Do You Have Faith in the Patriots?

[The Boston Patriot]

My faith in the Pats is unshaken, but there is no way they can will the whole enchilada this year. Reality has set in. That's OK though. I truly believe that if the Pats had half the injuries that they have, they had a great chance to go all the way. Only a miracle can get them that trophy now. Enjoy their success and appreciate the effort they gave each and every game. They struggled, not because they slacked off but the skills of the replacements couldn't fill the voids. Nothing to be ashamed about here. Thank you Pats!

 

[everlong]

If they can avoid any more big injuries and if the OL can be just mediocre I think Bill will put them in the right situations on both sides of the ball and the players will deliver. Tom, JE and Gronk will make up for the hopefully adequate OL. The bye week is huge for this team. Hopefully they all get rested and the OL gets re-tooled.

In the OL's defense I do think there's a lot of long term talent there but they are just so young and inexperienced. Hopefully they can grow up quickly and the bye gets their confidence back.

 

[Clonamery]

As critical as I am about yesterday and last week, I think with returning players I think this team can roll through the AFC if everyone is healthy.

All right, thanks for joining the Dark Side...

 

[patman12]

Lafell? He came back from injury and didn't do as much. He injured himself again but lets not make excuses for him. Just hasn't been as productive as last year. Maybe he can right the ship. Idk

He's also been pulled away from what his role was last season due to the injuries to Amendola and JE11. Lafell is not a #1 or #2 option but he has been forced into that this season.

 

[Nunchucks]

Simple question. I've followed a lot of Patriots teams that were very good, but always felt they wouldn't make the big play when it counts, or, gawd forbid, they had a couple key injuries.

I have faith in BB and Brady and all the way down to make the absolute best out of the players they have and situations and teams they need to surmount.

Sometimes it's still not enough. Obviously only one team can win.

I wouldn't pick any other team to overcome whatever they need to, in this case, get healthy and rolling quick.

What say you?

I have no idea whether they will lose in the first round or win it all. However, I will be at the first game and hope to be at the second.

 

[A Defiant Goose]

I said this before, and maybe they have tried this earlier in the year and failed but I'd like to see them try and bring David Andrews onto the line somehow. I think a line of Vollmer-Andrews-Stork-Kline-Cannon gives us our best shot. Andrews actually gave us a "center controversy" when Stork was fixing to return. I'm sure the coaching staff knows more about his abilities than I do, but I gotta think having both Andrews and Stork in the interior of the o-line would be better than what they've been trotting out the last couple of weeks.

And by the way, to those who keep saying "Edelman won't help the OL" please reconsider the games prior to the NYG game. The offensive line has had a few injuries but they weren't some kind of all-world unit all year. Their deficiencies were greatly masked by the ability of the offense to get the ball out fast to Edelman. The offensive line didn't have to block as long as they have to now when defenses can focus on Gronk with no receiver on the field who can do what Edelman did at the level he did it. When Edelman comes back and teams have to start paying attention to more than just Gronk, it opens up LaFell (who, again, is NOT someone who you would want being your #1 WR but he's been forced into that role with our injuries) and Amendola and White who I think has been a lateral move from Vereen since Lewis went down.

Things are going to be okay

 

[PatsDeb]

Right now I do not have faith as the trait quoted above seems to have left BB and his coaching staff. I'm sure I will recover some of my faith as the game gets closer, but yesterday really bummed me out on a lot of levels on this year's team.

Oh thank God, Quantum. I thought you were falling down on the job. Thank goodness I got your disagree. Now my day is complete!

 

[PatriotsPimp136]

No momentum. Honestly i think momentum's overrated but i think we will know right away if this team has what it takes. The first couple of offensive series and how the OL and edelman look.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Oh thank God, Quantum. I thought you were falling down on the job. Thank goodness I got your disagree. Now my day is complete!

If you can't handle disagrees, don't say things that deserve them.

And really, is there anything more pathetic than whining about a message board disagree, especially when getting one has precisely zero consequences?

(Hmmm. Looking around at some of the other ongoing threads I suppose there is...)

 

[Kdo5]

My faith in the Pats is unshaken, but there is no way they can will the whole enchilada this year. Reality has set in. That's OK though. I truly believe that if the Pats had half the injuries that they have, they had a great chance to go all the way. Only a miracle can get them that trophy now. Enjoy their success and appreciate the effort they gave each and every game. They struggled, not because they slacked off but the skills of the replacements couldn't fill the voids. Nothing to be ashamed about here. Thank you Pats!

It's not a "no way". But if we can't straighten out the offensive line problem in two weeks we are in DEEP trouble. If we can somehow stabilize it we have a solid chance of getting to the SB.

 

[saspack]

If we play AFCCG in Denver, the league office will make sure we lose there. Not getting HFA is a huge mistake.

 

[SalemPats]

I am guaranteeing we will win the AFC

 

[PatsFanSince74]

On offense, if the line can allow for a credible running threat and keep Brady upright and give him time to do more than dump the ball off to a receiver behind the line of scrimmage (which has already been penetrated by 500 defenders), I have a lot of faith, especially if one of those receivers is a fully healthy Edelman. If the line plays like it did yesterday, Brady could have Jerry Rice, Randy Moss and Larry Fitzgerald spread out wide to the right with Gronk and Edelman out to the left and Jim Brown and Adrian Petersen in the backfield and it wouldn't do anybody any good.

If the D plays like it can with everybody available healthy, then my faith is even greater. But, if it can let a Ryan ****ing Tannenhill run free on third and long to put the Lolphins in position to lock up the game, then, not so much.

So, yes I still believe they have the players to get the job done against any opponent, Home or Away, and I know they have the GOAT at QB.

 

[PatsDeb]

If you can't handle disagrees, don't say things that deserve them.

And really, is there anything more pathetic than whining about a message board disagree, especially when getting one has precisely zero consequences?

(Hmmm. Looking around at some of the other ongoing threads I suppose there is...)

If you recall Quantum, I was one of the people who said that whining about disagrees is for losers when that subject came up a few weeks ago. Seems someone doesn't know how to spot a joke.