Not a Pats fan but the 'rebuilding' talk is REDICULOUS!
by super7 on Dec 10, 2009 12:17 AM EST
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PrintHi guys - I'm a sbnation guy but a milehighreport.com (Broncos) guy first and foremost. I have lot of family and buddies from Mass who are big Pats fans and I feel like I'm taking crazy pills (Zoolander quote) because they're all on the ledge. I figured I'd post something over here because sometimes its nice to have someone take a look at your team who doesn't care as much as you do. Here's my take:
Truth is guys and gals, this is how the NFL works these days. You drop games you should have won and vice versa. The top 16 teams in the league are all really good. The difference between the Saints (maybe 16-0 soon) and the Dolphins (no real playoff shot) is two or three playmakers (or a draft pick and a few lucky/shrewd free agent moves). That's it. My Broncos were becoming one of the 'bad' franchises until our owner slammed on the brakes, took the wheel, and found a guy who knew how to steer a team and stay consistently competitive in today's league. He learned from your favorite franchise. It's a huge compliment that the "Patriot way" is more popular on NFL sidelines thank dreadlocks and backwards hats.
New England's biggest wart right now is a future positive one: the defense is getting younger. That's a good thing. On the flip side, young teams lose pressure games, i.e. away games, and take time to get better.
I know it's tough to swallow seeing as how those are the exact games your team used to win in such a businesslike manner. But guys got older and the fans and the press get spoiled.
I saw an article on ESPN.com this evening sayin the Pats were rebuilding and laughed out loud. That's proposterous. Maybe they aren't dominating but what did you expect? 2007? That was the best single season-regular season team in history. But that'll never happen again. Ever. Well, on second thought, let's see what the Saints do this year.
Now, that said, I have proof the Pats aren't rebuilding. They are actually in a prime spot to make a run through the postseason and they'll only get better seeing as how their young defense has gotten trial by fire this year.
We have a fantastic blogger over at MHR named 'TJ Johnson who puts a weekly article togethr called 'The Stats Don't Lie'. Reading this week's submission, I realized that the Pats are ranked in the top 10 or damn close in every relevant offensive stat when it comes to predicting team wins.
Pats are 4th in giveaways/game
Pats are 5th in turnover margin/game
Pats are 13th in average starting field position
Pats are 2nd in Time of Posession
Pats are 5th in 3rd down coversion percentage
On the defensive side of the ball, the pats have the #8 run D and the #18 pass D. Their secondary will only get better and they've already played the Colts and the Saints (ON THE ROAD no less). Who are they going to play with better pass offenses than either of those teams? Nobody. And the Colts downright STOLE that game. Let's see them do it twice. If things go well for the Pats from here, they'll get a rematch with those two teams as the last 2 games of the year. Both would be winnable games and I'd put money on the Pats facing the Saints for a second time.
Lastly, on the whole road record topic, they've played Miami, Denver, New Orleans, Indianapolis, the Jets (when they were good), and the Bucs on the road this year. New Orleans and Indy are 26-0. Denver's 8-4. Miami's 6-6 and the only two home losses they have this year are...wait for it...Indy and New Orleans! No reason for the Pats to hang their heads with a 1-4 road record in 2009 so far. In fact, the Pats have lost to tough home teams this year by 7, 3, 1, 1, and 21. That 21 is the abberation. Trust me. Every team has a stinker these days (well, except for Indy and the Saints...so far). The Pats had theirs in a really big, prime-time game this year.
That wasn't the most important game of the year for the Pats players. I can promise you that. The most important game of the year to them is later on in February.
Good luck this season & go Broncos! And for $%@#&^s sake, take it easy. the Pats are fine.
The views expressed in these FanPosts are not necessarily those of the writers or SBNation.
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Rebuilding? No.
I’m sure most people wouldn’t say we’re rebuilding. Retooling? Yes. We’re trying to reshape the Patriots team which, in some pundits’ view, counts as rebuilding.
The Pats are “rebuilding” in a sense that they’re
1) Using new #3 and #4 receivers (and addressed it in the draft)
2) Going to turnover the O-Line next off season (bye bye to Neal, shift Kazcur to RG and flip Light to RT and Vollmer to LT. Wouldn’t be surprised if we drafted a Center in the 2nd round)
3) Going to rebuild our running stable next year (we have the three oldest RBs in the league)
4) Turned over our whole defense, except for Meriweather, Mayo, Wilfork and Warren (and sort of Thomas). That means we got a new S (Harrison), 2x CB (Hobbes and whoever the heck you want. O’Neal? Lewis Sanders? Wilhite? Wheatley?), 2x LB (Vrabel and Bruschi) and DE (Seymour). That’s 6 players on defense.
That’s rebuilding for any other team. We’re just winning so we’re only allowed to call it “fixing”.
Between Vollmer, Butler, Pryor, Edelman, Tate, and Stanback
this is the Pats team that has given the most snaps (at least, non-special teams snaps) to rookies that I can remember. Four of those guys have genuine starts; the rest have made contributions in playing time well above rookies in other years have done. Throw in the long-snapper (only one in the squad, so although that’s not technically a start, that’s a fairly hefty contribution), and that’s a serious contribution by rookies, which must surely be the main way you look to see whether a team is rebuilding or not.
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
by Comedic.Sans on Dec 10, 2009 2:51 AM EST up reply actions
re-spackling?
My life has been a trivial pursuit. Trivia: where three roads meet.
The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.
by SlotMachinePlayer on Dec 10, 2009 9:44 AM EST up reply actions
Funny about that ledge
it was empty when the expectations were low and calling the team mediocre was being positive.
Rebuilding may be too strong of a word, but transitioning is not – especially on defense and with the departures of Scott Pioli, Josh McDaniels, and Brad Seely. The turnover of their area college scouts will be another department that will have consequences that are unknown as of yet too.
A transitioning or adjusting of the fans’ expectations seem to be in order as well.
Keep the faith!
Waiting for Atlas to trip, were we?
My life has been a trivial pursuit. Trivia: where three roads meet.
The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.
by SlotMachinePlayer on Dec 10, 2009 9:46 AM EST up reply actions
Life of the party?
My life has been a trivial pursuit. Trivia: where three roads meet.
The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.
by SlotMachinePlayer on Dec 10, 2009 12:10 PM EST up reply actions
Give the guy a break...
…his QB makes 2nd half of the season St. F**** look like Joe Montana.
by Richard Hill on Dec 10, 2009 5:16 PM EST up reply actions
Belichick, Robert Kraft, Tom Brady, Jerod Mayo and Sebastian Vollmer or... Ditka?
uuuuuuuDitka.
As Mr. Sloan always says, there is no "I" in team, but there is an "I" in pie. And there's an "I" in meat pie. Anagram of meat is team... I don't know what he's talking about. --Shaun of the Dead
by JohnHannahRules on Dec 10, 2009 4:36 PM EST up reply actions
the D
i was watching the America’s game 08 steelers, in 2007 Mike Tomlin had a hard training camp for the 07 steelers and he attributed that to the 1-4 record of the Steelers in dec and jan.
i remember TB saying this year’s training camp was the hardest he ever attended…i hope its not the same result for the 09 Pats, but it looks like it is for the D. they are not flying to the ball, not making tackles, missed assignments and atrocious mental mistakes esp. the last 4 games.
on fantasies
while we are at it the pats win out and sd loses 2 simple 1st round bye just like we planned,hey it’s as good as half th crap i’m readind now!!!
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