Patriots Pre-Game Thread

[barrett]

The Texans deserve to be big underdogs in this one. We have not played a good offensive game since Thanksgiving Day.

However, there is no reason for why the media has turned on this team and declared them frauds. They finished 12-4 and the 3rd seed in the AFC and that is exactly what they are. A good 12-4 team who is the 3rd best team in the AFC (and beat the 4th, 5th, and 6th best teams in the conference). There is nothing fraudulent about them. They are exactly what they seem (especially last week when they were the definition of "good, no more, no less").

Now they go into NE with no expectations and plenty of motivation. If they walk out as big losers they have lost nothing. If they walk out after a close defeat they will have gained some 'respect' and they will try to sell it to fans as progress. Or they walk out as upset winners and all of the media stories are re-written and the 24 hour news cycle forgets they were ever left for dead.

I hope the NFL, the networks, the media, and everyone else lives a nightmare come true and by Sunday night, Brady vs Manning has turned into Schaub vs. Flacco.