Mythbusting: Patriots benefit from a weak division?

[SammyBlueCat]

Is it our fault incompetent owners purchased those franchises?

 

[maust]

Imagine what the Steelers or Ravens would do to their teams if they played the Pats twice every year and went through a 1-5 or 0-6 stretch against them? Fire coordinators, fire coaches, make desperate personnel decisions.

Sounds vaguely familiar...
Although for the Bungals or Brownies those 1-5 or 0-6 stretches would feel pretty much like business as usual, so there's that.

 

[maust]

Is it our fault incompetent owners purchased those franchises?

Yours maybe, I don't have that kind of influence.
I mean you are a Top Cat while I am seldom ahead of the dog in the pecking order even in my own home.

 

[farn]

While I agree with most posters’ premise : it is a lame argument and eventually, NE needs to face the toughest teams in the league to win the trophy, let’s just peek at the Fall of 2019.

It’s atrocious. Miami is openly tanking. The Bills and Jets are in perpetual rebuild mode. I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that BB could take a new franchise, fill it with FA and UDFA and probably win the division. It’s not always been that way, but I truly believe next season’s AFCE is going to be vomitrocious.

 

[SammyBlueCat]

Your's maybe, I don't have that kind of influence.
I mean you are a Top Cat while I am seldom ahead of the dog in the pecking order even in my own home.

My meow is bigger than my bite.

 

[Flash]

This has been said every year. Patriots fans constantly point out that year after year the Patriots have a lower winning % against the AFCE compared to the rest of the league. Year after year non-Patriots fans continue to say that the weak AFCE is the reason why Patriots win so much during the regular season. Once they found their preferred narrative they won't change their minds, just like how Packers fans are all coming out saying Rodgers will do much better than Brady did this Super Bowl and how Brady is only winning because of Belichick.

It's more fun watching other fanbases meltdown over the Patriots rather than trying to debunk some of their narratives, IMO.

 

[Joker]

so..the Pats benefit from a weak division? Yeah...and so? you want we should give back our SIX NFL championships? That's nice...let me ask you millions of incessant crybaby morons a simple question...HOW'S IT FEEL TO WANT?

 

[thecore762]

AFC East Is Weak?
​

I see a lot of people saying AFC-East is weak,
Here is my answer:

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Can it be weak and the Patriots every bit as good as they appear? Because both very much appear to be true. Division winning percentage is fine but there also are never real contenders due to lack of good quarterbacks.

 

[Patstastic]

Can it be weak and the Patriots every bit as good as they appear? Because both very much appear to be true. Division winning percentage is fine but there also are never real contenders due to lack of good quarterbacks.

I think that's about to change. I don't think Darnold is going to bust. The question is whether he gets enough support to upend the Pats, and thus win the East in 2019. Regardless, he looks to be the real deal.

 

[maust]

Seriously, why the hell does this never get talked about??!!!
It's about time this subject was brought up by someone on this site...

 

[HailHydra]

Seriously, why the hell does this never get talked about??!!!
It's about time this subject was brought up by someone on this site...

It's been brought up quite a few times this year with that exact statistic.

 

[maust]

It's been brought up quite a few times this year with that exact statistic.

I'm sorry, in the absence of a sarcasm font I had hoped the eye roll emoji would have been sufficient to convey it. BTW, I posted to several of those threads and those 'exact statistic(s)' are woefully out of date.

edit: Here are the current numbers:
AFCE .794 (81-21)
AFCN .806 (25-31)
AFCS .788 (26-7)
AFCW .647 (22-12)
NFCE .813 (13-3)
NFCN .850 (17-3)
NFCS .750 (12-4)
NFCW .667 (10-5


PLAYOFF OPPONENTS .750 (30-10)

 

[Redstorm]

The Patriots would dominate in any division

However, the AFC East hasn’t produced any good franchise quarterbacks in years. Over the last decade, Tannehill, Sanchez, and Taylor have been the only quarterback “competition” in the division.

But Brady and NE have always proven year after year they can beat top quarterbacks. So the fact that they have a “weak” division doesn’t “prove” anything. The Patriots just beat everybody.

Take away the altitude advantage and injuries, and the Pats would be in 6 straight Superbowls

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

I think that's about to change. I don't think Darnold is going to bust. The question is whether he gets enough support to upend the Pats, and thus win the East in 2019. Regardless, he looks to be the real deal.

Well, he played about as ****ty as its posssible to play in the NFL his rookie season, and now he’s getting a horrible coach and comically dysfunctional coaching staff, plus an influx of ridiculously overpaid free agents. Sure, he “flashed” a few times, as has every rookie QB in the history of the league, since everyone is locked in in their confirmation bias that this guy has it.

But in reality, Darnold doesn’t have it. He’s a sure-fire bust. If he had it, he wouldn’t have a 57% completion percentage, highest INT rate among starters, and 77 passer rating (adjusted for the new NFL passing numbers, that would be like a 69-70 a few years ago, which is a full verdict of suck.)

 

[JetFan79]

This all changes in 2019...




Disclaimer:
Don't mind me. It's the offseason. Aka time for the Jets to shine.

 

[Joker]

This all changes in 2019...

View attachment 22548


Disclaimer:
Don't mind me. It's the offseason. Aka time for the Jets to shine.

hey ...green moron...that pic is from a PRESEASON GAME. He SUCKS...slaughtered like a cokkroach at the end of the season. What change? He's gonna morph into Mark Sanchez?

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

hey ...green moron...that pic is from a PRESEASON GAME. He SUCKS...slaughtered like a cokkroach at the end of the season. What change? He's gonna morph into Mark Sanchez?

He thought we wouldn’t notice. Blockhead was a shell-shocked interception machine once the games counted. That photo you saw right there will literally be the pinnacle of his career.

 

[Love The Drake]

hey ...green moron...that pic is from a PRESEASON GAME. He SUCKS...slaughtered like a cokkroach at the end of the season. What change? He's gonna morph into Mark Sanchez?

Etling is better.

 

[JetFan79]

He thought we wouldn’t notice. Blockhead was a shell-shocked interception machine once the games counted. That photo you saw right there will literally be the pinnacle of his career.

You missed the last 4 or 5 games didn't ya?