Week one opponent, Pats?

[dw49]

You can throw that stat out the window when talking about the pats. Idk if you've been paying attention, but they have made the playoffs every single year except the year brady went down. SB victory or not, makes no difference with that franchise. 

 

 

No , I've been paying attention.. honest. What I'm saying is an 11-5 team can improve enough to beat a 12-4 team that maybe will decline a bit. Happens all the time. To say that a team that went to the AFCCG has no chance of winning next year is moronic. They are young , have a franchise QB and are around 35 mill under the cap. Because they were blown out twice by NE in 2015 doesn't mean they have no chance in 2016. That's ignorant.

[amfootball]

No , I've been paying attention.. honest. What I'm saying is an 11-5 team can improve enough to beat a 12-4 team that maybe will decline a bit. Happens all the time. To say that a team that went to the AFCCG has no chance of winning next year is moronic. They are young , have a franchise QB and are around 35 mill under the cap. Because they were blown out twice by NE in 2015 doesn't mean they have no chance in 2016. That's ignorant.

To your point, look no further than Denver and NE last year vs this year. Denver dominated the Pats in the AFCCG last year and then both teams retooled in the off-season and the Pats dominated them in the rematch.

[dw49]

To your point, look no further than Denver and NE last year vs this year. Denver dominated the Pats in the AFCCG last year and then both teams retooled in the off-season and the Pats dominated them in the rematch.

 

 

I think either we have some brand new fans to the NFL or we have another type poster. The first two blowouts mean nothing for obvious reasons. The 3rd "blowout " was actually close for most of the game. The 4th was a perfect game played by a coaching staff and probably 20 out of 22 guys. I mean you guys came maybe one of 3 fumbles taking a normal bounce (vs Balt) from not even playing in the last game. The Colts need to figure out why they play the run pretty well vs every team other than NE and then  add another WR that can get open. Or they need NE to lose a guy like Revis or Gronk. No question NE is a better team going into the offseason but usually something happens along the way to even the playing field.

[bap1331]

Week 1 is always the super bowl winner vs the team that lost in the other conference championship. Which would be the packers vs patriots.

[amfootball]

I think either we have some brand new fans to the NFL or we have another type poster. The first two blowouts mean nothing for obvious reasons. The 3rd "blowout " was actually close for most of the game. The 4th was a perfect game played by a coaching staff and probably 20 out of 22 guys. I mean you guys came maybe one of 3 fumbles taking a normal bounce (vs Balt) from not even playing in the last game. The Colts need to figure out why they play the run pretty well vs every team other than NE and then  add another WR that can get open. Or they need NE to lose a guy like Revis or Gronk. No question NE is a better team going into the offseason but usually something happens along the way to even the playing field.

Yeah, why do they give up the rushing yardage to the Pats? Do you think it is scheme? I mean Blount is an average back at best except when he plays the Colts. And Gray barely ever played again for the Pats after scoring 4 TDs vs you guys in the regular season.

[dw49]

Yeah, why do they give up the rushing yardage to the Pats? Do you think it is scheme? I mean Blount is an average back at best except when he plays the Colts. And Gray barely ever played again for the Pats after scoring 4 TDs vs you guys in the regular season.

 

 

Scheme and the fact we can't run the ball vs leads to NE wearing our defense down. That's what my opinion would be ...

[amfootball]

Scheme and the fact we can't run the ball vs leads to NE wearing our defense down. That's what my opinion would be ...

No one has said it but the NE defense was awful in the post-season this year. Their only good game was the Colts. They average over a 100 yards on the ground vs both the Ravens and Seahawks and Flacco picked them apart until the final possession and Wilson hit several deep balls. Brady really saved the day all post-season. I don't know what happened but the defense might have played its worst post-season out of all the SB runs we have had.

[dw49]

No one has said it but the NE defense was awful in the post-season this year. Their only good game was the Colts. They average over a 100 yards on the ground vs both the Ravens and Seahawks and Flacco picked them apart until the final possession and Wilson hit several deep balls. Brady really saved the day all post-season. I don't know what happened but the defense might have played its worst post-season out of all the SB runs we have had.

Good point and even that last drive vs Balt was Flacco throwing a bone head pass.

[Ohio Colt]

I'm so tired of losing to them in blowout fashion. I mean it's really making me realize Pagano is a second rate coach.

[Kylo Ren]

Week 1 is always the super bowl winner vs the team that lost in the other conference championship. Which would be the packers vs patriots.

If that was true then the Seahawks would've played the Patriots for week one this past season

[Superman]

Week 1 is always the super bowl winner vs the team that lost in the other conference championship. Which would be the packers vs patriots.

No it's not. And the Patriots don't play the Packers next season. They don't play them again until 2018, unless they meet in the Super Bowl.

[RandomFan]

No one has said it but the NE defense was awful in the post-season this year. Their only good game was the Colts. They average over a 100 yards on the ground vs both the Ravens and Seahawks and Flacco picked them apart until the final possession and Wilson hit several deep balls. Brady really saved the day all post-season. I don't know what happened but the defense might have played its worst post-season out of all the SB runs we have had.

 

I disagree, idk what games you were watching. I think the only bad game the patriots defense had was against the ravens. They weren't GREAT against the seahawks but they made more than enough important key stops to not be declared "awful". Do you not remember when the game was 24-14 and the patriots offense failed to score on their next like 3 drives? If the defense gives up a score on just one of those drives the patriots probably lose.. The defense more than held their own when they had to. That's not to even mention they were playing great to start the game too. The defense was a big part of that SB win.

[amfootball]

I disagree, idk what games you were watching. I think the only bad game the patriots defense had was against the ravens. They weren't GREAT against the seahawks but they made more than enough important key stops to not be declared "awful". Do you not remember when the game was 24-14 and the patriots offense failed to score on their next like 3 drives? If the defense gives up a score on just one of those drives the patriots probably lose.. The defense more than held their own when they had to. That's not to even mention they were playing great to start the game too. The defense was a big part of that SB win.

The Patriots defense let up an average of 27 points between the Ravens in Hawks games. We agree they were awful vs the Ravens as the two picks that Flacco threw at the end were on him verses the Pats making a great play.

 

In terms of the Super Bowl, they were not awful but I would say below average to poor. They did start the game well but let up a TD with 31 seconds to play in the second half which was a game changing drive given they dominated the first half and were up 14-7 only to let the Hawks travel 80 yards in 29 seconds. In terms of the stats, the Pats gave up  a whopping 162 yards on the ground on 29 carries which is over 5 yards per carry. Atrocious. They let up pass plays of 31, 45, 33 and 25 so they gave up big chunk yardage threw the air which were key on every Seattle scoring drive. They did have a great fourth quarter with key stops and of course the pick at the end but Brady is the one that led the team back from 10 down to keep it a game at the end and he did so without any run game as Blount had 40 yards on the night on 14 carries.

 

As I said before, this was probably the worst performance by the defense in the post-season in all of the SB runs.

[ViriLudant]

The Patriots defense let up an average of 27 points between the Ravens in Hawks games. We agree they were awful vs the Ravens as the two picks that Flacco threw at the end were on him verses the Pats making a great play.

In terms of the Super Bowl, they were not awful but I would say below average to poor. They did start the game well but let up a TD with 31 seconds to play in the second half which was a game changing drive given they dominated the first half and were up 14-7 only to let the Hawks travel 80 yards in 29 seconds. In terms of the stats, the Pats gave up a whopping 162 yards on the ground on 29 carries which is over 5 yards per carry. Atrocious. They let up pass plays of 31, 45, 33 and 25 so they gave up big chunk yardage threw the air which were key on every Seattle scoring drive. They did have a great fourth quarter with key stops and of course the pick at the end but Brady is the one that led the team back from 10 down to keep it a game at the end and he did so without any run game as Blount had 40 yards on the night on 14 carries.

As I said before, this was probably the worst performance by the defense in the post-season in all of the SB runs.

So we will just ignore the AFCCG then?

[amfootball]

So we will just ignore the AFCCG then?

No, they played great in that game as I said. But when the offense is that dominant the defense can pin back its ears and just go.

[TKnight24]

No one has said it but the NE defense was awful in the post-season this year. Their only good game was the Colts. They average over a 100 yards on the ground vs both the Ravens and Seahawks and Flacco picked them apart until the final possession and Wilson hit several deep balls. Brady really saved the day all post-season. I don't know what happened but the defense might have played its worst post-season out of all the SB runs we have had.

So we will just ignore the AFCCG then?

"Their only good game was the "

Pretty sure AM addressed that, so how is it "ignoring" the AFCCG?

"Reading is Fundamental"

[SteelCityColt]

There's something surreal about watching 3 Pats fans argue amongst themselves about something completely tangential...

 

Makes a change to the usual  

[ViriLudant]

"Their only good game was the "

Pretty sure AM addressed that, so how is it "ignoring" the AFCCG?

"Reading is Fundamental"

Claiming that the defense was awful when for half of that time (Colts' game, 1st half of SB) they were dominant does not back up her claim. At all.

[GwinnettColt]

Colts have a chance at beating any team in the league.  With an improved o-line and getting back to the fundamentals on defense, they can win.  They have to prepare better next game instead of going into it as if it's a preseason game like they seem to do a lot this past season, including the AFC Championship Game.  

[amfootball]

Claiming that the defense was awful when for half of that time (Colts' game, 1st half of SB) they were dominant does not back up her claim. At all.

How would you compare this defensive performance to our SB playoff runs? The only game I can think of where the defense was lousy was the Panthers SB game in the second half. And we lost Rodney to a broken arm allowing them to tear us up through the air.

 

Even the awful 2011 defense stepped it up in the post-season.

[RandomFan]

The Patriots defense let up an average of 27 points between the Ravens in Hawks games. We agree they were awful vs the Ravens as the two picks that Flacco threw at the end were on him verses the Pats making a great play.

 

In terms of the Super Bowl, they were not awful but I would say below average to poor. They did start the game well but let up a TD with 31 seconds to play in the second half which was a game changing drive given they dominated the first half and were up 14-7 only to let the Hawks travel 80 yards in 29 seconds. In terms of the stats, the Pats gave up  a whopping 162 yards on the ground on 29 carries which is over 5 yards per carry. Atrocious. They let up pass plays of 31, 45, 33 and 25 so they gave up big chunk yardage threw the air which were key on every Seattle scoring drive. They did have a great fourth quarter with key stops and of course the pick at the end but Brady is the one that led the team back from 10 down to keep it a game at the end and he did so without any run game as Blount had 40 yards on the night on 14 carries.

 

As I said before, this was probably the worst performance by the defense in the post-season in all of the SB runs.

 

This is why I like to watch the games and not just look at a stat sheet. I saw the patriots defense come up with multiple, crucial 3rd down stops to keep the patriots in the game when the offense wasn't doing anything at all. As I said I'm not saying the defense played great, but they were definitely a big part of the win. The patriots don't win that game without the defense coming up with multiple huge stops, which they did. I just felt like you were trying to make it seem like the offense did all the work and carried the defense and that is just simply not true. I think both the offense and the defense showed up in the SB. Maybe not for the entire game, but when it mattered most, both the offense and the defense got the job done. 

[amfootball]

This is why I like to watch the games and not just look at a stat sheet. I saw the patriots defense come up with multiple, crucial 3rd down stops to keep the patriots in the game when the offense wasn't doing anything at all. As I said I'm not saying the defense played great, but they were definitely a big part of the win. The patriots don't win that game without the defense coming up with multiple huge stops, which they did. I just felt like you were trying to make it seem like the offense did all the work and carried the defense and that is just simply not true. I think both the offense and the defense showed up in the SB. Maybe not for the entire game, but when it mattered most, both the offense and the defense got the job done. 

Sure, takes a total team effort. The offense did carry the team all post-season IMO with the comebacks and the blow out win vs the Colts. I was expecting more from the defense. It had looked very good in the regular season from week 5 on. It did step up situationally but I was surprised at how bad it looked at times.

[masterlock]

Sure, they may lose Revis. But they didn't have Revis in 2 of the 4 matchups. May lose Blount, same thing.

Yes, the Pats are good at talent evaluation, and plugging in the right personnel. They tend to make sound decisions, and that's the main reason they've been so successful. It's not an accident when you are able to sustain success for as long as they have.

[oldunclemark]

patriots will play the colts in the week 9, 10, 11 time frame.

I hope it is late in the season...

...so itll be a bigger game

[GoPats]

How would you compare this defensive performance to our SB playoff runs? The only game I can think of where the defense was lousy was the Panthers SB game in the second half. And we lost Rodney to a broken arm allowing them to tear us up through the air.

 

Even the awful 2011 defense stepped it up in the post-season.

 

The 2014 defense, like the 2001-2004 units, seemed to make really "timely" plays. They didn't dominate snap-to-snap, at least not most of the time, but they shared the trait of getting big stops and turnovers at critical moments. It was pretty consistent with the old school Pats defenses, I'd say. 

 

It's tough to judge defenses 10 years apart based on the level of competition too. I thought their playoff and Super Bowl slate was tougher this year in a lot of ways. 

[amfootball]

The 2014 defense, like the 2001-2004 units, seemed to make really "timely" plays. They didn't dominate snap-to-snap, at least not most of the time, but they shared the trait of getting big stops and turnovers at critical moments. It was pretty consistent with the old school Pats defenses, I'd say. 

 

It's tough to judge defenses 10 years apart based on the level of competition too. I thought their playoff and Super Bowl slate was tougher this year in a lot of ways. 

The early '00s teams were more bend don't break. Gave up the yards but not the points. This year's team gave up the points. They averaged 27 points allowed vs Ravens and Hawks. And while I would agree about the competition being better, I would say that was the defenses we faced being better in the Ravens and Hawks and Brady picked them both apart with historical comebacks. For our defense to struggle as much as it did vs Flacco who looked futile the last two weeks of the season only making it in because the Chargers choked and then Seattle who got shut out for  55 minutes vs the Packers and had a guy in Matthews who had never caught a pass before torched us for 4 catches and over 100 yards really surprised me. I agree they were opportunistic and good situationally especially in the fourth quarters but I was expecting to see a much better performance. They needed Brady to be every bit as good as he was to win the ring.