Who Are These Guys?

Do we know who these 2019 New England Patriots are? You know, the team that hasn't played anyone. The BSOD offense in desperate need of a firmware upgrade. The team that's played more tomato cans than Andy Warhol. 

Who are these guys?

I think we could find out a few things this Monday night.

Okay, it isn't the Chiefs with a healthy Patrick Mahomes this week. Still, division game, on the road, against a Jets team that spanked the Cowboys in Sam Darnold's return to action; this game will test the hobbled Patriots offense and challenge the Boogeymen Defense. It's the "Border War" and I think the Jets have a few things working in their favor.

The Jets are the ultimate "little brother" game for the Patriots. I'm not trying to be disrespectful; It's just that nobody wants to beat big brother more than his little brother. Hard to dispute who's been the big bro in the AFC East for the last twenty years. The Patriots have won 16 of the last 19 games against the Jets but I don't remember any of them being easy. 

Underdogs. At home. I'd say to expect a college-like atmosphere but I think that for New Jersey's pigskin enthusiasts, that's the floor, not the ceiling. 

Jets' safety Jamal Adams has called this a playoff game. Given the NYJ's 1-4-0 record (0-2-0 in the division), he's probably right. Gang Green can ill afford to lose this game if they have any pretentions to the playoffs this year. 

Desperation. The Jets definitely have that going for them.

And while the New England defense has been historically good through six games, their offense has been inconsistent and travels to the Meadowlands hobbled by injuries. They're playing backups at center and left tackle, limiting the running game and putting Tom Brady's health at risk. Neither of the tight ends who played a week ago Thursday will be on the field this Monday. Josh Gordon seems unlikely to play and won't be 100% if he does. Phillip Dorsett will be coming off a game missed to injury. They're fresh out of fullbacks. 

It would seem the best case scenario for the patchwork Pats is a closely fought, ugly win, followed by pigskin pundits and bobbleheads wondering aloud if this team can make it back to the Super Bowl. 

It's hard to give up a narrative once you've invested in it. This was supposed to be the Chiefs year to wrest AFC supremacy from the Patriots. This was the season when the hubris of Bill Belichick finally would be dealt it's tragic denouement, the season 42-year old Tom Brady would take a step too close to Kellerman's Cliff.

This wasn't supposed to be yet another breakfast of adversity frosted flakes the Patriots wolf down and ask, please sir, may I have some more? They certainly weren't supposed to start the season 6-0-0; the NFL has come to count on a 2-2-0 September as Ernie Adams runs monte-carlo simulations to give Belichick and McDaniels the data they need to identify profitable pigskin markets. The defense was supposed to be too old; the loss of Trey Flowers was going to make them average at best. Gronk had retired. The Antonio Brown move came with a whiff of panic from an organization that previously seemed immune to fear, uncertainty and dread.

They definitely weren't supposed to morph into a team reminiscent of the 2001 Patriots who won with a stalwart defense, very special special teams, and Tom Brady doing sleight of hand with replacement level skill position players. 

Is that who the 2019 Patriots are? 

We could find out Monday night.