#1 Seed, Are You Surprised?

Like I said since game 1 VS Bengals that this team had something special and SOMETHING TO PROOVE! Brady getting healthier and sharper start of this season. There is always a method to BB's madness. Many here were slitting their wrists especially when Moss was traded. If you truely understand this Organization, Owner, Coach, QB right down to waterboy then NEVER EVER DOUBT our chances. EVER!
Brady is best EVER, PERIOD! He's prooved it time & time AGAIN!
BB continues to out do himself from his last accomplishments.
So lets watch, support these Pats Teams because we're seeing history everytime they run onto field. I appreciate it even more so being one of Grogan's Heroes from 1976 on going to Sullivan & Foxboro Stadium sitting on HS bench seats in all kinds of weather driving from NY.

Will you be surprised if Brady wins league MVP?
Will you be surprised if Pats win Superbowl?
It's NOT being cokcy or arrogant or taking Pat's for granted, It's understanding Pat's commitment to Winning & Excellence. If your a doubter, go buy a green jersey and eat at an all night buffet.
GO PATS!

i'm not a pats fan

but i always think they have a shot because of their culture of winning


that said....i am absolutely shocked that brady just went out and pretty much had his best season ever given what he's got to work with

i thought his career was winding down coming into this season, but it's obviously not

kudos to him

i'm also surprised at how good NE's running game was this season and how well their D has recovered since getting hammered a few times


i wouldn't be surprised if they won the superbowl this season and called this superbowl the best of all of theirs.

To be fair I am. I thought we'd be a 12-4 max to 9-7 side depending on close outcomes. I wasn't sure how removing Moss from the equation would work but upon hearing about the Branch signing I wasn't surprised that the offense clicked into gear. What's surprised me is the performance of the defense. They have improved and grown since the season has progressed.

This team has a special feel about it. How special that feeling can become is in their own hands now.

I love the Patriots. I cannot reinforce how many happy mornings this team has given me.

I thought strong 10-4, maybe 11-5, I didn't expect 13-2, possible 14-2. I just didn't see that happening, I'm glad it's happening though.

makoute said:

I thought strong 10-4, maybe 11-5, I didn't expect 13-2, possible 14-2. I just didn't see that happening, I'm glad it's happening though.

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It became more evident to me believe it or not when Pat's traded Moss. Don't get me wrong Moss did some amazing things with Brady but that trade opened up EXACTLY what tom brady does....Spreading out offense and using everyone in his offense where I thought he had to zero in on Moss taking away other options when they were there for Brady.

DaBronxPats14 said:

It became more evident to me believe it or not when Pat's traded Moss. Don't get me wrong Moss did some amazing things with Brady but that trade opened up EXACTLY what tom brady does....Spreading out offense and using everyone in his offense where I thought he had to zero in on Moss taking away other options when they were there for Brady.

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This I never doubted, but the team being the dominant AFC team was not my first reaction to Bodden and Ty Warren going down in the preseason.

DaBronxPats14 said:

It became more evident to me believe it or not when Pat's traded Moss. Don't get me wrong Moss did some amazing things with Brady but that trade opened up EXACTLY what tom brady does....Spreading out offense and using everyone in his offense where I thought he had to zero in on Moss taking away other options when they were there for Brady.

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What Tom Brady does is get the ball to the guys he trusts the most. That's how every QB operates. He still isn't "spreading the ball", he just has more reliable targets. How often do you see him looking to Tate or Edelman in a game? Is it because they are NEVER open? No, because those guys are his last reads and he trusts Gronk, Branch, Welker, Hernandez and Woodhead far more than he trusts them. Last season he only had Moss and Welker as guys who could consistently get open and catch the ball, so he naturally looked for them. It's that simple.

I was 99% sure this was a 10-6 team, even after the first game, probably even more so. I didn't think their defense would be up to par - I still don't think it is. Against a team that doesn't turn it over a ton this defense will struggle to get off the field (Green Bay/Cleveland games). My sincere hope is that in the playoffs the Pats offense is good enough to overcome a GB/CLE outing by the defense.
Luckily this team has a bye and they can get people back. I was going to say that home teams coming off a bye in divisional round have a huge advantage, so that is a big plus for the Pats, but upon closer inspection:
Since the 2004 playoffs, teams with a bye week in the first round are 15-9 in the divisional round, BUT...that figure is skewed because in 2004 ALL wildcard teams lost their next game. Throw out 2004, and bye week teams are a less than impressive 11-9. In 05, 06, 07, and 08 the #1 and #2 seeds were 2-2. Last year they were 3-1.
This team needs to win THREE MORE GAMES THREE MORE GAME THREE MORE GAMES to reach the ultimate goal. Guaranteed, in one of those games the opponent is not going to turn it over three times, and the defense will have to make stops on third down. In one of those games the offense will turn it over and the defense will have to get the ball back. Brady and the offense are going to have to win at least one of these games by playing a near perfect game - we're talking the kind where you punt once and score on almost every possession.
From the way it started out, I thought yesterday's game was going to mirror the GB game - they marched down the field on the Pats with seeming ease, but the Pats held and forced a fg. then the pats went down and scored 7. then, buffalo was moving the ball again, but this time the Pats forced a turnover, and a turnover, and a turnover....and it ended in a blowout.
This defense is really relying on turnovers and the other team f#cking up. Can they win two home playoff games and the SB playing that way??? I certainly hope so....GO PATS!

Kinda. I had tempered optimism at the beginning of the season but certainly didn't expect this. I've learned to never question BB's decisions so I had full confidence in his moves for the future, I just didn't expect that future to be the second half of the season when all these "kids" started coming together and stepped it up.

I sort of considered it a "rebuilding year" with all the rooks and relative newbs thrown into the mix, holy cow have they matured! I like BB's version of "rebuilding" more than the typical version.

FCB02062 said:

I was 99% sure this was a 10-6 team, even after the first game, probably even more so. I didn't think their defense would be up to par - I still don't think it is. Against a team that doesn't turn it over a ton this defense will struggle to get off the field (Green Bay/Cleveland games).

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Yeah, let's use the two games we lost as an example of what happens if we don't get 5+ turnovers. What about the game against the Ravens, or Pittsburgh, or even the Jets game where we had a huge lead before they started throwing picks.

RodThePat said:

Yeah, let's use the two games we lost as an example of what happens if we don't get 5+ turnovers. What about the game against the Ravens, or Pittsburgh, or even the Jets game where we had a huge lead before they started throwing picks.

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Well, Pats didn't lose to GB...just saying the team has been creating/getting turnover at an alarming rate and it is my opinion that these turnovers are masking a mediocre defense at best. But...mediocre defense + a knack for getting turnovers = a defense that can win it all...see NO last season...GO PATS>>>>>>>>

FCB02062 said:

Well, Pats didn't lose to GB...just saying the team has been creating/getting turnover at an alarming rate and it is my opinion that these turnovers are masking a mediocre defense at best. But...mediocre defense + a knack for getting turnovers = a defense that can win it all...see NO last season...GO PATS>>>>>>>>

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Huh?

Turnovers are integral to a great defense. That's like saying a beautiful face and great body are hiding an ugly Miss America.

If the 2009 Pats had 2010 Brady, they would have done much better than 10-6.

Even at the beginning, the defense was much better at "situational football" than the stats said. Mediots only compounded the problem.

Young and athletic is not something we have really experienced so as a fanbase, it's very difficult to get a handle on.

Three new TE's is a really, really big deal. Has that ever happened before?

If there's a single person, Pats fan or not, who can say that he or she isn't surprised, then that person is either lying or can see into the future. I didn't buy the media hype about how bad everyone thought the Patriots would be and how they were no better than 9-7 or 8-8, but I certainly DID NOT expect 13-2, #1 seed and, most importantly, homefield advantage throughout. How BB isn't talked about seriously for coach of the year is beyond me!

very surprised..i saw them at 11-5 this year and no MVP for Brady..man was i wrong

I predicted 17-2 in the thread before the season. The talent on D was clear, as well as pretty raw. I felt we would win shootouts early, and BB would coach up the D to turn the talent into a good D by the end of the year. Thought the O would be dominate. I didn't see Moss going South he had a very good camp and thought he would have a big year.

The bye week will be a big plus for the D BB gets to clean up problems and get the front 7 healthy.

FCB02062 said:

Brady and the offense are going to have to win at least one of these games by playing a near perfect game - we're talking the kind where you punt once and score on almost every possession.

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I have more confidence in the defense than that...

I am completely amazed by the run the Pats are on. I thought the team would be 8 and 8 before the season, maybe even 7 and 9.

The redesigned offense minus Moss has been playing lights out. Crumpler is my vote for unsung hero.

Brady is thriving now that he does not have to cater to Moss. He is exploiting all the weapons and taking what the defense is giving him.

Offensive line and TE blocking has been much better than previous years.

The rookies stepped up big time and have played like veterans all year and have done a great job of avoiding the wall.

Defense is a work in progress, at least a year or two away. However they come up with the big play when they need it.

During preseason, when there was a lot of doom & gloom out there, my mom asked me what I thought about this team. I said that there were a lot of question marks, and everything would depend on how many of those question marks were answered in the negative, and how many in the positive. If most/all were positive, they'd be a SB favorite. If most/all were negative, they'd be below .500. They'd most likely be a mix and end up around 10-6, 11-5.

I think it is safe to say that most of those question marks have been positives.

Personally I'm shocked. I really thought this was going to be a rebuilding year with the infusion of all the young talent. With their brutal schedule i had them pegged for 8-8 or 9-7 with 10-6 at best. This is all gravy.

Before the season began I assumed we'd win the superbowl. I thought the moss trade was good because the ball was being forced to him, etc, and the play calling was predictable.

I am still somewhat surprised that they rolled though pitt indy nyjets etc without losing. GB with rodgers would be a real test though.