FanNation

Each season there are some things that are stranger than fiction. Points can't be argued, though there will certainly be fans that believe otherwise. We'll just have to let the games play out.

Penwhale | 11/04/07, 09:49 PM

No, Belichick wont sit the starters. Not this year. I do not understand why people say this. Have they not watched the games this year? He had starters in up 38 points in the 4th quarter against the Redskins and you dont think hes gonna have his starters in with a perfect season on the line? And I dont get what examples of Belichick benching players in similar situations in the past Perloff is talking about, if my memory serves me correctly, Belichick has never coached on a 15-0 team.

Mattydp | 11/04/07, 09:50 PM

Doubt that the Pats will sit starters late in the season. If they are in a position to go undefeated, they will have a bye week before the playoffs start. If BB is not pulling players out of blowouts late in the game to avoid injury, why would he do it late in the season prior to a bye?

tomj1969 | 11/04/07, 09:50 PM

1. I doubt it. If Belichick was worried about injuries, he'd have sat Brady and Moss in the fourth quarter of at least 3 games this season. Didn't happen, because the Patriots want to prove that they can dominate without opponents' signals.
2. The Colts proved you can do a lot of things against New England, but they ultimately proved that even if you do all of them, you can't beat them. No defense is good enough to stop all of NE's weapons.
3. So? No other team can be as fired up, or as talented, as the Colts were. Didn't matter.
4. I don't see it happening, because they all play so smart. And even if it does, they've got enough depth at every position but QB that it won't matter. If Moss goes down, you don't think Stallworth will put up the same numbers?
5. Not to this team.

Yo Momma | 11/04/07, 09:55 PM

The Colts proved you can do alot of things to the Pats, but ultimately they proved that even if you do all of them, you still can't beat them. Even if they have over 140 penalty yards and you have a ten point lead on them with 8 minutes left, you can't win. And the only injury that would kill them is one to Brady, which won't happen because he's so well protected. If Moss goes down, you don't think Stallworth will put up the same numbers? I do. Strange things happen? Not to this team.

Yo Momma | 11/04/07, 09:56 PM

Didn't mean to post twice there. My bad.

Yo Momma | 11/04/07, 09:56 PM

Perloff ...the great sports brain that said the colts would beat the pats ---but despite a couple of horrible calls made by the refs (pas interference on Hobbs - the catch out of bounds) - 2 Brady interceptions - the stupid fluke TD by Addai just before the half ---and a very hostile crowd - the Pats still found a way to win.

Your argument is flawed on several levels.

1 - The Pats will not sit starters unless that have locked up home field advantage throughout and Indy is likely to be lurking just behind them - this means that they will sit people maybe for the last game only against the Giants --- and if Brady is within 3-4 TD passes of the record, he will turn Brady loose. Also Moss is on an incentive contract and Bill will give Randy the chance to max his earnings. And I think if he is withing 1 game of an undefeated season, he will make a run for it for 3 reasons (1) spygate still bothers him and what better way to put a punctuation mark on the season; (2) he will want to give his team a chance for greatness - this may be the only chance they get in their entire careers (3) he will want hims team to take momentum into the post season - not on a down note

2 - Ravens may play them tough but the Ravens cannot score - Pats match up better against the Ravens. Steelers are overrated and Ben is no Peyton

3 - Target - Smarget --- Who is gonna take a shot at them - Bills - Miami - Jets Ha Ha Too much talent here

4 - You can hope for the injuries - and they have had people out for several games (Seymour - Harrison - Brown - Morris - Wilson)

5 - Stranger things have indeed happened - stranger than a team running the table - 7 games left baby

Larry B | 11/04/07, 09:58 PM

Why do you only write for this lameass site (which I visit, and thus may implicate me as lame too) and not for the magazine or its official site? Have you been demoted? If you blog in tis site consistently, then what is to separate you from Larry B, or Colts-Wolverines, or any other FanNation tool?

URNZE | 11/04/07, 10:03 PM

Well, the Pats have 1 obsticle to jump, the Steelers. For the first time this season, I say 16-0

EFB- K-ROD 53 | 11/04/07, 10:06 PM

I've never read your blog before and i've never, ever commented on any other previously read blog. This one deserves a thought. 1.) This is a highly different Belichick, who will remain insanely "heartless" and will cut out the hearts of their remaining foes. The team will back him in totality. 2.) Neither the Ravens nor the Steelers have the quickness on their front four to match the Colts pressure. While their L.B.'s and safety's might be equivelant, no front four pressure equates to Tom Brady & crew high effeciency. 3.) "Target On Their Backs"????? Non-sensical at this point. The victory over the Colts will only embolden the Pats and scare their future opponents even more. 4.) Yes, injuries will forever be a huge part of the NFL. Only, if Brady goes down will effect the Pats charge to total supremecy. Any sports idiot could determine that. 5.) You must have required a few more written words to complete your column. Totally non-sensical if not totally stupid. At least you qualified your statement before you wrote it. I'm not even a Pats fan. However, almost any observer or real former athlete, can easily observe that this particular football squad is really, really different! They don't need luck. They've got the coach, coaches and players to carry out a truely once in a lifetime season. Don't even tell me about those old Dolphins......they couldn't carry this season's Pats', jocks.

RockyMon | 11/04/07, 10:11 PM

Your first argument for this is null and void, Perloff.

Think about it. Belichick already has a large ego, and losing in the AFC Title Game to the Colts rocked his psyche. He set out in the offseason to do exactly what he did this Sunday, beat the Colts. And by evidence from the previous eight games in their season, they have every intention of torching their opponents. Belichick seemingly is shooting not only for beating the Colts, but running the table and getting his QB the entire record book.

Teams like the Ravens have NO shot against New England. The ONLY team remaining on their schedule that could even REMOTELY give the Patriots a run for their money is the Steelers. And even then, I'm putting whatever amount of money I have on the Patriots.

It is simple: If not the Colts, than who? I say nobody.

Suffer Unto Mac's Apocalypse | 11/04/07, 10:13 PM

And Mr. Perloff, as far as facing some of the better defenses...

The Colts run a Cover 2 look. That defense is PERFECT for stopping the Patriots. It takes away the big plays and allows their stellar pass rushers on the DL to get to Brady. The Patriots were dead in the water all game long until they suddenly figured things out with eight minutes remaining in the 4th. Teams like the Steelers and Ravens dont run Cover 2 schemes, and for that reason I dont see them bothering Brady like the Colts did.

I might be wrong, but its probably because of the toga party I had last night.

Suffer Unto Mac's Apocalypse | 11/04/07, 10:17 PM

They'll lose to Pitt for sure. Probably Balt and NY as well.

Ruby salutes President Obama! | 11/04/07, 10:17 PM

And then your reasoning gets weaker from #3 to #5.

The target has been on the Patriots back ever since the season began. They were known as an elite team, and then "Spy-Gate" enlarged it. They have handled it PERFECTLY.

Injuries-That happens to everyone. For all you know, when the Pats suit up to play the Steelers they could be without Big Ben.

Strange things do indeed happen, but this is the best team we've seen in years. And this team is being led by an egotistical and maniacal evil genius.

Suffer Unto Mac's Apocalypse | 11/04/07, 10:20 PM

Odds are against them going undefeated, I don't know why people get upset when someone points out that fact. Once in the entire history of the NFL, its possible, but the probability of it happening is extremely low even if you have Moss and Brady . Sorry for everyone that is in love with this team.

abusamra | 11/04/07, 10:21 PM

reason number 1 is not a given - just look at new england's blowout of washington as a clue. brady didn't come out of that game until he was leading by 45. why? because he hadn't been touched once. the indy game notwithstanding, he hasn't been touched much at all this season. if the offensive line can regain that kind of protection, i'd expect brady to play as much as possible. and as far as resting other starters, look at what new england did last season without any kind of receiving corps - made it all the way to the AFC championship game and lost by a very narrow margin. 16-0 is very possible.

Doctor T | 11/04/07, 10:25 PM

I think you're wrong on pretty much all of those points other than the last.

1. Someone wins the Super Bowl every year...only 1 team has ever gone undefeated. No team has ever gone undefeated in a 16 game regular season. That is an historic mark thats even bigger than the SB. Everyone remembers the '72 Dolphins, but who remembers the '73 SB winner?

2. Firstly Baltimore has one of the worst offenses in the NFL. They have already lost to Buffalo and have had trouble beating some other mediocre teams. Pittsburgh might post a threat, but they haven't exactly been the epitomy of consistency either.

3. Does that matter when they are the most talented team on the field and are playing like it? The Patriots are not the Yankees. The Yankees have a 200 million payroll. The Pats play by the same salary cap restrictions as any other team. They just do their jobs better.

4. They've had quite a few injuries..

Seymour - All pro DE out for first 7 weeks
Morris - Leading rusher out for the season
Watson - top tight end out for 2 weeks
Wilson - big time safety out for the Colts game

5. Sure..strange things do happen. Any why did the Pats get shut out last year? Because they had a receiving corps that couldn't get anything done. Who would you rather have as your top flight receivers...Jabar Gaffney and Reche Caldwell or Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and Dante Stallworth? Even with a JV receiving corps they still almost won the AFC title last year and would likely have beaten the Bears.

The defense is also much improved with the key addition of Adalius Thomas as well as a healthy Rodney Harrison.

BoSoxFan07 | 11/04/07, 10:25 PM

I really doubt that Belichick will sit starters. There just seems to be a fire brewing under his rear. He wants to keep his boys out there to absolutely demolish their opponent. Also, I believe they play the Giants in their final regular season game. And I dont see Belichick sitting anyone for that either. By then, the Giants could be a playoff bound team and Bill could be thinking about slashing their hopes and dreams just like he did to Washington.

Suffer Unto Mac's Apocalypse | 11/04/07, 10:25 PM

And let me state for the record:

I AM NOT A PATRIOTS FAN.

lqtm.

Suffer Unto Mac's Apocalypse | 11/04/07, 10:26 PM

I bet this guy had the colts ahead of the patriots in his power rankings. Wouldn't be surprised one bit.

xchrisxsays | 11/04/07, 10:27 PM