Pittsburgh Next

Both teams coming of gut wrenching losses.

Let's hope our team can finally put together a full 60 min game of Patriots football. They're more than capable we seen the flashes of how good they can be unfortunately we also see how bad they can be on the road as well.

AndyJohnson said:

I went through all of it last year when the argument was that 3 in a row road games was a disaster. It worked out to the patriots record in the second game of back to back road games was slightly better than their overall road record. Don’t remember how far back I went but I think it was 01 making it the Brady era.

Click to expand...

I'm sure exceptional teams can overcome the trend when matched up against really bad trends. I'm not sure that this years team is exceptional or that the Steelers are all that bad.

AndyJohnson said:

They didn’t have message boards then

I’ve honestly never seen a fan base before that takes a loss and tries to convince the rest of the fan base why it will result in more losses.
It’s like people here revel in being depressed and expecting failure.

Click to expand...

Some of that might be projection.

ArchAngel007 said:

Both teams coming of gut wrenching losses.

Let's hope our team can finally put together a full 60 min game of Patriots football. They're more than capable we seen the flashes of how good they can be unfortunately we also see how bad they can be on the road as well.

Click to expand...

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but when you're 13 games into the season and have yet to put together a single game of certain standard, you aren't going to get to that standard, barring a huge anomaly. It's been well noted for a long time that the Patriots roster is much weaker than in past years. The reason why it seems they have excellent potential but can't reach it, is because that potential is much further away than we perceive it. Almost every .500 team in the NFL feels like on their very best day, if everyone is playing their best football, they can beat anyone, and that's probably right. But the fact is each game there are some guys who will win their matchups and some that won't.

Unless you have a really elite squad with a lot of great players and depth (like the Patriots when healthy the last few years), this feeling like we haven't seen what they're capable of is just normal fan optimism. Right now, though, we have a virtually 100% healthy team, so I don't see much reason to believe a new, transformed team will just appear.

FCB02062 said:

I think we all can see today was a tell all about this team...

Click to expand...

Yesterday must have been christmas come early for you. Lots to trash the team about.

I dont want to jinx it but our pass defense has certainly become more creative and better relatively than before. But we couldnt get miami into 2nd downs at all with gore running 9 yards a pop. The rush defense needs fixing but i am quite sure BB will play a lighter box again next week daring them to run to stop the big play.

YOUGOTMOSSED said:

I'm sure exceptional teams can overcome the trend when matched up against really bad trends. I'm not sure that this years team is exceptional or that the Steelers are all that bad.

Click to expand...

It’s a road game. Everything about a road game applies.
It is not harder because the last game was n the road. Facts just don’t support that.

Yeh not thrilled about this one ......i would be happy if Conner was out, but the Steelers defens eis better than it has been in a quite a while and thats the bigger concern for me.

Comments:

1.) The Patriots have beaten: @CHI, K.C., HOU, and MIN...all of which are play-off bound teams (so far). The Patriots have lost to: @JAX, @DET, @TEN, and now @Mia....all of which probably aren't play-off teams (exception being TEN/MIA who still need to run the table as I doubt 9-7 will do it for a wild card team).

2.) In 2010, the Patriots finished strong for a 14-2 record off a 8 game winning streak (with the only close game being the win over the Flynn Packers in which an OL man ran back a long kick return)...and we all saw what happened. So, you would like momentum going into the post-season, but it isn't always needed.

3.) Defensively, I expect the same game plan we used against Minnesota to contain Theielen/Diggs/Cook. And the Vikings arguably have a better TE and defense than the Steelers do.

4.) Offensively, I am not too worried. I think this offense is just finding its stride. We won't always be able to run the ball with Michel...but our pass receivers are getting better...Gronk looked better yesterday, Gordon is in shape, Edelman is back to form, and Hogan is still getting open like he is supposed to do vs. a #3 DB. I think we are still working on the distribution between Michel, Burkhead, and White. IMO, we used Burkhead incorrectly yesterday....when Michel was consistently getting 3-4 yards a carry.

5.) I am expecting a CLOSE game. The Steelers cannot lose this game or they could actually miss the play-offs with @NO and Vontae Burfict & Co. in week 17. They will be lucky to finish 9-6-1 which might be enough to fend off the Ravens who finish with: BUCS, @LAC, and CLE and probably finish at 9-7......tough year for the AFC North.

6.) We only need ONE WIN to take the division and have a home game. Even if we lose to Pittsburgh and end up 10-6/11-5....we would still likely be the #3 seed and host: Baltimore, Miami, Pittsburgh, or Tennesee at home on wild card weekend and have to travel to Houston for divisional weekend.....tell me you don't like our odds to win 2 games home and away to reach the AFC title game...with the Chargers @ the AFC North winner on wild card weekend and likely the Chargers @ K.C. on divisional weekend.....heck, we could still even host the AFC title game as a division champion.... A LOT can still happen. Either way...it is highly likely that we play Houston on divisional weekend and the only question here is whether we will have a BYE and host them OR play on wildcard weekend and travel to Houston.

With Tom Brady at QB the patriots have played 37 road games that followed road games. They are 28-9.

Ice_Ice_Brady said:

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but when you're 13 games into the season and have yet to put together a single game of certain standard, you aren't going to get to that standard, barring a huge anomaly. It's been well noted for a long time that the Patriots roster is much weaker than in past years. The reason why it seems they have excellent potential but can't reach it, is because that potential is much further away than we perceive it. Almost every .500 team in the NFL feels like on their very best day, if everyone is playing their best football, they can beat anyone, and that's probably right. But the fact is each game there are some guys who will win their matchups and some that won't.

Unless you have a really elite squad with a lot of great players and depth (like the Patriots when healthy the last few years), this feeling like we haven't seen what they're capable of is just normal fan optimism. Right now, though, we have a virtually 100% healthy team, so I don't see much reason to believe a new, transformed team will just appear.

Click to expand...

I wish I could give this analysis of the present team more than one "Winner".
It's easy to say in hindsight I saw this coming, but I really did. This team along with the coaches couldn't seem to get it all together for the same game. Maybe they did once. I knew early on not to set my expectations high for this team. I thought playoffs but only because the other teams in the AFL East were so terrible. I thought they wouldn't get to the playoffs based on the present strength of this group. Now, comes the day of reckoning and we all have out own ideas for the fix. That's a subject for another thread after this season is over.

Brewskies said:

It's easy to say in hindsight I saw this coming, but I really did.

Click to expand...

Considering your apparent omniscience, what's next?

AndyJohnson said:

With Tom Brady at QB the patriots have played 37 road games that followed road games. They are 28-9.

Click to expand...

Sorry, but your point is supported by stats but not the eye test. Tom Brady today is not the Tom Brady of yesterday. The same statement could be made about BB and his Staff and any player that has been with the Pats for some time. Ex. Gronk, not to pick on him because of yesterday.

Tunescribe said:

Considering your apparent omniscience, what's next?

Click to expand...

I don't want this to be a pissing contest so I won't comment. If you want a pissing contest lets take it off line.

AndyJohnson said:

With Tom Brady at QB the patriots have played 37 road games that followed road games. They are 28-9.

Click to expand...

Multiple road games in a row, along with things like playing on “short week” (after a Monday Night game) are not supported scientifically to have any impact on the performance. In the case of multiple road games, your number suggests their performance is actually better than their regular road winning percentage. When they do actually lose these types of games, people are quick to cite the false factors, but when they win people are quick to disregard. Confirmation bias galore.

obgod3 said:

Yeh not thrilled about this one ......i would be happy if Conner was out, but the Steelers defens eis better than it has been in a quite a while and thats the bigger concern for me.

Click to expand...

I thought that too, up until about 3 weeks ago. I live in western PA and they're very down on their team out here. Their defense got torched by the Chargers and gave up a backbreaking game winning drive against Oakland. They're like the Patriots on defense, look good at times, but woeful in others.

I think both teams are in a very similar boat right now. I think I like our offense a bit better than theirs. They're kind of feast or famine. They can hit some monster plays to Brown and Smith-Schuster, but Roethlisberger and co. make some real questionable choices and turn over the football at critical times too.

This is going to be the hardest road test of the year. Pittsburgh is going to come out hard, they've certainly been less than stellar in the last 3 weeks, losing all 3 games, all on the last play of the game. New England is hopefully right ticked about throwing a sure-victory down the tubes and turning it into a loss. They should be coming into the Steel City with a determined mindset. It's not a must win per se, but it should be treated as such. They need this game not only to get closer to a bye, but to prove they can beat a good opponent on the road. This game will go a long way to show what kind of character this team has. I think we've got a good shot, go Pats

Brewskies said:

Sorry, but your point is supported by stats but not the eye test. Tom Brady today is not the Tom Brady of yesterday. The same statement could be made about BB and his Staff and any player that has been with the Pats for some time. Ex. Gronk, not to pick on him because of yesterday.

Click to expand...

Curious where you think Brady had regressed? Other than his lapse when he thought we had a timeout left, he had a very good game yesterday. The struggles he had earlier in the season seemed personnel related while everyone was returning from injury/suspension and integrating into the offense. Since then he's looked like vintage Brady to me.

Still so great to watch this and the heartbreak in their faces, one of the best regular season moments ever. This had a lasting effect on Pittsburgh to which is what makes it even better. Instead of focusing on Jacksonville we were in their heads so damn bad and they got embarrassed on their home turf.

JMC00 said:

Brady 10-2 vs the steelers in his career. 5-2 at heinz field

Click to expand...

Whats the margin of victory?

I just won't be able to stand a Tomlin paused fist pump at the end of the game, with his "that's how you cheerlead MFer" look.