The 0-1 Patriots travel to New Orleans Sunday for an intriguing matchup against Drew Brees and the 0-1 New Orleans Saints. The Patriots haven’t started a season 0-2 since 2001 (aka Tom Brady‘s first year as a starter) and after the terrible showing in the season opener, New England’s backs are already against the wall. Kind of.
As we discussed on Patshow this week, this season already has some drama and that can be a good thing. We’ve lived a 16-0 season (and the ensuing 18-1 finale) and that thrill of will-they-or-won’t-they lose a game was special. But we don’t need to live again. 2017 is going to be a battle, that much is already clear. Losing Edelman, then Hightower AND Amendola going down in the first game? Kinda hard to top that outside of losing you know who.
Frankly injuries are usually the only thing that keeps Belichick and Brady from going to the Super Bowl every year, and it’s fair to wonder if this team has already lost too much. The difference this year is that they’ve all happened so early in the year. This isn’t 2009, 2011, 2013 or 2015. Those all featured late heavy-impact injury losses like Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski, Andre Carter and yes, Julian Edelman. Once again it will actually be any late-season injuries that define this team’s championship hopes.
I’m still holding my breath for the Patriots to make some significant in-season personnel moves. This team still feels like a work-in-progress at this point.
And now they return to the site of the worst regular season loss in BB/TB history.
Here’s my gameplan for pulling out a win by any means necessary in New Orleans.
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