Did you really think they would get this far?

[Kdo5]

Ther was NO ONE who posted on this board, at anytime, they
thought that the sky was falling or that we were doomed. Just go back to the September, October, and Novermber threads and you will see I am right.

And, I never had to post this at any time during the season.

You're right man. This place absolutely sucked during the offseason with terrible negativity. Any time we lost the sky was falling. When we lost I just wouldnt come on here. It would just be too much to see SOME of our "fans" predicting doom and what not.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Tell the truth when the season started did you really believe
they would be in the championship game?
With all the players departing i believed this team had no chance.
Maybe because of seeing the pats from the 60 to 2000 i was brainwashed.

I felt it was a given we'd win the AFC East and make the playoffs - even though the AFC East was tougher than we thought it would be

I always felt confident of one win. But when the team's lack of a deep threat resulted in the amount of pressure seen in the Jets and Dolphins games and an outrageous number of turnovers it seemed as if the OC had no answers or way to mask the offenses deficiencies.

Although many fans don't like to criticize their team or the playcalling and execution, Brady himself said it best when he publically stated that this team was going NOWHERE if it continued to play the way it had to that point in the season.

Thankfully, soon after that we saw the team begin to run spread formations and no huddle offenses to keep D's off balance and begin to right the ship. Keeping that pressure in check helped address the turnover issue as well.

The Patriots haven't looked back since. The SD Defense was the toughest we've seen all season and they handled it well enough to win.

The team can almost taste another SB Ring - that makes them exceptionally dangerous.

Consider yourself warned Indianapolis.

 

[AzPatsFan]

Lets see 14-4 and counting! Playing for Hunt trophy and then Lombardi perhaps afterwards. About what I expected. An off year from the 14-2 seasons.

Not bad for a REBUILDING year. !!

Got to tool up for the 19-0 seasons.

 

[mgteich]

As I recall, my prediction was almost identical. I thought that we would go 11-5 and win two playoff games. BTW, our predictions being right or wrong was affected on the team deciding to play starters in the last game instead of resting them.

The short and sweet answer: No.

I thought we would go 11-5 and be one and done in the playoffs.

I'd be AMAZED to see this team go into another Superbowl after my impressions headed into the season.

This game tomorrow will be a huge game in the history of this franchise. Go Patriots.

 

[BelichickYourself]

No, I thought they would be one and done like last year.

Last year they were wildly inconsistent: WLWLWLWLWLW. This year, they were shaky but seemed to have more spirit and more consistency. This year's schedule also seemed pretty easy, so it had potential.

But Brady has pretty much sucked this year, and the offense has not come together as it should. I don't know why, but its not just the new guys. He can't throw to Troy or Ben or Corey sometimes. Yes he is the best in the game, and may end up being the best ever, and when he is on he walks on water, but this isn't one of his better years. Though if they win it all, it will be because of his brilliance. I know, but he still has not had a good season.


We seemed to have a great running combo early in the season and then Maroney seemed to disappear. I think Dillon is still fierce, but he is either still injured or didn't heal soon enough to get in condition. I think he has or had a groin injury. There was a very small story after one of the SB wins and Dillon was supposed to go to the Pro-Bowl as a replacement. And the story said he failed the physical due to a groin injury. I have never seen anything about it again. But I can't see Belichick allowing a player to be out of shape, unless he is nursing or recovering from an injury.

The O-line was really good, and then started to have problems, and has been going up and down.

We stopped the run on D, but then we didn't. The secondary is patchwork and banged up, and Rodney is out again. Tedy and Sey seemed to be having a sub-par season. Seau was good after a while, but then he was gone.

We seemed to have good kick returns at the start of the season, and then it seems to be around the 20. Ghost has been good, and seems to handle the pressure.

I thought there were several games where we were out coached. And no I don't mean the OC. I mean anything that happens on that field is a BB product, and they seemed to come out with poor starting plans. Several times they seemed not to adjust when something wasn't working. I don't know why.

I really thought we would die like last year, until they did the Jax, Ten games. Tough, physical, the kind of games they lost earlier in the season to the Jets2 and Miami2. I had more hope after those games, but still thought they wouldn't be able to put it all together.

Now who knows, but I think they have ignored their problems and weaknesses, and injuries and worked really, really hard to get here. Almost on character alone.

and yet, with all this they managed to have their best defensive and second best offensive season of this century. go figure.

 

[Brownfan80]

As I recall, my prediction was almost identical. I thought that we would go 11-5 and win two playoff games. BTW, our predictions being right or wrong was affected on the team deciding to play starters in the last game instead of resting them.

Yeah I do remember that. I think there was a third poster with a very similar prediction to ours as well. I'd go searching for the thread, but I'm about to head out the door.

Man, I can't wait for the frickin' game Mg..... It's like... All I'm thinking about. Ahhhhh!!!!!

 

[mgcolby]

You're right man. This place absolutely sucked during the offseason with terrible negativity. Any time we lost the sky was falling. When we lost I just wouldnt come on here. It would just be too much to see SOME of our "fans" predicting doom and what not.

Don't worry they are still locked up. I'll let them out after the SB.

 

[GhostOfFoxboro]

No. Not at all. I knew they'd make the play-offs, but I thought that was about it for them. I can't believe they've made it this far and that many things are starting to gel-- especialy the recievers. The D was good all year, though the secondary isn't too hot, and I think the run attack with be a huge factor tomorrow with Dillon, Maroney and Faulk all tearing it up at different times, keeping the Colts on their heels.

Anyway, no I never thought they had a chance. but I think they have saved their best football for when it counts.

 

[scooter481]

Nnnnnnnnnnnnoooooooooooooo

 

[stcjones]

Tell the truth when the season started did you really believe
they would be in the championship game?
With all the players departing i believed this team had no chance.
Maybe because of seeing the pats from the 60 to 2000 i was brainwashed.

I'll be totally honest and tell you that I did not see us going this far. I had thought that our deficits that we had going on.......were too much to patch up before the playoffs started......I was (pleasantly) DEAD WRONG again......The Pats are the greatest TEAM of all time........with BB (greatest coach of all time) and Brady (one of...if not THE greatest QB's of all time.......GO PATS!!!!

 

[Va_Pats_Fan]

I thought the team, and this board, would implode after the back to back losses.

cooler heads prevailed.

 

[Sean Pa Patriot]

I always thought with Belichick and Brady ,we should be competing for the AFC Title every year.. My goal is for them to be in the AFC Title game, and they have done that.. Im not conifident, but not concerned either.. Either way been a great season...

 

[mgcolby]

At the beginning of the season I predicted a 14-2 record and another Lombardi. I didn't expect our schedule to be as difficult as it was. I also didn't think Branch would be playing somewhere else. I felt that Brady would get in synch with his receivers (eventually) and he did. After the Jets loss and the Detroit game I wasn't 100% sure of the Lombardi prediction, but I knew it would go one of two ways - Really bad or Really good.

I said on here that the Jags game would be a strong indication of how this team would fare in the Playoffs. After that Game, I said as long as the Pats don't turn it over 3 or more times they can beat anybody. They turned it over 3 times last week but the last one was immediately neutralized as if it didn't happen. So, no I am not surprised that they made it this far and I stand by my 3 turnover theory.

 

[Kdo5]

I always thought with Belichick and Brady ,we should be competing for the AFC Title every year.. My goal is for them to be in the AFC Title game, and they have done that.. Im not conifident, but not concerned either.. Either way been a great season...

I agree. I had my goals for the Pats set no further than getting to the AFC Title game(which I was unsure about). My #1 goal was to beat the Broncos in the Divisional Playoffs but even better, we beat the CHARGERS. #1 seed. But now that we are facing the Colts and all the Colts ballwashing that has been going on, I just want to beat them so badly.

I look back right now and feel ashamed. I was always positive about the Pats going into the season, I fired away at Branch and Vinatieri for leaving. Despite two unconvincing wins against the Bills and Jets I was still happy but I'll tell ya, after the Broncos game I just felt like it was all over. Even if we were 2-1. It wasnt over but I just looked at the Bengals game and I said, we wont win. There is NO WAY our average DB's who already lost Wilson and I think Harrison for a while were going to stop Johnson and Houshmanzadeh and Palmer. I was just amazed at how convincingly we beat their ass and never again did I doubt our chances. But I will admit, despite good wins in the first half I thought that we would get no further than a Divisional Playoff game.

 

[jmt57]

I did think the Pats would win the AFC East - I couldn't believe all those "experts" who thought Miami would win the division. I also thought they'd win 11 or 12 games with the schedule: NFC Central, AFC South rather than the AFC West like last year. But no, I did not think they would be in the AFC championship; I figured they would lose in the division round.