Pats are Hurting But Very Dangerous

[BroadwayJoe12]

The Bengals had the Pats offense to 6 points. This really isnt a very good offense.

 

I fear what a win for the Jets will do however. 

 

It's not that hard to imagine. The majority of people will be excited, as well they should be, considering it's a divisional opponent who has beaten up on them for years and one whom they harbor a deep animosity towards. By beating them, it most likely means that the defense stifled Brady and the offense did not turn the ball over, which more than not equates to Geno having a solid to good game, giving us hope for the future.  The board will be happy and jubilant for a week with talks about playoffs and how we may lose to the saints, but the Bengals game is quite winnable and following the break we can go 4-2 or 5-1. A handful of select posters won't bother to show up and will only return when we lose to the saints to lord over everyone else how their team losing is somehow a good thing and that they were correct in all of their doom and gloom prognostications.  That is until we win again, when the cycle will repeat itself.  This will multiply ten-fold and persist up until the start of the next season if we have an 8-8 record or lower.  It's like those choose your own ending books; all the endings are already written, it's just a matter of which path we take.

[Scott Dierking]

Ensure a loss against the Bengals?

Even worse-A loss vs the Bengals, despite Rex Ryan trying to will the team to Justice League levels.

 

Truly a saint.

[BroadwayJoe12]

Rex and the team. Big wins seem to carry over into letdown losses. And in reality, a win over a mediocre Patriots team shouldnt be considered that big of a win. At home, it should be expected.

 

You can continue to call this a mediocre Patriots team all you like, just so you can tell everyone to calm down in case we do win, but they simply are not mediocre.  You do not get to 5-1 by being mediocre; you do it by having a top 3 defense and an offense that can score when it counts, coupled with a HOF QB. If you want to call their offense mediocre, then I could possibly get on board, but a defense that has been close to great all season with probably the DPOY on it, pushes them well above mediocre. 

[Matt39]

You can continue to call this a mediocre Patriots team all you like, just so you can tell everyone to calm down in case we do win, but they simply are not mediocre. You do not get to 5-1 by being mediocre; you do it by having a top 3 defense and an offense that can score when it counts, coupled with a HOF QB. If you want to call their offense mediocre, then I could possibly get on board, but a defense that has been close to great all season with probably the DPOY on it, pushes them well above mediocre.

The offense isn't explosive. They finally got Ridley going a bit, which helps...but that plays into our strengths.

Their defense has been really good, agreed. We should be able to run the ball though.

The NFL is down this year a a whole. The only really good team is Denver. At home, this is a very winnable game.

[BroadwayJoe12]

The offense isn't explosive. They finally got Ridley going a bit, which helps...but that plays into our strengths.

Their defense has been really good, agreed. We should be able to run the ball though.

The NFL is down this year a a whole. The only really good team is Denver. At home, this is a very winnable game.

 

STOP JINXING US YOU HOOKER!  But agreed, provided we escape another Geno meltdown, this is definitely a winnable game.  This is the type of game that Peyton or Brady would tool on the Patriots defense, exposing their linebackers in coverage with Mayo and everyone out.  It pains me that we probably won't be able to do that and instead we'll see Spikes shut our running game down and have nobody, except maybe Cumberland, beat them in coverage. 

[Matt39]

STOP JINXING US YOU HOOKER!  But agreed, provided we escape another Geno meltdown, this is definitely a winnable game.  This is the type of game that Peyton or Brady would tool on the Patriots defense, exposing their linebackers in coverage with Mayo and everyone out.  It pains me that we probably won't be able to do that and instead we'll see Spikes shut our running game down and have nobody, except maybe Cumberland, beat them in coverage. 

 

Cumberlands a mismatch and we need to utilize him as such.

[PFSIKH]

You can continue to call this a mediocre Patriots team all you like, just so you can tell everyone to calm down in case we do win, but they simply are not mediocre.  You do not get to 5-1 by being mediocre; you do it by having a top 3 defense and an offense that can score when it counts, coupled with a HOF QB. If you want to call their offense mediocre, then I could possibly get on board, but a defense that has been close to great all season with probably the DPOY on it, pushes them well above mediocre. 

 

Who did not practice today.  And this is on top of Wilfork and Mayo being gone since last game. 

 

I am in agreement on your point about the D and how it was making strides this year and if NFL healthy after 6 weeks, I would like the Patriots' chances in this game. 

 

However, two of their best players are gone.  Another is unlikely, and Wilfork's replacement is likely out again. 

 

While the Patriots have shown they are resilient, their strength of the early season is an unknown.