Surprised, concerned or reassured?

[DarrylS]

What concerns me most are the 13(last time I counted) rookies on this roster and for many of them this will be their first really cold game.. the weather may be a factor.

So we are plugging new guys in who have never faced this type of weather...

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

BB, as he likes to remind us, is not a medical genius. Still, the implied optimism is somewhat reassuring.

For the Denver game I'm concerned that these guys will be gimped. I'm actually happier about Gregory, whose legs should be in fine shape, than the hobbled CBs.

I still suspect that Edelman is getting some defensive coaching. On the other hand, I'd guess he played Welker on scout team, since Amendola was limited in practice, and also took Amendola's reps in offensive practice.

I admire Edelman, even though I think he's no better than mediocre at anything except PR.

I say that's a reasonable assumption unless popular belief is wrong and the injured DBs are closer to being 'well' than we all suspect. Seems unlikely that they are all close enough to 'well' to perform near their optimum level, but Sunday night, assuming their active, is the only sure way to know.

While playoffs remain far from guaranteed, out of our remaining schedule (including the Broncos game) just winning the Bills and Phins games makes winning the division a strong likelihood. These two victories alone secures the head to head division tie breaker which leaves the Phins or Jets with the unenviable path to the division title only by way of more victories than the Patriots (with only 6 games remaining, securing that division tie breaker may obviously end up a B!F!D!)
So if the Patriots win just those two division games:
- The Phins, if my math is correct, would have to win all 5 remaining games while the Jets will have to go 5-1 (and that is assuming the worst case scenario that the Patriots lose all of their other 4 remaining games).

The point of all of that speculation (hot air? ) is to suggest these secondary players that might be 'gimpy'/less than normal effectiveness are critically needed for these two remaining division games. So if we lose to Denver tomorrow night (making the #1 seed all but impossible) and in the process these secondary players struggle to play through injuries/at normal effectiveness, maybe targeting this division strategy while giving these guys as much healing time as possible is the smartest strategy?? (((of course if it ends up we get #2 while holding these guys back? Icing on the cake)))
As tenuous a position as that might be, I think I'd rather have a healthy as possible/functional as possible secondary paired with a #3 seed, versus an all out push for the #2 seed that has a significantly higher chance of going into the playoffs with these secondary guys gimpy.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Resigned would be the way I would put it.

After seeing our torn and tattered defense carved up by the Carolina offense, there is no way that the Pats can be competitive against the Broncos offense. It is what it is.

Frustrating, because this year's defense really had the makings of a good unit, for the first time in several years. But, injuries have decimated it and no amount of wishful thinking will change that reality.

Agreed. I think it's going to be very ugly. Gonna be our biggest snack down in ages. Hell, even with Wilfork, Kelly, Mayo, Talib and Dennard, we would have had a tough time against this offense. Now with ONLY Talib possibly playing out of that group, there is no way we can stop that offense. I bet even Belichik is having some sleepless nights this week. I'd be thrilled if we don't get embarrassed and keep it close (plus no injuries/controversies).

 

[fgssand]

Agreed. I think it's going to be very ugly. Gonna be our biggest snack down in ages. Hell, even with Wilfork, Kelly, Mayo, Talib and Dennard, we would have had a tough time against this offense. Now with ONLY Talib possibly playing out of that group, there is no way we can stop that offense. I bet even Belichik is having some sleepless nights this week. I'd be thrilled if we don't get embarrassed and keep it close (plus no injuries/controversies).

You have built up the broncos to be the second coming of the 2007 patriots (not even close) and at the same time reduced your NE Patriots to resemble the 2002 team (way off again).

Broncos are good, not great, take a long look at their schedule this year - while I know you only play your schedule , facts are facts.

Pats will control and win this and it won't be an upset in my mind.

 

[MassPats38]

You have built up the broncos to be the second coming of the 2007 patriots (not even close) and at the same time reduced your NE Patriots to resemble the 2002 team (way off again).

Broncos are good, not great, take a long look at their schedule this year - while I know you only play your schedule , facts are facts.

Pats will control and win this and it won't be an upset in my mind.

I don't get this unstoppable juggernaut mystique. The Cowboys have a defense infinitely worse than the Pats and that game came down to a Romo INT after scoring 48 points. The Pats put up 55 on the Steelers, a decent defense, 2 weeks ago, and just showed the ability to move the ball on possibly the best defense right now. The Pats are not the Cowboys, so I cannot fathom how the Broncos suddenly have a defense as is necessary to make this other than a shootout at best.

 

[SVN]

never felt the pats as a this big an underdog going into a home game in years. Too many defensive injuries could make this ugly. I hope Iam wrong.

 

[IllegalContact]

Nowhere to look but up......

Just as Drew Bledsoe told Brady before SB36.....'just go out there and sling it'

Nonstop offense and make manning go deep

 

[RayClay]

Confounded, as I often am. I'm sure there's some reason we kept the worst looking DB I've ever seen in training camp (Green) and just had to keep Washington, Bequette and Bernaise sauce, Barker on the roster rather than the PS (last two) rather than a marginal corner who could have learned the defense in the meantime.

I believe Bequette, by virtue of never being active, is still eligible, yes?

Just have to hope for the best, I know less than a zillionth what BB does.

 

[RayClay]

Dennard starting a week after a knee procedure? I doubt that. Talib didn't look right last week, sorry to say.

Trust in BB I guess.

 

[Archeryaddict12]

I am not concerned. The defense did ok against Carolina and we moved the ball extremely well on that #1 D. Just clean up the mental mistakes and we can hang with any team and beat them. This game seems like the texans and pats last year. The pats were supposedly on the decline and the texans were the best AFC team. Like Denver is the best and the pats are on the same decline. Last week, especially the Carolina TD to win, looked exactly like the SF game last year.

 

[hwc]

I am not concerned. The defense did ok against Carolina ..

That's like saying the Titanic did "OK" against the iceberg.

 

[Archeryaddict12]

That's like saying the Titanic did "OK" against the iceberg.

How is that relevant?? They did pretty good. It's hard to keep coverage when cam can extend the play. They did pretty well and got so bad breaks.

 

[hwc]

The Pats are not the Cowboys, so I cannot fathom how the Broncos suddenly have a defense as is necessary to make this other than a shootout at best.

A shootout is the only prayer the Pats have in this game. No three and outs. No fumbles in the red zone. No settling for field goals. Maybe keep it close. Is it theoretically possible that this the week the Pats offense clicks on all cylinders? Sure. It's theoretically possible. Heck I'd be happy if they just score a few points before the end of the first half -- something they haven't been doing on a consistent basis.

 

[IllegalContact]

screw the chess match.........all out shootout

 

[supafly]

How is that relevant?? They did pretty good. It's hard to keep coverage when cam can extend the play. They did pretty well and got so bad breaks.

I wouldn't consider allowing them to score on 4/6 possessions necessarily a "good job," nor would I consider the poor job that Talib did, the 3 TD's they allowed Cam Newton to throw, the failure to produce even one turnover for the first time in 36-37 games, all of the missed tackles they had, or the penalties that they incurred as doing a "good job."

I hear what you're saying--they played fair, but unfortunately we've allowed some very limited offenses like the NYJ, CAR, MIA, PIT, etc to have success with us, and that isn't going to do much to alleviate any concerns moving forward.

 

[Archeryaddict12]

I wouldn't consider allowing them to score on 4/6 possessions necessarily a "good job," nor would I consider the poor job that Talib did, the 3 TD's they allowed Cam Newton to throw, the failure to produce even one turnover for the first time in 36-37 games, all of the missed tackles they had, or the penalties that they incurred as doing a "good job."

I hear what you're saying--they played fair, but unfortunately we've allowed some very limited offenses like the NYJ, CAR, MIA, PIT, etc to have success with us, and that isn't going to do much to alleviate any concerns moving forward.

They did a good job given there spot with injuries and the opposition. We are all a little disappointed after Monday, but that's what happens when you face a mobile QB. You can't blitz him because he can run, so you try to contain him. Well we couldn't tackle him, and he was able to run or wait for coverage to break down.

The defense is in the offenses position of the 1st half of the season. I always try to remember, in order to fire an arrow, you have to draw it back first. We have been hit with a streak of bad luck, and yet we really should be 9-1 imo even with the injuries. Idk, but I see things with positives.