Pats vs. Raiders... GO PATS!

I am still feeling pretty run down today but I am totally jacked and pumped for The Pats tonight. I can't wait for the Superbowl Banner to be unfurled and the game to start.

All game day rituals are now in full effect, starting with clothing:
Pats Superbowl 36 t-shirt: Check
Pats [work-approved] Polo shirt: Check
Pats socks: Check

Yes, I am one of those guys. And yes I do own and wear a Tom Brady jersey, proudly I might add, and no, I don't care if you think it's gay.

As far as the game goes, I'm not making any score predictions. I'm just going to predict a Pats win.

I think our offense will be fine overall, especially in the passing game and I won't be surprised at all if Brady picks the Oakland secondary apart, even with Woodson back there. Branch, Givens and Brown, teamed up with Grahm and Watson are going to be extremely tough to defend.

The running game is a little up in the air. When you see that the Raiders have guys like Ted Washington, Warren Sapp and Bobby Hamilton on D, you expect your run game will be in trouble, but last year Oakland sucked against the run so it will be interesting to see how Oakland's D is compared to last year.

In an article in Patriots Football Weekly, former Patriot, now Raider, Bobby Hamilton talked about how The Raiders defense was made up of a bunch of big name stars who thought they would just come in and be able to play last year and it didn't happen. Hamilton talked about how the Oakland D did not have that 'TEAM' attitude, like the Pats have, and that was their problem. Have they learned their lesson? Maybe they have but I still think the Pats O-Line will do fine protecting Brady against Hamilton and Sapp.

I am concerned to see how well Corey Dillon does against Ted Washington. The good thing about Dillon is that even if the middle is plugged he can bounce it outside and he is gone. He is not just a straight ahead runner like Antowain Smith was. Multi-dimensional, multi-faceted attack. F YEAH.

As far as The Pats D goes, I think our secondary will be ok too. Everybody keeps bringing up the abcence of Ty Law and wondering how we will 'handle' Randy Moss. Well Ty's been gone since Oct 31, 2004 folks, and The Pats have been fine without him.

Randy Moss. Whatevah. If Kerry Collins can't get him the ball because he's under constant pressure or on his back, what can Moss do? That brings me to the area that I think will be the key of the game and it has been the same area that everyone has focused on all pre-season. Linebackers. Our D-Line is solid, but our Linebackers need to be able to pressure Kerry Collins. Collins is good but prone to mistakes when pressured.

All in all, I think the Pats are the better team. Throw win Homefield Advantage at THE RAZOR ('Not today, not in our house...') and the fact that it is opening night with the 3rd Superbowl Banner being unfurled, how can you not like The Pats chances?

In Belichick We Trust
GO PATS

Comments

[NFL Adam]

The Pats will be good this year, but the Raiders always play like champs during the first couple of weeks (before fading).

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[Me]

Anything can happen in a football game but I'm sticking with my prediction of a Pats victory tonight.

To further my case, The Pats are one of the most well prepared teams in the league. I would not be surprised to learn that Belichick's staff went as far back as Norv Turner's Redskin days looking for tendencies in his game plans.

[Ms. Brightside]

I'm proud of my Brady jersey too. I only where it on special occasions, and that's it. Nothing else!

GO PATRIOTS!!!!