New England's remaining schedule

[JerodMayo51]

Dolphins and bills won't be hard for them either. Maybe not even the Chargers.

 

What NFL league have you been watching?  News flash, the Dolphins are legit.. they just SMOKED the Charges and have already beat the Patriots once at home..

 

Bills are playing excellent football.

 

Jets made it a 7 point game against Manning and the Broncos in the 4th quarter until Geno Turnover Smith threw a pick..  All of their games have been very close and they play the Pats like its their Super Bowl every single year because Rex Ryan has a Belichick complex.

 

 

Whatever it takes to try and downplay their potential future successes though.

[JerodMayo51]

For a team we've seen meltdown in the post season now for 10 years straight, I will never understand why people are so scared of New England.

 

 

Even if they get the #1 seed, it's no guarantee that they win it all.

 

NOBODY IS A GUARANTEE TO WIN IT ALL!  This is the NFL son... its EXTREMELY hard to win in this league.

 

The reason people are scared of New England is because they're a well coached and well disciplined team that is lead by the greatest QB in the history of the National Football League..

 

Any given Sunday applies... but when you're against solid teams, with solid coaching and solid QB play, you have to play VERY GOOD football to come away with a victory.

 

THAT is why people are scared of New England.

[JerodMayo51]

I'm glad that the best quarterbacks actually have some big games this year. Aside from the token Brady/Manning, Manning/Luck games that we get some of the time, it seems like Brady, Manning and Rodgers get nothing but easy games. I know it's not true but it seems like the only tough games Aaron Rodgers has ever played have been against whatever NFCW team he ended up against in the playoffs. Manning's schedule is a little easier from here on out but it was loaded to start with.

 

Front loaded schedules favor strong offenses because they're the ones that have the timing and rthym down before a defense does.. Defense takes a considerable amount of time to gel and get on the same page..

 

Manning and the Broncos started the season off strong, but can they continue that level of play in the second half of the season when defenses are starting to gel and have lots of game film on them?

 

We shall see!

[JerodMayo51]

Yep. I've been saying all season the AFC will take the Super Bowl this year .

 

You saying something means nothing.  The team that plays the best football throughout the playoffs & in the Super Bowl will be the one that wins it.

[amfootball]

The last 3 division games scare me more than the next 4. The Pats always handle the NFC. Brady's record against the NFC is just sick. And at SD does not look as difficult as it did a few week ago. Bills and Fins will be brutal and I expect another tough one from the Jets in NY this time unless they have fired everyone by then.

[Narcosys]

Tell me one team that has a tougher schedule?

The Colts with 5 tough games. And don't say the redskins and Browns are not going to be tough teams.

The Browns could legitimately finish 10-6 or even up to 12-4. Insane I know.

Those may be tough teams but not for the Patriots. The patriots should not lose more than 2 games

[Narcosys]

What NFL league have you been watching? News flash, the Dolphins are legit.. they just SMOKED the Charges and have already beat the Patriots once at home..

Bills are playing excellent football.

Jets made it a 7 point game against Manning and the Broncos in the 4th quarter until Geno Turnover Smith threw a pick.. All of their games have been very close and they play the Pats like its their Super Bowl every single year because Rex Ryan has a Belichick complex.

Whatever it takes to try and downplay their potential future successes though.

Just cause they smoked the Chargers doesn't mean they will you. The first loss to them was in miami and it was the first game of the season, hardly a good measuring stick. The Bills are not playing excellent football. 3 of their 5 wins were expected. Plus they have big injuries. Maybe Jackson will be in 100% health for your Game.

So what the Jets made it a 7 point game against the broncos. You just beat the broncos, so by that measure you should beat the Jets...handedly.

I'm not saying they won't be tough games but I don't expect the pats to lose.

Idk what your problem is, but I wasnt down playing anything. I was giving them props. Get over yourself bro.

[oldunclemark]

The last 3 division games scare me more than the next 4. The Pats always handle the NFC. Brady's record against the NFC is just sick. And at SD does not look as difficult as it did a few week ago. Bills and Fins will be brutal and I expect another tough one from the Jets in NY this time unless they have fired everyone by then.

That's funny...a.m.

I see it exactly the opposite way

Green Bay and Detroit will be a problem and playing at San Diego is a pain

but Miami and Buffalo have to PROVE they can win at New England...in December..

Plus,,,we're talking less talented QBs in Miami and Buffalo..

You worry about Rivers and Rodgers..notthe 'Tan Man' and Kyle Orton, right?

[amfootball]

That's funny...a.m.

I see it exactly the opposite way

Green Bay and Detroit will be a problem and playing at San Diego is a pain

but Miami and Buffalo have to PROVE they can win at New England...in December..

Plus,,,we're talking less talented QBs in Miami and Buffalo..

You worry about Rivers and Rodgers..notthe 'Tan Man' and Kyle Orton, right?

These are not the same Bills and Fins as in previous years. They can come into Foxboro and win.

 

The only non-division game that worries me is at Lambeau but I have confidence that Brady will pick apart that GB defense and Rodgers is really limited outside of Nelson. Have to believe the NE secondary can limit the damage from him.

 

I am not afraid of Detroit at all. Although they will have Johnson unless he gets hurt again but it is in Foxboro and I just don't see the Lions staying with the Pats. I was worried about SD a few weeks ago but not anymore. Rivers is not playing well at all even at home.

[Cnr324]

You saying something means nothing.  The team that plays the best football throughout the playoffs & in the Super Bowl will be the one that wins it.

Um o....k.

[Gramz]

  The team that plays the best football throughout the playoffs & in the Super Bowl will be the one that wins it.

So,   that's how it works...???    I never knew.  ;)

 

    , couldn't resist.

[oldunclemark]

12-4....... 11-5 or 10-6 if Gronk goes down

we don't want to be cheering for Gronkowski to get hurt.do we?

I know you don't mean that

[oldunclemark]

These are not the same Bills and Fins as in previous years. They can come into Foxboro and win.

 

The only non-division game that worries me is at Lambeau but I have confidence that Brady will pick apart that GB defense and Rodgers is really limited outside of Nelson. Have to believe the NE secondary can limit the damage from him.

 

I am not afraid of Detroit at all. Although they will have Johnson unless he gets hurt again but it is in Foxboro and I just don't see the Lions staying with the Pats. I was worried about SD a few weeks ago but not anymore. Rivers is not playing well at all even at home.

You have insight on Buffalo and Miami that I do not, clearly. I've seen Miami 3 times and were unimpressed even when they won.

Miami has no running attack.They cant play up north in December without one.

Meanwhile. I think you've even commented previously that San Diego perennially gets better late in the year and Phil Rivers is somewhat better than the lovable Kyle Orton..

Detroit has Bush, Johnson and 2 TEs out. If they are back..you do not want to play them. We see them a lot up here and you cant consistently block them up front

...Do you sincerely believe that Buffalo, which has won 2 gamesby less than 3 points, can win the last game of the season in a winner take all situation against NE? I sure dont

[amfootball]

You have insight on Buffalo and Miami that I do not, clearly. I've seen Miami 3 times and were unimpressed even when they won.

Miami has no running attack.They cant play up north in December without one.

Meanwhile. I think you've even commented previously that San Diego perennially gets better late in the year and Phil Rivers is somewhat better than the lovable Kyle Orton..

Detroit has Bush, Johnson and 2 TEs out. If they are back..you do not want to play them. We see them a lot up here and you cant consistently block them up front

...Do you sincerely believe that Buffalo, which has won 2 gamesby less than 3 points, can win the last game of the season in a winner take all situation against NE? I sure dont

I think Tanny has really progressing this year after a rough start. Fins have a great defense that shut off the Pats in the second half when they played. They always play NE tough and I don't expect any different come Dec.

 

The Bills could fall apart. They have a great game today vs KC at home. If they win that then I think they will establish themselves as a real threat. The Pats had the Bills last game last year and the Bills were playing for nothing and gave us all we could handle in a monsoon. If not for Bount running kickoffs back, not sure we win that game.

 

I think SD is a mirage to be honest. They have so many injuries too and the Pats have done vs them in recent years. I expect a win although a tough game.

 

Detroit is the game I least worried about. Stafford and Cutler are the same guy to me. Big arms that love to throw picks and can be easily rattled. Their secondary is not great either.

[amfootball]

lol. we didn't even talk about Indy. I expect them to play the Pats a lot tougher than Denver did. This may be the game of the year with all the scoring given it pits the two top offenses.

[oldunclemark]

I will say that you cant block Cam Wake (Miami DE) with one guy..Bears tried and got jacked up..

..isn't Miami's record at NE terrible...Play them tough and beat them in NE are two different things..

...Bears play Green Bay tough. They just lose tough.

Sounds like you see more of Miami than I do and I see more of Detroit than you do

[oldunclemark]

lol. we didn't even talk about Indy. I expect them to play the Pats a lot tougher than Denver did. This may be the game of the year with all the scoring given it pits the two top offenses.

That is funny....

I don't have a good handle on that game...I see two teams that cant stop each other indoors.

But the Colts defense is hard to read....0 vs. Cincy...51 vs Pitt.

You tell me,.

[TKnight24]

we don't want to be cheering for Gronkowski to get hurt.do we?

I know you don't mean that

Wasn't cheering. Just saying the Pats are a different team without the guy

[-JJ-]

And the Pats have nothing to play for? 

 

How about every little peasant, couch warming nobody and the media WEASELS who jumped on the "Brady is done, Patriots are average" bandwagon?

 

The Pats aren't finished.. there's something special this year about them that no Statistic could ever possibly show on an excel spreadsheet.

Well the Pats play was a given. Point of the post was they're not playing teams like Jax with not as much to play for. IE every team on that schedule has a winning record except the Jets thus have a shot of at least a WC at this point.

 

I think it's good NE has the tough schedule here on out. If you're really good you'll beat the good teams. If not well...........

[amfootball]

That is funny....

I don't have a good handle on that game...I see two teams that cant stop each other indoors.

But the Colts defense is hard to read....0 vs. Cincy...51 vs Pitt.

You tell me,.

Yeah. I think it is a tough game to predict. I like the Pats because they have done well vs Colts historically but that Colts O is lethal. I think a big key will be containing Luck early like we did in the playoff game last year. If he starts hot then it will be a long night and most likely a shoot out.

[oldunclemark]

Andrew Luck is more difficult to defend than Peyton is

(maybe I should put that on the unpopular opinions thread)

[Moose Of Woe]

Andrew Luck is more difficult to defend than Peyton is

(maybe I should put that on the unpopular opinions thread)

Yes if the noodle giraffe gets flushed out of his spot or his receivers bumped/thrown off he's pretty much toast. The difference is Peyton actually has a line that can pass block, so the former rarely happens. The latter happens all the time against tough defenses and with no run game to help, and that's how you beat Denver.

[oldunclemark]

Pats may have the division clinched beforethose last 3 games

[LordHelpOurColts]

We'll see what they're really made of in the next four games

[GoPats]

Just got to take the Belichick approach... you play who they tell you to play, when and where they tell you to play them! 

 

It's a tough stretch and I wouldn't go so far as to prognosticate how they come out of it. It's going to take a 13-3 record I think to secure the top seed in the AFC, regardless of which team that is. The Pats may be a game up on Denver and Indy, but that could change Sunday with the Colts, and Denver's already played the toughest part of their schedule. 

[chad72]

The Colts have more to lose than NE in terms of their best shot at a bye week having lost the other tie-breaker to the Broncos.

 

NE will only be tied in terms of record with the Colts if they lose this game and still have some margin of error if the Colts lose once more.

 

But IF the Colts lose, they can kiss their chances of a bye week goodbye, IMO.

[-JJ-]

The Colts have more to lose than NE in terms of their best shot at a bye week having lost the other tie-breaker to the Broncos.

 

NE will only be tied in terms of record with the Colts if they lose this game and still have some margin of error if the Colts lose once more.

 

But IF the Colts lose, they can kiss their chances of a bye week goodbye, IMO.

true except HFA bye is pretty big for NE considering Gillette ;)

[Atlas Shrugged NFL]

The Colts have more to lose than NE in terms of their best shot at a bye week having lost the other tie-breaker to the Broncos.

 

NE will only be tied in terms of record with the Colts if they lose this game and still have some margin of error if the Colts lose once more.

 

But IF the Colts lose, they can kiss their chances of a bye week goodbye, IMO.

 

As of now the Colts have better odds to finish the season 13-3 or 12-4 than the Pats do.  After the Pats game the Colts only real competition is the Browns in Cleveland. 

 

Cowboys should be a non-factor.  Romo has two broken bones in his back.

 

I said at the beginning of the year, this schedule is setup to get the Colts the #1 seed and into the super bowl.

[chad72]

true except HFA bye is pretty big for NE considering Gillette ;)

 

I have said this before. HFA is more important for Peyton than for Brady with this current team that they have. Brady can win on the road better than Peyton can for at least 1 playoff game, IMO. Take that for what it is worth.

[-JJ-]

I have said this before. HFA is more important for Peyton than for Brady with this current team that they have. Brady can win on the road better than Peyton can for at least 1 playoff game, IMO. Take that for what it is worth.

yeah but the Gillette factor is still strong with the force ;)

[BloodyChamp]

So much for Rodger's tough schedule. Something always happens so that whoever he's playing forgets how to play football for a week. Watch Gronk get hurt in practice before their game.

[oldunclemark]

that game at Green Bay is looking ominous

[amfootball]

As I was saying to you before Mark, it is the last 3 division games that have me worried the most. Along with GB. The Jets and Bills most likely won't be playing for anything except to spoil our playoff seeding and that is scary. Miami is a legit team too this year so I don't expect them to roll over just because they are coming here in Dec.

 

I like the tough schedule though as I want this team battle tested and confident heading into the post-season. With Denver losing that also give us a little breathing room in terms of the top seed.

[oldunclemark]

a.m.

..as the game approaches...you still think the Lions will gte blown out like the Colts and Broncos did?

The Bills have to survive the blizzard...and I think any fear of the Jets is irrational

[amfootball]

a.m.

..as the game approaches...you still think the Lions will gte blown out like the Colts and Broncos did?

The Bills have to survive the blizzard...and I think any fear of the Jets is irrational

I see Detroit as the classic trap game. It comes right after we took command in the AFC and right before the hardest road trip of the year in Lambeau. I am happy it is in Foxboro but that Detroit D is scary. Their offense though not so much. I don't foresee a blow out.

 

The poor Bills. Six feet of snow and Kyle Orton as their foreseeable QB of the future.

 

I agree about the Jets BUT they almost beat us here in NE. That being said, we usually blow them out in NY for some reason. Still, a team playing for nothing but to ruin NE's playoff seeding makes me worry. I do wonder if Ryan might be fired by then.

[JerodMayo51]

and I think any fear of the Jets is irrational

There is nothing irrational about it, the Jets always play the Pats like it's their personal Super Bowl.

They came within a blocked FG away from beating the Pats in Gilette Stadium and now we have to go on the road to NY and they get to play the spoiler, which is something Rex will go mental over.

He's probably game planning right now for the Pats since they aren't playing for anything but a draft pick at this point. Rex is going to be fired, so mine as well go out with a big middle finger to your arch rival

[chad72]

There is nothing irrational about it, the Jets always play the Pats like it's their personal Super Bowl.

They came within a blocked FG away from beating the Pats in Gilette Stadium and now we have to go on the road to NY and they get to play the spoiler, which is something Rex will go mental over.

He's probably game planning right now for the Pats since they aren't playing for anything but a draft pick at this point. Rex is going to be fired, so mine as well go out with a big middle finger to your arch rival

 

Pats have a tremendous cushion. I would be shocked if the Broncos run the table the rest of the way and it is very likely the Broncos finish 12-4 thus giving the Pats a 2 game cushion essentially for HFA, which I think will go through Foxboro.

 

I see Detroit as the classic trap game. It comes right after we took command in the AFC and right before the hardest road trip of the year in Lambeau. I am happy it is in Foxboro but that Detroit D is scary. Their offense though not so much. I don't foresee a blow out.

 

The poor Bills. Six feet of snow and Kyle Orton as their foreseeable QB of the future.

 

I agree about the Jets BUT they almost beat us here in NE. That being said, we usually blow them out in NY for some reason. Still, a team playing for nothing but to ruin NE's playoff seeding makes me worry. I do wonder if Ryan might be fired by then.

 

Stafford will finally turn it over on the road trying to do too much and it will give short fields for Brady to feast on, IMO, and it will result in a blowout of the 31-14 kind, just not the 40s-20s kind.

[oldunclemark]

There is nothing irrational about it, the Jets always play the Pats like it's their personal Super Bowl.

They came within a blocked FG away from beating the Pats in Gilette Stadium and now we have to go on the road to NY and they get to play the spoiler, which is something Rex will go mental over.

He's probably game planning right now for the Pats since they aren't playing for anything but a draft pick at this point. Rex is going to be fired, so mine as well go out with a big middle finger to your arch rival

The Jets are 2-8....past games don't matter..they just don't..

to worry more about the Jets than the Buffalo snow bills, based on record, is irrational

[oldunclemark]

Rex is irrelevant....he's a losing coach the last couple of years.....,with a big media rep..

Don't worry about Rex

[amfootball]

Rex is irrelevant....he's a losing coach the last couple of years.....,with a big media rep..

Don't worry about Rex