Making It Up As They Go

There's a dark subtext to seeing the Patriots set the record with their 17th consecutive season winning 10 games (or more, of course). I mean… That can't go on forever. Right? 

It doesn't help that the consensus amongst pigskin pundits and bobbleheads seems to be that this is the worst 10-1-0 team in NFL history. Wounded. Living off their rep and a soft schedule. No longer Super Bowl contenders. (Can you say a more hurtful thing about the Patriots?) Is that The Cliff photobombing Tom Brady's Instagram posts? 

If there's an upside, it's that Bill Belichick is some kind of pigskin alchemist who can transform doubt into blocked punts. 

Winning Football

The first thing I read the morning after the Patriots storm-addled 13-9 win over the Cowboys in Foxborough was pretty much what I expected. Patriots Finally Have Reason to Be Concerned About Tom Brady and the Offense, according to Brad Gagnon on Bleacher Report.

To which I say...

Finally?

The Repeatable Experience

We've seen this movie before, haven't we? Underperforming in the regular season, featuring a blowout loss that has pigskin pundits questioning Tom Brady and the Patriots' Super Bowl bona fides? Check. Controversy? I'd say the endless Antonio Brown saga qualifies. A rash of injuries that seems to target a single position group? Well, we haven't gotten to the point where wide receivers are playing defensive back but I might be close to asking if any of the defensive backs played wide receiver in college… or high school… or pee wee football. 

Yeah. We've seen this movie before and we know how it ends. 

The Sky Is The Ceiling

It's been observed - often by the local pigskin pundits and bobbleheads guilty of the same sentiments - that only Patriots fans could find misery in an 8-0-0 record. Waiting for the Sunday night game and almost certain defeat at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens and their unicorn QB, Lamar Jackson, it just feels like a good time to try to cheer myself up.

Darth Hoodie Finds Your Lack of Faith Disturbing

I was thinking… Should I be upset that so many pigskin pundits and bobbleheads are playing the passive-aggressive disrespect card by finishing any discourse on the Patriots' dominance on defense with "but they haven't really played anyone yet" followed by the list of less than replacement level quarterbacks they've faced in posting an 8-0-0 record?

And I realized… No. 

Is here another team that responds to the slightest of slights like the New England Patriots?

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.

Chasing The Patriots Can Be Hazardous To Your Health

There's an old saying in football that if you're not running a quarterback sneak on 4th and 1, you probably shouldn't be going for it on 4th and 1.  

As noted, it's an old saying. So, why is a new, modern, millennial, disruptive, innovative offense like the Kansas City Chiefs running a quarterback sneak? 

Is everything up to date in Kansas City?