Patriots

[poets]

New England is one of the best teams I've ever seen. Washington was supposed to be a test and the Patriots rolled over them. Indy is going to be tough, but I think the Patriots are going to beat them. If they beat Indy, the talk will begin about an undefeated season (if they don't rest their starters at the end of the season). Any thoughts?

[avengers]

F*ck the Patriots. The only teams that can give them any trouble are the Giants, Steelers, and Colts. If you can't pressure Brady, you can't beat them. It is ridiculous how Brady has about 5 seconds on every play to sit back and wait for Moss/Welker to outrun DB's. The 3 teams I named can get a pass-rush, and disrupt his timing.

At this point, I'm really sick of them running up the score. You see it in college all the time, but the pros are supposed to be above that. Belichick is a prick, and I am really hoping (sorry Duane) that someone blasts Brady into next week. No excuse to be aggressively passing for another score up 38-0 in the 4th quarter. No excuse to pull Brady up 28 late in the 3rd, and put him back in and rack up more points against Miami 2 weeks ago. Despite having the most talent, and probably being the best team since the late 80's Niners, this team lacks class and deserves to have their collective asses beat. Sadly, it's going to be a longshot for anyone to do it. My guess is the Indy game is the only spread under 10 all year. Whoever represents the NFC in the Bowl might as well just stay home, because we're going to see an embarassment if the Pats make it.

[poets]

I am with you Clay, I don't like what they are doing as far as running up the score. They even went for it on 4th down yesterday in the 4th quarter. However, that is not my point. The team looks unstoppable. Personally, since the Bears suck, I wouldn't mind them running the table. I hate watching the old undefeated Dolphin players celebrating after the last unbeaten team loses.

[avengers]

Agreed...the ONLY redeeming quality about this team is that they might shut up that lucky, OVERRATED 72 Dolphins team. I'll be a happy man if I don't have to hear about those asswipes popping their champagne again this year. Of course, I'll then hate it that Belichick led the team that went undefeated. Arrgh, who to root for...

Can you believe Cleveland was their toughest game to date? They were only up 10 late in the game when someone returned a pick for a TD and the 17 point final difference.

[podunks]

As a football fan, I hate to see what Belichick has been doing. It sickens me to no end to see him running up the score like that. Two fourth down pickups? Fake spikes at the goal line? There's no need for that. It really does class down the organization. I'm worried that they're going to end up as the Yankees of the NFL. A solid team that every one is just dying to watch lose. I hope this is not all to satisfy Belichick's ego or to assuage his anger at getting caught cheating, but it's certainly looking like that.

However, as a fantasy team owner with Brady in both of my leagues and a combined record after this week of (I assume) 13-3, I like watching him score a lot of points. It might make up for him losing a shot at the championship for me last year.

That said. Kick the field goal next time, Billy.

[avengers]

That's the hilarious part. THey are all mad and acting like they have a vendetta to take out on the league, when THEY CHEATED! No one would be speculating that the 3 titles were tainted, or going off so much if 1) THEY DIDN"T GET CAUGHT CHEATING, or 2) the NFL actually released the findings of their investigation. They need to be mad at themselves, not the rest of the league. Belichick is such an ego-monger that he is mad that his legacy is tainted, so he wants to embarass the rest of the league. I would bet my mortgage that they found evidence that the Pats did cheat in at least 1 of the Super Bowls, and rather than deal with the incredible shit-storm that news would generate, they just destroyed the evidence. I also believe the main reason they didn't have to forfeit the Jets game is that it would have likely caused all sorts of problems for the Vegas betting world, and with that much money in play, the NFL didn't need the hassle over that either. So, make them lost a 1st round pick (likely to be 32, with they have Friscos, likely a top 10), and try to push everything else under the rug. For all teh good I belieev Goodell has done since he took over, this one really stings, and I am firmly convinced he is covering up a much bigger situation than the public knows about.

[tbirds]

I'm tired of hearing the betting lines on Friday sports radio. "Washington and 16½? Oh, I don't know, that's a lot of points. I'll take the points, that's too many points."

WTF are they talking about? The Pats can be up by 6 TDs with 3 minutes to go in the game and they're still throwing hail mary jump-balls to Moss in a farging no-huddle offense.

What's the line on the Colts? Whatever it is, quadruple it. Anyone who doesn't recognize that this team is by far the best team that ever played the game is delusional. The Pats will beat the Colts by 21 this week.

Here's a tip: ALWAYS give the points with the Pats until they start handicapping their games correctly.

[poets]

That was much closer than I expected it to be. I was really expecting a double digit win.

[hammers]

I'll admit it, I LOVE the way the Pats are playing. There's a "perfect storm" going on in NE. The fact they got busted for "cheating" earlier this season has only motivated them to crush teams even more thoroughly to prove they don't need to "cheat" to be REALLY, REALLY good.
For the past few years this has been, hands down, the most "adaptable" team I've ever watched play football. Both sides of the ball. Want to run 5-wide? Go BIG? How 'bout 2 downlineman and 9 db's on defense? No problem. They can do it all and they do it well.
Even the players are interchangeable. WR's playing DB. LB's playing TE. DT's playing FB. IF you have talent, they'll find a way to exploit it. I've never seen a team make it look easy for anyone to play anywhere in any scheme and do it so well. It's an accomplishment for any other team to have one player who may play more than one position or be in on more than one set. The Patriots basically do it multiple times per game with various players.
Obviously Brady is a key component to what they're able to do <notredamesegue>I'm starting to wonder how good an OC C.Weis actually was in NE? Brady's only gotten better since he's left</notredamesegue>. But with any NFL team, the QB's usually the linchpin to the teams success.
I personally hope they decide to go for the perfect season. This is an ideal "Tin Cup" moment for NE. A perfect season will insure notoriety well beyond an individual championship. If they go undefeated and win the Championship, forget about it, they're the best team EVA and it can't be argued.
I am amused by those who call the Patriots "cheaters" or "classless". Cause when I think Junior Seau, those are two words I think of. Yes, Tom Brady is "classless". C'mon? It's like calling Mickey Mouse a "thug". You can do it, but it just doesn't make any sense.
The Patriots season reminds me of how it would look if I played it on Madden at "Pro" level. Just one sound thumping after another with bizarre player substitutions thrown in just for thrills (watch me put T.Brusci in at TE! Holy crap, he caught another TD!). Maybe that's why I like what I'm seeing from them.
Go Pats!

J

[hammers]

Incredible. 16-0.

If this team goes on to win the SuperBowl the fact they got caught cheating will become trivial. No one will remember it in light of the fact they went undefeated for an entire season.

They remind me of the Michael Jordan era Bulls. Teams so good you just know you're witnessing history when you watch them play.

My hats off to them. Congratulations Patriots on going undefeated.

Anyone ever played in a fantasy league where a team went undefeated? It's been 14 years in the WWFFL and it's yet to have happened.

J

[poets]

I have a question that I already know that answer to. It seems like every athlete keeps balls for special accomplishments. I knew Brady and Moss were going to get two TDs. Brady threw his second TD to Moss for the record breaking throw and catch. It sure looked like Moss was going to keep the ball for himself, but do you think the "new" Moss gave the ball to Brady? I don't think so either. I really thought that Brady was going to throw another TD so he could have the ball on his 51st TD toss... The Patriots are exciting. What a great time to be a Boston fan (Red Sox, Celtics and the Patriots). As a Chicagoi fan (Bears, Sox and Bulls) I am jealous. I think J is right. The Patriots remind me of the Jordan Bulls. You get the feeling that you watching something that may not happen again during your lifetime. I just wonder how long this streak can go? If they win the Super Bowl, how long when will they lose their next game. For all of you high school football fans, this sort of like the Don Howell Hobart Brickie teams from the 80s. They play a soft schedule (i.e., Jets 2x, Miami 2x, Bills 2x) and they get a high pick in next year's draft. If they don't win the Super Bowl, will this go down as the biggest flop ever? The road to the Super Bowl in the AFC will be tough. I am actually looking forward to watching them in the playoffs...As for an undefeated fantasy football season, I have never seen or been part of one. I have played in several leagues and for several years. Off the top of my head, I am not sure if I have seen a team lose only once. The bye weeks make it almost impossible to run the table.

[tbirds]

Incredible. 16-0.

If this team goes on to win the SuperBowl the fact they got caught cheating will become trivial. No one will remember it in light of the fact they went undefeated for an entire season.

Why would the fact that they were caught cheating be trivial if they went undefeated? Wouldn't it make it even more of a deal than it is?

Don't get me wrong, I don't think they gained any advantage from cheating. No more than any other team did, anyway.

That said, I hope they gang-rape Brady on the first play after the bye, break every bone in his body and that asshole team loses 85-0.

[hammers]

Why would the fact that they were caught cheating be trivial if they went undefeated? Wouldn't it make it even more of a deal than it is?

No. It's like drawing a false start penalty in the 1st quarter of a game and costing your team a chance to score. No one's going to care about it if you catch the game winner as time expires.
Yes, there will be haters and die-hard out there who will always bring up the fact they were caught cheating, but a LARGE percentage of the population will only remember this as the season they went undefeated.

That said, I hope they gang-rape Brady on the first play after the bye, break every bone in his body and that asshole team loses 85-0.

Any particular reason for the hostility or is this just more of your typical "people more successful/popular/attractive/rich than me suck" attitude?

I am oddly more fond of the Patriots knowing that you dislike them so much. Odd how that happens.

Go Pats. I'm hoping they win it all. The only other team I might root for would be the Packers. I'd like to see B.Favre take on the Pats "John Henry" style. It'd be like a fucking Rocky movie if Favre lead the Pack past the Pats in the Superbowl. At least he'd finally retire and we could go an offseason without the constant chatter. I'd like that.

J

[hammers]

Go Pats. I'm hoping they win it all. The only other team I might root for would be the Packers. I'd like to see B.Favre take on the Pats "John Henry" style. It'd be like a fucking Rocky movie if Favre lead the Pack past the Pats in the Superbowl. At least he'd finally retire and we could go an offseason without the constant chatter. I'd like that.

I think I'm going to get my wish. If you take a look at this weeks games both the Patriots and Packers took it to their opponents well whereas the Chargers and Giants both "just" managed to hang onto their upsets.

Anybody really giving either the Giants or Chargers a chance next week?

J

[tbirds]

That said, I hope they gang-rape Brady on the first play after the bye, break every bone in his body and that asshole team loses 85-0.

Any particular reason for the hostility or is this just more of your typical "people more successful/popular/attractive/rich than me suck" attitude?

If that were true, wouldn't I hate every professional football player?

Because I hate Belichick's smugness - as if he has anything to do with anything. Yeah, great job you did with the Browns, you shmuck. If it weren't for Brady, you still be a considered a mediocre coach. As far as golden-boy Brady goes, I don't know - I just want someone to break his bones. They aren't the Bears, so why would I care about their undefeated season or Brady's unshattered body?

Perhaps you've adopted this "world-community" NFL like some goddamn communist heathen or something, but once the Bears were eliminated from contention - the NFL season effectively ended for me. I'd sleep like a baby if all the rest of the contending teams' planes crashed into each other mid-flight and they cancelled the rest of the post-season, to tell you the truth.