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New Orleans on pace to outdo ’07 Patriots
Numbers may be up
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By Ian R. Rapoport | Thursday, November 26, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | N.E. Patriots
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Photo by AP/ Nancy Lane
<!--//article Image//--><!--//article//-->FOXBORO - Tom Brady [stats] knows a dynamic offense when he sees one. On Monday night, he’ll see one.
And the Patriots [team stats] quarterback doesn’t mind mentioning that he checks out the second coming of the 2007 Patriots often.
Late at night, he’ll catch Saints highlights on TV. Because the teams have had common opponents, he’s watched more than his share of quarterback Drew Brees and friends to put them in context.
“I’ve seen a lot of great offenses since I’ve been in the league, like the Rams (of a decade ago) and the Colts (currently),” Brady said. “We were one of them. The Saints are obviously one of them this year.”
Brady appears to have made his peace with the fact that New Orleans (10-0) is challenging the Patriots’ records set during a magically perfect 2007.
With a shrug, Brady said he didn’t think the marks would last forever. There will always be great receivers and quarterbacks that come together under a coach who can utilize their strengths and diminish their weaknesses.
“The schedule aligns right and the scores of the games come out a certain way, so they’re always going to be broken,” Brady said. “There’re not too many records, except for maybe Cal Ripken’s (streak of 2,632 consecutive games played) in baseball, that won’t be broken. Every other one you can pretty much assume (it).”
Will the Saints erase the 2007 Patriots from the record books?
Can the Saints score an average of 36.8 points per game?
Can they eclipse the Patriots’ total of 75 touchdowns?
Will they have a greater point differential than 315?
Perhaps. The Saints are averaging 36.9 points and have scored 40 touchdowns. They won’t touch the mark for point differential with a statistically mediocre defense.
From the Patriots, the reactions vary from ambivalence to disdain at owning records in a frustrating season to premature acceptance.
Center Dan Koppen doesn’t watch football when he leaves Gillette Stadium, so he wasn’t clear on how close the Saints are.
“It really doesn’t matter what they’re doing on offense,” Koppen said.
Right tackle Nick Kaczur didn’t seem to care that his team had offensive records, given that the joy ride ended thanks to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII.
“Obviously, we didn’t win in the end,” Kaczur said. “That’s the main goal. Records are going to be broken.”
Coach Bill Belichick is almost anticipating it.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if the Saints set whatever records there are,” he said, “because I can’t think of too many teams more explosive than this team is.”
The records may not fall this year, considering the Saints’ dynamic offense has come back to earth. And some individual records will stand.
Brees has 22 touchdowns, so Brady’s 50 touchdown passes are not in danger. Receivers Marques Colston and Robert Meachem both have just six touchdown catches, so Randy Moss’ 23 won’t be touched.
But Monday, the ringleader of the record-setting Patriots won’t face a carbon copy of his team’s offense in New Orleans. Just the closest thing.
Brees is a cerebral quarterback who can diagnose a defense’s issues in a blink, similar to Brady. Colston, Devery Henderson and Meachem are all complementary pass-catching weapons, like Moss and Wes Welker.
The backfields are both multifaceted.
Both teams cause a defense issues.
“They definitely put a lot of pressure on you on that,” Belichick said. “If you match up with them, you’ve got to do a good job with it. They don’t make it easy for you.”
New Orleans on pace to outdo ’07 Patriots
Numbers may be up
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By Ian R. Rapoport | Thursday, November 26, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | N.E. Patriots
<!--//Byline box end//--><!--//article Image//-->
Photo by AP/ Nancy Lane
<!--//article Image//--><!--//article//-->FOXBORO - Tom Brady [stats] knows a dynamic offense when he sees one. On Monday night, he’ll see one.
And the Patriots [team stats] quarterback doesn’t mind mentioning that he checks out the second coming of the 2007 Patriots often.
Late at night, he’ll catch Saints highlights on TV. Because the teams have had common opponents, he’s watched more than his share of quarterback Drew Brees and friends to put them in context.
“I’ve seen a lot of great offenses since I’ve been in the league, like the Rams (of a decade ago) and the Colts (currently),” Brady said. “We were one of them. The Saints are obviously one of them this year.”
Brady appears to have made his peace with the fact that New Orleans (10-0) is challenging the Patriots’ records set during a magically perfect 2007.
With a shrug, Brady said he didn’t think the marks would last forever. There will always be great receivers and quarterbacks that come together under a coach who can utilize their strengths and diminish their weaknesses.
“The schedule aligns right and the scores of the games come out a certain way, so they’re always going to be broken,” Brady said. “There’re not too many records, except for maybe Cal Ripken’s (streak of 2,632 consecutive games played) in baseball, that won’t be broken. Every other one you can pretty much assume (it).”
Will the Saints erase the 2007 Patriots from the record books?
Can the Saints score an average of 36.8 points per game?
Can they eclipse the Patriots’ total of 75 touchdowns?
Will they have a greater point differential than 315?
Perhaps. The Saints are averaging 36.9 points and have scored 40 touchdowns. They won’t touch the mark for point differential with a statistically mediocre defense.
From the Patriots, the reactions vary from ambivalence to disdain at owning records in a frustrating season to premature acceptance.
Center Dan Koppen doesn’t watch football when he leaves Gillette Stadium, so he wasn’t clear on how close the Saints are.
“It really doesn’t matter what they’re doing on offense,” Koppen said.
Right tackle Nick Kaczur didn’t seem to care that his team had offensive records, given that the joy ride ended thanks to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII.
“Obviously, we didn’t win in the end,” Kaczur said. “That’s the main goal. Records are going to be broken.”
Coach Bill Belichick is almost anticipating it.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if the Saints set whatever records there are,” he said, “because I can’t think of too many teams more explosive than this team is.”
The records may not fall this year, considering the Saints’ dynamic offense has come back to earth. And some individual records will stand.
Brees has 22 touchdowns, so Brady’s 50 touchdown passes are not in danger. Receivers Marques Colston and Robert Meachem both have just six touchdown catches, so Randy Moss’ 23 won’t be touched.
But Monday, the ringleader of the record-setting Patriots won’t face a carbon copy of his team’s offense in New Orleans. Just the closest thing.
Brees is a cerebral quarterback who can diagnose a defense’s issues in a blink, similar to Brady. Colston, Devery Henderson and Meachem are all complementary pass-catching weapons, like Moss and Wes Welker.
The backfields are both multifaceted.
Both teams cause a defense issues.
“They definitely put a lot of pressure on you on that,” Belichick said. “If you match up with them, you’ve got to do a good job with it. They don’t make it easy for you.”
