Think positive!!!

[alvinnf]

Another team who limped into the playoffs at 10-6, but wound up doing OK:

The 2007 NY Giants.

You mean the team that shall not be mentioned!

 

[JSn]

One game at a time, but we should want to play the broncos and then the colts in the playoffs.

Wouldn't it be crazy to face all teams that beat the Pats and win an SB? I wonder if it's ever been done.

 

[oldrover]

You mean the team that shall not be mentioned!

Why NOT mention them? That should be a MOTIVATOR... just like playing Denver, the Colts and NO again this year should be.

 

[karguy85]

at least we can now say we beat three teams with winning records (Baltimore, Miami, and NYJ) though we lost to two of them as well...

 

[ctpatsfan77]

No kidding. He would have started at RT like he is with the Ravens. But next year you could have moved him to LT.

Where do you start with this team? O-line, D-line. secondary.

Sorry, but the Patriots did get the LT they wanted at 58.

Oher might be better than Vollmer, but he can't also play receiver like Edelman and Tate, plus the Pats have an extra pick in the upcoming draft.

Yeah, I question the Brace pick, too, but to try and combine the two is silly.

 

[Red Zone]

All I want for Christmas and New Year is for the Pats to upset the Colts in the AFCGC ....or the Chargers upset the Colts and then lose to the Pats in the AFCGC......

 

[Kontradiction]

Yeah, it could happen. I don't think it will, but it can. If it's going to happen, this team is going to have to play A LOT better than it did today. That means that Aiken, Edelman, and Stanback are going to have to play bigger roles in this offense (Aiken and Edelman especially). That means that the offensive line is going to have to get healthy and, if not, to play better as a whole. That means that we are going to have to stay committed to the running game to take some of the pressure off Brady. That means that Randy Moss is going to have to snap out of his funk. That means that the team needs to keep Ben Watson involved in the passing game. And that means that the defense is going to have to play just good enough to keep our offense within striking distance. This defense is not a top-tier defense by ANY stretch of the imagination. Dare I say that this might be the worst Pats defense that BB has fielded since he has been here. That said, I did like the way they responded today (granted they were going up against some shoddy competition). If these things happen for the offense (one thing that definitely will happen is that the offensive line WILL get healthy) then our defense doesn't need to be the '85 Bears.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

I wrote about this team week's ago. But I saw the Blindside last night and I think it's funny watching Michael Oher, the man who could have been Brady's Blindside. You know the Brady that has broken ribs, a bad shoulder and a broken finger. All because the "genius" think Nick Kazur is actually a decent tackle. But the "genius" had to trade out of #23, can't spend first round money when we can have Ron Brace. You know Ron Brace who hasn't played all season. Nice work Bill, you reap what you sow. Same to you Bob Kraft. Go work on the labor deal you phony.

The Last Night of The Patriots Dynasty | Bleacher Report

Nice article my friend and spot on why the Pats are in the position they are in today. Bad drafting, bad coaching and arrogance has killed this team.

 

[oldrover]

Belichick didn't blow the lead against the Colts. If the Pats don't turn the ball over TWICE in the end zone in the second half, we're not having this conversation.

One... friggin'... game... at... a... time. That's the key. And this team can do it.

 

[Kontradiction]

Another team who limped into the playoffs at 10-6, but wound up doing OK:

The 2007 NY Giants.

The 2007 Giants had a defense that was actually capable of getting to the quarterback and stopping the opposing team's run game. That's not exactly something the 2009 Patriots have.

 

[karguy85]

not trying to sound pessimistic but does anyone know our playoff scenarios if we don't win the division. I know that Miami will take the division if they win out and we lose one, so I was wondering what are the wild card chances if we end up 10-6. Just looking at the WC as a buffer. Thanks!

 

[mgteich]

The wildcard picture is pretty well a mess at this point. You presume that we lose one game and miami wins the division. That would leave five teams in the race for the two wild card spots: DEN, NE, JAC, BALT, and the NYJ.

The problem in any analysis is that there could be a 3-way or 4-way tie for the spots. I don't think anyone has it sorted out particularly well. For example, nfl.com is showing Jacksonville as the wildcard today along with Denver. Jacksonville is in a 4-way tie with the ravens, the fins and the jets.

not trying to sound pessimistic but does anyone know our playoff scenarios if we don't win the division. I know that Miami will take the division if they win out and we lose one, so I was wondering what are the wild card chances if we end up 10-6. Just looking at the WC as a buffer. Thanks!

 

[AllstonPatsFan]

The wildcard picture is pretty well a mess at this point. You presume that we lose one game and miami wins the division. That would leave five teams in the race for the two wild card spots: DEN, NE, JAC, BALT, and the NYJ.

The problem in any analysis is that there could be a 3-way or 4-way tie for the spots. I don't think anyone has it sorted out particularly well. For example, nfl.com is showing Jacksonville as the wildcard today along with Denver. Jacksonville is in a 4-way tie with the ravens, the fins and the jets.

Sorry if I missed this, but how do we know that Miami gets the tiebreaker? Assuming we beat Buffalo and and lose one of the other games and Miami wins out.

 

[karguy85]

Sorry if I missed this, but how do we know that Miami gets the tiebreaker? Assuming we beat Buffalo and and lose one of the other games and Miami wins out.

apparently we will have the same division record so it goes to the next tiebreaker which is conference record (could be common opponents though), from what they are saying on the fins board they would have that tiebreaker because if we lose it will either be to a division team or conference team making our record worse.

 

[mgteich]

We are 1-1 head-to head
=============================================
If we lose to Buffalo, we lose the division record tiebreaker, so let's assume a different loss.
===============================================
The next tie-breaker is common opponents.

Assuming that miami wins out and we lose one more, our non-common opps record would both be 1-1, so our common opponent record would be the same as Miami
=================================================
Then comes conference record. We have lost one game out of conference. Miami has lost two. So, if we tie with Miami we will have lost one more conference game than Miami, losing the tiebreaker.

Sorry if I missed this, but how do we know that Miami gets the tiebreaker? Assuming we beat Buffalo and and lose one of the other games and Miami wins out.

 

[hwc]

We are 1-1 head-to head.

I'm going to throw up in my mouth a little bit. Watching the second half in Miami was like watching a slow motion train wreck.

And people think we shouldn't be down on this team? That would take a better man than me after the kind of football I've been watching for the last few weeks.

 

[DisgruntledTunaFan]

With all due respect, the Chargers aren't that great - yes, big credit to them for pulling out an 8 game win streak, but their D has a long way to go(i.e. they are THIN at DT).

This team can be beat in the playoffs.

 

[AllstonPatsFan]

We are 1-1 head-to head
=============================================
If we lose to Buffalo, we lose the division record tiebreaker, so let's assume a different loss.
===============================================
The next tie-breaker is common opponents.

Assuming that miami wins out and we lose one more, our non-common opps record would both be 1-1, so our common opponent record would be the same as Miami
=================================================
Then comes conference record. We have lost one game out of conference. Miami has lost two. So, if we tie with Miami we will have lost one more conference game than Miami, losing the tiebreaker.

OK thanks.

We are in position to win and be in. And to tell you the truth, if we can't beat these three teams, we probably don't deserve to be in.

 

[mgteich]

With regard to a tie for the wildcard, we win 2-way ties with the jets and balt. If we beat the jags, we would have the tiebreaker with them and in 3-ways or even 4-ways with the jets, balt and the jags.

If we lose to the jags, we would then lose a 2-way to them and lose 3-ways since we would have a worse conference record and no one would have beaten everyone else.

SCENARIOS WITH ZERO OR ONE LOSS
Win out and we win the division.
Lose one and Miami could win the division if they win out. If they don't, we still win.
Lose our one to HOU or BUF and we win all tie-breakers for the wildcard.
Lose to the jags and we lose the wildcard as long as the jags are in the tie.
Lose to the jags and the jags lose one, we win tiebreakers with the rest.

BOTTOM LINE
Even with one loss, we will get the division unless Miami wins out and the wildcard unless the loss is against the jags and the jags win out.

 

[ATippett56]

Yeah, they prolly won't get the bye, but, dangit, if Pitt can win a SB from the #6 slot, why can't NE do it from the #3 or #4?

There are ALOT more questions than answers currently with this Patriots squad than seasons past. Oh, Richard Seymour is not walking thru the door to save this defense.