For those thinking 16-0...

[T-ShirtDynasty]

Belichick let Vinny get into the record books as well as Flutie. I could definitely see him deciding to go for the undefeated record, especially given the way this season has played out so far.

I thought about that... knowing that Belichick is such a historian of the game. But in the end, you play for the Super Bowl, not for the record books. Vinny and Dougie's escorts into the record books didn't put anything at risk. Playing Brady (etc.) in a meaningless game when HFA is already assured puts the ultimate goal at risk. IMHO.

 

[Ishdul]

I have a feeling that this year there are going to be some impressive records so much so that we won't be resting guys no matter what until maybe Week 16. The Steelers and Colts have the ability to win 15 games this year and should both win at least 12, I would think.

Plus, we end the year with Jets/Phins/Giants so even if we rest up everyone those are going to be some winnable games.

 

[FloridaPatsFan]

One thing I am sure of right now is this: Not one team in the AFC really wants a piece of us right now.

I wish we were playing the Colts this Monday....and I have not felt that way about playing the Colts in the last 2 years. I honestly think we would maul them right now.

Maybe we haven't played a top team yet, but of the 3 teams we have played, the Jets and Bills know us very well and they got absolutely steam rolled. The Chargers had the white flag up at half time and they are/were superbowl potential team.

If you were an opposing team knowing that the Patriots are on your schedule...sure you would be fired up to play a good team, but in the back of your mind right now, your thinking........Jeezus...how are we going to slow them down....

 

[JJDChE]

If you were an opposing team knowing that the Patriots are on your schedule...sure you would be fired up to play a good team, but in the back of your mind right now, your thinking........Jeezus...how are we going to slow them down....

and THAT my friend is the silent killer. I don't think there has been a team in a long time, maybe since the 2001 Rams, maybe even back to the early-90s Cowboys or the '85 Bears eek, that teams are coming into the game with that doubt in the back of their minds.

With all of our Super Bowl teams there were little weaknesses, the offense would struggle at times, etc. The Colts teams have never really had a defense. There was always that little weakness that an opposing team could key on to give them hope. They could tell themselves, no matter how unlikely: "If we can exploit this little weakness, we have a chance."

With this team, as **** Jauron pointed out, there are virtually no weaknesses. That has to scare teams. How do you convince yourself you can beat a team with no weaknesses?


Of course, as soon as you screw up and your opponent sees an opening they'll use it to their advantage and it will give them hope.

 

[FloridaPatsFan]

and THAT my friend is the silent killer. I don't think there has been a team in a long time, maybe since the 2001 Rams, maybe even back to the early-90s Cowboys or the '85 Bears eek, that teams are coming into the game with that doubt in the back of their minds.
With this team, as **** Jauron pointed out, there are virtually no weaknesses. That has to scare teams. How do you convince yourself you can beat a team with no weaknesses?


Of course, as soon as you screw up and your opponent sees an opening they'll use it to their advantage and it will give them hope.

I was watching the game with a friend at a bar down here in Orlando. At some point in the 3rd quarter he looked over at me and said "This Patriots team is frightening" He wasn't exclaiming it or yelling it. He said it straight faced with not a hint of sarcasm. At the moment he said it, the defense was absolutely suffocating the Bills.

I am starting to think this is going to be a special year for us Patriot fans.

 

[NYPatsFan]

Just like Patriots' players and coaches, we should take it one game at a time. The chances of any NFL team running the table is so small it's almost not even worth discussing.

If the Patriots really are as good as they've looked so far, they are going to rest their best players towards the end of the season, and just like the Colts a couple of years ago, that's when they'll lose.

 

[zarakotas5]

I was watching the game with a friend at a bar down here in Orlando. At some point in the 3rd quarter he looked over at me and said "This Patriots team is frightening" He wasn't exclaiming it or yelling it. He said it straight faced with not a hint of sarcasm. At the moment he said it, the defense was absolutely suffocating the Bills.

I am starting to think this is going to be a special year for us Patriot fans.

I agree with your friend. Through three games this year, I have never once had a twinge of doubt. It has been pure calm fun interwined with excitement over great plays on both O and D.

I have never seen a team just plain beat opponents this side of HS or NCAA juggernauts. 16-0 (19-0) talk always irks me and is highly unlikely, but whispers in my mind make me realize it is a not so unrealistic possibility.
Of course, upsets happen for the same reasons.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

I'm sorry, I don't see it. Brutal schedule? You'd take 12-4 with a tie-breaker advantage over Indy? With this Patriots team?

Your expectations for the regular season are way too low. 12-4 may have been on the low side of acceptable expectations before the season started, but after playing 3 games, not having any major injuries and seeing exactly how well the new pieces have been molded into the team on both offense and defense, how can you reasonably believe that the Patriots would lose 5 out of their remaining 13 games this year? And if not, then why would you be happy with 12-4?

We don't know how the Patriots will be playing in 8 weeks - which can be a lifetime in the NFL. However, all indications are that the Patriots are scary good and a 14-2 record is not a dream, but a likelihood. I think I predicted before the season that they'd go 13-3 and, after this start, I expect 14-2 is more likely.

16-0 is still very low probability ( <5% IMO ) but it could happen. In what game will the opponent be favored over the Patriots? Maybe the Colts, but even that is doubtful. The Patriots just have to play to their ability and get lucky (with the bounce of the football and avoiding major injuries) in order to dominate the NFL this year. Here's hoping.

You kind of glossed over the part where I said, "and no significant injury."

I think 12-4, with a win over the colts, would give us a decent chance at a bye (maybe 50/50 or 40/60). I'd take that right now if you offered it to me, if I could be guaranteed of no significant injuries going into the playoffs.

You sort of indicate you think that undervalues our team. It's actually the exact opposite. I think with a healthy team and either a first round bye or a home gome in our first round, there's nobody I'd give a better shot to for Arizona.

 

[JJDChE]

You kind of glossed over the part where I said, "and no significant injury."

I think 12-4, with a win over the colts, would give us a decent chance at a bye (maybe 50/50 or 40/60). I'd take that right now if you offered it to me, if I could be guaranteed of no significant injuries going into the playoffs.

You sort of indicate you think that undervalues our team. It's actually the exact opposite. I think with a healthy team and either a first round bye or a home gome in our first round, there's nobody I'd give a better shot to for Arizona.

The way they look right now there's no way I'd take a 50/50 shot at a bye to avoid potential injuries.

 

[pheenix11]

Do you guys want the Pats to go 16-0?

If so, then why not just believe they can do it? Is possibly being right and creating negative energy more important than taking a chance and believing in the "impossible"?

They can do it, you just have to buy into it.

 

[zarakotas5]

Do you guys want the Pats to go 16-0?

If so, then why not just believe they can do it? Is possibly being right and creating negative energy more important than taking a chance and believing in the "impossible"?

They can do it, you just have to buy into it.

Man, we're New Englanders. We're the dourists. :singing:

It's why we have the cold rep.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

Do you guys want the Pats to go 16-0?

If so, then why not just believe they can do it? Is possibly being right and creating negative energy more important than taking a chance and believing in the "impossible"?

They can do it, you just have to buy into it.

Ok, let's suppose that my thinking one way or the other on the issue will affect the issue. Let's take that as true.

Seems like a drop in the barrel compared to the "negative energy" created when the team's coach actually describes the notion as "absurd" or "ridiculous" or whatever he said a few days ago during his press conference.

 

[Bella*chick]

I'd love the Pats to go 16-0 and win the SB. And I think this team could do it too.

I think that some are afraid to express this because of some superstition that they are jinxing the team. Or it will look they they don't understand what goes into a season and how hard it is to go undefeated.

Sure it's hard. It will take luck, especially with injuries. But stranger things have happened. And me writing that will have NO effect whatsoever on the team's psyche, their preparation and their chance to do it.

 

[alamo]

Huh? There are teams in the league that might give the Patriots a run for their money? Shucks... I already took the time off work to see their Thanksgiving Day super bowl parade...

Just a clue... before you attempt to make yourself look smart by sarcasticly making fun of everyone else... you should actually make sure almost everyone else isn't already saying the same thing you are.

 

[DisgruntledTunaFan]

Look at our upcoming schedule...

6 of the next 9 games are on the road, including @Indy and @Dallas, who are probably the two best teams outside the Pats right now. @Miami, where we always struggle. @Baltimore and @Cincy, two playoff contenders on Monday night in their house.

And then when we finally come home after that 9 game stretch we get Pittsburgh, who has outscored their opponents by 71 points so far (just a hair behind the Pats margin of +79).

If we come out of that stretch undefeated, I'll be speechless.

BTW-how does your secondary match-up with big, physical receivers?

Just asking b/c Terry Glenn will not likely play in the NE game-so we have Owens, Patrick Crayton, Sam Hurd(BTW-did you see the BLOCK he put on Archuletta?), and Jason Witten. Crayton doesn't have alot of speed, but he catches those underneath routes very effectively and gets alot of yards.

And our 2-back system of Julius/MB3 is very effective. Archuletta got OWNED on the MB3 TD.

And Terrence Newman should be starting by that game too, so our pass coverage will be significantly improved.

 

[FSUPatsFan]

As unlikely as it is for any team to go 16-0, I can certainly understand why a lot of fans and members of the media think it is worth discussing. Just because something has only happened once before and it was seen as somewhat of a fluke because of the cream puff schedule, doesn't mean it will never happen again. That is the great thing about sports.

I'm not saying the Pats are going to go undefeated. Infact I would say there is an 80% chance that they don't, but here is why I think they have as good a chance as anybody has ever had since the '72 Dolphins.

1) Look at recent history. Both the Colts and the Steelers have come really close to accomplishing this despite glaring weaknesses. The Colts went 13-0 and couldn't stop the run. The steelers went 15-1 and their only loss was the first week of the season before Big Ben got the nod as the starter. The 85 Bears are probably the best team of all time (including the '72 dolphins). I'm not too familiar with that particular team, but I'm pretty confident that their offense was no where near as explosive as the Pats.

2) The Pats have no glaring weaknesses this year. Even the years in which the Pats went 14-2, they had glaring weaknesses. Half our secondary was injured each of those years and we had a WR playing in the secondary. We had a solid, but not explosive offense. Finally, all four games we lost those 2 years were against teams we should have beat (except the Steelers, who we later went on to beat in the playoffs).

3) Just look at the pieces the Pats have this year.
a) Best coach in the league.
b) Best QB in the league
c) Top 5 offensive line in the league
d) Probably a top 3 defensive line
e) Top 10 Special teams unit (maybe top returners in Hobbs and Welker)
f) Top 5 WR in Moss
g) Top 5 starting rb in Maroney, and one of the top running games overall
h) A top OLB and pass rusher in Colvin
i) Maybe the best LB in the game in Thomas
j) A top 10 TE in Watson (maybe top 5)
h) Two very good CBs
On top of all this we might be one of the deepest teams in the league. Jarvis Green would start on any other team. We haven't even seen this defense with Seymour and Harrison.

The best reason might be that this team has rallied around their coach and is playing with a chip on their shoulders. If the Colts can get within 3 games of going 16-0, I don't see why this team can't do it. This might be the most complete team I have seen in quite some time and they are playing angry and hungry. Not only that, but this team has all the intangibles. They know what it takes to win.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

I really could care less whether the patriots go undefeated. A 19-0 season is no different for me than a 17-3 season, if the last result is a win.

Honestly, other than never again having to watch the stupid champagne crap by the 1976 dolphins when the last unbeaten goes down, I could care less.

I want a healthy team in the playoffs that is alert and rested, with some tricks still up its sleeve.

 

[JoeSixPat]

For those thinking 16-0...

Look at our upcoming schedule...

6 of the next 9 games are on the road, including @Indy and @Dallas, who are probably the two best teams outside the Pats right now. @Miami, where we always struggle. @Baltimore and @Cincy, two playoff contenders on Monday night in their house.

And then when we finally come home after that 9 game stretch we get Pittsburgh, who has outscored their opponents by 71 points so far (just a hair behind the Pats margin of +79).

If we come out of that stretch undefeated, I'll be speechless.

Thanks.

Little known fact: As much as HALF of all the games we play during the regular season are actually on the road!!

Anyone who has their hopes on a perfect season should probably be aware of that.

 

[Bella*chick]

Thanks.

Little known fact: As much as HALF of all the games we play during the regular season are actually on the road!!

Anyone who has their hopes on a perfect season should probably be aware of that.

But didn't we play better on the road last season? Or was it the season before?

 

[FSUPatsFan]

Are you kidding me? The '05 Colts couldn't stop the run? Aren't you thinking of last year's team. The smugness in your post is hilarious. If the Colts can do it then the Pats can to, like the Colts are the bottom feeders of the league and the Pats are dominant. Comparing the Pats with great teams of the past after 3 weeks is silly and can only come from a homer with Pat sunglasses on.

First of all if you read my entire post you would realize that I said the Pats would most likely not go undefeated. All I said was that the pieces of this team thus far are much greater than the pieces of the 14-2 teams. Anyone can see that.

A team will go undefeated again eventually. Whether you want to believe it or not, it will happen. On paper (which I know means very little), this team is as complete as any team of the last 10 years or so. I was just trying to say I can understand the 16-0 talk. Sure its early, but I'm a fan and I have a right to think about the whole season, rather than just the Cincinnati Bengals. Just becuase that the team's and Belichicks mantra, doesn't mean it has to be mine too.

I stand corrected about the Colts defense in 2005. The 2005 and 2006 seasons have somewhat blurred together for me. Even though the Colts ranked 14 in stopping the run, they still had the 5th total defense.