Getting ready to jump into the All-22 as soon as it’s posted and looking forward to focusing on Dallas’ defensive effort to stop the Patriots as well as the Pats’ usage of Devin McCourty
on defense as it seems his role is evolving a bit.
– One thing that’s been on my mind is how winning Super Bowl 49 seems to have taken some of the pressure of TB and BB and now they’re just able to relax and do what they do. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, or maybe it’s just my own personal feelings, but even with the Deflategate stuff there’s a renewed sense of calm around this Patriots team. Or perhaps it’s just renewed faith that what they’re doing works. Hopefully it continues to translate into the winter months.
– Great win by the Bengals this past weekend, coming back on Seattle to move to 5-0. I know they’ll never be Super Bowl favorites until they win a playoff game but in a league where there’s not as much parity as some might have you believe, I think the Bengals are going about it the right way.
Too many teams are in a constant cycle of hiring coaches, drafting quarterbacks, throwing those quarterbacks immediately into the flames and then as soon as they fail everyone is out and the process starts over. But the Bengals have stuck with their coach and quarterback despite whatever flaws the national media wants to point out.
There are only so many truly elite quarterbacks out there. It’s impossible to try to model a franchise after the Patriots. Instead the Bengals are smartly sticking more to a Giants model. No, they don’t have Brady or Manning but they’ve had enough continuity that they’ve settled in as a very good football team.
They’ve also drafted well and in all the right spots in a similar way that I would do it. Only take a non-linemen in the first round if they’re a can’t miss (AJ Green). Don’t reach for a quarterback. Focus on winning the trenches and you’ll be okay. The Bengals might just have an Eli-Giants Super Bowl run in them one of these years if they just stay the course. They have all the right talent at the right spots, just comes down to their quarterback putting together three or four mistake-free games.
Too many teams don’t try to build this kind of team, instead blowing things up over and over because they don’t turn into a 12-win team season after season.
– The next three games will tell us a lot about the Patriots. We really need to see them handle adversity and I’d bet some is coming with the Colts, Jets and Dolphins coming up. At the quarter point of the season we’re just starting to understand what the Patriots have – and if they stay healthy I think they could be a better overall team than last year’s edition. But there will be a team to poke some holes in the Patriots unbeatable facade and how they respond is what will define this edition of the Pats.
– Are the Broncos the worst 5-0 team in league history? Look, their defense is great but I don’t think anyone is scared of Peyton Manning as the weather gets worse. Do the Broncos even want homefield in the playoffs? Seems their best bet would be to hope they have to go to Indy’s dome. Still, I can’t wait to see the chess battle between Brady and the Broncos D next month.
– I don’t even really dislike any of the Colts players, no, I want a win this weekend specifically for their management, ownership and group of outspoken self-righteous fans and media members who were so vocal during the offseason. I will try to refrain from overconfidently thinking this will be an easy beatdown. The Colts are bound to put together a good game against us sooner or later, but I’d be shocked if New England doesn’t bring their A-plus angry game this Sunday.