Why the Pats will have a do or die week 17

[drago]

1.) Moss is a year older and doesn't have anything to prove anymore. He go his paycheck (again) and is ready to return to his pissing and moaning ways.

2.) They've blown their last few 1st and 2nd round draft picks (not including this year's, since that is just speculation). The youth of their team is not ready to take over for their much older players.

3.) Matt Light. He struggled last year with the speed rushers and will struggle much more this year. As a unit their offensive line is pretty good, at least the middle three seem to be good players but having a slow LT that isn't particularily good at anything is going to be a huge problem for Brady all season. Most teams are going to come at them and blitz nearly every play, surely the Pats will pick a few, if not most, of the blitzes apart but i'm not sure if Cindy can take that kind of beating.

4.) Injuries- Every season they seem to dodge the injury bug (aside from colvin, i don't recall too much losses for them last season). Sometimes a team is just 'due', although the jets could be in the same boat on that one.

5.) Teams have realized Welker is more of a threat than their second receiver. He's clearly more part of the running game than anything and is going to be hard to stop since only a few teams had success against him. The Giants played him well by putting their best CB on him and doubling Moss, coupled with their QB pressures (that not all teams can do) they had a great game plan. One that I think most above .500 teams can pull off to a reasonable extent.

6.) Their defense could take a pretty large step back. BB never likes the young linebackers and despite getting a backer that they seemed to covet, he may not feel comfortable starting the kid from day one, even if he does there will be learning pains.

7.) Losing both CB's and their safety. I understand Wilson was not a staple of their defense but he was a starter for a reason. Any team that was as good as NE can't afford to lose 3/4 of their secondary and think all will be well. Samuel was clearly their biggest loss, but BB seems to find CB's to play well for him regardless of who it is. This one is the one that I am most interested in watching unfold.

----As the season where's on the pats are going to have a couple 2 or 3 game losing streaks and should be needing to win the last few games to win the division and perhaps a second seed in the playoffs. I'd be any amount of V-cash (for what that is worth, lol) that they are not the first or second seed in 08.

[GodWearsAGrayHoodie]

As everybody is talking about how the Jets will win more than 12 games and the Pats will fall apart, I will bet (my vcash) that the Pats end the regular season ahead of the Jets in the division. Any takers?

[Alk]

1.) Moss is a year older and doesn't have anything to prove anymore. He go his paycheck (again) and is ready to return to his pissing and moaning ways. Nothing to prove except getting a ring on his finger right?

2.) They've blown their last few 1st and 2nd round draft picks (not including this year's, since that is just speculation). The youth of their team is not ready to take over for their much older players.

Last few?

2005:

1st. Round - Logan Mankins (Starter and Pro Bowler)

2nd. Round - Ellis Hobbs (Starter)

2006:

1st. Round - Laurence Maroney (Starter)

2nd. Round - Chad Jackson (The first and only one that I'll give you)

2007:

1st. Round - Brandon Meriweather (Contributed last season and will probably start this season)

2nd. Round - No pick

3.) Matt Light. He struggled last year with the speed rushers and will struggle much more this year. As a unit their offensive line is pretty good, at least the middle three seem to be good players but having a slow LT that isn't particularily good at anything is going to be a huge problem for Brady all season. Most teams are going to come at them and blitz nearly every play, surely the Pats will pick a few, if not most, of the blitzes apart but i'm not sure if Cindy can take that kind of beating. There is no doubt that our Tackles are our weakness but I don't know what makes you think that Light is going to get slower just because it's a new season. I've never understood that Madden mentality. One season passes so the player is automatically going to regress?

4.) Injuries- Every season they seem to dodge the injury bug (aside from colvin, i don't recall too much losses for them last season). Sometimes a team is just 'due', although the jets could be in the same boat on that one. Must have forgotten about Seymour, Seau, Hobbs, our rotation at RT, Stephen Neal, Sammie Morris, Laurence Maroney, Benjamin Watson, Eugene Wilson and probably more that I have forgotten. Yep, we have really avoided the injury bug for sure.

5.) Teams have realized Welker is more of a threat than their second receiver. He's clearly more part of the running game than anything and is going to be hard to stop since only a few teams had success against him. The Giants played him well by putting their best CB on him and doubling Moss, coupled with their QB pressures (that not all teams can do) they had a great game plan. One that I think most above .500 teams can pull off to a reasonable extent. 11 catches for 103 yds. is shutting him down? You can't stop Wes Welker, you can only hope to contain him.

6.) Their defense could take a pretty large step back. BB never likes the young linebackers and despite getting a backer that they seemed to covet, he may not feel comfortable starting the kid from day one, even if he does there will be learning pains. Our defense very well could take a step back but we still have one of the best defensive lines in the NFL and arguably the most potent offense.

7.) Losing both CB's and their safety. I understand Wilson was not a staple of their defense but he was a starter for a reason. Any team that was as good as NE can't afford to lose 3/4 of their secondary and think all will be well. Samuel was clearly their biggest loss, but BB seems to find CB's to play well for him regardless of who it is. This one is the one that I am most interested in watching unfold. We lost one starter in our Secondary, Samuel. Gay was an on again off again nickel when he wasn't injured. Wilson lost his starting job by week 4. Our secondary took a step back because of the loss of Samuel but any other moves were either lateral or an improvement. Not to mention we now have a very good secondary coach.

----As the season where's on the pats are going to have a couple 2 or 3 game losing streaks and should be needing to win the last few games to win the division and perhaps a second seed in the playoffs. I'd be any amount of V-cash (for what that is worth, lol) that they are not the first or second seed in 08.

I can almost guarantee that the division is going to be wrapped up again by the end of November. I don't know where you guys are getting this but the Patriots have not dropped off nearly as much as you seem to think. If anything they're going to be hungrier than ever due to the nut they dropped in the Super Bowl last year.

[drago]

As everybody is talking about how the Jets will win more than 12 games and the Pats will fall apart, I will bet (my vcash) that the Pats end the regular season ahead of the Jets in the division. Any takers?

that's not really the bet. The Jets would have to have a ton of breaks to pull that off this season and with the QB situation as it is, i wouldn't bet on it.

I'm only saying that this year will not be a cake walk for NE and will have some very meaningful games at the end of the year. I honestly think the Bills could pose a good threat for the division. They lost about 15 people to the IR last year and in the mean time found some solid starters. They are a deep team with a smart QB, if their defense shows up and their draft picks pan out early, they could be tough.

[GodWearsAGrayHoodie]

that's not really the bet. The Jets would have to have a ton of breaks to pull that off this season and with the QB situation as it is, i wouldn't bet on it.

I'm only saying that this year will not be a cake walk for NE and will have some very meaningful games at the end of the year. I honestly think the Bills could pose a good threat for the division. They lost about 15 people to the IR last year and in the mean time found some solid starters. They are a deep team with a smart QB, if their defense shows up and their draft picks pan out early, they could be tough.

I agree, this year won't be a cake walk for the Patriots and the team most likely to challenge them in the AFC East is the Bills. If Trent Edwards turns out to be a stud and Bills can keep everyone healthy (particularly Lynch) than week 17 might be a game to determine the AFC East Champ (NE @ Buf). But it is too early to tell if TE will be a stud or dud. But I feel confident the AFC East will end with the Pats in 1st, the Bills in second and both the Jets and Fins below .500. But I won't bet that the Pats have clinched a bye before the final week of the season.

[Boozer76]

More than any of their player losses, spygate, an unmotivated Moss, or anything else that could possibly be the demise of the Pats this year is the toll that such a long grueling season as last year was will take on them. They played 19 games that were all pretty much on national tv and were played like a superbowl every time. Once the pats hit 10-0 the undefeated talk really heated up. That was an enormous amount of pressure on them, and the fact they lost the superbowl had to be one of the most deflating experiences of their life. Now we will all hear that losing the superbowl will be motivation for them, but do not for one second underestimate how high that mountain is for them to climb again. Mentally that team has to be exhausted and they have a ton of pressure on them again this year. While I think they are coached phenominally well, I think that it will have an impact on them. How big of an impact remains to be seen.

[L.I.MikeBleedsGreen]

Jets>Bills

Get over it!!

[L.I.MikeBleedsGreen]

I agree, this year won't be a cake walk for the Patriots and the team most likely to challenge them in the AFC East is the Bills. If Trent Edwards turns out to be a stud and Bills can keep everyone healthy (particularly Lynch) than week 17 might be a game to determine the AFC East Champ (NE @ Buf). But it is too early to tell if TE will be a stud or dud. But I feel confident the AFC East will end with the Pats in 1st, the Bills in second and both the Jets and Fins below .500. But I won't bet that the Pats have clinched a bye before the final week of the season.

Keep trying to stir that pot you Troll, Jets>Pats>Bills>Dolphins

[124]

I'm with you Alk. I don't see how some people can be so delusional. The 2007 New England Patriots went 18-1. Let me say that once more, 18-1. That is a GREAT record. Yes, their one loss was in the Super Bowl but until the final three minutes it looked as if they were going to be perfect. Where has this team regressed?

Yes the Linebackers are a year older, but adding players such as Jerod Mayo and Victor Hobson will bring a youth movement in terms of depth. Last I checked, their old Linebackers helped them get to the Super Bowl undeffeated.

The Randy Moss argument is poor. The guy likes to win and if he's winning he's not complaining. Did you hear a peep from Moss throughout the playoffs when he had what? Two or three receptions in the Divisional and Championship Games combined? Didn't think so. He wore down during the course of the year and also played against some great Corners (Cromartie, Mathis) in the playoffs.

Asante Samuel. Yes the loss of Samuel will hurt regardless of what Patriots fans want to believe -- that Belichick can plug anyone in there and he's automatically awesome! Sorry, but it doesn't work that way. Yes it was cute when Troy Brown played the Nickel, but we're talking about your #1 Cornerback because Ellis Hobbs cleary is not a #1. Brandon Merriweather may or may not be a success at Cornerback in the NFL. He was a Safety in college and lets see how he transitions. James Sanders? Fernando Bryant? Are you serious?

The only thing the Patriots have lost is their #2 receiver, which they clearly didn't need anyway and he was also outplayed by Jabar Gaffney, who was resigned and they lost Asante Samuel. Thats it. Matt Light isn't the best LT, but he is serviceable.

To say this team is going to go on multiple two or three game losing streaks is just idiotic. Until they prove otherwise, why would you think they're in decline? Look at some of the **** teams on the Offensive side of the ball New England had when they won their championships and compare them to the ones of '07 and the one in '08. Not even close. Their offense will be just fine because they have a lot of three step drops where the Left Tackle in that case doesn't have to all that much.

Laurence Maroney is a very good, under-rated back who carried the load for them down the stretch last season and carried it well with multiple 100 yard games. Kevin Faulk is their version of Leon Washington, ten years his senior. Doesn't mean he's slowing down necessairly, it means he's mature and knows the game that much better.

To me, I can't see how New England does anyone worse than 13-3.

[PatriotReign37]

4.) Injuries- Every season they seem to dodge the injury bug (aside from colvin, i don't recall too much losses for them last season). Sometimes a team is just 'due', although the jets could be in the same boat on that one.

Man o Man, its clear you dont watch any Patriots games. Dodge the injury bug.

That made my day!

[shawn306]

I can almost guarantee that the division is going to be wrapped up again by the end of November. I don't know where you guys are getting this but the Patriots have not dropped off nearly as much as you seem to think. If anything they're going to be hungrier than ever due to the nut they dropped in the Super Bowl last year.

boy there is something new.

Pats hungrier ?

The Pats are turning into the Yankees of the NFL. Can't win on the biggest stage anymore.

[Ghost]

The Pats are weak.

[drago]

Man o Man, its clear you dont watch any Patriots games. Dodge the injury bug.

That made my day!

Their three best units; QB, WR and Defensive Line all went injury free. Please spare me the running backs and platoon of TE's where if you lose one it's as if nothing happened. The Seymore injury kept him out for a while but their d-line is reasonably deep making that a non-factor.

Sorry pats fans, this won't be a coast to coast without breaking a sweat season for ya.

[L.S. Dylan]

I can almost guarantee that the division is going to be wrapped up again by the end of November. I don't know where you guys are getting this but the Patriots have not dropped off nearly as much as you seem to think. If anything they're going to be hungrier than ever due to the nut they dropped in the Super Bowl last year.

See Alk but you also lost another thing: Intimidation. You may have good game plans but teams just flat out **** the bed sometimes. I was worried that it was going to happen with the Giants in the super bowl but they came out fired up, and were not scared at all. If you come out fired up the pats are a beatable team but you have to have the team to back it up, the ravens almost pulled it off but their O lagged. The Pats easy schedule is going to help you guys get another nice record. Let's face it our division sucks so winning it isn't saying much.