Questions Will Be Answered

No drama? Nice try, Tom, but these are the Patriots. The Real Footballers of Foxborough. The Kardashians if the Kardashians were talented. The Belichick Rules. Pigskin pundits and bobbleheads be like "when in doubt, write or talk about the Patriots even if you're writing or talking about how much people write or talk about the Patriots."

Trust me.

There will be drama.

The narratives have already started…

Why can't we be friends?

We're all waiting for Tom's first sideline meltdown, aren't we? Followed by the obligatory "double standard" columns from national media bemoaning how unfairly other athletes are treated for similar behaviors (by those same national media) while simultaneously suggesting Tom's anger is somehow related to Belichick's relentless negativity or Belichick making Alex Guerrero pay for a parking space at 1 Patriot Way or the lingering feeling that Belichick liked Jimmy G better.

Well, there's dysfunction and there's dysfunction. I'm sure there are more than a few fans of the Other 31 who would trade dysfunctions with Pats fans.

Has the League passed Belichick and the Patriots by?

Doug Pederson in Philadelphia, Sean McVay in Los Angeles, all the young dudes 3D printing up college offenses, RPOs, and the next generation of young, athletic quarterbacks are putting Bill Belichick, the Erhardt-Perkins offense, and the 41-year old Tom Brady squarely in the rear view.

Well, that's what I heard!

Everyone west of the Connecticut River has been hoping and praying for the end of the Patriots' dynasty since 2004. Even when they weren't winning Super Bowls, New England just wouldn't go away, wouldn't miss the playoffs, wouldn't rebuild so much as reload. Recently, those yearning for a return to relevance for other teams in the AFC have rested those hopes on temporal physics. Brady and Belichick will get old and eventually die. It might not be imminent but it's certainly inevitable. Now, there's a new hope for those rooting against Darth Hoodie and the Foxborough Empire in the 21st century weaponry of the next gen NFL.

I think the fundamentals still apply (as time goes by) and what we're seeing is pigskin history repeating the old conceits; offenses innovate, defenses respond.

It's never good hearing Reche Caldwell's name…

The Patriots started OTAs with an embarrassment of riches at wide receiver and exited the preseason with just 3 true wide receivers on the Final 53, and with Cordarrelle Patterson more famous as a kick return specialist that may be stretching the definition of "true wide receiver." Even when Julian Edelman returns from his 4-game suspension, New England will field one of the least respected position groups in the NFL. Pigskin pundits and bobbleheads believe the Cleveland Browns have a better wide receiver group. Local scribes have observed that they're at least not as bad as the 2006 group featuring Reche Caldwell, Troy Brown, Bam Childress, Doug Gabriel, and Chad Jackson.

Well, Brady took that team to the AFC Championship!

That is a true statement.

It's not completely reassuring, though.

I think the Patriots will be fine at wide receiver. Chris Hogan is healthy, Phillip Dorsett looked like he's joined Brady's circle of trust during the preseason, and Patterson is an athletic freak Josh McDaniels will use like Kasparov moving a knight on a chess board.

It also helps that McDaniels has Rob Gronkowski, James White, and Rex Burkhead to catch passes, too.

And maybe a running game with Jeremy Hill and (fingers crossed!) Sony Michel.

The defense will be better, am I right?

The last time we saw the Patriots defense in a meaningful action they were playing their worst game of the 2017 season. They've got to be better than that as in they have got to be better than that if the Patriots are going to make their way deep into the playoffs.

Are they better than what we saw last year?

Well, Dont'a Hightower is back. Adrian Clayborn looks like a good fit for what the Pats like to do with their edge defenders. Stephon Gilmore is in his second year and looking like he's going to play up to his paycheck. They still have Devin McCourty, Duron Harmon, and Patrick Chung at safety. Trey Flowers, Danny Shelton, and Malcom Brown are playing for their next contract. There's plenty of upside in Deatrich Wise, Jr., Derek Rivers, Keionta Davis, and Ja'Whaun Bentley.

So, we're good?

Color me cautiously optimistic.

Let's gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!