To those criticizing the weak schedule so far

[FlyingElvis75]

Yes, we all know the Pats' opponents have a combined record of 4-12 so far. Press and fans (mostly from other teams) use that to talk about how the Pats are overhyped, haven't been tested, aren't as good as they seem, etc.

Certainly a case can be made for overhyped, and for various reasons, I personally don't see them going 16-0. But people who keep playing the "Pats haven't played anybody" yet might want to keep the following facts in mind:

NYJ in non-NE games:
Avg Pts For: 19.3
Avg. Yds For: 302
vs. NE: 14 (-5.3), 227 (-75)
Avg. Pts Against: 21.7
Avg. Yds Against: 344
vs. NE: 38 (+16.3), 431 (+87)

SD in non-NE games:
PF: 18
YF: 320
vs. NE: 14 (-4), 201 (-119)
PA: 21.3
YA: 332
vs. NE: 38 (+16.7), 407 (+75)

BUF in non-NE games:
PF: 11.3
YF: 237
vs. NE: 7 (-4.3), 193 (-44)
PA: 18.3
YA: 412
vs. NE: 38 (+19.7), 485 (+73)

CIN in non-NE games:
PF: 31
YF: 397
vs. NE: 13 (-18.0), 283 (-114)
PA: 31.7
YA: 408
vs. NE: 34 (+2.3), 404 (-4)

In short: The competition may be bad, but the Pats, in nearly all cases, have made them look worse than they've been in other games. When the variable "Playing Patriots" is "Yes" for these teams, they have scored fewer points, gained fewer yards, allowed more points, and allowed more yards (Cincy excepted) than normal. That is remarkable, even through just a quarter of the season, and undermines arguments that the 4-0 start is "meaningless" because the competition has been weak. Yes, the competition has been weak, but the Patriots have made them look weaker than they otherwise are.

It should be obvious that this isn't just a natural by-product of losing - the Bengals, for example, scored more points in their Cleveland loss than any other team here, and the Chargers and Bengals have both scored fewer points in their wins than in some of their losses.

 

[naclone]

i'm still trying to get an answer to the "who has a tough schedule?" question.

anyone?

 

[hartleeyikes]

Who cares? We're don't have to wait for our BCS standings to tell us how our season turned out.

Ask Randy how dominant that 15-1 Vikings team was. Not dominant enough to beat Atlanta in the playoffs. Strength of schedule is as relevant as those "we were the better team" cries we heard from the Steelers and Raiders.

 

[FlyingElvis75]

i'm still trying to get an answer to the "who has a tough schedule?" question.

anyone?

Well, according to one (fairly simplistic) measure by CHFF, the Cowboys and Colts have both had "tougher" schedules, since they have each played at least one team with a winning record (excluding games against them).

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

I view it a little differently,
Week 1 we played the team, Jets that we knocked out of the playoffs last year, in their house. Revenge should have been on the Jets agenda, and we killed them.
Week 2 we played another team, Chargers, that we knocked out of the playoffs last year, who had just beaten the other team that played in last years Superbowl. Revenge should have been on the Chargers agenda as well, and we killed them too.
Week 3 was "just another team"
Week 4 was supposedly a high powered offensive team in their house. That team had already beaten a playoff team from last year (RAvens) and scored over 100 points in three weeks. They should have been ready and willing to go toe to toe. It wasn't even close.....

I see 3 opponents that had a reason to play us tough and maybe they were playing us as tough as they could, but we are just that much better.

 

[BelichickFan]

Additionally, I'm not sure SD and Cincy are weak, 1-3 opponents. Sure that's their record. But look at the teams that have beaten them. If you look at the opponents of SD and Cincy and take out the wins against SD and Cincy those teams have a 16-5 combined record so far. I'd put money on those two being over .500 the rest of the way and not being weak teams; just teams who have played good teams so far.

 

[FlyingElvis75]

Well, my point really was, weak or strong, the Pats have played them better than their average opponent has so far. Yeah, it's impressive to be 4-0, but the fact that the Pats have outperformed the average against those teams in 15 of 16 other categories is even more impressive. It would be one thing if Pats opponents outperformed their average when they played NE; then the idea that the victories were "flukes" or somehow not indicative of the Patriots' ability might hold some water. As it is, the figures seem to undermine the notion that the Pats are somehow "not as good as their record."

If you add to that the idea that opponents have had some sort of extra motivation vs. the Patriots, it makes the figures even more impressive. If they played beyond their "typical" abilities vs. NE, their numbers in those games would be even worse had they played according to their "typical" abilities. But that factor isn't quantifiable.

 

[Sivy]

I can already hear madden saying it during their last mnf game of the season

"people we saying that this team might not be as good as they seemed at the begining of the season because of their easy schedule, but now no one is saying anything because they are that good" (it sounds better if you imitate maddens voice when reading it, we all know its true)

 

[BrianPat]

I view it a little differently,
Week 1 we played the team, Jets that we knocked out of the playoffs last year, in their house. Revenge should have been on the Jets agenda, and we killed them.
Week 2 we played another team, Chargers, that we knocked out of the playoffs last year, who had just beaten the other team that played in last years Superbowl. Revenge should have been on the Chargers agenda as well, and we killed them too.
Week 3 was "just another team"
Week 4 was supposedly a high powered offensive team in their house. That team had already beaten a playoff team from last year (RAvens) and scored over 100 points in three weeks. They should have been ready and willing to go toe to toe. It wasn't even close.....

I see 3 opponents that had a reason to play us tough and maybe they were playing us as tough as they could, but we are just that much better.

I'm digging everything you said !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Blue18]

Who cares you beat who's on the schedule. If the Pats made their own schedule then I'd complain.