The sports guys latest cowbell

[youtalkfunny]

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Um, the Pats had the same starting CBs in this game as they did in the AFC Championship game. Or is Rodney Harrison worth 37 points?

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Um, professional football is usually played with more than two CB's, especially when up against a potent offense.

In the 2002 SB, Belichick would send in SEVEN DB's when he saw that Martz refused to run the ball. None of those guys were signed as free agents that week.

I just looked at the Pats' current roster on Yahoo. They've got five players on IR. Tell me if you notice a pattern:

37 Rodney Harrison S
38 Tyrone Poole CB
30 Chad Scott CB
29 Guss Scott S
23 Duane Starks CB

With whom does that leave them?

21 Randall Gay CB
27 Ellis Hobbs CB
32 Hank Poteat CB
22 Asante Samuel CB
36 James Sanders S
24 Michael Stone S
26 Eugene Wilson S

Here's a quote from today's Boston Globe:

Perhaps no one was more surprised that Michael Stone was asked to play safety against Indianapolis than Michael Stone.

The special teams lifer, who had seven tackles in three NFL seasons before Monday night, matched that total in about half the game against the Colts. Stone may have played more defensive plays in the game than he has in his entire career.

''Before the game, Coach told me, 'Just be ready to play,' " said Stone, who subbed for Randall Gay.

Today's Boston Herald says, "the Patriots rank next to last in the league in total defense...", so please stop pretending that Peyton beat a championship-caliber defense.

And you look really silly comparing this year's D to last year's. Please, stop, you're embarrassing yourself.

[Jack of Arcades]

Um, last year the Pats secondary was banged up as well. Randall Gay started last year and was an *undrafted rookie*

Is Mike Stone really that much worse than Je'Rod Cherry? Face it: in the playoffs last year, the Pats secondary was in shambles. The difference from last year to this year is... Rodney Harrison. Is that worth 37 points? Of course not.

[PhatTBoll]

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2) Tom Brady is having an even better year, production-wise, than he did last year. In fact, the Pats passing game is second to only *drumroll* Indy. This despite a below average running game (last year, they had a top 5 running game).

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Of course his passing numbers are going to go up a bit when the team knows it can't run.

I noticed both you and what's his name ignored my 3rd down conversion stat. I'd love to know how their defense figures into a nearly 25% regression in 3rd down efficiency. Seems like play calling might have something to do with it.

[lastchance]

Pats running game is much worse this year than last. That means longer 3rd downs and not being able to pound the ball on third and 2.

[Jack of Arcades]

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2) Tom Brady is having an even better year, production-wise, than he did last year. In fact, the Pats passing game is second to only *drumroll* Indy. This despite a below average running game (last year, they had a top 5 running game).

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Of course his passing numbers are going to go up a bit when the team knows it can't run.

I noticed both you and what's his name ignored my 3rd down conversion stat. I'd love to know how their defense figures into a nearly 25% regression in 3rd down efficiency. Seems like play calling might have something to do with it.

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Um, I'm not talking about his OVERALL productions, but his per-play production is up too. This is obviously counter-intuitive to what you'd think, as generally when qbs pass more their value per play goes down.

PS: I did not "ignore" your 3rd down converstion stat, but a raw 3rd down converstion stat is irrelevant. What's needed is

a) On average, how many yards do the Pats need to get a first down? How does that compare to last year?
b) How do the Pats do on 3rd and greater than 4 (passing situations)? How does that compare to last year?
c) How do these figures compare to the league average?
d) How tough have the defenses they've played so far been? How does that compare to last year?
e) More data! We're only looking at 101 third downs here!

[McGahee]

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I hate the Pats as much as anyone, but to say that Brady is a product of coaching because Quinn has had a nice season in college is pretty retarded. He doesn't have the best OL, his WR core while deep is not spectacular, and 2 of the SB's they won were with Antowain Smith as the starting RB.
The team was 5-11 with those same coaches and same OL in 2000 with Drew 'choke' Bledsoe running the show.

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Drew Bledsoe is 5-3
Tom Brady is 4-4

If you want to give QBs all the credit when a team wins (which is completely wrong--Tom Brady is a rich man's Roethlisberger), you have to give them all the blame when they lose.

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Worst straw-man argument ever.
Read much? The outside variables were THE SAME in 2001. In fact the 2001 team started 0-2 with Bledsoe losing to the Jets 10-3 and losing to a horrible Cincinnatti team. Suddenly they starting winning when he got injured with THE SAME TEAM.
The variables for this year's Pats & Cowboys are not the same - not defensively, not OL, not injury-wise, and certainly not per strength of schedule.
And besides, Drew played like an All-pro his first 8 games with his new team in 2002 which supposedly "rejuvinated" his career...then he sucked for the next 2.5 seasons. I'd say he's due for a choke right around Monday night.

[TheNoodleMan]

For TSG to bitch about Indy getting a bye week before the Pats game is absurd. If anyone noticed, the game was in Foxborough, just like it was last year, and unbelievably these same 2 teams will play again next year in Forborough.