Don't understimate the Patsies

[Phanatical]

They still have Brady.

They have given him some more offensive weapons in Chad Jackson and Lawrence Maroney. Both of these guys should contribute this year and will help take the load off of Dillon and Faulk who are now healthy. Brown and Caldwell are reliable receivers and will get more chances. I am not sure if Branch is going to stay or not. Branch is their best WR right now.

They have just activated S Rodney Harrison, DL Richard Seymour, C Dan Koppen, DB Randall Gay and DL Johnathan Sullivan from the physically unable to perform list. Those are all PB caliber players.

At linebacker, Bruschi is healthy, they have proven veterans in Vrabel, Colvin, and Biesel, plus they added Junior Seau and drafted Banta Cain into the mix.

At Cornerback, Ellis Hobbs and Asante Samuel can do the job, and Randall Gay is backing up. Rodney Harrison is healthy at safety, and Tebucky Jones is always a solid player.

Their defensive line is good, but the depth is not great. Warren, Wilfork and Seymour are stout. Behind them there isn't much. This is probably their weak link and I look for teams to run on them a lot, especially if one of these guys gets banged up.

Last year, a crippled and hobbled NE team managed to win 10 games and the AFC East. This year, I expect them to be at least as good.

For the Dolphins to beat them, they are going to have to pound the ball at them and keep Brady and the NE offense off the field. I think we'll need 11 plus wins to take the division. I like our chances but don't understimate NE, they are still the team to beat.

 

[Nappy Roots]

They still have Brady.

They have given him some more offensive weapons in Chad Jackson and Lawrence Maroney. Both of these guys should contribute this year and will help take the load off of Dillon and Faulk who are now healthy. Brown and Caldwell are reliable receivers and will get more chances. I am not sure if Branch is going to stay or not. Branch is their best WR right now.

They have just activated S Rodney Harrison, DL Richard Seymour, C Dan Koppen, DB Randall Gay and DL Johnathan Sullivan from the physically unable to perform list. Those are all PB caliber players.

At linebacker, Bruschi is healthy, they have proven veterans in Vrabel, Colvin, and Biesel, plus they added Junior Seau and drafted Banta Cain into the mix.

At Cornerback, Ellis Hobbs and Asante Samuel can do the job, and Randall Gay is backing up. Rodney Harrison is healthy at safety, and Tebucky Jones is always a solid player.

Their defensive line is good, but the depth is not great. Warren, Wilfork and Seymour are stout. Behind them there isn't much. This is probably their weak link and I look for teams to run on them a lot, especially if one of these guys gets banged up.

Last year, a crippled and hobbled NE team managed to win 10 games and the AFC East. This year, I expect them to be at least as good.

For the Dolphins to beat them, they are going to have to pound the ball at them and keep Brady and the NE offense off the field. I think we'll need 11 plus wins to take the division. I like our chances but don't understimate NE, they are still the team to beat.

their WRs are bad. and thier an injury away from being bad at the CB position too. with that said, they have Tom and Bill, and that puts them on top until someone knocks them off, IMO. i see them making the playoffs regardless.

 

[CitizenSnips]

They have just activated S Rodney Harrison, DL Richard Seymour, C Dan Koppen, DB Randall Gay and DL Johnathan Sullivan from the physically unable to perform list. Those are all PB caliber players.

harrison is/was. seymour is definitly. randall gay, no. Johnathen sullivan? god no. koppen? no.

 

[MDFINFAN]

good post Phan..I've watched them this pre season and will watch their dress rehearsal against the skins tonight, and I gotta say, even missing branch, they've been affective this preseason, their D is their D..good right up and of course they're the defending AFCE champs until someone else says otherwise, and until we do it on the field, I still respect them as the champs.

 

[dolfn66]

They still have Brady.

Which will mean absolutely nothing this year.

 

[Nappy Roots]

Which will mean absolutely nothing this year.

why not?

 

[jlfin]

Harrison was getting on in age. The injury didn't help. He plays DB, a demanding position that requires agility and quickness.
Beisel has never been anything special.
They have no depth at LB or secondary.
This will hurt them in the 2nd half of the season

 

[Gardenhead]

They still have Brady.

They have given him some more offensive weapons in Chad Jackson and Lawrence Maroney. Both of these guys should contribute this year and will help take the load off of Dillon and Faulk who are now healthy. Brown and Caldwell are reliable receivers and will get more chances. I am not sure if Branch is going to stay or not. Branch is their best WR right now.

They have just activated S Rodney Harrison, DL Richard Seymour, C Dan Koppen, DB Randall Gay and DL Johnathan Sullivan from the physically unable to perform list. Those are all PB caliber players.

At linebacker, Bruschi is healthy, they have proven veterans in Vrabel, Colvin, and Biesel, plus they added Junior Seau and drafted Banta Cain into the mix.

At Cornerback, Ellis Hobbs and Asante Samuel can do the job, and Randall Gay is backing up. Rodney Harrison is healthy at safety, and Tebucky Jones is always a solid player.

Their defensive line is good, but the depth is not great. Warren, Wilfork and Seymour are stout. Behind them there isn't much. This is probably their weak link and I look for teams to run on them a lot, especially if one of these guys gets banged up.

Last year, a crippled and hobbled NE team managed to win 10 games and the AFC East. This year, I expect them to be at least as good.

For the Dolphins to beat them, they are going to have to pound the ball at them and keep Brady and the NE offense off the field. I think we'll need 11 plus wins to take the division. I like our chances but don't understimate NE, they are still the team to beat.

Wow. Your post is ripe with inacuracies.

1. Don't expect much from Chad Jackson. Rookie WRs are rarely productive.
2. Johnathan Sullivan is not a "PB caliber player". He is a bust. He has done nothing in the NFL.
3. Randall Gay is not a "PB caliber player".
4. Brusci is not healthy. He has a broken hand. Won't be ready till Week 4 at the earliest.
5. Their LBs kind of suck. Thats why they took a flier on Seau.

That's enough for me to point out for now.

 

[ih8brady]

The Patriots will no doubt give us a fight for the division, but they're not the championship team they once were.

 

[Dolfan984]

Gay and Sullivan are probowl players huh?

Yeah and so is Seth McKenney.

 

[MrTibbs]

Yeah Culpepper is a far better QB then Brady and Saban can coach circles around Belichick. The Dolphins Oline is far superior then the Patriots and we are talking about a top 5 defense in Miami!





LMAO yeah right...........

 

[DolphinDevil28]

Yeah Culpepper is a far better QB then Brady and Saban can coach circles around Belichick. The Dolphins Oline is far superior then the Patriots and we are talking about a top 5 defense in Miami!





LMAO yeah right...........

Who said all that?


Are you drunk?

 

[ThePats]

their WRs are bad. and thier an injury away from being bad at the CB position too.

Disagree. Troy Brown is not by any means bad. He is a lot older but of the old WR's in this league, I cant think of one more reliable. He wont be getting a 60 catch 1000 yard season ever again but I havent seen him drop an easy pass in a VERY long time. Somehow, he was getting wide open the past two weeks against the Card's and 'Skins' first team secondary and getting receptions. He is not by any means bad. I agree Caldwell has a ways to go, and Jackson hasnt played yet. Bam Childress will make the team and he could actually be pretty good. The depth at CB this year is way better than it was last year. Last year we already had 1 very injury prone starter in Poole, Starks stunk and after that you only had 4 players including a rookie who eventually ended up starting and doing a heck of a job.

harrison is/was. seymour is definitly. randall gay, no. Johnathen sullivan? god no. koppen? no.

Harrison wont make the Pro Bowl again but he is still a good player. Seymour is by far a pro bowl player. Randall Gay isnt since he is a nickle back at the moment. Sullivan...err nope. Koppen? Yes he is. He is the best lineman the Patriots have and will be a future pro bowler. Koppen is going to be one of the very best Centers in the league in the future.

Which will mean absolutely nothing this year.

Actually it means everything.

They have no depth at LB or secondary.

Wrong here. Tully Banta-Cain is developing into a very nice starting OLB.

LB Depth: Bruschi, Vrabel, Colvin, Banta-Cain, Seau, Beisel, Brown, Mincey, Roach, Alexander, Klecko.

DB Depth: Harrison, Samuel, Wilson, Hobbs, Gay, Sanders, C. Scott, Warfield, Hawkins, Jones, G. Scott, Poteat.

Look at the DB Depth and every single one of the bolded players have started in the NFL.

Harrison was getting on in age. The injury didn't help. He plays DB, a demanding position that requires agility and quickness.

He has never had quickness of many DB's in the league. He has the speed of an Outside Linebacker and he specializes in run support. He isnt going 1 on 1 with Steve Smith here. Wilson is generally the one who will be deep helping out with the Pass. Safety is also a position that doesnt nearly demand CB speed or WR speed.

5. Their LBs kind of suck. Thats why they took a flier on Seau

No it was for depth. Bruschi, Vrabel, Colvin, Banta-Cain and Seau do not suck. Beisel sucks and deep behind there are a few impressing young guys like Freddy Roach and Eric Alexander.

 

[Gardenhead]

ThePats, you're defending the Pats LB corps with Tully Banta-Cain? Please. You gotta come stronger than that.

 

[ThePats]

ThePats, you're defending the Pats LB corps with Tully Banta-Cain? Please. You gotta come stronger than that.

You havent seen him play before thats why. He never had a chance to step up and be a starter when Bruschi, Vrabel, Colvin, McGinnest, Phifer and Johnson were on the same team. First two preseason starts he's gotten 2 sacks and he has forced the QB to scramble out of the pocket many times. He isnt pro bowl caliber, obviously but he is good enough to be a starting OLB. You dont know how good or bad he is. You have never even seen him play before asides from maybe some Special Teams Kickoff coverage. And just dont act like you have because he hasnt been a big name on the Patriots before. He is still young and has been more than impressive to jump from a SPECIAL TEAMS ONLY player to starter. We could have Beisel or Chad Brown starting even with the depth issues. Its not like Banta-Cain HAD TO BE THE STARTER, it was because he proved he was better than any of the others to be the 4th guy with Bruschi, Colvin and Vrabel. Guess what the Patriots "poor" defense without Bruschi managed 7 sacks. Not bad.

I defended the Patriots as well as I could on those quotes.