I was going to write about the atrocity that took place on the field of Gillette Stadium on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but I couldn't write a sentence without vomiting in my own mouth. So instead I choose to sum up where the Pats are as they head into the final quarter of the 2008 season.
The defining characteristic of 2008 is the fact that it's Matt Cassel under center and not Tom Brady. We knew that would be the case within the first ten minutes of the season's start. While Cassel has been better than most expected it still remains to be seen if he can beat a top notch team.
Last week, following back-to-back 400 yard games, Cassel vs. Brady was the talk of Bleacher Report. However, after another loss to another AFC playoff team, that talk should be squelched. Instead, we should be left wondering if Matt Cassel is anything more than an average NFL quarterback.
That's not a knock on Cassel. Average is better than anyone expected out of him. But he's been in this system for four years and is surrounded by arguably the best wide receiving corps in the game. If he's average now how's he going to do in a brand new offense with a lesser cast of receivers. Something to think about Tampa Bay, Detroit, and other NFL teams who might take a look at Cassel.
SAME PROBLEMS PERSIST
It's now December and the teams that are going to compete for the Super Bowl should be starting to put together their best football. The Patriots however continue to be plagued by the same problems that have faced them all season.
In a way, 2008 would've almost been more frustrating if Brady had not been hurt, only to see the defense continue to give up third down conversions and red zone scores that would have resulted in nearly as many losses as the Pats have with Cassel. The Patriots weren't beating the Dolphins (round one), Chargers, or Steelers even if No. 12 was in there.
Maybe it's the losses of Asante Samuel, Rodney Harrison, and Adalius Thomas. Maybe it's the inexperience of the rookie linebackers and defensive backs. Maybe it's just Deltha O'Neal. Regardless, the Patriots defense will need work in the off-season.
While they are building solid depth at middle linebacker (Guyton, Mayo) and cornerback (Wilhite, Richardson, Wheatley) they need to add more playmakers. Unfortunately Pierre Woods and Mike Vrabel have not been able to generate consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks and that has fed into the Pats' third down breakdowns as much as poor coverage has.
LAST QUARTER
The game against the Steelers was the last chance for the Pats to prove they belong in the conversation of AFC contenders. Now, after the 33-10 drubbing, it's clear that they do not. That doesn't mean that they still can't sneak into the playoffs though.
If you had to choose an MVP for the 2008 Pats at this point it would have to be the cream puff schedule. If New England had Pittsburgh's schedule they'd be lucky to go 6-10.
You can beat the Chiefs, 49ers, and Bills behind the strength of your offensive and defense lines. But you can't beat the Colts, Steelers, or Jets without a dangerous pass rush.
Due to the Jets' loss to the Broncos and the difficult schedule that the Ravens are faced with, the Patriots playoff hopes are still not dead. They will need to go 4-0 in December, but it's something they are clearly capable of given they play Seattle, Oakland, Arizona, and Buffalo.
But even if they do sneak into the tournament the Patriots defense isn't striking fear into the hearts of any NFL team at the moment. The new guard in the AFC is comprised of teams with airtight Ds that can shut down any offense. Just see what Pittsburgh did to the Pats on Sunday.
It's still not too late, but it's clear that the problems that plague the 2008 Patriots run much deeper than just a lack of Tom Brady.
Mike Dussault is a Patriots Community Leader at Bleacher Report, and also a contributor at BostonSportz.com. His Patriots blog can be viewed here and he can be contacted at PatriotsPropaganda@gmail.com.
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about 1 month ago
your article fails to mention the one fact that everyone who doesn't live in New England knows. If they can't cheat the Pats are just a middle of the pack NFL team, always have been.
from about 1 month ago
Great point! How could I forget that!? Silly me, I must've come off like an uninformed moron. Clearly the only time the Patriots have ever won a game is because they've known every single defense before it's called and are able to counter with the perfect unstoppable offensive call. But that's not happening this year! Or last year, when they went 18-0 before the Super Bowl, but who needs facts when you're trying to be insightful.
from about 1 month ago
Good job Robert, you are a complete and utter idiot. Please take a good look at the comments I provided on the article "Why Has Spygate Gone away" and feel free to be enlightened before you spew your shit here again. Or if you are as illiterate and ignorant as I believe you are(EVERYTHING ESPN SAYS MUST BE RIGHT) go use this tool, google, and find me the rule that the Patriots violated. You'll be surprised that nowhere does it mention videotaping signals.
However good article Mike, it is my POTD and 5*. I really hold by this statement that this year is more of a rebuilding year where we inject more youth into our defense and find new playmakers and a better balance on offense. That allows Brady to come back to a SB caliber team and light it up. I truly and honestly believe if Brady had not been injured that we could quite easily be 11-1 right now.
While we were blown out by the Chargers, if you remember during that game Cassel consistently missed on key 3rd downs and missed consistently on deep throws. I believe we could have traded scores quite easily, look to this loss vs. the Steelers. One thing Cassel lacks is his experience, i still go by my statement that one day he will be playign well somewhere, and I truly do believe Brady would have been able to change our plays up and been aware enough not to fumble twice and to not miss those passes that led to interceptions. This could quite easily have been another win. The only game I am not sure that we could have won against with Brady was the game against the Dolphins, they were just too savage for us. They had trickplays that scored Touchdowns and our defense looked like the Lions that day.
I am confident that the Patriots will be able to continue their winning ways, if we can score in the draft again like we did this past year I am lookign forward to quite a few more years of winning.
from about 1 month ago
Yeaaaaaahhhhhhhh Robert! Thanks so much for shedding light on this! You've just solved the Pats problems this year! Good for you! Now go away and get smart, and don't bother posting unless you have a fraction of a clue as to what you're talking about. God, I LOVE smacking down the trash talkers and other "people" that aren't smart enough to post a single fact, and only want to talk trash.
Good article, Mike (as always). I loved the opening line...and FWIW, this article popped up on Google news, and displayed the first paragraph (almost all of it) and I was laughing when I read the "vomit in my own mouth" part...how sad but true that is. I agree that we need help in the backfield now....and I'm not at all confident in Deltha O'neal right now. I feel that teams are exploiting him.
Good points, too, Bing (as always). I agree with what you said about Cassel playing in the future. I think within 3 years, he'll be a starter elsewhere.
about 1 month ago
This is the first year we know for sure the Pats Probably aren't cheating. Even with the lightest schedule in the nfl they probably don't make the playoffs. Next year they go 6 and 10. In 2010 they are back with the Bungles and lions. Which is where they were before the " coaching genious" brought his cheating ways to Beantown. Yeah. without cheating the Patsies have a real bright future. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA !!!!!!!! If he can't cheat Belicheck gets canned before 2011.
from about 1 month ago
It's official. You're an idiot. Get a clue, buy a vowel, or do whatever you need to do to educate yourself. Just stop wasting peoples time with this garbage you call your opinion. It's so far off base, even you don't believe yourself.
Let's recap....you=idiot.
from about 1 month ago
So true, because they definitely woudl have had their cameraman IN THE WIDE OPEN again videotaping from that illegal spot, spoiler:that was the rule broken they got fined cuz he didn't cover it with a roof, with the whole league crying about their losses to the Pats because it wouldn't be obvious at all.
Oh yeah and now they can still "cheat" I am sure BB can find a way to intercept radio waves and have a cameraman videotaping the scoreboard the entire time. So next game they can intercept waves, figure out the call, and then tell Brady what the defense is going to be playing. And I'm sure they based all their offensive calls years before on what they saw the defensive coordinators doing.
Please atleast be man enough to reply TO THIS COMMENT. If you are still ignorant thats fine, genetics is a bitch. But it atleast allows us to know that you atleast attempted to look less idiotic.
"AHAHAHAH CHEAT BELICHICK CHEAT BOSTON BAD AHAHAH" saying something like this is what I mean about looking idiotic.
from about 1 month ago
Oh and by the way, playing in one of the toughest divisions doesn't help their schedule. I can name 12 teams with an easier schedule
Everyone in NFC West
Everyone in AFC West
Everyone in NFC North
and another 8 with about even
Everyone in AFC North
Everyone in AFC South
from about 1 month ago
Robert,
Have you ever noticed that whenever you diss their stupid cheating team, ...all they can do is lob crude personal insults at you because they're too dull-witted to actually think of anything more creative to "say." (Actually, they merely have no defense against the TRUTH)
The reason that it IS an unforgivable offense to videotape from a spot with no roof is because the information (plays) can instantly be relayed to a booth upstairs, returned to the coaches on the sidelines verbally, and relayed to the team on the field. Hence ...SPYGATE. Hence ...CHEATING. But Patriot fans already know that. They'd rather distract people with all kinds of other inconsequential details that have no bearing on the actual offense commited. It's called a distraction, or a smoke screen, or in football terms ...a misdirection play. Or in reality, it's called ...CHEATING!!!!
Keep ridiculing the cheating Pats Robert. Pretty soon there will be an army of us Patriot bashers (truth tellers, that is) on this site and WE WILL MOCK IN UNISON and SPEAK IN STEREO.
about 1 month ago
My Patriots MVP would probably be Wes Welker who continues to come through and play at a high level, even when others aren't. My second would be Kevin Faulk, who has been Mr. Reliable all year long.
from about 1 month ago
I agree with C Douglas on the offense side of the ball. Defensively you might consider Mayo, there's a good chance he could get a pro bowl vote this year.
from about 1 month ago
Isn't Wes Welker in traction right now after that awesome hit he took last week against Pittsburgh? My God, he was almost decapitated (I can't stop playing that replay over and over).
That was the second funniest hit I've seen all year. My man Bernard (the QB Killer) Pollard has permanent dibs on #1. Pollard is the King of Life. I love that man.
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