This isn't a thread for empty predictions. How do you think the Pats will play? Why?
I think the Pats are going to be very competitive in the post season. I have a lot of confidence in the defense and they're fairly heathy. The big injuries are Hightower, Jones, Chung, and McCourty.
-Chung and McCourty were apparently heathy enough to play today and looked ok at worst. If McCourty was at all limited in mobility today then I'd expect he'll look better in two weeks. Not much concern here.
-Hightower did not look good last week but there was no re-injury that we're aware of and with three weeks of rest he should be a lot closer to 100% for the divisional round. They'll need him to be a beast all post-season. Not much concern here.
-We don't know anything about Jones' injury. I'm not sure what to make of it. Some concern here.
To me, the defense is in good shape to be the type of unit that holds other teams scoreless for stretches and keeps the team in the game until late in the 4th quarter against everybody.
The offense is less clear to me...
-Edelman: he's been practicing for weeks and playing with Brady on the side. He missed all pre-season and he and Brady came out firing week 1. I fully expect Jules to be near 100% and make a huge difference. They should go from a below average offense to an above average offense just by adding him back into the fold.
My concern is with Vollmer, Amendola, Brady's ankle and the inability for anyone else to really step up. I was sort of excited in a weird way for Brady to be forced to work with Martin, LaFell, Chandler, and White to develop a dimension they didn't have earlier in the season. That really didn't happen (partially thanks to the o-line) and that's the biggest area of concern.
-You could argue White and you might be right but he never really elevated himself near the security blanket status we've seen with all of his predecessors. He hasn't been a guy that keys Brady get rid of it in 2 seconds so to me he's just ok.
-The rest of 'em took steps backwards. Big concern here.
-Amendola has looked really limited --and he more so than Hightower needs that knee to be 100% to be a weapon. Some concern here.
-Vollmer's injury was bad enough to require a cart very recently and he was playing mediocre to begin with. Big concern here.
-Brady's ankle - his mobility earlier this year was an added dimension this injury could jeopardize. Small concern here.
-I see no reason for the run game to improve although Jules will make the o-line better himself.
So what happens when you add Edelman back to an offense with a bunch of new small and big concerns that weren't there earlier in the season ? I don't know. I think they'll be better...certainly above average as an offense but I'm quite skeptical we'll see the juggernaut that was rolling earlier this year.
So a very good defense and a good but not great offense? I think sounds about right. To me that makes them one of the best teams in the NFL and a team that should legitimately challenge for the SB but isn't near the prohibitive favorite we got a glimpse of earlier this year.
I think the Pats are going to be very competitive in the post season. I have a lot of confidence in the defense and they're fairly heathy. The big injuries are Hightower, Jones, Chung, and McCourty.
-Chung and McCourty were apparently heathy enough to play today and looked ok at worst. If McCourty was at all limited in mobility today then I'd expect he'll look better in two weeks. Not much concern here.
-Hightower did not look good last week but there was no re-injury that we're aware of and with three weeks of rest he should be a lot closer to 100% for the divisional round. They'll need him to be a beast all post-season. Not much concern here.
-We don't know anything about Jones' injury. I'm not sure what to make of it. Some concern here.
To me, the defense is in good shape to be the type of unit that holds other teams scoreless for stretches and keeps the team in the game until late in the 4th quarter against everybody.
The offense is less clear to me...
-Edelman: he's been practicing for weeks and playing with Brady on the side. He missed all pre-season and he and Brady came out firing week 1. I fully expect Jules to be near 100% and make a huge difference. They should go from a below average offense to an above average offense just by adding him back into the fold.
My concern is with Vollmer, Amendola, Brady's ankle and the inability for anyone else to really step up. I was sort of excited in a weird way for Brady to be forced to work with Martin, LaFell, Chandler, and White to develop a dimension they didn't have earlier in the season. That really didn't happen (partially thanks to the o-line) and that's the biggest area of concern.
-You could argue White and you might be right but he never really elevated himself near the security blanket status we've seen with all of his predecessors. He hasn't been a guy that keys Brady get rid of it in 2 seconds so to me he's just ok.
-The rest of 'em took steps backwards. Big concern here.
-Amendola has looked really limited --and he more so than Hightower needs that knee to be 100% to be a weapon. Some concern here.
-Vollmer's injury was bad enough to require a cart very recently and he was playing mediocre to begin with. Big concern here.
-Brady's ankle - his mobility earlier this year was an added dimension this injury could jeopardize. Small concern here.
-I see no reason for the run game to improve although Jules will make the o-line better himself.
So what happens when you add Edelman back to an offense with a bunch of new small and big concerns that weren't there earlier in the season ? I don't know. I think they'll be better...certainly above average as an offense but I'm quite skeptical we'll see the juggernaut that was rolling earlier this year.
So a very good defense and a good but not great offense? I think sounds about right. To me that makes them one of the best teams in the NFL and a team that should legitimately challenge for the SB but isn't near the prohibitive favorite we got a glimpse of earlier this year.