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The only thing that can beat the Patriots...
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I know, I know. Another Patriots article on how they can lose. This isn’t one of those articles though. If anything, it’s about how the Pats can’t/won’t be able to lose. A lot of people will be talking about the Patriots undefeated regular season for the next couple of years. Yes, the New England Patriots are the first team to go 16-0 in the regular season. History has been made.
I will get right to the point on this. If the Pats lose in the playoffs, this undefeated season won't mean a damn thing. Everybody will now be focused on what the Pats do from here on out. The pressure has been on this team ever since the Spy gate scandal and they've been able to handle that very well. People have ridiculed the Patriots season and they believe that it is "tainted". What the Pats have been able to do is take all of that criticism and apply it to the game. They now stand at 16-0, and they've now become the "bad guy" of the NFL. As the Pats keep winning games, they've also gained hatred; from fans, coaches and teams. But the Patriots mentality has been, "Who gives a flying f**k?" Well, they don't. They've intimidated teams throughout the season. And once you thought that you've found the Pats vulnerability, they come right back and crap all over you. The pressure of going 16-0 is now off of them, but that just means that they have more pressure on them in the playoffs. It is their season to blow.
Psychologically, it would be easier for them to go 12-4 and win the Super bowl, than go 16-0 and win the Super bowl. Why's this? There is this thing called "choking." Choking is when a team is supposed to meet everybody's expectations, but that team gets hit with the pressure causing them to beat themselves. Any team that goes against the Pats from now on will be considered, the underdog. So if a team happens to beat New England, it's automatically an upset. Some will automatically think that a team who goes 16-0 will win the Super bowl with no doubt. Not necessarily. The only reason why teams like Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York were able to make it a close game with New England, is not just because they played good. It was just that the Pats played better. The numbers might not say it, but the only numbers that New England needs to prove how good they are is sixteen and zero.
The Pats intimidated the other teams, and the opposition feared that. Sure they can come out all fired up and talk junk about how they could beat them, but none of that works against them anymore. The Patriots are smart, and all teams can do now is respect them. They have to respect the fact that New England has Tom Brady, one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL who's thrown 50 touchdown passes. They have to respect the fact that in Randy Moss' first year as a Patriot, he caught 23 touchdown passes. Giving this team an automatic bid in the Super bowl is easy, but if they were to lose in the playoffs, it's because they lost, not that the other team won.
The Patriots already have everything. From a great offensive line, to a great receiving core and a smart quarterback. No other team could spoil the Pats success, rather than the Pats could blow it themselves. Going 19-0 takes a lot of work, and you're under so much pressure by being the favorite. Everybody is watching them, whether it's haters or die hard fans. The haters are hoping for the Pats to fall in the playoffs because they want the see the 16-0 season go to waste. The die hard fans automatically are picking their team to win the Super bowl. So the Pats are getting pressure from both sides of the plate. Winning it all is what New England is striving for, and when playoff time comes around, there is nothing but pressure on them.
Only pressure can beat them.
16-0 is in their rear view, but they can't allow it catch up to them. When every team turns it up a notch in the playoffs, New England can't stay at the same level that they've play at all season. Even though, they've dominated teams throughout the season, teams will come out and try to match their intensity level, and that's where the pressure comes into play. People can say that they've looked "vulnerable" in the last couple of weeks, but what good will that do if you're not going to capitalize on the mistakes that they make. Pressure is also on the team that plays New England. People are expecting the opposition to get into New England's head, and expose them. But New England is a team that knows how to fix mistakes that they've made from previous games. So vulnerability doesn't mean a damn thing.
The Patriots are the only team that can beat themselves.
They aren't going to lose, because a team is better than them because in all actuality, nobody is better than New England. A team can only play a better game than them. Catching them on a bad day is the only chance they have. Other teams may have caught New England on a bad day, but they weren't able to finish it off because the opposing team may have been caught on a bad day. At the moment, the Patriots are "perfect." It would take a perfect game/day for the opposition to beat New England. That won't come around often. Only the New England Patriots can beat the New England Patriots. The pressure is on their shoulders, and that is the only thing that can get to them. No great offense or defense can get to them because they've played teams with a great offense and/or defense. It is a mental thing. I'm not praising New England, but I'm just being truthful. You can be a fan of another team and hope that your team ends up beating them in the playoffs. But in actuality, is your team better than them? No, because your team didn't go 16-0. The only thing your team can rely on for beating the Pats, is for them to beat up themselves. Pressure is the opposition's friend, and it is New England's enemy.
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