Byrne: "Impossible" for Pats to win the SB

[Joker]

My observation (sorry, no "cold hard football facts" backed by a bunch of percentages and rankings) is that Byrne was at one time a huge Pats homer, primarily using stats to 'prove' Brady was better than Manning, but also to prop up the Pats in general back in the early part of last decade.

CHFF gained popularity, but there was still this sense that he was a Pats homer. It seems to me that he made a definitive business decision to write more articles that were anti-Pats in order to gain credibility on a national basis. Of course with the Pats being the team so many loved to hate, that brought in a lot more clicks ... and Byrne hasn't swayed from that formula since.

so...I guess what you're saying, JMT is that "Kookie" Byrnes....



turned into Maynard G. Krebs...????

 

[JJDChE]

"They've put bad, bad defenses on the field for years on end, and right now it is statistically impossible for this team to win a Super Bowl with a defense this bad."

That statement doesn't even make sense. We're 5-1, so I'm pretty sure it's statistically possible that we can make the playoffs. Since we're outscoring our opponents by over 8 points per game, I'm also pretty sure it's statistically possible that we can win games. I'm not seeing the impossible part.

 

[PatsDeb]

We're 5-1, we've beat some good teams, and our defense has been drastically improving the past two weeks as personnel gets healthy and back on the field.

He's always on WEEI and he's quick to point to SB42 when our defense betrayed us - but come on, that team was a helmet-catch away from being the greatest team of all time.

Yeah, it's a real betrayal to allow 17 points, 7 of which came in the final excrutiating minutes of the game.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

...
CHFF gained popularity, but there was still this sense that he was a Pats homer. It seems to me that he made a definitive business decision to write more articles that were anti-Pats in order to gain credibility on a national basis. Of course with the Pats being the team so many loved to hate, that brought in a lot more clicks ... and Byrne hasn't swayed from that formula since.

I am shocked, shocked that a media figure would change his modus operandi and adopt a deliberate and perhaps disingenuous strategy to further his success.

 

[SONS_OF_BELICHICK]

he ...might be drumming up some controversy .....so people will read the info he is spitting out...

 

[BradyManny]

Yeah, it's a real betrayal to allow 17 points, 7 of which came in the final excrutiating minutes of the game.

Again, I've already explained why I blame the defense just as much - if not more - as the offense for blowing that game despite the final score, and why if you look beyond the box score it makes sense.

But specifically the betrayal happened in those final excruciating 2 minutes, when the defense let the title slip through its fingers. Literally, in this case.

 

[DaBronxPats14]

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!!!

I've seen my Phillies get ousted in 1st round best record in MLB with arguably best rotation in league history!

I've seen my Redwings have President's Trophy best reg season records and get ousted in 1st & 2nd rds by 7th & 8th seeded teams again & again....

And finally last but not least I've seen along with this forum how 2007 Patriots were a LOCK in SB vs Giants to be 19-0 and beat them putting up at least 30pts and going down as GREATEST OFFENSE EVER IN NFL.
WE ALL KNOW how that ended.

So with that said, NUTHIN IS IMPOSSIBLE!

 

[PatsDeb]

Again, I've already explained why I blame the defense just as much - if not more - as the offense for blowing that game despite the final score, and why if you look beyond the box score it makes sense.

But specifically the betrayal happened in those final excruciating 2 minutes, when the defense let the title slip through its fingers. Literally, in this case.

I dunno. As I recall (which is painful), our O line pretty much lost us that game.

 

[TomPatriot]

As long as Rob Ryan isn't scheming against a Brady offense every week they should score about 30 a game for most of the season,If they can score 30 on average in the playoffs,the defense can be 20th ranked and still win a SB.

The key to beating the Pats is not to beat the Pats defense with big plays from your offense, but more or less to shut down Brady and get in his face.

In other words,an opposing smothering defense is more likely to beat the Pats than an opposing powerhouse offense.

Even with Rob Ryan "scheming" the offense gained 371 yards and put up 20 points. The NFL mean is about 340 and 22.

 

[BradyManny]

I dunno. As I recall (which is painful), our O line pretty much lost us that game.

The OLine was terrible, no doubt. We could speculate how the game goes differently if the defense gives up more points - maybe the offense responds by scoring, who knows? The entire game changes if one thing goes this way or that. All that matters to me is - it was a defensive struggle, and the offense drove down the field and scored when the chips were down, whereas the defense allowed the most preposterous, unlucky, unlikely, and epic final drive in Super Bowl history.

 

[Snake Eyes]

Again, I've already explained why I blame the defense just as much - if not more - as the offense for blowing that game despite the final score, and why if you look beyond the box score it makes sense.

But specifically the betrayal happened in those final excruciating 2 minutes, when the defense let the title slip through its fingers. Literally, in this case.

Holding a team to 17pts, especially one of the best teams in the league at that point, is not bad at all. The problem was that one of the best offenses of all time was held to a mere 14pts.

 

[TomPatriot]

Linky-poo

His basic point is that the pass defense record is historically toxic for any team with championship aspirations. I might have to agree, as of RIGHT NOW... good thing the season ain't over yet.

The Super Bowl 36 champions say hello. That defense was 25th in the NFL in passing yards allowed and gave up 337 passing yards to the Greatest Show on Turf in the Super Bowl. The Show was still cancelled. :nono:

Perhaps he should rethink this theory.

 

[RJB87]

Hopefully this ridiculous article is foreshadowing what happened when Tom Jackson dissed BB on TV. Unfortunately nobody knows of or cares what Byrne has to say so I doubt it provides anyone any extra motivation.

 

[BradyManny]

Holding a team to 17pts, especially one of the best teams in the league at that point, is not bad at all. The problem was that one of the best offenses of all time was held to a mere 14pts.

If we look purely statistically, the defense had an average day (they averaged giving up 17 points PPG that season), and the offense had well below average day. But again, I said I was looking beyond the box score and raw numbers.

 

[robbomango]

Impossible?

did this guy see the ending of Super Bowl 42?

 

[VJCPatriot]

I love it when the media claims something is 'Impossible'! It was also impossible for the Pats to upset the Rams 'greatest show on turf' in 2001. Let's prove em WRONG AGAIN, Pats!!!

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

One thing. Campbell got 99 yards on the final drive with 3 minutes left in the game down by three scores. So nearly a third of his yards were in garbage time.

Actually that 99 yard started with 1:16 left.

In the Miami game, the Dolphins started the 10th drive with 8:48 left and about 260 yards total offense.

The final three garbage drives are what allowed Henne his "career day". Absent the 99 yard TD to Welker, a final game killing drive would have had Miami stats at 17 points 340 yards.

 

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

It is less impossible at this point in the season for NEP to win the superbowl than it was after week 2 of 2001.

And impossible that NEP was not going to win the 2007 superbowl after the AFCCG.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Not trying to give the guy defense but I think what he is saying is that if the Patriots remain 32nd overall in the NFL in total defense they won't win the SB.....in that regards he is probably right,what he is wrong about is that this defense won't be 32nd by January...I am fairly certain of that unless Wilfork or a star player goes down on IR

 

[IllegalContact]

I'm just wondering why opponents bother trying to run against the pats......I think the pats would be in trouble with any team that decided to simply throw the ball on every down