Do the Pats have any weakness at this point?

[HHURRICANE]

I think the Bills and Jets are good enough to compete with any team in the league. However, I am getting pretty sick of the Pats constantly recharging their team.

The Pats looked and were vulnerable at times but it still didn't stop them form almost getting to the Superbowl again.

Now add Adalius, Welker, and Moss and I'm trying to figure out how not to get frustrated.

Any thoughts and please don't give me that Brady is getting hurt because he's not. Players like him and Peyton know how to protect themselves.

[TacklingDummy]

On paper the Pats look unbeatable and the Bills O-line looks improved. Usually it takes time to build some chemistry. That's why I don't think the Patriots will finish 16-0 this year nor do I think the Bills O-line will be that great of an improvement over last year.

[Cover 2]

ONE WORD........CHEMISTRY. THAT'S THE REASON THEY WILL NOT BEAT TEAMS LIKE INDI AND SD.

[MikeInRoch]

They don't have as good a punter as we do.

[ajsdx]

They don't have as good a punter as we do.

YEAH BABYYYY!!

[YardRat]

They still have to play the games on the field.

[realdealryan]

Aging LB core other than Thomas.

Samuel doesn't report? Or traded?

Their front seven got bullied by the Colts in the second half of the AFC Championship game. Jeff Saturday put Wilfork on his *** on the go-ahead score. That type of play makes me anxious to see how our re-tooled line will do.

My inner homer is fading. Done for the day.

[HHURRICANE]

ONE WORD........CHEMISTRY. THAT'S THE REASON THEY WILL NOT BEAT TEAMS LIKE INDI AND SD.

Yeah, this is a good point. Let's hope your right.

[Hammertime]

Can there be a special forum for Pats worship? It's a little embarrasing to see on the billszone.

[Goobylal]

There's chemistry, which has already been mentioned. There's learning the system, which isn't a given for any of the additions. There's also the injury factor. Moss, Stallworth, Morris, Washington, Maroney, and Jackson all have injury problems, and the Pats are annually one of the most injured teams. So far Brady hasn't been injured and he's probably due.

[jamze132]

I hate to contribute to a Patsy love fest, but they look pretty scary on paper. Everyone knows that they bring it every year and are always right there with the favorites to win the Super Bowl. I guess we can always shoot for the wildcard.

[Pinkerton Security]

There's chemistry, which has already been mentioned. There's learning the system, which isn't a given for any of the additions. There's also the injury factor. Moss, Stallworth, Morris, Washington, Maroney, and Jackson all have injury problems, and the Pats are annually one of the most injured teams. So far Brady hasn't been injured and he's probably due.

Lets hear it for Brady getting hurt!


But ya, i really agree that perhaps these wide receivers are talented but not right for this system?? I dont know this for sure by and stretch of the imagination, but Moss isnt really a great route runner, he has usually been more of a "hey im gonna run deep and you chuck it up there" kinda guy. Stallworth seems to be similiar IMO. Welker will probably do real well in this system, he seems to find holes well and thats what Brady excels at.

All in all, their offense may be more potent, but I dont think they will do much better. On D, they are getting older as has been pointed out, lets just hope JP's improvement can improve to keep the pass defenders honest so our running game can get going!

Go Bills!!

[HHURRICANE]

Can there be a special forum for Pats worship? It's a little embarrasing to see on the billszone.

Maybe you could start a site called Billshomer.com? Until than or til the Pats get moved out of our division they are the team to beat.

The chemisrty argument is a good one. Do you have anything to offer other than wishful thinking?

[Bling]

I don't think the Bills can compete with anyone, nor do I think the Jets can. The Pats, Chargers, Ravens, Indy, Jax, Cincy are the only teams from the AFC that have a chance this year.

[SABURZFAN]

if they have any weakness it's their LB position.if injuries decimate that area of their team,they could be screwed.

[Akhippo]

Man, im glad i didnt have most of you guys on my sports teams. OH my gosh, look at how big that team is... Lets go home before the beat on us. If Stallworth was that good, why didnt receiver needy philly keep him. Welker is a decent number three. I didnt see anything special out of him in Miami. Moss is talented and will score, but will it make NE that much better. He does have his downfalls and will have to fit into Bradys system.

The linebackers are older and the secondary isnt all that.

Maroney will have to carry the load full time.

I dont think Buffalo can beat them straight up just yet. However, they arent going to storm through the AFC without a fight.

[Luisito23]

I know right...You'd think it was patszone...




GO BILLS!!!!!

[TigerJ]

Character.

[Goobylal]

I don't think the Bills can compete with anyone, nor do I think the Jets can.
LOL! You forgot to mention the Dols.

[Hammertime]

Maybe you could start a site called Billshomer.com? Until than or til the Pats get moved out of our division they are the team to beat.

The chemisrty argument is a good one. Do you have anything to offer other than wishful thinking?

Wishful thinking that so many Bills fans didn't tremble in their own urine soaked underpants at the thought of Tom Brady?

I know the Pats are the team to beat in the division. I also think the Bills have the talent to do it. They should have done it last year in Foxboro. I think the Bills are better than last year and i like what Marv is doing. The Bills will be in every game this year, even against your Pats.

I'm not handing the Patriots another Lombardi trophy yet. In fact, i see that team self-destructing. There was a great article written a while back, and i wish i could find it, that said no NFL team should have more than one University of Miami player on it at the same time. The Pats drafted two last week and they picked up Randy Moss - a self absorbed a-hole that could have played for the U had he not flunked out of FSU.

Leave the Patriot loving to New England and be a homer or what's the ****** point?

[Meathead]

the pats achilles heel could be the same one the skins have been toting around, the curse of ego

the billychunk ego has been festering for some time now and is ready to ferment

there have been some clear signs of dissension in the patsy collective and randy moss is another short circuit in the powder keg

this will really put marvs character issue to the direct test

trust in The Marv

[Night Train]

They are still 1 hit away (Brady) from seeing their season go up in smoke. Maroney (RB) is injury prone.

[djjimkelly]

how bout this point from left field. i think the pats wekaness is contract status of key players. both wilfork and ty warrren are due big deals so is samuel. this will be their downfall!!!!!!!

[patmoran2006]

I think the Bills and Jets are good enough to compete with any team in the league. However, I am getting pretty sick of the Pats constantly recharging their team.

The Pats looked and were vulnerable at times but it still didn't stop them form almost getting to the Superbowl again.

Now add Adalius, Welker, and Moss and I'm trying to figure out how not to get frustrated.

Any thoughts and please don't give me that Brady is getting hurt because he's not. Players like him and Peyton know how to protect themselves.
you forgot to mention Donte Stallworth and role players like Sammy Morris and Tory James (Didnt he sign too?)

To be honest, Im kind of fascinated by Robert Kraft and the committment to winning another Super Bowl the owner is showing.

Having said, while I think they're a lock to win the AFC East (by 3 games probably) they're far from already being named the AFC Champion. SD doesnt have a real weakness and Indy is still the team to beat (though losing June and 2 corners hurts). Every media person in America has already picked them to win the SB.

I think the AFC is going to be stacked this year like no season ever before..
Denver is always tough, and now Cutler has more experience plus they got Travis Henry and Dre Bly, not to mention their first few draft choices.... I think off-field issues derailed Cinci last year but they'll be better.. and I think anybody who is dismissing the Jets is crazy. They were a playoff team last year, got a KEY RB in Thomas JOnes and two very good players in the draft to start immediately in Darelle Revis and David Harris. The jets are going to be extremely formidable... Baltimore is also tough (though they are my candidate to flop this year).. This is a very tough conference this year. if Buffalo was in the NFC I'd give them a fighting chance but the AFC is way too talented for a Bills team this young and raw right now.

[Saratoga Slim]

Is Maroney a full time back?

I could see him dinged up if he's taking 25-30 carries a game. Who do they have on the bench at this point. Kevin Faulk?

I wouldn't be surprised to see them sign one of the remaining FAs.

[Beantown_Pat]

LOL
As a Patriot fan, I find this thread pretty funny. A ton of wishful thinking going on.

[bflojohn]

Do you mean other than a HUGE bulls-eye on their uniforms? They will be tested EVERY week, and I think it's likely that along the way, faults will crop up (LB's) that can and will be exploted! Personally, that aura around their franchise that describes the uncanny leadership will dim when Teddy and Rodney vacate the premises.

[BILLSROCK1212]

Aging LB core other than Thomas.

Samuel doesn't report? Or traded?

Their front seven got bullied by the Colts in the second half of the AFC Championship game. Jeff Saturday put Wilfork on his *** on the go-ahead score. That type of play makes me anxious to see how our re-tooled line will do.

My inner homer is fading. Done for the day.Thomas is aging too i believe he will be 30 by opening day

[justasportsfan]

Their headcoach has a weakness for married women , don't know if that counts :idunno:

[Bert102176]

take out their knees and thier all volnurable

[GarnOFreak]

So far:

Stallworth's Hamstring
Moss's Ego/Mouth
A.Samuel Holding out
Malroney's Fragileness at 300+ carries
Welker's a WR3
Defense is gettin' old(esp LB)
Chemistry w/ all the new guys
Free Agent losses
The Kicking Game(KO/PK/Punts)
Tom Brady, due for an IR season?

did I miss anything?

[Dolphanzeke]

So far:

Stallworth's Hamstring
Moss's Ego/Mouth
A.Samuel Holding out
Malroney's Fragileness at 300+ carries
Welker's a WR3
Defense is gettin' old(esp LB)
Chemistry w/ all the new guys
Free Agent losses
The Kicking Game(KO/PK/Punts)
Tom Brady, due for an IR season?

did I miss anything?Their D is vulnerable up the Middle Wilfork is not a true 3/4 NG.. not even close and their ILBs aside from Vraebel (who is much better on the outside) are non existant...Bruschi Seau ?? those guy both looked like roadkill last year and the secondary outside of samuels is very suspect....Moss and Stallworth havent been healthy in 3 or 4 years and they are both guys that use athleticism to make an impact and I havent seen moss look good since 2003 so who knows where he is at. The pats made some big FA splashes but I wouldnt say its a lock they dominate the league this year....far from it.

[Ickybaluky]

Their D is vulnerable up the Middle Wilfork is not a true 3/4 NG.. not even close and their ILBs aside from Vraebel (who is much better on the outside) are non existant...Bruschi Seau ?? those guy both looked like roadkill last year and the secondary outside of samuels is very suspect....Moss and Stallworth havent been healthy in 3 or 4 years and they are both guys that use athleticism to make an impact and I havent seen moss look good since 2003 so who knows where he is at. The pats made some big FA splashes but I wouldnt say its a lock they dominate the league this year....far from it.

Wow. I wonder how they managed to be rated the 5th-best defense in the NFL vs. the run, 6th best defense overall and 2nd best scoring defense with all those weaknesses.

I would suggest you haven't watched them closely enough.

[Dolphanzeke]

Wow. I wonder how they managed to be rated the 5th-best defense in the NFL vs. the run, 6th best defense overall and 2nd best scoring defense with all those weaknesses.

I would suggest you haven't watched them closely enough.They went to the afc championship its obvious they didnt suck...but that said they (the D) got manhandled by Diego and then run over by the Colts. Im pretty sure you have the afce pretty much in hand but the AFC is a different story.. 2007 hasnt even started yet so to hand the Pats the superbowl already is a little premature to say the least...and to say the pats roster is deep beyond Wr and OLB would be a joke.

[Ickybaluky]

2007 hasnt even started yet so to hand the Pats the superbowl already is a little premature to say the least...and to say the pats roster is deep beyond Wr and OLB would be a joke.

The two deepest positions on the team are OL and DL. That is the real strength of the team, other than Brady.

[Dolphanzeke]

and P.S.

being able to play 6 games against bottom 5 Os Miami Buff and NY might have helped pad those defensive stats a bit :; .

[Dolphanzeke]

The two deepest positions on the team are OL and DL. That is the real strength of the team, other than Brady.

Right Tackle
N. Kaczur, #77
R. O'Callaghan, #68

Right Guard
S. Neal, #61
R. Hochstein, #71
G. Mruczkowski, #64

Center
D. Koppen, #67
R. Hochstein, #71
G. Mruczkowski, #64

Left Guard
L. Mankins, #70
R. Hochstein, #71
G. Mruczkowski, #64

Left Tackle
M. Light, #72
W. Britt, #65


Color me unimpressed.

[Jan Reimers]

No, the Pats are Perfect. They will go undefeated, untied, and unscored upon, win the Super Bowl 72-0, after which Tedy Bruschi will ascend to Heaven and sit at the right hand of God The Father Almighty.

I don't think the Bills should even play this season. There is no hope.

[patmoran2006]

No, the Pats are Perfect. They will go undefeated, untied, and unscored upon, win the Super Bowl 72-0, after which Tedy Bruschi will ascend to Heaven and sit at the right hand of God The Father Almighty.

I don't think the Bills should even play this season. There is no hope.
right hand of God the Father almighty (on this board) = Marv Levy.

[Ickybaluky]

Right Tackle
N. Kaczur, #77
R. O'Callaghan, #68

Right Guard
S. Neal, #61
R. Hochstein, #71
G. Mruczkowski, #64

Center
D. Koppen, #67
R. Hochstein, #71
G. Mruczkowski, #64

Left Guard
L. Mankins, #70
R. Hochstein, #71
G. Mruczkowski, #64

Left Tackle
M. Light, #72
W. Britt, #65


Color me unimpressed.

Then you have no idea what you are talking about. That, top to bottom, is a strong unit. Easily a top-10 OL in the NFL, top 5 if you want to go with reserves as well.

BTW, you left out Billy Yates, who is one of their top reserves inside. The OL looks like this:

LT: Matt Light
LG: Logan Mankins
C: Dan Koppen
RG: Stephen Neal
RT: Nick Kaczur

Backup C/G: Russ Hochstein
Backup C/G: Billy Yates
Backup OT: Wesley Britt

[Dolphanzeke]

Then you have no idea what you are talking about. That, top to bottom, is a strong unit. Easily a top-10 OL in the NFL, top 5 if you want to go with reserves as well.

BTW, you left out Billy Yates, who is one of their top reserves inside. The OL looks like this:

LT: Matt Light
LG: Logan Mankins
C: Dan Koppen
RG: Stephen Neal
RT: Nick Kaczur

Backup C/G: Russ Hochstein
Backup C/G: Billy Yates
Backup OT: Wesley Brittsince you said it..it must be true.

[patmoran2006]

THe good thing about NE's offensive line is they have good depth. If one particualr guy goes down the entire line doesnt get decimated.

That's not the case for most teams. For most teams, including Buffalo-- is a Jason Peters goes down, the line is a mess.

I like NE's line. If they have a weakness; Im not a huge fan of their secondary after Samuel. Their LB's as a whole are getting old as well- outside of Adalius Thomas.

Still, they're clearly the class of the division if not the league conferenc and the league; and I dont see how anyone could sanely dispute that; at least not at this point.

[Dolphanzeke]

THe good thing about NE's offensive line is they have good depth. If one particualr guy goes down the entire line doesnt get decimated.

That's not the case for most teams. For most teams, including Buffalo-- is a Jason Peters goes down, the line is a mess.

I like NE's line. If they have a weakness; Im not a huge fan of their secondary after Samuel. Their LB's as a whole are getting old as well- outside of Adalius Thomas.

Still, they're clearly the class of the division if not the league conferenc and the league; and I dont see how anyone could sanely dispute that; at least not at this point.They have good interior depth and the starting five a quality but imo if Lyte goes down I think they are hurting.. Britt is not QUALITY depth for either tackle spot.

[patmoran2006]

They have good interior depth and the starting five a quality but imo if Lyte goes down I think they are hurting.. Britt is not QUALITY depth for either tackle spot.
Not that your username will have any impact on what I think of your opinions, but am I correct in assuming you are a Dolphins fan?

[Dolphanzeke]

Not that your username will have any impact on what I think of your opinions, but am I correct in assuming you are a Dolphins fan?yes Im a Dolphin fan...Im sure my respect meter just dropped by a bunch haha.

[patmoran2006]

Not by me.. I cant stand a board filled with nothing but Bills backers. I like the variety, as long as your not intentionally ignorant to other people who disagree with you.

[Dolphanzeke]

Not by me.. I cant stand a board filled with nothing but Bills backers. I like the variety, as long as your not intentionally ignorant to other people who disagree with you.I like to think that im a "football" fan first.. I love the game and talking about the game period :D.

[Ickybaluky]

They have good interior depth and the starting five a quality but imo if Lyte goes down I think they are hurting.. Britt is not QUALITY depth for either tackle spot.

Actually, I forgot Ryan O'Callaghan. O'Callaghan actually would be the 3rd OT, having started 6 games last year.

FYI... When Britt played last year he played well, including starting last year's 38-13 win against the Bengals. The Pats gained 424 yards of total offense while not surrendering a sack in the game.

You display typical ignorance of the Pats OL. That isn't an insult, it is just that most fans don't realize how much the OL contributes to the Pats being good each year. That unit is among the most underrated in the NFL. Yet, if you watch the team consistently, they perform well. While Brady deserves all the accolades, the OL allows him to do it.

Last year, the Pats were 11th in the NFL in Total Offense and 7th in scoring offense. They did this despite having no outside threat at WR, which allowed team to bring an 8th man up to clog the LOS. Brady was only sacked 26 times in 516 attempts, despite teams knowing they could go after him because the Pats did not have the weapons to burn them deep.

Why? Because of the OL. Bottom line is getting the job done, and the Pats OL gets it done year-in and year-out.

[Pinkerton Security]

since you said it..it must be true.


i dont know how you can say that the patriots line isnt solid. Brady almost always has ages to sit back there and scan the field. Their line is always good.

[dannyek71]

Tom Brady might have to miss a game or two due to a Justin Timberlake concert

[Pinkerton Security]

Tom Brady might have to miss a game or two due to a Justin Timberlake concert

or perhaps because of a bruising of the anterior, aka a sore butt

[Dolphanzeke]

i dont know how you can say that the patriots line isnt solid. Brady almost always has ages to sit back there and scan the field. Their line is always good.I never said they werent solid...NE39 said its a top 5 unit and very deep I dont agree with THAT assesment.. they have the best OL in our division and top 5 in our conference and like everything Patriot they play well as a group. To me Patriot depth goes WR OLB DL OL and the rest is pretty shallow you cant be deep everywhere...and this thread is about picking out weakness and they have improved obviously and thats scary but they arent perfect.