Season not over but you have to admit..

[Ross12]

Can we take a minute to appreciate this team? Let's look at Denver's or Cincinnati's (or anyone's) rosters at the beginning of the year and then:

1. Take their #1 WR away for weeks
2. Hobble their #2 WR
3. Put their starting all purpose RB on IR
4. Put their other starting RB on IR too
5. Put their starting LT on IR
6. Flip their RT to LT then take him out for a bit
7. Injure the replacement LT for a bit too
8. Keep the starting center out for half the season
9. IR a starting guard from last year
10. Generally hammer the OL with various injuries
11. Take the top TE away for a couple games
12. Give the one starting LB a virus that keeps him out weeks
13. Injure their other starting LB for a few weeks too
14. Injure the third LB for ****s and giggs
15. IR the starting third CB
16. IR the next starting third CB
17. Injure the next starting third CB for a few weeks
18. IR one of their best defensive tackles
19. IR a couple reserve DEs
20. Injure their top free safety for a couple of weeks
21. Injure their strong safety for a bit at the same time

You guys think other teams under these same circumstances would finish 12-4 too?

 

[slash83]

Imagine how jets fans are feeling lol

 

[RayClay]

When was I wrong then? And what was I wrong about exactly?

Now every time they have the ball all I can think of is "How is this team going to get a first down".

I remember talking to people on here earlier in the season about how terrible the AFC was and how we almost have a "duty" to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. This team seem invincible.

You expected us to roll and be invincible. you figured other teams would just roll over and die.

Well, that's what happens with injuries to your top receivers and RBs.

However, the greatest football team in the modern era has 2 weeks and a number of players coming back that didn't play today.

I'm not singling you out, but nobody hands you the trophy, you have to fight for it.

You'd think we learned that in 2007, but I guess not.

We don't have a choice to bring an uninjured, unblemished team to the playoffs, we play the cards we're dealt. People freaking out because we "lost" homefield advantage and can't win now are quitting.

Denver probably loses to Pittsburgh anyway. It's always a different story. Sounds the same as after last years KC game.

 

[YOUGOTMOSSED]

You expected us to roll and be invincible. you figured other teams would just roll over and die.

Well, that's what happens with injuries to your top receivers and RBs.

However, the greatest football team in the modern era has 2 weeks and a number of players coming back that didn't play today.

I'm not singling you out, but nobody hands you the trophy, you have to fight for it.

You'd think we learned that in 2007, but I guess not.

We don't have a choice to bring an uninjured, unblemished team to the playoffs, we play the cards we're dealt. People freaking out because we "lost" homefield advantage and can't win now are quitting.

Denver probably loses to Pittsburgh anyway. It's always a different story. Sounds the same as after last years KC game.

In all likelihood, Denver plays the Steelers or Chiefs (probably the Chiefs) in the divisional. I think the Chiefs are a much better team than Denver and have an excellent chance of beating them up there.

I'm just pissed that we lost the 1 seed because I have no doubt that the league/refs orchestrated that loss of ours against Denver earlier this year.

 

[Haterproof]

You expected us to roll and be invincible. you figured other teams would just roll over and die.

Well, that's what happens with injuries to your top receivers and RBs.

However, the greatest football team in the modern era has 2 weeks and a number of players coming back that didn't play today.

I'm not singling you out, but nobody hands you the trophy, you have to fight for it.

You'd think we learned that in 2007, but I guess not.

We don't have a choice to bring an uninjured, unblemished team to the playoffs, we play the cards we're dealt. People freaking out because we "lost" homefield advantage and can't win now are quitting.

Denver probably loses to Pittsburgh anyway. It's always a different story. Sounds the same as after last years KC game.

Denver has one & done written all over them!

 

[RayClay]

Denver has one & done written all over them!

I respect all opponents, but i sure don't see them as guaranteed to make it to the division game. It's going to be an interesting playoff. We had the greatest offense of all time and didn't make it. We had a really injured team and came through late, but faded. Now we've got a really talented team hit with injuries, that fell apart down the stretch, but has a chance to get a lot of players back and maybe a star turn from Jackson. and we've got a great D.

Remember how it was always, if only Gronk wasn't hurt? Well he's on the team.

Our crappy bye week hurt us, I think, but makes this one more important. Greatest coaching staff and QB ever and they've got two weeks and, hopefully, Amendola, Edelman and Gronk, and Martin, and Lafell.

screw the quitter mentality.

 

[CISGS]

Y'all remember the time Bobby Boucher showed up at halftime, and the Mud Dogs won the Bourbon Bowl? Do ya?

But for real, Pats will be fine.

 

[rochrist]

not holding my breath.

worst case, the bengals and texans win. houston has 0 shot at winning any playoff games. dont give a **** about jj watt.
everything is aligning for the donkeys smh

Could you be any more frightened of the corpse of Peyton Manning? I guess he must literally be a zombie.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Denver is capable of going all the way to the SB. With the benefit of home field it makes it a little more possible.
But over the last 6 weeks Denver has:
At home barely beat a seriously depleted Patriot team with the help of extremely biased Ref-ing, at home barely beat a red Rider-less Cincy team, lost to Pitt, lost at home to the Raiders, and with that absolutely crucial Bye on the line (a bye is WAY more important than HFA) they barely beat a fairly sorry SD team that had lost something like 48 guys to injury during the game.

 

[rochrist]

Denver is capable of going all the way to the SB. With the benefit of home field it makes it a little more possible.
But over the last 6 weeks Denver has:
At home barely beat a seriously depleted Patriot team with the help of extremely biased Ref-ing, at home barely beat a red Rider-less Cincy team, lost to Pitt, lost at home to the Raiders, and with that absolutely crucial Bye on the line (a bye is WAY more important than HFA) they barely beat a fairly sorry SD team that had lost something like 48 guys to injury during the game.

But they are helmed by the incalculably frightening Spectre of Peyton!

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

But they are helmed by the incalculably frightening Spectre of Peyton!

peyton? PEYTON??????

 

[supafly]

Either Denver QB is capable of getting the ball in the hands of Thomas and Sanders, but Manning's ability to check out of plays and read pre-snap looks gives him the experience and edge there. If their game was built upon heaving the ball 50 yards downfield every play, then I'd give the edge to Osweiler.

More importantly, Denver is effective in their rushing attack and defense. As we know, they also have the luxury of making anyone they face go out to the thin air of Mile High. We can make fun of Manning all we want, but they are a viable contender.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Imagine how jets fans are feeling lol

That's dangerous stuff you're messing with. It is well documented that imagining being a Jet fan leads to acute idiotic thoughts and behavior, and ultimately just giving up on life.

 

[Joker]

Imagine how jets fans are feeling lol

what's so hard about that?...they feel like they ALWAYS feel after game 16...anxiously awaiting the NFL draft and more of their "steals!!!!"...

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Either Denver QB is capable of getting the ball in the hands of Thomas and Sanders, but Manning's ability to check out of plays and read pre-snap looks gives him the experience and edge there. If their game was built upon heaving the ball 50 yards downfield every play, then I'd give the edge to Osweiler.

More importantly, Denver is effective in their rushing attack and defense. As we know, they also have the luxury of making anyone they face go out to the thin air of Mile High. We can make fun of Manning all we want, but they are a viable contender.

A viable contender that is more viable with PM? Yes I agree, absolutely Sup. But their track record this season says they will not be a dominant presence in the POs. Their road to the SB will be about finding a way to get enough O or enough D to win each game.
Bottom line, IMHO: If the Patriots can put their key pieces on the field healthy and if this all begins to click before/at the AFCCG (two things that are reasonably likely to happen)? The question then isn't 'should we fear Denver will beat us?', the question is 'should Denver fear the Patriots will beat them?'.

 

[rochrist]

Either Denver QB is capable of getting the ball in the hands of Thomas and Sanders, but Manning's ability to check out of plays and read pre-snap looks gives him the experience and edge there. If their game was built upon heaving the ball 50 yards downfield every play, then I'd give the edge to Osweiler.

More importantly, Denver is effective in their rushing attack and defense. As we know, they also have the luxury of making anyone they face go out to the thin air of Mile High. We can make fun of Manning all we want, but they are a viable contender.

No they aren't. They might, possibly, if you squint real hard, be a contender to get to the SB because the AFC pretty much sucks. But either Ariz or Seattle would slaughter them.

 

[gitgronked82]

it is hard to conceive, though. remember how we felt before the redskins game? before there were any terrible injuries?? Unstoppable. on top of the world. like we were playing a completely different sport. we were in a separate league than the rest of the NFL. now... it's unreal how the dynamic has changed. i'm aware that there are reasons for this, but it's just incredible to think of the shift

 

[VectorPrime]

it is hard to conceive, though. remember how we felt before the redskins game? before there were any terrible injuries?? Unstoppable. on top of the world. like we were playing a completely different sport. we were in a separate league than the rest of the NFL. now... it's unreal how the dynamic has changed. i'm aware that there are reasons for this, but it's just incredible to think of the shift

Revenge tour was in full force. We were sticking a giant middle finger right in Goodell's face each and every week.
It was beautiful.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Edelman is our mvp...amazing how anemic our offense has looked without him

The weakness in the o line is limiting us. We can not run (Jackson has nothing left) and we can not run pass plays that take more than 2 seconds to develop. No time for Brady to read the defense.

Cincy's d line is going to be all over Brady, if we do not get healthy bodies back out there.

 

[Banjo]

I said the team was going to struggle when Edelman went down and people disagreed! Apparently, we can't make superstars out of any scrub that puts on a Patriots uniform.