NFL poll: Who's the biggest challenger to the Patriots in 2015?

[BOTT]

Baltimore within the conference. Packers and Seahawks in the NFC.

Seattle doesn't even beat out AZ for the division title if Palmer doesn't get hurt

[Gavin]

The Patriots themselves are there biggest challenge....And unforeseen bounces and injuries

[ascalice]

The Patriots always start off slow in the beginning of the season. They lost to Miami and barely beat the Raiders in Foxborough. Also, the 41-14 embarrassment to the Chiefs.

I think my Bills has the best chance of killing the Patriots they bring in a QB like Hoyer or Sanchez. They have Rex Ryan, and they have the pieces.

[Moose Of Woe]

The Patriots always start off slow in the beginning of the season. They lost to Miami and barely beat the Raiders in Foxborough. Also, the 41-14 embarrassment to the Chiefs.

I think my Bills has the best chance of killing the Patriots they bring in a QB like Hoyer or Sanchez. They have Rex Ryan, and they have the pieces.

What an intimidating combination.

[buffalo34]

The Titans (the Patriots play them next year).

 

Two words: Bernard Pollard.

[IcEWoLF]

The Titans (the Patriots play them next year).

Two words: Bernard Pollard.

Bernard Pollard will probably get thrown out of the club by Gronk this time around lol.

[CanuckColt]

The Ravens or any other team from the AFC East.....they have a lot more experience dealing with the Pats.

Yeah, it has to be the Ravens...especially if they improve their team this off-season.

[Coltsman1788]

Biggest challenge will be either the Ravens or Steelers. Styles make fights. Colts as currently configured are a non factor when it comes to beating New England.

[ÅÐØNϧ 1]

As of 2/8/15 @ 6:08pm EST, out of 176578 votes, the poll looks like:

26% Seahawks

29% Packers

13% Cowboys

4% Colts

28% Other

I just find it funny NFL.com put the Colts on there at all. The guy who does those polls has a real sense of humor. I went ahead and voted for the Colts anyways for the lulz.

 

  Spygate - Deflategate  I know nothing ...

[BigQandTheManiac]

The Titans (the Patriots play them next year).

 

Two words: Bernard Pollard.

I thought Bernard Pollard was released by the Titans

[The Old Crow]

Because their coach got exposed

Exposed as an honest guy compared to your coach ?

[The Old Crow]

Such a bad defensive gameplan late in the game against the Pats. Ugh... Why couldn't you guys have held on and won that game???

Should be 4-0 up there instead of 2-2. Even with no secondary this year, we should have beaten them. Brady just took advantage of practice player corners. With Jimmy Smith in there, the Patriots would have lost again to the Ravens.

[ViriLudant]

Should be 4-0 up there instead of 2-2. Even with no secondary this year, we should have beaten them. Brady just took advantage of practice player corners. With Jimmy Smith in there, the Patriots would have lost again to the Ravens.

Right... Whatever helps you sleep at night. And if your team actually susoended Suggs for beating his girlfriend , the team may not have made the playoff .

[SouthernCal]

Right... Whatever helps you sleep at night. And if your team actually susoended Suggs for beating his girlfriend , the team may not have made the playoff .

Bait.

[amfootball]

Should be 4-0 up there instead of 2-2. Even with no secondary this year, we should have beaten them. Brady just took advantage of practice player corners. With Jimmy Smith in there, the Patriots would have lost again to the Ravens.

You lost because Brady outplayed Flacco. Flacco had the game in hand and threw not one but two picks his final two drives to seal the win.

[Superman]

Should be 4-0 up there instead of 2-2. Even with no secondary this year, we should have beaten them. Brady just took advantage of practice player corners. With Jimmy Smith in there, the Patriots would have lost again to the Ravens.

 

Exactly. The way they defended the outside on those late possessions was atrocious, and the tackling was worse. 

[Qwiz]

Should be 4-0 up there instead of 2-2. Even with no secondary this year, we should have beaten them. Brady just took advantage of practice player corners. With Jimmy Smith in there, the Patriots would have lost again to the Ravens.

Teams beat what they have in front of them. And it is a team effort in wins and in losses, two corners didn't single-handedly cost the Ravens that game.

[JerodMayo51]

Should be 4-0 up there instead of 2-2. Even with no secondary this year, we should have beaten them. Brady just took advantage of practice player corners. With Jimmy Smith in there, the Patriots would have lost again to the Ravens.

And if the Patriots didn't lose the majority of their star players to injury the year before, they'd have 5 Lombardi's.

Injuries are a part of football, the Patriots would know better than anyone because they were completely decimated by them in 2013 and had to start 6 rookies on defense.. and name a new defensive captain because all of their original captains were lost for the year

[The Old Crow]

Right... Whatever helps you sleep at night. And if your team actually susoended Suggs for beating his girlfriend , the team may not have made the playoff .

I'm sleeping fine. Between the Colts and Ravens we've had 6 NFL Championships in Baltimore.

[The Old Crow]

You lost because Brady outplayed Flacco. Flacco had the game in hand and threw not one but two picks his final two drives to seal the win.

It's funny , when Flacco outplayed Brady the three previous times, it was because of the Ravens stout defense, or the Patriots shortcomings. When I point out the obvious about the Raven's secondary, you don't afford Flacco the same quarter. I'm not complaining, I know injuries are part of the game. All I'm saying is I believe Jimmy Smith would have made a big impact on that game. We lost, no big deal. Under the circumstances, a pretty good season.

[amfootball]

It's funny , when Flacco outplayed Brady the three previous times, it was because of the Ravens stout defense, or the Patriots shortcomings. When I point out the obvious about the Raven's secondary, you don't afford Flacco the same quarter. I'm not complaining, I know injuries are part of the game. All I'm saying is I believe Jimmy Smith would have made a big impact on that game. We lost, no big deal. Under the circumstances, a pretty good season.

Brady never had a 14 point lead twice in either loss though. Brady played a monumental game to erase two 14 point leads in both halves.

And I am not sure why you keep blaming your secondary. Your line never got to Brady in the second half and he dropped back every down except for the kneel downs at the end.

[SouthernCal]

Brady never had a 14 point lead twice in either loss though. Brady played a monumental game to erase two 14 point leads in both halves.

And I am not sure why you keep blaming your secondary. Your line never got to Brady in the second half and he dropped back every down except for the kneel downs at the end.

I would blame the secondary too. It's like they expect flacco to score 50 since they can't hold a lead.

[Superman]

Brady never had a 14 point lead twice in either loss though. Brady played a monumental game to erase two 14 point leads in both halves.

And I am not sure why you keep blaming your secondary. Your line never got to Brady in the second half and he dropped back every down except for the kneel downs at the end.

 

He was immediately able to zip the ball to his outside receiver because the corner was playing 8-10 yards off. No chance for a pass rush.

[The Old Crow]

Teams beat what they have in front of them. And it is a team effort in wins and in losses, two corners didn't single-handedly cost the Ravens that game.

I think it was pretty clear the Ravens secondary woes were primarily responsible for the loss. The Ravens offense crushed the Pats defense in that game. If we had a typical Baltimore secondary, instead on an injury riddled one, I would have liked their chances a lot better.

[amfootball]

I would blame the secondary too. It's like they expect flacco to score 50 since they can't hold a lead.

Except the Ravens had the ball at the end for the win.

[SouthernCal]

Except the Ravens had the ball at the end for the win.

why are they in position to begin with?

I thought they had two 14 point leads.

[The Old Crow]

He was immediately able to zip the ball to his outside receiver because the corner was playing 8-10 yards off. No chance for a pass rush.

Totally correct. Jimmy Smith would have pressed the receivers , while practice player Melvin was 10 yards off. Webb was still recovering from his second ACL, and had a bad back all year. He was never himself in 2014. Top backup Asa Jackson, out, along with three other CB's. The safeties were banged up also. I'm not taking away from Brady or the Patriots win, but based on that game, I think the Ravens would have had a great chance in that game had Smith played. AM said Brady outplayed Flacco, but did he ? Flacco lit up top corners Revis and Browner, while Brady admittedly took advantage of our battered secondary.

[amfootball]

why are they in position to begin with?

I thought they had two 14 point leads.

Right. Brady's D was awful too which is why he had to come back twice to win the game.

[SouthernCal]

Right. Brady's D was awful too which is why he had to come back twice to win the game.

Revis, Mccourtey, Browner, Chung, Hightower, Vilfork, Collins were awful?

[amfootball]

Revis, Mccourtey, Browner, Chung, Hightower, Vilfork, Collins were awful?

Yes. Check the stat lines. The run D was a sieve and Revis had two key PI and holding penalties.

[Superman]

Totally correct. Jimmy Smith would have pressed the receivers , while practice player Melvin was 10 yards off. Webb was still recovering from his second ACL, and had a bad back all year. He was never himself in 2014. Top backup Asa Jackson, out, along with three other CB's. The safeties were banged up also. I'm not taking away from Brady or the Patriots win, but based on that game, I think the Ravens would have had a great chance in that game had Smith played. AM said Brady outplayed Flacco, but did he ? Flacco lit up top corners Revis and Browner, while Brady admittedly took advantage of our battered secondary.

 

To me, it doesn't matter whether one QB outplayed the other. Like you, I'm not trying to sell Brady short. He played a really good game. But the way the Ravens played off on the outside and then failed to tackle played right into the Pats hands, and it made their comeback that much easier.

[amfootball]

Totally correct. Jimmy Smith would have pressed the receivers , while practice player Melvin was 10 yards off. Webb was still recovering from his second ACL, and had a bad back all year. He was never himself in 2014. Top backup Asa Jackson, out, along with three other CB's. The safeties were banged up also. I'm not taking away from Brady or the Patriots win, but based on that game, I think the Ravens would have had a great chance in that game had Smith played. AM said Brady outplayed Flacco, but did he ? Flacco lit up top corners Revis and Browner, while Brady admittedly took advantage of our battered secondary.

How was the Pats D any better? You ran wild on us all night.

[SouthernCal]

Yes. Check the stat lines. The run D was a sieve and Revis had two key PI and holding penalties.

So they were awful except the 3rd and 4th quarter while the Ravens defense were awful all game.

[SouthernCal]

How was the Pats D any better? You ran wild on us all night.

Not in the 3rd and 4th quarter

[backshoulderfade]

Going to reserve judgement until after the draft. Seems pointless now.

[The Old Crow]

Revis, Mccourtey, Browner, Chung, Hightower, Vilfork, Collins were awful?

Flacco played great going 28 for 45, 292 yards and 4 TD's and 2 Int's. Brady was 33 for 50, for 367 yards, with 3 TD's and 1 Int. Pretty even to me, but it's clear Flacco had the harder way to go against a pretty healthy Patriots D. If the Raven's secondary wasn't a wreck, why did the Patriots rush only 13 times for 14 yards ?

[SouthernCal]

inb4 wall of tactics/strategy

[The Old Crow]

How was the Pats D any better? You ran wild on us all night.

You had the healthier team. You should have won by more than four. Flacco had to take every chance he could, to get points, to cover for that secondary. The last play was a chance too far, but even if the Ravens got that last TD, I think Brady would have brought them back with 1:30 left , and two timeouts. We were lucky we got that far with that secondary. I have reservations about whether we would have beaten the Colts or Seahawks with that patched secondary , so while I except the loss, I'm just making conversation about what may have happened with Smith. Brady and Belichick did the smart move going after the weakness. I would have done the same.

[SouthernCal]

You had the healthier team. You should have won by more than four. Flacco had to take every chance he could, to get points, to cover for that secondary. The last play was a chance too far, but even if the Ravens got that last TD, I think Brady would have brought them back with 1:30 left , and two timeouts. We were lucky we got that far with that secondary. I have reservations about whether we would have beaten the Colts or Seahawks with that patched secondary , so while I except the loss, I'm just making conversation about what may have happened with Smith. Brady and Belichick did the smart move going after the weakness. I would have done the same.

Didn't that Ravens team lost Ray Lewis, Cary Williams, Corey graham, and Ed reed and got worst as the pats displayed the difference last year in Baltimore?

[The Old Crow]

To me, it doesn't matter whether one QB outplayed the other. Like you, I'm not trying to sell Brady short. He played a really good game. But the way the Ravens played off on the outside and then failed to tackle played right into the Pats hands, and it made their comeback that much easier.

Matt Elam was horrible at safety and can't tackle. That is the type of game you need a Pollard or Reed. We need to find physical safeties like those guys that crush the dink and dunks.