I don't know about you, but I really needed that.
Say, "It was only the Jets." Go ahead.
There.
Do you feel any better about your sadly cynical, clinically depressed, gloomy, doomy self? No? Eat a cookie. I suspect you're hypoglycemic.
The New England Patriots did what a good football team does when it plays a bad football team, smashing the New York Jets 54-13.
How good were they?
N'Keal Harry made a "You got Mossed!" highlight catch.
Joejuan Williams broke up a pass.
Zero punts were blocked.
And the smooth jazz stylings of Brian Hoyer in the 4th quarter.
Okay, all kidding aside, this was a much needed win - at home - for the Patriots. Yes, it's just one game and yes, it was the federally designated disaster area known as the New York Jets (seriously, Robert Saleh's emotional affect on the sideline made me want to start a fundraiser for the victims), but all W's count the same. (It's math.) But this is about the Patriots and how they played.
They played like the Patriots.
Mistake free. (Okay, 6 penalties but 0 turnovers.) Efficient. (6 for 6 in the Red Zone!) Balanced on offense. Complementary, all three phases of the game football.
Would I rather be living in that parallel universe where the Patriots are 6-1-0, with their only loss being a head-scratcher to the Saints?
Yes. Absolutely.
Am I already nervous about facing the San Diego Chargers, a good team (4-2-0) who will be coming out of a bye week, looking to bounce back from their embarrassing loss to Baltimore?
Please. I'm a New Englander and a Lutheran. I'm predisposed to only enjoy myself briefly and then feel guilty about it for the rest of my life as I contemplate my inevitable and well deserved eternal damnation.
3-4-0 is what it is (and yes, I'm smirking at you, Kansas City). As the poet once said, nobody ever said it wasn't going to be semi-tough. Because, yeah, 3-4-0 is still a long way from the playoffs.
One more thing about the win over the Jets.
The Patriots actually left some plays on the field. They're still stretching to find their ceiling.
As well as Mac "Daddy" Jones played (and has played), he missed some easy pitch and catch opportunities against the Jets. Not often said when a QB posts a 24/36/307/2/0 slash line but any game with a sub-70% completion rate is something of an off day for the straight shooting Alabama McCorkle (which would've been a great name for a sidekick in a John Wayne western).
They figured out a way to use Jonnu Smith, who, unfortunately suffered a shoulder injury that knocked him out of second half action. Still, we got our first real glimpse of how dynamic of a playmaker Smith can be in the Patriots offense. Fingers crossed the injury isn't serious.
They may have figured out the offensive line by moving Michael Onwenu to right tackle with Ted Karras taking over at left guard. The offensive line played so well in this game (150 yards rushing, 4 rushing TD and just 1 sack given up) I'm tempted to say that when Trent Brown returns to the line up, he should replace Isaiah Wynne at left tackle, rather than move Onwenu back to left guard.
It was also obvious in a number of moments on Sunday that this is a group of men who have not given up, have continued to work hard to get better, who believed they would get better, who genuinely care about each other, and who may well be on their way to becoming what they've been trying to be: a good football team.
There's more to be learned before we unravel the mystery that is the 2021 New England Patriots, and no doubt clues will be revealed in San Diego next Sunday. However the story unfolds, no matter the plot twists, reversals of fortunes, and character reveals, I'll be there. I'm a ride or die Patriots fan and I always will be, but the men of Belichick made that ride a whole lot easier this past Sunday.
I like these guys.
I'm rooting for these guys.
Let's go!
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