 Hello everyone, welcome to another episode of the Quick Points podcast. I'm Pat O'Rourke. I'm the sports editor at the BU News Service alongside me is BU News Service contributor Alex Hirsch and Alex another one for the Patriots. They're 9-0 and Yeah, but hell of a win hell of a win they definitely exercise some demons in that game though Oh my god, absolutely the final drive and the drop the dropped interception the drop touchdown pass They seem like everything went wrong for the Giants in the last like three minutes of the game as opposed to like Everything going wrong for the Patriots in the last three minutes of the game It's about time you got some good karma, you know, it's about time we last three games. It's been I Think God was probably like, you know, hey, you can have this one You've lost your last two Super Bowls to this team on ridiculous plays So pretty much They lost yeah, they lost that one the final drive the the great Jake Ballard Football gods we're smiling down on the Patriots We deserved it. Yeah, we do deserve it But it was one hell of a game hell of a kick by Stephen Gostowski a hell of a fourth quarter drive by a two-minute drill by Tom Brady though Giants might have messed that one up. They probably shouldn't have given us as much time But you know, yeah, that's that's Bella check getting into people's heads without doing anything exactly So the check is not what usually want to get out coach. So no, he does not But they are they're undefeated right now. They're nine and no question. Can they run the table? I Think it's possible from there go 16 and oh you look at the remainder of their schedule They got seven games. They're all winnable games. I just don't see them going said it's going 16 and oh in a regular season Well, you know, I think an interesting point is you look at the next two games They're bill verse bills at home. Yeah, and then at Broncos The interesting part about both of those games is they're both prime time Patriots thrive in prime time. So Even the Broncos are supposed to be one of the tougher teams that we're supposed to play this year It's supposed to be supposed to be but it's at it's at Denver, which makes it a little bit more difficult Peyton's clearly hurt. He's missing this week. Oswale is gonna play Who knows if Peyton will be back for it in two weeks. So if Osweiler plays I'm definitely chalking that up as a win if Peyton plays the only I might chalk that up as a win Anyway, the only concern you have so bad But even with Peyton in there and the only concern you really have with the Broncos is their defense Well, the point is though my point that I'm trying to make is they're both that prime time and yeah prime time is if Peyton Does play it's where Peyton normally poops himself And it's where Tom Brady flourishes and Belichick flourishes and I don't trust the bills And regardless that's at home Patriots should win that game normal easily They're probably both cold-blooded games to night games in prime time They I mean the bill Be fine in the cold weather. I mean they play in the cold weather regardless But Brady is unbeatable cold weather Brady's unbeatable But Peyton just doesn't know how to play in the cold weather and Peyton also doesn't know how to play in prime time So I think those are two interesting games that you know at one point people were like well Maybe maybe those brat that Broncos game is the game we lose. I don't think so anymore I don't think I don't think he knows how to play period anymore. I think he's lost it I think he's done. So those are those are two those that was a game people were considering Maybe we'd lose. I don't think so anymore. I think after that you've got Eagles at home at the Texans verse the Titans at home at the Jets and then at the Dolphins The only one that makes me a little bit nervous It would be at Jets just because the Jets play us well, but I think at the Texans worries me Oh god, come on that team is so bad. I look at the people that are there TJ Yates might start a quarter. Yeah, but the people are there. That's like that's Patriots itself It screams of the number the Cleveland the Cleveland game in 2010 It could be a situation like that except Bill O'Brien will be getting a Gatorade shower if they win No, they won't act like they won the Super Bowl that team that team is not gonna beat us. It's a bad That is a bad team a good defense But Houston Houston's another place Houston is another place where weird things happen down there Not enough weird things for us to lose it undefeated season. I don't know I don't I don't like it I only want to nerve wracks me is at the Jets just because Jets play us well I don't think the Jets are that great of a team right now I think they have the potential to be a good team when Fitzpatrick's on his game when he's on his game That's a good team But Fitzpatrick is such an inconsistent player that you know, you never know what you're gonna get out of him But at Jets Jets play us. Well, they they they they step it up a notch whether it's Rex Ryan or Todd Bowles They played us well at home So that's a game that Makes me nervous, but honestly, I still think we could win that. I think we beat the Texans if there's another game I had to choose It might be the at Dolphins in week 17. I could see that because is Tom Brady playing Are we resting those guys? I would say if we had a week nine by this year Tom Brady be playing we beat we wouldn't be resting those guys But because our buy was so early this year this team desperately needs to rest very much So they're probably could be fighting for a playoff spot. We don't know They're probably gonna have a first-round buy already though. So they are they gonna want back-to-back weeks off Maybe they give them maybe they rest some guys in week 16 against the Jets and then week 17 They put I would give them back-to-back weeks on a heartbeat Oh, yeah, I think this is a team that you can give back-to-back weeks off But that this the league is so bad like I said it last year I think of it the league is so bad right now that the Dolphins even though they're four and five They they have a shot at me being a wild card team right now. Oh, yeah They legitimately do they are only two games back from a wild card. How many teams are really out of it right now? only the Ravens the Browns the Browns Handful to the Chargers because the Titans aren't even technically out of it because they They're two and seven right now, but they're at the Chargers aren't gonna I'm talking about the Titans are two and seven, but they could still win that division because oh, yeah No one in the AFC South is out of it. So But the wild card wise the Dolphins are only two games back from the Steelers for the lead wild card spot and then one game back from everyone else That's doable So it's absolutely doable which means it there's a good chance that they could be fighting for a playoff spot at the end of The year which could be and if the Patriots are benching some players even if they're not maybe they're not Maybe they're not wrestling them, but they're probably not playing as hard probably not going all out all out That's it. That's a legitimate chance. The question is do you think if the Patriots are 15 and 0? Bella check would bench his players For another when he knows he has another shot at going to getting that infamous undefeated season Because I'm sure that that stings in the back of his head right now The more of a sting is that they lost the Super Bowl, but if they're trying to go if they're trying to go 16 I know I think they go for it. I mean they're trying to run the gambit this year I mean that's what they that's what they wanted to do That's what they wanted to do in 2007 And they blew everyone apart because they want to prove Not to be a walking cliche, but I think you try to win every game you play absolutely But trying to win every game you play means probably not bench benching Tom Brady on week 17 Yeah, they probably play it if they're 15, you know, they're playing Tom Brady on week 17 I like it. I like it. You want you want to go 16. Absolutely. That's something you want to do That that's a cool accomplishment to go 16. That's why that's why that banner was up there That's why I liked looking that's why they should have taken that banner down No, I was it's that better should have that banner should still be up there. That's 16 no better That's something that nobody's ever done before that's a difference between the Indianapolis Colts saying 2014 AFC finalist Is it teams go to the AP teams losing the AFC championship every year? There's only one team has ever gone 16 awesome 2007 Patriots. They should be a banner up there It's a harsh reminder though of what happened that year that I don't know Oh, when I look at that at all I think about is David Tyree. That's all I could think about and you know That's what Bella check thinks about I bet you that's what Brady thinks about There's no way they see it. Yeah, we're all we're all gonna remember that season for how it ended Yeah, but so that's not there are my eyes, but I still remember that regular season That was such a cool regular season. I was so cool to find the coldest. So fun to watch I was so invested into it. I remember that Ravens game Don Scholes and the booth cheering for the Ravens openly It was and what's the similarity between that season and this season both are coming off of Off seasons where the oh, yeah, definitely scrutiny. So they and both are now and having historic seasons Brady at the helm of both of them Bella check what they're just there with them. Now, maybe it's a completely different team There's I think is Brady in Gostowski the only is I don't even know if Gostowski was on that team. Yeah, I guess else who's that was just Tells you second year. Okay, so there's two players from that team I think if I'm correct, I don't think it was on that team yet. Yeah, Niko was a waiter or nine So there's only two people but still they've got this tenacity They've got Brady and they've got Bella check and that's enough to propel them and they This is a team that that most certainly can run at the table Yeah, they can and I think that they should I just I think they need to tell the rest of the NFL screw you That's what they need to tell and then this year They need to capitalize on that screw you but with a capital By winning the they have to win the Super Bowl this year Absolutely regardless whether they even if they lose a game in their season, they have to win the Super Bowl I think they're you know, you we're talking about fifth. You know, what do they do if they're 15 and 0? I don't think they're gonna get to 15 and I do think they're gonna lose a game somewhere along the way Because teams teams just don't there's a reason why only teams only one team has gone 16 and 0 It's because it just doesn't happen yet You have trapped games you lose a game that you don't you're not expected to win And you look you look through all the teams that have gone You really think that's gonna be the Texans It could be wait here's what it's gonna be it's gonna be a game that we expect them to win They're gonna go into that I expect them all to win when them all I expect them to win every single one of these yeah That's kind of my point is that you know, we're then you have no choice for it to be a game that they expect Yeah, we're gonna expect them. There's they're you know, there's no way they're gonna lose It's gonna be something like the Texans where it's The Texans aren't a good team They don't have a quarterback, but again, that's that's a team that I could see winning they go going down to Houston Houston is a underrated. You know, we talk about Miami defense. That's it I'm talking about the venue reliant stadium. It's it in playing at Houston. It's you know, we talked about Miami. We talked about Denver some people even talk about Indianapolis We're just you go there and things happen where things happen over Brady's Houston is where is the starting quarterback? Don't you think Bella check is yeah, but there's again. There's something remember that that game two years ago They they just barely, you know walked out of Houston with a win against the Houston team that was Awful, I think they they won like three games. They lost like the last like 12 or 13 games The difference at the time was X last year Yeah, but the difference at that time was that was where Welker shredded his knee But that was a that was a legitimate team that played bad and they were able to step it up the next year because they like That this is a bad Houston team the team that the Patriots played a couple years ago Even though they lost was a legitimate Houston team, but they had lost their starting quarterback in matchup So I'm not so I think that's a really good defense Offense as well. Yeah, absolutely Andre Johnson and Arian healthy Aaron Foster is a very good cell. I know quarterback. Well, that's because Matt Schaub got hurt Yeah, Matt Schaub when he was healthy, who's their quarterback that I don't remember their quarterback wasn't a TJ8 Was it TJ8 or Casey Keenum? Maybe I don't think Keenum was there yet. Maybe it was Keenum I don't know the point being was that they're starting they were down a starting quarterback that was a legitimate team and Team that many people pegs to be a playoff contender that year So this is not a team that anyone pegs to be a playoff contender even though they're kind of People thought they could who who thought they were gonna be a playoff contender Is it like a wildcard team? I don't like a wildcard. I think you're pulling something out of your butt right now, Pat No, I know there were people no one no There are a lot of people saying they're they're kind of like Buffalo where they they didn't have a quarterback They had a very they're a very solid team around them Who was solid around them? Aaron Foster was supposed to be out for the first six weeks They lost Andre Johnson that no no one was solid around them. Their offensive line was in shambles I think the big thing was there defense was their defense with a JJ what yeah, I don't think anyone JJ was by the way JJ Watson very overrated overrated player Okay, well we can get into that. That's a different that's a few weeks away But no this team the Texans team back when we came out of there. That was a good team missing a starting quarterback this is a bad team also missing a starting quarterback and Brian Hoyer, I just feel like if Patriots if Belichick is getting to go against Brian where he's licking his chops Oh my god, but Belichick knows everything about Brian Hoyer and his defense knows Brian Hoyer still too So I just I can't see how the Texans even if mysterious things happen in Reliance stadium I can't see how they win it the Gwen the one game I thought that maybe they could have lost was Sunday's game and they almost did and you know what that Almost the Giants game the Giants game and you know what? I'm I'm almost happy that they barely won it because they did if they did win it Which I'm happy about and then they barely won it which I'm happy about because I think it is good and I think Mike Felger and Tony Maserati they talk about this all the time on 98.5 Sports Hub They talk about how it's important to have games that test your your character and test your mentality and test your team And this was one of them We have had very few of those well there the Colts was seven. They're quite a few of them. Yeah, but that Eagles game I'm talking about this year though But in very few there was the Jets and there was the Colts and really that was it And not even as much the the Colts because the Colts had a comeback I mean it was they were they were pretty much blowing the Colts out for most of that game But the Jets that was a close game and then it was yes on Sunday's game I mean I think the biggest and they they came back and did it against all their demons against all their demons So that was the game they got over it. I think I got over their home, but now they're clear path Yeah, but I think their character has been tested all season long with all the crap They've had to go through talk about the mudsling that went on during the the OTA's and throughout training camp All the flake gate stuff and you got all the nonsense popping up. No, but you got to deal with it That's not the same as but not every team has to deal with weekend and week it out We got people saying that you cheated in the litigation in the flake gate and all that crap That's different This is being contested on the field and this is one of the few games We've actually been contested on the field where Malcolm Butler actually went up and shut someone down Completely shut Odell Beckham down. We saw what the secondary was made out of we saw what this Defensive line was really made of we saw what this offense was made of with a fourth quarter drive Which we haven't had to do all season long of a last-minute drive and that's the mentality you want to see So yeah, you're they're tested by all the crap that they're getting for the media But this is a different kind of testing and they proved it and passed it They're going back but going back me looking through the teams that the past teams have started out 12 and 0 13 And I'm really going back to the 98 Broncos. You had the 98 Broncos You had the Colts and 0 5 You had the Patriots and 0 7 the Saints the Saints in the Colts and 09 and then the Packers in 2011 obviously the only one over that stretch has been the Patriots going 16 and 0 But all those teams really have one thing in common. They start out 12 and 0 they have 12 and 0 13 and 0 There is one big win along there like the few weeks before they lost that first game where it's like, okay They're gonna they win this game. Okay, they got this third They're you know, they're 12 and 0 they got four games left against these You know teams there. There's no way they're gonna lose any of these teams I think that I think the Broncos game next week They come out of Broncos come out of Denver with a win over the Broncos, which I think will happen I said a few weeks ago as me for like 41 to 10 where I was touting their defense I think it's like 34 to 10 Edelman sir, I don't see the Broncos as a big win anymore and I never did I did I don't I don't anymore Yeah, but I never believe their defense. It's Kubiak and it's Wade Phillips If Belichick has waxed them you talk about, you know You're your brain melting at the site of Belichick Wade Phillips and Mike Kubiak are like that But if your point there that you were just trying to make is that you come out of a big win And then you end up losing the following week So what's the big way not the following week but the week, you know a few weeks after I think the big Wins probably in Denver, but we just said we don't think that is a big But for a lot of people people think it's a big win that's gonna be a big roadblock I think people used to think that and I think and I think they saw that at the beginning of the year But now they're seeing how banged up Peyton is how bad he is even when he's healthy And they're seeing the defense struggle a little bit right now I'm not so sure a real Patriot fan thinks that's a big win anymore I think they saw the Giants as the big win Which if that is your if your point is that they come out a couple weeks later Then that means the Broncos might be the trap game I wouldn't I don't think the Broncos are trapped because the big win in my opinion is the Giants So if your point is maybe one or two weeks later after a big win You lose it because you're so you know you're caught up hung up in the past So you're not you're not working as hard That would mean either this week or against the bills or this week against the Broncos And I just don't see either the Patriots don't lose in prime time Except they're in the Super Bowl to the Giants and that's about it Well, I think I think with the Giants the Giants were a big win That was a that was a team that was the Patriots were far better I mean have you ever seen Belichick so ecstatic after a regular season win? I'd never have yeah I mean that was incredible. He was so happy. I've never seen that and that was against the Giants too Which is an organization he has all the respect in the world for that He needed to get that he credits everything to the giant he credits his whole career to the Giants He needed to get the monkey off his back though and he did yeah So what's to stop him from just blowing everyone out of the water now? My opinion the only thing to stop him is injuries Yeah, it's Edelman and it's Deon Lewis if the Patriots lose to the Texans or to the Broncos the Eagles Titans Dolphins Jets They're not losing to them They're losing to themselves most likely and it's that on their own mistakes The no team is gonna come and play the Patriots or go have the Patriots come to them and beat the Patriots Patriots can only beat themselves right now and with Edelman and Deon Lewis out That and now this offensive line pretty damn banged up Though it's gonna be hard as but if that defense the defense has been able to stay pretty healthy I know Collins has been hurt, but it's not a Season-endering What is going on with Collins? Does anybody know? He's sick. He's sick He's a weird illness. He's been sick for a week and a half right He's been you don't have the flu but it's not well you might who knows what type of illness You got the point is it's not it's not worried about that It's not a season-ending injury for most likely. It's an illness to ball shears finally back Which is good and when Collins comes back that that team is gonna be blitzing like crazy and getting to the quarterback after quarterback Secondary is healthy everyone's healthy on that defense So that's big because the defense we need everyone to be healthy because there's not a lot of depth in the secondary at least See this is the same exact thing. You know like people in Green Bay were probably saying this in 2011 when you know They they beat the Lions on Thanksgiving. Oh, who's gonna beat this? Who's gonna beat this Green Bay team? They ended up losing to Kansas City who was like five and eight But the Green Bay team is not the Patriots team. I'm not a pretty good team. It doesn't matter It's I don't think it matters. I will never compare Mike McCarthy to Bill Belichick. Oh, me neither But I'm saying that was a very that was a very good team There's been a lot of really good teams like this Patriots team people thought this team I will not compare a Patriots undefeated team to any other undefeated team Except for a Patriots undefeated team because there is no team that's better There's no undefeated team in my mind That's better than a Patriots undefeated team with Bella check at the helm and Brady You got the best court coach in the world ever and you got the greatest quarterback of all time So regardless, okay, so so if we're gonna compare to it if we're gonna compare to another Patriots team Oh, let's talk about the 07 team. You remember that that Ravens game, right? Yeah They they lose that Ravens game if Rex Ryan does call time out that that that is that they want that's fact Not opinion they want it. They but they didn't convert that fourth down. They want it It doesn't matter Rex Ryan call the time out of nowhere. It doesn't matter. I'm saying They they should have lost that game if not been for a dumb time out call, but what does the record say? Oh, yeah, they went So it doesn't matter because there's gonna be strange things that happen in all the games right now Bella check gets into people's head without even trying to that is something that's happening We saw it on Sunday night with Tom Coughlin not to not running the ball instead throwing the ball We saw it in the Super Bowl with Pete Carroll throwing the ball instead of running the ball Bella check gets into people's heads without even trying so there's always gonna be some other coach's mistake of doing it And the Patriots will always capitalize on that mistake. That's what makes them so good So is that when we compared this team to the 2017? The question is is this team better, which we discussed last week I think the Patriots team is better this this year now though with Edelman and I think their defense is better Well if Edelman and Dionne Lewis out, I don't think they are better anymore But I think this team is still Way better than anyone else in the league and it can easily run the table And I don't think that there's anyone in the way to stop them because this offensive line should be getting healthier I mean ideally Trey Jackson should be back soon or otherwise they would have put him on the IR Shaq Mason should be getting healthier Brian Storks healthy up getting healthier And then who do we have Volmer it got a concussion so he should be back in a week or two Maybe this week so this team should be getting healthier the fells starting to get the hang of things as well He's looked pretty good the last two weeks that I think the fells looks great Yeah, his interception is not LaFell's fault Brady took accountability for it. He said it was a throw He shouldn't have made Or bad throw is what it was just a bad throw So I think this team is still really good and still even if they're not as good as the 07 team The league was better in 07 the league is not bad the league this year is bad And yeah, he's we're playing. Oh my god, Bill's I'll take that as a win a crappy Broncos team right now take it as a win the Eagles They just lost Bradford to a concussion and even with Brad. Yeah, they won't be I prefer Bradford than Sanchez I think Sanchez a better fit for that team anyways. It's a bad team regardless I would I would I would take if I could play Mark Sanchez 17 weeks out of the year I would take that I would I prefer Bradford, but the point is that teams bad regardless Okay, and then you've got the Texans who we will both agree are not a good team You think it might be a trap game, which okay, I'll give you there's their Foxborough self Look at the coaching staff. They're not a they're not a good team though. That doesn't mean they're a good team They might you you think it's a trap game. I disagree, but the point is that's not a good team Titans are not a good team That's a terrible. Yeah, they're not a good team The Jets are not a very good team and the Dolphins are not a very good team either So we've got what six games left seven games left am I counting that right seven games left against not very good Yep, that Should speak for itself This team should be able to go undefeated should be able to should be able to what we'll find out We've always seen we again We've we've said this about so many teams and it's in Patriots teams, too I mean that the Patriots in oh, you know for the greatest Patriots team ever In 2004 they were they were supposedly on the fast tracks They go in 15 and one and then they played a I think it was like 113 Miami Dolphins team They lost that one. So We're anything can happen and you know again when you're when you're When you're on on a streak like this, I just think things happen in games and I Just don't see it happening again. Well, I and it not this year when things happen in games They're working in Patriots favor right now And I'm gonna keep riding that until till something changes But you know, we'll take a week by week basis They play the the bills on the 23rd at 8 30 p.m. Primetime game at home We'll see what happens then that about wraps up quick points for today Alex Hirsch alongside the BU news service sports editor Pat or Rourke tune in on Friday for our Next episode of 4 and out should be a good one We'll be talking a lot of a lot of a lot of things There will be some good points to catch up on then and of course the predictions Oh, of course my predictions that will obviously be Patriots as well So and so then maybe not like that. No, no, maybe we'll talk Until then