LA Times picks the Pats over Bears

[OceansidePatsFan]

OATES ON FOOTBALL
Patriots Over Bears
NFL Playoffs: Brady Over Bears in Super Bowl XL . . . Eagles Lost Out on Opening Night . . .Steelers Ride Momentum into Cincinnati . . . Eli Clutch QB . . . Portis vs. Rookie in Tampa.

By Bob Oates, Latimes.com


As the pro league's winter tournament begins, the Chicago Bears are playing the NFC's best football. In the AFC, the New England Patriots have regained their championship form and momentum. And Tom Brady, who since the day after last year's Super Bowl has figured to win this year's, will lead the Patriots past the Bears in Detroit Feb. 5.

Rex Grossman, injured and out since early in the season, is the quarterback who has transformed the Bears into an assertive passing-team winner since he came back. The Patriots, also back from injury, still have their Super Bowl core. Coach Bill Belichick keeps the game close, quarterback Brady leads the last decisive drive, and special-team specialist Adam Vinatieri kicks for the win.
THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS, who know how to get to the Super Bowl and win it as a wild-card team facing a four-game playoff season, will begin that journey again in a Saturday night game played in a probable New England freeze or worse. They say they like the idea of bad weather, particularly against a Southern team, and maybe they do, but they can have it.

At the moment, the Patriots appear to have come all the way back from the injury burden that all but ruined them earlier in the season --- except for two players, safety Rodney Harrison, their best defensive man, who is out for the year, and famous linebacker Tedy Bruschi, who could be on the field for a while at least.

New England Coach Belichick and his assistants are, however, particularly skillful in the science of replacing their wounded --- even the most talented of their wounded --- given a few weeks to work them in. A reason they can do it is that, long ago, they chose all of their possible replacements with care and then kept them around learning the Patriot system

So as the playoffs start, the Patriots are, once more, a perfectly balanced team that earns top grades passing, running and kicking the ball and playing defense. And they're led by the best player in the league, quarterback Brady, a two-time Super Bowl MVP.

Jacksonville under Coach Jack Del Rio is a stout defensive team with a gifted running back, Fred Taylor, and two quarterbacks, including runner-passer David Garrard. But the Jaguar offense is seldom good for more than two touchdowns in one game, and that might not be enough on a New England winter night.

 

[mikey]

Old news ...


http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/showthread.php?t=28598



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[TruthSeeker]

Interesting. I really think that Chicago will have an easier job getting to the SB than the Pats. Though Seattle had a great season, I still think almost anyone in the AFC could beat Seattle, and would not be shocked if the Bears make it over Seattle. The Pats would have to face some serious competition, with their WEAKEST competition being the Jags this weak, a team that could possibly upset the Pats. Then comes either Indy or Denver, or Cincy or Pitt, pick your poison. Don't get me wrong, I would to see the Pats play the Bears in SB 40, and the Pats trying to get revenge for SB 20.

 

[Ring 6]

Interesting. I really think that Chicago will have an easier job getting to the SB than the Pats. Though Seattle had a great season, I still think almost anyone in the AFC could beat Seattle, and would not be shocked if the Bears make it over Seattle. The Pats would have to face some serious competition, with their WEAKEST competition being the Jags this weak, a team that could possibly upset the Pats. Then comes either Indy or Denver, or Cincy or Pitt, pick your poison. Don't get me wrong, I would to see the Pats play the Bears in SB 40, and the Pats trying to get revenge for SB 20.

This road is no more difficult that Indy (the unstoppable machine) and Pitt (15-1) last year. Or Tenn and Indy the year before. (2 teams we had allowed 30+ points to in the reg season, and both were 13-3) and probably no harder than Oak and Pitt in 2001.

The competition is IRRELEVANT. The Pats just need to play at their playoff level.
The 3 SB wins probably went through tougher competition than 80% of all SB Champions. Just put someone on the field against us, BB, Brady, Bruschi and the rest simply need to play their own game.

 

[TruthSeeker]

This road is no more difficult that Indy (the unstoppable machine) and Pitt (15-1) last year. Or Tenn and Indy the year before. (2 teams we had allowed 30+ points to in the reg season, and both were 13-3) and probably no harder than Oak and Pitt in 2001.

The competition is IRRELEVANT. The Pats just need to play at their playoff level.
The 3 SB wins probably went through tougher competition than 80% of all SB Champions. Just put someone on the field against us, BB, Brady, Bruschi and the rest simply need to play their own game.

AJ,

I love your undying confidence. It always makes the "woe is me" Pat's fan(me) feel so much better. The Pats just seem to always move up a notch, play at a different level once the playoffs start, it's amazing to watch. They ALWAYS seem to have that quiet confidence, that regardless of what the outside world may be saying, the know that they will win.

I hope that it continues for the next 5 weeks. I agree that, if they just play Patriot's PLAYOFF football, they will be tough to stop.

 

[fins56]

Hey Pats fans; I just stopped by to say congratulations on the division title and thought this thread was a good one to jump in on. Sorry but this guy Oates is, for the most part, clueless. As for his SB prediction......I could see that. Your guys have gotten healthy in time for the post season and look strong again. But Oates isn't giving the Jag-offs enough credit. Personally I don't care for them at all. The whole inter-state rival thing and all, y'know. Plus that playoff debacle back in 2000 certainly didn't endear them to us finfans. IMO that was more embarrassing than the snowplow game . Nonetheless, the Jags deserve to be in the postseason. According to Oates, they seldom score more than 2 TDs, however the truth is there were 5 games where the Jags scored less than 21 points and in one of those games they scored 20 and another they scored 18. They beat the Steelers this year and they beat the Bengals this year, as well. Plus they scored 40 last week. Yes I know it was against the Titans, but regardless of who the opponent is 40 points is alot. Anyway, there's no way Coach B is looking past the Jag-offs; and while I would expect your guys to win, it should be a good game.
As I stated to begin with... congratulations. This year-good luck in the play-offs. Next year I expect it to be a 2 horse race, however

 

[PromisedLand]

He also thinks we're a wild card team, not a division winner. A simple error, perhaps, but it doesn't do much for his credibility. A well researched, well fact-checked article carries more weight with me. It makes me think the guy actually spent more than five minutes thinking about his Super Bowl picks.

 

[Patriot Missile]

But "who" did the Football Gods pick is what I want to know?

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Hey Pats fans; I just stopped by to say congratulations on the division title and thought this thread was a good one to jump in on...... As I stated to begin with... congratulations. This year-good luck in the play-offs. Next year I expect it to be a 2 horse race, however

Thank you kindly sir!

If your Nicktator can scrape up some more raw meat for your O-line coach there will be no question about which horse NE will be racing with. That guy seems to be as good as our Dante, and that just concerns the heck out of me! I expect two one-thousand yard rushers next season if the O-line gets some blue chip prospects. The D looked solid, another good DT or two and you will be a playoff team even with Gus/Sage/Cleo running the show. The Pat/Fin rivalry should be quite fierce for the next decade or so, it'll be nice to set aside the Indy/Pit stop gaps and get back to a good old fashioned division war. :eat3: