New England Patriots: Keys to victory vs. Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers

It’s week four in the NFL and the Carolina Panthers visit the New England Patriots for some Sunday afternoon action at Gillette Stadium. Are you ready for some football?

Hey New England Patriots fans,

We’re on to Carolina!

Oh, wait! We did win that Texans game. Whew! Just a bit of Tom Brady magic. Not looking forward to the post-Brady era.

I just wish He would help me understand the odds-makers’ logic. Their prognostications seem to make about as much sense as most of the President’s declarations.

Will Week 4 be as competitive as week three?

Let’s review: The New England Patriots creamed the New Orleans Saints. The Saints then creamed the Panthers. Then, last week, the Patriots were 13.5 point favorites over the Texans. Instead they nearly lost, winning in the last seconds. Now the Panthers are coming to Foxborough and the Patriots are only 9 point favorites. Where’s the logic in that?

I mean, does anyone really believe the Panthers are better than the Texans? If there were any logic, the Carolinians would be more than 13.5 point underdogs.

The answer, of course, is that this is the NFL where Parity Rules (kinda). The maxim is “Any Given Sunday”, and every dog has his day. Heck, even Cleveland won a game last year! Last year? Try last week: the Bears beat the Steelers? C’mon! The rebuilding New York Jets stomped the well-regarded Dolphins into the sod? Say it ain’t so! And then Buffalo – Buffalo, mind you! – broke the Broncos’ backs 26-16? Ye gods!

So who knows? Maybe Carolina will pull into Gillette and pull out a miracle. I doubt it, but after last week, I’m not betting on anything. Coach Stoneface would be the first to tell you – after he tells the team– that the Panthers have the talent to do it.

After all, it’s the NFL’s number one offense going against the NFL’s Number One defense. (One has to wonder why this is a 1 p.m. game.) And, as we all have heard, and almost saw last week, defense wins football games.