Oh look, our next opponent is in worse disarray than we are!

[TheBostonStraggler]

There 's an age cutoff involved in all this...above 40's scratch their head when views like this are posted. Under 40's live for the player stat and the stats...understandable given the advent of "fantasy" NFL football.

I'm old enough to have watched the movie "Argo" and in certain parts thought "hey I remember that happening". I'm old enough to remember Tawny Kitaen on display on the roof of a car. I'm old enough to remember Skylab was indeed falling. Do these get me in the club??

 

[ausbacker]

Aus, trust me, I'm not arguing, at least that wasn't my intent. I'm a full time traveler and play crosswords and other word games religiously (I have lots of time to kill when I can't look at my laptop any longer or the battery gives out). I jumped at the chance to get into some light word semantics (just for the fun of it). I thought I made that clear in my post (maybe not clear enough). And while I don't see the Patriots in disarray (not as I would use the word disarray, I agree with Ray above), using it to describe the ineffectiveness of the passing offense is ultimately ok by me. I would just re-highlight that whatever word is most appropriate, it has only been 2 games. Let's give it until Thanksgiving to see what BB and company have created......

TBS, it's alright mate. I'm just playing funny buggers.

 

[Zeus]

RC, I lived through the Joe Kapp experience...the Plunkett blood baths...the Ben Dreith armored car robbery...we had John Hannah and Leon Gray in their prime..we get rid of Gray for peanuts...we start Eason against the Bears...krist...we TOOK Eason over Marino because of drug fears when half the Patriots were so stoned they couldn't find their way home at 3:30 am....we probably know each other or ran across each other if you live local.

Steve Kiner's playbook - now that was in disarray.

 

[Joker]

jeezus...Ron Meyer...WTF happened THERE?

 

[RayClay]

Aus, trust me, I'm not arguing, at least that wasn't my intent. I'm a full time traveler and play crosswords and other word games religiously (I have lots of time to kill when I can't look at my laptop any longer or the battery gives out). I jumped at the chance to get into some light word semantics (just for the fun of it). I thought I made that clear in my post (maybe not clear enough). And while I don't see the Patriots in disarray (not as I would use the word disarray, I agree with Ray above), using it to describe the ineffectiveness of the passing offense is ultimately ok by me. I would just re-highlight that whatever word is most appropriate, it has only been 2 games. Let's give it until Thanksgiving to see what BB and company have created......

It's like criticizing someone's dance technique after they have a leg amputated.

With all those veterans gone or injured we knew the rookies would have some struggles.

Now Chad Ochocinco having to almost be lifted up and plopped down where he was supposed to lineup after almost a full season. He was a one man puddle of disarray.

 

[PatsDeb]

RC, I lived through the Joe Kapp experience...the Plunkett blood baths...the Ben Dreith armored car robbery...we had John Hannah and Leon Gray in their prime..we get rid of Gray for peanuts...we start Eason against the Bears...krist...we TOOK Eason over Marino because of drug fears when half the Patriots were so stoned they couldn't find their way home at 3:30 am....we probably know each other or ran across each other if you live local.

Tony Eason turtling in the Super Bowl. Now there's a memory of the Patsies.

 

[Deus Irae]

Tony Eason turtling in the Super Bowl. Now there's a memory of the Patsies.

I thought the Patriots could win that game, right up until Dawson went down.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

I thought the Patriots could win that game, right up until Dawson went down.

My brother to this day actually believes the Patriots could have won that game. He claims that first drive when the Patriots took it right down the Bears' throat and the Patriots had the TD in their hands (unforced drop), that would have utterly changed the face of the game. Up until the SB no one could lay a glove on the Bears, no one had scored a TD on the playoffs on them (I believe). Driving it right down their throats and scoring a TD on the forst drive would have sent the message to the Patriot players that the bears were not invincible, and the Bear players that they could be scored on.

Not saying I believe but he does to this day believe it would have been a game if not for the TD drop......(and Grogan coming in sooner)

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

TBS, it's alright mate. I'm just playing funny buggers.

I love that Aussie vernacular. I had an Aussie gent come up to me at SFO and ask me for something (I think he was asking for a light for his cigarette). No kidding, I literally couldn't understand a word he was saying, but I liked the way he said it.

 

[PatsDeb]

I thought the Patriots could win that game, right up until Dawson went down.

Yeah, we were ahead after the first drive

 

[Zeus]

My brother to this day actually believes the Patriots could have won that game. He claims that first drive when the Patriots took it right down the Bears' throat and the Patriots had the TD in their hands (unforced drop), that would have utterly changed the face of the game. Up until the SB no one could lay a glove on the Bears, no one had scored a TD on the playoffs on them (I believe). Driving it right down their throats and scoring a TD on the forst drive would have sent the message to the Patriot players that the bears were not invincible, and the Bear players that they could be scored on.

Not saying I believe but he does to this day believe it would have been a game if not for the TD drop......(and Grogan coming in sooner)

The Patriots recovered a fumble on the Bears' first offensive possession. Eason hit a wide open Stanley Morgan in the end zone but Morgan (a great player by the way) dropped the ball. On the next play, Eason hit a wide open Lin Dawson inside the 10, but Dawson's knee blew apart and, needless to say, he couldn't hang on to the ball. NE settles for a field goal. Bears' subsequent possession opens with QB Jim McMahon throwing a pass directly at NE linebacker Don Blackmon who has clear sailing to the end zone. Minor detail - he drops the ball. The game ceased to be competitve shortly thereafter.

I had a great view of this, sitting in the end zone where NE was trying to score in the first period. It was such an epic ass-kicking as to be downright humiliating for the NE fans who made the trip to New Orleans.

My other lasting impression of the game was the astounding toughness of Steve Grogan who suffered a fearsome physical beating. The Bears' defenders looked genuinely amazed that #14 continued to get up play after play and never once shied away from a hit.

Two days later, the story breaks that several NE players had failed drug tests. So disarray is a pretty good word to describe how something that should have been a proud moment for the franchise instead became an utter fiasco.

 

[PatsDeb]

The Patriots recovered a fumble on the Bears' first offensive possession. Eason hit a wide open Stanley Morgan in the end zone but Morgan (a great player by the way) dropped the ball. On the next play, Eason hit a wide open Lin Dawson inside the 10, but Dawson's knee blew apart and, needless to say, he couldn't hang on to the ball. NE settles for a field goal. Bears' subsequent possession opens with QB Jim McMahon throwing a pass directly at NE linebacker Don Blackmon who has clear sailing to the end zone. Minor detail - he drops the ball. The game ceased to be competitve shortly thereafter.

I had a great view of this, sitting in the end zone where NE was trying to score in the first period. It was such an epic ass-kicking as to be downright humiliating for the NE fans who made the trip to New Orleans.

My other lasting impression of the game was the astounding toughness of Steve Grogan who suffered a fearsome physical beating. The Bears' defenders looked genuinely amazed that #14 continued to get up play after play and never once shied away from a hit.

Two days later, the story breaks that several NE players had failed drug tests. So disarray is a pretty good word to describe how something that should have been a proud moment for the franchise instead became an utter fiasco.

That game was awful. I hated the Bears for humiliating NE. Remember freakin' Refrigerator Perry scoring for fun? Grrrrr....

 

[RayClay]

My brother to this day actually believes the Patriots could have won that game. He claims that first drive when the Patriots took it right down the Bears' throat and the Patriots had the TD in their hands (unforced drop), that would have utterly changed the face of the game. Up until the SB no one could lay a glove on the Bears, no one had scored a TD on the playoffs on them (I believe). Driving it right down their throats and scoring a TD on the forst drive would have sent the message to the Patriot players that the bears were not invincible, and the Bear players that they could be scored on.

Not saying I believe but he does to this day believe it would have been a game if not for the TD drop......(and Grogan coming in sooner)

I thought Lin Dawson going down was the key. If Eason could have completed that pass and other quick passes and moved the ball around, Chicago would have been forced to play pass defense. Of course had Morgan held on, that would have further stretched heir defense.

Eason had the talent to do it, Grogan had the guts, but neither had both IMO.

Of course what could have been was on display when Marino picked them apart a few weeks earlier. That's the formula, but you need the talent, quick release, receivers and guts to make that Bears rush ineffectual.

 

[Koma]

My brother to this day actually believes the Patriots could have won that game. He claims that first drive when the Patriots took it right down the Bears' throat and the Patriots had the TD in their hands (unforced drop), that would have utterly changed the face of the game. Up until the SB no one could lay a glove on the Bears, no one had scored a TD on the playoffs on them (I believe). Driving it right down their throats and scoring a TD on the forst drive would have sent the message to the Patriot players that the bears were not invincible, and the Bear players that they could be scored on.

Not saying I believe but he does to this day believe it would have been a game if not for the TD drop......(and Grogan coming in sooner)

You know how NFL films does a season yearbook for every team and finds a way to highlight positives even if a team has a 2 win season?

I saw a half hour recap of that Super Bowl that did the same thing for the Patriots. Dawson's drop/injury, fastest team to score in SB history, containing Walter Payton/not allowing him to score, what might have been with other dropped passes or missed INTs.

I came away from that thinking, you know, it was closer than people think. Then you watch the neutral or Bears-centric game recaps and realize that it was, at the time, a historic beatdown.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Yeah, we were ahead after the first drive

I think it was Steve Nelson who once said that "the Bears made the greatest SB comeback ever!"

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Harrisons crap blog about the pats/bucs

Similar to my inclination to take the underdog Rams against the Falcons last week, I find myself tempted to pick the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an upset. The Bucs continue to be doomed by their own errors. There was the Lavonte David gaffe against the New York Jets in Week 1, followed by numerous penalties -- like an illegal formation call -- blotting out all hope for a win against the New Orleans Saints in Week 2. As for the New England Patriots, if you thought Tom Brady yelled a lot versus the Jets last Thursday, don't be surprised to see smoke coming out of his ears against the Buccaneers' secondary, which has allowed just two touchdowns and picked off three balls. Did you hear Darrelle Revis got traded to the Bucs? We digress. Josh Freeman must make the Pats' secondary compete downfield, where they can be had. On pass attempts that travel 20 yards or more this season, Freeman is just 1-for-5 with an interception. The Patriots gave up the most big passing plays (20-plus yards) in the NFL last year

He picks pats 20-16. You would think he would have picked TB 35-17 after reading that

 

[SaintsFan67]

The Vegas line is Pats - 7 and over/under at 44 for informational purposes only.

 

[supafly]

The Vegas line is Pats - 7 and over/under at 44 for informational purposes only.

The problem with trying to assess Pats lines are that they are one of the most highly bet teams, which drives the pointspreads up significantly. Due to that happening, we can't even begin to look at a NEP line and get any kind of feeling.

It's been that way for quite some time.

 

[Sciz]

Harrisons crap blog about the pats/bucs

He picks pats 20-16. You would think he would have picked TB 35-17 after reading that

Wow, that is garbage. The worst part is that he mentioned the 20+ yard passing stat from last year that was accumulated before McCourty's move to safety and then completely ignores who is playing where in the secondary right now.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

The Patriots recovered a fumble on the Bears' first offensive possession. Eason hit a wide open Stanley Morgan in the end zone but Morgan (a great player by the way) dropped the ball. On the next play, Eason hit a wide open Lin Dawson inside the 10, but Dawson's knee blew apart and, needless to say, he couldn't hang on to the ball. NE settles for a field goal. Bears' subsequent possession opens with QB Jim McMahon throwing a pass directly at NE linebacker Don Blackmon who has clear sailing to the end zone. Minor detail - he drops the ball. The game ceased to be competitve shortly thereafter.

I had a great view of this, sitting in the end zone where NE was trying to score in the first period. It was such an epic ass-kicking as to be downright humiliating for the NE fans who made the trip to New Orleans.

My other lasting impression of the game was the astounding toughness of Steve Grogan who suffered a fearsome physical beating. The Bears' defenders looked genuinely amazed that #14 continued to get up play after play and never once shied away from a hit.

Two days later, the story breaks that several NE players had failed drug tests. So disarray is a pretty good word to describe how something that should have been a proud moment for the franchise instead became an utter fiasco.

Great details. It's been a while and it is largely foggy to me now, but my brother (and me to an extent) had the feeling that the first few series really could have been game changing. Your details help bring that back.
If nothing else it would have been great to see the Patriots make it a competitive game where they were with a 7 to 10 points in the 4th quarter (considering they were given a 0.00001 percent chance of winning) versus what it ended up as.