 |
| The Pats have revitalized their running game with Shane Vereen and have re-discovered their "it" factor. |
Over the past few years the New England Patriots had lost their mojo, void of the "it" factor that had propelled them to three Super Bowls in four years. Tom Brady was still one of the elite quarterbacks in the league, but he was more Drew Brees all-out passer than the old winning Tom Brady we were originally introduced to. The Pats defense, which was the backbone of those three championships, had grown old and had abandoned them. Their ground game? Non-existent. Two late game Super Bowl disasters later and this team was reeling (I say that comparatively) coming into the season. Then a fourth quarter meltdown in Seattle left the Patriots at 3-3, tied atop the AFC East and looking like they were going to be battling all three division rivals just for a chance to make the playoffs.
However, this team changed. They won a surprisingly close overtime game vs. the Jets in Week 7 and wandered right into "the zone." Reeling off a dominant 9-1 in their last 10 games, the Pats had re-established a ground game (7th in the league) and had young players on defense performing at an extremely high. If it wasn't for a wild game vs the Niners, in which strangely both should have easily won and easily lost, this team would have been cruising into the playoffs on a 10-game winning streak. But, that's neither here nor there, the old Patriots are back and that's scary for the rest of the league.
For a minute there from the years 2005 'til last year, the Patriots were in a transition period. They had abandoned an effective run game because their lineman were aging and Belichick thought they could get away with throwing the ball 50 times a game. Rookies on defense just weren't ready to step up. They were fortunate to even win two AFC Championships let alone lose two Super Bowls on the last drive of each respective game. But this is all in the past. This team has all the makings of a fourth Brady-Belichick Super Bowl and the official mark of a decade of dominance. I made it very clear that I thought the Patriots had lost "it," well they've certainly found "it." Factor in the way the cards have fallen in the AFC playoffs and the opportunity door has been blown off its hinges. No Manning? A home game in Gillette in January? You might as well buy your tickets to Nawlins, Patriots fans, this one is over.
Well, of course, they do have one more hump to get over and it has very little to do with what happens on the football field. There is no question the Patriots are the superior team and that their home field advantage is undeniable, but if the football gods want Ray Lewis to win a Super Bowl then Ray Lewis is going to win a Super Bowl. Add in the fact that this is a rematch from the devastating Billy Cundiff missed field goal last year and it makes the game even more difficult mentally for the Pats to win.
But, I will say Belichick often makes deals with devil and if anyone can defy the Football Gods it's Billy B. It also helps that this is by far his most complete, not just talented, team since 2004. If you're out there searching for the best chance for the Patriots empire to slip up, it's the Niners. They beat the Pats in Gillette earlier this season, but it was a wild, uncharacteristic game for the Pats and trying to defeat the New England Patriots twice in one season is about as difficult as watching Tim Tebow go through passing drills. I just don't see it happening.
It'd honestly be truly fitting for Brady to tie his childhood hero Joe Montana against Montana's franchise and it's looking more and more like that will happen.
0 comments:
Post a Comment