Peter King rates Fins at 6, Jets at 7 and Pats at 14

[Metaphors]

woaah...we got our clocks cleaned last year against the ravens, so you can't blame the media for putting a lot of question marks next to us.

The Packers are #1 in the list. The last time we saw them, Kurt Warner laced up his orthopedic cleats and hung half-a-hundy on them. The Pats certainly aren't the only team to exit the 2009 season with a bad taste in their mouth.

 

[Metaphors]

If you are correct that our ranking is deserved because we have questions how do you justify the Dolphins who had a losing record last year being ranked 7th in the NFL, and best in the AFCE? Don't their question marks matter?

Yeah, but they don't have issues with their pass rush. And they would never count on a 2nd round draft pick making the conversion to OLB and making a significant contribution right away.

 

[RhodyPatriot]

woaah...we got our clocks cleaned last year against the ravens, so you can't blame the media for putting a lot of question marks next to us. A lot of us feel the pats improved...but that's on paper. We have a lot of young kids who have yet to play a snap in the NFL so we can't assume they are going to step in and contribute. I believe the pats will be an improved team, but we have to go out and earn it on the field. A lot of us were saying how much our secondary improved last offseason with wilhite, butler and wheatley...then look what happened.

Forget the kids just drafted, my point is the Patriots will be a better team going into the 2010 season because the shape the veterans are in.
Tom Brady will be in much better shape both physically and psychologically coming into this season. He doesn't have a years worth of rust or concerns about his knee to work through this year. Vince Wilfork is signed and ready to lead that defense on the field and in the room. Vince couldn't lead that defense and rule over that locker room last season because the whole contract thing was hanging over his head. The defensive ROY Jerod Mayo got hurt early and was simply not a factor on that defense after his injury. Expect Mayo to return to his ROY form. The cancer they call Adalius is gone.
The status of those 4 players coming into the 2010 season makes this a better team already.
Of course the Patriots have questions and I don't expect the media to fall all over themselves in praise of this team. My only point is not enough mediot commentary ever touches on the issues key players were dealing with on this team last year and how that impacted their performances and the overall team mojo.

 

[TriplecHamp]

Funny Stuff

 

[DEVIOUS 1]

First off, I agree with Mangold74 that this was a shock and awe piece meant to awake the slumbering masses with the gift of disagreement.

But, I found some of his comparisons for Miami being good, and NE missing the playoffs inconsistent. For example.....He says of Miami.

"I probably like the young quarterback more than most do; I think Chad Henne is set for a breakout year, and I think the receiver group (Brandon Marshall, Brian Hartline, Davone Bess)"

Sooooooo, Brady what? I would think you would want to back a proven commodity oven a, currently, unproven QB.

And how is that trio of recievers any better then Moss, Welker, Holt, Tate?

But he wonders about our WR depth? What if Marshall goes down? How you liking a starting lineup of Bess and Hartline? No thanks.



Another good one:

King says about Miami,

"The most important rookie in the league to a playoff contender, other than Ryan Mathews of the Chargers, could well be Koa Misi, the second-rounder projected to rush the passer for Miami. But as Bill Parcells has said since he came out of the womb, "They don't sell insurance for that kind of thing.'' They don't, and Misi needs to have immediate impact to bolster the one area of the Dolphins that they need the most help -- pass-rush."

Ok, some speculation there, no biggie, but then about NE he says:

"I still don't know who will rush the passer"

Besides the fact that we ALSO have a second round rusher. He's sold on Miami's OLB's of Camaron Wake, and Koa Misi? Really? How are they any more a proven pass rush threat then we have?

You lost me there Peter.

 

[patriotscpfc]

Forget the kids just drafted, my point is the Patriots will be a better team going into the 2010 season because the shape the veterans are in.
Tom Brady will be in much better shape both physically and psychologically coming into this season. He doesn't have a years worth of rust or concerns about his knee to work through this year. Vince Wilfork is signed and ready to lead that defense on the field and in the room. Vince couldn't lead that defense and rule over that locker room last season because the whole contract thing was hanging over his head. The defensive ROY Jerod Mayo got hurt early and was simply not a factor on that defense after his injury. Expect Mayo to return to his ROY form. The cancer they call Adalius is gone.
The status of those 4 players coming into the 2010 season makes this a better team already.
Of course the Patriots have questions and I don't expect the media to fall all over themselves in praise of this team. My only point is not enough mediot commentary ever touches on the issues key players were dealing with on this team last year and how that impacted their performances and the overall team mojo.

Moss was hurt last year as well. A fit and "pissed-off at the media" Randy is good for the team.

 

[Sciz]

This is the same guy that had the Bears first and the Saints 24th last year. Zero respect for his opinion.

 

[Deus Irae]

Wow, a power ranking in May that doesn't have the Patriots at #1 and the nearest team down at about #43? Let's lynch the writer.

 

[PatsChamp88]

Wow, a power ranking in May that doesn't have the Patriots at #1 and the nearest team down at about #43? Let's lynch the writer.

 

[DEVIOUS 1]

Wow, a power ranking in May that doesn't have the Patriots at #1 and the nearest team down at about #43? Let's lynch the writer.

Your the one that craves disagreement. This is right up your alley.

 

[jczxohn1]

Whadda ya expect from a guy who talks about Starbucks.

 

[Brady2Welker]

This is the same guy that had the Bears first and the Saints 24th last year. Zero respect for his opinion.

This sums it all up.

 

[BradyFTW!]

King might do the worst power rankings in the industry, year in and year out. Remember the year that Dolphins got Daunte Culpepper, and King had them winning the SB? Or how about last year, when he ranked the Saints 24th...

Pre-preseason power rankings are an exercise in stupidity no matter what, but even accounting for that, King is especially useless.

 

[Pats726]

Does Chad Henne have compromising pictures of Peter King? Wow.

Ugh..........Peter King has NO credibility at all he's a mediot who is so hypocritical it's pathetic.. If I ever saw him walking around in Boston I'd be sure he'd never forget it..pompous hole..that simple..

 

[WelshPat]

Ugh..........Peter King has NO credibility at all he's a mediot who is so hypocritical it's pathetic.. If I ever saw him walking around in Boston I'd be sure he'd never forget it..pompous hole..that simple..

Wow, are you threatening a media guy just because you disagree with his opinion?

Your pathetic.

 

[dhamz]

I've never understood why people care about power rankings. The only thing I can come up with is it is a carry over from also being fans of college football where that crap actually matters.

I'm not buying where he ranks the Dolphins. I think the Jets who played in the title game are probably ranked where I would put them. The Pats are just a little low for my taste but not off nearly as far in my mind as most on this board think. All of it is opinion, none of it matters. The NFL decides it on the field.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

This is the type of logic that mystifies me. Negative projections are supported by 'we have quesitons' as if to imply no one else does.
You are saying here that there should be quesiton marks because we lost in the playoffs. Yet we were one of only 12 teams that made the playoffs, but King ranks us below teams that were pretty awful last year and there is no clear indication those team have improved, they all have question marks, and rely on rookies.
If you are correct that our ranking is deserved because we have questions how do you justify the Dolphins who had a losing record last year being ranked 7th in the NFL, and best in the AFCE? Don't their question marks matter?

who cares? maybe king feels the pats have more question marks than some of the other teams he ranks higher than us. I am not arguing over King's specific rankings but rather the general tone of his comments. It's really pointless to argue about pre season rankings anyway.

 

[ausbacker]

I'm happy for other sides to be ranked higher than the Patriots and take most of the offseason media and pressure. It lets the players go about their merry business and incites wonderful debate on forums.

 

[thechris]

Seriously who gives a crap about power rankings in May?

 

[JoeSixPat]

....on his strength of team list. King has the Patriots missing the playoffs.
I love it!!

I'm with you. I like the nature of this team getting back to its roots of being unheralded role players (sans Brady) considered underdogs forcing everyone to toughen up, pull together, play their roles and just win.

That's how they did it in 2001. And to a certain extent they maintained that mentality in 2003 as well.

If Big Names won Super Bowls the Redskins would be a major dynasty.