What's the big deal?

[Kontradiction]

Oh dude, I could not WAIT to hear about your trip. What the hell?

At the time, I needed the money worse than the tickets. And this was before Brady went out. Got stuck behind some bills that I am now out from under. I still would have loved to experience Qualcomm with that kind of venom constantly coming at me from the home team fans (even though we got our asses kicked) but right now, I love the fact that I'm relatively debt free.

 

[NEPatriot]

It's 5 games but we didn't play well and our O has been inconsistency.

 

[Kontradiction]

It's 5 games but we didn't play well and our O has been inconsistency.

LMAO. If I ever get time, I have to get around to making a scrap book of all your posts. Not that what you said was wrong, just how you said it.

 

[JMarr]

Re: Whats the big deal?

Last year brought in lots of new fans who think this sucks. Comparatively, that's true.

But it's also the world we live in. Easier to root for the teams that are rolling through the season. It's not instantly satisfying to root for a team that has to work for every win.

We like stuff to be NOW and ASSURED. Quick fix. Instant answers. And we LOVE to be right more than anything in the world, even it it makes us out to be a jacka$s.

I don't think it's odd that on an internet forum where the average age is maybe 35 or less (which fits my demographic too) and those people see the world through the internet more than any other way (usually) we're so divisive. We have no relational stock in one another and probably most of us have never seen the Pats play live.

Much of the backlash might be the heat the bandwagoners take from long-term fans of other teams who know things like "any given Sunday" and realize teams and people perform inconsistently as a result of of the humanness of the game.

I have a friend who's been a Dolphins fan FOREVER. Still a fan. And if he can stick it out this long, so can I.

Just my opinion on it.

3-2 is just the result of willingly shifting the Charger's momentum so we could embarrass them again later on in the season.

Interesting social commentary and there's truth in most of what you say. However the point is more about whether being critical of players, coaches, etc., venting frustration about a loss, or just trying to be an armchair coach/GM makes you a 'bandwagon' fan. Fans who care the most passionately about the team often make the most kneejerk statements. It's just the nature of the beast.

I would guess that there are very few Patriot fans ready to jump ship--they just want to see the ship righted. Those who say there's nothing wrong with this team are the ones who have truly been spoiled by the teams past success.

 

[DESERTPAT]

Why does "Writing off the season" make you a "fairweather fan"? I've been a fan of the Pats for 45 years and will always be a Pats fan but guess what, I've written off this season. It' s called reality my friend, i will continue to root for them but i am not a delusional "kool aid" drinker. The Defense will have to carry the team and from what they've shown it ain't gonna happen.

 

[apple strudel]

Why does "Writing off the season" make you a "fairweather fan"? I've been a fan of the Pats for 45 years and will always be a Pats fan but guess what, I've written off this season. It' s called reality my friend, i will continue to root for them but i am not a delusional "kool aid" drinker. The Defense will have to carry the team and from what they've shown it ain't gonna happen.

It's also just plain disappointment - real fans who wanted their team to do well and had their hopes up will be disappointed when their team starts to suck (not saying we will suck the whole year, mind you). It's natural, but still the die-hards start calling everybody names and generally crap the bed and start the finger pointing. They probably get hemorrhoids from b*tching so much about "true fans".

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

i keep going back to the 2005 season, we sucked as adefense with duane starks, got blown out at denver. We went on a win one lose one stretch until the end and ended up in a AFC div game.
Lets wait and watch.

Yep. I've said it before I'll say it again. It's the little things we need to do to get the ball rolling our way. Yesterday our defense kept us in the game but we screwed up big on the 2nd quarter drive originating inside our 10 (3rd and short fail to convert) and the goal line stand in the 2nd half. Those are two situations you just have to convert. If we dont screw up there it's a good chance the game is 10-10 midway through the 3rd quarter and who knows how things unfold from there.

It may have been a blowout and there is lots to work on, but to me we are not as far off as it seems.

 

[scout]

Look forward to reading your posts Andy. I tend to look at what the rest of the league is doing. Anyone here surprised how Carolina got mauled yesterday. Take a look at the standings, what team that was supposed to be elite is at the top of the standings. I would rather have BB tinker with this team then a lot of those other teams who are making noise. Did you notice the 49ers gave the Eagles all they could handle for most of the game yesterday. Miami, got beat by a point, after beating the Chargers last week.
I'm more concerned with the Patriots defense then Cassell at qb, and I have faith that BB is going to correct some problems that we have. This next game wil be very interesting.

 

[Pats726]

Yep. I've said it before I'll say it again. It's the little things we need to do to get the ball rolling our way. Yesterday our defense kept us in the game but we screwed up big on the 2nd quarter drive originating inside our 10 (3rd and short fail to convert) and the goal line stand in the 2nd half. Those are two situations you just have to convert. If we dont screw up there it's a good chance the game is 10-10 midway through the 3rd quarter and who knows how things unfold from there.

It may have been a blowout and there is lots to work on, but to me we are not as far off as it seems.

I tend to agree...and because of what happened after..well..that happens..but if those situations had been different..I do think it may have been MORE of a game..

 

[NEPatriot]

LMAO. If I ever get time, I have to get around to making a scrap book of all your posts. Not that what you said was wrong, just how you said it.

I gladly sign your book. What is wrong with how I say it?

 

[Rob0729]

We are 3-2. OK, I get it, that's not 5-0. But its not 0-5 either.
We have lost twice, in games where we progressively played worse as the game unfloded and we were playing frm behind.

We have played FIVE games we have ELEVEN left.
Why am I seeing fairweather fans writing off the season?

Why am I seeing the same fans who watched the Pats start 2005 even worse than they have started 2008 then said we were screwed in the playoffs and playing better than any team in the NFL, now saying this season is over?

Why is it that fans turn on this team (saying we suck and the season is over is turning on the team) when it is no longer arguable as an iron-clad favorite?
Why would fans not stay supportive of a team that is 3-2, one game out of first place, has 68% of its season left to play?

I'm sitting here saying if we can beat Denver at home, we should be able to beat the Rams, then its us vs the also 3-2 Colts, for us to be either 6-2 or 5-3 at the halfway point, and the rest of the so-called fans on this board are giving up on the season. I don't get it.

Hasn't anyone been paying attention? Hasn't anyone noticed that, we have had severe defieciencies, just like every team has, in Championship years, and corrected them. Why would we not want to give Bill Belichick the opportunity to take the next 3 months to correct these, before proclaiming hopelessness.

Is it arrogance?
Ignorance?
Spoiled?

I'll co-sign this post. I am already tired of the complaining and it is only Monday.

It is a long season. The Giants were 3-2 last year and didn't look like a strong team at this point. The Giants fans wanted to run Eli out on a rail too. Not saying that the Pats will have anywhere close to the same fortune, but it does show that it is too early in the season to give up on any team that doesn't have at least 4-5 losses.

 

[Ring 6]

Why are people writing off the season while we are only 3-2 you ask?

Because Cassel has not been able to pass consistently for more than 10 yards in his 5th game as QB and you don't win games if you can't pass deep - 5 yard outs may moves the chains every once in a while but you need to soften defenses by making them respect the long pass -

No long pass = Defensive pressure non stop and Cassel will eventually get annihilated behind the right side of this worthless OL

Plus the secondary is scaring no one - Rivers took his first pass deep which shows how much they thought it was easy to pick on O'Neal all game,other teams will do the same

That is exactly what they said about Brady our first 2 SB Championships.
It's a joke when John Madden gets on TV and says 80% of his passes are less than 10 yards, when that numbers is very, very similar with ALL QBs.
I remember researching it when Brady was being accused of dink and dunk in 2001, and the raw perentage sounded like he couldn't reach the sidelines from the middle of the field, but compared to all other QBs he was very, very similar.

Again, you make my point. After 5 games you have decided what Cassel can't do, and that he will get annihilated and our OL is worthless.

We are 3-2 anmd there are 11 games left.

Unless you are Biff from Back to the Future, you do not know what those 11 games will bring.

 

[JoeSixPat]

I'm not sure if you're joking or not Andy, but perhaps I should state the obvious and note that more than a few fans are looking past the actual record and are noting the poor play, poor execution, and growing injury list.

If the team were even 2-3 but were playing well on both sides of the ball yet jusst falling short, you might have an even stronger point to make.

But given the poor performance of the defense as well as the offense, I think you're stretching to suggest that this is a strong 3-2 team. Those players that aren't injured do not appear to be playing at the level we've come to expect from the Patriots - certainly the coaches seem to be voicing that as well.

That's the big deal.

(And by the way - you're not a fair weather fan if you expect maximum effort out of everyone on the team - not just the super stars... in past years we've seen second and third stringers step up and play well during times of injuries. THAT's the Patriot way. No excuses - you play hard all the time whether on 1st string or third. Excuse those of us who aren't fans of mediocrity, or who will cheer mediocre play because of the laundry. No one is any less of a fan because they don't see the point of cheering the team when they play badly.)

 

[MassPats38]

I watched the Cardinals-Cowboys game in Arizona Sunday and wondered why all those fans were there cheering that team. 3-2, blown out recently by the Jets, lost to the only respectable team it had played (Washington), and has a once great QB who seems to lose the ball 3 times a game minimum. Surprisingly, there seemed to be a pretty good fan base in attendance. And that team has no positive history.

I didn't like the Chargers game and didn't like the Dolphins game, largely because it didn't seem like the defense showed up to play. I believe the defensive linemen are good, as well as the LB corps, but they never pressured Rivers. It almost seemed like they were holding the line waiting for LT and gave Rivers all day to carve up the secondary. I can accept losses, I just want the team to compete.

I will not write off the season as anybody who watched the Jets beat up on the Cardinals witnessed a similar spectacle. The team simply didn't respond well to an extra week away from home. It did not suddenly become lousy (I am not saying the Cardinals are good yet, they just seeem to be able to compete and have beaten decent teams).

Are there intangibles that affect teams other than pure ability? I think there are. Did the Chargers need this win at home? Believe it, and they played like it. Did the Patriot need the win last year when they drubbed the Chargers? Absolutely. This time? Not as much as the Chargers needed it and it showed.

It is not kool-aid chugging to study history and say Belichick has a track record of identifying and fixing defensive and offensive weaknesses with the Patriots. To counter that argument with the response "that was different" doesn't answer why this situation is different and why the problem(s) cannot be fixed. I am not sure if the two losses are a product of game plans, age/ability, chemistry, role changes, etc., but I will give the organization some leeway in efforts to address those issues given recent history.

If you write the team off now at 3-2 and it actually manages to correct those deficiencies, how can you return later in the season when the wins accumulate and not call yourself a bandwagon fan? That's pretty much the definition of bandwagon fan (one who is with the team when it's winning and absent when it's losing - whether you joined the bandwagon last year or have 4 decades of history jumping on and off the bandwagon). If this team is battling for wins, regardless of the game outcome, I am am happy to watch them do so.

 

[maverick4]

7 years ago, the Patriots lost a close contest to the Rams, which put them at a 5-5 record for the season.

They had lost their all-pro QB for the season, had a 2nd year no-name who didn't even start many games in his last year in college, and our offense consisted of journeymen offensive lineman, tiny wide receivers, cast-off Antowain Smith, and a defense that was filled with old guys nobody else wanted.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

the question is how many times will Cassel get sacked and will this hammering get him injured? not a good scenario

 

[Kontradiction]

I watched the Cardinals-Cowboys game in Arizona Sunday and wondered why all those fans were there cheering that team. 3-2, blown out recently by the Jets, lost to the only respectable team it had played (Washington), and has a once great QB who seems to lose the ball 3 times a game minimum. Surprisingly, there seemed to be a pretty good fan base in attendance. And that team has no positive history.

I didn't like the Chargers game and didn't like the Dolphins game, largely because it didn't seem like the defense showed up to play. I believe the defensive linemen are good, as well as the LB corps, but they never pressured Rivers. It almost seemed like they were holding the line waiting for LT and gave Rivers all day to carve up the secondary. I can accept losses, I just want the team to compete.

I will not write off the season as anybody who watched the Jets beat up on the Cardinals witnessed a similar spectacle. The team simply didn't respond well to an extra week away from home. It did not suddenly become lousy (I am not saying the Cardinals are good yet, they just seeem to be able to compete and have beaten decent teams).

Are there intangibles that affect teams other than pure ability? I think there are. Did the Chargers need this win at home? Believe it, and they played like it. Did the Patriot need the win last year when they drubbed the Chargers? Absolutely. This time? Not as much as the Chargers needed it and it showed.

It is not kool-aid chugging to study history and say Belichick has a track record of identifying and fixing defensive and offensive weaknesses with the Patriots. To counter that argument with the response "that was different" doesn't answer why this situation is different and why the problem(s) cannot be fixed. I am not sure if the two losses are a product of game plans, age/ability, chemistry, role changes, etc., but I will give the organization some leeway in efforts to address those issues given recent history.

If you write the team off now at 3-2 and it actually manages to correct those deficiencies, how can you return later in the season when the wins accumulate and not call yourself a bandwagon fan? That's pretty much the definition of bandwagon fan (one who is with the team when it's winning and absent when it's losing - whether you joined the bandwagon last year or have 4 decades of history jumping on and off the bandwagon). If this team is battling for wins, regardless of the game outcome, I am am happy to watch them do so.

I agree with your post except for the very last line. I will be here every game. I was there last night as well. From what I saw, the team wasn't exactly "battling" for a win.

 

[Stop Being A Jerk]

Re: Whats the big deal?

Interesting social commentary and there's truth in most of what you say. However the point is more about whether being critical of players, coaches, etc., venting frustration about a loss, or just trying to be an armchair coach/GM makes you a 'bandwagon' fan. Fans who care the most passionately about the team often make the most kneejerk statements. It's just the nature of the beast.

I would guess that there are very few Patriot fans ready to jump ship--they just want to see the ship righted. Those who say there's nothing wrong with this team are the ones who have truly been spoiled by the teams past success.

Yay!!!!!!!

 

[JoeSixPat]

From what I saw, the team wasn't exactly "battling" for a win.

To some suggesting that the team wasn't giving 100% in this game or any others (such as against the Dolphins) is the ultimate heretical statement.

They want you to "prove" what you say you saw - and if you don't have 100% proof, shame on you for suggesting they weren't giving their all.

If you're not a fair weather fan you ignore such things, and tell yourself that there's no reason to be down when your team is 3-2, regardless of their performance.

 

[Ring 6]

The big deal is that for the past seven years we have had Tom Brady

to help the Pats get over a crushing defeat. Matt Cassel isn't any Tom

Brady.

Last I checked the other 31 teams dont have Tom Brady either.