Interesting timing of Gronk critiques

[BradyManny]

Yet they beat Miami the 2nd time around. You know, a play-off team. Same with Arizona..

To claim that an 11-5 record is not a play-off caliber team when it is better than 5 of the teams in the play-offs is just silly. And it truly holds no water..

Was it a statistical anomaly that they missed the playoffs with 11-5? Maybe. But it was also a statistical anomaly that they faced a historically easy schedule, so what difference does it make.

Bill Belichick in the 2009 NFLN doc plainly said that the 2008 team couldn't beat good teams.

It was a decent team, with an easy schedule, that didn't make the playoffs, that could've made the playoffs under different circumstances - like other teams in history. What part of that is so disagreeable? I've already said that with Brady at the helm, that team might run the table. I'm not trying to say it was a bad team. Far from it.

And you say a "team can only play who they play" - which is exactly why playoff spots are awarded by division titles - and not by overall record, which undermines your entire point and supports my own.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

While Gronk's publicity seems fairly innocuous on the one hand, one wonders how well it sits with his tight end partner. There is a symbiotic relationship to their success, Welker included. You just cant double all three. Hopefully, Hernandez enjoys Gronk's off-field antics as much as we do, but I'd be surprised. Aaron has some very special talents that few in the league can match, it would be a shame for him to lose appreciation from the fan base. With a new blocking tight end in the fold, Aaron may be able to blossom even more.

Don't worry. My man Hernandez is cool with this. Why right now he's chillin' out sittin' back smoking a ...

Oh, wait!

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

What is the difference between this year's Pats and other teams who have lsot the SB previously? Well, for one, Tom Brady. For another, this team is getting back a ton of Talent that was injured. Guys like Dowling, Gronk, Mankins. Yes, I know that Gronk and Mankins played in the SB, but they were injured and it was clear that it affected them.

In the past, most SB losing teams have been decimated by losing free agents. The Free agents the Pats have lost have been inconsequential, other than Mark Anderson and BJGE. And the Pats have 2 young RBs who should be able to replace BJGE. Anderson will be another story, though I believe that Trevor Scott can do so..

The only thing is DB, is the fact that free agency wasn't a big deal in the 90s and before (80's,70's)because the cap was not an issue per say and teams kept the majority of their guys from the year before,its nothing like it is now where a good player could be on 3 teams in one decade...but yet still this feat has still been difficult to defeat.

 

[Ring 6]

Was it a statistical anomaly that they missed the playoffs with 11-5? Maybe. But it was also a statistical anomaly that they faced a historically easy schedule, so what difference does it make.

Bill Belichick in the 2009 NFLN doc plainly said that the 2008 team couldn't beat good teams.

It was a decent team, with an easy schedule, that didn't make the playoffs, that could've made the playoffs under different circumstances - like other teams in history. What part of that is so disagreeable? I've already said that with Brady at the helm, that team might run the table. I'm not trying to say it was a bad team. Far from it.

And you say a "team can only play who they play" - which is exactly why playoff spots are awarded by division titles - and not by overall record, which undermines your entire point and supports my own.

It was no a 'historically easy' schedule. They played 6 division games, 4 vs and aFC div and 4 vs and NFC, just like everyone else, and their 2 extra games were both against 12-4 teams.

 

[ProudestRyno]

I don't think it is much of an opinion, but rather fact. I don't think there is any self respecting media member who would allow a team to manipulate one of their articles this way. No way would Reiss or Bedard allow the Patriots to manipulate them to write about the organization's concerns to make it look like it is their own opinions.

If the Pats were trying to send a message through the media, the articles would have said something like "sources within the Patriots organization say that management are not happy with Gronkowski running his mouth" or something like that.

I thought that for something to be fact, you have to be 100% certain that it's true? I'm not saying the team DID manipulate the media, and I'm not saying they didn't. I would just like to point out the FACT that you claim it is a fact they didn't is hilarious. Don't talk as if you are mr know it all, cause you certainly are NOT.

Thanks.

 

[BradyManny]

It was no a 'historically easy' schedule. They played 6 division games, 4 vs and aFC div and 4 vs and NFC, just like everyone else, and their 2 extra games were both against 12-4 teams.

OK, but then by your definition, all schedules are equal.

All I'm saying is, going into the season, it mathematically came out to be one of the easiest schedules of all-time:

2008 NFL strength of schedule

And with the NFCW and AFCW on the docket that year, and the AFCE still not that strong at that point, yes, it was an easy schedule.

Brady would've lit that schedule up.

 

[Wolfpack]

I find it interesting that on the same day, two media guys (Bedard and Reiss) said virtually the same thing about Gronk. My theory is the Pats want him to tone it down and are using the media to put that pressure on him. Not Kraft or Belichick, but maybe one of these guys' team sources.

I don't think that's how the Pats operate. If Belichick wanted him to tone it down, he would give him a call and tell him to tone it down. Using the media is the last thing he would want to do.

I think all that happened was 2 writers independently came to roughly the same opinion, an opinion which I feel is reasonably accurate.

 

[Wolfpack]

While all trends someday have to come to an end,what separates the 2011 Patriots from the other 39 teams that failed to win the SB the next season?

Oh gee I dunno. Maybe these guys?

and

 

[Dragda]

Thanks for the advice but I figured since that thread turned into a debate about homesexuality and Family Guy, I'd start a new, slightly different thread.

We have a whole forum for starting new threads because other threads turned into a Family Guy and homosexuality debates. You should have started this thread there.