Who Can Challenge Pats in the AFC?

[jam757]

rofl... I swear to god this is beyond funny...

So there are people here who actually think that one of the bottom 5 QBs in the league, a defense that played the weakest schedule in ages and a historically bad offense would be an issue for this diverse Patriots team. Comedy gold...

Again, similar to Eli he does raise his level of play. Sub-par regular seasons but pretty damn clutch when it's on the line. I just think they really don't have any weapons this year compared to past years. If they had some real deep threats they would be dangerous. Hell, I am not that concerned but had to vote for someone and actually would enjoy seeing the Ravens knocked out of the playoffs.

 

[Jangles]

Cleveland looks like they’re about to go on a run

I vote them

 

[luuked]

Again, similar to Eli he does raise his level of play. Sub-par regular seasons but pretty damn clutch when it's on the line. I just think they really don't have any weapons this year compared to past years. If they had some real deep threats they would be dangerous. Hell, I am not that concerned but had to vote for someone and actually would enjoy seeing the Ravens knocked out of the playoffs.

He had exactly one good post season run in 2012 and since then has done absolutely nothing in the playoffs or regular season to be considered anything but a bad QB. There is nothing clutch about Flacco.

 

[Pats1989]

rofl... I swear to god this is beyond funny...

So there are people here who actually think that one of the bottom 5 QBs in the league, a defense that played the weakest schedule in ages and a historically bad offense would be an issue for this diverse Patriots team. Comedy gold...

I'd rather face Ben Roethlisberger or Peyton Manning in January than Joe Flacco or Eli Manning ( Feb). I'm likely not the only fan who has felt that way through the years. I don't know if it's schemes or what...but they've driven the Patriots crazy!!

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Which team seems to play to their potential vs. the Patriots on a consistent basis year-in and year-out, and never seems to be too intimidated, too cautious, or too desperate?

Seems like the Ravens to me.

But...

When the Patriots beat the Jets 45-3 on December 6 in 2010, it certainly looked like the Jets would be no threat at all in the playoffs, but they were.

So... everyone with a chance to get there is a potential threat and could win, particularly if the Patriots eff things up or suffer more key injuries.

 

[luuked]

I'd rather face Ben Roethlisberger or Peyton Manning in January than Joe Flacco or Eli Manning ( Feb). I'm likely not the only fan who has felt that way through the years. I don't know if it's schemes or what...but they've driven the Patriots crazy!!

2012 is 5 years ago. I dont remember being driven crazy by the Ravens recently at all. People are just afraid of names and colors and not reality.

 

[Pats1989]

2012 is 5 years ago. I dont remember being driven crazy by the Ravens recently at all. People are just afraid of names and colors and not reality.

The Ravens had two seperate 14 point leads in the division game. They also started to make a comeback last season before the Patriots pulled away. I know we beat them to a pulp in 2013. Otherwise, we've always had tightly contested affairs.

Off topic, but I wouldn't be shocked if the Jags knock off the Steelers and they're here for the AFCCG.

 

[A Defiant Goose]

rofl... I swear to god this is beyond funny...

So there are people here who actually think that one of the bottom 5 QBs in the league, a defense that played the weakest schedule in ages and a historically bad offense would be an issue for this diverse Patriots team. Comedy gold...

Gee, could have nothing to do with seeing similarly built teams with bad QBs and good defenses take out NE. Couldn't possibly be because we've seen it happen in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2015.

 

[fxmallon]

To me the obvious answer to the question asked is the team that can secure home field advantage up to the Super Bowl. So there's only one answer, and that is Pittsburgh. They are our biggest challenge. If we secure the #1 seed, then we can talk about the other good teams in the playoffs who we might very well face and ask which will give us the toughest time at Gillette Stadium.

 

[pazrul72]

Step 1 to beating NE be able to make Brady get rid of it before he wants to consistently rushing just 4 because he eats blitzes alive. Step 2 play mistake free keep away ball control offense while scoring TD's and not settling for FG's. Step 3 recognize they are just human and don't let the moment be too big because if you try to do too much they will feast on your mistakes.
Based on those parameters while the Steelers or ravens are the popular choice I voted Jags. They have a fierce pass rush that can make anybody uncomfortable. Obviously they need to make sure Bottles is nothing more then a game manager but they have the run game to make that happen. Finally sometimes being a young team is better then having gotten your ass handed to you a bunch of times and thinking oh **** not again. I still think the pats win especially in Gillette but the team that most closely matches teams NE has lost crucial playoff games in the past to is the Jags.

 

[JJR4884]

Ravens and thats about it. The steelers are terrible for a match up and Brady eats them up alive. Tenn and Jags are great teams, but lets be honest here... i think they need to have a few humbling experiences first before they learn how to play the patriots. They might be good on paper but i don't think they can prep effectively against us.

 

[BlueThunder]

The formula to beat brady has always been rush 4 and drop 7 into coverage. Jacksonville could give the offense some fits. Super important to get Hogan healthy. Gronk, Dola, Hogan, Cooks and Mitchell would be tough to stop, even for Jax .

The formula for that is a heavy dose of spread em out and Burkhead and Lewis them to death until they change the D and then pass them to death If Gronk and Hogan GTG it will be a double digit win...

 

[NormZauchin]

The Ravens, because they have the winningest, err, whiningest coach.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

If you play the 2 teams 5000 times in a Monte Carlo simulation, nobody.

If they play once and one team goes home, as in the NFL playoffs?

Unfortunately, any of the above.

When we understand that, we win. More than any other team, the NE culture has excelled at getting that across.

But yeah the Jags scare me.

 

[Schmo]

Voted Steelers, but KC has kicked our butts. Granted they were early season games, but that just doesn't happen to BB/Brady teams.

I could see KC as the AFC version of the giants.....sneaking in at 9-7 and having their crappy QB get hot.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

The formula for that is a heavy dose of spread em out and Burkhead and Lewis them to death until they change the D and then pass them to death If Gronk and Hogan GTG it will be a double digit win...

of course this all depends on the OL holding up...if it goes the route of the 2007 super bowl then...