Don Banks: Patriots haven't been tested.

[GaryfromTO]

Weren't the Patriots underdogs against the Rams, Eagles, Seahawks (don't remember Carolina) in previous Super Bowls?

 

[IllegalContact]

neither the Packers, Lions nor Falcons have a lick of defense

The Giants? please.......bring it on.....2 other SB's worth of aggravation to be unleashed on this bunch

The Seahawks and Cowboys would both be entertaining but I like the Pats defense against the Boys and I also like the 2nd chance for the Pats against the Sehawks

 

[IllegalContact]

Weren't the Patriots underdogs against the Rams, Eagles, Seahawks (don't remember Carolina) in previous Super Bowls?

the Pats were not underdogs against the ... they were 7 point favorites

1 point dogs against the seahawks and 14 point dogs to the rams.......favorites in the rest....pats only beat the spread when they were dogs

 

[The Gr8est]

Yeah and the defense clearly picked the perfect day to have its worst game of the season. Seattle struggled to score for most of the season and for some reason the hawks **** all over the Pats D. But that was awhile ago. I am sure it would be different now.

The Pats were coming off a bye, and that has historically bode well for a Pats win, but this year they had just traded Collins and the defense was somewhat on disarray.

They couldn't stop Seattle, but I think that was the healthiest Wilson had been all season, and they sprung CJ Prosise on us.

It was also Chancellor's 1st game back.

All on all it was the perfect storm for Seattle.

 

[TennisBallHead]

Someone tell the Cavs their championship didn't count because they played the Pistons, Hawks, and Raptors before the NBA Finals. They weren't "tested".

 

[VrabelJr]

After what we did to those dirty, nasty Jets and Dolphins we probably should be tested. ;-)

 

[Joey007]

I mean we haven't played the toughest QB's, that's valid to say. I don't know why people keep denying that.

But you can't say we aren't passing all of the eye tests right now. The teams we've played in three of the last four weeks are playoff rosters. We've played well in every situation given to us in the last month and a half.

When a team is coasting off a weak schedule, you can tell by the little mistakes they make.

 

[Joey007]

The top 3 of NE, KC, and PIT match up to the NFC just fine. The difference is in the bottom 3.

GB, NYG, and DET are clearly much better than the HOU, OAK, and MIA teams.

IMO, the AFC top 3>>>NFC top 3. Not even close.

 

[Jackson 2]

I haven't read or heard Banks in quite awhile. But, I don't recall him being anti-NE.

 

[IllegalContact]

there may well be a chance the pats win the super bowl without being 'tested'

don't bet against them stomping the whole way through, winning big in each game

 

[50-yard-line]

The Pats were coming off a bye, and that has historically bode well for a Pats win, but this year they had just traded Collins and the defense was somewhat on disarray.

They couldn't stop Seattle, but I think that was the healthiest Wilson had been all season, and they sprung CJ Prosise on us.

It was also Chancellor's 1st game back.

All on all it was the perfect storm for Seattle.

It was also the bye week for New England. Ever since the rule changes regarding practicing, I take a physical team on a short week against a team coming off the bye.

 

[TomPatriot]

The Patriots probably played a little easier schedule because the AFCE is a little weaker, but if you look at the comparable opponents (Browns, Bengals, Steelers, Ravens) the Pats were +56 and the Cowboys were +54.

The Giants are +9 against the same teams.

 

[goheels22002]

Banks can go pound sand.

Haven't been tested?!? By my count, there are 23 current players (not counting Gronk and Vollmer) who have Super Bowl rings - by far more than any other team in the NFL still in the playoffs. Moreover, this particular team has had more distractions than any other team in the NFL with Deflategate, their HOF QB suspension, and the Collins trade. These young men are physically and mentally tough.

Maybe I missed someone, but here goes with those who have SB rings:
QBs Brady and Garoppolo
RBs Blount, Bolden, White, and Develin
WRs Edelman, Amendola and Slater
OL Solder, Cannon, and Fleming
DL Ninkovich and Branch
LB Hightower
DBs Butler, Ryan, Harmon, Chung, McCourty, and Ebner
K Gostkowski and Allen

Not to mention the coaching staff.

 

[IllegalContact]

the only thing that's being tested is my patience with these morons

 

[Nikolai]

I haven't read or heard Banks in quite awhile. But, I don't recall him being anti-NE.

I don't recall it either. He's not a Pats homer, but he seems to appreciate what he's seeing in the Brady/BB era. I don't really have an issue with what he's saying if you consider the schedule.

However, the Pats have had their share of adversity, starting with 4 games without Brady (and then 2.5 with a rookie), the first three of which were played in a 13-day span. Add to that Collins being traded, Gronk to IR, going into Denver on short week, and finishing in the Miami house of horrors, I'd say the Pats were challenged, especially by the demons of their past.

They passed each test with such ease that people now question the nature of those tests. That's fine. As Brady would say, let the games be played on the field. I like the Pats against anyone right now.

 

[brdmaverick]

The question is, who has? Which of the contenders do have multiple victories against quality opponents? The answer turns out to be most of them:

Chiefs (Raiders x2, Falcons)
Falcons (Packers, Raiders)
Giants (Cowboys x2)
Packers (Giants, Seahawks)
Seahawks (Falcons, Patriots)
Steelers (Chiefs, Giants)

IMO the Chiefs are the most "tested" team in the playoffs. The Cowboys and Raiders cruised on their losers' schedules based on 2015 and deserve the "untested" label along with the Patriots. [EDIT: Actually I take it back, the Cowboys did beat the Packers + Steelers]

That is some very insightful info you put together there. Thanks for doing that.

The Chiefs are already getting kudos form you and should even more so considering they beat Denver as well. I know, I know, Denver isn't on the list but they would probably have been the next team if we included one. After all, when Atlanta went into Denver and won that felt like a good test for teh Falcons.

 

[Uptown]

Cold Hard Football Facts: Patriots had best record vs. quality opponents

 

[primetime]

It's probably more telling to look at top-10 quarterbacks they've faced. Aside from Russell Wilson, to whom they lost (albeit by a razor-thin margin), they haven't faced any top quarterbacks this year. Roethlisberger missed the Steelers game; after Wilson the next best QB they faced is a pick-your-poison of Carson Palmer, Joe Flacco, and Ryan Tannehill (and then only once).

Ranking the top starting QBs in the playoffs by tier, it's pretty clear the NFC has more QB talent:

1) Brady (AFC)
2) Rodgers (NFC)
----
3) Ryan (NFC)
4) Roethlisberger (AFC)
5) Wilson (NFC)
----
6) Prescott (NFC)
7) Manning (NFC)
8) Smith (AFC)
9) Stafford (NFC)
----
10) Moore (AFC)
11) Osweiler (AFC)
12) Cook (AFC)

It's not unreasonable to say the Patriots have faced a soft schedule; the Ravens and the Broncos weren't all that great, in part because neither team had an offense. That doesn't mean they won't win it all, especially since the AFC is full of cupcakes.

 

[BradyFTW!]

I think there's some merit to Banks' point, as we only really went against one especially offense that could go punch for punch with ours and they beat us at home, but... ****, I'll take it. If even the skeptics are basically ceding that the Patriots are the overwhelming favorites in the AFC, I'll count that as a good thing.

Four weeks out from the Super Bowl, just making it there is an aspiration. Too early to look past all of that and start worrying about SB matchups. You could write similar gloomy pieces about every team in the playoffs. Everybody at this point has major question marks that make it clear that they could easily lose, and that winning the Super Bowl is a lot more than just a coronation. There are a lot of challenges left to come. The fact that people are already taking this long perspective on the Pats before a playoff game has even been played is just a testament to how excellent they've been.

 

[TB_Helmet]

Banks must secretly post here on the forums...

Hey this is way OT, but is that picture of Belichick in your signature from when he was asked about Christmas music?