PatsPropaganda

Earlier in the year, Tom Brady acknowledged that the New England Patriots were shifting philosophically under new/old coordinator Josh McDaniels, which is why he wasn’t surprised to see the fast start by the running game. That evolution certainly was affected by injuries to tight end Aaron Hernandez, who was out for nearly a month, and receiver Wes Welker’s would-be replacement, Julian Edelman, who hasn’t played since Week 3. As it turns out, Welker’s still pretty good at age 31, and the Patriots have relied on him to make up the difference. But it’s fair to wonder now if the Patriots still haven’t found their identity on that side of the ball. It’s hard to blame the offense for New England’s three losses, particularly when a missed field goal cost the team a win over Arizona, and the defense crumbled late against Baltimore and the Seattle Seahawks. Still, the Patriots didn’t get better as those games went on, and couldn’t close opponents out when given the opportunity. These issues are fixable. McDaniels is sharp, Brady is elite, and it’s a good bet they’re going to be better in November and December than they are now. But you have to wonder if this transitional period could wind up being costly, in terms of playoff positioning, in the long run.