maflynn
macrumors Broadwell
Mediocre receiving - really????
I think you're being overly generous with that, I think they need to work up to be being mediocre
Out of all the AFC East teams, I think Miami could be the team to take control.
2014-15 NFL season thread
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Mediocre receiving - really????
I think you're being overly generous with that, I think they need to work up to be being mediocre
Out of all the AFC East teams, I think Miami could be the team to take control.
zioxide
macrumors 603
It's not just the deep threat. You can get by without a real "deep threat". What you can't get by with is an offensive line that can't block. The old saying that "football is played in the trenches" is true.
If you can't block, you can't win. Can't generate a running game (the Pats have had ZERO run game). That lets the DBs hang back in coverage and the DLs rush the passer. Then you put pressure on the QB and he has to force a throw because everyone is covered. That's what we saw last night and in the 2nd half week 1 against Miami.
If they could generate a running game, that would open up the field more for passing, and it would also take some of the pressure off on the pass rush.
If the Pats OL can pull their heads out of their ass and start blocking, they'll have a shot. Brady looked rattled last night but he's not one to stay like that.. and every QB has bad games occasionally. He'll rebound and be fine if his OL can block the pass rush and get a run game going.
It's still very early in the season.
einmusiker
macrumors 68040
I agree miami will win the division
maflynn
macrumors Broadwell
Agreed, his front line his paper thin. He got hit from behind in one play where the defender literally just ran around the tackle (I think it was Solder) and nailed Brady from behind who then lost the ball.
bigjnyc
Suspended
I know one player doesn't make all the difference (unless its a franchise QB of course) But I think the patriots way of doing things may have finally caught up to them with the trading of Mankins. I still believe belichick will make adjustments and they will be fine and win this very weak division though.
bigjnyc
Suspended
lol another classic press conference by Bill bellichick, answered every question with "We're on to Cincinnati" you have to give him credit for one thing, his press conferences are the same win or lose lol.bill-belichick-says-patriots-are-on-to-cincinnati-repeatedly/
zioxide
macrumors 603
Can't blame him for not wanting to feed the media leeches. They're idiots who are just trying to throw **** at the wall and hope it sticks so they can drum up controversy and get clicks.
MacNut
macrumors Core
At some point Brady will need to retire. Will Bill have the balls to pull him when the time has come.
Sydde
macrumors 68030
May they have a perfect season this year.
zioxide
macrumors 603
Brady isn't the problem though so this is a moot point right now. The problem is he has no talent around him and the Patriots are too damn cheap to bring in any. 12 million under the salary cap is ridiculous.
MacNut
macrumors Core
He hasn't had talent around him for the past 3 years but he has still found a way to win. Brady has slowed down considerably.
iLog.Genius
macrumors 601
You can't say Brady isn't the problem. You can't give him all the credit when they win with nothing and blame everyone else when they lose. I'm not saying Brady is the whole problem but he's absolutely part of it. The only notable loss was Mankins on the right side but other than that, this team is pretty much the same as last year.
I'm not accepting the excuse that everyone on the Patriots but Brady is at fault because he doesn't have talent around him. The primary argument for Brady vs. Manning was Brady had nothing. This is true today as it was since Brady became starter for the Patriots.
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63dot
macrumors 603
If you haven't noticed there's a cult-like appreciation of him by more than one of the NE fans here. He takes credit for wins as they say but never does for losses because, well, he's Tom Brady. Oh yes, and he NEVER gets old and didn't lose as QB in last two SBs seven years ago and later in 2011 and it was the team, coaching, fans, calls, and everything else that was responsible for those losses. But any other QB would have been said to have choked going into a game heavily favored and then underperforming. I saw this cult-like blindness over here when Montana was a godlike figure who could do no bad. It was hard to see him in decline and sit on the bench when Steve Young took over to build what would have been the best QB rating at his retirement plus a trophy in '94.
So yes, these days Brady is a part of the problem and he has declined consecutively in the last few years but he's still no slouch and can remain useful to a team that can still go even money and win the division.
iLog.Genius
macrumors 601
It's ridiculous. The thing about Brady this year is not that the Patriots are losing but you can see that his play has changed a bit and he doesn't look as sharp as he did in the past and some of the errors Brady has made have been mental and not always a result of poor play around him.
If the Patriots are serious about this year, they have to do something at the trade deadline. You can't be that much under the salary cap and sit on that with the team they have now. If they think Brady is still at the top of his game, go out and get some weapons. Prove that Brady is still the guy and it's the rest of the team that needs help.
63dot
macrumors 603
Most teams would give a right arm and leg to be in the position NE is in now. Yes, he doesn't make the best decisions or at the very least doesn't have the arm to pull off the same moves as in the past. But we are talking about an aging QB that at his height is up there with the Montanas, Marinos, and Mannings of the game. Just 50% percent of Tom Brady is better than most of the QBs who are starting today. He will never throw a 100+ rating again or 50 touchdowns but he could still get the job done being in the low 80s and throwing 17 touchdowns and end up the best in the division. Miami's QB career rating is 78.6, Buffalo 79.9, and Jets 68.5
But like you said, a few smart weapons and some adjustment and you are easily on top of the AFC East. First they have to win their division and the team seems to kick into extra gear in the playoffs which should amount to some extra fuel going for the prize. I would not want some diehard NE fans to be the coach if they think TB is the same guy year after year and that somehow he could pull off 2007 numbers as if that's the average play to be expected. You have to take into account the cumulative injuries and age of the QB and play from there. That doesn't mean the Super Bowl is out of reach as there have been plenty of starting QBs since TB's heyday who are not in the same league as the top quarter of QBs who have hoisted the Lombardi. If we all remember a couple of decades ago, Troy Aikman (career 81.6 rating) was actually not that highly rated as a QB but was blessed with a great running back, top rated receiver, and strong defense which helped the team get three championships in four years, too.
I think Tom Brady and the Patriots have had a less than stellar start but it's early enough to regroup and put together a team that can win it's 4th Super Bowl and I would like to see both him and Peyton Manning win one more time. Though neither are my team, I was also happy back in the day when John Elway ended his career with back to back Super Bowl wins. John Elway in his day did share being in the same sentence as the guy tied with most Super Bowls (4x Montana) and the guy with all the QB records (Marino), and the back to back wins ensured he would be considered up among those two. These days, or at least the 2000s, the conversation of greatest in that generation is only Peyton and Tom with nobody in that same category.
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BenTrovato
macrumors 68040
Hey guys... just wondering what you would say about a survivor matchup. Me and a buddy have a shared team and for the first time we don't agree this week. I want to take SF over KC and he wants to take the Broncos over Zona. While Denver is one of my favourite teams, I hate the idea of taking a team off a bye week up against an undefeated team and would rather save the Broncos for next week against the Jets. Any opinions are welcome
ucfgrad93
macrumors Core
Hey guys... just wondering what you would say about a survivor matchup. Me and a buddy have a shared team and for the first time we don't agree this week. I want to take SF over KC and he wants to take the Broncos over Zona. While Denver is one of my favourite teams, I hate the idea of taking a team off a bye week up against an undefeated team and would rather save the Broncos for next week against the Jets. Any opinions are welcome
Take the Seahawks over the Redskins or the Chargers over the Jets.
Moyank24
macrumors 601
I'm thinking about taking Detroit at home vs the Bills. I just can't bring myself to pick against my Jets. As much as I hate them, I still love them.
ucfgrad93
macrumors Core
I'm thinking about taking Detroit at home vs the Bills. I just can't bring myself to pick against my Jets. As much as I hate them, I still love them.
I don't know. The Lions and the Bills are too inconsistent to risk a pick on. But hey, what do I know. I'm terrible at the Eliminator game.
BenTrovato
macrumors 68040
I like both of those picks but I already used Seattle and San Diego!
zioxide
macrumors 603
Mankins played LG. Losing him was a huge step back. Meanwhile, Nate Solder has fallen off a cliff and looks like a peewee, and then we have 2 rookies who have been starting on the OL as well.
This teams OL is the major problem. They can't block. Can't stop the pass rush and can't get the run going. You can tell Brady has been flustered because he's on his ass every other play, and he's rushing to get rid of the ball and forcing throws that end up bad even on plays where he does have time. That's the problem with this team. Brady's issues are mental and there's no reason he can't get that **** straightened out. Players don't decline mentally when they get older, they decline physically.
Brady's "nothing" was that he didn't have pro bowl WRs like Wayne and Harrison. He's almost always had a rock solid OL. He also had a solid run game.
It's no secret that Brady struggles under pressure (all QBs do tho).. that's how the Giants won those Super Bowls. This year the OL and lack of any run game or pass protection is killing this team.
This. This year isn't going to end well for Bob Kraft & co if they continue to **** the bed while being almost $12 million under the salary cap.
I don't think anyone expects that, and personally I couldn't give two ***** what numbers Brady puts up. The only numbers that matter are the Ws and Ls. That's what he would tell you and that's what anyone who actually understands the sport would say as well.
What really needs to happen is the Pats defense needs to pull their heads out of their asses. This defense has tons of talented players and should be one of the best defenses in the league, but they aren't playing like it. I'm hoping getting Browner back will help a bit because Logan Ryan has sucked big time in the #2 CB role with Dennard being hurt. If the Pats are going anywhere this year, it's gonna be on the backs of the defense.. as it should be. They need to follow the model that won them their 3 Super Bowls and has won almost every Super Bowl in recent history... defense first. The Pats defense has the talent to be the difference maker in the AFC East IF they can put it together.
The high powered offenses are fun to watch and win games in September and October but every time recently a top offense has faced a top defense in the Super Bowl.. the defense has come out on top.
63dot
macrumors 603
Hey iLog,
I found a real winner here and he's exactly what you and I are talking about. Alternate reality.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Paris_Tuileries_Garden_Facepalm_statue.jpg
Note to self: When Kap starts being less than the solid QB he has been (and either injuries or father time will eventually guarantee that), cut and paste this retort and use it as an excuse to appease myself and other Niners fans. Place blame on everything as a factor except the QB. The above excuse is still well written and almost logical but in the end it comes up to nothing better than my dog ate my homework!!
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/1...n-new-england-patriots-qb-tom-brady-poor-play
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zioxide
macrumors 603
Hey iLog,
I found a real winner here and he's exactly what you and I are talking about. Alternate reality.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Paris_Tuileries_Garden_Facepalm_statue.jpg
Note to self: When Kap starts being less than the solid QB he has been (and either injuries or father time will eventually guarantee that), cut and paste this retort and use it as an excuse to appease myself and other Niners fans. Place blame on everything as a factor except the QB. The above excuse is still well written and almost logical but in the end it comes up to nothing better than my dog ate my homework!!
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/1...n-new-england-patriots-qb-tom-brady-poor-play
I'm not making excuses. That's reality. Your article said the same exact damn thing I did. Did you even read it?
Literally the same thing I said in my post. The root of this team's problems is the offensive line. Is Brady the same quarterback he was when he was 28? No, but he's still more than capable of leading a winning football team.
iLog.Genius
macrumors 601
All of those analysts are correct, the whole Patriots team are not playing team football but again, how can you/they say Brady carries none of the responsibility? I'm annoyed by all the Brady support not because I dislike him as a QB but because of the free pass he gets.
The Seahawks absolutely embarrassed the Broncos. Who did everyone put the blame on first? Peyton. Your argument is going to be well that whole offense is tops in the league so Peyton deserves all the blame, but that doesn't mean anything if you're completely shut down by the best defense in the league. Is Peyton supposed to magically make his WR's break off press coverage? Is he supposed to magically do something so his RB's don't fumble the ball? I'm not giving excuses to Peyton but the end result is the same as it is for Brady. When Peyton throws an INT, it's all his fault. He shouldn't have thrown it there with that coverage. When Brady throws an INT, it's his receivers fault. His WR didn't know the play. Yes, a Demaryius Thomas is better than anyone the Patriots have but that doesn't mean that his play can't be garbage from time to time and when it does, who gets the blame? Peyton.
All I'm saying is as a QB, you're can only play your position and do what you're supposed to do. If you want to remove any blame on Brady, cool. But you better be doing the same with Peyton because at the end of the day, both Brady and Manning are only there to throw the ball. What happens to that thrown ball falls on the WR.
The Seahawks absolutely embarrassed the Broncos. Who did everyone put the blame on first? Peyton. Your argument is going to be well that whole offense is tops in the league so Peyton deserves all the blame, but that doesn't mean anything if you're completely shut down by the best defense in the league. Is Peyton supposed to magically make his WR's break off press coverage? Is he supposed to magically do something so his RB's don't fumble the ball? I'm not giving excuses to Peyton but the end result is the same as it is for Brady. When Peyton throws an INT, it's all his fault. He shouldn't have thrown it there with that coverage. When Brady throws an INT, it's his receivers fault. His WR didn't know the play. Yes, a Demaryius Thomas is better than anyone the Patriots have but that doesn't mean that his play can't be garbage from time to time and when it does, who gets the blame? Peyton.
All I'm saying is as a QB, you're can only play your position and do what you're supposed to do. If you want to remove any blame on Brady, cool. But you better be doing the same with Peyton because at the end of the day, both Brady and Manning are only there to throw the ball. What happens to that thrown ball falls on the WR.