NFL.com. are the patriots vulnerable?.. Ellerbe chimes in.

I don't care about talk, save it, on any level......

I care about W's.....

There's going to be backlash about it, but I can't for the life of me understand it. He was asked a question in an interview, and he responded pretty reasonably.

This is turning in to an annual tradition...talking **** in July.

I don't think this was trash talk. This is football. While you have to be humble, you also have to be a man. If somebody asks you a question, you can't be no punk and "no comment" all the time. Ellerbe stated his opinion and enhanced it with the admission that, "You have to actually go do it." You are the Mike of an aggressive defense...you better act like it. Ellerbe did that. I don't know about yall, but I don't want a team of mutes and definitely not the "Yibbit Yibbit Yibbit...the Patriots are a great organization and we look forward to eating orange slices and combing hair together on Sundays." Nope...no sir....state how you feel and be you. Thats what Elllerbe did and I applaud it.

Patriots have always been vulnerable. They haven't won a superbowl in a decade. But they're no more vulnerable than prior years as long as Tammy Brady is still on his feet. Ellerbe saying the right things.

It would be superficial to conclude or suggest this was some sort of trash talk as he said, he believes that they can and yet also nothing matters unless they prove it on the field.

I also thought his "just keep fighting" mentality will be a key for Miami (as it is for many teams). They are not likely to get off to a fast start with the schedule - and will need to have that never-say-die mentality throughout the seasons. That is often what separates the men from the boys - it is not easy to do, though. When anyone gets behind and down, in any aspect of life, it is difficult to keep believing.

But, the attitude of Ellerbe reminds me of, and is likely the influence of, Ray Lewis. Which is a positive.

After spending the last month out of the country, I see that nothing has changed much on this forum. Some people still seem to think the Patriots are on the down slide and that the Dolphins finally have the team to take over the AFC East. Hopefully these individuals are right, but I still don't see this Dolphin team being any better than 8-8 in 2013.

If they can start out 3-2, instead of 1-4 as I expect them to, they have a chance to be a playoff team in 2013. I just think they will lose four of their first five games and this will just be too much for them to overcome as the season progresses. Perhaps they will prove me wrong, but after watching this team in recent years, I have to see the results on the playing field before I will believe anything has changed regarding this organization.

I look forward to attending their games this season at home and the game they play in New Orleans. I just hope I attend more games they win than they lose, as has happen far too often in recent years.

Every team is vulnerable, the real question is whether their opponents have the talent to exploit that vulnerability.

what happened in the past i don't give a damn, this team has me so excited, its such a pain in the ass to wait this long still, to finally see them play

"TiP54 wrote:

This is turning in to an annual tradition...talking **** in July.

How is this talking ****?

"I think they are but you have to prove it, you can't just talk about it," said Dolphins linebacker Dannell Ellerbe.

Just to be clear -- Ellerbe wasn't talking smack. He was stating a belief that is actually quite prevalent throughout football. Has the draining of offensive talent, the injury to Rob Gronkowski and the allegations of homicide against Aaron Hernandez weakened the once-unbreakable filament that is the resolve of the Patriots?

"I was brought here to help knock them off," said Ellerbe. "That doesn't mean we will, but we feel like we can. Like I said, we just have to prove it. You have to actually go do it."

I'm so tired of people acting like we talk smack like the Jets.

He just gave the equivalent of a "Well I think we can beat them, but we'll see what happens" answer. Not very good **** talking if you ask me.........

I find it shocking that anybody believes its a sin to answer a question with any self confidence in yourself or your team. Some responses here and in the Sims thread seem ridiculous to me. Saying you have a goal in response to a question is not a bad thing. Not one Dolphin player has acted entitled or asked to be anointed, yet some react as if they're trash talking.:no: I can't think of any different response I would want from my team. It appears that some would only be happy if the players ran and hid whenever they were asked a question.

Wasn't smack talk to me I'm proud of the way he wants to be at a higher level without saying #$*& *&^# $%#@.

I think the NFL media tends to skew things like this a certain way because they are DESPERATE for anything to talk about this time of year.

Did anyone else see that ridiculous report - going across the wires on NFL.com and ESPN about the Texans wanting to shore up WR's because they feel Andre Johnson may have lost a "half-step?" Is that really supposed to be news? Aren't teams always looking to improve their WR's? Did the NFL media report that Green Bay wanted to get young WR's in as Driver or Jennings aged? What the heck? That's supposed to be news?

It's just that time of year when everyone is so starving for news that they try to make a piece of gristle into a full course, filet mignon dinner.

"Disgustipate wrote:

There's going to be backlash about it, but I can't for the life of me understand it. He was asked a question in an interview, and he responded pretty reasonably.

absolutely...wasn't my intention that's for sure, I was just talking in general.

"TiP54 wrote:

This is turning in to an annual tradition...talking **** in July.

He didnt talk any sh&$.

Sh&$ talking to me is when a player from one side says something that the coach or players from the other side can use as serious motivation and actually build up an anger towards the opponent.

"Da 'Fins wrote:

I think the NFL media tends to skew things like this a certain way because they are DESPERATE for anything to talk about this time of year.

Did anyone else see that ridiculous report - going across the wires on NFL.com and ESPN about the Texans wanting to shore up WR's because they feel Andre Johnson may have lost a "half-step?" Is that really supposed to be news? Aren't teams always looking to improve their WR's? Did the NFL media report that Green Bay wanted to get young WR's in as Driver or Jennings aged? What the heck? That's supposed to be news?

It's just that time of year when everyone is so starving for news that they try to make a piece of gristle into a full course, filet mignon dinner.

I did see that. that was ridiculous

He simply said that the pasties might be more vulnerable, but you have to prove it on the field. That's not talking sh%* imo.

"Fin D wrote:

How is this talking ****?

I'm so tired of people acting like we talk smack like the Jets.

My point is why even engage in it, I hate talk, it is cheap again on ANY level....He says they he thinks they are vulnerable, based on what??

They lost some players in key spots I get that...on paper they look it right? On paper last year they looked ready to pound everybody's ass in but that didn't happen either, because truth is nobody knows until the games are played...

Bottom line is they still have BB and TB....and the task of knocking them off is going to be difficult...

"finyank13 wrote:

My point is why even engage in it, I hate talk, it is cheap again on ANY level....He says they he thinks they are vulnerable, based on what??

They lost some players in key spots I get that...on paper they look it right? On paper last year they looked ready to pound everybody's ass in but that didn't happen either, because truth is nobody knows until the games are played...

So i'm clear...you don't like when it player says "talk is cheap" because you think talk is cheap?

"finyank13 wrote:

My point is why even engage in it, I hate talk, it is cheap again on ANY level....He says they he thinks they are vulnerable, based on what??

They lost some players in key spots I get that...on paper they look it right? On paper last year they looked ready to pound everybody's ass in but that didn't happen either, because truth is nobody knows until the games are played...

Bottom line is they still have BB and TB....and the task of knocking them off is going to be difficult...

Isn't that essentially what Ellerbe said? That on paper they look vulnerable but we have to beat them to prove it?

"finyank13 wrote:

My point is why even engage in it, I hate talk, it is cheap again on ANY level....He says they he thinks they are vulnerable, based on what??

They lost some players in key spots I get that...on paper they look it right? On paper last year they looked ready to pound everybody's ass in but that didn't happen either, because truth is nobody knows until the games are played...

Bottom line is they still have BB and TB....and the task of knocking them off is going to be difficult...

I get what your saying, and mostly I agree, not sure this blip is bullet material..

Seems many of us won't be happy until all the medias questions are answered with ... " no comment ". Kids cant even say they want to be the best without getting flack for it.