Don't get me wrong, there is plenty of room for improvement. Plenty of things that need to be fixed this year. Some other things that need to be addressed in the offseason. And many people have brought up some very good points about the coordinators, lack of creativity/predictability in play calling, lack of pass rush, etc. I agree with the vast majority of those assessments.
It's the 'this team stinks', 'the season is over', these are the biggest under achievers ever', etc., that leaves me shaking my head. I live outside New England and one of the biggest things thrown in my face is 'bandwagon fans', 'cokcy and arrogant fans', etc. Even though all that is easily refuted, when I see Pats fans talking that way, it makes me wonder if the fanbase as a whole may indeed be spoiled and delusional.
Coming into this year I figured 12-4 and I still think the same thing. I felt like 16-0 is something that happens once every thirty years, and that may have raised a certain portion of fans expectations so high that they feel shortchanged with anything more than one or two losses in a season. On top of that they honestly expect that every single year.
Those are excellent aspirations, but they're also unrealistic expectations in my opinion. Of course I aspire for this team to be more than 11-5, but to freak out over any and every loss seems absurd to me.
Maybe the preseason hype by the media left some with such high expectations that there was no place to go but down.
These chicken littles remind me of my girlfriend, she really started getting into football during the '07 season & is so spoiled by that year that every loss is mind blowing to her. When your only reference point is a perfect season when we had the best offense of all time you are bound to be disappointed.
People forget that even in our Super Bowl winning years we had a clunker now & then, on '03 we got DESTROYED by Pitt in the regular season & returned the favor in the playoffs.
This team has flaws but I'll take 11+ wins every single year & the chance to compete in the playoffs. Only the Colts have been as consistantly good as us over such a long period of time ( not counting the playoffs ) Its pretty rare for any team to stay competitive year after year for such a long stretch so ENJOY IT while you can, it wont last forever.
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