I'll Take It

Short week. Road game. No Gronk.

If you'd told me before the game the Patriots would turn the ball over twice and score just 19 points I would've thought…

2-3-0. Two-game losing streak for the first time in forever. Looking up at the New York Jets in the AFC East standings. It's over. The season is over. Even worse, I've apparently been sucked through a wormhole into a parallel but evil universe...

Was it perfect? No, but I'll take the W.

The consensus amongst pigskin pundits and bobbleheads the morning after the Patriots 19-14 win over the Buccaneers seemed to be that if this game proved anything, it proved New England is not a contender. They won because Jameis Winston still hasn't gotten it. They won because Nick Folk can't kick straight. They won in spite of themselves; the penalties, sacks, and turnovers.

They won like it was 2001.

They won because of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady and because they had the better kicker.

I won't make the case today the Patriots should be in the conversation but Belichick made some interesting psychological investments in this 2017 roster. He left Alan Branch at home despite the obvious need to be stout against the Tampa Bay rushing attack. We may never what the deal is with Branch's fall from grace but in a sense that doesn't really matter. What does matter is the message, Playing time is earned based on performance in practice and on the field. Then, during the game, he trusted his #32 ranked defense to win the game.

I saw a defense that has been struggling to find its identity take a step toward finding themselves.

There's been plenty of chatter about Nick Folk's role in the Patriots win; that will happen when you miss three field goals and your team loses by 5 points. But let's not forget Stephen Gostkowski and his 4/4 performance. Ghost struggled last year and even though he hasn't missed in 2017 I'll admit I still hold my breath every time he trots onto the field. He was money last night when his team needed him. They still call it football, after all.

And I got to watch the greatest to ever play the game one more time. The sacks and the turnovers aren't the focal point for me so much as they're context for how remarkable Tom Brady has been this season. Brady's 30/40/303/1/1 line shouldn't be taken for granted, given the pressure he was under - not to mention the late scratch for Rob Gronkowski.

The dimes Brady dropped on James White's wheel route and Brandin Cooks deep crossing route were breathtakingly beautiful throws.

So, what am I saying here?

I'm saying that for the first time in nearly a month I'm looking forward to December football. I feared the Patriots problems were rooted in a locker room lacking the love and brotherhood and mental toughness that made the 2016 team so special. Last night I saw a team that could've easily fallen apart instead coming together. And let's not ignore the obvious. As long as the Patriots have Brady, they've got a puncher's chance. He can't and he won't and he don't stop.

Maybe Gronk will continue to be a game-time decision. Maybe Brandin Cooks won't become Deion Branch 2.0. Maybe whatever is wrong with Nate Solder can't be fixed until the off-season. Maybe this Patriots team is too flawed to make it to Minnesota.

There's a long way to go but at least they're moving in the right direction.