Rockindeano wrote: Their running game is not so hot though, and you need a running game in the playoffs. I still say they lose in the second season.
Dean...
I'll give you the fact that the Patriots aren't the Minnesota Vikings (the number one rushing offense in the NFL)in the running department. That said, Tom Brady isn't Tavaris Jackson (Minnesota's QB), either! I've ALWAYS believed that the whole "You have to have a running game" is WAY overrated! Every media type under the sun says that, but my own eyes tell me it's just not true. I saw the 49'ers win championships with Montana throwing the ball 40 times every game, and I believe Tom Brady is every bit as good as Montana was (I never thought I would say that)! I think the bottom line is that you structure your team's offense around the talent you have. If you have Emmitt Smith or Barry Sanders in your backfield, you run the ball 40 times a game. If you have Tom Brady or Dan Marino in your backfield, you throw the ball 40 times a game. The Patriots won the 2003 Super Bowl with Antowain Smith averaging 3.5 yard a carry, and a whopping 642 yards rushing in 16 games (he led the team in rushing with those putrid numbers), so I know with 100% certainty that a team can win without a running game. If the Patriots can win TWO Super Bowls (2001 and 2003) with Antowain Smith as their lead rusher, that tells me that it's a VERY overrated position! The difference between those past seasons and this season is that the Patriots didn't even have average receivers on those championship teams, to compensate for the horrendous running game they had. That's simply not the case this season!
The fact of the matter is that Minnesota, Oakland, Denver, and Philadelphia all rank in the top 9 rushing defenses in the NFL, and not one of those teams is remotely good, in terms of being a playoff team. New England rushes the ball more than people think they do, because they rank 13th out of 32 teams in the NFL, averaging 115 yards per game. Even though EVERYONE says they NEVER rush the ball, the numbers clearly show they're getting some rushes in there somewhere, between Brady's throws! Football is a very funny game, when it comes to rushing statistics. Most teams who are winning run the ball to kill the clock, so they end up being labled "rushing offenses" and people come to the conclusion that because these teams run the ball to sit on leads, that you must have to run to win. I know this...The Patriots have only had a running game in one of their three championship seasons, so I like my chances with Brady back there. I know you're not a Moss fan, but the fact of the matter is there aren't too many teams in the NFL who can cover the guy. EVERY damn team in the NFL knew he was the guy they were going to, the entire season, and he still managed to catch 23 touchdowns. Guys who play receiver in the NFL aren't supposed to be setting NFL records, after being in the league for 10 years! They're supposed to be slowing down, and it doesn't look like Moss has lost the step everyone said he had lost!
The bottom line is EVERY team the Patriots play, in the playoffs, will give them all they can handle. All good teams ALWAYS get EVERYONE's best effort! Look at the Ravens and Eagles...They're both dogs of a team, and they somehow managed to get fired up and play their asses off against a team like the Patriots! The Patriots definitely won't be beating ANYONE by 3 touchdowns in the playoffs. That said, I think Brady will be even better (if that's possible) in the playoffs, because he won't be looking to feed Moss for a record. Brady has always been his best when he's distributing the ball to EVERYONE. I know that even the best team they have to face isn't going to be able to cover Moss, Welker, Stallworth, and Kevin Faulk, all at the same time!
John from Boston
), Gumbel was AWFUL. I was actually stunned how bad this guy was, when I watched the first game on the NFL Network! I think the average middle school sports fan could do a better job in the broadcast booth than he did!
