The Pats will go 19-0 this year if healthy

[mosslost]

Silly and pointless to talk about now, but it's May, so...

I will say this. Totally fair to say it may be a counterproductive pursuit, but those who say they totally don't care aren't being honest. If it happens, all will be happy it did.

if you get all the way to 13-0, and clinch HFA, you go for the undefeated.. absolutely

 

[PatsFanInVa]

I think you're all deluding yourselves. This is going to be a very challenging year with serious problems of aging in many areas combined with some fairly high-priced new arrivals that I think will pose serious chemistry problems to the team. I've never seen a team work so hard as the 2016 Patriots, and what did they get for it? Just to be paid half what some guy who hasn't played a down for the Pats has? I think there is a big risk this is going to harm the chemistry, which is going to show up in poor preparation and unintelligent on-field decisions.

Apart from that, the very fact that so many sportscasters are proclaiming the skill of these new acquisitions is a serious tell that the Patriots, who have built their team on undervalued players, are losing their creativity. It's like when Spielberg started casting famous movie stars in his films: you knew he was done.

If average viewers (like sportscasters and the media) can see the strengths of a new acquisition, then so can opposing coaches, and prepare for them. I'd be much more comfortable if the media was insulting the ability of the Patriots players, like they usually do, and then getting perplexed when the Patriots win. Because if the media insults a player, it means the media doesn't understand him, which means he has hidden ability that Belichick can use. When the media compliments a player, it means the media does understand him, which means so do opposing coaches (including the GMs who traded him, or other GMs who declined to trade for him).

Can you specify the challenges of aging, other than at QB?

 

[JarOfMayo51]

The Patriots will go into Denver in week 10 at 8 - 0, coming off of a bye week. That's the most dangerous game on the schedule. If I have to put an L somewhere on the schedule, that's the game.

They won't be able to move the ball against our defense with the quarterbacks on that roster

Their defense is still really good, but our secondary is going to lock down the field and our front seven will tee off on whichever scrub they throw back there at QB

 

[ausbacker]

This is a really good roster on paper. But we have no idea how this team is going to come together chemistry wise. There is no guarantee it will have the same mental toughness that the 2016 team had. That's how much teams change each year.

Then add the fact that after this draft, the schedule just got tougher. The NFCS is going to be a very tough division. NO, Atlanta, Carolina all will be extremely tough games. Oakland, Denver, and Steelers are 3 very tough road games during a stretch where the Pats will be home one game in almost 2 months. Then we play 2 playoff teams in the Chiefs and Texans, and a much improved Charger team. Plus I think the Dolphins will be a tough out in the division.

Those are ten games, that I expect the Pats to win, but wouldn't shock me if they lost. Then there would be 3 more tough games during the playoffs. To expect them to go 13-0 in those games is really unrealistic, even IF they remain relatively healthy

Win the division
Get a bye
Be relatively healthy for the playoffs

THOSE should be the goals, not 19-0

I respectfully disagree. 19-0 should be the goal because it's 19 instances of 1-0. The object of every match is to win. We know it's incredibly difficult but if you're not aiming to win every week, there's a problem.

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

if you get all the way to 13-0, and clinch HFA, you go for the undefeated.. absolutely

Of course. If I'm Belichick, I'm not taking my foot off the gas pedal until Week 17...and even then, that might have to depend on how bad the injury situation is.

One of the things I enjoyed about last season, is that this team took NOTHING for granted. They were not intimidated by the possibility of injury or overly cautious with resting their players. They wanted to make a statement by playing to win in Miami. They wanted to finish strong.

And I think that mentality (that determination to win under all circumstances) helped them succeed in the long-run, during critical moments in the playoffs e.g. overcoming the self-inflicted turnovers vs. Houston, holding firm in the red zone with a goal-line stand against Pittsburgh, and of course, the resilience shown in mounting the Super Bowl comeback against Atlanta.

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

I respectfully disagree. 19-0 should be the goal because it's 19 instances of 1-0. The object of every match is to win. We know it's incredibly difficult but if you're not aiming to win every week, there's a problem.

Basically what I was trying to say. Well-put aussie

 

[mosslost]

The Patriots will go into Denver in week 10 at 8 - 0, coming off of a bye week. That's the most dangerous game on the schedule. If I have to put an L somewhere on the schedule, that's the game.

I think if the Pats have an excellent, fantastic season, they will be 14-2 HFA. As much as I love the team it is more likely to go down a little, mayber 13-3 or 12-4. As long as they win the Super Bowl I am fine, but of course 19-0 would be awesome.

It is very likely that the 2007 Pats at 18-1 will always remain the Patriots best win loss record for a single season, probably forever.

 

[DarMan]

I can only hope Don Shula is on his death bed someday thinking eff those 19-0 Patriots

 

[neali]

Yeah, sign me up. I look forward to being 12-0 when the increasing pressure to be perfect leads to smaller and smaller margins of victory. I want to be 16-0 going into the playoffs so the opposition is under zero pressure and is expected to lose. Plays loose. Maybe 17-0 going into the AFCCG where our 40 year old quarter back gets nicked up and loses all pocket mobility. And then be 18-0 for two weeks while every **** stirrer conjures articles out of thin air to release them all on the day before the Superbowl when we are 14 points favorites and tighter than a smurf's vagina. That sounds much more awesome than being three point favorites and 16-2 going into the Superbowl. ************.

 

[YOUGOTMOSSED]

We have a Thursday night road game in October and in November we have to travel to Denver and then we have a "home" game in Mexico against the Raiders the following week. These games may very well be losses. Yo soy fiesta!

 

[bbobbo]

I might feel 1% more excited after winning a Super Bowl at 19-0 than I would at winning a Super Bowl at 18-1 or 17-2 or 16-3 or 15-4, etc.

That 1% more joy isn't worth devoting a whole lot of time, thought, and emotion into that somewhat remote possibility.

Nice to have, but it is less than the "extra" of having sprinkles on the ice cream cone. It is the extra sprinkle with the sprinkles that are already on the ice cream cone.

sorry... my bad....

It is the extra JIMMIE with the JIMMIES that are already on the ice cream cone.

i look at it a different way.

winning a super bowl is like having sex. for super bowl virgins like the bills or the falcons, or for teams like the jets who haven't experienced it in a long time, just doing it would be a huge achievement.

but for a team like the patriots that has experienced it recently and often, it's understandable that you start thinking about how you can make it even better.

winning the super bowl = good ol' fashioned sex (nothing to sneeze at, of course you're glad when it happens)

19-0 = ultimate tantric ecstasy

consider each game a "lesson" in achieving that final goal:

 

[DarrylS]

Thinking 19-0 is bad karma, all I care about is going 3-0 in "the tournament"....

 

[supafly]

We have a Thursday night road game in October and in November we have to travel to Denver and then we have a "home" game in Mexico against the Raiders the following week. These games may very well be losses. Yo soy fiesta!

Having 5 away games in 6 matchups will be very difficult, and with 3 in a row to boot ending in a MNF game then @PIT only six days later....those will be difficult odds to overcome.

Personally, I think any talk of 19-0 is ridiculous, but to each their own. This is a thread that should be started in December, not May.

 

[RelocatedPatFan]

The only real reason to go 19-0 is because it it would be historic and shut up the players from the 1972 dolphins. Though, some of them might be so old/on the decline they'd forget that another team had a perfect season and continue with their banter of being the only team to go undefeated.

Let's just win the last game of the season, good enough for me.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

THe first time it's not "too soon" to bring up perfect seasons is when you have possession and a lead with 25 or fewer seconds to go in the Superbowl.

Maybe, but what I'd really like is a 25 point lead with a couple of minutes to go in the Third Quarter.
Then, I'd be getting ready to p-a-r-t-y like it was 2017!

 

[YOUGOTMOSSED]

Having 5 away games in 6 matchups will be very difficult, and with 3 in a row to boot ending in a MNF game then @PIT only six days later....those will be difficult odds to overcome.

Personally, I think any talk of 19-0 is ridiculous, but to each their own. This is a thread that should be started in December, not May.

1 seed with HFA is all I really care about. 16-0 would be nice but 12-4 is probably good enough. 14-2 or 13-3 is realistically achievable.

 

[archstanton543]

There's no way they're going to be able to do 5 out of six games in a row in the second half without losing one or two of them (probably in Denver and maybe even in Mexico City [the Raiders were a good playoff team until extreme bad luck hit them]). Hell, the Atlanta rematch might be a loss too as it took a miracle for the Pats to beat them in the Super Bowl and guess who's going to be super motivated that game when they see a banner that they think should be theirs hanging above the jumbotron.

 

[Raymond]

I think you're all deluding yourselves. This is going to be a very challenging year with serious problems of aging in many areas combined with some fairly high-priced new arrivals that I think will pose serious chemistry problems to the team. I've never seen a team work so hard as the 2016 Patriots, and what did they get for it? Just to be paid half what some guy who hasn't played a down for the Pats has? I think there is a big risk this is going to harm the chemistry, which is going to show up in poor preparation and unintelligent on-field decisions.

Apart from that, the very fact that so many sportscasters are proclaiming the skill of these new acquisitions is a serious tell that the Patriots, who have built their team on undervalued players, are losing their creativity. It's like when Spielberg started casting famous movie stars in his films: you knew he was done.

If average viewers (like sportscasters and the media) can see the strengths of a new acquisition, then so can opposing coaches, and prepare for them. I'd be much more comfortable if the media was insulting the ability of the Patriots players, like they usually do, and then getting perplexed when the Patriots win. Because if the media insults a player, it means the media doesn't understand him, which means he has hidden ability that Belichick can use. When the media compliments a player, it means the media does understand him, which means so do opposing coaches (including the GMs who traded him, or other GMs who declined to trade for him).

Oh look! The dog is back in and not only did he get sprayed by a skunk, he was in the garbage again.

 

[sb1]

I got no problem with thinking 19-0. Let's be honest... we all want them to be 19-0. No point shying away from it. And what happened 10 seasons ago is completely irrelevant to this season. I don't think they'll do it, mostly because the schedule isn't as favorable as it seems and there will probably be a clunker in there - but I'd still love to see it.

If we can't get it then a nice Super Bowl blowout in our favor works for me too.

 

[Simpelton]

No problem with hoping for 19-0. I have a problem with ever expecting it.