Will the Patriots go 16-0? Who's going to beat them?

[jdcord]

Which of the teams above can really  beat the Patriots, or will they go undefeated?

[jdcord]

Personally, I think only the Giants have a real shot at beating the Pats; and that's only because the game will be in New Jersey.


........ Then again, can Eli really do what his older and better brother couldn't?  Probably not.

[JakeLeonard]

You know if the Patriots go 16-0, the NFL will start a high-scale investigation on this Spygate ordeal.

[Scott]

Judging by that schedule, 16-0.

The colts are better than any of them and they basically toyed with the colts.

[Q-tip]

You know if the Patriots go 16-0, the NFL will start a high-scale investigation on this Spygate ordeal.

It would be a waste of time.  The Patriots got caught in the first game, which they probably would have won whether they cheated or not.  The rest of the games were won(and will be won) fair and square. 

Don Shula has suggested placing an asterisk by their name.   Which, in my opinion,  would be ridiculous   since it really does not affect the end result at all.  The fact is, whether we like it or not, New England is perhaps the most dominating and consistent team in the history of the NFL(debatable I'm sure).


Even if there is an investigation they should investigate every team in the NFL, instead of just the Patriots, just to put things in perspective.

The NFL is well aware that many teams have cheated.  If they were not they would not have issued a notice to all teams telling them not to use video and audio recording devices to cheat.   Unfortunately for the Patriots the NFL chose them to make an example out of.



To get back on topic:   New england should easily go 16-0.

Of course, the games do have to be played.

 

[jdcord]

The League will NOT be conducting any more investigations into the so-called "Spy Gate" scandal - and with good reason.

The inside scoop, per Gregg Easterbrook (who has been all over the "scandal" since it first broke, and who has been an outspoken Patriots "hater"  this season), is that the video collection the Patriots handed over to the league contained some pretty damning material on OTHER teams who were likewise "cheating", and that this is why the league decided to "burn" the tapes, so to speak, instead of sharing with everyone what was actually on them.   

The what-would-have-been resulting and greatly expanded scandal of, "Ooops!  Everybody's doing it, .... and then some!  And the League's Front Office has video taped evidence of it!", would have been way too embarrassing for the League, and way too much bad publicity to be tacking on to the existing, bad-publicity overload of player scandals that Goodell's office was/is already dealing with.  Much better to destroy the evidence and just deal with the issue over the next few years in the privacy of the off-season League meetings.

It is believed that, like Hillary's missing Whitewater documents, the tapes were buried in the same secret plot where Jimmy Hoffa's body was "disposed of".  The tapes now "sleep with the fishes".    *L*

That also explains why the Patriots are so furious with the rest of the League (for essentially "throwing them under the bus", as they say), and why the Pats are so enjoying the comeuppance they have been able to dish out on the playing field.  The hypocrites are receiving their just desserts, courtesy of the Patriots, by getting trounced and humiliated on the field.  Serves 'em right, as far as I'm concerned. 

"Serve up some more, Bill!  The hypocrites have rightly got it comin' to 'em."   

[bishopnl]

Judging by that schedule, 16-0.

The colts are better than any of them and they basically toyed with the colts.

Come again?

The Colts were winning for a good portion of the game.  And that was with their best wide receiver on the sidelines.  The Patriots won by 4 points...that hardly seems like toying to me.

[bishopnl]

The fact is, whether we like it or not, New England is perhaps the most dominating and consistent team in the history of the NFL(debatable I'm sure).

Yeah, it is debatable.  The Patriots aren't any more the "most dominating team" in the history of the NFL than the Cowboys (who also won 3 Super Bowls in the early 90s) were. 

The fact is that the Patriots got caught cheating.  All of the pundits, sportswriters, personalities, and every other person who just wants to gush over the Patriots and fawn over them immediately started whining foul and crying that "Everyone else is doing it!"

The problem is...everyone else didn't get caught.  If there's evidence that the other teams in the NFL were cheating, and the Patriots have that evidence, let them go public with it.  You can't convince me that if they had videotapes of teams cheating, that they handed over the only copies they had to the league.  That would make the Patriots dumber than Billy Ray Cyrus's hairdo.

The fact is, the whiners are upset because for years they've been trying to convince us that the Patriots have this squeaky clean goody two shoes image...when in fact, the Patriots have never minded dealing from the bottom of the deck if it means winning games.  If that means cheating by the coaching staff, that's what they'll do.  If that means bringing in proven troublemakers like Corey Dillon or Randy Moss, then that's what they'll do.  The Patriots are a win at all costs team. 

Do other teams cheat?  They probably do.  But it hasn't been proven...on the other hand, it is a certified fact that the Patriots are cheaters.  Let that be shown in the record books.  The Patriots videotaped signals can go down in history with Barry's 'roids and Sammy's corked bat.

[Q-tip]

 

Yeah, it is debatable.  The Patriots aren't any more the "most dominating team" in the history of the NFL than the Cowboys (who also won 3 Super Bowls in the early 90s) were. 

Now thats a match up I would like to see:  the Cowboys of the 90's -vs- the 2007 Patriots. 

While the cowboys were a dominating team during the 90's, the Patriots are dominating this year more so than Dallas did in any single season of that time.   Not that the Patriots are better than the Jimmy Johnson era Cowboys, but they are putting up bigger numbers and winning by larger point spreads with an undefeated season in the works.   

The fact is that the Patriots got caught cheating.  All of the pundits, sportswriters, personalities, and every other person who just wants to gush over the Patriots and fawn over them immediately started whining foul and crying that "Everyone else is doing it!"

But isn't everyone whining.  The only reason people are making such a big issue of it is because the Patriots haven't lost a game yet.  Once they loose(if they loose) the issue will virtually disappear.   But that is what people do and it is up to the players to pipe up and play ball.    This is football, just play the game.

The problem is...everyone else didn't get caught.  If there's evidence that the other teams in the NFL were cheating, and the Patriots have that evidence, let them go public with it. 

Nah, don't point fingers.   If you get in trouble for doing something everyone else is doing just take it like a man:  bottle it up and play ball.  Release the aggression on the field.

If that means bringing in proven troublemakers like Corey Dillon or Randy Moss, then that's what they'll do.

The Patriots are a win at all costs team. 

Winning is really what it is all about.  In reality there are very teams that would pass up on Randy Moss or Corey Dillon.  The opportunity was there and the Patriots made the right decision. 

Do other teams cheat?  They probably do.  But it hasn't been proven...on the other hand, it is a certified fact that the Patriots are cheaters.  Let that be shown in the record books.  The Patriots videotaped signals can go down in history with Barry's 'roids and Sammy's corked bat.

You Know, I would agree with that if they got caught later in the season.   However, since they got caught in the first game and it did not affect the rest of the season(or that game either), I  don't think it is justified to put them in the same category as Barry Bonds or Sammy Sosa.  The fact is that Barry and Sammy got caught after the fact.  Had Barry Bonds use of steroids been detected after his first home run and if he discontinued its use and still managed to produce the same numbers then I do not believe there would have been a cry to put an asterisk by his name.



We know that other teams have cheated.  We understand that the NFL made an example out of the Patriots.  We should also realize that during that first game the Patriots wee playing ball just like everyone else and were probably not the only ones cheating.  They were just the ideal team to make a point with. 

I am not saying that it was okay for them t cheat, but that they were no different than anyone else making it a fair playing environment.  Of course I can not prove that everyone else was cheating, but I think common sense speaks for itself.

If the Patriots do not deserve credit for a perfect season(if indeed they do go undefeated) then someone needs to outperform them on the field, not by whining about it.   

Just bottle it up and play ball, that's what I say.

[bishopnl]

While the cowboys were a dominating team during the 90's, the Patriots are dominating this year more so than Dallas did in any single season of that time.   Not that the Patriots are better than the Jimmy Johnson era Cowboys, but they are putting up bigger numbers and winning by larger point spreads with an undefeated season in the works.   

Maybe the Cowboys played better teams?

Don't the Patriots play the Dolphins at least twice during the season?  Have the Dolphins won a game yet?

But isn't everyone whining.  The only reason people are making such a big issue of it is because the Patriots haven't lost a game yet.  Once they loose(if they loose) the issue will virtually disappear.   But that is what people do and it is up to the players to pipe up and play ball.    This is football, just play the game.

I don't think so.  I think it's an issue because it hasn't been proven that other teams are doing it, and because the Patriots are recent three time Superbowl champions. 
Besides, the Patriots have every sportswriter in America on their side...I've never seen such a gush of love for any team since the Cowboys....the Patriots could all commit murder and ESPN, The Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, and all the other magazines and sports outlets would give them a pass and make excuses.

Also, I would be naive if I thought the Patriots still weren't cheating.  They are just a little smarter about it now.

Winning is really what it is all about.  In reality there are very teams that would pass up on Randy Moss or Corey Dillon.  The opportunity was there and the Patriots made the right decision. 

You might be right about that...at least about the fact that other teams would do it.  It might have been the right decision on the field...but it certaintly doesn't send the right message to fans or players.

However, the Patriots have ALWAYS potrayed themselves as a "we're better than that" franchise.  What was that guys name from Nebraska who they drafted, then cut loose after they found out about his troubled history...?  Can't remember...but I've seen JD numerous times tout the Patriots as examples of a franchise who does it "the right way."  Of course, he's not alone, b/c plenty of other sports writers, and the Patriots themselves, have given this image.  So bringing Moss and Dillon on proves that they care less about positive image, and care more about winning football games.  When you couple that with the fact that they cheat and that they are engaged in "running up the score"....you come away with a football team who cares as much about positive image as the 1918 "Black Sox."

We know that other teams have cheated.  We understand that the NFL made an example out of the Patriots.  We should also realize that during that first game the Patriots wee playing ball just like everyone else and were probably not the only ones cheating.  They were just the ideal team to make a point with. 

We know that other teams cheated?  Then why don't the Patriots prove it?  We don't "know" that.  We can certaintly speculate.  But the Patriots are the only cheaters who are so blatant about cheating, and stupid enough to cheat against a former coach who KNEW they were cheaters. 

Further, it's a fact that the Patriots have been doing this for a long time.  It was just last year that the Packers kicked out one of the cameramen for the Patriots b/c they caught him cheating.  Just like Barry and Sammy, they were using dubious methods to win games...not just this year, but (presumably) for a long time now.

Btw, I don't believe an asterick should stand next to the Patriots record or anything.  I don't think Bonds or Sosa should have an asterick either.  Sports have been plagued with cheating for a long time now...but I do hope that this will always shadow people's minds when remembering what the Patriots did this decade.

[kade]

im not a big NFL fan at all...HUGE cowboys and packers fan but thats about it..but the Ravens almost had there way with them the other night
i dont think the steelers are playing as well as everyone says
but i think if the Ravens almost had there way with them
i think the Steelers will beat them

[kkay]

The problem is...everyone else didn't get caught.  If there's evidence that the other teams in the NFL were cheating, and the Patriots have that evidence, let them go public with it. 

Nah, don't point fingers.   If you get in trouble for doing something everyone else is doing just take it like a man:  bottle it up and play ball.  Release the aggression on the field.

So that's why "The League will NOT be conducting any more investigations into the so-called "Spy Gate" scandal - and with good reason." ?? Because they took the blame and didn't point fingers? Not according to some here, evidently.

The inside scoop, per Gregg Easterbrook (who has been all over the "scandal" since it first broke, and who has been an outspoken Patriots "hater"  this season), is that the video collection the Patriots handed over to the league contained some pretty damning material on OTHER teams who were likewise "cheating", and that this is why the league decided to "burn" the tapes, so to speak, instead of sharing with everyone what was actually on them.   

[kade]

lol i love NCAA just to state lol who cares about spygate just play football and if you have to cheat to win even when you rmaking millions...go see abrry bonds he will be happy to share a cell

[bishopnl]

I know who's going to beat the Patriots....

New York, February 3rd!!!

[jdcord]

I know who's going to beat the Patriots....

New York, February 3rd!!!

Hey, this thread didn't ask if they'd go "19-0", it asked if they'd go "16-0", which they did.

[bishopnl]

I know who's going to beat the Patriots....

New York, February 3rd!!!

Hey, this thread didn't ask if they'd go "19-0", it asked if they'd go "16-0", which they did.

They certaintly did.  Congratulations to the Patriots on winning 16 games but not winning the one that counted.   

[jdcord]

...  Congratulations to the Patriots on winning 16 games but not winning the one that counted.

The one that counted?  ........  Oh, come on!  It was just a rinky-dink, o'le Super Bowl.  I mean, they'd already won THREE of them in the previous six years, so one more isn't really that big of a deal.   *cough*