SI: "Be afraid NFL. Be very afraid"

[Lurks_All_Day]

It's preseason. I'll wait to see how we do when it's for real. While I feel that we have a good team, it's a long season with peaks and valleys.

Well, last year exceeded my expectations, with 14 peaks and 2 valleys. Well, maybe 3 valleys....
Nonetheless, I am more confident every week that the last valley we dip into will be long before week 17 this year. Our offense hasn't gotten worse, personnel-wise, and the defense has gained both experience in last year's core, plus an infusion of experienced talent up front where it counts!
feelsgoodman.jpg
Here's to confidence!

 

[PatsBoy12]

Can't agree to compare this team to 2007 right now.

There is really no serious down the field deep threat like Moss....No longtime Patriot leaders like Bruschi,Vrabel and Harrison on the back 8

This team will have a character of it's own and hopefully a high character team with new veteran players who will get hired for the help wanted job of leadership needed that we sorely miss on defense the past few years.

...2007 will be hard to duplicate and to tell you the truth,I would rather the 2011 Patriots make a name for themselves rather than try and be like a team from the past.

More people should "Like" your comment. I think it sums it all up very well. I think that's what BB was going for last offseason when he took all of the old pictures off of the walls. These guys must forge their own identity.

 

[SaCaCh]

The preseason is meaningless...always has been and always will be. End of discussion.

 

[condon84]

Okay, now I'm nervous. Shaughnessy writing this, and comparisons to the 07 team and how this team might have more potential.

I'm just excited about a more aggressive defense, but comparing this team to that 07 team, we're just setting ourselves up for disappointment.

 

[rufcut]

Okay, now I'm nervous. Shaughnessy writing this, and comparisons to the 07 team and how this team might have more potential.

I'm just excited about a more aggressive defense, but comparing this team to that 07 team, we're just setting ourselves up for disappointment.

That's part of Shaughnessy's schtick. There isn't a sincere bone in that guy's body that I can detect. Later, if the Patriots aren't as good as all that, he'll be there to chide us for our overblown expectations. Never mind that he is feeding the hype now.

But we all read him and comment on his columns. That's what he gets paid for.

 

[randomk1]

Who is going to beat us? Line em' up and bring them all the **** on!!!


WHOOOOOO!!!



Seriously....i hate hype.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

I think, from everything I've seen, that this teem will make the playoffs

Now think about it -- having done so, how brutal has it been from that point onward the last few years?

Right now this Pats team has everything going for it. We are used to the Offense having mainly upside (and what a luxury... for year and years, we haven't even asked outselves "oh no, what if the offense can't score points.")

Big difference is that D has gotten major attention the last few years, with a big upgrade (from all appearances) this year.

The secondary's been improving, the linebackers have been improving, and now the D-line and scheme are getting an overhaul.

After years of saying "this is just how the Pats do D#, bend & don't break, etc.," now we're seeing movement toward the attacking D most of the league already has. Mayo's a force -- how much of a force he'll ultimately be is still a sky's-the-limit, don't-get-crazy exercise in tempering optimism.

One hard thing to get our heads around is probably "Dude, we can get worse as well as better," because we've seen so little of that over the last few years. So I'm still on the edge of my proverbial seat.

When was the last time we saw BB totally fall on his face though? Cleveland? Sort of? Or do we count 2002? I'm looking back and just thinking, wow. What a nice team to be a fan of... you guys remember years and years of hoping that one day we'd be able to be in the playoffs regularly?

Anyway, looks like we'll make them again, going by positive changes over and above a 14-2 year, from indicators to date.

Then it's a matter of whether this team can dig deep and realize the importance of the moment, as we've failed to do the last couple years.

Getting very geeked now for this damn season to start LOL

 

[PatsSox363804]

This is just Shaugnessy trying to build expectations so he can write the predeictable, skewering the team article he really wants to write if the Pats don't go deep into the playoffs. The sad part is that other teams' fans are going to read that and think Shaughnessy is a homer for the local teams which is just a laughable concept.

 

[PatsSox363804]

IMO this team has more upside that the 2007 team, health is the only thing that will derail this team.


The O should be better than last year Branch will be with the team for the full year, when Ocho get in sync with Brady he is an upgrade over Tate, Price could provide a weapon that was missing las year with his spped and what looks like good route running ability. Gronk and Hernandez seem poised to make the 2nd year jump and the OL will have Mankins for the entire year and at worst Solder seems a big upgrade as an OT backup ( I wonder if Light could be moved to guard?)

The D was set to be better solely by the return of Bodden and the experience factor the personnel upgrades in the Front 7 and unleashing Mayo promise far more than that .

The team was first in points scored and 8th in points allowed.

Would Anyone really be surprised if the team was first in points scored and first in least points allowed? I will be surprised if the team isn't first in points scored (assuming Brady is healthy of course).

I'll be surprised if we aren't top 5 in points scored, no gaurantee of #1 with the Packers, Chargers, and Saints all capable of putting up a ton of points on any given day.

 

[Rob0729]

Although I love the new agressive style the Pats are bringing, it is far too early to draw any conclusions about the defense. The defense so far has looked dominant, but we do not know how it will look in the regular season when teams start scheming and gameplanning.

I think the Pats have a potential of having a dominant defense this season and their d-line could end up being the best in the league, but a lot of teams do well in the preseason and fall flat during the regular season.

Let's talk in October.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

I'll be surprised if we aren't top 5 in points scored, no gaurantee of #1 with the Packers, Chargers, and Saints all capable of putting up a ton of points on any given day.

I have questions about some parts of the team but I have absolutely no questions that a HEALTHY Tom Brady and a HEALTHY offensive corps will all but be a shoo in for top 3 offense in the league.

There is way too much talent for this team to not average around 27 PPG all season and remember the team scored 500 points WITHOUT Gronkowski and Hernandez at some point in the season and,with a disgruntled Mankins sitting at home for half the season and WITH Fred Taylor warming the bench with his ass all year.

I see the team losing some games not because the offense if being dominated by the opposing D, but more likely reason being the defense not being able to keep the opposing team from outscoring them.

 

[Bostonian1962]

Crap, D.O. doesn't exactly have a stellar predicition record. He said be very afraid, and now I am.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Shaugnessy 1
Patriots Fans 0

We all know as well as he does that Pats fans find it hard to read his articles and ignore them but by using some positives,he will get clicks on it from the Patriot community.

Obviously it worked.

 

[Ivan]

I love the way this team looks but it is a really long season and what matters most is how they look heading into the play-offs.

 

[SONS_OF_BELICHICK]

BLEACHER REPORT: The Patriots are scary, people. The Patriots are scary.

I thought this was an interesting read ....:rocker:

Preseason NFL Trade Targets: A Wish List for All 32 Teams | Bleacher Report

 

[RodThePat]

Re: BLEACHER REPORT: The Patriots are scary, people. The Patriots are scary.

Bleacher Report articles should be banned from this message board entirely. It's basically the same as posting what your cousin said about the Pats on Facebook.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Re: BLEACHER REPORT: The Patriots are scary, people. The Patriots are scary.

Bleacher Report aside, this guy also thinks that the Broncos and Titans should both trade for Haynesworth since he's not going to be happy playing in our 3-4, so... yeah. Wouldn't really take him as having insight on anything Patriots-related.

 

[Sciz]

Re: BLEACHER REPORT: The Patriots are scary, people. The Patriots are scary.

What a shoddy article. Tons of the guys he has being traded just signed new contracts.

 

[PushnPencils]

Mike Freeman CBS Twitter

realfreemancbs mike freeman
by shalisemyoung
Pats opposing coaches tell me privately they fear Pats might have a mini-offensive tear this year, a notch below record setting season.
28 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Re: BLEACHER REPORT: The Patriots are scary, people. The Patriots are scary.

Article written from the basement of his Parents Home