“They are who we thought they were.”
That’s what I kept thinking as I watched Sunday’s ugly win unfold before me. It was almost cruelly the exact same set up we’ve been watching for what seems like years now.
Pats up by double digits. Pats slowly wilt, only to see it stolen away at the last possible moment. Unless they get a turnover, which they did.
Offensively I am encouraged. Slightly. Their performance with the game on the line cannot be swept under the rug. But otherwise it was generally gross, with a slew of drops and an inconsistent line that was missing two starters. They got the job done, barely, with it all on the line.
So it’s a positive to build off of, however small. Let’s give Mankins next week off too and come back blazing after the bye.
Defensively they’ve still got a ways to go. Obvs. It’s so frustrating to see a weakness exploited again and again, no matter the quarterback or receiver. By this point you’d have hoped for at least a bit of improvement. But no, it’s the same old story with the 2012 Pats, adding another 6 to their average 5.5 20+ plays per game.
They show flashes at times, but it’s never sustained. Stopping the run they’re fine. But when Mark Sanchez is completing 68% of his passes you know something with the pass defense is wrong.
The only thing Pats fans can hope for is that Gregory and Chung come back soon and remain healthy and starting together the rest of the year. If we have to endure another season of hodgepodge on the back end it’s going to be a long season that isn’t going to end pretty.
I believe the offense will start to hit their stride after the bye. They’re still searching for an identity. I don’t know what to expect from the defense. You’d like to think they’ll start to catch on, but at this point it looks like a long shot.
But hey, maybe this is one of those Giants-type seasons where we finish 9-7 but get uber-hot at the right moment?