The sky is sagging a bit

[Fencer]

1. The Pats' mystique really is badly tarnished. There are few if any teams left that feel intimidated, at least not teams that matter. Just look at the Colts' or Jets' recent results against the Pats.

2. The one team that's "inside the Pats' heads", Denver, is good enough to be a serious post-season threat these days.

3. Belichick's coaching edge vs. the rest of the league seems to have shrunk. This was always to be expected; he's the most studied recent coach, for all the obvious reasons. We're seeing him get outcoached more often than he used to.

The result is a greater level of inconsistency in the Pats' play than we saw during, say, their record-setting winning streak.

I don't think the Pats will win another Super Bowl until something significantly new and positive happens to catalyze a return to confidently dictating games. Something like a true breakout from an offensive player (e.g., Watson or Maroney) might be enough. Or if that doesn't happen this season, maybe a significant DB upgrade in 2007.

Bottom line: To be champions, the Pats need to build around consistent excellence in more parts of their game than they're currrently enjoying it in.

 

[PATRIOT64]

1. The Pats' mystique really is badly tarnished. There are few if any teams left that feel intimidated, at least not teams that matter. Just look at the Colts' or Jets' recent results against the Pats.

2. The one team that's "inside the Pats' heads", Denver, is good enough to be a serious post-season threat these days.

3. Belichick's coaching edge vs. the rest of the league seems to have shrunk. This was always to be expected; he's the most studied recent coach, for all the obvious reasons. We're seeing him get outcoached more often than he used to.

The result is a greater level of inconsistency in the Pats' play than we saw during, say, their record-setting winning streak.

I don't think the Pats will win another Super Bowl until something significantly new and positive happens to catalyze a return to confidently dictating games. Something like a true breakout from an offensive player (e.g., Watson or Maroney) might be enough. Or if that doesn't happen this season, maybe a significant DB upgrade in 2007.

Bottom line: To be champions, the Pats need to build around consistent excellence in more parts of their game than they're currrently enjoying it in.

One could possibly say that maybe the 'arrogance' of not paying players to stick around because other players can simply take over the same position without skipping a beat is finally catching up with this team..Years ago this team could have a good player leave or go down with injury and replace him with a suitable player who could be just as good or even better than the previous player who was out with an injury or left for greener pastures..Either way,you can't go to the well too often looking for water without finding it someday dry..Free Agency and backup players may be on the 'dry side' for the Patriots recently,They can't find players who can do what the previous ones did...Or at least as good as the previous player was,its not 2001,2003,2004 anymore,and the league is starting to show more to challenge for the top spot (Indianapolis,San Diego,Baltimore,Denver) than it was when New England seemed to be dominating the NFL with some challengers but no real realistic power teams then,its tougher now as those teams are better and continuing to improve and its getting harder for the Patriots to keep up..especially as this teams core players get older.

 

[pats1]

 

[Pats726]

It's everywhere...the panic button...PUSH IT QUICK!!

 

[sieglo]

One could possibly say that maybe the 'arrogance' of not paying players to stick around because other players can simply take over the same position without skipping a beat is finally catching up with this team..Years ago this team could have a good player leave or go down with injury and replace him with a suitable player who could be just as good or even better than the previous player who was out with an injury or left for greener pastures..Either way,you can't go to the well too often looking for water without finding it someday dry..Free Agency and backup players may be on the 'dry side' for the Patriots recently,They can't find players who can do what the previous ones did...Or at least as good as the previous player was,its not 2001,2003,2004 anymore,and the league is starting to show more to challenge for the top spot (Indianapolis,San Diego,Baltimore,Denver) than it was when New England seemed to be dominating the NFL with some challengers but no real realistic power teams then,its tougher now as those teams are better and continuing to improve and its getting harder for the Patriots to keep up..especially as this teams core players get older.

This idiocy again.

The Patriots have gotten YOUNGER, not older.

From a personnel perspective, there is as much talent on this team as ever.

The issue is COACHING and LEADERSHIP. For whatever reason, I don't think the coaching staff has their heads in it this year so far. And I think the loss to the Colts really set the Pats back from a morale perspective big time. There were rumors all week that the team was dwelling on the Colts and practices were bad, and surprise surprise, they drop this game to the Jets.

The reason something like that happens is lack of veteran leadership and poor coaching -- not players that are too old and slow. It's becoming more and more obvious (see Seymour's comments yesterday) that the team is frustrated with the coaching.... Coaches need to get their heads back in the game and guys like Brady, Koppen, Graham, Seymour, and Bruschi need to step us as leaders and get this team back on track.