Pats dynasty coming to an end.

[Tailgater]

apparently you have won these past years with suck *** teams like us and bills and even Jets. That is not so anymore. Very competitive in teh AFC East. I think Brady takes some serious hits this year. The loss of coaches and that tightness of pulling together for wins at the end of games just is not there anymore. You have beaten up on sorry *** teams but lost to good ones like Indy so....yeah, I would say the Pats are still a serious team with firepower, but the bigger picture is completely overlooked.

The Dolphins have played 60 minute football better than most teams in the league last year. I would also say one more year of understanding the system and two rookie CB's who could make an instant impact could dictate that Miami is not someone anyone wants to face especially if your a team like Indy, Atlanta, NO, Steelers, Carolina, Tampa, and Jax who have never ever experienced the wildcat let alone WC 2.0

Going into the 2007 season, the Pats had the hardest schedule EVER, based on strength of schedule. They went 16-0. Granted, the rest of the AFCE stunk that year, but division games are always tough.

Brady was the most hit qb over 2006 - 2007. He's more than used to 'serious hits'. The crappy pass rushers in the east won't do him any harm.

Pats have a few new coaches, just as they do most years. I haven't seen any proof that it makes much of a difference, have you? I don't think losing Mcdaniels will mean squat.

Every team the fins face will be aware of the wc, and will spend time preparing for it. It won't be the surprise it was last season. I expect it will still be effective at times, particularly if White can make strides, but it won't help nearly as much as ti did last year.

 

[nyjunc]

The Pats NFL dynasty has been over for years but they still own this division and until someone beats them w/ Tom Brady playing that will not change.

 

[ArmyFin7]

I think i stated something like that in my OP, if not I accidently edited that part out. I can understand Pats fans point that the FA's they got were cheap, but it makes me wonder why they got them to begin with. The Pats are going to have some tough financial decisions to make next offseason. If the dump the money on the O and D linemean, they're back to letting the guys they drafted and felt the need to put FAs in front of this season....

 

[Tailgater]

I think i stated something like that in my OP, if not I accidently edited that part out. I can understand Pats fans point that the FA's they got were cheap, but it makes me wonder why they got them to begin with. The Pats are going to have some tough financial decisions to make next offseason. If the dump the money on the O and D linemean, they're back to letting the guys they drafted and felt the need to put FAs in front of this season....

They will have some decisions to make. My guess is they re-sign Gostowski, Wilfork & Mankins, and let Kazcur & Neal explore the market. Seymour is likely gone.

I think they'll be fine on the OL with the depth they've built up in the draft and fa. DL will be a concern, especially if they have trouble reaching a deal with Wilfork. They'll likely get some control over the situation by tagging him, then signing him to a LT extension.

With so many players up for fa next year, I have to assume it was all planned out years ago. I expect kraft & BB expect the CBA will expire and it will be an uncapped year in 2010. From the most recent rumors, that's almost sure to happen. If it does, the Pats wil have the choice of spending as much as they want on their own guys. In the meantime, several of their best players enter 2009 in their contract year. That could be a very good thing indeed.

 

[ArmyFin7]

I was guessing when they drafted Brace, he was to hedge their bet on Wilfolk.

 

[Chubby]

If New England would've won that superbowl....(achieving 19-0)....are they REALLY any better of a team than the one that went 18-1? Hell no....

They were ONE miraculous play by Eli and Tyree from winning it.....ONE defensive stop at the end from achieving arguably the most rediculous feat in all of sports history....

It seems like some people have forgotten the margin of victory that they were slaughtering teams by that year....

They're also the best in the league at ACQUIRING all these draft picks.....for every draft pick that seemingly may not work out....they almost make up for it by developing some player they had a 4th or 7th rounder tied up in and trade him away for multiple high picks....

....or trading a 4th rounder in exchange for a HOF player still in his prime....

They can make one move that cancels out 3 picks that didn't work out...

The bottom line is they never get caught slipping when it comes to looking further down the road than "this season".....very few teams in the league can say the same thing...

They understand that there IS more than one way to skin a cat....and they're versatile enough upstairs to make it happen....they don't HAVE to hit on as many draft picks as most teams do....

They're still on the plus side by quite a margin when it comes to personnel decisions and acquiring/blowing draft picks.....and they did it again this year....and they have more ammunition to play with in next year's draft....

New England isn't going anywhere anytime soon....they're not going to fall back to the pack.....the pack is still going to have to catch them....

Hell Give me an offense like that and the ability to Spygate without recourse and I will go 19-0.
Chubbs

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

Hell Give me an offense like that and the ability to Spygate without recourse and I will go 19-0.
Chubbs

Riiiight.....lol

Without recourse? They forfeited their 1st round pick and the organization was fined (can't remember how much......something like half a million dollars or so?)

Nobody can cheat in the draft....nobody can cheat in their personnel decisions....nobody can cheat when doing business with other teams....they can't cheat in trades....

They still have to run...block...pass...catch...throw...tackle....etc....just like everybody else...

It's not like all they had to do was go out there and lolligag around and pile up W's....

Other than the '72 Dolphins.....there's never been a team that stayed undefeated that late in the season.....they always had at least 1 loss....so they're really the only other team that was ever in position to really go for it....

Otherwise...they would've rested their players when they had home field and a 1st round bye locked up.....and it would've never happened to begin with...

 

[Chubby]

They gave up their very very late 1st round draft pick but got to keep their very very high 1st round pick. Ya they gave up alot :), lol.

Billicheat should at worse case been thrown out the NFL or best case multi game suspension. The $ fine was nothing to the team im sure.

Yes, they still played those games and made history. Without cheating I still think they make the superbowl, but I dont think they go undefeated.

ooh and then miraculously all the video proof of their cheating miraculously got destroyed by accident at the NFL offices,hmmmm

Whats a bigger crime in football? Cheating in the sport you play or killing a bunch of Dogs, or a DUI or a fight in a club?

Let another Head Coach get caught with this or betting on a game and you can bet your arse they are either half way out the league or suspended along time.
Chubbs

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

They gave up their very very late 1st round draft pick but got to keep their very very high 1st round pick. Ya they gave up alot :), lol.

Billicheat should at worse case been thrown out the NFL or best case multi game suspension. The $ fine was nothing to the team im sure.

Yes, they still played those games and made history. Without cheating I still think they make the superbowl, but I dont think they go undefeated.

ooh and then miraculously all the video proof of their cheating miraculously got destroyed by accident at the NFL offices,hmmmm

Whats a bigger crime in football? Cheating in the sport you play or killing a bunch of Dogs, or a DUI or a fight in a club?

Let another Head Coach get caught with this or betting on a game and you can bet your arse they are either half way out the league or suspended along time.
Chubbs

Well, it's speculatory on your part.....so I can neither agree or disagree.....

But to your first sentence.....why did they have multiple 1st round picks in the first place?

See what I mean? lol

I'd have to know exactly what was on the tapes in order to accurately judge whether the punishment fit the crime or not.....we'll never know....

The real problem I see with it is that the precedent is set now.....if someone else ever attempts to gain an advantage in this manner....is winning the superbowl worth forfeiting next year's 1st rounder and the owner having to reach for his pocketbook?

I definitely think there's a problem there...

 

[Chubby]

Well, it's speculatory on your part.....so I can neither agree or disagree.....

But to your first sentence.....why did they have multiple 1st round picks in the first place?

See what I mean? lol

I'd have to know exactly what was on the tapes in order to accurately judge whether the punishment fit the crime or not.....we'll never know....

The real problem I see with it is that the precedent is set now.....if someone else ever attempts to gain an advantage in this manner....is winning the superbowl worth forfeiting next year's 1st rounder and the owner having to reach for his pocketbook?

I definitely think there's a problem there...

Regardless it was a slap on the rest and definately a taint on their undefeated record, regardless if the media will ackowledge it or not. Again this is all in my opinion.

Ps. Yes, I would give up a 1st round pick and a fine every year if i was gauranteed a superbowl appearance :).
Chubbs

 

[Clipse]

Riiiight.....lol

Without recourse? They forfeited their 1st round pick and the organization was fined (can't remember how much......something like half a million dollars or so?)

Nobody can cheat in the draft....nobody can cheat in their personnel decisions....nobody can cheat when doing business with other teams....they can't cheat in trades....

They still have to run...block...pass...catch...throw...tackle....etc....just like everybody else...

It's not like all they had to do was go out there and lolligag around and pile up W's....

Other than the '72 Dolphins.....there's never been a team that stayed undefeated that late in the season.....they always had at least 1 loss....so they're really the only other team that was ever in position to really go for it....

Otherwise...they would've rested their players when they had home field and a 1st round bye locked up.....and it would've never happened to begin with...

Well, if you feel so strongly about the subject, go root for the Patriots. You won't be missed.

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

I'll keep that in mind thanks

 

[Chubby]

Well, if you feel so strongly about the subject, go root for the Patriots. You won't be missed.

I wouldnt doubt his dedication to the fins. Him just like a few others here on the boards are exactly like my bff:), they just like to always take the other side of a dicussion regardless of the topic.

it has nothing to do with the fins, its just a character trait. Makes these boards more fun imo.:)
chubbc

 

[Phin19]

I found an interesting article on how the 2007 New England patriots weren't as "perfect" as one might think. It can come across as a personal opinion but they back it up with good analysis and statistics.

http://www.thefount.info/16-0isthenew15-1.html

"The top win total from the NFL the past five years has been, in succession, 14, 15, 14, 14 and now 16 games. Over the previous 23 years in the league, if you combine the best five teams' records overall you can scrape together a total that equals that many wins. Why has a sudden upswing in wins, punctuated by the unprecedented 16-0 performance by the Patriots this year, been seen for top NFL teams? Your Fount experts decided to get to the root of this question: Does 16-0 in 2007 mean what it would have meant two decades ago?"

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

I wouldnt doubt his dedication to the fins. Him just like a few others here on the boards are exactly like my bff:), they just like to always take the other side of a dicussion regardless of the topic.

it has nothing to do with the fins, its just a character trait. Makes these boards more fun imo.:)
chubbc

lol....don't try to get inside my head....it's a scary place bro....


But yeah....I probably tend to go against the grain a lot around here because the grain flows a certain way....

"I love my phins.....I'd die for them.....they're all gonna be great....Ted Ginn is fast....Chad Pennington is wonderful"...yada yada yada

If that's the definition of a fan....then I have no desire to be one.....I'd rather be an observer...

I've been around football too long....maybe I'm jaded to a certain extent....I just see what I see....I was done trying to see if for what I wanted it to be a long time ago...lol

And if everyone agreed on everything....we wouldn't need a keyboard....we'd just go down through every thread clicking "thanks" with our mouses...