Worst case scenario...

[NENGFAN]

If the Ravens and PATS win out but we are out of the Wild Card race...and then if the Jets win next week against Seattle, and the Dolphins lose against the Chiefs and then the Jets beat the Dolphins (who will have nothing to play for) to deny us the Division...Ouch!

 

[PatriotsInGA]

thank you mr.positive

 

[ctpatsfan77]

If the Ravens and PATS win out but we are out of the Wild Card race...and then if the Jets win next week against Seattle, and the Dolphins lose against the Chiefs and then the Jets beat the Dolphins (who will have nothing to play for) to deny us the Division...Ouch!

Cassel's already guaranteed this team will have a winning record this season. It's not as much as I'd like, but how many other rookie QBs could do that with a team this injury depleted?

 

[JSn]

 

[Disco Volante]

If the Ravens and PATS win out but we are out of the Wild Card race...and then if the Jets win next week against Seattle, and the Dolphins lose against the Chiefs and then the Jets beat the Dolphins (who will have nothing to play for) to deny us the Division...Ouch!

All of that can happen, but along with two Colts losses the Patriots would still make the playoffs.

 

[PatriotsInGA]

All of that can happen, but along with two Colts losses the Patriots would still make the playoffs.

1st positive thing said in this thread

 

[Sean Pa Patriot]

Bottom line a colts and a raven loss going into sun, I will feel alot better...As long as we could beat Arizona...

 

[JoePats]

I could see this odd situation happening. Everybody takes care of business and we go into the last week of the season where the only way the Pats can win the division is if they win and the Jets and Dolphins (possibly the Sunday night game) tie.

NBC goes into the game where any one of three teams can win the division. Of course the two teams playing would have about a 49.99% chance of winning and we would have a .002% chance of winning, but still.

 

[PatriotsInGA]

that would be funny

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

I think the Jets and Fins are going to tie.

Seriously, if your back up QB who had never started a game since high school, and your shockingly depleted lineup get you to 11-5, there's not much else you can hope for.

I would regard 11-5 to be an amazing accomplishment. Staggering, actually. The reason I watch football. If it's not good enough, well, what can you say? Only one team can win the super bowl each year. If only that will suffice, then so be it. But if you can take satisfaction in a year that doesn't culminate in a championship, and if this team can win 2 more, I'm not sure what more you could ask.

 

[JoePats]

Seriously, if your back up QB who had never started a game since high school, and your shockingly depleted lineup get you to 11-5, there's not much else you can hope for.

I would regard 11-5 to be an amazing accomplishment. Staggering, actually. The reason I watch football. If it's not good enough, well, what can you say? Only one team can win the super bowl each year. If only that will suffice, then so be it. But if you can take satisfaction in a year that doesn't culminate in a championship, and if this team can win 2 more, I'm not sure what more you could ask.

Yea I agree. If you go 11-5 and miss the playoffs, that's just dumb luck (in fact I don't think it's ever happened). You can't really pick who you lose to as the season goes on. Sure in an ideal world if you're winning 11 games you go 6-0 in the division, lose a conference game to the Chiefs or something, and go 0-4 against the NFC but it doesn't work that way.

 

[PatriotsInGA]

no team has never gone 11-5 and not made the playoffs i think

 

[livinginthe past]

Idiotic, negative thread.

Congratulations.

 

[Angry Man]

Bottom line a colts and a raven loss going into sun, I will feel alot better...As long as we could beat Arizona...

I got a good feeling about this upcoming game against Arizona. The Vikings today showed how weak Arizona is on defense during the first half on all ends rather it be special teams (Berrians TD off the kick off), run defense (numerous long runs by AP), and pass defense (several long balls thrown by Jackson). Knowing Bill he's going to really watch this game to find how he can take advantage of the Cardinals next week.

Also to note while Kurt Warner escaped the game with only one interceptions he had a number of throws that were near interceptions. He's very sloppy overall and quickly hurrys out of the pocket when in panic mode.

Should be a fun game next Sunday. And for once we'll finally have a Pats game aired here in MN this season.

 

[PatriotsInGA]

I got a good feeling about this upcoming game against Arizona. The Vikings today showed how weak Arizona is on defense during the first half on all ends rather it be special teams (Berrians TD off the kick off), run defense (numerous long runs by AP), and pass defense (several long balls thrown by Jackson). Knowing Bill he's going to really watch this game to find how he can take advantage of the Cardinals next week.

Also to note while Kurt Warner escaped the game with only one interceptions he had a number of throws that were near interceptions. He's very sloppy overall and quickly hurrys out of the pocket when in panic mode.

Should be a fun game next Sunday. And for once we'll finally have a Pats game aired here in MN this season.

add the fact that its gonna be under 50 degrees at game time.

 

[NE_PATS_FAN_54]

All of that can happen, but along with two Colts losses the Patriots would still make the playoffs.

the ravens have a pretty tough schedule. at dallas(last regular season game at texas stadium) and then a jacksonville team that looked good today. if flacco starts playing like a rookie, then who knows? the only thing the pats can do is win. and as long as they win, i'll be happy. if this team goes 11-5 and misses the playoffs, i will be happy.

 

[QuinielaBox]

Patriots played well today. Ravens lost which helps our chances tremendously to possibly grab the last WC spot if they lose to Dallas next week. So I believe the Patriots will play at least one game in January. I would like to go into New York and bust Mangini's chops and then go to Pittsburgh and bust the Steelers chops, then take down the Manning boys to complete the Belichick revenge tour.

 

[wdkantro2]

I think the Jets and Fins are going to tie.

Seriously, if your back up QB who had never started a game since high school, and your shockingly depleted lineup get you to 11-5, there's not much else you can hope for.

I would regard 11-5 to be an amazing accomplishment. Staggering, actually. The reason I watch football. If it's not good enough, well, what can you say? Only one team can win the super bowl each year. If only that will suffice, then so be it. But if you can take satisfaction in a year that doesn't culminate in a championship, and if this team can win 2 more, I'm not sure what more you could ask.

Exactly. It's impossible to point to a loss and say "That cost us the season." The team did as well as it could. If 11-5 isn't good enough to get in for what, the 5th time in the history of this format, then it's just tough luck.
However, as ridiculous as it sounds, it really is a case for just making the top 6 teams making the playoffs, regardless of division. One crap team from the AFC west who hasn't earned a spot will get in, as well as a crap team (who hopefully we beat on Sunday) from the NFC west will get a spot, while good teams like the Patriots, Eagles, Redskins and Cowboys can get left out through no fault of their own. It's just a sad reality of the format.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

If the Ravens and PATS win out but we are out of the Wild Card race...and then if the Jets win next week against Seattle, and the Dolphins lose against the Chiefs and then the Jets beat the Dolphins (who will have nothing to play for) to deny us the Division...Ouch!

I think everyone who posts on this board is well aware of that scenario. Many of us have also raised the probability that the Jets would throw the final game to the Dolphins if the scenario was such that a Jets win would give us the Division (ie., if the Jets lose to Seattle and Dolphins beat the Chiefs).

After watching the Cowboys win tonight and the Ravens lose, I think our Wildcard shot is alive and well and a lot more likely than the Division now.

 

[wdkantro2]

After I made that last post, I kind of got to thinking about the tiebreakers, and the BCS. I hate the BCS format with a passion. But in this case, I actually don't think it would be terrible to use the computers as a tiebreaker. In the situation with the Dolphins, the Pats will get beat out because of an inferior conference record. However, unless you play identical schedules, it makes no sense to make this tiebreaker. The Dolphins played the same schedule as the Pats except instead of the Colts and Steelers they played the Texans and Ravens. Ironically, they lost to both of them just like the Pats lost to both the Colts and Steelers. But say two teams are tied with common opponents and the tiebreak comes down to conference record, and team A played the two best teams in the conference while team B played two bottom feeders? It doesn't make sense to weigh those against each other...but unfortunately they do.