"Replacement value"...

[patfanken]

I'm still trying to remember the first time I've read or heard BB indicate that winning the SB is the only definition for winning...what is the quote outside Pioli's office, we're building a big, strong fast football team that will win the Super Bowl or die trying?

I think BB understands the vageries and luck needed to actually succeed to the suberbowl. As we have seen over the past several years a lot of things have to go right, and only a few things have to go wrong in order to get to the superbowl

I'm guessing that during the off season BB's annual goal is to have a team that can put itself into position to get to the playoffs. Once that is accomplished, its a 3-4 game tournament which generally goes to the team which is both good AND lucky.

I would say that if you asked him and he answered honestly, I'd bet he'd call last season an overall success, especially given all the injuries and loss of Branch. We won a game we should have lost in SD, and lost a game we should have won in Indy.

Going into this season, I'm sure he's happy that he's got a team that is as good as any in the league at this point in time. However he knows that what's on paper in July and who you have available in January when the playoffs start can be startingly different.

So I bet he's pretty happy right now, but knows the long marathon the Pats must travail inorder to get to AZ in Feb.