This game will tell the truth

[R_T26]

I have seen the Patriots pull the incredible to much not to have faith in them. I have seen them playing the 5th best offesne in league history and hold them to 3 points while missing Ty Law and Seymour. i have seen the Pats go ion the road against a 15-1 team and the #1 D and score 41 points. The pats will be missing hALF THEIR SECONDARY, but their should be no excuses. if the pats dont win tomorrow, I think it will set the tone for the season. If they win, it will be very similar to the rams win in 2004. I hope i see Chad Jackson and Gabriel. I hope i see the Pats win, but if not I fear it will be similar to the Pete Carroll years awhere they are good enough to beat the bad teams but lose to the good teams.

Prediction

Pats 28 bengals 17

 

[Wotan_the_Wanderer]

if the pats dont win tomorrow, I think it will set the tone for the season.

Well, I think they'll pull out a win tomorrow, but I really disagree that tomorrow's game will set the tone for the season. Win or lose, the Pats will still be 2-0 in their division with three quarters of the season still left to play out. Even if they were to lose tomorrow, it means little in the grand scheme of things other than an improbable head-to-head record determining home field advantage in the playoffs should the Pats face the Bengals.

 

[rabthepat]

Well, I think they'll pull out a win tomorrow, but I really disagree that tomorrow's game will set the tone for the season. Win or lose, the Pats will still be 2-0 in their division with three quarters of the season still left to play out. Even if they were to lose tomorrow, it means little in the grand scheme of things other than an improbable head-to-head record determining home field advantage in the playoffs should the Pats face the Bengals.

Lose tomorrow and it prove it's just a continuation of last year. Win AFC East 10-6, win 1 playoff game at home and get bounced out of the playoffs on the road vs Indy, Denver, Cinci or San Diego. This game, to me, is the test to whether we are a playoff CONTENDER OR PRETENDER. The game is a matter of Coaching and heart. Either we have them or we don't.

 

[FloridaPatsFan]

The one thing that sticks out in my mind is a lot of the news covering the Pats this week has been an indicator of how loose they are this week after a hugely disappointing loss. They are playing practival jokes on each other. BB and Harrison are enjoying the typical pre-game rants from Bengals WR Johnson.

In other words, they have moved on from last week and are looking forward to this game......And I think that is a great sign of the mental health of our team.

Even if we don't win, I think we'll be ok. Its a long season and you can't win a damn thing until January.....

So enjoy the game today...Its probably going to be a good one.

 

[tdw777]

There are a lot of games left. Last year, we were what..3 and 3? at the by..and at the end of the season were one game away from hosting the AFCC game.

This is one I would like to win but it won't be easy. Carson Palmer is the best QB in the league..may not be next week..but right now he is. Our secondary is going to have their hands full.

The difference between us and other teams we played thus far are the "big plays"..they are making them, we're not.

 

[Patriot Missile]

This game will tell the truth to a certain degree. It will will tell us where this team is at now,not necessarily where we will be, come week 17. With the lax schedule after this game it will be hard to tell how good this team actually is until we go into the playoffs.

Do I think we are going to win? I'm a realist,I think the Bengals will take it. Would I be suprised if we won? Yep. Does that make me lesser of a fan?Not in my book.

 

[usmcmgb]

Well, win or lose, I'll settle for 53 guys giving 100% for 60 minutes and a game plan that makes sense, something that I don't think we've seen yet this year. Which is why I say that Brady and Belichick haven't been at the top of their game yet this year. I know, I know "in the past...", but this isn't the past and what I've seen so far is not encouraging. The sidelines last week against Denver looked like a bunch of guys waiting for a bus rather than a football team trying to figure out a way to win a game. Halftime and in game adjustments to what the offense and defense are giving you, have thus far been ineffective to non-existent. This team, as flawed as it may or may not be, has been sleepwalking through the schedule. Winning the division title won't be a cake walk. Miami, while vastly overrated, still has a cream puff schedule and could still be a factor if NE continues their current funk. The surprising Jets, also with a cream puff schedule and with no running game to speak of are 2-1 and could still play spoilers as long as Pennington is throwing for 300 yards+ per game. Go ahead and call me crazy (YOU'RE CRAZY!!) but both of those teams could end up at 9-7 or 10-6 if they figure out how to steal a game or two during the year (don't forget, the Jets almost stole the game from us). We've all kind of gotten into a mindset where we think the AFC East belongs to the Patriots by Executive Order. The Jets still have Oakland, Detroit, Houston, Green Bay, Cleveland and a home game against the Bills on their schedule. Throw in a split against Miami, stealing a game from us or Minnesota and there they are at 9-7 or 10-6. Same situation with Miami. We can tolerate losing today and still be in the driver's seat as long as the effort is there. We may just see today what kind of year we're in for. Not saying this game WILL make or break them but it certainly could.

 

[Wotan_the_Wanderer]

Lose tomorrow and it prove it's just a continuation of last year. Win AFC East 10-6, win 1 playoff game at home and get bounced out of the playoffs on the road vs Indy, Denver, Cinci or San Diego. This game, to me, is the test to whether we are a playoff CONTENDER OR PRETENDER. The game is a matter of Coaching and heart. Either we have them or we don't.

Man, this is a tough group to please. So you didn't think last year's team had heart when, despite losing Rodney for the season, Bruschi coming off a stroke and Teddie Johnson retiring, they beat the eventual Superbowl champs on their homefield? Also, don't mean to play a game of semantics, but doesn't a team that makes the playoffs, which the Pats did, qualify them as a contender rather than a pretender?