon it.
Thats why I dont think you look at BB or any other NFL decision maker from the narrow standpoint of judging individual decisions. They are so interrelated in a capped world, that the consequences that aren't obvious are hard to account for.

I understand the business side quite well. I'm quite confident that the Patriots could have found a couple of million if they'd decided to go that route.

Are you trying to say that they couldn't have?

 

[shmessy]

It's a sad day anytime Felger and Mazzarotti are the voices of reason.

Today is a sad day.

Don't go just half-way. You forgot Borges in there, Deus.

 

[Deus Irae]

Don't go just half-way. You forgot Borges in there, Deus.

I haven't heard him. If he's advising caution, I'd agree with him too.

Then again, I remember the 2005 linebacker situation, the 2006 wide receiver situation and the 2008 cornerback situation. You must have forgotten them.

 

[mgteich]

All these were situations that were known before the season started. The open question is whether the current front seven situation rises to the level of these.

I haven't heard him. If he's advising caution, I'd agree with him too.

Then again, I remember the 2005 linebacker situation, the 2006 wide receiver situation and the 2008 cornerback situation. You must have forgotten them.

 

[shmessy]

I haven't heard him. If he's advising caution, I'd agree with him too.

Then again, I remember the 2005 linebacker situation, the 2006 wide receiver situation and the 2008 cornerback situation. You must have forgotten them.

You forgot that 2007 team. They were missing Graham, right?

 

[Ring 6]

I enjoy this type of thread. Belichick has been negotiating for four months to decide which key member of the defense to chuck: And of course, as predicted, our response is that we were Super Bowl favorites before, Belichick is the best, we are still Super Bowl favorites. My guess is that many would have said the same it both Wilfork and Seymour were gone. After all, we've added Brace and Pryor.
============================

It is amazing how unimportant key players are to the patriots.

I do not think it is unreasonable to say that our defense is impacted less by one player than most, or all others.
First BB preaches (and inacts) a team defense concept. The heart of the 2 gap is that whereever you run we have 2 guy responsible for the gap. Over the years there has been abundant reporting of how the team stresses do your job and worry about only your job.
Secondly, historically we have lost 'star' players to injury and not missed a beat.
Perhaps I am overly optimistic. Losing Seymour is a big blow, but I'm more concerned with whether or how we overcome it than performing an autopsy on the cicumstances of it.

 

[Ring 6]

I understand the business side quite well. I'm quite confident that the Patriots could have found a couple of million if they'd decided to go that route.

Are you trying to say that they couldn't have?

I'm sayng that picking one personell decision out of the dozens made each year, and ignoring that there are cap ramificaitons to all of them is short sighted.
Its too easy to say they could have found a couple of million when for 7 years we've have lived on the side of the equation of not being able to afford everything we wanted.
My opinion is that while I do not agree with every decision, I agree with the direction and mentality, and I and not going to assume that any one of them could be made differently without affecting the others.