Life is a Journey and it's 33 Miles to the Next Rest Stop

Just when things were looking up, the Patriots are forced to shuffle their underperforming offensive line due to Bryan Stork’s concussion. Not good when you’re facing one of the best defensive fronts in the NFL. Even better, Tom Brady rolled his ankle in practice and will be even less mobile than usual. If that’s possible.

How It Ends

We’ve seen this movie before. We know how it ends. Everyone dies and nobody’s happy. Wait-What? Are we in the right theater?

Identity Management

A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down, but it is not this day.

-Aragorn at the Black Gate, “The Return of the King”

Moving on to Cincinnati

I don’t know if you’ve heard but we’re moving on to Cincinnati.

Waiting for Monday Night

The locals are bracing for a pigskin tsunami of humiliation on a national stage this week. Monday Night Football. It’s the game that everyone else in the NFL is watching. The game every football fan is watching. No hiding place.

It’s a huge early season test for the Patriots. The Chiefs in Kansas City in front of a crowd determined to wrest the title of loudest crowd (on the Guinness Book of World Records scale) from the Seattle faithful of “12^th Man” fame. Part-man, part-machine ballers Tamba Hali, Dontari Poe and Justin Houston will feast on the weak and cowardly New England offensive line, rending their flesh and crushing their skulls before sucking the marrow from the bones of Tom Brady’s broken body.

Figuratively, of course.

A Win is a Win

The Patriots are 2-1-0 and tied for first place in the AFC East. Cue the lamentation of the women.

Back to the Show

It never ceases to amaze me how poorly we take prosperity here in Patriots Nation. Our football team responded to a lackluster performance to open the season with a resounding victory in week 2 and all we can do is kvetch about the passing game’s lack of its usual sophistication. Maybe it’s just me but the 30-7 win over the Vikings last Sunday reminded me a lot of those 2003-04 Patriots. Dominating defense, a big play on special teams, a solid running game and an efficient Tom Brady running the show. Can New England play better?

Yes.

I think that’s the good news. And I’m taking the W.