Great Expectations

There are times when I’m confused by all the hating on the Patriots and Patriots’ fans. Then there are times like this last week when I totally get it.

What was that offensive game plan against the Steelers, anyway? Where’s the pass rush? Or the pass protection? Those fumbles! What happened to special teams and the kickoff coverage? Speaking of kicking, has Stephen Gostkowski lost it? Was that missed extra point in Denver his “wide right” moment?

Do you really think they could’ve won that game if Big Ben had been available?

Yeah. Just how much better than 6-1-0 can you get? Oh, right. 7-0-0.

Cleveland Brown’s fans can only dream of having such problems. Jacksonville Jaguars’ fans have no idea what I’m talking about. (If the Patriots had beaten the Jags like the Titans did the post-game narrative would’ve been all about what we should make of those garbage time touchdowns the Jaguars scored; you’d have to play better than that to close out a quality opponent!) Minnesota Vikings fans are pinching themselves even after that junk punch game in Philly last week. Bears fans...

Well, I could go on but it would just be cruel.

Anyway, I guess this is all just my way of saying…

The Patriots can’t win big enough this Sunday against the Bills.

Are we, the good citizens of Patriots Nation, spoiled?

Yes. The answer is yes.

While everyone west of the Connecticut River sees nefarious plots within Machiavellian feints, a devious interpretation of the rules of the game and outright cheating as the only reasonable explanation for what Bill Belichick’s Patriots have accomplished over the last sixteen years, those of us in the five and a half states of New England await the perfect game.

That’s the bar.

Perfection.

Brady going 25 of 25 for 450+ yards and 6+ TDs. Gronk setting a single-game record for receiving yards (meaning he’d account for at least 337 of those 450+ passing yards). Zero punts. Gostkowski 3 of 3 on FGA, all from beyond 50 yards. (Wait, would the Patriots have to try a field goal in the perfect game scenario?) The defense pitching a shutout, allowing less than 200 total yards with 6+ turnovers.  

We hope it will come in a Super Bowl, of course.

But I’d settle for a regular season game like this game in Buffalo.

I know measuring the Patriots against perfection isn’t fair. I’m reminded of how incredibly unfair it is whenever I experience the unintentional comedy that ensues when I watch other NFL teams play. Granted, I watch those games like people who watch NASCAR for the crashes but the fact is the other 31 rarely disappoint in that regard.  

I guess this is what happens when you win regular season games at a 77% rate, when you play in your conference championship game virtually every year - five in a row and counting - and when you go to the Super Bowl six times and win four. Experience has become expectation. Even though we may intellectually acknowledge a 77% success rate means the Patriots must therefore lose 1 of every 5 regular season games somehow we can’t accept it emotionally. Simply winning isn’t enough. Losing is inconceivable.

Simply winning is enough, of course. For Bill Belichick, I’m pretty sure the perfect game (like the perfect season - and yes it hurts to write that) is just another distraction. Winning by one counts just the same in the standings as winning by fifty.

Either way, I’ll take it.

Go Pats!