Extremely encouraged by this win

[edgecy]

I agree with Pony.

There are certainly things that we need to work on, but I don't think it's really as bad as it may seem. Our D is absolutely dominating, and this is without Bruschi. Imagine when he's back, It would be Vrabel and Colvin outside, Bruschi and Seau inside. The combination is sickening.

I think Brady had a bad day, getting sacked like that would put a headache into anyone. However, I do believe our WRs were weak. Some may say it's because Brady had a bad day, and I agree with that, but I also think with better WRs we could get open maybe half a second quicker or so would go a long way to quicker release and thus fewer hurries/sacks.

Running game was great, definitely a 50/50 split between CD and LM.

Again, first game, be happy we didn't fall the way of Denver and Carolina.

 

[emoney_33]

If there were "major" injuries we would have seen them during the game. Other than faulk who walked off the field, I didnt' see anybody get hurt... Of course everyone will be dinged up though, it's fooootball. Tho dillon was doing some bruising today


Overall defense allowed 10 points, no huge plays like we saw all first half of last year. Offense did well at times, bad at others. Just gonna take some time to gel as a unit.

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

Nice try Pony, but no dice.

If you think that having Brady injured every single season is good for this franchise than we might as well get Grogan back out of retirement.

You can look at the bright side of a crappy game if you want, but don't think that some clever comeback is going to erase what will happen if Brady suffers another dislocated shoulder/hernia/ACL tear. It takes years off of his career, and then we end up back in the lean years.

Hmmmmmmm.........Maybe you like the lean years better?

 

[JackBauer]

They should just concede the season now. There's always next year!

 

[Garbanza]

Okay - just book your February trip to Miami now then.

Pass protection was bad. LB was mediocre at best. Brady had a bad game. The recievers we had today (all three) weren't so hot.

That's the truth. Be blind to it, if you please.

 

[Bella*chick]

Nice try Pony, but no dice.

If you think that having Brady injured every single season is good for this franchise than we might as well get Grogan back out of retirement.

You can look at the bright side of a crappy game if you want, but don't think that some clever comeback is going to erase what will happen if Brady suffers another dislocated shoulder/hernia/ACL tear. It takes years off of his career, and then we end up back in the lean years.

Hmmmmmmm.........Maybe you like the lean years better?

But where did Pony say he was thrilled to see Brady being knocked around? Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't get that from this thread at all.

 

[edgecy]

How convenient you leave out the dominant running game, the defense played incredibly well.

And how dare Tom Brady had a bad day. He didn't ask for permission to have a bad day.

Who is saying this team will definitely go to SB? Yes, we had a game that wasn't very hot, but there's no reason to think this season is falling apart. Would you also say that Carolina is now no longer a contender? What about Denver? What about Seattle winning by 3 points?

It's game 1 of 16. CHILL

 

[JackBauer]

That's the truth. Be blind to it, if you please.

Well I'm glad you're full of yourself enough to make that statement. Jeez.

Pass protection was bad.

Correction: Pass protection was bad for the first half; above average for the second.

LB was mediocre at best.

Correction: LB was mediocre for the first half; above average for the second.

Brady had a bad game.

Correction: Brady took a serious hit and looked shaky for the first half. In the second half, Brady looked much better, uncharacteristic INT notwithstanding.

The recievers we had today (all three) weren't so hot..

Gosh, I wonder why that is. I really, really do.

 

[Bella*chick]

How convenient you leave out the dominant running game, the defense played incredibly well.

And how dare Tom Brady had a bad day. He didn't ask for permission to have a bad day.

Who is saying this team will definitely go to SB? Yes, we had a game that wasn't very hot, but there's no reason to think this season is falling apart. Would you also say that Carolina is now no longer a contender? What about Denver? What about Seattle winning by 3 points?

It's game 1 of 16. CHILL

:agree:

If the first game determines the season outcome, we should have won the SB in 2002, and gotten nowhere near it in 2003.

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

If you guys can't understand BLIND HOMERISM than I got nothing else I can say.

EXTREMELY EXCITED because we stunk for at least half the game and ended up barely beating a 5-11 team?

How about CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC that we can play a little better next week and not let Brady get his bell wrung?

To go back and forth about this is absurd. The Pats barely played good. So why get SUPER EXCITED and JUMP AROUND FOR JOY because we squeaked by the Bills at HOME and Brady survived a bell ringer.

And these comments about 'Let's just cancel the season' are just as dumb. How about LET'S PLAY BETTER NEXT WEEK AND TAKE IT ONE DAY AT A TIME WITHOUT GOING CRAZY WITH JOY?

 

[JackBauer]

No one in this thread is going crazy with joy. All we're saying is that the positives outweigh the negatives, and, at least from my perspective, the negatives should be easily rectified.

Hence, encouraging.

 

[Bella*chick]

If you guys can't understand BLIND HOMERISM than I got nothing else I can say.

EXTREMELY EXCITED because we stunk for at least half the game and ended up barely beating a 5-11 team?

How about CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC that we can play a little better next week and not let Brady get his bell wrung?

To go back and forth about this is absurd. The Pats barely played good. So why get SUPER EXCITED and JUMP AROUND FOR JOY because we squeaked by the Bills at HOME and Brady survived a bell ringer.

And these comments about 'Let's just cancel the season' are just as dumb. How about LET'S PLAY BETTER NEXT WEEK AND TAKE IT ONE DAY AT A TIME WITHOUT GOING CRAZY WITH JOY?

He said he was encouraged, not excited. and who's jumping for joy?

I think what you said is right....we should take it one week at a time....I guess I am not seeing what you are seeing in this thread.

As for blind homerism, well, NO ONE has suggested there is no room for tons of improvement.

 

[edgecy]

If you guys can't understand BLIND HOMERISM than I got nothing else I can say.

EXTREMELY EXCITED because we stunk for at least half the game and ended up barely beating a 5-11 team?

How about CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC that we can play a little better next week and not let Brady get his bell wrung?

To go back and forth about this is absurd. The Pats barely played good. So why get SUPER EXCITED and JUMP AROUND FOR JOY because we squeaked by the Bills at HOME and Brady survived a bell ringer.

And these comments about 'Let's just cancel the season' are just as dumb. How about LET'S PLAY BETTER NEXT WEEK AND TAKE IT ONE DAY AT A TIME WITHOUT GOING CRAZY WITH JOY?

Dude, I think we have been extremely calm when it comes to analysizing this game. Nobody is extremely excited about a win, practically all of us acknowledge that we played poorly, nobody is jumping up and down saying we just spanked Buffalo Bills, etc. And nobody is typing in ALL CAPS to get their point across. So please, realize what you are going to say before you accuse us with blind homerism.

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

I try to stay in Belichick's corner whenever I think about the Pats.

Do you think he is extremely encouraged by what he saw? Brady wasn't.

It was a last minute win over the Bills in Foxboro. That's all.

 

[JackBauer]

What the heck is that even supposed to mean?

 

[mgteich]

SOME NEGATIVE THOUGHTS

1. The supposed best offense in the history of the Patriots scored 17 points on the Buffalo Bills, who will likely finish fighting for the top 10 draft choices with the Jets.

2. Of course, we will be better with Bruschi back, with Banta-Cain back to sharing situational pass-rushing duties with Green. Today we saw a defense with ONE player injured. Do you think this defense would have beaten Denver? or any playoff team?

3. LIGHT was downright aweful. Don't blame the rest of the OL, who played well.

4. The pass defense is basically untested.

5. Maybe we will have a solid passrush, without an all out blitz once Vrabel is back outside.

 

[Bella*chick]

Yeah, Light definitely played like a guy who has not seen the field in a year.

That said, he will improve.

 

[QuiGon]

SOME NEGATIVE THOUGHTS

1. The supposed best offense in the history of the Patriots scored 17 points on the Buffalo Bills, who will likely finish fighting for the top 10 draft choices with the Jets.

I'm not so sure about that. The Bills have a chance at being a decent team and, if anything, their defense is their strength. Yes, we could have done better but I don't think this was the offensive debacle some are making it out to be.

2. Of course, we will be better with Bruschi back, with Banta-Cain back to sharing situational pass-rushing duties with Green. Today we saw a defense with ONE player injured. Do you think this defense would have beaten Denver? or any playoff team?

The defense gave up 10 points and buckled down when it mattered. What's the problem...?

 

[zippo59]

I think Buffalo could go 8-8 or maybe even 9-7 if they don't suffer a bunch of serious injuries.

 

[lutontown_fc]

I tend to have a realistic outlook with an optimistic bias.

I was worried early in the game that our run D was going the same way as early last year with no Tedy to shore it up, however that proved unfounded.

We conceded 89 yards on 15 carries in the early part of the game, but then toughened up to concede just a further 10 yards on the next 9 plays.

I was a little disturbed by the lack of protection Brady got at the beginning of the game - we have always been a good pass protection team first and run blocking has been a lesser priority - maybe that is changing.

I thought that BB or the Offensive coach got a little too clever for themselves with the play calling - our talents (Brady aside) are massively loaded toward the running game - I think we should have continued to pound Dillon and Maroney until the Bills showed they could stop us.

There is still alot of work to be done, but we all know that the coaching staff will be under no illusions as to how much work this team needs before weeks 4 and 5.

Cheers

NM