Tony's Top 5 most disturbing statistics about the Patriots

The Pats need to go to a 4 -3 and get Jarvis Green on the field. I would use Mayo in the middle with Vrabel and Thomas outside. Bruschi has seen his best days and should hang it up after this year. The safety play has been horrible. Sit Harrison and go with Merriweather and Sanders. Hopefully, the offensive line will improve when Neal returns. Both offensive tackles have been disappointing. Light needs to pick up on Mankins attitude. The right tackle spot is a disaster. Based on what I saw Sunday, this team is in big trouble. I would forget about Maroney. He is simply not tough enough. The Super Bowl was no fluke. The defensive line is overrated and the offensive line inadequate. No way they even make a Wild Card. Time for an overhaul of this bunch.

Bill Belichick should not have kept Brady in all those games last year. In an effort to rub lopsided victories in the opponents and league powers' faces, Bill sacrificed Brady's long term health. There were several games that Brady was left in the game too long and suffered punishing hits when he could have been rested and protected. Bill failed to protect the the best QB we will ever see here and the franchise.

maby the Dolphins are just a much improved running machine, thus an improved throwing game too.......

A couple of obvious observations:

1) Belichick's "genius" is actually Tom Brady.
2) the Pats defense is past its' prime.
3) the rest of the nation hates the pats and their arrogant fanbase and will revel in watching you fall. Yippee!

Tom Brady is one of the best Quarterbacks to ever live.

Bill Belichick is not one of the best coaches to ever live. Maybe not even in the top 30%.

Against Brady teams never got a chance to let the run game work because they were always 1- 2 touchdowns down early on.

Without Brady teams have time to look for holes in the run protection.

The Pats better find something better than a 3rd string Quarterback soon or this season will be over.

You really have to wonder what the scouts saw in Cassell for them to pick him in the draft.

What game film of him did they watch in college without starting a game in four years of college ball.

Did they reference his high school tapes to make the decision that he is worth a draft pick. How many professional quarterbacks are in the NFL that did not start for at least one year of college ball? Hell I looked good in high school as an undersized linebacker.

Everyone says how much faster the game is from one level to the next. So how can you expect him to be ready for the ultimate test of professional football without the stepping stone of college. His heart and desire may be there but the talent is lacking at this stage of his career.

Yes the offensive line (which was very OFFENSIVE) did not allow him much time to learn on the fly,...a caller made the comment about an offensive lineman being a turnstile,you can say that about all the lineman in terms of pass protection.

But you are still left with an inexperience QB for 13 more weeks

While I believe stats hide more than what they reveal; these are some numbers worth pondering. Great job, TM!

I said this to anyone who would listen last year when all you Pat fans, sorry most some could see the problem, thought this team was the next coming of Jesus. They may have been able to walk on water and score 30+ a game but????, they are not a good defense up front and are weak against the run without blitzing and I can't think of any super bowl champs that had that problem. I don't think they will continue to give up that average this year however they are not a great defense maybe not even that good and without Brady scoring 30+ a game it will really be an issue. Not to meantion that like the Fins, there is a line out the door and down the block of teams wanting badly to beat you guys up badly and the Bills are cutting in line to get to you. I respect what Bill has done but I can't help but wonder what difference it makes that your defense also no longer has a good idea what is coming even sometimes???

Give the Patriots a break already!! After all that they have given us since 2001 I think we can cut them a little slack. Yes, the lost of Tom Brady is big, but lets give them a little time to adjust with out Tom. Did you really think we were going to go 16-0 again. We have more Superbowl titles this decade than any other team. So lets stop bashing our team and get behind them with all of our support. I can not believe fans were booing and leaving early on Sunday. I always thought we were true fans of our team. It's like a marriage through good times and BAD times. For the first time I am ashamed to be a Patriots fan, not because of the team because of the fans not being there for the team when they really need us.
EricB

Is Tom Brady lucky he got hurt? The 2008 Patriots might just be ****ing up his career win loss record. You can be the biggest Tom Brady fan in the world and you should still be able to admit that Tom Brady couldn't have saved the Patriots on Sunday.

O LINE WAS SUSPECT, EVEN IF BRADY HADNT GONE DOWN. AND DEFENSE CONTINUES TO AGE.
CANT BLAME CASSELL FOR LACK OF PROTECTION.
I RECALL A GUY NAMED PLUNKETT WHO WAS SACKED CONTINUOUSLY AND OFTEN INJURED UNTIL HE RESURRECTED HIS CAREER WITH OAKLAND, WHEN HE FINALLY HAD A STONG O LINE

Tony, its about time a sportswriter spoke the truth about the patriots inability to either protect the quarterback or to stop the run. I am tired of reading and listening to all the nonsense being printed by the Boston sports media about teams like Miami coming up with imaginative offensive game plans to counter the so-called "front seven" of the pats, for you do not have to be a rocket scientist to see that Belichick 3-4 defense is ineffective at plugging gaps and stopping the running game of any decent NFL team with their current personnel mix. The pats defensive line is grossly overrated, as they are slow off the ball, and lack both the physical strength and the quickness to consistently shed blocks and make plays when it counts. Finally, not withstanding the great accomplishments of last year's team, it became quite obvious in both the Raven's game and in the game against the Eagles that the Pats offensive line is overrated and quite frankly--less than adequate in the area of pass protection. This glaring weakness became all too apparent for the world to see in last year's superbowl, where I watched the Pats offensive line get pounded and humiliated by a Giant's team that was more much more athletic, and quite frankly, tougher in the trenches! Finally, I think I will blow a gasket if I read one more word about the overall play of the pat's secondary, which as a group has been unfairly scapegoated time after time and game after game. I say this because in addition to Pats inability to stop the run, they also have not shown an ability to effectively rush the passer when playing GOOD NFL teams. Thus, when you cannot pressure the quarterback and disrupt the flow of the other team's passing game, this weakness will always show itself in the defensive backfield, where receivers have been given ample time to make their cuts and get the necessary separation to make plays. Thus, People can blame the pat's current problems on Brady's injury, but the bottom line is that they would not have beaten the Dolphins yesterday even with brady in the game due to the poor play of the Pat's offensive and defenive lines. Bill Parcells, who is arguably both the greatest coach in NFL history and also the biggest jerk, knows better than most that you build championship-caliber teams from the front line out. Many teams have won superbowls without Montana-like play at the quarterback position, but no NFL team has ever won the BIG GAME when their defensive and offensive lines play the way the Pats big men have been playing. The bottom line is, Brady's season-ending injury was long overdue, given the beatings he has endured in recent years at the hands of teams with decent pass rushers, such as the Dolphins, Steelers, Panthers, Eagles, Ravens, and of course, the Giants! With that said, the Pat's linemen are as a group appear to lack the proverbial heart, grit, and determination that previous Pat's linemen such as John Hannah and Leon Gray displayed in each and every game in which they played. I do not therefore wish to hear or read anymore about the Patriot's quarterback, receiving corps, running backs, or secondary, as the productivity of all of these position players is largely determined by how well the patriots linemen can protect the passer, open up running lanes, stop the run, and get to the opposing team's quarterback.

Number 4 should be number 1. Last year's offense masked an awful lot of bad things about the defense. Everyone seems to forget the almost 10 minute drive in the first quarter of the Super Bowl. Would that have happened to the '04 version of the Pat's defense? I don't think so.

No question the O line has to take responsibility, especially the right side. Starting with the Super Bowl, no QB has been safe in the pocket. Moss and Welker are ball magnets, which is to Cassel's advantage. I think we can afford to take some shots down the field. Use Faulk to keep the defensive secondary honest, then run the offense that brought us the streak. What do we have to lose?

Yes. This is all Cassel.

Regarding Issue #1: Did you watch the Super Bowl?

Tony, it's about time a sportswriter around here spoke the truth about the patriots inability to either protect the quarterback or to stop the run. I am tired of reading and listening to all the nonsense being printed by the Boston sports media about teams like Miami coming up with imaginative offensive game plans to counter the so-called "front seven" of the pats, for you do not have to be a rocket scientist to see that Belichick 3-4 defense is ineffective at plugging gaps and stopping the running game of any decent NFL team with their current personnel mix. The pats defensive line is grossly overrated, as they are slow off the ball, and lack both the physical strength and the quickness to consistently shed blocks and make plays when it counts. The play of the pat's offensive line has not been much better either in recent times, as evidenced by their inability to protect the passer and open up running lanes for Pat's runners. These glaring weaknesses became all too apparent for the world to see in last year's superbowl, where the Pats offensive line got pounded and humiliated by a Giant's team that was much more athletic, and quite frankly, faster and tougher in the trenches! Finally, getting back to the Pat's defense for a moment, I think I will blow a gasket if I read one more word about the overall play of the pat's secondary, which as a group has been unfairly scapegoated time after time and game after game. I say this because in addition to Pats inability to stop the run, they have also not shown an ability to effectively rush the passer against GOOD NFL teams. When a defense cannot provide such pressure and the opposing team's quarterback has time to look and throw down field, any team's secondary is going to appear inept or porous, as some like to say. Thus, we can all focus on Brady's injury as the cause of the Pat's current woes, but the bottom line is that they would not have beaten the Dolphins last Sunday even with brady in the game due to the poor play of the Pat's offensive
and defenive lines. Bill Parcells, who is arguably both the greatest coach in NFL history and also the biggest jerk, knows better than most that you build championship-caliber teams from the front line out. Many teams have won superbowls without Montana-like play at the quarterback position, but no NFL team has ever won the BIG GAME when their defensive and offensive lines play
the way the Pats big men have been playing. The bottom line is, Brady's season-ending injury was actually long overdue, given the beatings he has endured in recent years at the hands of teams with decent pass rushers, such as the Dolphins, Steelers, Panthers, Eagles, Ravens, and of course, the Giants! With that said, the Pat's linemen as a group appear to lack the proverbial heart, grit, and determination that characterized the play of previous Pat's linemen such as John
Hannah and Leon Gray. I do not therefore wish to hear or read anymore about the Patriot's quarterbacks, receiving corps, running backs, or secondary, as the productivity of all of these position players is largely determined by how well the patriots linemen can protect the passer, open up running lanes, stop the run, and get to the opposing team's quarterback. I understand that all of this is easier said than done, but the pats will need to upgrade their defensive and offensive lines if they expext to remain competitive in the new NFL, where teams like the Giants, Eagles Cowboys, Titans, Dolphins, and Ravens are speeding up the game and making the fat, slow, athletically challenged lineman a truly endangered species!

The pats lack lateral [side to side] speed.Put a quality guy out there like they did brown and its all down hill,especially for Brown.
There is no explanation for getting torched five times on the same play and why didn't somebody lay wideout Pennington on his untouched in the pocket butt.

Give the QB job to Matt O'Connell for the remainder of the season...the Pats invested a 3rd round pick in him as our QB of the future...we might as well give him some experience this year while Brady is out instead of allowing Matt Cassell to continue to SUCK!!! The guy is a career back up and has no future with the Pats other than being an emergency 3rd stringer to finish out a single game due to injury - thats it! The guy cannot throw the ball downfield...he takes too many sacks even though he runs a faster 40 than Brady...he just plain SUCKS - get rid of Cassell!!!!

Bob:

It did happen to the 04' defense. Remember how they let Carolina up and down the field? And the next year, when the Eagles came back at the end and would have had a shot had McNabb not blown his chunckys in the huddle? It just so happened that last year that crazy lucky play actually came up roses for the other team.

C'mon - it's ridiculous to say that Patriots would've lost the game Sunday even if Brady had played! Maybe the game would've been a shootout, but it wouldn't have been a blowout! Brady is the kind of player (like a Larry Bird) that makes everyone around him better. He keeps the offense on the field by converting third downs giving the defense valuable rest. He spreads the ball around to multiple receivers keeping the other team's defense off balance (and enhancing the running game). He's a legend in his own time.

Cassel is none of that. It's a huge psychological lift for their opponents.

The season is over, The New England Patriots lost a game. The sky is falling and when does training camp start in 2009? Tommy we miss thee!

Tim in Chapel Hill is yet another [annoyance] with nothing productive to give to this board much less society. I imagine you cheered when Brady got hurt..? If you hate Bostonian teams and fans so much move the hell out of the state.

Not all Pats fans are arrogant. I for one never gloated over the 16-0 regular season and would rather have had a loss there than the loss in the SB. The Giants and now Dolphins outplayed us plain and simple. The D and O lines failed in both cases and I don't think Brady could have saved us on Sunday.

As for the Patriots - why didn't they continue with the trick plays? The only one used worked for a 1st down and had Miami running in circles. I would expect that BB and his coaching staff will have to go back to the drawing board and come up with some intricate tricky plays to keep the Offense productive since the D line looks god-awful. It's easy for the rest of us to sit here and criticize the Pats on losing but they have given us many good winning years that we have all taken for granted. The hard part now is having to listen to A-holes like Tim gloat in our faces. I have resigned myself that this season and the offseason will be a time of rebuilding but have no doubt this team will be back to kick some ass and take another SB ring or two before Tom and Co. retire.

Anyone remember when Lawyer Milloy left?

Remember what happened in that first game?

Right. 31-0, Buffalo.

Remember what happened at the end of the season?

Exactly. 31-0, Patriots.

Not sure, but I think that year turned out alright. In fact, they're might have even been a parade at the end of the season...

It's one game folks. Adjustments need to be made. Reps need to be had. Players may come and go still.

The NFL is a long season. I think we saw the aberration LAST week, against the Jets. I think the team and the players are just now waking up to the fact that Tom Brady is gone for the year and will not be able to help them.

That's a tough thing to come to grips with. Give the players and coaches a break...

You're not going to be a superpower every year, even with Brady. They'd probably go 10-6 with him this year, who knows without. Look at all the success we've had this decade - something that other cities can only dream about. The Jets, Dolphins and Bills have been a total joke for years, but things change (maybe not for the Jets whose quarterback is older than dirt and cries like a baby).

This theory cannot be validated but Tom Brady, if capable, should have played during pre-season. Starting the first game, "cold-turkey", when all the other players are in full speed, may have contributed to his injury. Tom had always shown a great propensity to know where the defensivemen are headed but, in the injury-involved play, he seemed to have no clue that Pollard was about to crash on his knee.

Cassell needs more time to adjust, no need to panic at this point of the season.

The STUPIDIST observation is Bill Belichick has a career record with/without Brady. Bill Belichick coached a lousy Browns team before he was ready to be Head Coach and then took over the lame Pats after Pete C. ran it into the ground. So.... since he was the one who had the GUTS to take a NOBODY - Tom Brady - over the Franchise QB making HUGE $$ and the FACE of the franchise - WHY do people try to separate the two? Bill B. made Tom Brady... and Tom Brady took the opportunity and ran with it. They BOTH share incredible work ethic and is the reason why they are successful.

The Pats played badly, yes, but it's also true that this was the first game in a long while where Parcells had a role against us. I don't know that Bill Belichick is as bad a coach as everyone's saying in the wake of Sunday's rout. I do believe Parcells has his number and good!

Stating the obvious, Cassel is no Tom Brady. However, I don't blame the gross offensive performance solely (if at all) on Cassel's shoulders. The O-line has played terribly so far this year. It wouldn't matter if it was Brady or Cassel as our QB. Neither would have the kind of protection he'd need to consistently make accurate passes. I'm concerned. And stating an even more obvious observation, our defense BLEW it on Sunday. We made the Dolphins look like the 2008 Patriots. I just vomited in my mouth....

I love the PATS, and I'll love continue to love them through this season no matter what. However, the team needs to make some serious changes in their strategy or it will be a long, cold winter. We are far too talented to waste this season. Our defense will be one year older next year. (just in case you didn't know)

Ugh, the tires of the bandwagon are on the rise as the pessimists jump off. I know it's tough in a 16 game season, but face facts: the Pats laid an egg on Sunday. The defense couldn't get the job done and the offense doesn't have the tool to keep up. Is this a sign of the season going down the tubes? I doubt it. The fortuitous schedule and light AFC East (sorry, while I give credit to Miami for being the better team last Sunday, I wouldn't bet money on them beating the Pats again), will result in the Pats making the playoffs. How far they can go will depend on how quick a study Cassell is, how much the offensive coordinator can mix up the offense (that quick out pass to Welker will NOT work every down!), and whether or not Randy Moss is effectively involved. Opening up the game down field will give the Pats the ability to run the ball or go back to that short pass. The rest is up to the defense to buck up after a bad performance.

Ellis Hobbs has a point. It was a single bad game. I wouldn't want my career to be judged based on my worst day! (heaven forbid!)

When the ignorant fanbase refers to the "genius" that is Belichick, it is really an insult to other coaches throughout the league. Yes, he is an excellent coach, but he is not the messiah. A football team requires many attributes in order to be successful: talent, chemistry, coaching, scouting, and luck. As I see it, they have the coaching, but have been been short on luck and certainly do not have the talent level that everyone keeps bragging about. When I watch other NFL teams on defense, I see explosiveness and aggression. That is not the case with the Pats. Their defense line is slow and easy to contain, the linebackers do not fill holes, and the secondary cannot pusue the ball. It's very obvious to even the most casual observer.

I never thought someone would be as slow as Bledsoe and Brady but Cassel is slower than both of them.....lol....Get O'Connell in there. He was the best in the preseason when the offense was vanilla, and since they have to keep it that way no matter who is the QB right now, they might as well go with the guy that did the most in the preseason....and consequently, is very good at avoiding pressure with his footwork and ability to scramble....he has to learn the scheme, but what do we have to lose at this point....We can't keep a guy that averages less than 7.5 yards per completion....The benchmark is 7.5 yards per attempt, and this guy can't even average that number on completions.....

Haven't you heard? The Bills are the new Pats. Goodbye Tom Brady, hello Trent Edwards.

Anyone else feel like us Pats fans are stuck in the first stage of grief...denial? First the Superbowl, then Brady's knee, then the Miami loss...I've been doing anything in my power to forget these things even happened. When's the real season going to start?

Maybe Sam Cassel could help....the alien baby is quite crafty

Ugh, the tires of the bandwagon are on the rise as the pessimists jump off. I know it's tough in a 16 game season, but face facts: the Pats laid an egg on Sunday. The defense couldn't get the job done and the offense doesn't have the tool to keep up. Is this a sign of the season going down the tubes? I doubt it. The fortuitous schedule and light AFC East (sorry, while I give credit to Miami for being the better team last Sunday, I wouldn't bet money on them beating the Pats again), will result in the Pats making the playoffs. How far they can go will depend on how quick a study Cassell is, how much the offensive coordinator can mix up the offense (that quick out pass to Welker will NOT work every down!), and whether or not Randy Moss is effectively involved. Opening up the game down field will give the Pats the ability to run the ball or go back to that short pass. The rest is up to the defense to buck up after a bad performance.

Ellis Hobbs has a point. It was a single bad game. I wouldn't want my career to be judged based on my worst day! (heaven forbid!)

I have said this many time over the past few years. Much like the Celtics of the 1980's, this Patriot's Franchise is holding onto it's aging stars far too long. Perhaps, it is time to let them go while you get still acquire some value, lower round draft picks. That would be far better to the alternative - lost to retirement. Harrison, Vrabel and perhaps Seymour could bring in fresh new talent through trades. I concur, the prolific offense last year was able to mask an aging and faltering defense.

Also, letting Asante get away was a big mistake.

Regarding point #1, TB's ability to quickly read a defense and his quick release made an avg o-line appear to be a pro-bowl level o-line. Cassel, at least at this stage in his development, needs longer to read what the D is giving him, and he also lacks the confidence to release the ball quickly and in tight spots. Asking the O-line to hold up for that extra 1-1.5 seconds makes a lot of difference. One of the toughest things a young QB has to learn is that there's virtually no such thing as a wide open receiver, unless of course you go over the middle against the Pats' D - ouch.

I agree with Eric B, its time to support the Pats not boo them. Sheeesh.

Who didn't know that the Pats are weak against the run??? They were exposed last year by Baltimore - and any team with a moderate amount of success against the Pats ran up the middle and away from Ty Warren and Vrabel. They only reason that it wasn't talked about more is that the "O" either controlled the clock or scored early and often giving opponents no chance to establish a ground game.

Bottom line...if you have a decent running game you will beat the Pats this year and they can't fix it. I don't know why they insist on running a 3-4 D when they aren't built for it. You need to two stud inside linebackers and Teddy isn't one of them (anymore). Mayo might get there soon. I see them going to a 4-3 giving Jarvis Green (better than Seymour on stopping the run) a chance to start and a little help to sure up the line of scrimmage.

Stephen Keohane..... YOU HAVE WAY TOO MUCH TIME ON YOUR HANDS.

"Without Tom Brady...."

Doesn't Belichick get credit for coaching Brady? Brady wasn't an elite QB when he first took Bledsoe's place. He got there from years of work and good coaching by the Patriots' staff.

It makes little sense to count "Belichick with Brady" as opposed to "Belichick without Brady". All of his career in Cleveland goes in the latter category. We know that the difference between the Pats and the Browns is more than one player.

I gotta' tell you, you might be wrong. It's not that Tom Brady is the best quarterback to have ever played the game, nor that Bell Belichick is the greatest coach. It was just the right combination at the right time. Belichick needed someone just like Brady to fit into his Offense and it worked. Look at Belichick's career with Cleveland. But, if you had put Brady into maybe Oakland's offense, or Miami's (of this year), it also would not have worked. Put someone else in the system - Matt Cassel, let's say - and it doesn't work.

But, it's also not just the QB. Look at that aging defense. And, the O-line. They played poorly against Miami's run.

The reality is that most of the team would have to be overhauled. And, Belichick's not going to allow that on his watch. Face it, the glory days have officially passed. Brady isn't coming back next year, mark my words. What - with Hollywood calling, and all.

I agree with one other person that commented about how I am embarrassed to be a Pats fan. Seriously we are supposed to be supporting the players and coaches not tearing them apart- I think they get their fair share of criticiques from higher-ups anddon't need it from all of you critical spectators...which also goes for the sports writers who feed off bringing a team down.

give them a break!!! But I do agree with one thing---its NOT all cassel...the defense did not have their head in the game.

"The Pats need to go to a 4 -3 and get Jarvis Green on the field. The defensive line is overrated and the offensive line inadequate. I would forget about Maroney. He is simply not tough enough." I couldn't have said it better Mr. Catalano. The sooner they go to 4-3 the better. There is virtually no pressure on the QB from this threesome, supposedly the best in the game. The only pressure comes from a linebacker blitz. The run defense is non-existant and needs to be addressed and the offensive line has forgotten how to pass block. And I totally agree about Maroney. This guy is not tough enough to play in the NFL. Morris and Jordan are much better backs. I'd take Kyle Eckel over Maroney. At least he runs straight ahead.

More facts:

1. The Patriots are not a double-digit win team this year.
2. Belichick's arrogance and failure to properly back up the QB position in today's NFL where injuries are a forgone conclusion cost this team a playoff shot this year.
3. The defense has been aging rapidly for 3 years. There are only so many patches you can make on a tire before you get a blowout.
4. The o-line is neither a strong run blocking group nor a strong pass protection group. This has been the case for 2+ years.
5. Hopefully this 2008 "correction in the market" where the Pats will take some lumps after an unprecedented run of success in the salary cap / FA era of NFL football will get weed out some of the Patsie Pink Hats that show up for the game and ask their boyfriends / husbands why the ball isn't round.
6. Hopefully this 2008 correction in the market will refocus Kraft Enterprises on football instead of shopping bags and corporate sponsorship.
7. Hopefully this 2008 correction in the market will cut down on the demand for all things Patriots and put a slow to the skyrocketing prices charged by Kraft Enterprises and stop taking out of my pocket (as a season ticket holder and parking customer) to pay for Bass Pro Shops, the CBS commercial building, movie theaters, and other foolishness. Kraft should move his "The Mall of America 2" / "Wally World" in Hartford and keep your football team here in the 'burbs.

Belichik is no Joe Gibbs, thats for sure. Gibbs won his 3 Super Bowls with 3 different QBs. Shows that he was more responsible for the success than his QB. Belichik on the other hand has been a lousy coach without Brady.

Didn't anyone else notice that the game took a major turn, actually the attitude of the Patriots players took a major turn, right after Cassel's interception? That is not a knock on Cassel, it just seemed to me the players just simply gave up.

Also, I agree with all who say that it is about time the Pats D Line got exposed. They are NOT as some have said one of the best lines in Football, and never have been. As a Pats fan it has and continues to drive me crazy when I hear or read this. The D Line is not that good and it was clearly evident this past Sunday.

Mazz--when you lead by a bunch, you defend the team needing to pass to catch up--maybe that has something to do with 4.7 yards/run. Short runs don't hurt you, but big pass plays might. Maybe some bad habits from last year mean the Pats aren't used to playing the run as much as before.

Major Skeptic--you are drinking the Kool-Aid. Brady meant maybe 2 more touchdowns at most instead of one INT and one field goal. 11 more points--24.
Call it one fewer TD for the /Phins because of less time , and we are looking at a 31-24 score. It's about the Defense or lack thereof.

And Stephen, in the Pats 3-4 the D-line is supposed to tie up the line and block the holes and the LB's are supposed to make the tackles. That's why Seymour's stats are not a reflection on his ability.

OK. The Pat’s got wiped out, blind sided if you will; but why? The director of Operations for the Dolphins is none other than old friend Bill Parcels who has little love for Bill Belichek. So you have the Dolphins, Parcels and Pennington (12+ starts against the Pats), and a rebuilding program.
All the makings for a disaster: I believe that based on what we have seen of the dolphins to this point in the season that this was a trap game for the Pats. Parcels worked the team through pre-season and the 1st two games hell-bent on totally beating the Pats. He started salivating when Brady went down because now he had the upper hand on both sides of the ball not just beating the pats defense. Pennington has given them trouble in the past with his dink and dunk game, and parcels had the defenses number all along. BUT WHY????
The win boosts the dolphins morale and image; allows parcels to again stick it to Belichek, and they all go off happy and the press now talking dolphins.

"Disturbing statistics" #5 is a bit unfair. When Bill became the head coach in 2000, he took over the Pete Carroll coached team that was aweful. No doubt, Bill's first year as coach for the Patriots was a rebuilding year. And Bill's first head-coaching job was for the Browns, a team that was in desperate need of rebuilding, and was being undermined by the management and owners--yet he still improved that team and had a good season with them.
So the idea that if Bill didn't have Brady he'd only have won 40% of his games coached is rediculous. Yes, he likely would not have been as successful, but he still would have been successful. And it could easily be argued that if Brady didn't have Bill as his coach, he wouldn't have been nearly as successful.
How many games as Brady won in the NFL that Bill wasn't the coach of? 0. You see, it's an unfair point.
And in the "disturbing statistics" #1, it askes, "Pats have been sacked 10 times, an average of once every 8.7 attempts. Can that all be Cassel?" The answer? No, the offensive line is not playing as well as it needs to. They need to be playing better than they did last year, but, sadly, they're playing worse.

I'm a Redskins fan and I have a couple of observations on the Pats and their fans. One, for many years, the Pats have been the gold standard of NFL football. They just lost ONE GAME after winning 21 straight regular season games. They are still a very good team and might make the playoffs. Pats fans have no reason to panic.

Two, Brady is the best QB I've ever seen and I've been an avid football fan for almost 50 years. The loss of Brady affects all phases of the Patriot's game. I know , because being a fan of a team who hasn't had a great QB in years, I've seen how big the effect is. Brady was a first down machine...and that changes everything in all 3 phases of the game. If anything, his loss is being stupidly minimized by the media.

1. The offensive line....need I say anything more....PATHETIC and no reason to see any light at the end of the tunnel...they have been atrocious since last December....
2. The defense is so predictable that the opposing QB's get up to the line and laugh - they don't even have to call any audibles ---- there's no stunting, no switch to a 4 man front, no blitzing...what ever happened to mixing it up a little....Dean Peas should be fired....

In response to comment #2:

What does Brady's extended play LAST season have ANYTHING to do with a freakish helmet-to-knee hit this season????

How can one say Belicheck is not great? Was Tom Brady "the Man" in 2001? No. That season is probably one of the best coaching jobs ever in the NFL. They started that year 1-3. I'm starting to agree that Pats fans really are as horrible as people say they are, and I am one. I love how they all comment on these pages as if they know everything about football just because they listen to all the talking heads on ESPN, Fox, WEEI...

Get a grip!

As bad as the defense was on Sunday, and the lack of support from the offensive line, Cassel was atrocious. Maybe I'm a little spoiled from having quite possibly the greatest NFL QB for the the last seven years running the offense, but Cassel's performance didn't even equate to that of a third string NFL QB. There were at least half a dozen passes he through that went incomplete that were either 4 or 5 yards wide or sailed over receivers heads, simple passes 10-15 yard basic route passes too. Only problem being not too many alternatives, maybe giving O'Connell a shot he was decent in mop up duty on Sunday, or possibly taking advantage of the timing of the bye week and maybe coax Culpepper out of retirement or possibly pursuing a trade for Bulger who appears done in St. Louis. These ideas may be a stretch, but I feel its better than what we have. Also, there will be people who feel that Cassel had one bad game and everyone is jumping to can him, but even the week two victory he wasn't all that impressive any D1 college QB could have completed those dump passes and won that game, and there was the entire preseason where he was GOD aweful. Who knows I'm a die hard PATS fan and will stick by them regardless of how the season plays out, but you just hope there can be some sort of upgrade at QB.

the o line is weak and the d is old. woe is us

I'm just a miserable person cause Tar Heel football blows.

Cracks me up reading all the fair weather fans whining about Belichick and the Patriots. I'm sorry, but this is the same team that hadn't lost a regular season game since 2006. Sure there were some close games, but you have to be completely ignorant to forget that the Pats won all but ONE of them! You Belichick bashers are a bunch of sanctimonious imbeciles. Yep, there are personnel issues on the O line, the D line, and in the defensive backfield. There's no experienced backup for Brady and Cassel looked pitiful. But that doesn't make the coach incompetent. In fact, these same issues have been nagging the Pats for years, and yet they've kept on winning in different ways with different players. You don't remember a few years ago when Belichick hired half the defensive backfield off the street in midseason and won a Super Bowl? Belichick and Paoli had a lot of holes to fill over the offseason, and until Brady went down most people thought they'd done a more-than-decent job. The team is obviously not as good without Tom Brady under center, but they also aren't as bad as they were on Sunday. So now the rats are jumping ship? Let 'em go, they just give New Englanders a bad rep. The rest of you need to get over it, appreciate the unprecedented run of excellence that took place in Foxboro, and maybe give some credit to the architect.

I don't know why Belichick won't allow Cassell to throw long. He did it with his back to the goalposts in the KC game and Moss hauled it in for a 50-yard gain. This short passing game has no future, unless the offensive line can make running room for Maroney, Morris, Faulk, et al. I don't know how long it will take for Belichick to notice but the opposition is rushing 7 players on every passing down. They know Cassell needs a minimum of 3 seconds to set up and find a receiver. That means no protection for Cassell when that 7th rusher shows up in a formation with 1 tight end and 3 wideouts, a formation that Belichick uses regularly. Cassell should not be expected to throw successfully with a linebacker in his face every time he goes back to pass. Use Evans and Jordan more frequently to block for Cassell and throw down field to Moss. Hell, Moss can beat any two corner/safety combos in the league with his height and speed.

How quick we turn...... Let's cut the team/Cassel/Belichik some slack. Brady did not win all his first starts in 2001 and looked pretty bad in a game against Denver early on (4 picks). This is one game. Great coaches usually have great players as part of their run and that has to be accepted. Not everyone has 3 rings and went 16-0 in the regular season. It is a drag that Brady went down, but let's rally behind the team and be thankful for the good years we've had and hopefully future ones to come. This team ain't perfect, but it is ours and they deserve some slack.

A couple of you (clowns) amaze me. Suggesting that Brady's injury was because of "leaving him in too long last year- running up the score" and "maybe he was cold from not playing preseason."
Idiots- Tom Brady had a 275 pound man roll up on his planted leg. Hello?
Hello? Does that even register with you knot heads?

On #5, I agree with a previous poster that you're mostly comparing atrocious Bradyless teams with great Brady-ful teams.
On #4 the Patriots were 18-1 last 19 games with the prevent defense in semi-permanently. Other teams ran the ball for "dignity" in blowouts.
On #3 it's not just Brady. The 2008 team has numerous holes and new faces.
On #2, Other teams learned to double cover Moss.
On #1, It's only 9 sacks, also Cassel's QB rating is slightly above the NFL average with 1 int and 1 fumble over 3 games. Steve Neal would have helped, as would a healthy TE.

at least we know that Brady made the coach, not the other way around. And, by the way, for all of you who say that Brady could not have made a difference against Miami . . you are so very wrong! Brady is the best QB the NFL has seen . . . . maybe ever.

In 2001 Brady won his first start and then the Pats got beat badly by Miami! So this year they win Cassell's first start and then again get beat badly by Miami. Did everybody panic after that game? They went 10-2 the rest of the season and won the Super Bowl.

I agree that Dan peas has done a mediocre job since mangini left. This defense is predictable. I know belichick is not impulsive but Peas should be demoted or removed. Dom Capers should be running the show now.
As for offense, It is hard to see any hope that you can somehow make up for the lack of talent in protecting the QB and even for run blocking. Nick Kazcur has been a failure and will get whomever the QB is killed on his side of the line. Matt Light is over-rated and has lapses that are inexplicable.
Other than that, we are doing great :)

STOP THE PANIC. The Dolphins beat up the Patriots real good every once in a while. New England lost to Miami in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, and 2006. Every one of those teams had a winning record and two won the Super Bowl.

Oh, and who was the last team the Patriots were defeated by in the regular season? The Dolphins. And it was another beatdown, 21-0 in December 2006. Just face it: Miami frequently brings the A game against New England, just like Denver and Tennessee.

It seems to me that Tony Masseroti has struck oil, and when Brady went down. I said that we will see what kind of coach, Bill Belichhe is now. These idiots over at Boston Barstool just talk as if this is all no big deal. Well it is a big deal! This is still a good team, but if a rebuilding team such as Miami can kill the defense with gadget plays all game long, what do you think a good football team will do to them in November & December if they don't fix their defensive problems quick. Lawrence Maroney is not the answer, but Sammy Morris & Lamont Jordan are a nice 1&2 punch. Get Benjamin Watson into the offense use him as a wide receiver (gadget plays why not). If Matt Cassel is not the answer, then who is? Sign that player or trade for him before it is too late, because Cassel is not cutting it.
Lastly, Switch to the 4-3 defense NOWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!

Mazz,

Glad to see you're still lazy at the Globe. Stat #5 was talked about almost 2 weeks ago. Don't pawn it off as breaking news.

Why can't Brady and Belicheck be equally good? Did it ever occur to anyone that they just might make a spectacular player/coach tandem, much like Montana/Walsh did? Neither was anything before joining forces. Let's enjoy a great thing while it lasts.

If the pats D can't stuff any runs, how did we hold the jets jets jets on three straight runs at the end zone in week two?. Man up fellow pats fans, grow some balls and suck it up, it may not be the season we hoped for, but its the one we got. Its only week three, there is still plenty of football, Brady will be back next year, Moss knows this and probably will be chill this year because of it. He wants to finish his career scoring TDs and Brady can help him do that. I am a huge pats fan, but right now I am not proud to be lumped with all you psuedofans who only like the pats when they are scoring 6000 TDs a game, and will gladly be turncoat bitches when we lose one game. Does anyone out there remember the 2000-2001 season? We were a gritty football team back then. Maybe we will return to that form this year. Thats how we won in weeks one and two. In Belichick I trust. I suggest that the rest of you chill out and follow that credo, cuz its what we have right now.

All the whining just begs the question, "What's Indy's record this seaons?" There were a lot of mistakes made Sunday and much like the Super Bowl, the Patriots were outplayed all over the field. Offense, Defense, special teams and especially by the Zebras.

Why is it, against the Jets, Thomas had to sack Favre and Washington, after spinning them around like a couple rag dolls and there still wasn't a whistle until they were both on the ground, but when Cassell had the ball and the chance to score, as soon as someone brushed his uniform the whistle blew? We were beat and definitely outplayed, but the turning point in the game was the Pats touchdown called back because of a premature whistle.

The Pats have dropped the dy from dynasty and only have the nasty (as in aweful).
The sound you hear Pats fans is the window closing. Next year, Brady is coming off an injury that has made Carson Palmer half the quarterback he was before his similar injury.....Moss will be 33 and key defensive players even older....

Tim in Chapel Hill = Rat Bastard

Good Night people, it was one loss. The pats still have one of the best Coaches of all time at the helm. They will be fine. This loss is a wake up call to the Players. They now will have to remember that they all need to do thier jobs to get where they want to go. As far as Cassell goes, I think he is what he is,a back up. If anyone thought he was going to step in and do what Brady does, they're nuts. Brady is one of the best QB's to ever play the game.

I think that the deffense needs to pick it up a lil, I think the secondary is playing awful. They need to be able to cover these guys so the LBs, Seymore and Green can get oafter the QB. With coach Bill at the helm, he'll figure it out. He and his staff turned samuel and gay into legit NFL guys. they'll turn the secondary around no doubt.

To all you Pats haters, dream on these patriots don't know what the word Quit is. They will make you all hate them even more this year when with out Tom Brady they go deep into the playoffs and possibly back to the Super Bowl. So giggle and chuckle while you can but that Crow is going to be served up by us Pats fans come January!

The offensive line play is the key. If the OL gives Cassel enough time to throw and the running game enough holes to run through, the offense will stay on the field longer, giving the defense more time to rest, making them more effective. This is what they're used to with Brady.

On the other hand, if the DL plays better, but the OL plays the same, you're the Baltimore Ravens.

The Belichick record with/without Brady is plain stupid. Even with Brady, the Pats would have stunk Belichick's first year. The team's offensive line was the worst in the NFL then.

I absolutely agree with Relax. Although that opening loss to the Bills 31-0 was horrible to watch, the 31-0 win over the same team was poetic justice.

Give the team a chance to retool over the next two weeks.

It's all well and good to be a super-fan when they win; but try being a real fan, and stand by them when they lose.

tony
do you know what bill walsh's record was before montana and the first yr with montana ? please check those stats out. From the wiki

n 1979, Walsh was hired as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. The long-suffering 49ers went 2-14 in 1978, the season before Walsh's arrival and repeated the same dismal record in his first season. Walsh doubted his abilities to turn around such a miserable situation -- but earlier in 1979, Walsh drafted quarterback Joe Montana from Notre Dame in the third round.

Walsh turned over the starting job to Montana in 1980, when the 49ers improved to 6-10. San Francisco won its first championship in 1981, just two years after winning two games.

So please tell me walsh's record is "it is what it is" . Just because you dislike belichick as a media person doesnt mean you cant be objective when picking up startslike this.. Also consider his cleveland situation. he turned a 3-13 team to a playoff team in a 2-3 yrs and were 5-0 or something when modell pulled the plug on the team

To everyone that is blaming cassell, here is what happened 2001 playbook without the trick plays! But the defense is not what it was in 2001. Look up brady's TD stats. His longest pass was 91 yards to David patten who was amazing on finding his way down field after catch.They need to get creative and fast, more shotgun hand offs, dump passes, they will not stretch the feild often this year. With another un-proven QB's that has been BB's way. Career low for 16 games by moss. 5 wide short dumps here we come. Let's see no-huddle 5 wide! Where did that go? IMO 2001 was BB's year. By far the year that gave him the genius tag!

Hey Mazz - News Flash! baseball-type stats are NOT applicable to football...too much can change from season to season and game to game. You play each team differently, players compete agianst other players physically and coaches try match strengths and weaknesses...

Tony, the Patriots won zero superbowls before Bill Bellicheck got there, they've won 3 since. I guess it is what it is.

I think people on this forum are getting way ahead of themselves to jump off the Pats bandwagon because of a TERRIBLE and I MEAN TERRIBLE loss. First I hear we have a terrible front-seven on defense? Are you people kidding me?!?!?!
WAKE THE HELL UP!! There's a guy named Richard Seymour on the D-Line, and last I checked he's heading to the NFL Hall of Fame. Wilfork and Warren are good too, so lets not make this an issue. I would agree with the linebacker -play being a problem, but its early and these are vets we are talking about and Bruschi Mayo and Vrabel and Thomas came in to the Dolphins game playing well. The problem the Patriots are having is in adjusting to the absence of Tom Brady, but Cassel has shown signs of promise, if you people dont remember the year Brady took over as a starter WE LOST TO THE DOLPHINS 30-10 in Miami, and he had a terrible game, with guys like Fred Smerlas and other media clowns saying Brady couldn't cut it as a a starter...How quickly we all forget. And let's be honest Bill Parcells a better coach than Belichick, that's a joke, Parcells won super bowls with Belichick, and what the hell did Parcells do in Dallas?? you people need to wake up one game doesn't make a season, it's still early, and I'm looking around the AFC and no team has separated itself from the pack. Denver is 3-0 BARELY, and probably shouldnt be in the situation they are in given the San Diego game. San Diego is a team that is gonna give us everything we can handle, but guess what?? Haven't we beaten them before?!?!?! There isn't a team that the Patriots can't beat in the AFC, all this loss tells us, is that it's going to be a dogfight, and we aren't going to blow teams out anymore. Patriots fans need to stop acting like a privileged whiny bunch with huge expectations and just realize that it's possible that we can beat other teams and get beaten. Let's slow down here, there are 13 games left and we are 2-1. And that is Cassel as 2-1 as the starter, I'd like to remind all of you, including beating the Jets in New York.

The voice of reason signing off

Hey, T: Paul Brown was 116-20-4 with Otto Graham and 106-92-5 without him. That's the way it is with great quarterbacks. Belichick and Brown were both lucky enough to find one and knowledgeable enough to train them. A lot of coaches lack that knowledge.
But never mind Brady. I'll always remember Belichick as the guy who almost went to ther Super Bowl with Reche Caldwell and Jabar Gaffney as his top two wideouts. Talk about "The Illusionist."

Good quarterback place (great quarterback play in Brady's case) can make up for shortcomings in other areas. That being said, you can't put Brady (assuming he were healthy) on the Raiders or Detroit and expect them to win the Superbowl. The rest of the Pat's are not devoid of talent. BB didn't forget how to coach. Everyone just needs to rise to the challenge.

I'm still not sold on Matt Cassel. He needs to show improvement week to week or he should be taken out. I would like to see them trade for a solid back-up (Garcia? Kitna? Brad Johnson?) and have that new QB compete with Cassel. If Matt is a professional, competing for his job shouldn't hurt his psyche. It couldn't hurt to have a proven veteran around. My apologies to D. Flutie & V. Testeverde, but they are a bit long in the tooth (IMO).

It's way too early to say anything about this team. Let's see how they do against the 49ers and the Bolts. After 4 complete games, THEN we can start thinking about IF Cassel is going to work all season or not. Now is too soon. As for the O line, they were hurt all preseason and the right side is weaker without Neal. let's get them healthy and give them a few more games with Cassel before we write them off. As for the front 7, I too pondered why no 4 - 3 in the second half against Miami. I'm not sure what's going on with the D but as that is BB's speciality I think I'll chalk Miami up to a Mulligan and wait until after the Chargers game before I panic on that side of the ball. That being said, special teams are already in mid season form so at least we have 1 of the 3 going great. the other 2 will catch up.

“With David Ortiz on his roster, Terry Francona has a career record of 468-338. Without Ortiz, Francona is 285-363. As Bill Parcells might say, you are what you are. As Belichick might say, it is what it is.”

How about: “With Kevin Garnett on his roster, Doc Rivers has a career record of 66-16. Without Garnett, Rivers is 273-312. As Bill Parcells might say, you are what you are. As Belichick might say, it is what it is.”

from the BSMW

I always love the "Belichick's record without Brady" argument that gets brought up by the bitter media hacks that Bill won't give the time of day to. I have some 5 facts of my own...

5. Many remember Belichick's Cleveland stint as a failure. In his 3rd year he led the Browns to a playoff berth and beat the Patriots in a playoff game that year. The next season they were 3-1 when Modell announced the move to Baltimore.

4. The Brady of 2001 wasn't what Brady is now, yet they won the Super Bowl that year.

3. Maybe Bill's sub-500 record without Brady might have something to do with a couple of QB's he coached? His record is 11-18 with a declining Bernie Kosar and 5-13 with the Statue Drew Bledsoe in games they were his starting QB.

2. Back to fact 3; why is it ok to say Brady is the sole reason Bill looks like a great coach but discount the possibility that with Drew and Bernie he didn't have much to work with those QB's?

1. We knew the time was going to come when the Patriots we've known this decade would start to decline. It happens to all winning teams in all sports eventually, and with this team it most likely would've happened even with Brady as the QB. Guys like Mazz, Borges, etc... that have been waiting for this are jumping at the chance to get the shots in. This is like Christmas, their Birthdays, and the day they lost their virginity all combined into one.