Scuffles. It sounds like something a couple of past their prime investment bankers, drunk on Manhattans, might engage in after a heated discussion of the Federal debt. Grown, badass men in gladiatorial armor don’t scuffle. They ball up, beat down, bust on, get crunk, go medieval, hillbilly hand fish, jack up, lay the smack down, open a can, throw down or throw hands, you want a piece of this? but they definitely do not scuffle. Okay, I’m not sure about hillbilly hand fishing. It could be a euphemism for just about anything, really. I’m going to my room for some hillbilly hand fishing. Or maybe it’s a meme and it’s infected my brain.
The consensus view of Captain Bill and the Patriots players after the team went all Fight Club during their Wednesday practice was that it is what it is and it was what it was and what it was was football. It’s just Chinatown, Jake. I mean, it’s just football. After two more hockey games broke out Thursday, Belichick had to go old school and send the entire roster to run penalty laps.
Belichick has maintained that these are not team building events but for some reason, I can’t help picture Lee Marvin in that moment in “The Dirty Dozen” when his team of misfits finally comes together, refusing – as a man – to submit to his latest humiliation (I believe he had ordered them to shave with cold water). Marvin’s Major Reisman retreats to his quarters and opens a bottle of scotch to celebrate. He knows in that moment he has a team, men who have each other’s backs.
The 2012 Patriots appear to have some nasty to them.
Perhaps more encouraging are recent reports the defense is actually keeping up with – sometimes winning their battles with – the offense. We’ve had our first glimpse of the linebacker troika of Spikes, Mayo and Hightower. Ras-I Dowling is healthy (fingers crossed!) and flashing the form that had him in the starting lineup for the first two games of the 2011 season. Vince Wilfork has been dominating. Granted, the offensive line is still missing Mankins, Vollmer and Waters but I’ll take it.
The defense has gotten younger, faster and more athletic and they’ve done it in a hurry. That’s a good thing with Tom Terrific turning 35. I could see Brady playing at a high level for five more years. I don’t think he falls off as dramatically as more athletically gifted QBs who relied on their legs or their arms to get by. With Brandon Lloyd on board I wouldn’t put back-to-back 5,000 yard seasons out of the question – except for the fact that with a better defense and a reliable running game I can see the New England offense running the clock in the 4th quarter this season. Stevan Ridley has yet to fumble, Vereen has looked better lately and according to the posts I’ve read UDFA Brandon Bolden looks like he might see meaningful snaps from Week 1.
I know, I know. It’s still too early to tell. Just ten days into camp. It’s still too early to tell. We haven’t even had the first preseason game; the roster is still 90. Let’s see where we are after the first roster cut down.
It’s still too early to tell but I do have a good feeling about this.
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