Sports Guy: Are you nervous?

[rhodeislandpatsfan]

The Colts are the defending Super Bowl champs. Their recent track record against the Pats is excellent. I've been nervous about them all season.

A blowout win vs. them would have changed that. A come-from-behind squeaker did not.

Until the Pats wallop the Colts twice in a row, or maybe if Manning himself is the injured guy there, I won't stop being nervous about the Colts.

Overcame 146 penalty yards on the road, erased a 10pt lead with ease. Go back and watch the game. BTW unless the Pats plane crashes they will not lose 3 out of four games which means the colts will have to play in NE In january, Good Luck Next Year!

 

[Oswlek]

I will say this once and only once:

Bill Simmons knows **** about football.

This statement is not based on the fact that he seems worried about NE. It is based on the fact that he has an infantile understanding of the game and really doesn't have a clue about the team he roots for, let alone any other teams. Imagine the stupidest caller into whatever local sports talk show. The doofus that buys into every stereotype and is hooked by any hot-button topic. OK, got that idiot pictured in your mind?

That is Bill Simmons.

In fairness to him, he does have an excellent mind for basketball. He might be one of the best 5 basketball guys on the web. But he doesn't know jack about football.

 

[chrisfx811]

a. I think we'll be facing a Jax team in the playoffs, and while I feel confident about beating them, they can also play a physical game. Personally, I don't think they'll be ready for Foxboro, but their 2 headed rushing attack is tough, Garrard plays smart if not explosively, and their defense can be physical.

b. I'll be nervous before playing the Colts for sure. They'll most likely be healthy, and will probably try to stage a 'Marvin Harrison as Willis Reed' comeback in Foxboro. At the end of the day, the Colts offense has been running together for years and it gets harder and harder to take them out of their element.
*I also do not believe we have seen the last of 'ref shenanigans' in Colt's games.

 

[Oswlek]

Now that that is out of the way, I just have a few questions.

1) Do people here really think that BB doesn't know how to pace the team so that they are ready to play in the playoffs? I mean, what year was it again that NE played worse in the playoffs than they did earlier in the season?

2) Even if we accept that NE is a tired team, don't we think that having three straight home games - two of which against mediocre at best teams - and a near-certain bye will go a long way towards solving that problem?

3) Are we really to believe that NE has some holes massive enough that average teams like Balt and Philly can nearly beat them that are unfixable? That the same team that was on pace to annihilate the point spread record just needed someone like Philly to solve? Why again has NE's first 10 games become irrelevent in relation to the last two? Isn't it legitimately possible - nay, probable - that they just played bad games again teams that played well?

 

[chrisfx811]

I agree Oswlek.
We do tend to forget that it's the NFL, and the talent levels amongst teams are not that different. It's all about coaching and execution.
The Jets, and Cardinals beat the Steelers after all.
The Bills have been pasted by the Pats, but almost got one from the Cowboys.
The Pack lost to the Bears.
The Chiefs almost beat the Colts, and the Falcons had a 10-0 lead on them.

 

[BadMoFo]

I love how The Sports Guy is the greatest columnist when he writes something positive about the Pats, but go against the Pats, and he all of a sudden knows nothing.

Also, by saying this Oswlek, what are you implying:

1) Do people here really think that BB doesn't know how to pace the team so that they are ready to play in the playoffs? I mean, what year was it again that NE played worse in the playoffs than they did earlier in the season?

He is now taking it easy after a long run of blowouts. So we should expect a tight contest this weekend?

 

[Bella*chick]

Now that that is out of the way, I just have a few questions.

1) Do people here really think that BB doesn't know how to pace the team so that they are ready to play in the playoffs? I mean, what year was it again that NE played worse in the playoffs than they did earlier in the season?

2) Even if we accept that NE is a tired team, don't we think that having three straight home games - two of which against mediocre at best teams - and a near-certain bye will go a long way towards solving that problem?

3) Are we really to believe that NE has some holes massive enough that average teams like Balt and Philly can nearly beat them that are unfixable? That the same team that was on pace to annihilate the point spread record just needed someone like Philly to solve? Why again has NE's first 10 games become irrelevent in relation to the last two? Isn't it legitimately possible - nay, probable - that they just played bad games again teams that played well?

Point 3 is really crucial here. I don't believe anything the media says, and all this "Pats EXPOSED?!" stuff doesn't really bug me. The fact is, people have short memories....our other SB teams had bad games, games they lost, and games they won that they should have lost. Yes, even in December!

Personally, even I, as a fan watching this team, am just emotionally fatigued. Anyone else feel that way?

eta: BadMoFo, most people have long recognized that the Sports Guy is a basketball guy, not a football one. He writes entertaining columns, but I definitely don't look to him for insight. This is NOT a case of, oh, he wrote something bad.....he SUCKS.

 

[Fencer]

even with all the cards stacked against them, the Patriots handled the Colts.

The injury reports say otherwise.

And there's no reason to expect the refereeing to be any different in a rematch.

 

[Patstopia]

Well, I 've been watching football for a long time. But this is the most downwardly spiraling team I have ever seen. I bet they can't win more than seven games the rest of the season! And that head coach, he's choking under the pressure. I guess it's a learning experience for him. After all, he's never won against all these other teams. This team is just lucky I guess. Without luck and bad refs and injuries, we would be nowhere.

 

[Robdude]

I cannot buy this line of reasonning at all. The Pats are not worn done by the quest to have a perfect season. I dont buy it. This is the league we they play for pay. Every team plays to win. Where is this law that says the winning team leaves more tired? Seriously, did the Colts lose two games because they were relaxing? Did they leave those games thinking "Hey at least we got a good rest"?

Teams dont get tired from winning.

If you want to say they are more tired from three night games in a row and from a shortened week thats fine but even that should have been remedied with the extra day off

 

[patsacolachick]

Personally, even I, as a fan watching this team, am just emotionally fatigued. Anyone else feel that way?

YES!!!! Every game now feels like do or die, and I don't even do anything to affect the outcome!

 

[Michigan Dave]

I love how two wins have people worried. That's how you know you have it good.

 

[aluminum seats]

I think when Simmons writes stuff like this there's a little bit of gamesmanship going on........like when you tell your Yankees-fans friends that you don't see how the Sox can compete with that killer NY lineup....

 

[TomBrady'sGoat]

We haven't seen Indy in Foxboro in January since 2004. That will be a big factor in the playoffs. Freeney also won't be there for that game. Indy is always dangerous, but those things make a playoff game versus Indy MUCH easier.

Pitt and its vaunted running game scored 3 points on their horrible field against Miami. Even if a playoff game is played in the snow I don't necessarily see it as a big advantage for them. Hell, I'll happily see them play in the snow knowing we have Brady on our side.

As for the original intent of this thread, no I am not concerned that Brady will turn into Peyton Manning and start sucking in the playoffs. Any comparison between NE and Indy stops right there.

I will say this once and only once:

Bill Simmons knows **** about football.

I don't know why people struggle with this. I still sometimes enjoy his stuff, but I never take his view on baseball or football seriously. I really wish he'd stop writing about the Sox and Pats since he knows so little about them.

 

[PatsNut]

I have lost all interest in Simmons since he's made it "bigtime". He's another ESPNanite, I think most of his articles he writes from Clippers games nowadays anyway.