I think we actually have a legitimate SHOT at this thing!!

[Off The Grid]

Call me crazy.

***

Here's the good news, if anyone is buying my perception of things:

Our 3 largest weaknesses ~ our ONLY weaknesses ~ the D Line Edge, the Flankers, and our Secondary ~ all have tremendous upside within the context of this very Campaign.

* End Brandon Deaderick could have an immense impact on our Run Defense, and that, right soon.

* End Ron Brace continues to improve.

* Flanker Jermaine Cunningham continues to improve.

* Flanker Rob Ninkovich continues to improve.

* The Secondary continues to improve.

***

Good Health Granted, those are the only 5 Trouble Spots standing in our way of being ELITE Super Bowl Contenders, in the year 2010.

And execution at ALL FIVE is improving by Leaps and Bounds, in all cases by young men of Skill, Youth, and Passion, and under the extraordinary guidance of The Greatest Coach In The Game.

***

Last Monday Night was a Quantum Leap Forward, ahead of even my lofty expectations.

Gentlemen??

I think we actually have a legitimate SHOT at this thing.

 

[Gwedd]

I agree. I still consider us to be an elite team, despite the doom&gloomers who post here a lot.

You can't zero in on a particular weakness. You have to look at the team as a whole, and see how one part helps to compensate for the shortcomings in another area. that's what this group of guys does.

I think that Baltimore is in for a very rude welcome, and that the rest of the league will shortly be put on notice that they discount New England at their peril.

 

[Off The Grid]

I agree. I still consider us to be an elite team, despite the doom & gloomers who post here a lot.

You can't zero in on a particular weakness. You have to look at the team as a whole, and see how one part helps to compensate for the shortcomings in another area. that's what this group of guys does.

I think that Baltimore is in for a very rude welcome, and that the rest of the league will shortly be put on notice that they discount New England at their peril.

Well said, sir.

I was expecting this team to finish strongly, but last Monday's LAMBASTING of the Fish brought back that Week 3 2001 Feeling.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

I don't disagree. But 12 teams could legitimately say the same thing. That's the reason we are in the race... weaknesses all-around, no dominant team.

As of right now the Jets and Steelers are the biggest obstacles. I don't see our defense winning the grind-it-out games where the offense will be limited to 20 points or less. There are five teams that wouldn't shock many people if they won the AFC: Baltimore, Pittsburgh, NYJ, Indianapolis, Patriots. I give San Diego the dark horse designation because I think Philip Rivers is one of the league's best.

 

[coolguy]

All the pats need to do is get into the playoffs.


ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN!!

 

[Gwedd]

I don't disagree. But 12 teams could legitimately say the same thing. That's the reason we are in the race... weaknesses all-around, no dominant team.

As of right now the Jets and Steelers are the biggest obstacles. I don't see our defense winning the grind-it-out games where the offense will be limited to 20 points or less. There are five teams that wouldn't shock many people if they won the AFC: Baltimore, Pittsburgh, NYJ, Indianapolis, Patriots. I give San Diego the dark horse designation because I think Philip Rivers is one of the league's best.

Yup. Indy doesn't scare me any more. Manning, I respect completely, and he can work wonders, but their team as a whole has more problems than New England, and they are playing way above their talent level at the moment. They are one injury away from imploding and missing the playoffs.

Philip Rivers can be a top-flight QB if he can learn to control himself. It's his own anger issues that are holding him down. If he can learn to firget the previous play, to fixate only upon the next play, one play at a time, then he can and should go toe to toe with the best. Right now, however, he is his own worst enemy.

 

[coolguy]

I don't disagree. But 12 teams could legitimately say the same thing. That's the reason we are in the race... weaknesses all-around, no dominant team.

As of right now the Jets and Steelers are the biggest obstacles. I don't see our defense winning the grind-it-out games where the offense will be limited to 20 points or less. There are five teams that wouldn't shock many people if they won the AFC: Baltimore, Pittsburgh, NYJ, Indianapolis, Patriots. I give San Diego the dark horse designation because I think Philip Rivers is one of the league's best.

lol if the pats switch their 1st half team with the 2nd half, they would be undefeated right now.

They need to somehow play with the same energy they have had in the 1st half of games.

Peyton manning putting 40+ on us and facing the top 3 (jets, steelers, ravens) defense 4 times this year can really mold the team and help them to mature into something great.

 

[Ron Sellers]

* Flanker Jermaine Cunningham continues to improve.

* Flanker Rob Ninkovich continues to improve.

Aahhh, the question as to who will replace Randy Moss at flanker has been answered!

 

[Kontradiction]

* End Brandon Deaderick could have an immense impact on our Run Defense, and that, right soon.

I've been high on Deaderick since the offseason. However, he still has a long way to go before he makes an "immense" impact.

* End Ron Brace continues to improve.

Agreed. He's really been a life saver out there this season at DE. I really couldn't imagine how our defense would look without his contributions this year. His progress makes me wish Ty Warren was healthy.

* Flanker Jermaine Cunningham continues to improve.

Indeed. Shows good speed and good technique. Just needs to get the defense and his instincts down and he'll be a valuable commodity at OLB.

* Flanker Rob Ninkovich continues to improve.

No he doesn't. JAG that had a great game against Miami partly due to their quarterback's incompetence.

* The Secondary continues to improve.

I certainly hope so. They've looked absolutely brutal so far. However, we all expected some growing pains there after Bodden went out for the season, so it is what it is.

 

[Patspsycho]

The defense has a long way to go. Most of those guys are raw and unpolished. We'll see how much they accomplish by Thanksgiving, but they have a hell of a lot to work on in terms of technique and coverage.

 

[coolguy]

I've been high on Deaderick since the offseason. However, he still has a long way to go before he makes an "immense" impact.



Agreed. He's really been a life saver out there this season at DE. I really couldn't imagine how our defense would look without his contributions this year. His progress makes me wish Ty Warren was healthy.



Indeed. Shows good speed and good technique. Just needs to get the defense and his instincts down and he'll be a valuable commodity at OLB.



No he doesn't. JAG that had a great game against Miami partly due to their quarterback's incompetence.



I certainly hope so. They've looked absolutely brutal so far. However, we all expected some growing pains there after Bodden went out for the season, so it is what it is.

Dude give the secondary a break, the pats HAVE NO PASS RUSH!!
The qb has so much time to pass it almost looks like they don't even try to hit him.

 

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

I like our odds at this point in the season a lot more than I did at this point in the season in 2001.

 

[bruce_w]

I beleive we are seeing Bill's best coaching job unfold right before our eyes and don't even realise it yet. He really has his finger on the pulse of this team and they seem to be a willing group of young players. Reminds me of 2001 actually. I'm with you on this, you've to be a little lucky to win it all but this could be a fun ride.

 

[Run DMC]

No offense, as I too can have my optimistic moments, but we've got a ways to go yet. I think this Ravens game will be very revealing. I think we're probably going to get smoked. We will be lucky to make the playoffs this year, imho.

 

[BradyMossWelker]

Dude give the secondary a break, the pats HAVE NO PASS RUSH!!
The qb has so much time to pass it almost looks like they don't even try to hit
him.

I think that's ridiculous. Our pass rush is underated. We may not have any good pass rusher, but we are creating some pressure(of course it's not a lot) up the middle, and sometimes, TBC or Cunningham make some good play(see TBC on the best tackle in the league, Jake Long).
In this season, I still haven't seen more than 4 or 5 plays, that the QB has all the time in the world.

I blame the secondary.

 

[Off The Grid]

Good GOD, there's some excellent Arguments, here, on both sides.

That's why I love this Site.

 

[Off The Grid]

* I believe we are seeing Bill's best coaching job unfold right before our eyes and don't even realise it yet.

* He really has his finger on the pulse of this team and they seem to be a willing group of young players.

* Reminds me of 2001 actually.

* I'm with you on this, you've to be a little lucky to win it all but this could be a fun ride.

GREAT point about 2001: Despite the winning record, there is a SERIOUS "2001" Vibe emitting from Monday Night's EMPHATIC Victory over Miami.

The more I think about where we've been, where we are, and where we're going...the more I get that bizarre, tingly felling of anticipation.

I really think we just witnessed the Dawn of something extraordinary, gentlemen.

 

[Off The Grid]

I like our odds at this point in the season a lot more than I did at this point in the season in 2001.

Nicely put, INDEED!!

 

[flynismo]

Ya know....

I thought it was hilarious when everyone crowned the Jets as AFCE champs in the preseason.

And I'm still laughing...only now, not as hard, because I have to admit that they are as good as they said they'd be.

If you care to hear an outsider's opinion, here's what I think.

No one cares about buffalo, so I'll just move on to Miami. I'll admit, Miami was my sleeper team heading into the season. I still think they have a solid season ahead of them, maybe 9 wins..not the 10 possibly even 11 wins I originally thought.

Of course, the race is between NYJ and NE. Although NYJ already has a convincing win over NE, I see a lot of signs that NE is on verge of getting on a roll.
They wont beat NE twice this year, and sanchize is going to go through hell once again when he faces Pitts and Cincy. They have sour grapes because their loss to us was only by 1 point, but what they wont tell you is that they were one dropped TD pass by Heap and an overthrown pass in the end zone to a wide open McClain from getting beat down 24-9, rather than 10-9. PIttsburgh wont make those mistakes, and will likely beat them. Cincy has a good chance at beating them too, it depends on which Bengals defense shows up for the game.
THen of course, they have a rematch with NE, which i anticipate NE winning.

So yeah, NE has a golden opportunity in front of them. Even if the worst case scenario unfolds and NYJ wins the division, NE is all but guaranteed a wild card berth, and either Pitts or Bal will take the other.

And once you're in, anything can happen.

 

[MossWelkowski]

All the pats need to do is get into the playoffs.


ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN!!

Does that include being down 21-0 in the first quarter at home?