12/22/24
November 03, 2007
New England By the Numbers: The New England Patriots are not only 8-0 but also 8-0 against the spread, SportsFilter columnist Kyrilmitch_76 observes in his look at tomorrow's NFL games. "New England has beaten their opponents by an average of 41.4 to 15.9 and they have beaten the spread by an average of over 14 points per game."
Great article, thanks kyrilmitch! As an avid fantasy football fan, you have to love players like Brady. He puts up big numbers consistently, and they keep him in the game regardless of the score. In a typical Yahoo league, Brady has 292 points so far this year, in second place is Romo at 173. And, Romo has not been as consistent. If I were a Patriots fan, I might actually want Brady to sit out the 4th quarter of games. Why risk injury just to beat the point spread by 14 points? I'm hoping the Colts can make a game of it!
posted by dviking at 11:21 PM on November 03, 2007
Give a slight edge to New England only for the strength of the guys in the trenches. I think NE's offensive line can handle the Colts' pass rushers, and Pat's defensive line and linebackers, with the myriad schemes that Belichick runs, can keep enough pressure on Manning to reduce his effectiveness, if only a little. This one probably comes down to ball security and turnovers. Whichever side takes care of the ball better will win out.
posted by Howard_T at 12:41 AM on November 04, 2007
Turnovers are always a huge factor in the game and I think that the Pats won several of these match-ups because Manning didn't protect the ball well. One of the things I mentioned in the article was the importance of Addai on the outcome of the game. RB's are always a source of stability and ball control until they cough up the ball (Addai, however, has only 2 lost fumbles in 349 career carries and none this year). I also agree with dviking's point about sitting Brady in the 4th. The drop in talent and experience is so great at that position I don't think the Pats make a serious run at anything without Brady.
posted by kyrilmitch_76 at 06:26 AM on November 04, 2007
In one corner... Superbowl champs, 7-0 this season. Playing at home. 8-2 against the spread in their last 10 games. 5.5 point underdog. vs. what kyrilmitch said. All adds up to... watch for an important announcement from A-rod during the 4th quarter
posted by endorfin at 07:05 AM on November 04, 2007
I know there are a lot out there that want to give New England the Championship and an undefeated season but let's go ahead and play the games. Just for fun!! Let's also be honest in saying that the majority of New Englands numbers have come against teams that aren't at the top of the league. This is really the first team that New England is playing that will show if they're really good or if they've just been able to beat up really bad on bad teams. This should be a close game either way. If either team blows the other one out, then go ahead and start talking about undefeated Super Bowl Champs. If it is a close game then enjoy the game but it is just a regular season game. Yes, I'm a Colts fan so there is bias on my part. However, I don't think this game will catapult the Colts to an undefeated season, they have a tuff schedule. I do think if they win this game they will build towards being the Super Bowl Champs again. The Colts didn't cheat to win their 1st game this year either. Had to throw that in just in case people were starting to forget that NE cheated to be undefeated to this point. That was one of the games where they beat the point spread!
posted by Familyman at 07:17 AM on November 04, 2007
New England has beaten four of last year's playoff teams, including a road win over a Dallas team that may be the best in the NFC this season. The notion they haven't played a "top of the league" team yet is ridiculous, as is the suggestion they "cheated to be undefeated."
posted by rcade at 07:28 AM on November 04, 2007
2nd that point rcade. I'm guessing if you look back at the coverage, writers will have said, 'SD will be tough this week', oh wait, 'Dallas is the first real team they've played', oh wait, 'Washington is the first real team they've played', oh wait... Agreed that Brady should not be playing the 4th Q with huge leads, but I'm also guessing that Bellichik is schooling the Pats on playing 4 quarters of game no matter what the lead is (even before Indy came back to win the AFC last season, the Pats would usually turn in 1 or 2 soft quarters a game).
posted by kokaku at 07:57 AM on November 04, 2007
Why risk injury just to beat the point spread by 14 points? No kidding. I play indoor soccer on a crappy middle-aged coed team and even there, where literally nothing is at stake, a blowout can lead to cheap shots from the losers late in the game. I can't imagine how much aggression a DE would bring at Brady if he got a shot at him after having been burned for 4 TDs.
posted by drumdance at 10:51 AM on November 04, 2007
I agree with Family Man, Dallas will lose more games this season and they play in a division that can't hold a stick to the division the Colts play in. I f you watch any sports shows at all, every announcer has said that NE hasn't played the comp that the Colts have. I think I heard yesterday that the Pats running back was out for this game, which could make a big difference in the game. SD and Washington both STINK, and I'm suprised Dallas can put their helmets on their big heads and mouth. What kind of team takes the butt whipping like they did from NE and still talks like they won the superbowl. America's Team what a joke. THEY ARE NOTHING BUT HAS BEENS. They seem to have a TO INFECTION, swollen mouth. Personally I like both teams, NE and the Colts. I think the main focus on this game will be home field advantage not an undefeated record. I don't think the Colts give a darn about going undefeated. The last time they were in that situation they lost focus. I just think it is tough to beat the Colts when they have got a coach on the field and a great coach on the sideline. I also think BB is a great coach, it will be great to watch.
posted by sportnut at 10:54 AM on November 04, 2007
Look at the records of the teams they have played. Also if you cheat in a game and you win that game you cheated to win that game, which is part of this undefeated record. Hence, Cheated to be Undefeated.
posted by Familyman at 02:43 PM on November 04, 2007
That arguement could be viable for a close game but when the score was 38-14 I don't think it had a major impact on the outcome of the game. Do you honestly think that if the Pats hadn't been taping the Jets they would have lost that game?
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 02:57 PM on November 04, 2007
Familyman, you definitely see what you want to see, what the Patriots did was illegal and stupid but it did not influence that game, the tape was confiscated by officials in the first quarter before anyone actually viewed it. The Jets are currently 1-8, so I don't think they had much of a chance. So today they beat your Colts which I guess means they are a really good team and haven't just been beating up on bad teams, right?
posted by jeremias at 07:06 PM on November 04, 2007
I think the stock argument now is that they are talented, but evil and classless. If they had any class, they'd act like gentlemen and lose. Or something.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 07:43 PM on November 04, 2007
Well, I admit rooting for the Colts, but the Patrots made a believer out of me. Very good, hard nosed football with a ton of solid hits. I'm sure the Colts and Patriots are going to meet in the post season and expecting rematch like todays game. Congrats to Boston fans. Enjoyed watching both teams give it their all.
posted by brickman at 07:50 PM on November 04, 2007
I root for anyone who plays against the Patriots. The Colts basically folded in he end. But season play and playoffs are totally different, ask the Colts what happened 2 years ago.
posted by Awwgood at 03:03 AM on November 05, 2007
Two thoughts: New England did fail to cover the spread, and a win in November is in no way a guarantee of a win in January. It was a great game though.
posted by kyrilmitch_76 at 06:03 AM on November 05, 2007
GO "any team" who plays the Irish. I root for anyone who plays against the Patriots. Awgood, do you actually root for any specific teams or just against teams? Kind of a strange approach.
posted by yerfatma at 06:37 AM on November 05, 2007
I read someone on another site advocating anti-fandom. Their logic being they were happy with 29 outcomes out of 30 (or 31/32) at the end season.
posted by apoch at 06:56 AM on November 05, 2007
New England did fail to cover the spread, and a win in November is in no way a guarantee of a win in January. No guarantees, but the Pats got a two-win lead and tiebreaker over their biggest conference opponent. Getting the potential playoff rematch at home is huge.
posted by rcade at 07:00 AM on November 05, 2007
That loss is as tough as they come for Indy. They had held Brady and Co. to a 46.8 QB rating and two picks through 3 quarters and were up by 10 at home with 9 to play. Now in order to defend they're likely going to have to go into Foxborough in January. That's a big time loss.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 07:57 AM on November 05, 2007
Once a cheater always a cheater!!! Very suspect at any level when caught cheating. How does Belichick suddenly figure out what plays to call when the Colts have been having their way for 50 minutes? Watched the game after it was over and knew the score to see what happened. TIVO is great. Noticed that there was not much conversation between Belichick and Dungy. There is something to that too, since Dungy is very willing to talk to other coaches if he wins or loses. Maybe other coaches know things fans and media don't. One more thing, GO LIONS!!!!!!
posted by coach at 08:51 AM on November 05, 2007
If I were a Patriots fan, I might actually want Brady to sit out the 4th quarter of games. Why risk injury just to beat the point spread by 14 points? Because football games are 60 minutes long, and your team needs to be prepared to play a competitive 60-minute game every single week. If you get in the habit of resting all your best players in the 4th quarter week after week, they might not be able to respond late in a game when you suddenly need them to do so. The countervailing factor - risk of injury - is worth noting, but the fact is that NFL players risk career-ending injuries on every single play, such injuries can happen at any time, and you don't win championships by getting weak-kneed at the possibility of injuries. In last year's AFC Championship, the Patriots defenders were exhausted in the 4th quarter, and found themselves unable to stop Indy's winning drive. In Sunday's game, the roles were reversed. As a Patriots fan, I am glad that the team risked injury and public outcry by "running up the score" - or as I would describe it, giving 60 minute of solid effort - in the games leading up to this epic clash. It undoubtedly served them well.
posted by Venicemenace at 08:55 AM on November 05, 2007
TIVO is great. At least your post wasn't TOTALLY devoid of intelligent statements.
posted by Venicemenace at 08:56 AM on November 05, 2007
How does Belichick suddenly figure out what plays to call when the Colts have been having their way for 50 minutes? Your Tivo is broken. The Colts built their lead based on two great interceptions and one incredible play at the end of the first half. They didn't dominate the Pats defensively at any point in the game. I was shocked when the Pats turned a 10-point deficit to a 4-point lead in around 2:30 minutes, but they've got a quick strike offense with Brady and Moss now that's scary good.
posted by rcade at 09:18 AM on November 05, 2007
They didn't dominate the Pats defensively at any point in the game. While the Pats played poorly, I did think the Colts dominated the first half. I do wonder what would have happened if they'd also had Marvin Harrison available. Noticed that there was not much conversation between Belichick and Dungy. There is something to that too, since Dungy is very willing to talk to other coaches if he wins or loses. Your Tivo isn't doing right by you. Otherwise it would have taped the press conferences where Dungy had some pointed comments about Belichick and the Pats. Also, if it turns out Indy was pumping crowd noise in, what will you say about those cheaters? Greg Aiello from the NFL says (to 'EEI) that they are investigating whether the questionable crowd noise was a CBS problem or Indy broadcasting noise.
posted by yerfatma at 09:35 AM on November 05, 2007
Once a cheater always a cheater!!! Very suspect at any level when caught cheating. How does Belichick suddenly figure out what plays to call when the Colts have been having their way for 50 minutes? Well, first off, it was a totally different set of plays. Totally. Why, there's not one play that was called by the Pats in the last ten minutes of the game that they'd called in the first 50 minutes. Now, how did they get the plays? Why, it's very simple -- they drove a van full of hookers and blow...no, wait, that won't work, we all know what fine upstanding Christian gentlemen the Colts are, the Patriots might go for a van full of hookers and blow if they weren't such a bunch of robots, so it must have been...I've got it! Chick tracts! The Patriots drove a van full of Chick tracts and good Christian women bearing punch and cookies through the wall of the Colts locker room. In the ensuing stampede by the Colts to immerse themselves in all that Christian wholesomeness, one of Belichick's mind-controlled assassin ninjas sneaked into Tony Dungy's office and stole the meticulously detailed plan of exactly what plays Dungy would call in the second half, no matter what was actually going on on the field. Noticed that there was not much conversation between Belichick and Dungy. There is something to that too, since Dungy is very willing to talk to other coaches if he wins or loses. Even when he's been publicly talking smack about them before the game? Dude was angry and embarrassed and hated Belichick for winning and wanted outta there.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 09:38 AM on November 05, 2007
Maybe the Pats got used to the crowd noise.
posted by yerfatma at 09:47 AM on November 05, 2007
Even when he's been publicly talking smack about them before the game? Dude was angry and embarrassed and hated Belichick for winning and wanted outta there. Dungy was talking smack? What did he say? I thought it looked like Dungy was trying to talk to Belichick, but Belichick wasn't much interested in conversation. Maybe I need to rewind my tivo.
posted by bperk at 09:52 AM on November 05, 2007
Maybe the Pats got used to the crowd noise. Oh. My. God. If that is genuine, it's pretty goddamn blatant.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 10:03 AM on November 05, 2007
Dungy was talking smack? What did he say? I thought it looked like Dungy was trying to talk to Belichick, but Belichick wasn't much interested in conversation. Maybe I need to rewind my tivo. Not after the game, before.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 10:03 AM on November 05, 2007
Not after the game, before. What did he say? I missed it.
posted by bperk at 10:24 AM on November 05, 2007
Also, if it turns out Indy was pumping crowd noise in, what will you say about those cheaters? Greg Aiello from the NFL says (to 'EEI) that they are investigating whether the questionable crowd noise was a CBS problem or Indy broadcasting noise. posted by yerfatma at 9:35 AM CST on November 5 > yerfatma, I am glad you caught that. I recorded the whole thing. I hope the colts organization gets investigated too. THE COLTS ARE CHEATERS! LOL!
posted by momplapa at 11:13 AM on November 05, 2007
Okay, I'm skeptical about the crowd noise thing. Not that I think that any team is above it, but because it went from really loud to completely silent. I doubt the dome could ever be that quiet, especially during a play like that.
posted by bperk at 11:21 AM on November 05, 2007
bperk, you're skeptical that the crowd noise was genuine, or skeptical about the suggestion that it may not have been genuine? (btw I still have to track down Dungy's comments, but I will when I get a chance)
posted by lil_brown_bat at 11:34 AM on November 05, 2007
bperk, you're skeptical that the crowd noise was genuine, or skeptical about the suggestion that it may not have been genuine? I'm skeptical that the glitch that was heard on the video was an indication that Indy was piping in crowd noise.
posted by bperk at 11:52 AM on November 05, 2007
To insinuate that the Patriots are where they are at this point in the season because they cheated is utterly absurd. They played their worst game of the season and still beat the Colts IN THEIR OWN HOUSE. I get a kick out of all the Pats bashers out there. Nothing but intense jealousy and sour grapes because your team stinks............ Some have said they haven't played any 'good teams' yet. What was Dallas, chopped liver? They're 7-1, the same as Indy now is. The Pats supposedly cheated in the Jets game. As someone else stated, the tape in question was confiscated in the 1st quarter. The Pats outscored the Jets 31-14 AFTER the 1st quarter.......The Jets are now 1-8, and have scored 159 points compared to the Pats' 9-0 record and 355 points. Any more ridiculous statements, familyman?
posted by mckayx9x at 11:54 AM on November 05, 2007
Speaking of crowd noise, I've been wondering if ESPN is juicing Monday Night Football with fake noise. The last couple games I've seen, the noise doesn't sound like a genuine response to the events taking place.
posted by rcade at 12:29 PM on November 05, 2007
I wouldn't put it past ESPN to do that for MNF. I'm also a fan of the other "football" and there have been plenty of international games where you hear Premier League specific chants during an Italy/France game, or Whistles (equal to boos) during a throw in. I guess it's may be easier to get away with if all you do is play generic cheering, but I'd love to see them screw up and have "J E T S Jets Jets Jets" during a Steelers/Pats game. Oh, and all the cheating comments are getting boring. Even Chris Collinsworth is on the bandwagon now. With those yellow teeth of his.
posted by kire at 12:51 PM on November 05, 2007
Well, the Indy crowd noise thing is being looked into by the NFL, anyway.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 12:54 PM on November 05, 2007
I'm skeptical that the glitch that was heard on the video was an indication that Indy was piping in crowd noise. It's possible it was a glitch in the CBS soundtrack (although as there wasn't a glitch in the announcers' voices, that seems less likely). It's possible it was piped-in noise. I also read one theory that it was a feedback effect caused by the Colts' miking different areas of the stadium and then cranking the volume at just the right time (which would also be cheating). In any case, the NFL is investigating, so perhaps we'll find out some new facts. It's definitely not a new accusation, though.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 12:55 PM on November 05, 2007
yerfatma: Also, if it turns out Indy was pumping crowd noise in, what will you say about those cheaters? Greg Aiello from the NFL says (to 'EEI) that they are investigating whether the questionable crowd noise was a CBS problem or Indy broadcasting noise.Wow- I'm glad to see someone posted that, because two friends and I were watching that game live, and not only noticed the skipping sound, but the fact that the announcers kept talking right through it. So it wasn't the whole feed that skipped, it was just the crowd noise- and it sounded like a CD skipping more than a feedback loop or a computer problem (it'd be hard for the sound file of crowd noise to skip, since it'd be small enough to be entirely in memory on a computer). At the time, I simply said "Well, I'm sure it's that the mic that picks up crowd noise runs through a different system on its way to the CBS feed than the one the announcers themselves are on." It's not like the announcers would have heard that skipping sound- they've got their headphones on for hearing their own voices, with all the other stuff filtered out.
bperk: Okay, I'm skeptical about the crowd noise thing. Not that I think that any team is above it, but because it went from really loud to completely silent. I doubt the dome could ever be that quiet, especially during a play like that.And that was also weird- both then, and at other points in the game, there was a sudden shift in crowd noise. However, the announcers- who again I don't think hear what we in the TV audience hear- did comment on the crowd being "well-trained", and mostly making noise during the Patriots' possessions. So sudden drops in crowd noise might be explainable by a crowd that largely understands how to use sound. In any event, I'm not sure it should be a big deal even if they were piping in crowd noise. I think home teams should have a right to use every advantage that doesn't directly affect play- i.e., you can't swap out rigged footballs or have uprights that are narrower at one end of the field, but having piped in fan noise seems more of a gray area. On the one hand, noise is a distraction if the opposing team can't hear audibles while your fans are "eerily quiet" while you're taking snaps, but on the other hand... it's just noise. The 12th man and its noisiness has always been an advantage, and piping in sound wouldn't actually be much different than having a better trained home crowd than most.
posted by hincandenza at 01:18 PM on November 05, 2007
For the record, the next time some hayseed reporter tries to make crop quota via the "Our headsets didn't work at Foxboro", it happens in other places too. And the Steelers accused the Colts of pumping in crowd noise in 2005.
posted by yerfatma at 01:22 PM on November 05, 2007
But, wait. If we've already established that the Pats are the very embodyment of evil in the NFL, and the Colts are the football equivalent of Mother Theresa, what happens if that audio is really a Colts' stadium blunder? That would mean that watching those two teams play is the equivalent of a Clubber Lang vs Ivan Drago fight. Nice! Dungy says "You shoulda never come back, fool!" to which Belechick responds, "I must break you." Then there's a training montage...
posted by tahoemoj at 01:28 PM on November 05, 2007
Mother Theresa could never convert on third down. Just sayin'.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 01:33 PM on November 05, 2007
Mother Theresa could never convert on third down. Just sayin'. No, but she was the best at Hail Mary and Kneel Down plays.
posted by tommybiden at 01:47 PM on November 05, 2007
CBS says the crowd noise was their audio glitch.
posted by Bryant at 01:54 PM on November 05, 2007
Mother Theresa could never convert on third down. Well, her line never was too much to look at. (too far?)
posted by tahoemoj at 02:15 PM on November 05, 2007
rcade, it would appear the machine that spat a hairball during CBS' broadcast is used expressly for the purpose of adding canned crowd noise to quiet bits. No perma-link, but it's currently the top item on the page.
posted by yerfatma at 09:31 AM on November 06, 2007
Boston's not giving up on the story.
posted by yerfatma at 09:39 AM on November 07, 2007
This should be another epic battle and I really look forward to watching just as a fan. Its nice to blow the other guy out once in a while but the greatest games are the ones that go down to the wire with the outcome unknown until the very end. by the way the name of the article was chasing perfection and I meant to imply both teams.