Fool’s Gold?
I have a question for you. For all those that still feel this team is invincible and cannot be stopped please raise your hand. Go on. Put them up. High enough so that I can see them please. Um, orderly, that fellow in the straight jacket seems to be trying to raise his hand, could you maybe untie one arm just long enough for him to lift it?

The reason I ask is that what I saw broadcast from Foxboro on Sunday evening, well, it was frightening.
Because even though the end result on the won-lost columns was the same as every other week of this season, this game was somehow very, very different. This was the worst game for the Patriots this year. You only had to hear Al Michael’s and John Madden’s banter at the end of the game to know that in this time, there was a big difference. And if you have been a fan of the Patriots for any real length of time you began to wonder, despite all the evidence from earlier games, that this whole thing undefeated thing might just be a scoop full of iron pyrite.

Before this game I had considered leading off with something about how even though the team had been looking looks so formidable, that I had found a way to build up the other team in my mind. How going into that game at Buffalo last week that I had been able to conjure up in my mind images of the Bills being pretty good. In fact they are almost as good as the Colts. Yes, yes they are. And that it was going to be a real close game. All of this came from past experiences with this team. Because if you are like me, and have been a fan of this team since before the Belichick era, then you know that things are not always what they appear to be. If you are someone who recognizes the names Dr. Bill Lenkaitis, Vegas Ferguson, Steve Zabel and Mosi Tatupu then you know what I am talking about. And the long history of this team, which the media seems to have forgotten or is unaware of, had me making an emotional cocktail of confidence and paranoia. There were too many games in the past where the team should have won easily only to fall flat on it’s face. The ’78 Colts (0-2) playing in Foxboro on a Monday night. The ’80 Pats that went to play a weak 49ers team and lost in typhoon like conditions. The ’02 loss to the Jets, that we had beaten 44-7 in week 2, keeping us out of the playoffs. We had been the victim of too many losses when it seemed obvious we should win.

But with the 56-10 romping in Orchard Park, the trap for me as a fan was almost complete. I began to forget the truth of the past. The Bills were a pretty good team right? And this was an impressive win. I had begun to believe that in fact this Patriots team was unbeatable. I began looking ahead and seeing a river of golden 40+ point wins stretched out before us.

I stopped drinking what Belichick was offering and I had begun to drink the Kool-Aid that the media had begun to sell. I was giddy.
I was a fool.

Yum. Yes, tasty. That It does have a weird yellow color but it IS good, isn’t it? Why, yes, if we could beat the Bills by 46 then the Philadelphia Eagles should be a cake walk. I mean we are what? A 22 point favorite? And they are playing without their starting QB? And the Patriots have everyone off the injury report except for Tom Brady. And that is a joke on the NFL. He has been listed there for so many consecutive weeks that I believe he was in fact born with that shoulder injury. Sip. Gulp. Yum. Yes, the Patriots that I now believe in should cover this in their sleep. Right? Because they are unbeatable. Right? ANSWER ME!!

Sorry. I am fine now. As I started to say before, the difference in this game came in how the Eagles played the Patriots. And in what this means for the rest of the season. On the day after the Bills game the guys on the Buffalo radio station asked some questions of the Bills Coaches. They wanted to know why, if the team knew that the Patriots were capable of putting so many points on the board, did Buffalo stick to such a conservative game plan. Why not throw it up deep on every series of downs and hope for pass interference calls? Why not go for it on 4th down? What is the difference between giving New England the Ball on your own 42 when the Patriots have demonstrated time and time again that they are equally adept at marching 95 yards as they are at scoring from 25? Why not take more chances? What have you got to lose?

In the Eagles game these are the things that Andy Reid and Co. did. They attacked. They went for it with everything they had. For a full 60 minutes. They converted 4th downs. They threw the ball deep. They did the unexpected by kicking on side kicks. And then even though the Patriots should have, by this point realized they were in a dog-fight, allowed the Eagles to recover the ball. Oh, and one other thing. They completely taken Randy Moss out of the game. No TDs after 4 last week. (Yes, he HAD one but a pretty lame PI call nullified it.) Andy Reid said, you can try to beat us, but it will not be by the hands of Moss. Moss, while great at times, is not perfect. If you put bodies on or near him, it is possible to stop him. In Buffalo on some of his TD catches the nearest defender was 10 yards behind him. The Eagles had Lito Sheppard glued to Moss. At the end of the Philadelphia game Al Michaels and John Madden said words that had a very ominous ring to them. “The Philadelphia Eagles have given a blue-print to the rest of the league on how to beat the New England Patriots.”

Yes, a design has been created on how to beat the unbeatable. Think it is a lie? Remember back in 2001. Do you remember all season how unstoppable the St Louis Rams were? In the Super Bowl Bill Belichick devised a plan to stop them and it worked. What happened to the Rams the next year? Armed with design on how to stop them, other teams were less intimidated and attacked the Rams. Before the next season ended And the Rams were never really the same ever again dropping to 7-9 the next season.

To add further concern to the mix, consider how golden we thought the Patriots defense was. Sure they had allowed some points against the high scoring Cowboys and Colts. But they were really holding people down in most of the games. But early in this game there was a moment when I knew that the Patriots were in deep, deep trouble. Seconds the Eagles scored to tie the game at 7’s the cameras zoomed in and caught the looks of confusion and disbelief on the faces of Roosevelt Colvin and company. It was as if the defense was saying, “How did that happen? This was not part of the game plan. We are the Patriots!”
“We are supposed to get out to at least a 21 point lead. You can’t score on us. We are unbeatable!”

Those looks told me that there was small chance that despite all the words and bravado, that the Patriots might have begun to read their press clippings. And worse, they had begun to believe them. If you want to ask about the value of being a 22 point favorite go ask USC about Stanford. And in this game, score the Eagles did. Again and again the Eagled drove the field. As the game wore on I found myself screaming more and more often at the TV screen “STOP HIM!” “HOW ARE THEY GETTING OPEN?” “It is the same route every time? Doesn’t anyone else see this?” And finally in a fit of utter desperation,
“I need to go get my OTHER Brady Jersey. And switch hats. I need to help stem the tide that is rising against us.”

I am now worried that the fate of the 2001 Rams might befall the Patriots this season. My emotions have once again swung back to paranoia and pain. What is going to happen? Will this whole season of potential go flat on it’s face? We have 5 games left to put our mark on history. We need to win 5 games to run the regular season table. We need 8 games to do what can never be bested. Can we do it? It is not going to be easy. What I and a lot of us need to do now is to stop drinking the media’s Kool-aid and go back to the Kool-aid from Belichick. Say it with me

One
Game
At
A
Time

According to Al Michaels, the Eagles were killing the Patriots with in-cuts. Sound familiar? Go back and watch the Super Bowl XXXVI video and listen to what Crennel and Belichick are screaming at the defense. I am hoping that the defense finds its inner beast and attacks next Monday in Baltimore. I know, the Ravens offense is a joke. But are you really ready to think that Baltimore might not try to use what the Eagles did to make this a game? Certainly the Ravens defense has more play makers than the Eagles. This could be a game. What happened to the slaughter-fest that I signed on for?

====

Klondike
When I see Wes Welker play on this team I am reminded of the very old movie Gold Is Where You Find It. The New England Patriots certainly struck the mother load when they pulled the trigger on the trade for our new No. 83. Make no doubt about it, this game was won because Mr. Sticky-Hands was on the team. With Moss effectively removed from the game with double and triple coverage the underneath lanes were open. And this is the place that the Texas Tech grad has been homesteading. Again and again he strikes it big with clutch catches for first downs. And then the defense lays a big hit on him. And he holds on to the ball. This guy is amassing his fortune underneath the coverage and the Patriots are laughing all the way to the bank.

Oh yeah and one more thing about our new golden boy. He has scary goat eyes. Just like a goat. Only more ..ya know,… scary.

Kryptonite
I remember how as a kid I first learned about Superman. And I was amazed at the idea that a person could stop a train. That bullets fired at him would just bounce off. I was too young to know the word invincible but I quickly came to terms with the concept. And then the writers of the comics introduced the idea that while nothing in our world could harm him there was this one element that only game from Superman’s own world, that would render him powerless. Clearly there is something about this A.J. Feeley kid that makes him Kryptonite to this Patriots team. He just saps the strength from the defense. If the Patriots never face him again it is fine with me. In fact, maybe we can lock him in a lead box and lower it into the Marianas Trench.

Koppen
Let me say again, this guy is doing an amazing job making line calls and picking up the middle of the defensive pass rush. Vote for this man for the Pro Bowl.

Kaczur
Part of me wonders if Nick would be better at handling a speed rush on the outside if he had a beard that was nore Norse-esque like the one Matt Light wears. But then again Light has been having problems with the outside rush. He has also been having problems, as he has for his whole career, on hearing the snap count. He gets called for false starts. Suggestion to the Patriots.

No1. Make Kaczur grow a full beard so that he can be stronger in picking up the rush. Twice in this game, No.77 got burned fast and furiously as the defenseive End came in to make a huge hit on Brady. Not Good!

No.2 Make Matt Light cut his hair. He can keep the beard but the Viking haircut had got to go. I figure it is impeding his ability to hear what Brady is shouting. Brady shouts “42 is the Mike.” Light hears “42 Hike” and he moves. He is in his home stadium. When is it ever going to be more quiet? Two false starts in one game are utterly unacceptable.

Kick in the Head
Thankfully the Patriots did not have to play in the conditions like those in Pittsburgh on MNF. But given some of the anomalies of the kicking game this week, it might have seemed as though they were.

We now know that one of the down sides to scoring only touch downs is that Ghost gets out of practice on longer field goals. Bill, throw the kid a bone. Next time we are up by 36 points, and the drive sputters at the opponents 32, let the kid kick one. If he makes it it will help prepare him for the playoffs. And you are still running up the score on those accusing dogs on the other sideline so everyone wins.

Also a bit of head scratcher on Lonnie Paxton. Mr. consistency actually had his name called in this game for one of those false start/ simulating a snap / being alive penalties. Am I worried? No. The last time we heard his name called was when he was making snow angels in January 2002. The exception proves the rule. This long snapper has two golden arms when it comes to getting the ball to a kicker. Which might explain his covering his arms with tattoos. This was his mulligan for this year and the next 3.

Karma
Superstitions are like Fight Club.
The first rule about Fight Club is you do not talk about Fight Club.
Same with superstitions and rituals.
The first rule of superstitions is you do not talk about superstitions.
You pay homage quietly and move along.
Who knows why I answered that threat over at Patriots Planet about game day rituals.

The second rule about superstitions is you do not talk about superstitions.
You do not talk about the magic jersey.
You do not talk about the special socks.
You do not talk about the special coffee mug used to hold team friendly colored drinks.

I’ll be back after I get done washing my lucky Patriots Bath Towel.

Until next week, Another night game ...

Go Pats!!

Erdoboy
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