The Ringer:We don't know how the good the patriots really are

[SVN]

We Don’t Know How Good the Patriots Are

 

[ALP]

article is kinda right, and people here have said the same thing pretty much

but it doesn't take into account that the Pats D ALWAYS improves and plays best it will in december/playoffs

this is not the same defense that played against Wilson at all, both "eye test" and scheme/personnel wise

also QBs like brees, rodgers and Big Ben have had down years, so you cant only use that argument against us

I think this pass D, with how its playing right now, will not get exposed by anyone

 

[Jangles]

article is kinda right, and people here have said the same thing pretty much

but it doesn't take into account that the Pats D ALWAYS improves and plays best it will in december/playoffs

this is not the same defense that played against Wilson at all, both "eye test" and scheme/personnel wise

also QBs like brees, rodgers and Big Ben have had down years, so you cant only use that argument against us

I think this pass D, with how its playing right now, will not get exposed by anyone

pretty bold statement

hope you're right

 

[oldrover]

We Don’t Know How Good the Patriots Are

Wonderful sports journalism!!! FYI we also don't know yet 'how good are the Cowboys, Giants, Falcons, Packers, Raiders, Chiefs, Steelers, Ravens'... should I go on?

 

[JMC00]

So just ignore the ravens game, right? Because all I heard the week leading up is how that defense was Brady's kryptonite and Flacco always plays great against the Pats.

Flacco got gifted two very short fields because of ST f**k ups, other than that he did nothing in that game and it's not like Ravens don't have weapons on offense. And save me the "no run game" skews it ********, if you are SB winning QB you should be able to win without a running game.

 

[bormio]

Being able to run the ball to set up the pass is the way to beat the Pats - and frankly most teams. It is why we are so much sounder on offense this year, if not as prolific. It is why Dallas scares me more than Green Bay, even if Rodgers is a better QB than Dak. Pittsburgh has that ability too, although we feast on their defense.

 

[aluminum seats]

I'd rather have these kinds of articles than "Nobody's Stopping the Pats this Year" stuff.

 

[fnordcircle]

Our two losses were easily our worst games of the year and one of them we were missing some guy who kind of helps the offense a little and the other we were awful in all three phases and still in a position to tie against what I think is the best team in the NFC - or at least was until they lost Earl Thomas.

Feeling really good about this team.

 

[TBR]

It's not like they've repeatedly given up 20-30 points to these bad QBs/offenses.

The defense did what they were supposed to do to several of them (hold them to very little points. often with a garbage-time TD tacked on in the last few minutes)

Regardless, the Ringer sucks.

 

[Wheelman]

We don't know how the good what now? That **** makes no sense dude!

 

[FourierSeries]

Anyone who has been paying attention knows they're the best and most complete team in the league.

 

[fightingirish595]

Anyone who has been paying attention knows they're the best and most complete team in the league.

Most balanced team in the league no question

 

[slam]

Wonderful sports journalism!!! FYI we also don't know yet 'how good are the Cowboys, Giants, Falcons, Packers, Raiders, Chiefs, Steelers, Ravens'... should I go on?

We do know how good the Jets are, though.

 

[fnordcircle]

Most balanced team in the league no question

yeah but

 

[JMC00]

Team could be 14-0 right now if they had a healthy QB week 4 and Brady didn't fumble the snap against the Seahawks and this article would still get written.

 

[TennisBallHead]

Wonderful sports journalism!!! FYI we also don't know yet 'how good are the Cowboys, Giants, Falcons, Packers, Raiders, Chiefs, Steelers, Ravens'... should I go on?

Agreed. The Patriots have a track record of excellent play and consistency, not to mention lapping the field in championships won. The rest of these teams in the playoffs minus Seattle are has-beens and never-wases.

 

[fightingirish595]

yeah but

Which they are clearly passing right now.

 

[BobDigital]

Well what are we grading them against? The league? History?

Here is how good i think they are. First how i grade

A+ All time great team. Examples: 1985 Bears/1989 49ers
A Clearly a "wagon" very strong with almost no question marks. Examples: 1997 Broncos/2013 Seahawks
A- Solidly Superbowl caliber team but not exceptional. Examples: 2003 Patriots/2010 Packers
B+ Only super bowl caliber in particularly weak years. Examples: 2006 Indy/2009 Saints
B Just a good contender that MIGHT upset in a weak year. (various teams this year fit that so no need to list examples).

I would give the Pats this year an A- grade. Maybe the only team I would give it too right now to be honest.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

I don't see how the Patriots have a bad pass defense when they have McCourty and Butler, who are two pro bowl caliber players, along with a lot of adequate help. Chung game has good skills for a SS as well while Ryan can't be worse than most #2 corners in a league that's very thin at the position.. It's not like the secondary consists of 30 players on the field and the basic math says that with Butler and McCourty alone, this should be a good secondary at worst, not terrible as the writer suggests.

 

[RobertWeathers]

We've seen them go up against top passers.

What has happened has been mixed.

First of all, Flacco is not having a down year. Hes having a standard Flacco year. Pats did fine vs him

Russ Wilson is having an up and down year but hes a top tier QB as well. He shredded them but I also think at that point the NEP D had bottomed out.

Tannehill pretty much always has nice numbers vs the Pats. That was also an early in the season game and the D was still figuring things out.