New England Patriots: Still Super Bowl Potential
Losing in the fashion the New England Patriots did on Monday night in prime time, is not just bad; it’s an embarrassment to the franchise. On paper, the Patriots were favored to win this match up. However, the paper was burned and our beloved Patriots fell to 2-2 after 90 minutes of total meltdown, on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Score and stats don’t lie; this was one of the worst performances of the Belichickian Era. After last weeks match up with the Raiders, when I didn’t think things could get worse, they did. The lack of production, specifically on the offensive side of the ball is shocking. I find Monday’s performance shocking for 2 reasons:
- Look how well the Patriots (I’m pointing at Tom Brady) have done in past years, while making due with a depleted roster
- On such a talented team, with high coaching ability, how did they put up a game like that?
Needless to say, don’t panic yet. With Tom Brady at the helm and Bill Belichick on the sideline the New England Patriots have always found a way to get it done. The stats speak for themselves; they are the most winning team in NFL history (16-6 in playoff appearances), and 3 Superbowl victories. Belichick is arguably one of, if not the best head coach in NFL history. With such a talented roster, and with such high expectation resting on their shoulders, they will find a way to get it done one way or another. Just look at last years team, who made it to the AFC Championship game, with Tom Brady making due with nothing (His primary receiver was a 5’10” former QB quarterback, who was drafted in the 7th round).
However, who can we accredit for such a poor performance? One of Bill’s favorite quotes, “Just do your job..” the team is not working in unison. So essentially, until they gel and find some type of rhythm we will see poor performances. People are beginning to point the finger solely at Tom Brady, which I totally disagree with. Yes, our franchise quarterback is without a doubt in the twilight of his career (He’s 37), and yes his accuracy has been questionable. With that being said, how can we expect him to make big plays when he is constantly under duress? He has about 2 seconds to get rid of the ball with his current offensive line, which is undoubtedly the worst one he’s seen playing time under. At this stage in his career, when Tom Brady needs protection the most, he’s ended up getting the least. The offensive line is the absolute number one priority in New England right now. Remember, time and time again Bill Belichick has reinforced the saying “In Bill Belichick we trust”. So lets not totally discredit our team as a Super Bowl contender yet. After all, maybe it was just a bad game? We’ll further find out where the Patriots stand after this Sunday night’s match up against the undefeated (3-0) Cincinnati Bengals.