Cappers Buzz

Now that New England is 12-0, there’s a real possibility they will go undefeated. And they can expect their opposition to gun for them with everything they’ve got. We’ve seen it happen the last 4 weeks starting in Indianapolis. The Colts game was billed as “Super Bowl 41 ½” and they had the Patriots beat. Up by 10 with just over 7 minutes to play, the Colts failed to knock out the Pats and ended up losing the game. The next week, Peyton Manning played his worst game as a pro throwing 6 interceptions. The Colts lost at San Diego. If you watched any of that game, it was clearly evident that the Colts had a hangover. They suffered from Post-Patriots Depression.

The Patriots then traveled to Buffalo as a 15 ½-point favorite. The Bills were off their bye week, and had 2 weeks of preparation. The city of Buffalo was abuzz, and the players even worked out on their off days. They put everything into that game, but came up way short losing by a whopping 46 points (56-10). In their following game, the Bills hit the road as an 8 ½-point underdog at Jacksonville and promptly got blasted by 22 points. They suffered from Post-Patriots Depression.

The Patriots next opponent was the 24-point underdog Philadelphia Eagles. Playing without starting QB Donovan McNabb, the Eagles played their best game of the year with A.J. Feeley under center. Again, they had the Pats on the ropes late in the game but failed to knock them out. In their following game, the Eagles could not match their previous effort and performance and lost outright as a home favorite to the Seahawks. They suffered from Post-Patriots Depression.

And then last week, the Patriots traveled to Baltimore as a 17-point favorite. The Ravens have been horrible all year, but they played their best game of the season by a mile. They put everything they had into that game and were a timeout away from the humungous upset. But, they too, failed to knock out the Pats. After such an emotional game, the Ravens will suffer from Post-Patriots Depression this week.

The Colts, Bills, and Eagles all have something in common, and the Ravens will join the club this week. After playing the Patriots, they were unable to match their intensity and desire to win their next game. And all three lost against the spread. The Patriots game was their Super Bowl, especially for the losing teams. It’s impossible for them to get over the loss and they suffer a huge letdown the following week. Remember this, and look to play against the Ravens, Steelers, Jets, and Dolphins in the upcoming weeks.