Is there more or less pressure now?

[ivanvamp]

On the one hand, I think there's more pressure....on Cassel, the OL, the running game, the defense, and the coaching staff. Brady allowed you to make some mistakes, simply because he was (is) so good. With Cassel, every lineman needs to get his blocks right; every RB needs to hit the hole hard and get the right blitz pickup; every WR needs to run his route that much better; and every call by McDaniels needs to have a better chance at being the right one.

On the other hand, the level of expectation this team now has has been drastically reduced. We were so used to them just blowing everybody out that we may have forgotten that, during the early part of this dynasty, they had to work extremely hard every game, and won most of them by 7 points or less. This team still has a tremendous amount of talent, and if our expectations now are simply that they win 9 games and be in most of their losses, they could very well exceed them.

Personally I think they win 10 games and make the playoffs. From there, who knows?

 

[PatsDeb]

Less pressure. No one expects us to do anything now. Last night on whatever program Chris Collinsworth is on (I think Football Night in America?) they were all but handing the division crown to the Jets and their new super duper QB.

We as fans should be rallying behind Cassel and hoping BB can return to 2001 and come up with some good game plans to ease a new QB into a great team with a great supporting cast as long as everyone can get on the same page. Slow and steady wins the race and that is what we should be aiming for. I was as devastated as the next guy yesterday, but I am curious to see whether BB and the rest of the team can step it up and keep going. I think/hope/dream? they can do it.

I can't believe all the people on here (and maybe it's not that many; I don't want to read the threads of those who are turning in all their tickets or not interested in watching now that Brady is hurt) who aren't going to stay the course. Isn't that what the rest of the NFL expects the Pats to do? Won't that become their rallying cry? Did you not see Rodney Harrison run towards Brady (while everyone else stayed away) and then have a monster game? He's not giving up; why should we? Let everyone think we're dead, just like they did in 2001.

By the way, two of our biggest rivals, San Diego & the Colts, didn't look so hot yesterday. They both lost and we won (remember?).

 

[BelichickFan]

Way less, this is pretty much a no lose season now that we've lost the one thing we couldn't afford to lose.

 

[bakes781]

less

the expectations are low now. I think most of the pundits feel the Jets are the team to beat now. Honestly I think the Bills are the bigger threat to our division title run. I have no idea what the playoff expectation should be now. That will be determined with time as we see how well Cassel develops.