Just wanted to remind everyone...

[Bartmac36]

We are just 11 months removed from our fourth SuperBowl championship in 15 years, and our team once again has a first round bye with a very realistic shot at making it back to the big game.

We've lost an increbibly high number of key players to injury at various times this season, but many of them will be back for the game in two weeks and this team will not continue to put forth the effort we have seen for the past six weeks.

This is not a pathetic team or a team that doesnt care, this is a team that has had to adjust on the fly for two months straight and will finally have a chance to get back to basics in two weeks. I know there isn't a ton to feel confident about at the moment, but remember no team in football has been more consistently successful or had as many clutch playoff wins/performances over the last two decades.

The going has gotten tough lately (for once) and a lot of us around here apparently aren't capable of handling that, but please don't forget how lucky we are as a fan base.

Win or lose come playoff time, I'll still be excited as ever when the offseason/draft/training camp rolls around and I'll be just as confident in our title hopes as any other year.

Chin up fellow Pats fans, in the meantime I'm gonna start this relaxing bye week by watching my SuperBowl XLIX Champions blu ray and get pumped for (hopefully) another long postseason run!

 

[Ring 6]

I don't think anyone other than the habitual chicken littles are saying the team is pathetic or doesn't care.
I also don't think 'we've won before so who cares about this year' is a reasonable approach.

The way I see it this is a very bad football team now, and we have a fan base trying to convince themselves they just look that way because for some reason they decided that winning doesn't matter. They also think that guys sitting on the sidelines for months will just walk on the field and make us the best team in the NFL.

If we could look like the best team in the NFL that easily yesterday would not have happen. We got DOMINATE by a terrible team with nothing to play for.

Its not good right now. I don't understand why we need to pretend it is. Doesn't mean they can't win out, just that they are very, very far away.

 

[BadMoFo]

Just wanted to remind everyone that at least you're not a Jets fan.

 

[Joey007]

I don't think anyone other than the habitual chicken littles are saying the team is pathetic or doesn't care.
I also don't think 'we've won before so who cares about this year' is a reasonable approach.

The way I see it this is a very bad football team now, and we have a fan base trying to convince themselves they just look that way because for some reason they decided that winning doesn't matter. They also think that guys sitting on the sidelines for months will just walk on the field and make us the best team in the NFL.

If we could look like the best team in the NFL that easily yesterday would not have happen. We got DOMINATE by a terrible team with nothing to play for.

Its not good right now. I don't understand why we need to pretend it is. Doesn't mean they can't win out, just that they are very, very far away.

Never forget that the 08 Cardinals got shlacked by us 47-7 near the end of the season that year. Even the 09 Saints lost their last three games of the regular season.

Work needs to be done, and if things don't change from the last couple weeks they will be one and done for sure. But in the playoffs, things can change and anything can happen.

 

[Ring 6]

Never forget that the 08 Cardinals got shlacked by us 47-7 near the end of the season that year. Even the 09 Saints lost their last three games of the regular season.

Work needs to be done, and if things don't change from the last couple weeks they will be one and done for sure. But in the playoffs, things can change and anything can happen.

I don't disagree, but more than playing one bad game, or even 2 I am concerned with what this team has become. We are playing scared. We are playing like football is too dangerous. We are playing like having the ball is a disease. I would be fine if we were undermanned, went out and played and just came up short, but the idea that we cannot be competitive on offense has become the identity of this team.
First we stopped trying to throw the ball with 2 minutes in the half and timeouts on the board, as if our offense trying to score is futile so we should just give up. Then our offense is so bad we would rather kick off to start OT. Then our offense is so bad, we afraid to even throw the ball, or try to score points, passing 5 times in a half against a bad pass defense with HFA on the line.
This team has decided its offense is a liability. How do you change that? Edelman doesn't turn an offense from afraid of its own shadow to dominant.

 

[Joey007]

I don't disagree, but more than playing one bad game, or even 2 I am concerned with what this team has become. We are playing scared. We are playing like football is too dangerous. We are playing like having the ball is a disease. I would be fine if we were undermanned, went out and played and just came up short, but the idea that we cannot be competitive on offense has become the identity of this team.
First we stopped trying to throw the ball with 2 minutes in the half and timeouts on the board, as if our offense trying to score is futile so we should just give up. Then our offense is so bad we would rather kick off to start OT. Then our offense is so bad, we afraid to even throw the ball, or try to score points, passing 5 times in a half against a bad pass defense with HFA on the line.
This team has decided its offense is a liability. How do you change that? Edelman doesn't turn an offense from afraid of its own shadow to dominant.

You're definitely not wrong in what you're saying, deep concern is definitely warranted at this point. I guess what I'm saying is I would say we played just as awful, if not worse in the first month stretch of last year. And we saw what happened the week after the Kansas City game with how well we played. We would go on to lose only one meaningful game the rest of the season.

I won't say they will do it again for sure, but I've learned to never count out a BB and Brady led team to figure things out. This is still a very well coached team and, despite what has been showing on the field recently, is a team with a whole lot of talent on it that may be banged up, but still has most of its key players eligible to play.

 

[nowayback]

So does anyone think the PAts will play in the playoffs scared ? And its not easy to just turn it on, but that's what the Pats do more often then not after the preseason .Brady will be with wr's that he knows well , one of the few times . 1st half should be a bit slow like with Ravens last year, but then we will shine

 

[brdmaverick]

The bottom line is that the Pats have a chance at defending the title, but that there definitely IS CAUSE FOR CONCERN.

For some reason the general sense around here these days is that you have to be an eternal optimist and pretend like all is well to be considered a true Patriots fan.

The reality is that the Pats have struggled, and the return/rest of some key players should help, obviously, but even that doesn't guarantee that they dominate again. it will be interesting to see, that's for sure. As you noted, it doesn't mean the season is over. We've had dominant teams who have fallen short while watching some less than stellar teams get hot at the right time. Maybe this year we are the team that finds it's groove at the right time.

 

[Ivan]

Just wanted to remind everyone that at least you're not a Jets fan.

I almost started a thread on this. Black Monday and the Jets spit the bit and are going golfing, and the 2015 World Champion Indianapolis Colts are about to get an overhaul while the Patriots are getting a week off before another postseason run for the Lombardi, yet for some reason Patriot fans are miserable?

I'm happy, this is awesome.

 

[Ring 6]

You're definitely not wrong in what you're saying, deep concern is definitely warranted at this point. I guess what I'm saying is I would say we played just as awful, if not worse in the first month stretch of last year. And we saw what happened the week after the Kansas City game with how well we played. We would go on to lose only one meaningful game the rest of the season.

I won't say they will do it again for sure, but I've learned to never count out a BB and Brady led team to figure things out. This is still a very well coached team and, despite what has been showing on the field recently, is a team with a whole lot of talent on it that may be banged up, but still has most of its key players eligible to play.

I'm not counting them out, they are in the playoffs, and must be beaten to be out.

What I am saying is every characteristic of a BB team that would make you confident just isn't there right now. Nope, never count out a BB team, do your job, next man up. All of those things are rhetoric right now. They just spent a month being the anti-BB team, playing like they were scared and/or just didn't care.

Week 4 and December/January are not the same thing.

My fear is that BB has put himself in a position where his strengths won't matter. He mentally eviscerated his offenses confidence and let players sit out and watch his team get beat by a laughing stock. Blown out in fact. There is so far to go, I don't know if even BB can do it.

 

[Ring 6]

I almost started a thread on this. Black Monday and the Jets spit the bit and are going golfing, and the 2015 World Champion Indianapolis Colts are about to get an overhaul while the Patriots are getting a week off before another postseason run for the Lombardi, yet for some reason Patriot fans are miserable?

I'm happy, this is awesome.

Being happy to make the playoffs looking like the worst team BB has ever had because perennial losers had bad seasons isn't for me.

 

[Ivan]

The bottom line is that the Pats have a chance at defending the title, but that there definitely IS CAUSE FOR CONCERN.

For some reason the general sense around here these days is that you have to be an eternal optimist and pretend like all is well to be considered a true Patriots fan.

Uh no, just not an eternally miserable "woe is we" f.ck, Of which there are far too many.

 

[Bartmac36]

I also don't think 'we've won before so who cares about this year' is a reasonable approach.

Who said anything about not caring? No one is trying to pretend the team isnt struggling.

The point is we are incredibly spoiled and lucky and despite all the setbacks this season still in a pretty good spot.

There are 28 other teams and fanbases that arent currently sitting on a first round playoff bye that would ABSOLUTELY LOVE to trade places with us, poor play recently or not.

Is the team gonna instantly go back to being dominant now that the playoffs are here? Likely not. But they sure as hell wont play as scared or conservative as they have for the last 6 weeks.

If nothing else they will at least attempt to get back their regular offense and approach.

If it doesn't go our way this year then so be it, but we still have a whole lot more to be proud of recently than just about any other fanbase. And that was the point of it all

It baffles me how ungrateful so much of this fanbase has become. You cant always have the best record and be the hottest/healthiest team entering the playoffs every year..

 

[Joey007]

I'm not counting them out, they are in the playoffs, and must be beaten to be out.

What I am saying is every characteristic of a BB team that would make you confident just isn't there right now. Nope, never count out a BB team, do your job, next man up. All of those things are rhetoric right now. They just spent a month being the anti-BB team, playing like they were scared and/or just didn't care.

Week 4 and December/January are not the same thing.

My fear is that BB has put himself in a position where his strengths won't matter. He mentally eviscerated his offenses confidence and let players sit out and watch his team get beat by a laughing stock. Blown out in fact. There is so far to go, I don't know if even BB can do it.

Well, I guess it's something we will have to see on the field in the playoffs to decide. We don't know for certain what's going on in those locker rooms. The beginning of that divisional game will answer questions pretty quickly about where this team is at mentally.

 

[Ring 6]

Who said anything about not caring? No one is trying to pretend the team isnt struggling.

The point is we are incredibly spoiled and lucky and despite all the setbacks this season still in a pretty good spot.

There are 28 other teams and fanbases that arent currently sitting on a first round playoff bye that would ABSOLUTELY LOVE to trade places with us, poor play recently or not.

Is the team gonna instantly go back to being dominant now that the playoffs are here? Likely not. But they sure as hell wont play as scared or conservative as they have for the last 6 weeks.

If nothing else they will at least attempt to get back their regular offense and approach.

If it doesn't go our way this year then so be it, but we still have a whole lot more to be proud of recently than just about any other fanbase. And that was the point of it all

It baffles me how ungrateful so much of this fanbase has become. You cant always have the best record and be the hottest/healthiest team entering the playoffs every year..

Past successes have nothing to do with this year. You are saying we should be happy with this year because we are spoiled and ungrateful. I want to win this year. I would want that whether we had 12 SBs in a row or were 0-16 last year. I don't think being concerned that the team is limping into the playoffs is wrong because they won in other years. Maybe that's just me.

As far as your other comments, why would they run the offense they ran for 6 weeks if they know they have to run a real one in the playoffs?
They did what they did, because they actually were afraid to have the football. I don't know what changes that. BB decided that letting the clock run out was better for his team than trying to score. BB decided that throwing 5 times in the first half of a critical game was best for his team. Your argument seems to be he knew it was wrong, but didn't care because it wasn't the playoffs, and now he will take his job seriously. I don't buy that.

 

[Ring 6]

Well, I guess it's something we will have to see on the field in the playoffs to decide. We don't know for certain what's going on in those locker rooms. The beginning of that divisional game will answer questions pretty quickly about where this team is at mentally.

What is there to wait and see? He has spent a month not letting his offense try. What do you think was going on in the lockerroom? He told them he wanted to lose on purpose?

 

[Clonamery]

What is there to wait and see? He has spent a month not letting his offense try. What do you think was going on in the lockerroom? He told them he wanted to lose on purpose?

Oh, you were in the locker room? Have some pictures to post, too?

 

[fnordcircle]

I'm going to enjoy the mood swing 12 days from now when we absolutely dominate the Chiefs|Texans|Bengals.

You know, the game where we will likely:
Get Edelman back
Get Vollmer back
Get Jones back
Get Hightower back
Play Amendola more than just sparingly

We're talking about a game yesterday that the team didn't even play to win where we were missing some very important cogs on offense and defense.

But yeah, serious concern over here.

 

[Ring 6]

Oh, you were in the locker room? Have some pictures to post, too?

Umm, I was responding to the guy who brought up what the locker room is thinking.
We don't know, but what would you assume an offense that is told it isn't allowed to try to score is thinking?

 

[Whitt25]

What is there to wait and see? He has spent a month not letting his offense try. What do you think was going on in the lockerroom? He told them he wanted to lose on purpose?

Getting ridiculous now. This Dolphins game (which apparently was a blowout loss, according to you. 20-10 is a blowout? WTF?) defines our success/failure in the playoffs now? Chill.