Getting Right at the Right Time

Ah! The 50-Burger. It's the Royale with Cheese of football games. That's a tasty burger.

This was everything the Patriots could've wanted in a get right game. In fact, I think they just scored another touchdown. Oh, wait. That was just me watching the game highlights.

Yes, yes, yes. 

The Jacksonville Jaguars are not good at all at footballing. Another meaningless win for New England in every respect, except for the standings of course, where all capital letters are equal, be it W, L, or T. 

So, they scored 50 points, you say, just like they did against the almost as horrible at football New York Jets. Big deal, you say. So what, you say. The Patriots aren't going anywhere in the playoffs, a rarefied plane of pigskin reality where there won't be any Jets, or Panthers, or Jags (oh my!). Blah, blah, blah, you say. 

You know why you can't have nice things? 

Because you won't. 

That's on you.

As for me, I'm feeling pretty good this fine, seasonably cool, January Monday in New England. My pigskin heroes have 10 wins in the bank and a ticket punched for the playoffs. 

I'm feeling pretty good about Mac Jones bouncing back from arguably his worst game of the season and having what I like to think of as a Mac Jones kind of day, completing more than 70% of his passes, throwing darts in the triple score ring all day long. Chicks may dig the long ball but I feel secure enough in my own masculinity to say that accuracy can be pretty sexy, too.

I'm feeling pretty good about the Patriots run game with Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson toting the rock. Most teams would count themselves lucky to have just one of those two guys. It's like having Thor with two hammers. Somebody should create a highlight reel of Stevenson trucking defensive backs but please release that simultaneously on HBO Max; I'm still not ready to go out to a movie theater.

I'm feeling pretty good about the Patriots defense returning to form (though, yes, even I, the eternal optimist, must admit it's difficult to evaluate based on a game against the Jaguars). Bill Belichick takes a fair amount of criticism for his reaches and misses in the draft but not enough credit for picks like Kyle Dugger. How Christian Barmore fell into Belichick's lap in the draft makes for even better conspiracy theory material than Mac Jones at #15.  And for everyone who's been dogging Mac Jones and bucatini biceps, consider #1 pick Trevor Lawrence's 3 INT day in Foxborough. New England's defense made Lawrence look like the QB with the Andy Dalton ceiling. That's what most rookie QBs look like playing against NFL defenses. (Yes, even Peyton Manning.) They're actually lucky to draw a Red Rifle comp. 

I'm feeling pretty good about New England getting some players back and healthy for the playoffs. Kendrick Bourne looked pretty good in his return on Sunday, but Matthew Judon looked like he was still recovering, and Nelson Agholor has yet to get back on the field. It was good they were able to limit Harris' snaps and save some wear and tear on that hamstring and it sounded like Adrian Philips was going to be fine based on his post-game comments.

Yeah.

I'm feeling pretty good. 

A tasty 50-Burger will do that for you.