Why is it so difficult to completely believe in the Pats?

[Halifax_Pats_Fan]

I know...EH....

For me, it's the defense. I understand and applaud the strides they have been making, along with the fact they have been coached up throughout the regular season.

This is THE season. I am still a bit nervous as to how some of these players respond to the pressure.

Until this defense proves it in the playoffs, that nervousness will still be there unfortunately.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I know...EH....

For me, it's the defense. I understand and applaud the strides they have been making, along with the fact they have been coached up throughout the regular season.

This is THE season. I am still a bit nervous as to how some of these players respond to the pressure.

Until this defense proves it in the playoffs, that nervousness will still be there unfortunately.

I think this is a reasonable thing to say. It can go both ways too.

Pitt showed what a battle-tested playoff team can do. Get kicked on the ground, get up and fight back and keep your composure in the process. You also have a bunch of Ravens players who have playoff experience, won some games in the process and look what happened to them. They choked.

I'm not sure what to take away from the GB/Falcons game. Falcons are a young team. Maybe playing at home they got a little wigged out. However, I think it had to do more with how well GB is playing right now as they have many young players on their roster who have not been in a ton of playoff games.

I think the saving grace the Pats have is the coolness of Brady and Belichick. A player and coach who have seen it all and can keep the kids focused and confident that they will rise to the occasion.

But as you say, there is no way to know how you will react in the playoffs until you actually go through it.

 

[Calciumee]

No matter what the game, I have a worry, but the worry is less than normal for a PO game today

 

[Julius]

It's ok that you don't believe in the Patriots...they believe in you.

 

[Patradomous]

There are definitely a few reasons to be worried...

1. How young the defense is and its lack of experience in the playoffs.

2. Too much of a reliance on Brady. If he struggles the Pats are doomed.

3. The defenses not having played in many wire to wire close games, could be an issue if it is close throughout.

4. Dependence on the turnover. What if the Pats dont force any turnovers?

5. Weak DL. With so many guys out this could definitely effect the game.

The Patriots havent made any of these become an issue this season so you wouldnt expect it to become an issue now, but this is the playoffs and its a whole new season. Anything can happen

Best post so far on this topic.The injuries on the D Line really bother me,Plays into the Jets hands and even more so to the Steelers hands.

2007 still haunts me.If the Pats lose somewhere along the line.I will not turn on them like some will.To think that during a "rebulding " year they are deep into the playoffs is amazing and the future is bright.This just a begining of a new run. I even think they can go undefeated at some point.20 years from now we will be begging for times like these win or lose.The Patriots the last ten years have been the most gratifying sports fan experience I've ever had of all the major sports in my lifetime and I'm 55 years old.Even if they lose be thankful your not in Cinncinnati.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Thanks for the link Philly.

What hit me worse, I swear was Tomase's hit.
I turned off the Tv for the weekend.
Turned it on for the game.

Canceled cable the next month, lived without it since.
No joke.

It changed me, I just don't get beat up by it anymore.
Certainly not going to let folk's empty words take me down.

We are watching a historic thing.
BB has one historic peer, I believe. Brown. Brady? Same. maybe one, Graham.
Seriously, they have been knockin' at that door 6 times really, 7 now.
'05, it was within reach too.
Really a twist of fate denied them playoffs in '08.

They have rewritten how to manage a team in the modern era, done something nobody can even come close to matching.

I am still emotional and enthusiastic, but now it is on another level, outside, or above the noise.
I really am just enjoying, appreciating the ride. Frick em.
What is happening now Is Not going to happen again.
It took 60 years. Enjoy every second.

Nice post. Too many fans here have become frontrunner fans, i.e. all they care about or can enjoy is being on the right side of the fence - even if that means professing disbelief in(or even in some perverse twists rooting against) their own team. The old I'd rather be able to portray myself smart (critical) than be called a sucker (homer) argument. This team giving them license to be obnoxious twits about their fandom vs. other teams fans they come in contact with either in person or on the internet is what matters most to them at the end of the day. That is why so many of them find fault even in winning. Bragging rights (or feeling their personal ass is covered) one way or the other ultimately matter more than winning.

I haven't enjoyed a season nearly as much since finding this place. :ugh: Which I'm sure wasn't Ian's intention when he started it...LOL Too many whiny self absorbed posters with agendas flock here for one reason or another. I've at least given up on posting in or even viewing game threads for that reason - so I can at least enjoy the game experience as it unfolds. Nothing short of utter domination satisfies some of these folks, and even then questions about perceptions like running up the score or angering other teams fans or the media and potential backlash ruin their experience. They just don't know how to be fans of a team. It's always all about them and their agenda or ego or delicate psyche...

We have been and are watching an historic thing. It's just apparently not historic enough for what often sadly passes as fans here. They could all learn (since many clearly weren't here at the outset of the ride) or be reminded of a little something by our thoughtful guest pherein. Nobody wins all the time, never has and never will, and if that reality diminishes your faith in or enjoyment of this particular team or any of it's seasons it says more about you as a fan than it does about them as an organization.

 

[JMarr]

2007 still haunts me.If the Pats lose somewhere along the line.I will not turn on them like some will.To think that during a "rebulding " year they are deep into the playoffs is amazing and the future is bright.This just a begining of a new run. I even think they can go undefeated at some point.20 years from now we will be begging for times like these win or lose.The Patriots the last ten years have been the most gratifying sports fan experience I've ever had of all the major sports in my lifetime and I'm 55 years old.Even if they lose be thankful your not in Cinncinnati.

+1. 2007 is one of those things that teaches you to take nothing for granted. I usually am greedy and think the Pats should win the SB every season, and last year I was especially pissed when we were knocked out, even though our team was deeply flawed, Brady wasn't quite Brady yet, Welker out, etc.--it still kind of seemed like the window was closing on us. This year has the opposite feel and the future looks brighter than ever.This regular season has been the most enjoyable that I can remember--a clutch, young, and physical team that's defined what it means to "gel" when it really matters.

 

[jah]

That Falcons game last night hopefully sent a message to the young players that being the 1 seed doesn't mean ****. Of course, the Packers are on a hot streak and the Jest haven't been TOO consistent since 45-3, but either way...I'm just grasping at straws

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Yep, the 2007 demon needs to be exorcized... in Pats-land that doesn't happen without another trophy. I am not sure whether I'll ever look at the supposedly easy victories the same again. I knew going into the game vs. the Giants they theoretically could lose, but it wasn't real to me. Maybe that's not supposed to be real to fans... but that year was so crushing from a fan perspective that it didn't get erased in our minds by the fact that every year's different, from the team's/players'/coaches' perspectives.

Maybe that's just "Dynasty-Down-to-Earth" syndrome. There were reasons in 05 and 06 that the universe had robbed us of our rightful crown: long-simmering issues with age, with lack of certain tools, were supposed to be creeping up on us. Blah blah blah.

But 07 was the year that enough was supposed to be fixed, that we had the emotional fuel, to just stomp a mudhole in the league. We had the deep threat. We had the guy you just couldn't cover over the middle. We had record-setting offensive performances.

What we found out, as fans, was that the other team really, really wants to win too. And with some help from refs, from some chick Moss boffed, from your own press buffoons, from national press buffoons, from [your excuse here,] sometimes the other team does win.

We went from "if on-field performance is very good, then we will win the super bowl," to "any given Sunday."

The "any-given-Sundayness" has stuck with me in a real way since 07... I don't know if it goes away with another Lombardi this year. But I'm back to hoping for a title, not penciling it in.

 

[Ring 6]

We have more offensive weapons than anyone. We have the best quarterback and best coach in football. Our defense is fast and has only improved in game after game, and we have some of the best players in the League. We've taken on the best teams in the League and we've won. The sophisticated statistics that are used by footballoutsiders.com shows we are the best team. So by any reasonable measure we should easily handle the Jets like we did in our last game against them.

Yet, I'm still worried. Green Bay with a second string QB came close to beating the Pats because Belichick is not as a good coach when the opposing team does what he doesn't expect. I think back to when Miami used the wildcat to defeat again and again, and BB just waited patiently for Miami to do what he expected. They never did and we lost. Mangina offered some tips in the New York Post on how to beat the Pats; others have said that to have a chance you need an unexpected and original game plan. I saw how rusty the Steelers were for the first half of the game against the Ravens, and fear that the young Pats will not be ready for a playoff game, especially after a week off. Maybe the Pats can be defeated. After all, several teams, including the Colts and Packers, have come close, and the Jets and Browns actually did defeat us.

I suppose if I was a fan of the Jets, I would be even more worried, but I'd like to believe in the Pats with more certainty. Do you?

I dont think its a matter of not believing. It sounds like you dont want to believe, evidently because you dont want to risk disappointment.
When the best you can come up with is that we lost 2 games and had 2 close ones, it sounds like you are looking for them to declare a winner and skip the game rather than just recognizing we are clealry and completely the best team.

 

[seven]

"Nice post." Thanks MLR
"The old I'd rather be able to portray myself smart (critical) than be called a sucker (homer) argument." Heh. The Boston Sportswriter's creed.

"thoughtful guest pherein". Check.

It could be Worse, we could be in Cleveland.
They Immortalize losses, build statues to them,
rigorously internalized until they become
a fundamental part of the psyche.
We Cleveland, We Lose.
Crazy given the Brown lead Browns
won 8 championships in 10 appearances
(in a row, I believe?).

Someone should go on oprah, sell the
Secret Reversed, Beware of the Wishes you Make.
Cleveland, the model.

Red Right 88 Cleveland Browns passing play January 4, 1981 AFCdivisional Oakland Raiders.14-12 less than minute
Brian Sipe called a time out and conferred with head coach Sam Rutigliano, who called a pass play, "Red Right 88" and instructed Sipe to "throw it into Lake Erie" if the play was anything less than wide open. On the ensuing play, Sipe chose to force a pass to tight end Ozzie Newsome. However, the pass was intercepted in the end zone by Raiders defensive back Mike Davis
The Catch Willie Mays 1954 World Series New York Giants and the Cleveland Indians at the Polo Grounds
The Drive, by John Elway.January 11, 1987 AFC Championship Game.98 yards to tie the game with 37 seconds left
The Fumble, by Earnest Byner.January 17, 1988 3-yard line
The Shot Michael Jordan first game-winning playoff 1989 NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers, on May 7, 1989
The Betrayal, Art Modell moved the Browns to Baltimore.for the 1996 season
Edgar Renteria's Single, Marlins' tied in9th E Renteria single 11th Game 7 97 WS.Indians 2 WS 3 years.first wild card team to win
The Collapse,The Tag or Joel Skinner when the 2007 Indians held a 3-1 lead over the Red Sox in the ALCS, but managed to lose three straight by a combined score of 30-5.
The Betrayal, Again (Name not officially endorsed by the Mayor yet.)
LeBron. Sounds like LeBrown.

Someone, the Cleveland clone of the lovely Shaunessy should write the torture/curse book so they can really hurt themselves, and have the pain solidlly focused into a single irritating catch phrase.

Their very own "Curse of the Babe".

(The second best benefit of the Sawx win remains never having to hear about that crap again.)

Good excerpt from Mike Freeman's book on Jim Brown.
http://www.patsfans.com/new-england...n-bb-hero-great-book-excerpt.html#post2447649

Good historical perspective, realize it can all go away, enjoy it!

 

[NYCPatsFan]

I too am a firm believer of 'any given Sunday'.

That said, I have immense confidence, and faith, in BB and TB to keep the ship on an even kneel and steer us to a W today and a couple more to end the season.

w.r.t difficulty in believing the team: I wish the team was like a machine that can ruthlessly perform in any condition. Maybe then I can completely believe in its performance. Since it ain't, I can only hope that they perform their best and try to take the result in stride.

 

[wistahpatsfan]

I got religion after the Monday night game. That was the game that the young guys showed they could handle the pressure of a big game easily and have fun while doing it. The recovery from the Cleveland game was another sign of the toughness this team has.

They will be ready. They are ready. It must suck to be a Jets fan today. Brady's the man.

 

[DaBruinz]

We have more offensive weapons than anyone. We have the best quarterback and best coach in football. Our defense is fast and has only improved in game after game, and we have some of the best players in the League. We've taken on the best teams in the League and we've won. The sophisticated statistics that are used by footballoutsiders.com shows we are the best team. So by any reasonable measure we should easily handle the Jets like we did in our last game against them.

Yet, I'm still worried. Green Bay with a second string QB came close to beating the Pats because Belichick is not as a good coach when the opposing team does what he doesn't expect. I think back to when Miami used the wildcat to defeat again and again, and BB just waited patiently for Miami to do what he expected. They never did and we lost. Mangina offered some tips in the New York Post on how to beat the Pats; others have said that to have a chance you need an unexpected and original game plan. I saw how rusty the Steelers were for the first half of the game against the Ravens, and fear that the young Pats will not be ready for a playoff game, especially after a week off. Maybe the Pats can be defeated. After all, several teams, including the Colts and Packers, have come close, and the Jets and Browns actually did defeat us.

I suppose if I was a fan of the Jets, I would be even more worried, but I'd like to believe in the Pats with more certainty. Do you?

It's not difficult at all to completely believe in the Patriots. It's one of the reasons I have stopped doing predictions and stuff.. I don't feel I need to. I have a quiet confidence that they will go out and perform they way they know they can..

I've found that the Chicken Littles of this board (you know who you are) exaggerate the littlest things, go out of their way to make mountains out of molehills, and just plain go Doom and Gloom. It doesn't matter to them if their theories are reasonably thought out or not. They just have to be pessimistic about it...

Green Bay is a good team. Regardless of whether Rodgers or Flynn is the QB. That game was so close because certain players on the Pats didn't stick to the game plan and tried to free lance. And the Pats got burned for it.. Luckily, the Pats are good enough to overcome a small number of BS calls and stupid mistakes. Also, the Pats didn't have Brandon Spikes for that game and Warren went down early as well only to return later. But he missed a fair number of snaps.

There are only 2 certainties in life as you know. Death and taxes. But the Pats have shown they have improved in leaps and bounds after each loss they suffered this season, despite the players they have lost to injury/suspension.

So, lets just sit back, believe that the Pats will get the job done and enjoy the ride. No sense in getting all worked up before hand.

 

[aluminum seats]

Not that I can read th OP's mind, but I don't think it's a matter of "believing."

This is a playoff game today, and the fact is, the Pats haven't won a playoff game in 3 years. What's more, the Jets are so incredibly disgusting and annoying, there's a desire to not just win, but win huge.

So, you get worked up. You feel apprehensive. Nothing you can do about it. But when the Pats kick the Jets' tail today, you'll feel better.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

I dont think its a matter of not believing. It sounds like you dont want to believe, evidently because you dont want to risk disappointment.
When the best you can come up with is that we lost 2 games and had 2 close ones, it sounds like you are looking for them to declare a winner and skip the game rather than just recognizing we are clealry and completely the best team.

You said that so much better and more succintly than I did...but that's it.

 

[Leave No Doubt]

Thanks for the link Philly.

What hit me worse, I swear was Tomase's hit.
I turned off the Tv for the weekend.
Turned it on for the game.

Canceled cable the next month, lived without it since.
No joke.

It changed me, I just don't get beat up by it anymore.
Certainly not going to let folk's empty words take me down.

We are watching a historic thing.
BB has one historic peer, I believe. Brown. Brady? Same. maybe one, Graham.
Seriously, they have been knockin' at that door 6 times really, 7 now.
'05, it was within reach too.
Really a twist of fate denied them playoffs in '08.

They have rewritten how to manage a team in the modern era, done something nobody can even come close to matching.

I am still emotional and enthusiastic, but now it is on another level, outside, or above the noise.
I really am just enjoying, appreciating the ride. Frick em.
What is happening now Is Not going to happen again.
It took 60 years. Enjoy every second.

Well done, thank you.

 

[BSR]

Nice post. Too many fans here have become frontrunner fans, i.e. all they care about or can enjoy is being on the right side of the fence - even if that means professing disbelief in(or even in some perverse twists rooting against) their own team. The old I'd rather be able to portray myself smart (critical) than be called a sucker (homer) argument. This team giving them license to be obnoxious twits about their fandom vs. other teams fans they come in contact with either in person or on the internet is what matters most to them at the end of the day. That is why so many of them find fault even in winning. Bragging rights (or feeling their personal ass is covered) one way or the other ultimately matter more than winning.

I haven't enjoyed a season nearly as much since finding this place. :ugh: Which I'm sure wasn't Ian's intention when he started it...LOL Too many whiny self absorbed posters with agendas flock here for one reason or another. I've at least given up on posting in or even viewing game threads for that reason - so I can at least enjoy the game experience as it unfolds. Nothing short of utter domination satisfies some of these folks, and even then questions about perceptions like running up the score or angering other teams fans or the media and potential backlash ruin their experience. They just don't know how to be fans of a team. It's always all about them and their agenda or ego or delicate psyche...

We have been and are watching an historic thing. It's just apparently not historic enough for what often sadly passes as fans here. They could all learn (since many clearly weren't here at the outset of the ride) or be reminded of a little something by our thoughtful guest pherein. Nobody wins all the time, never has and never will, and if that reality diminishes your faith in or enjoyment of this particular team or any of it's seasons it says more about you as a fan than it does about them as an organization.

Yes, yes, yes.

 

[Uncle Rico]

Guess this is good a place as any to mention this tweet, which was posted this morning and struck me as odd:

On Overconfidence On Overconfidence SEEDMAGAZINE.COM It can be dangerous. Good read.

What was odd to me is it came from NFL PR guy Greg Aiello. Struck me as another NY-biased NFL official tweaking the Pats.

 

[elandadem]

Speaking for myself, and mixing metaphors, as a Red Sox fan, I've been conditioned to anticipate the hammer falling. If I woke up tomorrow and discovered that the last decade has been a dream, all I would say is "I knew it."