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CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.In order for someone to honestly claim that the Patriots are overrated, they must come up with a legitimate argument against the following sentence: The Patriots are the best team in the NFL and they are the favorites to win the Super Bowl.
I guess the argument would be that it is harder for them to achieve that 'rating' than it is for anyone else to achieve their 'rating'.
I know what you are saying and I agree, but overrated is really a matter of expectations exceeding reality so when the expectations are the highest, the likelihood of being overrated is too.
So where's the overrating? Someone saying that they are going to actually win the Super Bowl isn't overrating them. They are making a prediction.
As far as their 'rating', you can't get higher than "best in the league" or "favorite to win Super Bowl".
I still think the Giants showed the rest of the league the blueprint how to stop Brady and company is overrated itself
Dear Paul,
Great job bringing the hatchet to the Patriots. Let me ask you a few things which of course you'll ignore.
1) Do you think that NEVER, EVER, EVER,EVER has any team ever notice things like, if that coach rubs his forehead with his left arm it is cover 1 but his right arm is cover 2? (BTW, you want links to "spying" in the past?)
2) Do you seriously think the tape that included the Chargergals was put together in the first half then broken down at half time? Please note we are talking about analog video tape, not digital hard drives that can be erased with a button push.
I can see thinking Brady won't be Tom Brady,and your crystal ball is as good as mine, but your illogical hater is showing if for a second you think the tapes did more than furnish a scouting report on assistant coaches tendencies.
Maybe, just maybe, the reason they lost 5 more games in 2008 than 2007 is having a QB that had not started since high school, not helmet radios.
BTW, I hear tinfoil hats are in vogue for you guys this year.
In order for someone to honestly claim that the Patriots are overrated, they must come up with a legitimate argument against the following sentence: The Patriots are the best team in the NFL and they are the favorites to win the Super Bowl.
It's not exactly revolutionary. The fastest way to stop a Spread Offense like the Pats ran is to pressure the QB. Trying to cover everyone and not bringing heat gets you killed.
That said, Brady made most teams pay for that philosophy but the Giants, Eagles and Ravens had the personnel to implement it. If a team with poor personnel tries voiding zones and bringing heat from all angles, they will get killed.
At any level, if you harrass the QB you will cripple the passing game. Spagnola's game plan was great and I give him credit but I bet he'd be the first to tell you he didn't invent the concept.
The Giants showed how to beat the Patriots in the Super Bowls. By putting constant pressure on Brady, the offense becomes only very good, not incredible as it was for much of the 2007 season. I'm sure every team who was scheduled to play the Patriots last year were going to try to copy the Giants playbook, and apply maximum pressure on Brady.
However, the Patriots' offensive line played significantly worse in 2008 compared to 2007. They gave up 48 sacks last year compared to 21 in 2007.
or maybe the fact that defenses for the first time had radios in their helmets so the Patriots could not steal their signals? We may never know,
Whether the line plays like it did in 2007 or 2008 is unclear, but it does return the same 5 starters who have been playing together for 4 years. That in itself is a strength.
New England's weakness is its defense. Can we please put to rest the myth that Bill Belichick is a defensive genius. Since becoming the Patriots' head coach in 2000, his defenses have been ranked: 20th, 24th, 23rd, 7th, 9th, 26th, 6th, 4th, and 10th in total yards for an average ranking of 13.3. Consider that is with an offense that not only holds the ball, but also scores in bunches and usually gains the early lead so the defense can concentrate on the pass. Compare that to the Steelers who had an average ranking of 4.4, and the Ravens with an average of 4.9 over that same period. Neither of those teams has an offense which helps the defense like the Patriots.
They traded away, their best pass rusher, and heart of their defense, Mike Vrabel to Kansas City.
He will be replaced by either Shawn Crable, Tully Banta Cain, or Pierre Woods, none of whom have shown that they can consistently apply pressure on the QB.
Their other starting OLB, Adalius Thomas is also past his prime. As a middle linebacker, Mayo may be a tackling machine, but he is a liability in coverage, and does not get many opportunities to pressure the QB. Last year, this defense ranked only 14th in sacks with only 31.
At safety, Brandon Meriweather has not proven to be the impact player befitting his first round status.
Rookie Patrick Chung is expected to take his place. While this secondary may be better than last year's, unless the front 7 can find a way to get more pressure on the QB, it will still be exposed.I guess he doesn't know about James Sanders, and forgot that despite a horrible secondary, injuries galore, and little QB pressure we did win ELEVEN GAMES without Tom Brady. Can I get me a "disengenuous" from the congregation....amen
Lost in the accolades for Matt Cassel last year was the fact that the Patriots played the easiest schedule in recent memory. They played the laughable AFC and NFC west as well as the weaklings in their own division.
I guess he thinks playing in a division with 2 teams that won 19 games and another who managed 7 composes a weak division in his WEAK mind. I guess he doesn't know the meaning of Weak. (though he was right about the AFC and NFC West)
One further point about the NFL's “model franchise”. Belichick and his former sidekick, Scott Pioli, are always mentioned as draft geniuses, but this is not reflected in their starting lineup. Of the 11 projected starters on offense, only 6, the entire offensive line and Brady were originally drafted by the Patriots. Two more may start, Maroney and Watson, but with new acquisitions Fred Taylor, Chris Baker, and Alex Smith, those two will probably be in a rotation. None of their starting receivers were originally drafted or signed by the Patriots.
I can hear the collective "SO WHAT!" come from football fans all over. Was it just an oversight he doesn't mentiont that both Welker and Moss CAME to the Pats as the result of trading draft picks. Its allowed ya know. And I know it might be inconvenient to his arguement but until we see differently both Maroney and Watson ARE starters.I know, even I'm getting tired of calling this dude disengenuous.
On defense, three starters, Adalius Thomas, Leigh Bodden, and Shawn Springs were not drafted by the Patriots. That is 8 of 22 starters who were not originally drafted or signed by the Patriots. Again, compare this to the Steelers where only starters Justin Hartwig, James Farrior, and Ryan Clark were not originally drafted or signed by the Steelers.
Again. so what. If the Steelers don't want to or don't have the skills to us FA as a tool, why should they be lauded. We all have the same cap number. BTW nice of him to play HC and give both Bodden and Springs the starting positions. I think Willhite, Weately and Butler might have a different thought....but then again, admitting that wouldn't make his arguement worth sh!t. Oh oh, Im starting to feel the D word coming....
Even with the improvement of Miami and Buffalo, the AFC East is still a relatively weak division so the Patriots should have no problem making the playoffs, but with their tougher out of division schedule, I doubt that they will be able to gain the top seed in the playoffs. I see a divisional round playoff loss. New England fans will be crying in their chowda come February.
Maybe he should be worrying about his own team who won the superbowl by a last second TD DESPITE the fact they got every bounce, call, and break, over a team that was summarily beaten by the "weak" AFCE...usually by 30 points or so. The Pats might not win the Superbowl, but the fact remains, they are the team his Steelers LEAST want to meet in the Playoffs. When they do meet ITS the STEELERS who will be crying come February.
Logic hath no place on an opinion board.
My take: The Squealers won the SB so THEY should be the favs until deposed. Therefore the oft favored Patriots are Over Rated. Q.E.D.
(I'm ignoring the Bradyless 2008 Pats thingy here)
Here's the canyon in that argument:
As a result of this line of thinking, the Cardinals are the best team in the NFC.
It's really difficult to read that and make some sort of intelligent comment when he ranks the defense by yards as Deus has pointed out. What a dingbat.
Any team rated higher than us is overrated, including last year's champions. Since the 2007 team that was a dropped pick from going undefeated we've lost Asante, Vrabel, and Rodney(who was on the decline that year anyhow). We add Mayo, Sammy Morris(IR that year), Fred Taylor, Joey Galloway, and a host of depth at DB/LB/DL with a much improved Brandon Merriweather. If anything this team could be better.
Only the Giants are close IMO. And they've lost Strahan/Plax
Any team rated higher than us is overrated, including last year's champions. Since the 2007 team that was a dropped pick from going undefeated we've lost Asante, Vrabel, and Rodney(who was on the decline that year anyhow). We add Mayo, Sammy Morris(IR that year), Fred Taylor, Joey Galloway, and a host of depth at DB/LB/DL with a much improved Brandon Merriweather. If anything this team could be better.
Only the Giants are close IMO. And they've lost Strahan/Plax
"New England's weakness is its defense. Can we please put to rest the myth that Bill Belichick is a defensive genius. Since becoming the Patriots' head coach in 2000, his defenses have been ranked: 20th, 24th, 23rd, 7th, 9th, 26th, 6th, 4th, and 10th in total yards for an average ranking of 13.3. Consider that is with an offense that not only holds the ball, but also scores in bunches and usually gains the early lead so the defense can concentrate on the pass. Compare that to the Steelers who had an average ranking of 4.4, and the Ravens with an average of 4.9 over that same period. Neither of those teams has an offense which helps the defense like the Patriots."