With our D, are we one and done?

[Ivan]

So you are satisfied with losing back to back home playoff games? Go be a Jest fan with those expectations. With Brady and BB, every fan better be disappointed with anything short of a SB.

Get lost pink hat.

I'm satisfied with a franchise that wins its division every year, constantly gives its fans home play-off games and win the vast majority of them, and wins more Conference Championships and Lombardis than any other team of this era, and it isn't even very close. Any fan who isn't represents the true fairweather fan, and that means you.

You think they suck so you shouldn't have any expectations for them, and don't even try to enjoy it here if they win play-off games because I promise I will be here to remind you remind you of just what a lousy fan you are.

 

[Ivan]

So you are satisfied with losing back to back home playoff games? Go be a Jest fan with those expectations. With Brady and BB, every fan better be disappointed with anything short of a SB.

Get lost pink hat.

BTW-It's really comical that you keep tossing the phrase "pink hats" around while throwing a temper tantrum because the patriots aren't guaranteed to win the Super Bowl. The phrase is actually a slam on women who jumped on the bandwagon for the Red Sox success and is really unfair to all those women who are really good sports fans who support their teams during the good and the bad, yet here you are shrieking PINK HATS PINK HATS while demonstrating that you can't even support "your team" when they will likely finish with the best record in the conference and have the short route to the Super Bowl. The truth is that no team deserves fairweather fans like you who are only there when they win, and piss all over them if they dare to come up short.


Good luck finding a better franchise to "support," I don't think you can find one but definitely think you should look because the patriots success clearly isn't enough for an infant like you.

 

[ThatllMoveTheChains!!!]

There is no doubt that the Offense needs to be sharp and not turn the ball over. If they can do that, then the D is good enough to not lose the games.

Agreed, and honestly I like their chances. If nothing else this team seems like a group where everyone is pulling in the same direction. Game after game we see the defense keep games close after slow starts from the offense or the offense lead a masterful drive when the defense seems back on their heals. We've seen multiple games were an entirely different team comes out of the locker room than went in. It might not be the most skilled team out there, but I don't doubt their ability to hang with and beat any team in the league.

 

[mb6592]

I never said it was an automatic win. The weapons of the Steelers offense is far dangerous than what the Ravens offer.

Yeah, but hopefully Big Ben's ankle slows them down a bit. I love Brady vs Steelers much more than against the Ravens.

 

[PatriotSeven]

Remember when Bret Farve played on a bad ankle? Remember when Ben played on a bad angle? Wait, wasn't that just last week? Mike T's got a big decision.

Ben's leadership + guaranteed interception + poor completion % - scrambling ability

VS

Back-up + better completion % + possible interception - leadership

Which one would you choose if you were Mike T?

Start Ben and he throws picks = Why did you start Ben knowing he has a bad ankle?
Start the back-up and they lose = Why didn't you start Ben knowing what his leadership can bring?

I'm going to say Ben has too much influence on the Pittsburg Steelers and will start and Mike T. is in a losing position no matter what he does, but he will look better by sticking with his vet. No matter who the Steeler's opponents are, they are going to benefit either way unless Mike T sits Ben, and the back-up ends up nailing it. If Ben starts, he's going to throw an interception. He was already throwing them before his ankle got this bad.

So what does this mean? It means Mike T and Big Ben will betray their defense, snub their back-up, and help Tom and the Patriots make the Super Bowl Thanks guys!

 

[Froob]

The offense has been bad past three playoff games too. If they show up flat like they did vs the dolphins it'll be another quick playoff exit. Hopefully that was a wake up call.

 

[NewFeep]

The teams with good defenses (ravens/steelers) know how to slow down or even stop Brady, and thats where our defense comes in. Unfortunately our defense can't stop a herd of turtles rampaging through peanut butter in the middle of february.

Nice visual..... I'll have this twisted image in my head till draft weekend! Thx!!

 

[Seanzayyy]

Regardless of who we play first, I'm confident we can pull off a solid victory. This team is unique - that's for sure - and their mental toughness has really shown as of late. It all starts above the neck, and mentally, this team will be ready to rock and roll come playoff time. Let the doubters count us out.

 

[UK_Pat37]

Right now, yes the defense worries me, but right now I also believe we can beat anyone in this conference. I mean, we sit here and b*tch about our defense this year, but look at the Ravens offense; it's as likely to flunk as our D is and if you shut Rice down then Flacco isn't doing jack. The Steelers played a blinder against us and caught as off guard; mark my words we'll be ready for that game plan agaian and will adjust back accordingly if we have to.

The Ravens offense evens us out with them and don't tell me they're more likely to show up than our D. There were games this year, including the Miami game, where the D has done what people say they can't do, which is keep us in a game and give the offense the chance to bring us back. So many people thought 17-0 down was horrid defense last Saturday; personally being 17-0 down after you've punted 6 of 7 possession is a pretty damn decent effort,,,and they forced punts and turnovers after the half to create excellent field position.

Right now, the Ravens have big issues, and have been shredded by the likes of Rivers at times themselves. We could beat the Steelers easily at home. Both these teams have horrid away records. If we get the #1 seed on Sunday, I'm saying we're going to go to Indy..and after that the only team I really fear is the Saints.

 

[AzPatsFan]

.500 is obviously not "pretty much the definition of a horrible road team. You're just flailing away now.

There are 2 serious threats to the Patriots in the AFC playoffs. The Ravens are one of them, and they don't give a rat's ass about the Patriots "home field advantage", because they beat the hell out of the Patriots at Gillette in the playoffs just 2 years ago.

That's what I like to hear about a Defense that was aging even then. Now its two years later. Is the MLB collecting Social Security yet?

 

[supafly]

Yeah, but hopefully Big Ben's ankle slows them down a bit. I love Brady vs Steelers much more than against the Ravens.

Remember when Bret Farve played on a bad ankle? Remember when Ben played on a bad angle? Wait, wasn't that just last week? Mike T's got a big decision.

Ben's leadership + guaranteed interception + poor completion % - scrambling ability

VS

Back-up + better completion % + possible interception - leadership

Which one would you choose if you were Mike T?

Start Ben and he throws picks = Why did you start Ben knowing he has a bad ankle?
Start the back-up and they lose = Why didn't you start Ben knowing what his leadership can bring?

I'm going to say Ben has too much influence on the Pittsburg Steelers and will start and Mike T. is in a losing position no matter what he does, but he will look better by sticking with his vet. No matter who the Steeler's opponents are, they are going to benefit either way unless Mike T sits Ben, and the back-up ends up nailing it. If Ben starts, he's going to throw an interception. He was already throwing them before his ankle got this bad.

So what does this mean? It means Mike T and Big Ben will betray their defense, snub their back-up, and help Tom and the Patriots make the Super Bowl Thanks guys!

If we're going to take advantage of Ben's gimpy ankle, then it'd better happen sooner, rather than later.

He is a 100% drama queen, and it hasn't even really been bothering him nearly as much this week. He hasn't even been limited recently, and had a full participation report as of today.

Let's remember that it was only a grade 1 sprain, and that was on Dec.8th!!! It will have been almost 6 weeks by the time we play him, if that even happens in the divisional round. I really don't think the ankle is going to come into play very much, to be honest.

 

[supafly]

if you shut Rice down then Flacco isn't doing jack.

I love the overall thoughts and tone of your post, and agree that we should be able to hang in there with both BAL and PIT, but this statement is a lot easier said than done.

I haven't seen the run defense really show up since the Dallas game, maybe the 2nd Jets game; at least like they should. (and I'm not trying to be negative in any way either) The potential is certainly there, no doubt about that.

I think it'd be great to see some nice improvement from that aspect moving forward.

No matter what, those games would be very challenging on many levels; but I certainly think that this 2011 Pats team has the capacity to hang in there and beat just about any team in the NFL if the O-line protects Brady, and the defense keeps the game in the early to mid 20's.

 

[UK_Pat37]

I love the overall thoughts and tone of your post, and agree that we should be able to hang in there with both BAL and PIT, but this statement is a lot easier said than done.

I haven't seen the run defense really show up since the Dallas game, maybe the 2nd Jets game; at least like they should. (and I'm not trying to be negative in any way either) The potential is certainly there, no doubt about that.

I think it'd be great to see some nice improvement from that aspect moving forward.

No matter what, those games would be very challenging on many levels; but I certainly think that this 2011 Pats team has the capacity to hang in there and beat just about any team in the NFL if the O-line protects Brady, and the defense keeps the game in the early to mid 20's.

I agree with your thoughts...very frustrating. With the emergence of Dane Fletcher who appears to be going 100% right now (although I think he was sen with a hand cast again...not sure how this effects him) and if we are able to combine that with Spikes getting back off of the bye, then I think this will give us a boost.

I was surprised it took so long to get shredded by the run game considering the turnaround at linebacker. I know a lot really rate Ninko, but I prefer Fletcher's explosiveness and think he should be on the field for 3 downs. The only thing is he needs to stay healthy!

If we can get our full corps of LBs back I'll be confident, as we've not been consistent there. We match up better with teams who pound the ball.

 

[supafly]

I agree with your thoughts...very frustrating. With the emergence of Dane Fletcher who appears to be going 100% right now (although I think he was sen with a hand cast again...not sure how this effects him) and if we are able to combine that with Spikes getting back off of the bye, then I think this will give us a boost.

I was surprised it took so long to get shredded by the run game considering the turnaround at linebacker. I know a lot really rate Ninko, but I prefer Fletcher's explosiveness and think he should be on the field for 3 downs. The only thing is he needs to stay healthy!

If we can get our full corps of LBs back I'll be confident, as we've not been consistent there. We match up better with teams who pound the ball.

I did not know that about Fletcher. That is troubling to me. He has really played with a lot of fire in his belly, and I agree that we should see more of him. That will be something to keep an eye on, as I hope it is not true.

Yes, having Spikes and Chung back should help, barring the rust factor.

I think it's extremely important to just get the monkey off of their backs by winning the first game, and depending upon the opponent that may be hard enough right there. Once the first game is taken care of, they should be a much more confident team, and should be hosting the AFCCG in Foxboro. To me, it's all about that first game in the divisional round. I think by winning that they are able to gain some confidence and momentum.

I agree that Baltimore would be the easier matchup, although their defense has certainly played well vs Brady etc.

 

[mosi]

Honestly, it is not the defense that will cost us in the AFC but the offense. The Defense played well enough to win last year but the offense did not.

Brady looked terrible in the first half of the Miami game. Almost like last years Jets game. He needs to play better and so do the TE. They were rookies last year so I almost expected some issues. Not this year. This has got to be drilled into them.

 

[wyomingpatsfan]

Bottom line:

If offense can score on ~50 percent of possessions and move the ball effectively, and defense wins turnover battle, Pats are Super Bowl Bound...

 

[borg]

For those that get comfort believing that the Pats defense is equal to Green Bay's......one stat should sober you up ....Green Bay's D has 29 INTs....crushing the rest of the league. In other words , GB has playmakers in the secondary...not street FAs, special teams captains, or WRs.

Comparing the 2010 Pats D to 2011....
In the last 5 games of 2010, the Pats D gave up 7 points or less in 4 of their last 5 games. They gelled into a nice squad until the Jets exposed the Pats lack of pass rush in the playoff game where Sanchez just stood strong in the pocket and efficiently carved up the D.
In the last 5 games of 2011, incompetant offenses have scored 20-27 points each game

Maybe the playoff scenarios will fall just right and Baltimore will get knocked out, or Big Ben will still have ankle issues....

but I think Baltimore is the team that presents the biggest obstacle. Power running that the Pats have failed against as of late. A QB that prefers the long bomb passing game that the Pats get burned on every game. And a D that will make Brady very uncomfortable.

The Pitt game proved our seconday didn't have an answer for their WRs and the Pats couldn't run on Pitt. Now with OL issues and Harrison on the field, I like Pitt even more (assuming a Ben has mobility)

Cincy......a very solid team on both sides of the ball. A big WR that Pats DBs have had no answer for this year. A young QB that gets it. Will it be enough vs NE....Brady should be enough, but Cincy has a bright future.

The rest of the AFC ....no worries...Texans, Raiders, Broncos.....their QBs can't get them through NE

 

[RobertWeathers]

Honestly, it is not the defense that will cost us in the AFC but the offense. The Defense played well enough to win last year but the offense did not.

Brady looked terrible in the first half of the Miami game. Almost like last years Jets game. He needs to play better and so do the TE. They were rookies last year so I almost expected some issues. Not this year. This has got to be drilled into them.

Do we really need to cover this again? The offense scored 21 points vs a good Jets D in the div game. Not great but not terrible.

Pats Defense that game: 0 sacks. Sanchez was 6-6 on 3rd down passing. 0 picks. 4/5 Red Zone D. Awful.

Statistically, their Red Zone D and pass rush is better this year. We'll see.

 

[RobertWeathers]

For those that get comfort believing that the Pats defense is equal to Green Bay's......one stat should sober you up ....Green Bay's D has 29 INTs....crushing the rest of the league. In other words , GB has playmakers in the secondary...not street FAs, special teams captains, or WRs.

2010 D had 25 INTs and guys like McCourty and Chung made plays.

Comparing the 2010 Pats D to 2011....
In the last 5 games of 2010, the Pats D gave up 7 points or less in 4 of their last 5 games. They gelled into a nice squad until the Jets exposed the Pats lack of pass rush in the playoff game where Sanchez just stood strong in the pocket and efficiently carved up the D.
In the last 5 games of 2011, incompetant offenses have scored 20-27 points each game

In the last 5 games last year, they roasted the Jets and as you say were exposed in the playoffs by the very same team. The played listless Miami and BUF, had bad games vs GB and DET. They had a very good game vs CHI in the snow. With all that said, I really don't subscribe to the 2010 defense being better at the end of the year than this years version. We simply don't know yet.

 

[Joker]

yeah...uh...let me know when last year's defense mounts a pass rush that gets to the QB in UNDER 10 seconds...the Sancrud to Edwards pass that broke the Pats back took over 7 seconds IN THE POCKET unmolested before Sanbust threw to a WIDE OPEN Edwards.

I doubt the Patriots D line will look THAT horrid this post season.