8-8 or 9-7

[jsull87]

Ok, so we haven't changed the 12th ranked run offense much.
The D that allowed the 5th fewest points has had losses to equal its additions. We may well be looking at a very average defense. The receiving corps is top notch.
Yeah, I think this is an 8-8 or maybe 9-7 team, with Matt Cassel at QB.

Luckily we have the best players in the NFL at the most important position, and he is 100 healthy, and he has the most and best weapons he has ever had. THAT turns an 8-8 team into 12-4, and better than that if the schedule turns out to be less than brutal.

I don't know if we have equal losses and additions. We have lost Bodden and Warren from last year's D those are 2 very big holes imo.

I think our O will be better than last year but D seems to be a little worse. That assumptions doesn't factor in Spikes and McCourty and to a lesser extent Chung as they are still really unknowns at this point

 

[cmasspatsfan]

Yup.... There's always an awful lot of DOOM! postings and people keep ragging on about the (myth) of our poor drafting/rushing/defense/offense/whatever. However, when you look at the actual stats, and see the record this team has compiled over the past 10 years, that's a WHOLE different (and quite positive) story.

The mediots dont help the cause either, they seem to focus on the weaknesses and just gloss over the strengths with a passing mention. The negatives make better talk show fodder.
The almost perfect season may have set the bar too high and spoiled a lot of the younger fans.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

I don't know about the spoiled fans who dwell on past success and expect nothing less from this team
but the way I look at it,it took some lean years to get this team to greatness and it could very well take this team a few more years to get back to that level...I am willing to wait and watch the team mature while having some difficult games and times along the way like it could very well be this year.

How many are willing to stick it out just in case this team has some huge growing pains with the infusion of youth and inexperience?...I am,but how many others in Pats nation actually are?

Some will definately jump ship if the team does as badly as some media members think...while others like me will hang onto the rails of the ship and sail through the heavy currents until the sea calms down once again.

 

[The Brandon Five]

Defense hasn't won a championship in the NFL since 2000 (or 2001 )

Cough...Super Bowl 42..cough.
:bricks:

 

[cmasspatsfan]

Cough...Super Bowl 42..cough

Dont remember that one, maybe I was too drunk :confused2:

 

[Bring Back Antowain!]

I hate all of you that are free on Sundays to watch football. I'm in college and have to have a job and I will most likely have to work Sundays and miss these games. I need to make up an excuse to not work Sundays.

I'm in college and have a job too...

You simply say, "I watch football like any other human being on a Sunday, so yeah... Sundays aren't going to... exactly be the best for me."

They either take that bait or you peace and find a job that respects the sport of professional football.

 

[Nikolai]

I still stick with my original prediction. 11-5

vs Bengals W
@ Jets L (I know, I know)
vs Bills W
@ Dolphins L
vs Ravens W
@ Chargers L
vs Vikings W
@ Browns W
@ Steelers L
vs Colts W
@ Lions W
vs Jets W
@ Bears W
vs Packers L
@ Bills W
vs Dolphins W

We start out 3-3, the chicken littles and pink-hats have a field day, but finish 7-2 to take the AFC East. I've actually worked up a little analysis and such. I might post it. Hell, it'll be better than the "worst [blank] ever in Pats history" threads.

Cough...Super Bowl 42..cough.
:bricks:

That wasn't defense that won SB42, it was the fluke-play fairy.

 

[Mountain_Commando]

I've seen this movie before, the Pats look horrible in pre-season only to come out and play great when its for real. And thats what i think is going to happen, people will be shocked at how good the team, the defense is on opening day.

eh? optimism on the patsfans board? something MUST be wrong here.

 

[Brady2Welker]

I would rather be unemployed and get to watch the Pats... *sigh* idk what to do.

I'm in college and have been telling employers I'm religious. Works everytime.

 

[PatsBoy12]

Good posting. I can't wait for the season to start and everyone to see how improved this offense is, especially in the red zone. The D won't be winning the Pats games anytime soon, but its good enough to win 11 games or more with this offense.

Defense hasn't won a championship in the NFL since 2007

Fixed it for you my friend.

Everyone can talk about Asante dropping the sure INT or the ref not blowing "that play" dead or fluke catch or any other nonsense to try to feel better about it, but the fact is the Giant front seven made amateurs out of the Patriot O-line. Brady spent more time getting up from the dirt than anything else. Defense won that championship.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

eh? optimism on the patsfans board? something MUST be wrong here.

Andy pulls this same crap every pre season... Just for the record, he's sometimes off by a game or two on his 12 game average win predictions and because we don't win it all he's a pathetic homer because it's obvious if you can't get to HFA or you have a bad day in the playoffs or you don't seemingly roll over all comers as no team generally does and this one didn't either except for somewhat in 2007 you sucked out the gate and only a blind, koolaid swilling Belichick rump swab doesn't get that.

This team has failed to win double digit games exactly once since the day Brady took over QB duties on a team even BB never honestly believed had the talent to win it all...something it's performance rankings and often the naked eye over the course of that season clearly appeared to underscore... The Colts can look like hot crap with a horseshoe up their ass and the media just assumes they'll prevail because they've won 12 games a year for the last several years. Guess what, so have we on average.

Winning a superbowl, let alone multiples in a decade can be both a gift and a curse...because of how that skewers expectations.

As for who will finish this division at 8-8 vs. 9-7 it's a hype adjusted tossup between the JETS or Miami.

 

[PatsBoy12]

Andy pulls this same crap every pre season... Just for the record, he's sometimes off by a game or two on his 12 game average win predictions and because we don't win it all he's a pathetic homer because it's obvious if you can't get to HFA or you have a bad day in the playoffs or you don't seemingly roll over all comers as no team generally does and this one didn't either except for somewhat in 2007 you sucked out the gate and only a blind, koolaid swilling Belichick rump swab doesn't get that.

This team has failed to win double digit games exactly once since the day Brady took over QB duties on a team even BB never honestly believed had the talent to win it all...something it's performance rankings and often the naked eye over the course of that season clearly appeared to underscore... The Colts can look like hot crap with a horseshoe up their ass and the media just assumes they'll prevail because they've won 12 games a year for the last several years. Guess what, so have we on average.

Winning a superbowl, let alone multiples in a decade can be both a gift and a curse...because of how that skewers expectations.

As for who will finish this division at 8-8 vs. 9-7 it's a hype adjusted tossup between the JETS or Miami.

Yeah, I agree with the general sentiment here. I really don't think all is lost with this team despite what many are saying. However, they are going to have to get some things straightened out from my point-of-view. I just don't think preseason is as meaningless as some others and I definitely feel like I've noticed some troubling things that need rectifying sooner rather than later.

 

[Triumph]

I'm in college and have been telling employers I'm religious. Works everytime.

Youre telling the truth. Watching the Pats is religious.

 

[shmessy]

Your right, a lot of people havent caught on that this league is all about offense, all the rule changes favor the offense. This aint the 70's and 80's anymore, you have to score.

....which would be why a good defense is so IMPORTANT!

Go back and read the Belichick Bible:

Commandments I-X: "Thou shalt take away thine opponents strength." (Book of Rams,Chapter XXXVI,Verse February, Line 2,002).

There are other chapters in the Book of Colts, however, the lines 2,001 - 2,004 are authentic and were not written by infidels like the lines 2,005-2,009 were.

 

[BTTA]

Youre telling the truth. Watching the Pats is religious.

There's no reason why you couldn't legally establish a religion around worshiping football gods. One man's religion is another's superstition, and the country is pretty much founded on this principle. It would take some time to prove that it rises beyond cult status, but eventually you could win a court victory.

Of course, if you had the money to win this case, you wouldn't need to work on Sundays.

 

[Kontradiction]

Cough...Super Bowl 42..cough.
:bricks:

Indeed. 2001 Pats, 2002 Bucs, 2003 Pats, 2004 Pats, 2005 Steelers, 2006 Colts, 2007 Giants, and 2008 Steelers. All either got to or won the big game due to defense.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

....which would be why a good defense is so IMPORTANT!

Go back and read the Belichick Bible:

Commandments I-X: "Thou shalt take away thine opponents strength." (Book of Rams,Chapter XXXVI,Verse February, Line 2,002).

There are other chapters in the Book of Colts, however, the lines 2,001 - 2,004 are authentic and were not written by infidels like the lines 2,005-2,009 were.

You seem to have forgotten lines 6-24 (which is also where the 2001 D ranked in scoring and total yards throughout 2001 as it had in 2000 and on into 2002) as well as lines 1-4 (where they ranked in that season to remember/forget). There is often more than one way to skin a cat, and sometimes no way to... You also forget that while Bill was able to take away an opponents strength periodically even when he coached in NY, he was never able to do that consistently (verses 2005-2009) by design (cap and injury and rules verses being re-written over time as is always the case) . No one ever has. We won three superbowls on field goals, twice in the closing seconds... We lost a SB in the last two minutes. For some reason people have romanticized that into a shutout defense that never really existed. Was it a very solid D with some hats and t-shirts playmakers...absolutely. So was the O and for that matter ST. You simply can't win 'em all no matter what the stats might claim, and often times you can win or lose in spite of them. I believe that is covered in the chapter entitled Any Given Sunday...

Ask Bill and he will tell you that what it all comes down to is it is what it is and everyone starts the season 0-0 and all you can do is coach better and play better taking one game at a time and build your roster over several months into a team that can balance itself and pay dividends in December and January and hopefully into February. It's never been all about one thing for Bill, which is why he has been even more successful as a HC than he was as a DC.

It's a big book and too many people are relying on the cliff notes to predict the future.

 

[wdkantro2]

Andy pulls this same crap every pre season... Just for the record, he's sometimes off by a game or two on his 12 game average win predictions and because we don't win it all he's a pathetic homer because it's obvious if you can't get to HFA or you have a bad day in the playoffs or you don't seemingly roll over all comers as no team generally does and this one didn't either except for somewhat in 2007 you sucked out the gate and only a blind, koolaid swilling Belichick rump swab doesn't get that.

This team has failed to win double digit games exactly once since the day Brady took over QB duties on a team even BB never honestly believed had the talent to win it all...something it's performance rankings and often the naked eye over the course of that season clearly appeared to underscore... The Colts can look like hot crap with a horseshoe up their ass and the media just assumes they'll prevail because they've won 12 games a year for the last several years. Guess what, so have we on average.

Winning a superbowl, let alone multiples in a decade can be both a gift and a curse...because of how that skewers expectations.

As for who will finish this division at 8-8 vs. 9-7 it's a hype adjusted tossup between the JETS or Miami.

I think he's a pathetic homer because he picks the Pats without fail all the time. I will never forgive his "I'm Predicting the Blowout" thread the night before the Giants super bowl.

 

[Mountain_Commando]

Andy pulls this same crap every pre season... Just for the record, he's sometimes off by a game or two on his 12 game average win predictions and because we don't win it all he's a pathetic homer because it's obvious if you can't get to HFA or you have a bad day in the playoffs or you don't seemingly roll over all comers as no team generally does and this one didn't either except for somewhat in 2007 you sucked out the gate and only a blind, koolaid swilling Belichick rump swab doesn't get that.

This team has failed to win double digit games exactly once since the day Brady took over QB duties on a team even BB never honestly believed had the talent to win it all...something it's performance rankings and often the naked eye over the course of that season clearly appeared to underscore... The Colts can look like hot crap with a horseshoe up their ass and the media just assumes they'll prevail because they've won 12 games a year for the last several years. Guess what, so have we on average.

Winning a superbowl, let alone multiples in a decade can be both a gift and a curse...because of how that skewers expectations.

As for who will finish this division at 8-8 vs. 9-7 it's a hype adjusted tossup between the JETS or Miami.

This post makes me feel better. Thanks Looking at the bright side of things. We know Brady is on a mission this year. So is Moss. Our WR corps is better than 2007. Plus we have 3 new weapons, our excellent TE's. The O-line is mostly solid, save for Mankins' loss. But our two beastly TE's will surely supplement blocking better than we've had before. RB corps is also strong. Maroney is sporadic, but Taylor and Morris can fill in where he is misfiring. ST, Gost and Mesko are both VERY good. And with looks like with Tate, we finally have options for kick return other than Welker and Faulk.

And who knows. Maybe the d WILL surprise us. Maybe hoodie has some exotic new schemes up his shortened sleeves. Also I wouldn't be surprised if we made some late FA signings (in fact I pray we do).

All I know is that I am pumped for a new season. And cliched as it may be, I remind myself that I'm fortunate to watch one of the greatest QB AND greatest coaches of all time play for my team.

 

[Mountain_Commando]

....which would be why a good defense is so IMPORTANT!

Go back and read the Belichick Bible:

Commandments I-X: "Thou shalt take away thine opponents strength." (Book of Rams,Chapter XXXVI,Verse February, Line 2,002).

There are other chapters in the Book of Colts, however, the lines 2,001 - 2,004 are authentic and were not written by infidels like the lines 2,005-2,009 were.

Win!

10ch