2017 Patriots Season:

They were down 14-0, but give the players and coaches credit. There was no panic. They regrouped and came back to score 24 straight points.

Jenkins never really lost control and rolled out of bounds in the end zone in what appeared to 77,562 people in the stands and thousands on tv as a touchdown

Right now Alex Smith is the NFL MVP for 2017. The previously maligned quarterback is leading the league in completion percentage, yards per pass attempt and passer rating. The additions of Tyreek Hill in 2016 and rookie Kareem Hunt this year certainly help as well. The Pittsburgh defensive front seven is nothing special and won’t be able to handle that duo. Whispers about the demise of 35 year old Ben Roethlisberger (6 TD, 7 INT) will gain momentum this week in Iron City.

A win by the Patriots today in Brady’s start will put him over the top at 187 career regular season wins and add another career milestone for #12.

In a network decision nobody anticipated before the 2017 NFL season began, a Sunday afternoon Jets game will be broadcast to most of the nation. Three games dominate the NFL Week 6 afternoon broadcast distribution. Most of the nation will be fed the following games Sunday afternoon. In the early time slot CBS will air the New England Patriots at New York Jets for the lead in the AFC East.

This may be a time for the Patriots to establish something of a consistent running game. Gang Green has allowed an average of 143 yards per game.

Week 7 is highlighted by a rematch of what was possibly the greatest championship game in pro sports history. The Atlanta Falcons will travel to Foxborough to take on the New England Patriots a week from Sunday night. The professional handicappers at the Westgate have listed the defending champs as four point favorites for the moment.

Jenkins will get matched up with either a safety (Pat Chung) or one of the linebackers and this will be a big matchup to watch this week.

Danny Amendola was targeted eight times and had eight catches for 77 yards. He had some really nice conversions on third down

It’s safe to say that five games shouldn’t define a season, but given the trouble this Patriots team has had over that span, they’ve made some progress but obviously still have their work cut out for them.

Winston said about #12 “That’s a blessing, man, to meet someone like that. I dream to be able to be the type of quarterback he is for his team to our team.”

The two Super Bowl LI contestants are the biggest initial Week 6 favorites. Atlanta is a 9½ point home favorite, and New England is favored by the same amount on the road. The Falcons face a Miami team that has scored a mere six points in their last two games and are averaging just 8.3 points per game on the season. The defending Super Bowl champions travel to New Jersey to take on their arch rivals for the biannual encounter. The Jets have ruined management tanking plans and could enter on a three game winning streak should they defeat the Browns on Sunday.

Tom Brady was his usual very efficient self, completing 30-40 for 303 yards with one TD and one interception, his first of the season.

You get the feeling that if the score were 16-14 Patriots on the final drive, what was there to worry about?

New England improved to 3-2 on the season thanks to a 19-14 win over the Buccaneers on Thursday night.  While it wasn’t perfect, Bill Belichick’s club did enough to get a tough win on the road and we saw some improvements in a variety of areas.  Here are a few thoughts on the victory.