You are what your record says you are

[Benign Despot]

At the risk of sounding like Bruschi 3:16 or Ron Borges, The time has come to take off the red white and blue sunglasses and assess the Pats with the cold hard eyes of reality as they head into the bye.

The 2 time defending world champs are mediocre. A .500 team headed for a .500 season unless major changes happen real soon.

If Branch hadn't been knocked breifly unconscious on the final throw of the game, had held on and the Pats had been able to pull off a miraculous comeback today we would all be rejoicing. But the truth is, I think the story yesterday was less about the defense stiffening against the Broncs in the 2nd half and more about Shanny taking his foot off the gas a little too soon.

I will grant you that the injury situation is rediculous, but it is clear to me that the depth which has carried the Pats through numerous key injuries the last 2 years is no longer available. The schedule has been tough, but the overall record of the teams we have played to date is good, but not dominating.

Does any Pats fan remember what a turnover looks like? 14 quarters without a takeaway? I mean somebody must fumble a snap or something. Since playing the Raiders in the opener the defense has been unable to make a stop when they need too.

So here we are. The formula for victory this season is simple. The offense MUST score 30+ to win. Anyone need a reminder of what happens to high scoring no defense teams when the cold winds blow in November and December?

(BTW with regards to Borges' gratuitous Blesoe reference in this mornings column - Brady faced constant preasure all day, he had a total of 0 INTs, 0 fumbles and 0 sacks. If Drew had been behind center yesterday it would have been at least 2 INTs, 2 fumbles and 6 sacks).

If I put my Patriots colored glasses back on I think "If we can just get back the injured players in the secondary, if Bruschi comes back and plays at a high level, if Scott and Beisel can get some coaching up during the bye, if the O-line could gel, if Corey gets healthy, if wishes were horses. To many damn ifs.

I'm not jumping off the bandwagon, I've been with this team in bad times and good for as long as I've been a football fan, and I hope my assessment is wrong, but I guess "it is what it is".

[Hawg73]

A good post BD, excellent points all around.

I hadn't really considered the way the weather might screw up our offense.

I can see several areas of this team where the levee has done stove in and the floodwaters are affecting the entire organization.

I also like the fact that nobody seems to be panicking or abandoning what has been a hugely successful formula. They are working on the levees and it is frustratingly slow work.

The realist in me sees a mediocre football team, but the optimist sees injured guys ready to get back to being productive and I remind everyone that the margin between "great" and "shitty" is a very narrow one in this league.
I take nothing away from Denver who beat us fair and square, but ask yourself if Rodney Harrison was on the field instead of James Sanders if Denver reels off 3 huge plays in a short time. I doubt it.

We need to get somebody that can stop the big plays now. Maybe Freeman can help, maybe they will bring in somebody else.

I really feel we are not that far away from being a respectable defense.Things might look quite different in a few weeks than they do now.

[dchester]

Good posts. The optimist is me says that in 2001 the Pats were .500 for a longer stretch before they got it together. I'll also say that when it looked like they were on the verge of being blown out, this team showed that they still have heart, and they made a game out of it.

But I have to agree that thus far, they are what their record says they are.
________
Honda Accord specifications

[Bruschi 3:16]

Originally posted by Benign Despot
At the risk of sounding like Bruschi 3:16 or Ron Borges, The time has come to take off the red white and blue sunglasses and assess the Pats with the cold hard eyes of reality as they head into the bye.

The 2 time defending world champs are mediocre. A .500 team headed for a .500 season unless major changes happen real soon.

If Branch hadn't been knocked breifly unconscious on the final throw of the game, had held on and the Pats had been able to pull off a miraculous comeback today we would all be rejoicing. But the truth is, I think the story yesterday was less about the defense stiffening against the Broncs in the 2nd half and more about Shanny taking his foot off the gas a little too soon.

I will grant you that the injury situation is rediculous, but it is clear to me that the depth which has carried the Pats through numerous key injuries the last 2 years is no longer available. The schedule has been tough, but the overall record of the teams we have played to date is good, but not dominating.

Does any Pats fan remember what a turnover looks like? 14 quarters without a takeaway? I mean somebody must fumble a snap or something. Since playing the Raiders in the opener the defense has been unable to make a stop when they need too.

So here we are. The formula for victory this season is simple. The offense MUST score 30+ to win. Anyone need a reminder of what happens to high scoring no defense teams when the cold winds blow in November and December?

(BTW with regards to Borges' gratuitous Blesoe reference in this mornings column - Brady faced constant preasure all day, he had a total of 0 INTs, 0 fumbles and 0 sacks. If Drew had been behind center yesterday it would have been at least 2 INTs, 2 fumbles and 6 sacks).

If I put my Patriots colored glasses back on I think "If we can just get back the injured players in the secondary, if Bruschi comes back and plays at a high level, if Scott and Beisel can get some coaching up during the bye, if the O-line could gel, if Corey gets healthy, if wishes were horses. To many damn ifs.

I'm not jumping off the bandwagon, I've been with this team in bad times and good for as long as I've been a football fan, and I hope my assessment is wrong, but I guess "it is what it is".

The reality is as of Oct 17, this team sucks right now. Things may do a complete 180 in the next few weeks, but the Patriots are not a good football team today. The offense is inconsistent, the defense is the worst since the Rust era, and they are not getting the bounces this year (Givens dropping the ball, etc). We're going to see how good a coach Belichick is the rest of the way. They are still going to win the division, but barring a complete turnaround, that's about it.

[MadStork]

What's with all the hand wringing? The Pats are 3-3 after having faced the most difficult 6 game schedule IN THE HISTORY of the NFL - and you guys think they're an average team because of the standings? I might agree with you if we were 0-6, but we aren't. The easy, or 'average' part of our schedule is in front of us. Even banged up we can sweep the East. You know we can beat the Colts (hell, I hear talk that they're going to concede us the game just so they don't have to come back to Foxboro), and the Chiefs are imploding again. Right now I see our season as 11-5, at worst. 13-3 if we can replace Starks w/ a decent corner and Tedy can 'general' the front 7.

10 games left, guys! Two weeks to rest up, maybe pick up a player in a trade, heal some guys up ... my guess, after reading the papers this morning is that BB is going to shake this team up in one way or another. Relax, guys.

[Benign Despot]

Let me try to be more specific about my reason for concern.

Week 1 - we beat Oakland - A good win against a bad team

Week 2 - We lay an egg in Carolina - a team which has been very inconsistent to date. Defense can't get it done on a down day for the offense

Week 3 - A pyrric victory against the Steelers - the high point of the season IMO. Offense plays awesome, defense can't get it done

Week 4 - We get our arses kicked at home bye Chargers, who have been inconsistent. Offense falls apart in the second half, defense can't stop the Chargers

Week 5 - We beat Atlanta because the Offense plays out of it's mind. Defense can't make a stop to put the game away.

Week 6 - Offense starts slow, defense gives up a season's worth of big plays, and can't make a play.

I think the offense has played very well. But even in the games we've won the D has been bad to putrid. No big stops, no turnovers and the only big plays are being made against out D.

I would love to have SOMETHING to hang my hat on that would make me think the defense was ready to turn it around. But I haven't seen anything since week 1. I'll keep hoping the optomists are right.

[Alcoholic9*]

If the playoffs started today and we somehow made it in we'd defietly go 1 and done.

The good news is they don't start today and there is still plenty of time to right the ship.

I agree we can win the AFC East easily, as bad as the Pats have looked the other AFC East teams have looked worse.

[Patti37]

At this point in the season, this is a mediocre team. That doesn't man I am jumping off the bandwagon. It just means I am being realistic.

However, I believe they can win the division. But, unless they fix the D there will be no Super Bowl for this team.

[BizarroAnnihilus]

Originally posted by MadStork
What's with all the hand wringing? The Pats are 3-3 after having faced the most difficult 6 game schedule IN THE HISTORY of the NFL - and you guys think they're an average team because of the standings? I might agree with you if we were 0-6, but we aren't. The easy, or 'average' part of our schedule is in front of us. Even banged up we can sweep the East. You know we can beat the Colts (hell, I hear talk that they're going to concede us the game just so they don't have to come back to Foxboro), and the Chiefs are imploding again. Right now I see our season as 11-5, at worst. 13-3 if we can replace Starks w/ a decent corner and Tedy can 'general' the front 7.

10 games left, guys! Two weeks to rest up, maybe pick up a player in a trade, heal some guys up ... my guess, after reading the papers this morning is that BB is going to shake this team up in one way or another. Relax, guys.

You said exactly what Annihilus was thinking. He thanks you for letting him save his breath.

It'll be a whole 'nother story if the boys lose to the Bills.