Its always darkest before the dawn

Idle Thoughts

Let me first begin by saying get well Brady. From what we know about our future HoF QB, he is a competitor, and it must be killing him to miss out on an entire year of football, especially the way last year ended. I remember hearing him do a press conference talking about how eager he was for the season to get underway just to close the chapter on a disappointing loss to the Giants. Definitely a bad string of luck for him these past two games.

Lets hope he can rebound next year and bring us another championship.


Which leads me to the season at hand.

I normally tend to read material posted on message boards, but what I have been reading lately has really prompted me to post this thread. I am as disappointed with the loss of Brady like all of you. I, like the next Patsfan loves Brady, and wants him, along with the team, to succeed, but now that he's out of the fold doesn't mean the season is lost.

Its interesting that many writers have immediately tabbed the Jets as the new favorites in the east. I for one disagree for a number of reasons:
1) They almost lost to a team that finished 1-15 last season. In my opinion, the 2008 Dolphins may have regressed from last years pitiful 1-15 mark. Remember, they lost Taylor and Thomas to name a few.
2) Although the Jets have added a few play makers on both sides of the ball, specifically Favre and Pace (while also beefing up that oline), they are not too far off the team that was 4-12 last season. Sure Favre is good for 2-4 wins on his own, but lets not jump the gun here and declare them favorites just yet. Lets see how the season unfolds before we pass judgement. And personally, I saw the Bills as the next contending team in the division, not the Jets.

What to look forward to?

- Competitive football - Last season we were leaps ahead of the competition. It was definitely fun football to watch, especially when we had double-digit leads after the first quarter, but its going to be interesting to watch more close games of football. I really enjoyed that 2001 season where the games were close, and either team had a chance to win. Judging by our favorable schedule, I see no reason that we don't finish with at least 10 wins (nine more to go).

- Blast From the Past - I think Belichick is going to revert back to his 2001 offensive game plans. He is going to find a way to eliminate (or disguise) our glaring weaknesses, and expose our strengths. Cassel will be relied upon, like Brady in '01, to just be efficient. Remember, in '01, Brady was voted to the probowl, but he had no business being there. He finished with 2800+ passing yards, 18 TDs, and 14ints. Not probowl numbers by any means, but he was efficient. He kept the offence in check and protected the ball.
We have a far superior offence than the one that won it all in '01 - better receivers, offensive line, and running backs. As long as Matt does what he did yesterday (two key stats: 14 of 18 and 0 ints), we will be fine.

- Elevating Our Overall Performance - The moment a key player of a team falls, you tend to hear other teammates stress the need for elevating everyone's performances to alleviate the loss of the key player. Like the 2001 team, the focus was squarely on Defense and the running game. I think the defense is going to come together (not that they haven't) and play an integral role that will help us to a double-digit win season. This defense is no pushover, we have a solid d-line, and a good mix of speed, athletic, and smart linebackers. Albeit our secondary is questionable, one corner, and Im hoping it will be Hobbs, needs to surprise us all and exceed expectations (sort of like what Samuel did two seasons ago) to really stabilize all levels of the defense and make it truly dominant.

- Brady on the sidelines - Just like Bledsoe did for Brady back in '01, expect Brady to be an active coach/mentor for Cassel on gameday (and leading up to gameday). This is Matt's opportunity to pick apart Brady's brain, and Im sure Brady will do everything in his means to help both Cassel and the Patriots succeed.

- Cassel - Let me start off by saying the Patriots offense is great. We have probowl receivers and offensive linemen, solid TEs and RBs. They can make any QB look good. Now consider this, Matt Cassel leads the Patriots into the postseason with an efficient season. People may cry QB controversy, but we all know that this is Brady's team. In the event that Matt has a good season, we can probably offload him in the offseason, and possibly pick up a high first rounder. Just looking for some positives here!

Additional thoughts:

If Brady is put on the I.R. it is my understanding of the C.B.A. that his salary will not count towards the cap (or is that just how it works in the N.H.L.?). If this is the case, I think the Pats should allocate some of that money to reworking current contracts by deferring salaries that are expected to rise next season into this season (save some cap space for next season).
Secondly, they should use some of the extra space to sign possibly Ty Law to the 4-6million he is asking for. Again, if the defense is playing un-penetrable, teams won't be scoring much, giving the offense every opportunity to win.

We have elite receivers that can make any QB look great. Why not bring in a Culpepper or Bledsoe as a veteran backup who can step in immediately? I hate the words "what if". But what if Cassel gets injured, or doesn't perform up to par, were going to need other viable options.

That is all from me.

Re: Idle Thoughts

pfk?? 10

Re: Idle Thoughts

How about not stealing Patsfanken's post title he pretty much originated here,try something different - No one will confuse you two believe me.

Re: Idle Thoughts

PATRIOTSFANINPA said:

How about not stealing Patsfanken's post title he pretty much originated here,try something different - No one will confuse you two believe me.

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PFK did not originate the term "Idle Thoughts", so with all due respect to him, give the OP a break.

Re: Idle Thoughts

Stealing?? All I can say is Wow!!

Here I am trying to make light of the bad situation, being as optimist as possible and you come and post a message that is totally uncalled for. Good for you, you should feel really proud, "beleive me", I would.

Get a clue bud.

Re: Idle Thoughts

2_LAW_4 said:

- Brady on the sidelines - Just like Bledsoe did for Brady back in '01, expect Brady to be an active coach/mentor for Cassel on gameday (and leading up to gameday). This is Matt's opportunity to pick apart Brady's brain, and Im sure Brady will do everything in his means to help both Cassel and the Patriots succeed.

Click to expand...

Home games, yes, but I don't know exactly what the rule is for IRed players (if Brady is done for the season) at away games. (Are they allowed to pay their own way/get sideline passes/whatever?)

Cassel - Let me start off by saying the Patriots offense is great. We have probowl receivers and offensive linemen, solid TEs and RBs. They can make any QB look good. Now consider this, Matt Cassel leads the Patriots into the postseason with an efficient season. People may cry QB controversy, but we all know that this is Brady's team. In the event that Matt has a good season, we can probably offload him in the offseason, and possibly pick up a high first rounder. Just looking for some positives here!

Click to expand...

The only way that the Pats could get a first-rounder for Cassel is if they franchise him; he's a UFA next spring, so the best likely scenario is a comp third in 2010.

We will not go quietly into that goodnight!!!

If there is one thing I know about our Patriots its this:

The bigger the obstacle, the more determined these guys will play.

Count us out? We'll soon see about that.

I truly believe that we will have a great week of practice and come out with a frightening level of anger that will be taken out on the New York Jets....

I believe that our best football will be on display Sunday at 4:15 PM in the Meadowlands.

God help the NFL now, because the Patriots certainly won't.

Re: We will not go quietly into that goodnight!!!

FloridaPatsFan said:

If there is one thing I know about our Patriots its this:

The bigger the obstacle, the more determined these guys will play.

Count us out? We'll soon see about that.

I truly believe that we will have a great week of practice and come out with a frightening level of anger that will be taken out on the New York Jets....

I believe that our best football will be on display Sunday at 4:15 PM in the Meadowlands.

God help the NFL now, because the Patriots certainly won't.

Click to expand...

I agree...not at all quitting..and seeing all the headlines and cheering..these guys will come out strong

Re: We will not go quietly into that goodnight!!!

I'm still excited about this season, no way in hell this team gives up.

Re: Idle Thoughts

PromisedLand said:

PFK did not originate the term "Idle Thoughts", so with all due respect to him, give the OP a break.

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Actually I think I did, back in my KFFL days in the 90's. But unfortunately I never copywrited it and cannot sue for royalties. Damned D )

Meanwhile I thought 2_Law_4 wrote an excellent post. One that I pretty much agree with all his points. I'm flattered he used the "idle thoughts" heading, and would be flattered if anyone else uses it.

Re: We will not go quietly into that goodnight!!!

good f'cking post. i agree 110%. i'm ready to watch smashmouth ass-kicking football from our boys. let's go get em!

Enjoying the win

I know a lot of people are going to think this is crazy because of Brady's injury, but if we as fans are really going to look forward, I say we start with realizing that winning this game was a good start. While the offense did not light it up, they had three scoring drives after what could have been a demorializing injury to their best player. The defense played well for most of the game and after the one big breakdown in coverage, they played great in the red zone to stop KC from scoring. This is obviously a game the team can build from and get better. The media seems to be annointing the Jets due to Favre winning his first game, but I think the Jets are going to have a bit more of a difficult time against the Patriots than they did against Miami. Miami almost won and if it were not for an offensive interference call at the end of the game, they might have. I am looking foward to next week. I think the team is going to play really well.

Re: Idle Thoughts

appreciate the classy post pfk, and the permission to use "idle thoughts" as a title!

Remember this: 31 other teams don't have Brady either.

Seriously, teams win all the time with average QB's.
Sometimes, they even win Superbowls.
Having an early bye week may end up being a good thing.
Cassell will improve after some time getting 1st team reps.
Everyone take a deep breath.

Re: We will not go quietly into that goodnight!!!

I'm still going through all the different emotions.....but, I am so ready for next Sunday. I think our guys are gonna be so pumped up to get into NY next Sunday. Looking forward to hearing "Cassel to Moss, TOUCHDOWN!"

Let's go guys, great week of practice, and show everyone what your made of.

My Expectations Have Not Been Lowered!

I expect this team to win every week. I root for this team every week, and will continue to do so, regardless of QB.

Now, I apologize ahead of time if some of these sentiments have already been posted today by other optimistic posters, I've been in class all day.

We still have:

One of the best WRs in the league, the best Coach in the league, a fantastic Defense, great leadership, and a favorable schedule.

Of COURSE I'm dissapointed in TB's situation, but I still think this team will make the playoffs and perform well. I'd be lying if I said I expect blowouts and the like, but this is kind of similar when Bledsoe went down.

We'll see a different offense for sure, probably more screens, a more of a reliance on the run game, etc, but this team is very well constructed.

When TB broke into the league he didn't have Moss, Welker, Morris, Jordan, Maroney, Jordan, etc. He did have a ridiculous defense, and I think our D will be fine throughout the year, but come on!

I still think it's ok to be disappointed with what happened, but still be excited about this season.

Now that everyone has seen the entire 2008 season flash before their eyes, its time to take a step back and look at this from the most positive side. Why? Because we are fans, and if we thought that the loss of Brady meant the end of the season, then we’d be nothing more than Cardinal Fans.

Now here we are faced with the fact that Brady is done for the year. Now what should we expect. Are the playoffs out of the question? Can we win the division? Is the Superbowl just a figment of our collective imaginations?

Personally, I choose to say yes to all three. After spending 5 months getting over Feb. 2nd and blocking out the “ game that shall not be named”; I will not do the same with Brady’s injury. This team is just to good and deep for us to do that.

Hey I’m no Pollyanna. I know that it is a huge loss when you lose the best player in the league at the most important position. HOWEVER I am a student of the game and I know that although QB might be the most important position, but it is not SO important that the loss of an elite player cannot be made up by a lesser player and the other TEN players on the field.

When we won in 2001, Tom Brady WAS NOT in the top 10 QBs in the league. When we didn’t make the playoffs in 2002, we were all losing arguments about who was the better QB, Cullpepper or Brady. Back then we didn’t even enter into conversations comparing Brady and the likes of Manning, McNabb, and Favre. So let’s put this into some kind of historical retrospective and look at the team we currently have and how it may develop by the end of the season.

DEFENSE: What we learned from yesterday’s game.

KC might end up being the worst team in the league, but they are still in the NFL. They still have 53 of the best football players in the world. They have an elite RB, a talented WR, a HOF TE, and young OL filled with high draft picks.

We had to stop a running game of a team that is DEDICATED to running the football. For the most part we stopped that running game. We found that out 2 OLBs could put pressure of the passer. Seymour showed that he can pressure the passer from the 3-4 DE position. Warren and Wilfolk were stout at the point of attack, and both Mayo and Bruschi were as well.

AND back in the secondary we the area we were most concerned about we saw signs of hope. Hobbs looks like someone who could replace Samuel’s big play ability. Oneal made 2 huge plays at the end of the game and looked like someone who can play press coverage when we need it. Merriweather was solid though he proved once again that he has to improve his hands. I think as the year goes on, Rodney will be used less and less in deep coverages. Sanders, hopefully will learn from his overrunning the big pass play at the end of the game. That play and the 20 yd run by Johnson were really the only 2 lapses by the defense. I don’t think that ANY of the 3rd down plays the Pats gave up were more than 7 yds long.

All in all I think it was pretty decent opening performance, especially after what we had seen in the preseason. 3 or 4 sacks, solid fundamental play, and only 2 real break downs.

OFFENSE – Given the fact that he got only the 2nd team reps all week and he played only 2 ½ quarters of the game, I could make a case that Cassell had better stats than the HOF QB that we will face this week. And while he had one pass that might have been picked, he didn’t throw any “hail mary’s”.

Cassel isn’t Brady. No one is. But Cassell showed that he can be as good a manager of the game as Brady was in 2001. That throw he made on the GL was VERY revealing. It was a difficult throw that was made in the clutch. It showed great skill and the POTENTIAL to see more.

So here is my premise for a successful run at the superbowl DESPITE the loss of Tom Brady. I propose that Cassell can be a good manager of this offense, at least as good as Brady was in 2001. However unlike Brady in 2001, Cassell will have an OL that is infinitely better. He will have the best stable of RBs the Pats have had in MANY years, if not the best ever. He will have 2 of the best WRs in NFL and with the exception of Troy Brown, all of the rest of the WR backing up Moss and Welker are better than the WRs Brady had that year. And then there are the TE’s. In 2001 all the TE’s COMBINED had fewer than 20 catches. Thomas and Watson will have more than that before game 6

BOTTOM LINE – It will be harder to get to the Superbowl without Tom Brady. Also the manner in with we get there will have to be different as well. We will run the ball more. We will throw more controlled passes. We will go down field less. The offensive game plans will stress more ball control and fewer risky plays. The defense will have to be more aggressive and once again be among the top 5 in points allowed. Finally the special teams will have to be nearly flawless, not so much in making big return plays, but more in keeping others from making them.

I refuse to give up on this season, though I expect more ups and downs than we had expected in this preseason. I can see us get to 11-5 or better. I can see us winning the division. I can see the outside chance of getting a bye.

Now on the bright side we can go back to being what New Englanders always prefer. We are now the underdogs again...and I love it.

Re: Idle Thoughts

BB already stated in his press confrence that the play book looks nothing like the 2001 play book.

The only problem I had with Cassell the other day was, no Moss in 2nd half and he did not get Gaffney involved in the game plan. Nice to see Thomas step up and make a few catches.

That was long

Re: Idle Thoughts

Since i can't post a new thread I'll pose my question here and maybe it gets its own thread buy someone who can start a thread anyway my concern is this....

Did we lose more then one player yesterday? Does Moss continue to be the great teammate and hard working reciever we saw all of last year - or now that the SB is a long shot does he revert to the reciever we saw in Oakland?