From Bill Simmons' latest article: "The 10-2 Colts continue to chug along toward a first-round bye. I hate everything that's happening with this season -- my beloved Pats look completely worn out by the quest to go undefeated, the fallout from CameraGate and three straight months of the media's glare, and on the flip side, the Colts are quietly biding their time for a home playoff game in Week 19 and a cold weather war in Foxborough in Week 20. Everything about this scenario makes me nervous. Everything."
So I ask you: are you nervous? I'll tell you why I'm not.
1. The Patriots, while "losing steam" the past two weeks, are still *winning*. I'd be worried if they went 0-2 the past two weeks. Great teams find ways to win.
2. No matter what happens (barring an unmitigated disaster), the playoffs will go through Foxboro. That's a HUGE advantage for New England.
3. If they're tired, they will need some rest, right? Good thing for them they get a 1st round bye this year. That will come at just the right time. They'll have a second wind just as the Chargers roll into town for the divisional round of the playoffs. Cold weather game, at Gillette, Pats fully rested and recharged, against a warm-weather team that the Pats have beaten twice in a row....it still won't be easy, but you have to give them the definitive advantage there.
4. If they lose one of the next four, is that really a bad thing? I know this may seem to contradict my first statement, but losing one game wouldn't worry me. It would, if nothing else, allow the team to not worry at all about going undefeated, and if they were playing for that historical mark, now they could just rest key guys and play a little looser. Not a bad thing.
5. Everyone is worrying about the running game, but I think the one real benefit to Maroney not running so much this year is that he'll be well rested for the playoffs. Not worn down at all. He should be very fresh come playoff time, and that may be needed.
6. When all is said and done, the Patriots still have Belichick and Brady, the best coach/QB combo in the league. And that matters.
7. Last year, we all know that the Pats should have beaten the Colts in Indy. The Colts are still great, but now they'll play in Foxboro, and the Pats are improved. Gotta like their odds in that matchup.
So I'm not worried. How about you?
So I ask you: are you nervous? I'll tell you why I'm not.
1. The Patriots, while "losing steam" the past two weeks, are still *winning*. I'd be worried if they went 0-2 the past two weeks. Great teams find ways to win.
2. No matter what happens (barring an unmitigated disaster), the playoffs will go through Foxboro. That's a HUGE advantage for New England.
3. If they're tired, they will need some rest, right? Good thing for them they get a 1st round bye this year. That will come at just the right time. They'll have a second wind just as the Chargers roll into town for the divisional round of the playoffs. Cold weather game, at Gillette, Pats fully rested and recharged, against a warm-weather team that the Pats have beaten twice in a row....it still won't be easy, but you have to give them the definitive advantage there.
4. If they lose one of the next four, is that really a bad thing? I know this may seem to contradict my first statement, but losing one game wouldn't worry me. It would, if nothing else, allow the team to not worry at all about going undefeated, and if they were playing for that historical mark, now they could just rest key guys and play a little looser. Not a bad thing.
5. Everyone is worrying about the running game, but I think the one real benefit to Maroney not running so much this year is that he'll be well rested for the playoffs. Not worn down at all. He should be very fresh come playoff time, and that may be needed.
6. When all is said and done, the Patriots still have Belichick and Brady, the best coach/QB combo in the league. And that matters.
7. Last year, we all know that the Pats should have beaten the Colts in Indy. The Colts are still great, but now they'll play in Foxboro, and the Pats are improved. Gotta like their odds in that matchup.
So I'm not worried. How about you?