Great piece Dan. Sure they have a bit more of a running game this year but let's face it, the Pats continue to be embarrassing on deep threats. Same as last year. The defensive "genius" ought to coach his players to turn their heads around and then they can make a play on the ball. McCourty's been a liability for a long time. Is The Genius to arrogant to cut one of his picks? Embarrassing loss for sure!

Maybe so dan,but,we are reminded of the recurring problems of the lsat few years. Can't get in the end zone and even more importantly,this Patriots' team hasn't had a dependable secondary for the last five years.

dan it must be ahoot covering the NFL version of the stepford wives. ma

Dan, you mention New England arrogance. I hope you were referring to the fan base, of which I am part of, as well. The media and fans seem to think that every game should be an automatic victory, with losses being viewed as embarrassments. Games are thought of as regular season walk-throughs until the final coronation. Hubris is a term that should be cast upon us rather than the team. Patriot opponents are not tackling dummies participating in practice. The Seahawkes are a pretty good team with a pretty good qb playing at home in the pouring rain. The Pats didn't execute the play at the end of the first half due to Seattle having something to say about it. Bill was right to try and put up as many points as possible in that situation. There was time, however, the tackling dummies moved and the strategy was foiled. A loss yes, an arrogant, hubris filled embarrassment, no! If you are feeling let down, ticked off, and angry at this Patriot team and it's players for disappointing you yet again, perhaps you should use your football hours more wisely. Next up are the Jets. It will be sweet if the Pats can kick some azz, no?

Can Ty Law and Rodney still play? How about Mike Haynes?

Sure, Brady made some big mistakes but he also made some great plays and put up huge numbers.  In other words he had a better than average day for a QB in the NFL.  Let me point out the elephant in the living room.  This secondary is laughable.  It has been since 2008.  So BB has had 4 years to work on this and it somehow keeps getting worse.  With a slightly less than average secondary this team would easily be undefeated and regarded as the best team in the NFL.  Other good teams go out and add marquis corners and pass rushers while BB tries to solve the problem by acquiring poor teams cuts, washed up or aging players, low round draft picks, and by releasing anyone who's good that is requesting more than minimum wage.  Brady deserves better.  The fans deserve better.  

Good write up today. BB and the coaching staff deserve a huge share of this loss. Totally dumb play calling in the red zone, time and again. Likewise the defensive play calling was ridiculous. What happened to a blitz on the play that scored Seattle's last TD? How about getting to their qb more often? Generally speaking, Pete Carroll is the one who really did win. BB and the coaches lost. Sure, the players didn't execute, including one Mr. Brady. He oughta make a $5M donation to some charity as penance for one of his worst days ever. Overall, if this is the level of play to expect for the rest of the season, maybe they could just move the games into Fenway Park. There's a place that's accustomed to stinkers.

My take:  Brady and Belechik are a little long in the hair; they're being pushed off the top of the hill by youth; Brady's got all the records but he's far from the best, that kid in Seattle outplayed him by a milel there new gimic 100 plays-a-game offense took some by surprise but they are catching on; they'll still be able to get out of bed in the moring and grab a few big wins but they're no longer top dog; and so we say farewell to the once and former championship as it slides down into the rest of the pack being tied with everyone else in their division after six games.

Speaking of post game press conferences - it has always been "uncomfortable" to hear BB after a Pats game , especially a loss, and each and every time I listen I always come away asking myself why I even bother to listen such a waste of EVERYONES time ,  but it has gone from uncoomfortable to listen to-  to downright painful to listen to now. The guy wil not answer a question , his replies are the same reardless of the question , "we did not make enough plays, we got outplayed, we got outcoached " yada, yada, yada ... and most weeks he just brushes off any and questions with condecending remarks , and basically tries to make the reporter asking the question look like an idiot OR - replies in such a manner as to confim that he could not be bothered answering such stupid questions ...we are asking football questions BILL , we are not asking you to share national security secrets - although he wopuld have us believe that to be the case, and on the same level of importance ... sorry Bill , you are not that important , we are just asking football questions  it has become a silly ritual after these games - a watse of time , and while I know the league mandates that all coached MUST answer questions and be available after the games, that does not mean that the reporters have to ask, - don;t these guys get tired of being ridiculed -  I would love to see BB stand up there , and have the reporters just be silent ... say nothing , ask nothing , through some of BB arrogance right back at him.

You know you're no longer top of the hill when a second year back from the secondary trash talks to you.  Look at this disgusting picture and tell me if this does not say it all.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2012/10/14/seattle-seahawks-richard-sheerman-taunts-tom-brady-on-twitter/1633659/

Time for Matt Patricia to go.

I love Bill. He's a great coach, maybe the greatest ever. But how many 50 yard passes will it take until he decides to do more blitzing? Any receiver can get loose if they've got 10 seconds to do it, and any quarterback can find them if they've got 10 seconds to look.

Atleast we won't have to worry about losing to the Giants in the super bowl this year.

The Pats need to somehow fix this secondary mess.  Yesterday's game was just totally WIDE OPEN for SEA receivers.  "Just heave it up and go for it".  Like if you've ever played vs little kids, same thing.  I hope it's too soon to call but it appears the 2012 Pats are going nowhere.

BB's refusal to draft a bona fide pass rusher 4+ years ago AND his "grand experiment" of drafting/signing and subsequently cutting DB's/CB's and Safeties has come back to haunt them.  Jones & Hightower will be fine players BUT you cannot expect either to be LT in 2012- it's not realistic. This has been happening 5 years now- more than enough to measure a pattern...

Pattern #2:  every week we put the ball in Brady's hands with little to no time remaining and expect a miracle.  The guy is still a top 5 QB in the league and i do not wish to have any other QB BUT it's equivalent to expecting David Ortiz to hit a walk off homer ever time they need it.  It's not realistic and it's unfair.  

Pattern #3: 6 games in, #1 ranked (overall) offense in the league and for some reason in the 4th quarter we begin playing conservative ball.  Funny, not too long ago we we're criticized for steam rolling and running up the score- now we drive our ferrari 55mph in the right lane continuously.  Under 3-minutes to go and we've had a tough running matchup all day and 1st and 2nd down we try to run the ball and burn off little to no clock time.  We leave it to 3rd and long an cannot convert and give the ball back with 2+ minutes remaining in the game.

Folks, this kills me to say it, but, expect a great passing performance by Sanchez next week.  

this all goes back to poor drafting and poor coaching and is NOT fixable in 2012.  BB cannot draft/sign a backfield...

Let us hope that the Pats are taking these losses as teaching moments - and as motivation.  A few painful losses during the regular season could be a significant factor in upping the compete level - and hopefully execution level - of the team in the playoffs.  

Assuming they in fact do get there.