Dan Marino never won a SB with Miami, and that was largely due to poor defenses during his time. Now NE, despite having bucket loads of draftpicks, has squandered many of them. Compounding the failure to adequately rebuild the secondary, we’ve also not drafted any pass rushers, and have largely whiffed on wide receivers (i.e. we lack a deep threat.) Granted, drafting is more an art than a science, but we have a consistent pattern of failed draft picks and FA signings over the last handful of years. Football however dominated by QBs it’s become is still a team sport. Brady can’t win all by himself all the time. Some teams match up well against the Pats; not coincidentally those are the other ‘elite’ AFC teams with strong defenses. If our defense can’t get the other team off the field on third down Brady isn’t going to do anything sitting on the sidelines.
But Brady is a once-in-a-generation QB - you want to maximize his chances of garnering as many rings as possible. If that makes NE fans obnoxious, so be it, but I wager Steeler, Raven’s and Charger’s fans find disappointment when their teams fail to make the SB, too.
Wow, I’m watching Sportcenter’s highlight on ESPN.com and they completely skip over Philip River’s fumble at the end of regulation and go from the tying touchdown to make it 20-20 to overtime. I watched it twice and the comments on the video are confirming this. IDIOCY.
And the main story on the page that leads to those very same highlights talks about the “unbelievable fumble.”
Sarkus
3923
Lost in all of this is the amazing turnaround the Chiefs have had to their season. Remember, they were 0-3 at one point and are now 4-3. And in retrospect, those three opening losses were all to pretty good teams (Buffalo, at Detroit, at San Diego.)
They do have a tough remaining schedule, though.
Shadarr
3924
I think it’s a combination of things, all of which add up to metal fatigue. The lack of high draft picks plus the loss of key coaches and executives (especially Pioli, Crennel and Weis), exacerbated by Belichick’s policy of getting rid of players who won’t play for less than they’re worth. They were able to get away with showing Ty Law and Lawyer Milloy the door, they have not been as lucky in replacing Richard Seymour and Asante Samuel.
It reminds me of the end of the 49ers dynasty, when they drafted guys like Dana Hall and JJ Stokes in the first round and brought in all sorts of free agents who were either past their prime (Richard Dent, Rickey Jackson) or never that good to begin with (Antonio Langham, Winfred Tubbs). An old, decaying team springs holes faster than you can fill them. The problems in the secondary are the most obvious, but there is a general decrease in talent everywhere that grinds the team down. When you’re replacing impact players with guys who are solid but not special, it isn’t obvious but it’s deadly. We have no way of knowing whether someone like Seymour or Rodney Harrison would’ve made a play that would’ve changed the game, but that’s what great players do. The Patriots are down to a small handful of great players. It’s enough against weak teams but they now have weaknesses other teams can exploit that they can’t compensate for.
Best line about the MNF game. “Philip Rivers was a quarterback for Halloween. That quarterback was Tony Romo.”
Lorini
3927
Yeah I don’t know who does ESPN highlights but the fumbled snap is the play of the game. Chargers are getting ready to kick an easy FG and lose the game instead.
I’m happy though. Raiders are in a tie for first place after 8 weeks, something that hasn’t happened in a long time. I don’t know where they are going from here but at least it will be something to look back on?
… has won THREE of them. I can see Chargers fans being upset that they’re blowing the Rivers era. Up until the Colts won, I could see people in Indianapolis wondering if they’d have any trophies to show for the Manning era. Philadelphia fans are reasonably squirrelly about teh McNabb/Vick eras never resulting in the big win.
Favre only won one Super Bowl. Steve Young only won one. Manning only won one. Brees only won one so far. Brady’s won three. This isn’t a Marino situation.
If your standard is that anything less than the best is a felony, and that every year they don’t win the Super Bowl represents an unforgivable failure, then man, you really need a couple of 2-14 seasons to help you relax and appreciate a winning season.
Welcome to the land of expectations. When your team is the odds-on favorite to win the Super Bowl every year and hasn’t for 6 years, the natives are going to get a little restless. Especially when the prime years of one of the best QBs ever in the NFL are being wasted due to seemingly poor personnel decisions.
Shmtur
3930
I agree with the sentiment that they need a losing year or two to put things in perspective. You’re not going to win the Super Bowl every year, Tom Brady or no Tom Brady.
I also agree with the thought that New England needs to bring in a GM. Der Hoodie is not very good at drafting.
I’m not making out Rivers’ lip read at all, though I’m pretty sure the word “queer” is in there.
Somebody transcribe?
Pretty sure it’s “This is the worst day ever.”
Ah, okay, that would work too. The lip movements for “worst” and “queer” are pretty much the same.
Glad to see he wasn’t being insulting, then.
Omg Dan Shaughnessey has like 5 QT3 accounts! One bad loss and END OF THE WORLD
If they lose to the Giants I’ll be concerned.
madpeon
3935
The best part of that GIF is that they cut to him saying that immediately after one of the guys on MNF literally said ‘this is probably the worst thing that could have happened’, or something like that.
I laughed.
Sarkus
3936
Cleveland cut WR Brian Robiskie today. Could be an interesting pick up as he was once considered a pretty good second round prospect.
The Vikings leaving Minnesota is starting to look more likely. Their stadium lease expires after this season and they’ve been trying for years to get a new facility. They’ve also made it clear they do not plan to sign a new lease without the promise of a new stadium. Last summer a plan was announced to build a new stadium northeast of Minneapolis in a seperate county. The county government proposed paying for their portion of the costs with a sales tax increase, but its become clear that there must be a public vote on that, which won’t happen until 2012 at the earliest. It was expected that the state legislature would hold a special session this month to consider the various options but that is now up in the air as well.
With the likliehood of a LA stadium increasing, there could be a rush of teams after the season who at least kick the tires about a move, and some who could potentially play in LA as early as next season. The Vikings are on that list, along with the Chargers.
AlanT
3937
I hadn’t heard of him, and immediately wondered if he was Terry Robiskie’s kid. Turns out he is.
e: It’d be a shame if the Vikings left, but if I lived there I would be totally against public funds for a stadium, too. I hate that teams try to hold municipalities hostage, it really hits my “fuck you” reflex.
That’s not fair. I give full credit to the Steelers for that win. Brady and the offense were beaten in that game. But loses have a way of bringing up what’s been a persistent concern in NE. Invoking the curly haired bastard is uncalled for.
Sarkus
3939
Raiders signed Housh. I guess it makes sense from the standpoint of giving Palmer a guy he’s familiar with to help the transition, but odd that they waited until now to do it, and not last week.
Shadarr
3940
I was just thinking that. Maybe it took a full week of lobbying before they signed him just to shut Palmer up. I predict it won’t help Palmer at all, because familiarity matters less than being old and washed up.
