My Facebook feed is absolutely intolerable right now. Reading posts, you'd think that the Pats won 45-10 and Garappolo threw 5 tds.

 

New England ran it 31 times for just 106 yards last night, and their RBs had just 78 yards. Our defense should hopefully be able to contain them the same way they did Seattle. We just need to figure out how to stop the damn screen pass.

 

They probably could. Their defense is still good, and our offense is a blight on all humanity.

 

Most disappointing thing about the Pats yesterday was Garoppolo playing relatively well. I mean.. imagine Brady retiring and still having a competent QB?? Oh my.

 

After watching them last night, I started wondering if they are better than Miami without their two best players and 4/5 of their OL. Just goes to show what great coaching can do and overcome.

 

Further proof that it's more to do with the system than Brady. And when I say system, I mean a system of cheating.

 

I agree it's evidence Belichick is more valuable than some (including me) previously thought, assuming of course Garoppolo plays like this the next 3 games.

But I don't see evidence Belichick's success is to a great deal due to cheating. He's been caught doing some things that gave that team a slight advantage, maybe even helping them win an extra game over a season, but the great majority of that man's success so far at least seems like it's due to great coaching, not cheating.

I mean where are all the other teams in their ability to cheat if it's cheating? It's not like other teams aren't looking for a competitive advantage, and we're talking 15 years here, not 1.

 

We usually don't beat them in New England and I don't see that changing this season.

 

lol.

A coach with previously poor record, somehow becomes the bets ever winning with whatever POS QB he can get, gets caught multiple times for cheating and accused countless others, but you've seen no evidence?

 

Impossible to quantify the impact of cheating. That is why cheating is so bad. The integrity of competition has been compromised.

 

Well I still think Brady is a major factor. I'm trying to figure out how all this fits together though after seeing Cassel and Garoppolo. It would be much easier to come to the conclusion it's Brady if Garoppolo fails.

But I need evidence, and the evidence so far for cheating doesn't suggest to me more than maybe 1 extra win per season. Who knows.. it's still fluid. But I didn't see any obvious cheating yesterday nor in most games they play. Like I said.. need evidence.

 

Its also impossible to determine the depth of cheating.

Considering this team has been caught multiple times, I find it bizarre that anyone could make a case they haven't cheated way more and heinously than they have been caught for.

Why do people give them the benefit of the doubt?

 

They probably used illegal formations on 5+ plays last night.

 

I think it's up to the refs to catch those kinds of things.

And can you say with certainty other teams don't try stuff like that? What about Denver under Manning with the massive number of barely legal pick plays? That's way more than I see from NE for example.

I'm talking more about illegal videotaping etc.. or the worst would be like in soccer some teams bribing refs.

 

What exactly have they done to garner the benefit fo the doubt form you in regards to cheating more than they've been caught for?

Here's facts:

- Belichick was not a good HC before.
- Brady was a lowly regarded prospect.
- They barely scrapped their way to the SB the first time, with numerous questionable calls along the way. Including the infamous tuck.
- They've been able to win under any circumstance.....without QBs & star players, defensive deficiencies, etc.
- They've been caught cheating more than once.
- They've been accused of it constantly and in different ways.

Even their own player (Flutie) let slip a way they cheated (headphones in helmet). They are universally despised by other coaches and players. (Not because they always win either, as no other time in NFL history was a team hated this much that was winning. Or coach.)

If that's not enough evidence, then the only thing that will be is a hidden safe with detailed diagrams of all the cheating they've done with Belichick laughing manically whilst stroking a white cat, then says, "No Mr. Goodell, I expect you to die".

 

I agree with all that except the "without a QB" part. Brady is elite as far as I can tell.

But to your point, yes I need that "hidden safe" type of evidence. And these things if they exist aren't that easy to cover up forever. The cheating scandals in soccer show that records usually still exist, even when all sides agree they'll destroy them or hide it.

Listen.. sometimes it takes YEARS before that kind of evidence surfaces. So I personally do hope we find something like that out and NE's SB have an asterisk next to them someday, but I can't do that now without the evidence.

 

Then again I ask, what have they ever done to garner the benefit of the doubt from you?

 

No excuses from here on out. If you can hang with the Seahawks in their building then you ought to be able to handle what's on the schedule from here on. This is the type of game where the offense is going to need to come out and make amends for what it left on the field last week.

I believe Tannehill can be a factor. The Patriots are one the divisional opponent against which he's actually had a modicum of success (at times). Granted, he's never played particularly well up in NE but this is a game that either keeps Miami in the running and sets up a tight race within the division or it sends Miami to the back of the bus pretty early in the season.

 

Just a general bias towards innocent till proven guilty in cases like this. I hate them as much as you do, just won't crucify them without the evidence.

 

But they have been proven guilty...multiple times.

 

New England Fans are unbearable. They feel they are entitled to win and most are expecting a Superbowl visit. They do believe Brady is the second coming and I think their success is more to Belichick and his "ways." When Brady comes back the fans will actually be worse and Brady will come out with another massive chip on his shoulder. I can't see them losing once he is back. Someday they will topple and I hope Miami is there to stomp on them.

 

Yes.. for things I'd estimate have a MUCH smaller effect on overall W/L record and SB's than what they have.

 

And since they risked so much on something that you've randomly deemed having a small effect (with no reason or evidence btw), why would they not risk for a bigger effect?

You're basically saying Belichick is stupid for risking all that on nominal benefit.

 

Yeah we just have different thresholds for crucifying NE, or any team where it might seem plausible there's cheating. Plausible isn't evidence. I need the evidence. Not worth arguing over.

 

From past seasons, I don't think that's a realistic way of looking at things. Looking good in a loss to a tough opponent is no guarantee at all that you'll look good next time. We've done this sort of thing many times before and it's never translated into better play down the stretch.

 

Any chance of Pouncy or Parker starting on Sunday? I hope Mario clears.

P.S. Tannehill took a freaking beating on Sunday. If he really doesn't have a concussion from that play where he was slow to get up, then I gotta give the MVP to his helmet!

 

How did their oline look? Will Parker play? Williams? Pouncey?

 

Well, I sincerely hope you don't give your money to a Nigerian prince if one emails you, simply because you can't prove that specific person has screwed over anyone else.

 

I know where you're coming from but I'm taking a step back. I watched from afar this offsets on and I'm going to look at this season very simply. Namely, are you establishing a foundation and are you building a culture.

I'm no longer tuning in for moral victories. I predicted 7-wins and I'm fine with that as long as I see a culture developing, some sort of chemistry.

 

The other teams have been caught cheating.

There is a reason why in many cases, parties caught cheating receive lifetime bans.

At this point we have evidence that indicates the Patriots are not morally opposed to cheating. The only obstacles are logistics.

 

I actually emailed the FBI on the first one I got many years ago. You quickly learn the FBI cares only about stats and won't do much in those cases.

There are more sophisticated scams that are harder to detect by those same people (or somewhere in Africa), like posing as a legitimate place for foreign students coming to the US to study to stay. They post on the same message boards and post ads just like the legit ones. They promise to meet you at the airport and they never show after taking your money. Happened to a customer of my mom's business once.

At least in personal experience, the common link so far is Western Union. Anytime they ask for money through that it's a red flag.

Yup I agree.

 

did you see Hogan? Wes Welker v 2.0

Their starting WRs are all little speedy white dudes!! We didn't even want those dudes on our team.

And they are better than ours.

UGH!!!!

 

beat their ****ing ***** in

 

I know where you're coming from but I'm taking a step back. I watched from afar this offsets on and I'm going to look at this season very simply. Namely, are you establishing a foundation and are you building a culture.

I'm no longer tuning in for moral victories. I predicted 7-wins and I'm fine with that as long as I see a culture developing, some sort of chemistry.

 

Guys, I totally won't be surprised if our headsets mysteriously "go out", and our locker room "has bugs" in it this weekend. Not one bit surprised. I fully trust that New England has every home field advantage imagineable. We will need to be the vastly superior physical team this weekend to win.