Odds and ends

I'd be ok with Matt throwing 18 TDs and 14 INTs. If he can do that while throwing 3,200-3,400 yards and completeing 60%-63% of his passes, rushing for 200-250 yards with perhaps 2 rushing TDs and getting sacked (only) 25-30 times, then I think the Patriots will be alright.

Sadly, I agree 100% with that story. I hope they prove me wrong, but they have 0% chance of winning a SB... They lost the most important player in the sport. Cassel will be lucky to throw 18 TD after Brady throw 50 with pretty much the same O. God help us.

Who the Hell cares what the oddsmakers say!
Give the Patriots a chance to show what they can do.

Amazing

Does anyone remember the "mantra" the Patriots adopted the year everyone excluded them from superbowl talk? I believe it was "Don't talk to me!" I'm assuming the Pats once again use the nay-sayers as motivation and we witnes an amazing run! I just don't see this team, with all it's talent, losing everything-no way!

Another fair weather fan..thx Ryan for that amazing insight and vote of confidence....btw in '01 TB threw 18 TDs as the D carried us into the SB...just thought you would like to know....GO PATS!!

p.s. I'm sticking with my intention that the PATS will make it to the SB.....

I think I will take those odds.

Idiotic, but satisfying. 2000 Ravens had a similarly grim outlook--Trent Dilfer anyone?

The road isn't straight, but it's much more interesting now.

The Pats ALWAYS emphasized the TEAM CONCEPT!!! Now they will have a chance for the vets to prove it to the rest of the league. And oh by the way, I remember why Brady first started!!!!
MACKMAN

Don't let them disrespect us like this..... One guy will not kill this team!!!!

I'm with Ryan on this one, some of you guys are crazy!

-JohnHannahRules - THe Ravens won with a suffocating Defense. Would you say the Patriots defense is suffocation?

- TRB - I'll give you those odds, where do I go to pick up my $$

- Jay Bruce - Just because we don't think that they will win the SB doesn't mean we are 'fair weather fans', it means we are realistic about the chances of getting to the SB with Cassel. Doesn't mean we won't be rooting for them to win, but we won't be let down when they don't.

A lot of people are taking Tom Brady for granted by thinking that this team as it's constituted can get to the super bowl. Absolutely crazy! And for all of those talking about how Brady took over for Bledsoe, this a far different situation. Tom Brady outplayed Bledsoe in the preseason and by some accounts was going to replace Bledsoe any minute anyway. So the two cases are completely separate and not even close to being the same.

Some of you need to be realistic.

Steve

Yessss.....I love it.

On a humorous note, what if Bill Belecheck was out for the season and not Tom Brady. Are the odds makers saying that would be a more favorable position?

Go Pats!

Not always a betting man, but I would have been hesitant to take the Pats at 7-2 for winning the SB. Now a more interesting bet at 20-1. Certainly won't touch the Jets at 15-1. Jets must just be Favre hesteria.

listen... if your a hardcore pats fan, then you know coach is bringing the pats back to that old school, ironman, hard hittin runnin the ball up the middle type of football...think of it this way....before moss and welker and the record setting season....the pats were winning by field goals.......we were beating the colts with our red zone defense and we saw that same defense again against the chiefs...I think instead of worrying about blowing teams out....lets just have matt cassel MANAGE the game.....if cassel can MANAGE the game and set up victories with the kicker I think we will be ok.....I think we can run the ball now and I just don't see any team blowing out our defense as long as cassel and the coach can MANAGE...last but not least this year will truely test the new england patriots to there full limit and I think we can break it.........( lets just show our team support )

talk all u want the fact is the sorry pats couldnt do it last season with Brady as the QB what u think is gonna happen now without crybaby Brady . GO BIG BLUE DO I HEAR REPEAT!!!!!!!!

talk all u want the fact is the sorry pats couldnt do it last season with Brady as the QB what u think is gonna happen now without crybaby Brady . GO BIG BLUE DO I HEAR REPEAT!!!!!!!!

there is no way Jets are a better team than Pats---which we will find out this Sunday: Pats 24, Jets 14

Odds makers are like weathermen. They can be wrong everyday of the year and still keep their jobs.

The Pats will fine with Matt Cassel. A little under 7 years ago no one outside of the Patriots coaching staff knew who Tom Brady was. Am I saying Cassel is another Brady? No. But, I think he will make believers out of a lot of league.

GO PATS!!!

Odds makers are like weathermen. They can be wrong everyday of the year and still keep their jobs.

The Pats will fine with Matt Cassel. A little under 7 years ago no one outside of the Patriots coaching staff knew who Tom Brady was. Am I saying Cassel is another Brady? No. But, I think he will make believers out of a lot of people.

GO PATS!!!

This will galvanize the team, just like the loss of Bledsoe, the Famous Four Words of Tom Jackson after the Milloy cut, and Spygate. The remaining players on this team will not be disrespected by speculation that "they're done"... they've been "done" before. LOL!

GO PATS!!!

We'll be alright. Those of you who are speaking negatively of our TEAM ought to be ashamed of yourselves. Stand tall and be proud to be a Pats fan. Who cares what outsiders think. Everyone has an opinion but at the end of the day it doesnt matter. The games still have to be played on Sundays, one game at a time. C'mon. Stand behind our team and think about how spoiled we've been. We've got a GREAT TEAM and we have 15 games left in the regular season. Not to take anything away from the '01 squad, but, the roster wasn't even close to the roster today. They did have Tommy, not the Brady we know now but a young QB who could manage a game. he played within the system provided to him and "did his job". We'll be ok .Be proud. Stop crying. The games will talk for us.

Well put Hannahrules, i think it may sure be abumpy road but they are going to go into a lot of games with the chip on their shoulders and not paying any attention to the "talking head naysayers"

Maybe a bit of a stretch but even during the great Dolphin teams they had Earl Morral as QB instead of Griese so who knows ?????

I think Pats has more depth than most teams in NFL. But Brady is such a big part of the team in leadership on and off the field. I would agree with the experts- the road to SB hit a road block.....................

Jay Bruce - I don't think anyone here is a fair weather fan, it's actually quite the opposite. Everyone on here is knowledgable enough to know what type of impact this will have on the team. It's not the TD's - it's the field position, it's getting us out to an early lead and draining the clock. It's the optimism that the Pats ARE coming back in the 4th quarter.

At the same time, I am looking forward to seeing how the team plays because it's a lot more about defense, running the ball and the basics that we once stuck with (frankly, until last year).

I would expect the team to pick up another tight end. We are going to need to play the short game a lot more than last season. Fortunately Moss is still threatening enough to draw double teams and exploit single coverage.

Maybe its a good idea to place bets on the Pats winning the super bowl? could get rich off it...

I don't see what's the fuzz is all about.Do you really believe that this team is the same with or without Brady? If you do you are just plain stupid. This team looked pretty lame in all pre-season games. Maybe Brady going down is a good omen,now they have something to prove.Get use to ugly wins.

I don't see what's the fuzz is all about.Do you really believe that this team is the same with or without Brady? If you do you are just plain stupid. This team looked pretty lame in all pre-season games. Maybe Brady going down is a good omen,now they have something to prove.Get use to ugly wins.

It's cool, all of America for all I care(except all of N.E) can naysay as much as they want. ESPN can continually run "what are they gonna do" scenarios till next season. And while EVERYONE contiually speculates, NO ONE REALLY KNOWS WHAT TO EXPECT UNTIL SUNDAY. That being said, hAVING some faith in Cassel might actually help him some way. mAYBE IM WRONG, BUT DOUBTING HIM FROM N.E WON'T HELP. LET ALL THE "OTHER" FANS AND TEAMS WRITE US OFF, AS LONG AS 'WE THE PEOPLE" HAVE SOME FAITH IN CASSEL, I BET HE'LL GIVE IT ALL HE'S GOT. TOUGHEN UP PEOPLE- THIS IS THE TIME TO SNEAK UP ON EVERYONE- thats what BB is thinking-you know he is

Can people please stop bring up Trent Dilfer..... That team had one of the best d's in the history of football.. The pats do not have d. Plus Trent played for a bunch of years and actually played in college.. The logic does not hold water. Jesus.

another wonderful comment from Ryan...we dont have D? oh boy......
btw Sonny I was responding to Ryans comments.....thx for the backup ...and again I will state: the PATS will go to the SB!

It's going to be 2001 all over again. The disrespect card is playing played now and the Patriots are one team that you don't do that to.

I like people using the preseason games as a guide. I believe Moss didn't play any of them either. So with Moss out there it will make Cassel's job easier and give him so open targets. He'll be fine since he has been watching Tom and Bill together for a few years.
I'll take the 20-1 odds with a bit of spare change I have.