Deep thoughts by Rock Strongo: What worries me most about this 2015 Patriots team

[Tgann69]

Rock is right. The Pat's schedule is so easy this year so far and will continue to be all season long that it might actually hurt the Pat's.

The best offense they play all year long is the Bell-less Steelers in week 1 (where they were torched for 450+ yards and easily could have lost that game if the Steelers kicker didn't suck). For the rest of the way the best offense they play is probably the Giants (maybe the Eagles depending on where they are at later in the season).

The Pat's aren't going to know until playoff time if their defensive schemes work with their current personnel against good NFL offenses. And often times not finding something like that out till playoff time means it is too late.

Long season...

 

[Tgann69]

.....you mean the Ravens might stop losing games and Flacco might become elite?

Things happen...

 

[PatsFan2003]

If I had to pick a Super Bowl winner right now I'd probably lean to the Patriots. I think the Packers are a close second and depending how their receivers work out and if their defense continues to play well I think they have a chance. Losing Jordy Nelson really hurt, I'm a Lacey fan but don't think he's a great back , just a solid back. Lately though the Packer's defense has continued to improve and are starting to look like the real deal. It's a long season. Many questions are left to be answered about quite a few teams.

At the quarter pole it does look like Green Bay and New England.

Right now it doesn't seem like the AFC has many challenging opponents for the Patriots but there is plenty of football to be played and it's very possible that teams we don't think highly of now will surprise us.

Even Miami might pull themselves out of the muck and play like the team they were supposed to be.

Other than injuries, my biggest concern is still the secondary and whether a quick path to HFA for the playoffs will soften the Patriots at years end.

The last time this happened it was 2010 and they got smoked by the Jets.

 

[redseat]

Come on people lay off Rock. That's pretty deep coming from him after all the he's done!

 

[cerealboi]

I'll tell you what should worry you. Dopey Dirt picked up half the Pats offense on his fantasy team. Fuckers are going to drop like flies in the coming weeks.

 

[cdumler7]

At the quarter pole it does look like Green Bay and New England.

Right now it doesn't seem like the AFC has many challenging opponents for the Patriots but there is plenty of football to be played and it's very possible that teams we don't think highly of now will surprise us.

Even Miami might pull themselves out of the muck and play like the team they were supposed to be.

Other than injuries, my biggest concern is still the secondary and whether a quick path to HFA for the playoffs will soften the Patriots at years end.

The last time this happened it was 2010 and they got smoked by the Jets.

It is true...Look at last year at this time. Patriots had the media going crazy with thoughts of Brady being done and the Pats reign at the top finished. Same with the Seahawks as they were looking like a pretty mediocre team at this point. Colts had started the year 0-2 so not looking any better. So 3 of the 4 teams that were in the Championship games and Super Bowl all at this point looked mediocre at best.

Last year at this time the top teams were the Broncos, Chargers, Bengals, and Cowboys. 3 of those 4 still made the playoffs but didn't finish as strong. So while it is nice to see those teams at the top I hate to say it as Tgann has but it is a long season. It is amazing how quickly the NFL season can turn upside down in a hurry.

 

[ducky]

On the flipside, who in the AFC would give them trouble in the AFC?

Bengals or Broncos is all i could think of

And the Bengals, welll...

And the broncos are relying on a defense that the Pats usually make look pretty pedestrian in Foxboro every time

I'd add the Steelers to that list. They outgained the Pat's by 100+ yards the day they played and really only lost because of their kicker. And I still think the Colts and Luck will turn it around at some point.

Would I make the Pat's the favorite? Yeah right now I guess I would. But again....we have no idea if the Pat's can cover anyone yet and we will only get to see some minor glances at whether they can or not throughout the rest of the season because of how offensively challenged their schedule is.

I've only caught pieces of the Pat's games and mostly when they are on offense (my fantasy teams are Patriot heavy) with the exception of that week 1 game. But in the opening game against the Steelers I was shocked at how often the Pat's were putting their secondary in man coverage and not giving them a lot of help. IMO if they get to the playoffs and think they can cover man on man regularly like that and face a team with legit weapons like the Colts, Bengals, Broncos and maybe even a few other teams, their defense is in for a LONG day and whether their offense can compensate for a bad defensive performance is a little less than a coin flip chance once you get to January.

 

[Rock Strongo]

I'll tell you what should worry you. Dopey Dirt picked up half the Pats offense on his fantasy team. Fuckers are going to drop like flies in the coming weeks.

the curse of dirt

it goes back a decade

its like pickles picking oscar winners

 

[PatsFan2003]

It is true...Look at last year at this time. Patriots had the media going crazy with thoughts of Brady being done and the Pats reign at the top finished. Same with the Seahawks as they were looking like a pretty mediocre team at this point. Colts had started the year 0-2 so not looking any better. So 3 of the 4 teams that were in the Championship games and Super Bowl all at this point looked mediocre at best.

Last year at this time the top teams were the Broncos, Chargers, Bengals, and Cowboys. 3 of those 4 still made the playoffs but didn't finish as strong. So while it is nice to see those teams at the top I hate to say it as Tgann has but it is a long season. It is amazing how quickly the NFL season can turn upside down in a hurry.

No question. There are a number of teams like Seattle and *cough* *cough* the Ravens who have played like crap before during the season and still got their way into the playoffs.

This year could be different from both since there seem to be more significant "structural" issues but they still could get in.

A lot of new and different stories though like Arizona and Atlanta and the Manning watch (Peyton). He and the Denver D still seem to have enough but it's very different from previous years.

And the whole Revenge tour for the Patriots. No Superbowl hangover here. Thank you Roger.

 

[cdumler7]

No question. There are a number of teams like Seattle and *cough* *cough* the Ravens who have played like crap before during the season and still got their way into the playoffs.

This year could be different from both since there seem to be more significant "structural" issues but they still could get in.

A lot of new and different stories though like Arizona and Atlanta and the Manning watch (Peyton). He and the Denver D still seem to have enough but it's very different from previous years.

And the whole Revenge tour for the Patriots. No Superbowl hangover here. Thank you Roger.

It definitely does feel different for some of those teams this year. I know for Bronco fans it has been really hard to adjust to the new team. Back in 2013 we started 5-0 as well and nobody was complaining about the team as we were winning games scoring ridiculous points yet our defense was near the bottom in every category. This year obviously it is the reverse and there are Bronco fans acting like the team is 0-5 and heads need to roll in the organization. I'm more of a I love great defense as it keeps you in pretty much every game even with a mediocre to bad offense.

Yeah I am hoping the Patriots have maybe calmed down from their us against the world mentality when they come to Denver. Or at least that Brady has one of his bad games of the year as he does seem to struggle more in Denver than really any other stadium. Really at this point just trying to enjoy each win as I know you are too as we both know it can quickly come to a halt. Winning a Super Bowl is never easy and while winning now is great it does not show the future of any team. And as many Pats fans know it is not always how you get into the playoffs but how you are playing at that moment. I mean those Giants teams nobody gave a shot of winning the Super Bowl. Heck the odds of them even making the Super Bowl were not great.

 

[NEhomer]

You bastards are all praying the Pats don't win another!

 

[Tgann69]

It is true...Look at last year at this time. Patriots had the media going crazy with thoughts of Brady being done and the Pats reign at the top finished. Same with the Seahawks as they were looking like a pretty mediocre team at this point. Colts had started the year 0-2 so not looking any better. So 3 of the 4 teams that were in the Championship games and Super Bowl all at this point looked mediocre at best.

Last year at this time the top teams were the Broncos, Chargers, Bengals, and Cowboys. 3 of those 4 still made the playoffs but didn't finish as strong. So while it is nice to see those teams at the top I hate to say it as Tgann has but it is a long season. It is amazing how quickly the NFL season can turn upside down in a hurry.

Seen it too many times...

We agree.....Long long season... Team make ups change and performance changes...

Lots of wood to chop yet.

 

[Tgann69]

You bastards are all praying the Pats don't win another!

Long season...

Lots of changes can take place...team make ups change... What u see on the field today may not be there in a month....

 

[Cyder]

You bastards are all praying the Pats don't win another!

I don't care who wins once my team is out. Although I'm still pissed at the Pats for giving up that TD at the end of the 1st half in the superbowl. 34 fuckin seconds my ass! Without that score I win the halftime box and 7 grand. Even when my team isn't playing them the Pats still managed to fuck me.

 

[handicappers]

Derpidy Doo the jokes on you. The season is long and tgann sux Dong

 

[PatsFan2003]

It definitely does feel different for some of those teams this year. I know for Bronco fans it has been really hard to adjust to the new team. Back in 2013 we started 5-0 as well and nobody was complaining about the team as we were winning games scoring ridiculous points yet our defense was near the bottom in every category. This year obviously it is the reverse and there are Bronco fans acting like the team is 0-5 and heads need to roll in the organization. I'm more of a I love great defense as it keeps you in pretty much every game even with a mediocre to bad offense.

Yeah I am hoping the Patriots have maybe calmed down from their us against the world mentality when they come to Denver. Or at least that Brady has one of his bad games of the year as he does seem to struggle more in Denver than really any other stadium. Really at this point just trying to enjoy each win as I know you are too as we both know it can quickly come to a halt. Winning a Super Bowl is never easy and while winning now is great it does not show the future of any team. And as many Pats fans know it is not always how you get into the playoffs but how you are playing at that moment. I mean those Giants teams nobody gave a shot of winning the Super Bowl. Heck the odds of them even making the Super Bowl were not great.

Definitely have the Denver game circled. A great match-up of opposites right now.

The Patriots offense is supposed to so great but as we know good defense almost always trumps good offense.

And it's in Denver this year.

 

[NEhomer]

I don't care who wins once my team is out. Although I'm still pissed at the Pats for giving up that TD at the end of the 1st half in the superbowl. 34 fuckin seconds my ass! Without that score I win the halftime box and 7 grand. Even when my team isn't playing them the Pats still managed to fuck me.

Ouch Cyder!

 

[Cyder]

Definitely have the Denver game circled. A great match-up of opposites right now.

The Patriots offense is supposed to so great but as we know good defense almost always trumps good offense.

And it's in Denver this year.

The Jets D should give them some issues as well. If Ivory is healthy thy could give them some issues on offense as well. Should be a couple of good tests for them

 

[Rex Racer]

I was told the Construction Worker was the least ghey of the Village People

That's not really all that comforting

 

[Cyder]

Ouch Cyder!

Yeah, that sucked. But I knew something would happen. Maybe this year, I have 2 $300 boxes already. The bar does a Monday night pool for $5 a box ($200 cash for half, $300 box for final) and I've actually lucked out twice on box #49. That would be for Ron Guidry. You may remember him