It's nearing the end of September and as usual, the NFL is at a time place where everything is just weird. The Bucs are doing great with Ryan Fitzpatrick as their quarterback, The Browns won a game for the first time in a year and a half and Miami is undefeated. Yeah that Miami the Miami team where Jay Cutler was their quarterback last year and they traded Jay Ajayi to a team that went on to win the Super Bowl.
While these are important storylines what seems to be the biggest storyline is the status of the Patriots.
Now, as a Patriots fan, it doesn't sit well when you see your favorite team lose back to back games. It also doesn't help when you get to watch such a dominant defense on Saturday and then watch your pro team allow a 100-yard rusher from the Detroit Lions. While this loss stings a little there still is hope for the Patriots team to get back on course and be back on top.
Many people remember in 2014 when the Patriots got off to a rough start. In the first four games, they were 2-2 and were embarrassed on Monday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs. That game might be remembered for Bill Belichick's "We're on to Cincinnati" press conference but I remember that game because all the analysts stopped believing in Tom Brady. The Patriots used this outside noise as motivation and went on to only lose two more games that season (One was when all the starters were benched) and represented the AFC in the Super Bowl that year. The Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl and Brady reclaimed his title as the Greatest Quarterback of All Time. What many people might not know is that a similar situation happened 11 years prior to the 2014 Patriots season.
Belichick cut team captain Lawyer Milloy before the season began because he refused to take a pay cut. Milloy went on to sign with Buffalo, one of the Patriots rivals and met his old team in week two. In that game New England was shutout and more outside noise came in claiming that Belichick had lost his team and the players hated him. This went on to be used as motivation as the Patriots didn't lose another game that season, shut out the Bills in the final game of the regular season and went on to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl which they won.
So why do these two events from my favorite team matter? Most teams that end up in the Super Bowl do not look good in the beginning I mean do you really think that the Kansas City Chiefs are going to continually look good? While some people might be quick to say that the Patriots are done or Tom Brady needs to retire it is also fair to remember that there are two more months of NFL football. The Patriots might not look good now but things can change.
There are years where it looks like the end of the dynasty in New England but there is always a way for them to come back. While there are many questions for this team there are answers coming with the return of Julian Edelman and the addition of Josh Gordon. The defense will give up points but with more players coming back and the defensive line rotating guys in and out there will be room to improve. The sky isn't falling in New England but just know that all your concerns will have a way to be addressed soon.