How to beat the Patriots

[tucker rocky]

Any ideas?

[Drake]

Ping: Jeff Gillooly

[Maple Leafs]

- Score at least two, maybe three touchdowns on returns.

- Have one of those crazy games where you get a ton of lucky turnovers.

- Play them in a blizzard that makes moving the ball on offense extremely difficult.

- Be the 2007 Colts, fully healthy.

I think if you can do two of the above, you have a shot.

[Atocep]

Stack your team's sideline with models. Brady will be far too busy to bother with the on the field activities and we've seen Cassel play....

[MikeVic]

Pass rush effectively and have a decent secondary.

[jeff061]

No secret. You need to be able to rush Brady with 4 lineman and drop everyone else back in coverage.

Most people just can't do it. The Colts did, that's why it was so close. Also why the Freeney loss KILLS them.

[gottimd]

Ask the red coats? Oh wait they lost too....

Score more points?

[Groundhog]

Goalline formation, All-out-blitz. Every snap.

[Chief Rum]

Dress Belichek look alike in hoodie and stand him on the sideline in plain sight of Belichek. This should cause Belichek to wonder if he has a good twin who has decided to help the opponent, which will set into motion a whirlwind of paranoid suspicion that will result in Belicheck's head exploding. Go on to win in aftermath.

Corrolary: Give Belichek-look-alike a hoodie with the NFL logo and an obvious video camera, and Belicheck's head will explode twice as fast!

[Galaril]

Dress Belichek look alike in hoodie and stand him on the sideline in plain sight of Belichek. This should cause Belichek to wonder if he has a good twin who has decided to help the opponent, which will set into motion a whirlwind of paranoid suspicion that will result in Belicheck's head exploding. Go on to win in aftermath.

Corrolary: Give Belichek-look-alike a hoodie with the NFL logo and an obvious video camera, and Belicheck's head will explode twice as fast!

lol

[k0ruptr]

Goalline formation, All-out-blitz. Every snap.

lol moss might catch 9 tds then .

[larrymcg421]

lol moss might catch 9 tds then .

Yeah but the next team would win after Cassel throws 4 INT's.

[Maple Leafs]

Goalline formation, All-out-blitz. Every snap.
Technically speaking, is it even possible to blitz from a goalline formation?

[Raiders Army]

Hit Moss hard. He's an easily scared receiver. Take a bunch of cheap shots and take the penalties. Play your game and not theirs and you might have a chance.

[k0ruptr]

Technically speaking, is it even possible to blitz from a goalline formation?

it is in Madden!

[rowech]

1. Pass Rush Brady, ideally with minimal blitzing.

2. Have an effective secondary

3. Be able to match points with NE's offense

4. Create an extra turnover

Here are the only teams I think even have a chance against hanging with the Patriots offensively:

Dallas, Indy, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Detroit, New York Giants, and Cincinnati.

Eliminating teams that can't pass rush well leaves:

New York, Dallas, Detroit, Green Bay, Pittsburgh

Eliminating teams that aren't positive in turnovers leaves all of those teams.

Eliminating teams that don't have good pass coverage leaves only one team really....Pittsburgh.

With that said, I think Green Bay would have a shot against them. I think those are the only two teams who can beat them.

[PilotMan]

As a lifelong Steelers fan, I can safely say after watching Pit and NE this year, that the Steelers have no chance in hell. You can quote me.

Now, I will gladly eat my words if we do win, but we have as much a chance as the Jets.

[RendeR]

How to beat them?

With a stick, While they sleep.

But on a horse? with a lance? That team is unstoppable.

[Vinatieri for Prez]

Silly as it sounds, I actually think Green Bay (because of their D) in the SB has the only hope, now with Freeney gone for the year, and Harrison likely hobbled all year long, that kills Indy's chances. Pitt's playing on the road, so they have no chance at all. Giants are way overrated.

[johnnyshaka]

Pressure Brady up the middle and hopefully disrupt him enough to make him uncomfortable in the pocket. Then, run the ball and run it some more. The longer Brady's on the bench, the less points they'll score.

[Butter]

Hope they beat themselves or someone gets injured. No NFL team is built to beat them man up this year.

[jeff061]

I love all this people wishing for injuries. And people wonder why I'm so misanthropic.

[Toddzilla]

Take a bunch of cheap shots and take the penalties....and somewhere, Al Davis cracks a smile...

[MikeVic]

I don't think the Steelers have much of a chance either. If it was in Pittsburgh, and everyone was healthy... it would be a lot closer. I agree with PilotMan. If they did somehow win, I'd welcome it of course. But as for their regular season game, doesn't look like it'll happen.

[Cringer]

Silly as it sounds, I actually think Green Bay (because of their D) in the SB has the only hope, now with Freeney gone for the year, and Harrison likely hobbled all year long, that kills Indy's chances. Pitt's playing on the road, so they have no chance at all. Giants are way overrated.

This has become a popular view on NFL Radio on Sirius, that the Packers would be the best matchup for NE in the Superbowl. Many of the former players/coaches/GMs say the same thing, because of their defense. They can pass rush, stop the run, and cover WRs in man to man. Plus they have an offense as well. The key to all these guys seems to be not playing cover 2 against them, and having the CBs to be able to stay away from playing it. I guess the Pat's offense is being considered a cover 2 killer. Two things though. First the Packers have to get there, and that is far from a lock. Second, no has said GB would actually beat the Pats, lol.

[EagleFan]

A few well placed snipers?

[Pumpy Tudors]

I don't know what came over me for a second, but I very nearly made a "How to beat the Pirates" thread just now. The poll choices would be: "Show up" and "Let them beat themselves".

[Kodos]

I love all this people wishing for injuries. And people wonder why I'm so misanthropic.

Just to clear up something: I am NOT rooting for injuries. But if they occur, especially when starters are playing late in a blowout, I will not feel bad about it. At all.

[CU Tiger]

Beat them?

Late 90s Cowboys D.
Deion takes Moss away. Done Period. Over. He may catch a few he wont beat you.
CB/SS take away other receivers.
Woodson punishes anyone foolish enoufggh to come across the middle.

Haley,Maryland,Lett,[insert revolving opposite dend here] get good pressure on Brady, not many sacks but he cnat stand in the pocket long.

Add in a fast LB core to stop the run game and you have a nice formula...


Now where did that damn time machine go....

Honestly, best chance to stop them is Indy on turf and simply out run, and outscore them.

[EagleFan]

Beat them?

Late 90s Cowboys D.
Deion takes Moss away. Done Period. Over. He may catch a few he wont beat you.
CB/SS take away other receivers.
Woodson punishes anyone foolish enoufggh to come across the middle.

Haley,Maryland,Lett,[insert revolving opposite dend here] get good pressure on Brady, not many sacks but he cnat stand in the pocket long.

Add in a fast LB core to stop the run game and you have a nice formula...


Now where did that damn time machine go....

Honestly, best chance to stop them is Indy on turf and simply out run, and outscore them.

Bah!!! I'll take the Eagles Buddy Ryan era defense (or the aftermath of it that Kotite couldn't figure out how to get to the Super Bowl with) if you want to go back in time for this one. The one from the Buddy Ryan days would have Moss afraid to get near the ball and Brady would be knocked out by halftime. House of Pain game meets Body Bag game.

[Kodos]

Team of mini-Ditkas?

[Pumpy Tudors]

Juan Marichal and a baseball bat

[Warhammer]

Team of mini-Ditkas?

Is that the pre-heartattack mini-Ditkas or the post-heartattack?

[Noble_Platypus]

[QUOTE=Maple Leafs;1597567]-

- Be the 2007 Colts, fully healthy.

Agreed

[CU Tiger]

Bah!!! I'll take the Eagles Buddy Ryan era defense (or the aftermath of it that Kotite couldn't figure out how to get to the Super Bowl with) if you want to go back in time for this one. The one from the Buddy Ryan days would have Moss afraid to get near the ball and Brady would be knocked out by halftime. House of Pain game meets Body Bag game.

Here is the thing. The Iggles D didnt have the speed. They could definitely bring the pain, and could probably rattle Brady, I just wonder if they could keep up.

Team of mini-Ditkas?


Mini-Ditkas 42 Patriots 17....In a close one. Da Bears

[Raiders Army]

With that said, I think Green Bay would have a shot against them. I think those are the only two teams who can beat them.
FWIW, Charles Woodson shut Randy Moss down when Moss was in Minnesota and Woodson was in Oakland.

[Mac Howard]

Back in around 1850, before political correctness crept into the game and players were protected from deliberate injury by the rules, a very effective tactic was "hacking". You literally "hacked" at the legs of the opposition's best players until they were carried off never to return.

Brady and Moss would be the first two to get the treatment. Ok, so a couple of my no-hopers would get a 12 month ban :)

[st.cronin]

- win the special teams battle
- have a great running game
- mix up your defensive schemes, with players who force turnovers

It seems like most teams get an idea of what to do defensively, and just stick with it even when its not working, or until it no longer works. To beat the Pats, you have to play defense the way the Pats do - mix up coverages and blitz schemes, and be ready to take the ball away when they make a mistake. See: what the Steelers did to the Colts in the AFC Championship game a couple years ago.

[Anthony]

- win the special teams battle
- have a great running game
- mix up your defensive schemes, with players who force turnovers

It seems like most teams get an idea of what to do defensively, and just stick with it even when its not working, or until it no longer works. To beat the Pats, you have to play defense the way the Pats do - mix up coverages and blitz schemes, and be ready to take the ball away when they make a mistake. See: what the Steelers did to the Colts in the AFC Championship game a couple years ago.

sooo, Captain Obvious, you have any bright ideas with regards to finding the cure for cancer or are your powers of obvious knowledge restricted to only sports?

[Crim]

HA has sand in his vagina again...

[molson]

Honestly, best chance to stop them is Indy on turf and simply out run, and outscore them.

That seems obvious, yet the Colts decided it was a good idea to try to "shorten the game" against the Pats. The result was them dominating for 51 minutes and having only a very small lead to show for it. The Colts would have won easily if not for the horrid game plan.

[molson]

Just to clear up something: I am NOT rooting for injuries. But if they occur, especially when starters are playing late in a blowout, I will not feel bad about it. At all.

Pats starters didn't play late against Buffalo. Period.

[Anthony]

HA has sand in his vagina again...

[John Madden] The way to beat the other team is to score more points than them.[/John Madden]

[Anthony]

i honestly like cronin's idea. the best way to beat the Pats is to mix up your defensive coverages and blitz schemes. but be careful, this plan will only work against the Pats. not like this is the key to beating other teams or anything. no, for other teams you want to stick to one thing on defense and cross your fingers hoping they don't take advantage of it. you definitely want to blitz from the same position in the same situation every time, all of the time. but for the Pats, you see, you need to mix it up.

[Crim]

:D