The 2017 Patriots lost defensive leader Dont'a Hightower in week 7. The 2014 Patriots lost defensive leader Jerod Mayo in week 7.
The difference in the defense in '14 afterward was palpable.
Everybody new they had to pick it up several notches - and they did.
Would love to see the same - and the same result - this season.
I can, however, do without another fake "scandal"...'07 and '15 were effective enough in exposing people across the country, in and out of football, including of course ownership, present and former players, coaches, front office and fans as complete, total, utter, hopeless, ignorant, stupid morons.
Then again, if you like incremental progress, we've seen Kraft evolve from tearfully apologizing to his fellow owners and opposing coaches after his team was victimized by a blown-up excuse of an infraction, insane discipline including a stolen first-round draft pick, subsequently dragged through the mud and raked over the coals, exponentially increased by a preposterous local media report immediately prior to losing an historic unbeaten season and title with near misses and officiating errors;
to nine years later, demanding a league apology contingent upon the official exoneration of, and then later filing an amicus curae brief on behalf of, his latest employee victim of malevolent bias...still refusing to say nary a discouraging word about - and endorsing the contract extension of! - his friend the perpetrator.
So, at this rate the team's traditional logo and uniforms will be restored in 2176.