I think doubt had started to creep in, especially after that opening day loss. The loss the next week against the Jets was also ugly, and they grossly underperformed (they didn't even score a TD that day) which at 0-2, and looking as bad as they had at the end of 2000, I remember one of the writers I talked to back then inferring that there was some doubt. The turning point was obviously the next week when they put up 44 at home against Indy, and then won again in front of the fans in OT two weeks later. That was when some of it quieted and it felt like there would be some patience after seeing the way Brady was playing.