Monday night's game is unfamiliar territory for Patriots

[PatsFans.com Article]

Monday night's game is unfamiliar territory for Patriots
By: Ryan Hannable

The Patriots have rarely been tested in a December game the past few seasons, until Monday night...

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[Chopblock CB]

Monday night's game is unfamiliar territory for Patriots
By: Ryan Hannable

The Patriots have rarely been tested in a December game the past few seasons, until Monday night...

CLICK HERE TO READ THIS STORY​

Sometimes I wonder if some folks understand what the Patriots are all about. What do any of the other games played in the past on national TV have to do with this upcoming game? Absolutely NOTHING!!
The fact that they are 10-0, or something like that, is just a testament to how BB prepares his team for the big games. The question here will be are the Texans For real or Frauds. They won a few games in questionable ways in the same respect that the Pats LOST a few games they should have won...one last second missed FG and a couple that slipped away in the 4th quarter.
The past means nothing come game time, it will be about two top teams playing it out on the gridiron. It will be executing game plans and the plays that make up the game plans. It'll be about players doing their jobs, preventing turnovers and creating takeaways.....and like Madden said..."The team with the most points at the end of the game,, will be declared the winner!"
As I mentioned in another thread....I think this will be one of those game we just blow a team away on National TV and use this game to not only expose the Texans, but become the dominant contender for the number one overall seed. I feel the weather will be a factor also in this game. Predictions of heavy windswept rains will work in the pats favor as we've seen Brady pick teams apart in weather like that. Are the Texans for real or are they just a lucky team that should be with the rest of the pack win wise?
45-24 Pats

 

[ricotexan86]

No way the score gets that high. Ball will be wet like a horny 16 yr. old chick. Slippery as a hell and tough to catch. Hopefully we can ground and pound it though it won't be easy against one of the top run defenses.

I predict something like 27-10 Pats

texans wont score that low, we average 30 points a game and with pats defense sitting at 26th we shouldnt struggle to much. less points than normal since it will be raining though..

 

[Sciz]

texans wont score that low, we average 30 points a game and with pats defense sitting at 26th we shouldnt struggle to much. less points than normal since it will be raining though..

Pats are in the top half of the league in points allowed...

And last time the Texans played in the rain, they scored 13 points.

 

[fnordcircle]

texans wont score that low, we average 30 points a game and with pats defense sitting at 26th we shouldnt struggle to much. less points than normal since it will be raining though..

I agree that they won't score that low, but the Patriots defense is 26th in yards but not in points allowed - they are 14th. They are also much improved now that the defensive backfield has been set with Talib/Dennard at the corners and McCourty moving to FS.

They aren't a top 10 defense but they aren't a joke. They're also the best in the league in causing turnovers.

I'm not saying your team can't win. I'm not even saying your team shouldn't be favored.

Mostly I'm saying that if you judge the Patriots defense by the entire season's body of work you're not taking into account recent improvements which, historically, has always happened in Nov/Dec for this team.

 

[ricotexan86]

Pats are in the top half of the league in points allowed...

And last time the Texans played in the rain, they scored 13 points.

figured that last rainy day game would be brought up. true, we did only score 13, but one must still acknowledge we where playing a top 5 defense in the chicago bears. texans have showed the ability to get large amounts of yards when trailing. which has not happened much at all this season. we go conservative and run and get more 3 and outs when we have a decent lead. thus diminishing out yards/game stat. i figure we will trail in this game since BB does not like to take his foot off the gas. which is one trait i wish gary kubiak had.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Sometimes I wonder if some folks understand what the Patriots are all about. What do any of the other games played in the past on national TV have to do with this upcoming game? Absolutely NOTHING!!
The fact that they are 10-0, or something like that, is just a testament to how BB prepares his team for the big games. The question here will be are the Texans For real or Frauds. They won a few games in questionable ways in the same respect that the Pats LOST a few games they should have won...one last second missed FG and a couple that slipped away in the 4th quarter.
The past means nothing come game time, it will be about two top teams playing it out on the gridiron. It will be executing game plans and the plays that make up the game plans. It'll be about players doing their jobs, preventing turnovers and creating takeaways.....and like Madden said..."The team with the most points at the end of the game,, will be declared the winner!"
As I mentioned in another thread....I think this will be one of those game we just blow a team away on National TV and use this game to not only expose the Texans, but become the dominant contender for the number one overall seed. I feel the weather will be a factor also in this game. Predictions of heavy windswept rains will work in the pats favor as we've seen Brady pick teams apart in weather like that. Are the Texans for real or are they just a lucky team that should be with the rest of the pack win wise?
45-24 Pats

Agreed. I suspect the writer came across this factoid and decided it was worth writing into a story. It wasn't. Maybe he can dig up what teams we have played at exactly 34.3 degree weather, find out if we have struggled to win at this temperature and write "The Patriots face an unfamiliar test Monday night. While they have done well at 33.2 degrees and well at 35.6 degrees, they really have struggled at 34.3".

Fact, the Patriots almost always win in December. Fact, the sample is far too big for it to be because it's always an easy opponent. Fact, the Patriots have played more big games than almost every other team over the last 10 years. Fact, these big games have been played in all kinds of venues with all kinds of weather/conditions at all times of the day. Fact, this game is this game. Last week, last month or last year is irrelevant. The Patriots will win because they execute better or lose because they fail to (obviously how the Texans execute matters greatly too). And if the Patriots fail to execute it will almost certainly not be because this is a big game on national TV in the evening. Anyone who follows the Patriots should know the 'big game aura' is not what trips up the Patriots. Love him or hate him, BB always does a good job of keeping the team grounded and focused on the next task (unfortunately that doesn't always equal a good game plan or good execution or pulling out the win).

 

[supafly]

figured that last rainy day game would be brought up. true, we did only score 13, but one must still acknowledge we where playing a top 5 defense in the chicago bears. texans have showed the ability to get large amounts of yards when trailing. which has not happened much at all this season. we go conservative and run and get more 3 and outs when we have a decent lead. thus diminishing out yards/game stat. i figure we will trail in this game since BB does not like to take his foot off the gas. which is one trait i wish gary kubiak had.

I don't honestly think that the CHI game has anything at all to do with the MNF game vs NE.

That said, I certainly do not expect the Pats to hold the Texans to 10 points, and would almost laugh at anyone who honestly can say they expect that. (No disrespect intended, and I definitely hope I am wrong)

I would imagine that it would be something closer to 20 points. If the NEP are able to score more than about 23 or so, they have a legitimate chance.

If not, well--it's on to SF on Sunday night.

 

[Chopblock CB]

Agreed. I suspect the writer came across this factoid and decided it was worth writing into a story. It wasn't. Maybe he can dig up what teams we have played at exactly 34.3 degree weather, find out if we have struggled to win at this temperature and write "The Patriots face an unfamiliar test Monday night. While they have done well at 33.2 degrees and well at 35.6 degrees, they really have struggled at 34.3".

Fact, the Patriots almost always win in December. Fact, the sample is far too big for it to be because it's always an easy opponent. Fact, the Patriots have played more big games than almost every other team over the last 10 years. Fact, these big games have been played in all kinds of venues with all kinds of weather/conditions at all times of the day. Fact, this game is this game. Last week, last month or last year is irrelevant. The Patriots will win because they execute better or lose because they fail to (obviously how the Texans execute matters greatly too). And if the Patriots fail to execute it will almost certainly not be because this is a big game on national TV in the evening. Anyone who follows the Patriots should know the 'big game aura' is not what trips up the Patriots. Love him or hate him, BB always does a good job of keeping the team grounded and focused on the next task (unfortunately that doesn't always equal a good game plan or good execution or pulling out the win).

As I mentioned...the past means nothing as far as games played...what is a factor are the few players left that HAVE played in the above mentioned "Big Games" and their abilities as veterans of said "Big Games" to prepare their team mates for them and emphasizing the necessity to focus on proper execution for this particular game and the ones to come. I'm in hopes that the team is in "Playoff mode" because for all intents and purposes...these last few regular season games ARE playoff games. The race for the first overall seed for the tournament is close to coming to an and and the team needs to take care of business by winning them one at a time. 6 straight wins from now send them to the promised land... :rocker: