Lets be realistic.... Do you think we'll go far in the playoffs?

[Patstopia]

I think anything can happen. One thing I do know is the best regular season team, doesnt always automatically win the super bowl.

 

[RIpats88]

its hard to say, for one I think if we are to go to the superbowl with a "suspect" defense...this is the year to do it.

the AFC is abit of a mess where there is no clear cut "better than the rest" team...especially with Matt Schaub out...Roethlisberger may be the best QB we'd have to face in the playoffs

Texans-scary matchup but they have Leinart playing QB now
the chargers-rivers looks like hes taken a step back
The Jets-taken a step back and we own them this year
The Ravens- very inconsistent team. plus youve got flacco back there

then theres the steelers....who everyone seems to say we are a good matcup with(even though they spanked us a couple weeks ago)..and who knows if they end up being a wildcard and the Ravens take the division.


For once, I think that the NFC is a tougher conference this year...Packers, 49rs, Giants, Lions, Bears, cowboys, saints....all good teams

 

[reflexblue]

As long as this team doesn't play a team with a Good or great QB it could go far. But winning the SB i don't think it has much of a chance, but anything can happen i guess.

 

[Bostonian1962]

I would have been tempted to say no, given the overabundance of undrafted free agents being the core of our defense. Then, this week hit. Not only did we blow out our hated rival Jets, @ their place, but key injuries started to happen to other teams.

We play KC this week, and their QB, Cassell breaks his foot.
The number one seed in the AFC right now (Houston), loses their QB, likely for the year.
Denver is on our schedule, and they lose RB Moreno.
The QB (Big Ben) of the second place team in the AFC breaks his thumb.
Buffalo, with whom we are battling, loses their stud center for the year.

There are others too, but my point is, things could slide the right way for the Pats. You can't rule anything out. Maybe teams we would not match up well with get bumped off by another team. Maybe a team we will be facing loses a key player (oh, say for example GB wins to meet us in the Super Bowl, but Rodgers arm falls off in the NFC Championship game).

I wouldn't rule anything out. I don't wish injuries on anybody, but some have gone our way early. Plus, we do have a great offense, so if some of our defensive players improve alot, and/or our pass rush is here for more than one game, the sky is the limit.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Of course. What I saw last year when the Pats were on a roll, was a Packers team that came to Foxboro without its starting QB, and very nearly beat the Patriots.

I also saw a defense that didn't make much of an effort to rush the passer.

I don't know why, but BB seems to go ultraconservative when presented with "sudden shifts" at QB.

 

[Bostonian1962]

its hard to say, for one I think if we are to go to the superbowl with a "suspect" defense...this is the year to do it.

the AFC is abit of a mess where there is no clear cut "better than the rest" team...especially with Matt Schaub out...Roethlisberger may be the best QB we'd have to face in the playoffs

Texans-scary matchup but they have Leinart playing QB now
the chargers-rivers looks like hes taken a step back
The Jets-taken a step back and we own them this year
The Ravens- very inconsistent team. plus youve got flacco back there

then theres the steelers....who everyone seems to say we are a good matcup with(even though they spanked us a couple weeks ago)..and who knows if they end up being a wildcard and the Ravens take the division.


For once, I think that the NFC is a tougher conference this year...Packers, 49rs, Giants, Lions, Bears, cowboys, saints....all good teams

Great point on the NFC, and the thing is that of all the teams you list we would only have to play one of them in the playoffs - that being the Super Bowl.

 

[LasVegasPatsFan]

The 9-7 Cardinals were 1 minute away from winning the Superbowl and that year that got demolished by both the Jets and Pats during the season. Once the playoff starts, its a fresh start. Anything is possible.

 

[BingoBrown]

The 9-7 Cardinals were 1 minute away from winning the Superbowl and that year that got demolished by both the Jets and Pats during the season. Once the playoff starts, its a fresh start. Anything is possible.

It's like that in all sports.The Bruins were doomed the Cardinals no freaking way
etc.

 

[Texxx]

I'm not sure. For the first time in a long time, I'm not that confident in the Pats in the post season this year. Their defense simply hasn't improved enough to feel like they can hold a team down in the playoffs if the offense is struggling against a team like the Steelers or the Ravens. When the Pats won their SB's early on last decade they had so many defensive players that made huge plays when the team really needed them in close games. They also had much better leadership on the defensive side of the ball. However, in any close game I'll favor the Pats if Brady has the ball in his hands at the end of the game and I'll never count the Pats out when they've got a QB like that. The problem is that if the defense has to hold off another team from scoring and that's the last possession of the game, that's what worries me. In the last SB where the Pats lost even that defense wasn't able to hold off the Giants offense from scoring. These are a ton of different players than what were around when the Pats won those other SB's. These current guys need to prove that they can step up when it counts.

 

[Dutchmaster617]

Realistically? No, the 9-0 Packers have to win the SB because they are the 9-0 Packers, they won last year so they will win every year.

In the AFC we have to lose to the Jets because we did last year, if not then BAL because we did in 09, or PIT because we did three weeks ago. That is the logic respectable football fans across America are now using, and it seems to be unquestionable, it is somehow a fact we can't avoid.

There are 31 teams that can bounce back from a playoff losing streak, 31 teams that can get hot in the playoffs, New England isn't one of those 31 teams, that is a fact, if we question that fact we are homers, and idiots.

 

[Ring 6]

I also saw a defense that didn't make much of an effort to rush the passer.

I don't know why, but BB seems to go ultraconservative when presented with "sudden shifts" at QB.

Perhaps the win/loss record explains it

 

[RIpats88]

I just dont think theres a QB in the AFC this year who can effectively destroy our secondary.

If we were in the NFC and had to face Rodgers, Brees, Romo, stafford etc. I would be more afraid.

but the afc especially with manning out has...Flacco, sanchez, Leinart, Rivers..Roethlisberger is the best we may face.

I understand being sceptical because honestly we havent won a playoff game since 2008, but that doesnt mean it will always be the case. we could turn it around.

 

[Texxx]

I just dont think theres a QB in the AFC this year who can effectively destroy our secondary.

If we were in the NFC and had to face Rodgers, Brees, Romo, stafford etc. I would be more afraid.

but the afc especially with manning out has...Flacco, sanchez, Leinart, Rivers..Roethlisberger is the best we may face.

I understand being sceptical because honestly we havent won a playoff game since 2008, but that doesnt mean it will always be the case. we could turn it around.

I would say that Big Ben can. OTher than Brady and Manning Ben has been the other guy in the AFC that has been clutch as hell over the last decade. Ben could be having a horrible game, but can still take his team down the field with a minute and a half and score. Plus, this year Ben is looking possibly the best that he has ever looked in his career.

 

[NEPatriot]

No one really knows. That said, it depends on who you ask. Some people were posting earlier in the year about "Brady SB MVP", "Can we go undefeated" and "Who we'll play in the SB", etc. So it also depends on when you ask certain people. In my opinion, there's still a lot of football left to see what type of team, especially on defense, we have.

 

[ivanvamp]

I just dont think theres a QB in the AFC this year who can effectively destroy our secondary.

If we were in the NFC and had to face Rodgers, Brees, Romo, stafford etc. I would be more afraid.

but the afc especially with manning out has...Flacco, sanchez, Leinart, Rivers..Roethlisberger is the best we may face.

I understand being sceptical because honestly we havent won a playoff game since 2008, but that doesnt mean it will always be the case. we could turn it around.

Rivers threw for 372 yds and Roethlisberger threw for 329 against the Pats. Those two guys could light us up. But you're right, the better QBs are in the NFC.

 

[NEPatriot]

Rivers threw for 372 yds and Roethlisberger threw for 329 against the Pats. Those two guys could light us up. But you're right, the better QBs are in the NFC.

True. Tall WR's have also caused us problems. That's what makes Dowling's injury and Bodden's departure so frustrating for me. They would've given us better match ups.

 

[JJDChE]

I don't see any AFC team that is clearly better than us. I would have said Houston before Schaub went down. I couple of the NFC teams scare me, but I still think we can beat any team over there if the defense plays well and Brady plays great (and the coaches don't screw the pooch).

 

[ProudestRyno]

Why wouldn't you worry about Green Bay? They're only the defending champs, the current best team in the league, and, with a backup QB, nearly beat the Patriots in Foxboro last year. I mean, other than that, what possible concern could we have playing the Packers??

People need to quit sucking off the Packers. They are a great team and playing some damn good football right now. But some people need to take a look at their schedule.

Aaron Rodgers is playing out of his mind right now..............against the bottom 10 pass Ds in the NFL. They have had a CUPCAKE schedule so far.

I feel strong enough that if the Pats had their schedule, they'd be undefeated too and Brady would be putting up 2007 style numbers too.

While the Pats are facing the Jets and Steelers pass Ds, Rodgers is facing the Vikings and Rams.

 

[NEPatriot]

People need to quit sucking off the Packers. They are a great team and playing some damn good football right now. But some people need to take a look at their schedule.

Aaron Rodgers is playing out of his mind right now..............against the bottom 10 pass Ds in the NFL. They have had a CUPCAKE schedule so far.

I feel strong enough that if the Pats had their schedule, they'd be undefeated too and Brady would be putting up 2007 style numbers too.

While the Pats are facing the Jets and Steelers pass Ds, Rodgers is facing the Vikings and Rams.

I wouldn't exactly call their schedule "cup cake". They've beaten the Saints, Falcons, Bears and Chargers. Having watched them live in ATL, they are definitely the team to beat right now. Winning the last SB doesn't hurt either.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Any team mathetmatically alive has a chance to go far. The playoffs have been a complete crapshoot since 2005 mostly a matter of who's hot at the right time. The only exception might have been the 2009 Saints who were the best team from week 1.

For this team to go far I think McCourty, Arrington, and Chung have to be full strength. Ihedigbo or Moore needs to solidify the other S spot and Adams needs to continue solid play as the 3. Otherwise, I think any disruptions there and the secondary personell just isn't enough for a serious run. They might have one or two amazing nights like Sunday but unlikely to happen game after game against the best teams in the league. The rest of this team has good enough personnel to not be a major liability, even though our LB's could be better I don't think they'll hold us back, as long as we don't lose more than 1 of Mayo/Spikes/Ninko/Fletcher for January.

Also we need to establish a running threat on offense and at least show we're willing to go to it consistently. It looked to be happening until BJGE's toe injury and we kind of got away from it. If we're 1 dimensional the offense will once again be stopped with easy by a good defense.