Patriots -3 +100 (just about every book out there)
i liked them anyway for as solid as Ben R is, doing it against a Belichick defense is something else. we all know Ben is going to see things he has never seen before - and i am not sure how he will handle all that. if someone like Pennington couldn't handle Belichick's D - i doubt Ben can, either.
(follow me on this one, too) i also think the pats just got some extra motivation for this game from the Red Sox. we both know for quite a few days now - EVERYONE in the area will be talking about the Sox - EVERYONE. NO ONE will be talking about the Pats - because the Sox are the hot topic now. i think this will motivate the Pats a TON. they have to be pretty mad about being bumped to the #2 story in the area - instead of #1 - and will use this as motivation to keep things going the way they are - and they are going to really come out fired up. and you know what - i am STILL not sold on the Steelers - and for good reason.
they got a FG at the gun to beat oakland - IN pitt. they got their lunch handed to them against baltimore. now i realize most of these first 2 games were with Maddox NOT Ben, but still, it tells me a lot about Pitt. they struggled at miami and while i will grant you the game situation lent itself to the 13-3 score, NE has a better D than miami. next is a not very good Cincy team at home, and while Pitt won 28-17 that score is misleading - it was 21-17 late and (what a shock) Palmer threw and INT for a TD. next was the
Browns who were never in it - but never out of it, too. Pitt then beat a not very good Dallass team in Dallass - but even then - if Richie Anderson doesn't
knock the ball out of Vinny's hands - Pitt loses that game.
to me - this game looks A LOT like one played a few weeks ago between UVA/FSU where UVA was the "up and coming" team and was supposed to give FSU a game - if not win SU and FSU KILLED them 36-3 in a game that wasn't even that close.
statistically, Pitt has the better D - but i don't buy that for 1 second. in my mind the Pats have the better team on BOTH sides of the ball. they have the better coach and i'm not even going to get into the QB position (where Ben will get better down the line - but we are talking about the 5th start of his career against a Belichick team? uh - i smell trouble here for him!).
add it all up - and i am on
Pats -3
BIG TIME
i liked them anyway for as solid as Ben R is, doing it against a Belichick defense is something else. we all know Ben is going to see things he has never seen before - and i am not sure how he will handle all that. if someone like Pennington couldn't handle Belichick's D - i doubt Ben can, either.
(follow me on this one, too) i also think the pats just got some extra motivation for this game from the Red Sox. we both know for quite a few days now - EVERYONE in the area will be talking about the Sox - EVERYONE. NO ONE will be talking about the Pats - because the Sox are the hot topic now. i think this will motivate the Pats a TON. they have to be pretty mad about being bumped to the #2 story in the area - instead of #1 - and will use this as motivation to keep things going the way they are - and they are going to really come out fired up. and you know what - i am STILL not sold on the Steelers - and for good reason.
they got a FG at the gun to beat oakland - IN pitt. they got their lunch handed to them against baltimore. now i realize most of these first 2 games were with Maddox NOT Ben, but still, it tells me a lot about Pitt. they struggled at miami and while i will grant you the game situation lent itself to the 13-3 score, NE has a better D than miami. next is a not very good Cincy team at home, and while Pitt won 28-17 that score is misleading - it was 21-17 late and (what a shock) Palmer threw and INT for a TD. next was the
Browns who were never in it - but never out of it, too. Pitt then beat a not very good Dallass team in Dallass - but even then - if Richie Anderson doesn't
knock the ball out of Vinny's hands - Pitt loses that game.
to me - this game looks A LOT like one played a few weeks ago between UVA/FSU where UVA was the "up and coming" team and was supposed to give FSU a game - if not win SU and FSU KILLED them 36-3 in a game that wasn't even that close.
statistically, Pitt has the better D - but i don't buy that for 1 second. in my mind the Pats have the better team on BOTH sides of the ball. they have the better coach and i'm not even going to get into the QB position (where Ben will get better down the line - but we are talking about the 5th start of his career against a Belichick team? uh - i smell trouble here for him!).
add it all up - and i am on
Pats -3
BIG TIME
