...this week, I think they start questioning themselves as a team. They've prided themselves on bouncing back after losses these past few years, but they have a tough game at Atlanta this week. Atlanta should be hyped to play the Super Bowl Champs at home, so I don't see an easy bounce-back week for the Pats here. Potentially at 2-3 after this week, with Harrison, Bruschi, and Light (basically the guts of the team) out for the year, and with Weis and Crenell gone, I can see the wheels starting to fall off up there.
If New England Loses...
- Thread starter Shouright
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phinfanNY08
Starter
dont count out....
you still cannot write off the pats even if they lose this week. I hate saying it but they have one of the best qbs in the business and they will not roll over on any given week. I think they will muster out a win against ATL this week (as much as i will be rootin for the falcons). Miami still has to do their part this week in buffalo, and that is to win and get outta there without any signifigant injuries. Do that, miami has to go up against tampa, who has potential to start 5-0. miami wins in buff and takes down the bucs, consider miami a potential playoff team.
you still cannot write off the pats even if they lose this week. I hate saying it but they have one of the best qbs in the business and they will not roll over on any given week. I think they will muster out a win against ATL this week (as much as i will be rootin for the falcons). Miami still has to do their part this week in buffalo, and that is to win and get outta there without any signifigant injuries. Do that, miami has to go up against tampa, who has potential to start 5-0. miami wins in buff and takes down the bucs, consider miami a potential playoff team.
BennyVW
I'm the Man in the Box
Bruschi might be coming back soon.... There have been rumors that he has been getting ready to go back in after the 6th week as he is on the PUP list.
Definitely won't be writing them off, but I think a loss for them this week puts them in a very unfamiliar place for them. Two losses in a row and a lot injuries to key players. I don't think they'll be able to envision a clear way back to being their typical selves after a loss this week.
shellgh0st
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shouright said:
I dont think the loss will break them or make them question themselves. Remember, in 2001 they went 2-3 and ended up 11-5 and won the superbowl.
The big difference, and you touch on it, is their defense isn't the same as previous years. In the year they went 2-3 (2001) their defense gave up an average of 19 points the first four games. That is a pretty good average for a 1-3 team (which is how they started the season)
This year they are giving up over 25 points a game as a defense. That isnt good at all. And it proves they have slipped down a notch.
retired opfinistic
幸灾乐祸
:shakeno: ...dude, that's a horrid thought!aerokev said:
shellgh0st
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shouright said:
I do think that if they lose this game, more teams will be smelling blood and will go into games against them with more confidence. Right now they get every teams "A" game, but, teams are still cautious because they dont believe the Pats are a weak team. But if they are exposed more often as a weak defensive team, teams will come after them even harder.
Another interesting thing that could develop from a loss this week is, if they start asking Brady to carry the team. Ala, Marino and Favre have done with their teams. Can Brady push a team with a weak defense deep into the playoffs? Who knows...but, if their defense keeps this pace, we will find out if Brady is the great QB everyone claims he is or if he was helped greatly by a top 3 defense all these years.
Can you imagine what Marino wouldve accomplished with such a defense?
Dolfan5000
Mark my words, I'll get mine
Not that it's superbly relevant to the idea of the thread but, Bruschi might be comming back this year.
FakeSpike13
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look out for a spiraling NE, who has to go to ATLANTA this week, and to DENVER soon thereafter...
Actually is 27 point per game...shellgh0st said:
One thing also is that their Offense has not scored over 23 points since the 1st game of the season...
They also have been behind at the beginning of the 4th quarter for 3 weeks in a row. The last time they had 3 games like that they had a combined 30 games between them. They also are 3-11 in games when behind in the 4th since 2001....
PhinsPhan
Pro Bowler
I agree with you Shouright.
The people that were there that help the transition of backups into starters rolls are no longer there. Weis is gone on offense, Crennel on defense. Harrison, Bruschi, Ted Johnson, Ty Law are all gone on the defensive side of the ball. These guys used make sure everyone knew what they were doing and got the backups to play solid football. That obviously didn't happen with Scott. He pretty much cost them the game on more than one occasion.
I think you are right. It would be hard not to question yourself. I think they would start thinking that maybe those coordinators were they key. Or maybe Harrison was the heart of the defense. They have too many things to question, it is not like they just got off to a bad start with the exact same team and know that they can turn it around. This is a very different group from last year. Not to mention that I think some of the fire is gone now that they won their third. Last year after they won you could just see it, they were not celebrating, hell some weren't even smiling. It is just like they won another game.
They have to go to Atlanta this week and then after that TO Denver. They are bound to lose at least one of those games. Denver is one of the toughest places to play in the NFL and they have back to back road games.
One other thing semi off topic. We get them in Miami after they have a monday night game against the Colts. That sounds good for us. Shortened week while playing a tough team.
The people that were there that help the transition of backups into starters rolls are no longer there. Weis is gone on offense, Crennel on defense. Harrison, Bruschi, Ted Johnson, Ty Law are all gone on the defensive side of the ball. These guys used make sure everyone knew what they were doing and got the backups to play solid football. That obviously didn't happen with Scott. He pretty much cost them the game on more than one occasion.
I think you are right. It would be hard not to question yourself. I think they would start thinking that maybe those coordinators were they key. Or maybe Harrison was the heart of the defense. They have too many things to question, it is not like they just got off to a bad start with the exact same team and know that they can turn it around. This is a very different group from last year. Not to mention that I think some of the fire is gone now that they won their third. Last year after they won you could just see it, they were not celebrating, hell some weren't even smiling. It is just like they won another game.
They have to go to Atlanta this week and then after that TO Denver. They are bound to lose at least one of those games. Denver is one of the toughest places to play in the NFL and they have back to back road games.
One other thing semi off topic. We get them in Miami after they have a monday night game against the Colts. That sounds good for us. Shortened week while playing a tough team.
Good points. I think the key is that if they lose this week, they'll start feeling like a different team with all the players and coaches gone and with the lousy record to start the year. As soon as they start believing they're a different team (in a negative sense), they'll start playing like one, and I think this is the week that it hinges on.PhinsPhan said: