Early season loss leaves Patriots at familiar crossroads – WEEI | Christopher Price

Fun historical context read from Chris Price. Love stuff like this!!

Now it appears the 2013 Patriots are at a similar intersection, one that will determine whether or not they are tough enough – both physically and mentally – to be a success. Can they use an early season setback to pave the way for a run through the second half of the regular season? Or is the letdown part of a larger problem that could dog this team throughout the rest of the year? One thing that certainly distinguishes the current edition from previous years is that you can argue – as Brady did on Monday – that New England’s No. 1 offense has yet to be on the field. The fact that the Patriots will get their two best running backs in Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen on the field sooner rather than later, while tight end Rob Gronkowski continues to make progress from an offseason that was filled with surgeries. That alone should provide a boost to an offense that’s been sluggish for much of the first five games of the season. But it’s one thing to get a much-needed infusion of talent on the offensive side of the ball – it’s another thing to have those players be able to execute the game plan on a consistent basis.