Stop The Whining Pats Fans and Enjoy!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Scott Cordischi, GoLocalProv Sports Editor

We complain. The defense can’t hold a lead in the 4th quarter. They don’t have a great pass rusher. There’s no shut-down corner like Assante Samuel or Ty Law in the secondary. Offensively, they haven’t had a great running back since Cory Dillon. Without Randy Moss, they lack a #1 wide receiver. Yet, through it all, our New England Patriots sport an (8-2) record which is tied with the New York Jets for the best mark in the entire National Football League.

There is no question that the Patriots have flaws. Bill Belichick tells us as much on a daily basis. Belichick’s 2007 Pats were the closest thing to NFL perfection as we have ever seen and even they couldn’t finish the deal in Super Bowl 42. What we need to do while acknowledging all of their shortcomings is appreciate what this team is doing and give it the credit it deserves.

I’m not asking you to get out your Patriot pom-poms and start waving them unconditionally. It’s okay to look at this team with a critical eye. However, sometimes we need to step back and appreciate this team for what it is – one of the best in the NFL.

Let’s start with the fact that most of us had this as a (10-6) team or thereabouts coming into the season. We believed this to be an accurate prediction because of the youth and inexperience on the defensive side of the football and because they were man-handled by the Baltimore Ravens in Foxboro in the opening round of the playoffs following last season.

We also looked at their tough schedule and thought that 11, 12 or 13 wins would be almost impossible to attain yet they are right on pace for somewhere in that neighborhood. Which, by the way, is a pretty nice neighborhood if you ask me.

Let’s also consider the fact that this team went (2-6) on the road last year with their only two victories coming against Tampa Bay on a neutral field in London and in Buffalo against the lowly Bills. This year, the Pats have won games at Miami, San Diego and Pittsburgh – all tough places to play, all against good football teams. They have also defeated the Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts at home – two teams considered to be among the elite in the AFC. So if the Patriots are as flawed a team as we think they are, then what do we make of these five teams? New England beat, and in some cases even embarrassed, all of them.

If you want to make the case that the Jets are better than the Patriots, okay. New York beat New England in week two down at the Meadowlands so they currently have the upper hand. That could change, however, in two weeks when these two teams meet at Gillette Stadium for what will be a huge Monday Night Football game on December 6th.

While the Patriots may not be the most talented team in the NFL, they are arguably the best coached and, like the Jets, they know how to win. And in the bottom line business that is the NFL, that is the bottom line. So let’s enjoy it, shall we?