Its always darkest before the dawn

Re: My Expectations Have Not Been Lowered!

DAMN STRAIGHT!

This season will be further proof of the actual TEAM mantra, where no ONE man is above the team, nor does any ONE man make or break this team. Even if that ONE man is the greatest QB to ever live.

Gicksauce said:

That was long

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And you're a troll. Move along if you can't handle reading things that don't include pictures.

This is the biggest gutcheck in the history of this franchise

I cannot remember one instance in the history of this franchise (and believe me, I have studied it) where the complexion of the team has changed this dramatically in one game. Brady went down and the thought that instantly creept up in everyone's head was "my God, if he's done, we're done". But Cassel, a QB that we had no confidence in, came in and led a 99 yard drive culminating in points that ultimately led to our 20th straight win. This, folks, is by far our biggest gutcheck. For 7 years we've spoken about the unspeakable (you guys like that? ) and now it has happened. I truly believe this team will rally around Matt Cassel. How good we'll be is another thing. But I will tell you this: no matter what, we have the best coach in the NFL (perhaps ever) at bringing a team completely together in a moment of disaster. Thank God Bill Belichick is our coach. In Belichick we trust.

Re: My Expectations Have Not Been Lowered!

emoney_33 said:

DAMN STRAIGHT!

This season will be further proof of the actual TEAM mantra, where no ONE man is above the team, nor does any ONE man make or break this team. Even if that ONE man is the greatest QB to ever live.

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That's a lovely locker room speech but it doesn't make any sense. The idea that anything short of a Super Bowl title was a failure about 48 hours ago was legitimate. Now it's foolish. That doesn't mean a Super Bowl title is not the goal, but it can no longer be the expectation.

Quality post.

I agree with your premise for a SB run. I'm personally not quite ready to think about these things, need to mourn a little from the news that there will be now Brady this season. Kind of like hearing a friend is going away or abroad for a while. I'm flat out going to miss the guy and seeing him play.

Putting that aside, we've heard so much in the last 24 hours how "wide open" this league has just become. How there is no clear favorite. How the Colts and Chargers look beat up and struggled too. Well, guess what, we're still one of the most talented teams in the league.

This isn't 2006. We have an offense stocked with weapons surrounding the QB. In fact, we might have the best offensive player in the league still.

I feel sorry for Tom, I feel sorry for ourselves for not being able to see him again this year, but the whole NFL can go f**k itself, and I hope the Patriots go out and re-prove what they proved in 01, that a playmaking defense and a conservative offense with timely bits of clutchness can win a Super Bowl.

Re: My Expectations Have Not Been Lowered!

JoePats said:

That's a lovely locker room speech but it doesn't make any sense. The idea that anything short of a Super Bowl title was a failure about 48 hours ago was legitimate. Now it's foolish. That doesn't mean a Super Bowl title is not the goal, but it can no longer be the expectation.

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Only the foolish EXPECTED a title. Did last year not prove how trully valuable and difficult it is to win an NFL SUPERBOWL? Come on now.

Those that placed that unfair expectation on the Patriots before the season... well that's their problem.

BradyManny2344 said:

Quality post.

I agree with your premise for a SB run. I'm personally not quite ready to think about these things, need to mourn a little from the news that there will be now Brady this season. Kind of like hearing a friend is going away or abroad for a while. I'm flat out going to miss the guy and seeing him play.

Putting that aside, we've heard so much in the last 24 hours how "wide open" this league has just become. How there is no clear favorite. How the Colts and Chargers look beat up and struggled too. Well, guess what, we're still one of the most talented teams in the league.

This isn't 2006. We have an offense stocked with weapons surrounding the QB. In fact, we might have the best offensive player in the league still.

I feel sorry for Tom, I feel sorry for ourselves for not being able to see him again this year, but the whole NFL can go f**k itself, and I hope the Patriots go out and re-prove what they proved in 01, that a playmaking defense and a conservative offense with timely bits of clutchness can win a Super Bowl.

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Well IF we win the SuperBowl this year - I will feel bad for Tommy - no 4th ring.....

Re: My Expectations Have Not Been Lowered!

JoePats said:

That's a lovely locker room speech but it doesn't make any sense. The idea that anything short of a Super Bowl title was a failure about 48 hours ago was legitimate. Now it's foolish. That doesn't mean a Super Bowl title is not the goal, but it can no longer be the expectation.

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I agree with you man, but are you going to tell me you expect this team to lose every week, or certain weeks? San Diego and Indianapolis probably expected to win yesterday too.

I think MC has a lot to prove and maybe after this year he could get an opportunity to start for another team (assuming TB's recovery is complete and all). Everybody has a ton to play for this year, and I'm extremely excited.

NENGFAN said:

Well IF we win the SuperBowl this year - I will feel bad for Tommy - no 4th ring.....

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He would most certainly get a ring on IR, I believe. And he would deserve it as much as any of the coaches on the staff for his role in mentoring Cassel.

Re: My Expectations Have Not Been Lowered!

I fully expect that we will be in the playoffs but I admit my expectations have been lowered as prior to this I thought SB and now I can only hope Super Bowl and not neccessarily expect it.

But take a look around that locker room at guys like Harrison, Bruschi, Seymour, and others and tell me that these guys are ready to give up on super bowl hopes in the second week of the season. Their resolve will never be stronger and they will take this team to the playoffs and from their it is a different ball game and how this team has performed till than will tell us wether they have a chance there too.

Now we get to find out just how good Belichick really is

TB's injury is disappointing but we finally get to find out if its the chicken or the egg. If Belichick can win 10+ games with Cassel it will go down as his best coaching job ever. I'm excited to see what happens. No more Easterbrook et. al. getting their panties in a bunch about us running up the score.

Of course it could just as easily all go down in flames.

Re: My Expectations Have Not Been Lowered!

Exactly my thoughts............. with brady gone we are in level in terms of talent with others but definitely not below any team........... i would be more worried about this season if it was BB who was gone for the year................. give 53 humans to bb and he will find ways to win...............and then next year when TB is back we can go back to trashing other teams by like 20-30 points

Re: Now we get to find out just how good Belichick really is

Pawn512 said:

TB's injury is disappointing but we finally get to find out if its the chicken or the egg. If Belichick can win 10+ games with Cassel it will go down as his best coaching job ever. I'm excited to see what happens. No more Easterbrook et. al. getting their panties in a bunch about us running up the score.

Of course it could just as easily all go down in flames.

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if they go 1-15 i would still say BB is as much to our franchise as brady. for me its never been the chicken and egg scenario. All the idiots like easterbrook wanted BB suspended because he IS a good coach but hypocritically they will turn around and say he is an avg coach without brady or they will now 'find out' how good he is .
i dont have to find out personally.

Re: Now we get to find out just how good Belichick really is

Belichick has NOTHING to prove.

The guy beat the Bills with the Giants. He beat Joe Montana in his prime too.

He beat the Rams with a 6th round draft pick QB.

He went 16-0 during the Spygate controversy.

He has the longest regular season winning streak ever.


Stupid thread.

Re: Idle Thoughts

Nomar33 said:

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?

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After yesterday's game, I posed the same question. I remembered back to 1999 season opener when Vinny Testarverde was knocked out and placed on the I.R. with, correct me if I am wrong, a torn Achilles Tendon by our very own Patriots. I remember Keyshawn Johnson's post game press conference where he showed a lot of emotion and he looked as if he was going to give up. But he didn't. He ended up finishing with a very strong season - even with a far less capable QB throwing him the ball. Although we didn't see the same emotion from Moss after N.E.'s win, I took it as A) He didn't know the severity of Brady's injury, or B) He truly believes in Matt Cassel (remember he still had 3 rec. for 66 yards and a TD with Cassel - not great but not too shabby).

I think Moss will continue to be a play-maker and not quit despite the loss of Brady. As a voted captain, many players look up to him and rely on him, so he has to lead by example. And remember, Moss has since grown up, he has matured into a receiver who takes pride in what he does. The Patriots are still a good team. If he ends up lacking that drive or motivation, which I highly doubt, I'm sure BB will be right there to give him a nice kick in the but to reinvigorate that drive.

Re: This is the biggest gutcheck in the history of this franchise

You'd have to say Cassel...and the team...passed the first gutcheck test. 51 yard completion on 3rd-and-11 from his 1-yard line in his first series after he's replaced the reigning league MVP in front of a fanbase that has been calling for him to not even make the team. If that's not clutch, I don't know what is. Long way to go, but a heck of a start.

Re: My Expectations Have Not Been Lowered!

And by the way -- after the first Sunday the Pats aren't just even with but AHEAD of San Diego, Indy, and JAX in the standings.

Re: My Expectations Have Not Been Lowered!

Best wishes to Tom and his recovery. My greatest fear is that he follows the path of Daunte Culpepper after he suffered his knee injury, but football is second in my concern to his overall well-being.

And I just want to add.... the storyline for 2009: Brady has much to prove after coming off injury.

100% agree; my expectations haven't been shaken a bit.

Like most of you, I've gotten calls rubbing it in my face and e-mails alike and all I can say is that it isn't a problem for the team. Cassel has a great supporting cast that won 18 straight games last year and there is no reason to think they can't win with him at the helm.

Having a veteran locker room will prove valuable. Especially when some of those veterans went through this in 2001. Moral is the only thing that will hold this team back and I think Bruschi will nip that in the butt.

Re: This is the biggest gutcheck in the history of this franchise

Chiefs at home in September vs. Colts away in January

we'll see

Re: My Expectations Have Not Been Lowered!

TealSox said:

Best wishes to Tom and his recovery. My greatest fear is that he follows the path of Daunte Culpepper after he suffered his knee injury, but football is second in my concern to his overall well-being.

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Highly unlikely since he's not a mobile QB anyway, and having a "bad" knee won't affect his ability to read defenses (something Daunte could never do)