Strange.
Was I the victim of an alien abduction? I don't remember anything between when I left work last Thursday and now - what my wife tells me is Saturday morning…
Okay. Didn't see that one coming. Then again, nobody saw the Chiefs coming into Foxborough and nut-punching the Patriots on national television. On Super Bowl champs get to kickoff the season night. On we had to renovate the stadium to make room for a 5th championship banner night. On giant phallic inflatable Lombardi Trophies night.
Is this how Jets fans feel all the time? Somehow, I suspect it's worse. After all, Jets fans hardly have any expectations. How long has it been since I saw the Patriots lose? 9 months? When was that Seahawks game? November 13, 2016. 298 days. Nearly 10 months.
I'm just letting that roll around in my cranium for a few minutes.
Is there anything good to be taken from the loss to the Chiefs? Probably not, but I can't help but think…
It Could Have Been Worse
I'm not a doctor and I haven't played one since I was 11-years old but I can't be the only one who watched the replay of the Dont'a Hightower knee injury and thought he was done for the season.
Giving Back
I'm just glad we could provide so much joy to the rest of the NFL and the fans of the Other 31.
And that it was only a regular season game.
One Less Distraction
That puts a lid on the 19-0-0 chatter.
On the other hand, we'll have to spend the next week wondering what's wrong with the Patriots and listening to pigskin pundits and bobbleheads chattering about Tom Brady being done. Did I miss any suggestions that Belichick start Jimmy Garoppolo while I was being probed by the grays?
Extra Prep Time
The Patriots have an extra four days to get ready for the Saints.
It's a good thing, too. After watching Alex Smith carve up New England's defense I'm not looking forward to seeing what Drew Brees might do.
Attitude Adjustment
The Patriots and Tom Brady in particular just seem to play better with a chip on their shoulders.
They have plenty to prove after last Thursday night.
Nowhere To Go But Up
If that wasn't rock bottom then I think rock bottom was clearly in sight from where the Patriots were in the 4th quarter.
53 Minus 11 Isn't 52
Losing Edelman was going to hurt New England's offense and losing him in the 4th preseason game didn't give Josh McDaniels much time to adjust. Adjust? This was more like a sea change for McDaniels and Brady. Malcolm Mitchell going on IR/Return provided additional context for the Phillip Dorsett trade but how many practices did Dorsett have before getting thrown into the fire when Amendola went down? Four? Five maybe?
The Pats offense is going to play better. It make take a few more weeks and games to sort things out but they will play better.
The 80/20 Rule
The Patriots of Belichick and Brady have won games at an astounding rate; they win nearly 4 out of every 5 game they've played since Tom Brady became the starting quarterback. That means, of course, that the Patriots - as difficult as this is to admit - lose games, too.
Math is not only hard; it's often quite cruel.
It's Just One Game
We can't live in the past, can we Bill?
We're on to New Orleans.
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