Pneumonic

I'm saying that every team has a player on it that uses ...... something illegal. Technically therefore they all cheat. I believe the Pats got caught being too open about how they videotape opponents. Instead of doing the videotaping in close proximity of the opponent as they did they should have back tracked 20 yards like all other teams do instead Videotaping opponents signals has been going on since the invention of video recorders.

As a simple example of what's been going on since the dawn of football. From a stealing other teams signals like the Pats did ...... teams cheat weekly out on the field when they try and steal the other teams calls, audibles, etc. Whether it be the players out on the field, the coaches on the sidelines, the scouts up in the stands. They all do it! Further, if you don't believe every team has a steroid/HGH user in its midst then ...... what can I say.

All teams cheat so the Pats are no different in this respect. They just happened to get caught filming video from too close a distance. BFD, next time do it at an allowable distance like all the other teams do! As for me rooting for a cheating team ....... i'd not have a favourite team if I had to pick a team that didn't cheat.

Not that I can do anything about it anyhow but, believe me, whatever cheating association you, or anyone else, applies to the Pats doesn't bother me in the least. Not when I know that the Pats, and its players, aren't the only team/player that cheat in the NFL.

Deal with it? Don't worry bud ..... I won't lose any sleep over it.

The talent level in players after the top choices in each draft are almost interchangeable. I mean, once you get done with the first 10 or so players in any 1 draft the rest are almost interchangeable. So, from where the Pats have been picking in the draft the last decade (ie very late in each round) they are not in position to grab blue chippers and, instead, have their work cut out for them trying to find top players. Challenging for any team, even one that functions as well as the Pats do. They simply blew a couple of draft classes. It looks as though they have remedied things as their last 2 draft classes look chalk full of promising players.

Indeed, the Pats offense will be top 5 in the league and more than good enough to get them into the playoffs. When there, it'll be up to the defense to determine how far they go.

Welker passed his physical and has been activated to practice meaning he's no longer eligible to be placed on PUP from this point on. Translation: Welker has been deemed ready to go by the Pats.

Wes Welker passed his medical, is back on the field practicing, and will be good to go game 1. I think he's superhuman.

The Pats defense needs top producing DL to work well. They have two VG ones in Wilfork and Warren and last years find Pryor appears to be a keeper. Brace has tons of talent and skill but has been slow in adapting to 2 gap life in NE. The Pats return versatile guy in Wright and also added G Warren and D Lewis as backups so they would appear to be in VG shape at this most critical aspect of their defense. Draft pick Cunningham will need to step into the shoes of quasi DE/hybrid OLB guys like Thomas and Burgess. This shouldn't be too problematic as neither Thomas nor Burgess amounted to much last year. Banta-Cain is back. At ILB the Pats have a ton of highly skilled and talented players, many whom they have added the last 2 drafts but, who knows how they'll all perform. Key however, are the guys up front in the trenches. They'll make or break things for the defensive front 7. Pats look stocked in the secondary.

Actually, that '08 Pats draft that you reference above, was a Pioli draft. His last as a Patriot. Many Pats fans were not too displeased Pioli left, feeling it was time. The last 2 Pats drafts, minus Pioli, appear to be much better.

Search not required. Common sense should prevail. Pioli's buds are running the offense and defense for him. Who do you think hired them?

Haley fired Gailey did he? Let me guess, Haley also hired Pioli's guys C Weis and R Crennel to run both offense and defense too right

To be expected when those 2 descending win totals years are due to the fact that your future HOF QB misses one of the seasons entirely and isn't 100% healthy the following one. By all accounts Brady is back to 100% health for this season meaning that trend for less wins is over with.

Check the Pats roster the first two times they won the SB. It's chalk full of other teams rejects and just another guys. What have either Rex or Chan done to warrant even being talked about as a good HC never mind one of the best ever. Gailey's a habitual failure and Rex is a blowhard.

Belichick is a "pretty good coach" who has "had top talent throughout his tenure" Good grief man did you just starting watching the Pats the last couple of seasons? Neither Rex nor Chan are in the same stratosphere as Belichick as a head coach. Dude, many of the experts believe Belichick may well be the best head coach ever.

Key injury to any superstar player like the ones you mention would potentially cripple any team, including the Pats. Neither Springs nor Thomas will be missed. Like it or not ...... the Pats will keep winning because they have Brady and Belichick. The rest of the team is interchangeable.

Guess it depends on your reference. Brady put up pro bowl numbers despite coming off a major knee surgery. Passing Comp Att Comp % Yds Y/Att TD Int Rating Tom Brady 371 565 65.7 4398 7.78 28 13 96.2

Huh! The Pats went undefeated in the regular season without videotaping and all teams have players taking HGH.

In today's NFL it's all about being strong at QB and at HC. Without a doubt the Pats are the best in the division at those two spots and, arguably, are the strongest team in the league at those two spots. So long as they have Brady and Belichick they'll be the team to beat in the division and will be a very strong combatant to represent the AFC in the SB.

The sal cap has seen to it that most every team has the opportunity to field a competitive team of players. Thus, not much difference exists in talent level between teams. Its been like this for eons now. What does differentiate one team from another are the intangibles that start at the top with ownership and then feeds all the way down to the coaching staff and then onto the players. Such teams are winners through and through. When a team has this winning intangible they find ways to win. Think the Pats over the last decade. When the team doesn't have this intangible, they find ways to lose. Think the Bills this last decade. Not sure how this season will play out but if I had to put money down it would be that the Pats continue to win while the Bills continue to lose.

It's the offseason and NFL writers have nothing more to do than concoct theories that'll draw them headlines. This is one such story. Brady will play 4/5 more years at a very high level, and do so with the Pats, while beating most teams he plays in the process. Par for the course.

Watching the NFLN clips it sure looks to me like Welker's gonna be back sooner rather than later. Some people are quicker healers no doubt. Maybe Welker is one of them. As far as HGH goes ...... I wouldn't be shocked if Welker took it. What has he to lose by taking it? The original prognosis was that Welker would go on PUP and be lost for the first 6 weeks of the season. If Wes took HGH chances are he'd heal real quick and be ready earlier than predicted. If he gets caught he'd be facing a 4 game suspension, 2 games less than if he went on PUP. Is it any wonder why most NFL players juice up on HGH?

I only see #5, the addition of Spiller, as a definite improvement, with #3, the lack of injuries, as purely speculative. The rest of the points I don't see as sure fire reasons to believe improvement is for certain. Changing over to an entirely new defensive scheme is always problematic, especially when it requires players skill sets that are so dramatically different than what was in place prior. The learning and adjustment curve are steep this season. it's also rare that an entirely new coachign staff comes in and has his team make the playoffs, especially in a division which houses at least 2 teams (Pats and Jets) that are noticeably far superior and which are serious playoff combatants. Heck, with Gailey I believe the coaching might even be worse going forward than it was with Jauron.

Hernandez responds today that it was one failed test, not multiple. And that failure was back in 2008. Hernandez Responds Further, Hernandez