Pats defense showing its age

[SVN]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22563596/

This is the kinda quote said by everyone which bothers me

There’s enormous pressure on New England. They put it there themselves with a 16-0 regular season. That stuff about “winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing” applies to them this year as it has to few teams in history.

what were the pats supposed to ??? Throw a game so it would lessen some pressure ?
Seems like everyone is 'blaming' the pats for going 16-0.

 

[NEGIRLPATSFAN]

Jealousy is an UGLY emotion!

 

[JoePats]

They're not blaming the Pats, they're just admitting the reality.

It seems all you post are stories that can be taken as anti-Patriots.

 

[the Patriot]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22563596/

This is the kinda quote said by everyone which bothers me

what were the pats supposed to ??? Throw a game so it would lessen some pressure ?
Seems like everyone is 'blaming' the pats for going 16-0.

Honestly, I was just on ESPN.com and I feel like they turned on us overnight. All the hype of going 16-0 suddenly changed to going 16-1. I don't there is any more pressure on the Patriots right now than other postseasons. They've won the SB three times already and they know how to put things behind them. I don't any of them are even watching TV this week. I think we do what we did to the Cowboys, start off my completely shutting down their offense.

 

[danny88]

They're not blaming the Pats, they're just admitting the reality.

It seems all you post are stories that can be taken as anti-Patriots.

Seems like all you post are things that are pro patriots!

 

[FibSeq13478]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22563596/

This is the kinda quote said by everyone which bothers me

what were the pats supposed to ??? Throw a game so it would lessen some pressure ?
Seems like everyone is 'blaming' the pats for going 16-0.

Forget 16-0, BB is probably telling his team that they are 16-1 in the last 17 games and that 1 in that loss column still drives them. They are 0-1 in playoffs with a 16 game regular season winning record in between, so as much as the media tries to create extra pressure by bringing up 16-0, the Pats are likely viewing it as just a record, like the 50 TD record by Brady (except it is a team record rather than individual record) so it does not really mean a whole lot more with out the superbowl ring.

 

[Brady'sButtBoy]

Here's how horrible the Pat's D was "down the stretch:" tied for 1st in points allowed until the Giants game. Oh yes, can you believe the hype???!!!

By nearly every account, the Giants played their best game of the season against a Pats D that clearly was caught off guard by the intensity of the G-men. Bully for the New Yorkers, but amidst the apparently horrible wreckage of the over the hill Pats D something miraclous happened: the Pats shut down the Giants (and all 16 other opponents) when they needed to win every game they played. Not much of a big deal to the author above, but exactly the kind of deal that not one defense since '72 has managed to accomplish.

The Ravens and Doophins games are all about playing to the level of their competition for the Pats; a habit they have been prone to for years during their SB runs - go check it out.

Oh yeah, and the D must be awfully old and weak if their team set the league record for total and average point differential....

I wonder if the author knew the Pats D was tied for 1st in the league for few points allowed until week 17 (after the 'troubling' performances the author mentions) - yep, I guess the boys did show their age by toying with the inspired G-men until it really mattered.

 

[FrontSeven]

So there's "enormous pressure" on the team. What else is new? Has there been a lack of pressure since Drew got hurt? They've been in 100 rock fights and won most of them, even against teams picked to bury them.

Great insight over at MSNBC though. Wow, the pressure, and the poor wittle Patriots that don't know how to handle it! Give me a freaking break. This team EATS pressure three meals a day.

 

[upstater1]

They're not blaming the Pats, they're just admitting the reality.

It seems all you post are stories that can be taken as anti-Patriots.

I really think we're going to see a different defense out there in crucial spots.

Belichick used to throw the book at teams on defense, and this year they have been so so vanilla.

Rush 4 guys send everyone else into coverage.

No overloads on blitzes. They've played everything so close to the vest.

 

[Patriot_in_NY]

Wow, another hater wrote a BS article, big ****ing whoop

 

[jmt57]

The media has figured out that advancing from 16-0 to 17-0 is a boring story that generates no interest, but shouting out that "I am the one and only to say the mighty undefeated team will fall" creates interest and controversy. One more thing: television, radio, newspapers, and web sites are all for-profit commercial enterprises. The more people that read your stories, the higher advertising rates you can charge, and the more profit you can make. It's not about unbiased opinions, it's all about generating more profit via additional customers. As a business, it makes sense to run stories like this that will create a reaction rather than in-depth analysis that predicts the inevitable: that the Patriots are the better team and should win.

 

[Patriotic Fervor]

I really think we're going to see a different defense out there in crucial spots.

Belichick used to throw the book at teams on defense, and this year they have been so so vanilla.

Rush 4 guys send everyone else into coverage.

No overloads on blitzes. They've played everything so close to the vest.

Yeah, I've wondered about that myself.

It's like the poker player who not only knows exactly what he's doing, but also seems to know exactly what everyone else is doing. When he makes his move, invariably it's lights out.

I think maybe we'll see a little something Saturday, but I really think he's going to play his game - his game - next week, against the Colts.

I really look forward to that one....

 

[BeantownRox]

Honestly, I was just on ESPN.com and I feel like they turned on us overnight. All the hype of going 16-0 suddenly changed to going 16-1. I don't there is any more pressure on the Patriots right now than other postseasons. They've won the SB three times already and they know how to put things behind them. I don't any of them are even watching TV this week. I think we do what we did to the Cowboys, start off my completely shutting down their offense.

It's all about sensationalism and generating site traffic.

 

[SavioKid]

Yeah, I've wondered about that myself.

It's like the poker player who not only knows exactly what he's doing, but also seems to know exactly what everyone else is doing. When he makes his move, invariably it's lights out.

I think maybe we'll see a little something Saturday, but I really think he's going to play his game - his game - next week, against the Colts.

I really look forward to that one....

I wondered about that too: that the big test / best D scheme that Coach B is planning for has to be the Colts who are no doubt the most diversified / best offense that the PATS will see in the playoffs. Since , no disrespect to the Jax offense, it will be more a test of wills for the PATS D with the obvious Jax plan to control the clock with long drives ending in TDs with the run mainly. Jax is not going to try to fool them and the Pats D will relish the 'one dimensional' offense.
Now, the Colts will be the real test since Manning has seen it all on schemes.

Of course maybe I am overthinking it since Coach B knows most teams will overthink too.

 

[SeymoreButts]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22563596/

This is the kinda quote said by everyone which bothers me

what were the pats supposed to ??? Throw a game so it would lessen some pressure ?
Seems like everyone is 'blaming' the pats for going 16-0.

Can someone please remind these moronic media people that they are talking about a team that has already won 21 games in a row. I love the fact that the media has not even touched on this point at all!! They always spurt out crap that is absurd on its face, but the real facts are ignored.