Bungled

DAVID KOHL/AP

WEEK 5
Every team, even the best in the NFL, has a game or two each year when it just beats itself. That's why only one has ever gone 16-0. And very few ever go 15-1. Or 14-2. There are going to be those Sundays.

The Pats have already had a few brushes with those games (Bill, Jets) but they managed to make enough plays to pull out victories. The Patriots -- on offense at least -- made very few plays in their Joan Rivers-caliber ugly 13-6 loss in Cincy.

The last time the Patriots held an opponent to 13 points and lost? Week 2 of 2001. That's right. The game when Mo Lewis changed Patriot history forever and knocked Drew Bledsoe off the team. Tom Brady has thrown a lot of touchdown passes since that September day and has set a lot of records. That's what future hall of famers do. But #12, for the first time in 52 games, couldn't throw a touchdown pass yesterday.

The Cincy D gets a lot of the credit. They have a great pass rush and made the Pats' usually stout O line look bad for much of the day. And they made Brady look worse. Five weeks into the season and he and his new crew of receivers are still far from on the same page. Cincy's D was missing several starters and their offense has really only one weapon in A.J. Green. That looked like a recipe for 5-0. But not when Brady is under-throwing guys or those guys are dropping the ones that he did get to them. A bad fumble. A bad interception. Too many mistakes. That's what always makes the difference. If the Pats don't turn the ball over they probably win. Win ugly. But win.

One week after playing their best game of the season on offense the Pats played their worst. That's the way it goes in the NFL. One week really has nothing to do with the next.

And hopefully that will be the case this Sunday at home against New Orleans. A late afternoon kickoff against the best the NFC has to offer. Drew Brees. Sean Payton. One of the biggest home games of the year. One of the biggest tailgates of the year.

And maybe the return of Gronk. Just in time.

Divisional playoff rewind

The Patriots destroyed the Tim Tebow-led Broncos last year to earn the right to host the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game. The momentum from that romp did not carry over to the title game as Brady struggled all day and the Pats escaped with a three-point victory. This year the Pats roll into the AFC title rematch after beating the Texans 41-28. Will the offense sputter again and cough the ball up or will it click (even without Gronk) the way it is capable of and put the Ravens away? The defense is neither awful nor great. It will do the best it can. It's the offense that will decide if the Pats get another shot at their fourth Lombardi.

GOOD

• Shane Vereen (and Stevan Ridley): Vereen was actually drafted before Ridley. He was taken in the second round, followed by Ridley in the third round. With the need for a pass rusher and any kind of defensive back I was puzzled that Belichick took two running backs. I wasn't sure what his plan was. I guess I know now. Two very good backs (like tight ends) are better than one. Vereen had Kevin Faulk type game, making big plays on the ground and in the air. Ridley, who has seen a little less playing time since having some fumble issues, wasn't on the field at the start of the game but finished with 82 yards on 15 carries. Good luck stopping both these guys.
• Aaron Hernandez (and Wes Welker): That goes for these two guys, too. Losing Gronk is huge, but it's not as huge when you still have Hernandez. This was supposed to be his year, but he hurt his ankle in Week 2 and it took him a while to get back up to speed. He looks like he's back. He had some big catches against Houston. And when the defense shifts to stop Hernandez, that opens things up for Welker. Brady has plenty of weapons, but none bigger than these two. Good luck keeping them out of the end zone.
• Zoltan Mesko (and Stephen Gostkowski): The guys who sit behind us at Gillette say the darndest things. One of them last week said "Mesko is the worst punter in the league. He never kicks any long ones." Hmmmm. Wonder why that is? Could be that the Pats offense rarely gets stuffed deep in its own territory so he doesn't get too many chances. What he does get a lot of chances to do is drop the ball inside the other team's 20, and he was one of the best in the league at that. Zoltan got the chance to make some long kicks against Houston and he showed what he can do. 61 yards. 57 yards. 50 yards. 64 yards. And Gosty was solid again with some deep kickoffs and two field goals. 

BAD

• Gronk (and Woody): There are injuries and then there are injuries. The loss of Gronk is a bummer. Not just because he's one of the most unstoppable offensive forces in the game but because if the Pats were to win the Super Bowl how fun would it be to see Gronk celebrating? Pretty fun. Woody hurt his hand on the first play of the Houston game and never came back. But the word is he will be ready for the Ravens. Hopefully the Pats have had their share of injuries for the season.
• Kick coverage (and pass coverage): What's up with the kick coverage? It's been shaky too often this season. Against the Texans it was almost fatal. The Pats better tighten it up and fast. The Raven's Jacoby Jones is one of the league's best kick returners. The pass coverage needs to tighten up, too. (Is that even possible?). The Ravens' offense is getting lot of hype. More than it deserves. Especially Flacco. But one thing they are doing well is hit the big play. Which is the one thing the Pats' D can't stop. Tighten up. 

The Ravens wanted this rematch. But their plan was to hold it in Baltimore. After they pulled out a come-from-behind win in Week 3 and raced out to a 9-2 record it looked like they would. But a late-season collapse allowed the Pats to easily pass them in the playoff seedings. The rematch is on. And it's back at Gillette. It's going to be frigid. I can't wait.

Bye-ing their time

WEEK 17
Patriots 28, Dolphins 0 (12/30/'12): Some Sundays are just better than others. After a tough, sloppy loss to the Niners and a just sloppy win over the Jags, the Patriots came out with a focus in the season finale and took the game to Miami in the frigid evening at Gillette. The solid 28-0 win, combined with Indy knocking of Houston, lifted the Pats into the second seed in the AFC and gave them a week off before a home playoff game. One home win and they're in the AFC title game. Again.

It was a team win, something that was much needed after a few shaky weeks. Brady looked playoff ready, throwing for 284 yards and two touchdowns and spreading the ball around. Gronk came back from his broken forearm and caught a touchdown. Stevan Ridley got back on track with two touchdowns and NO fumbles. It was a workman-like job by the offense.

But it was the defense that set the tone and controlled the game. Granted, Miami is not the strongest team offensively. But the Pats held them to just 256 total yards. If the D can play like that in the playoffs then the Pats are going to be tough to beat. Rookie Justin Francis, who has been getting more playing time down the stretch, had three of the team's seven sacks yesterday. Steve Gregory had a nice pick and Kyle Arrington even made some tackles. Ninko limped off the field with what looked like a leg or hip injury. Losing him for the playoffs would be a big loss. But if Ninko is OK and corners Talib and Dennard are healthy then the young, fast, and tough defense -- all led by Big Vince -- should be able to do its part in the playoffs.

As Brady said after the game ... "We’ve won 10 of 11, so it’s pretty good. We were 2-3 at one point, [and we] had some tough games early in the year. We won 10 of 11 and the only loss was against a pretty good football team (San Fran) where we turned it over four times. So if we don’t turn it over four times, I like our chances."

Exactly. If the Patriots can play three games without a turnover they have a very good chance to hoist that elusive fourth Lombardi trophy. A very good chance.

Week 11 rewind

It's the dreaded short week for the Pats. Play (and win big) on Sunday and play (and hopefully win big) on Thursday night. Win two games in four days and you go from 6-3 to 8-3 and are in charge of your division. Lose two in four days and your season suddenly changes for the worse. The Pats took care of the first step Sunday with a convincing win over the surprising Colts. Is there much doubt they will take care of business against the Jets on Thanksgiving?

GOOD

• Offense, offense, offense. The Patriots are one of four teams that have a point differential of more than 100 points on the positive side. The other three teams -- Niners, Bears, Texans -- do it mostly with defense. Not that Pats. They put up lots of points. They have lots of weapons. Gronk (before he got hurt) had two more TDs. Edelman had a score. Ridley. Vereen. Throw in Welker, Lloyd, and a soon-to-return Hernandez and the offense with Brady at the helm is as good as it has ever been.
• Special teams. Julian Edelman's 68-yard punt return for a touchdown was the second big kick return this season. The other being McCourty against the Jets. Edelman had 117 yards in punt returns and McCourty added 94 yards in kick-off returns. Nothing like giving the best offense in the league great field position.
• Turnovers. The defense had four more Sunday against the Colts. They returned two of their three picks for touchdowns. The defense is still giving up too many yards and too many big plays, but the turnovers are offsetting that for now.

BAD

• Gronk broke his arm on the extra point at the end of the game. Now that's bad. There'll be lots of talk about why Belichick leaves his starters in games when they are out of reach blah blah blah. But really? Gronk breaks his arm blocking on an extra point? Has a guy ever broken his arm on an extra point? It's just bad luck. He could have just as likely broken his arm standing on the sideline.

The Gronk-less Pats head to the new Meadowlands for a Thanksgiving night clash with their enemies. It's a game all Pats fans couldn't wait for when the schedule came out. With or without Gronk, the Pats will be ready for this one.

An early feast

WEEK 11
Patriots 59, Colts 24 (11/18/'12): When it comes to tailgating, every day is Thanksgiving.

Although the holiday wasn't till later in the week (Did someone say there's a Pats game that night, too?), the turkey fryer was put into action in the Enchanted Forest. Not for turkey. There'll be plenty of that later. This time it was used to make rotini for pasta bolognese with sausage. The portable stove was also fired up for the garlic bread. What's better than a crisp, November day for a little Italian feast? Nothing.

And what's better than a crisp, November day for a Pats blowout of the Colts at Gillette? Nothing.

In a battle of 6-3 teams, the Pats showed why they have been near the top of the NFL for a decade and why the Colts are still a team in rebuilding mode. Although it sure didn't look like that at the end of the first quarter as rookie phenom Andrew Luck had his team ahead 14-7, engineering two scoring drives on his team's first two possessions. Luck opened with a seven-play, 80-yard drive and followed that up with 10-play, 84-yard drive. The Pats secondary didn't look any better with new cornerback Aqib Talib making his first start. Not any better at all.

That all changed in the second quarter, a second quarter that could be looked at as a turning point in the regular season. If the Pats continued to let the Colts have their way with them and lost at home to fall to 6-4, they could be fighting for their playoff lives down the stretch. And that's what makes Belichick's teams as good as they are. When those moments arrive, they very often respond. Julian Edelman -- who had a monster day that should quiet most of those who questioned why Belichick was trying to use him more -- returned a punt for 68 yards and caught a touchdown pass. He finished with more than 200 total yards. A Troy Brown-like performance. Brady had another MVP game, throwing for 331 yards, three touchdowns, and no picks. There are a lot of solid MVP candidates this year (Luck being one), but is there really anyone who should be ranked ahead of Brady? 21 touchdowns and only three picks with an offensive line that has not been healthy all year. He has a great group of talent around him, but Brady -- like Big Vince on the other side of the ball -- is the one who elevates everyone else's game. That is the definition of an MVP.

It was another outstanding day for the offense, but it also turned into a very good day for the defense as well. After giving up touchdowns on the first two drives, the D only allowed Luck and the Colts 10 more points. Not only that, the defense scored two touchdowns. Rookie Alfonzo Dennard -- who seems about to take over for Arrington if he hasn't already -- returned a pick 87 yards for a touchdown. Talib, who had his ups and downs in his first game as a Patriot, had one very big up with a sensational 59-yard interception return that came right after Edelman's kick return. Luck did throw for more than 300 yards (I guess that's just a given against the Pats D), but the defense kept pressure on him and forced four more turnovers. It wasn't perfect, but it was good enough. And that's what the team needs from the defense.

It was an entertaining home game that included lots of big plays and the return of Billy (his son's football team's great season sadly over) to the tailgate. That meant everything seafood, including scallops wrapped in bacon. A great day of football and food. I'll be ready for a lot more of both in just a few days.

Week 10 rewind

At the top of the list of golden rules of the NFL season is "Thou must win thy division games."

The Pats have rode that rule to nine AFC East titles in the last 11 years. Adhering to that rule almost always gets you into the playoffs. After beating the Bills at Gillette Sunday the Pats have made it halfway through their division battles without a loss. 3-0. Everyone else in the division has at least two losses.

Every win in the division is a good win.

GOOD

• No turnovers. OK, when the best thing you can say about a win is that there were no turnovers you know it wasn't the most impressive performance. But the second golden rule of the NFL is "Thou shalt not coughest up the ball." That's Pats continue to religiously follow that rule too.
• Stevan Ridley. The second-year back finished with 98 yards and a touchdown. If the Pats weren't able to run the ball with Ridley there's no telling how many points the Bills could have put up against the Pats' D. Ridley and the running game continue to be a huge factor.
• Woody. Danny Woodhead has taken over the Kevin Faulk role. That means he may not play a huge part in every game, but when he does it's usually key. Against the Bills he had a great 15-yard touchdown run in the first half and then an even better 18-yard touchdown grab where he and Brady kept a play alive and got a big score.
• Clutch play. One of the biggest knocks on the team earlier in the year (and the last few years) was that the Pats weren't winning close games. Well, they are winning them now. Devin McCourty's pick in the end zone may have been a bad pass by Fitzpatrick but it was still a clutch play. He could have dropped it.

BAD

• Speaking of drops, there were too many of them. Welker dropped a sure touchdown and then another that could have gone for a long gain. Brandon Lloyd continue to have some drops. It's not a "bad' that you should see too much of.
• 481 yards of total offense by the Bills. Fitzpatrick and the Bills have been able to move the ball on the defense for the past few years so it's no big surprise. But still, allowing nearly 500 yards of offense at home is very very bad.
• The Pats may be winning close games, but this one shouldn't have been a close game. The Pats led 24-10 after Gronk had a touchdown spike late in the second quarter. But the D let the Bills march for a score right before the half and let them stay in the game from that point on. Holding on to leads is still a bit of a problem.

It wasn't a pretty win. But it was a division win. 

The long bye

WEEK 10
Patriots 37, Bills 31 (11/11/'12): The Patriots under Bill Belichick have been almost unbeatable after the bye week. Going into last season they hadn't lost after the bye in almost ten years. But last year they lost back-to-back games against the Steelers and the Giants after their week off. They looked out of sync. The bye can do that to you. Take you off your game a bit. It happens for players and coaches. And for tailgaters.

I got a late start for yesterday's 1 p.m. game at Gillette. As Mark and Bergs were rolling into the Enchanted Forest around 8:30 in the morning, I was just starting to think about getting out of bed. A few hours later I was making my way down the scenic Route 1 with Dunkin's caramel swirl ice coffee in hand. About five miles from the stadium -- and about 10 a.m. -- I got a call from Shep. "Are you almost here?" he asked. I figured the group was starting to get annoyed at the straggler. "Just passed the Walpole Mall. Will be there soon," I assured him. "We have an emergency," Shep said. "We have no charcoal for the only grill we brought."

Bye week. Totally out of sync.

"Well, it's a good thing I slept in today," I said. "I'll make a charcoal stop."

"We need lighter fluid, too," Shep added.

Less than an hour later I arrived at the tailgate with the ingredients for fire. The key to every successful tailgate. It wasn't long before the fire -- and I -- were nicely glowing. And it wasn't long before the burgers were ready and the tailgate was in full swing.

"We finished strong," said Shep's son, Matt. "That's what counts."

Same goes for football. Finish strong. The Pats were able to do it against the Bills yesterday thanks to an interception from Devin McCourty with just 23 seconds left. Bergs and I watched the game from the ramps where the Super Bowl banners hang just to see what the view is like from up there. It's a pretty good place to watch a game. You get to see the plays unfold from such a high vantage point. You get to see how the Bills were able to gash through the middle of the defense because there was often no one in the middle. And you get to see how the Bills were able to mess up the D with simple counter plays. You get to see how quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was able to lead his team back from an early 24-10 deficit and have a chance to steal the game. And you get to see him make a big mistake at the worst possible moment to give the game away.

You also get to see Tom Brady scramble to make some great plays in a game where he and the offense looked a little out of sync too.

"It's all about how you finish," Bergs said as we headed back to the tailgate to fire up the charcoal for a second round of burgers.

Roster reboot

The Patriots roster is in a constant state of motion. For a team that usually finishes near the top of the standings, it is always evolving. During the bye week the Pats made one of the few trading-deadline deals, acquiring super-talented and super-tainted cornerback Aqib Talib. The team also dumped Bobby Carpenter (again) and Sterling Moore while adding Visanthe Shiancoe and Jarred Fayson (who?). Never a dull moment with Bill Belichick.

The Pats started the season with several questions. How's the offensive line going to do without Matt Light and Brian Waters? How's the running game going to look without Bennie? How will Brandon Lloyd and Brady work together? How will all the rookies do? Who will rush the passer and who will defend the passes? Just to name a few. Considering there were all those questions coming into the season, maybe a 5-3 start with the three losses by a combined four points is pretty darn good. Even for the defending AFC champs.

A position-by-position breakdown of the roster heading into the second-half shows many of those questions have been answered already. Of course, the roster could change at any moment.

QB

Tom Brady (Ryan Mallette): There were no questions here before the season started. Brady has taken some shots in the Blabosphere for showing signs of hitting the downside of his career. What the hell are these people watching? 16 touchdowns, 3 picks. Does he make mistakes? Of course. He made them in '01, '03, and '04 too. All quarterbacks do. It's the nature of the position. But Brady makes plays week after week that not too many other quarterbacks can make.

RB

Stevan Ridley (Shane Vereen, Brandon Bolden, Danny Woodhead): How's the Pats running game going to look without Bennie? How about fifth best in the league. Ridley is lead the AFC in rushing. Before he hurt his knee, Bolden was just as good. Vereen is back from injury and made some big plays against the Jets and followed that up with another solid game against the Rams. Woody has completely taken over the Kevin Faulk role and he's doing a pretty good impersonation.

WR

Wes Welker, Brandon Lloyd, (Deion Branch, Julian Edelman, Matthew Slater): Would Brady and Lloyd click? That's a very big yes. Lloyd has dropped a few easy ones, but he has caught way more tough ones and he and Brady are as one on the quick out. Welkergate -- thankfully -- is over. The toughest player on the team is on pace for another amazing year. Give him a 3-year deal at 12 million a year right now. Welker is the heart and soul of that offense. It's great to have Deion back and you get the sense that he will play a bigger role in the second half. Edelman and Slater are doing their thing.

TE

Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez (Daniel Fells, Michael Hoomanuwanui): The only problem this position has faced is injury. Significant injury. Hernandez -- who just about everyone felt was going to have a breakout year -- suffered an ankle sprain in Week 2 and has been hobbled since, missing four games. The bye week should really help him. It won't hurt Gronk either. He's been pretty banged up but looked like his unstoppable self in London. A healthy Hernandez and Gronk in the second half will make the best offense in the league better. It may make the last 10 minutes of games a lot more fun, too. Fells and the guy whose name I can't pronounce are the backups at the moment, but the way Belichick likes to collect tight ends that could change three or four more times.

O LINE

Nate Solder, Logan Mankins, Ryan Wendell, Dan Connolly, Sebastian Vollmer (Donald Thomas, Marcus Cannon, Nick McDonald): One of the biggest preseason questions -- can the offensive line keep Brady safe and warm? -- has been answered the same way it always is. Yes it can. The O line had a miserable preseason. The Blabosphere was warning that not even Dante Scarnecchia could get blood from these massive stones. They were wrong. Either Scarnecchia is one of the greatest line coaches in history or the Pats have some real talent on the line. Probably some of both. Not only has Brady been kept mostly clean, but the line is doing some nasty run blocking. And with Mankins being hurt a few games. Belichick has a rep as a not-so-great drafter. But Solder and Vollmer are proof positive that he has his moments. And if you are going to have your moments maybe it's best that you have them when you are picking guys to protect your hall-of-fame quarterback.

D LINE

Vince Wilfork, Kyle Love, Rob Ninkovich, Chandler Jones (Jermaine Cunningham, Brandon Deaderick, Ron Brace, Justin Francis, Trevor Scott, Jeff Bequette): Can the Pats get a pass rush with the loss of Andre Carter and Mark Anderson? That was a very big question entering the season. So far, the answer is sometimes yes, mostly no. Chandler Jones is having a rookie-of-the-year season. And Ninko is building off his great 2011 production. Big Vince continues to build a case as the best nose tackle of his generation and Kyle Love is proving a very good protege. Cunningham and Deaderick are good situational pass rushers. The depth of the line hasn't really been tested yet. The D line has been one of the best against the run so far and it is starting to get some pressure on the QB. But it need to get more.

LB

Jerod Mayo, Brandon Spikes, D'onta Hightower (Jeff Tarpinian, Tracy White, Mike Rivera, Niko Koutouvides): It was all about Mayo and Spike staying healthy. So far, so good. Mayo has been a tackling machine. Spikes has been a hitting machine. When they are both seeing everything in front of them they are as a good a linebacker duo as there is. Rookie Hightower finishes the answer to the question how would the rookies do. He's missed some time with injury but when he's been on the field he's made an impact. Not as big as the one Chandler Jones has made but there's still time for him to catch up. 

S

Patrick Chung, Steve Gregory, Devin McCourty (Tavon Wilson, Nate Ebner, Derrick Martin, Malcolm Williams): Who's going to stop the passes? Two big parts of that answer were supposed to be veterans Chung and Gregory. And for two weeks it looked great as they held both the Titans and Cardinals well below 300 yards passing. Then Chung -- as he always does -- and Gregory got hurt. And rookies Wilson and Ebner went from role players to starters. Then Belichick and Patricia decided to slide McCourty from corner to safety like they did near the end of last season. And like last year, McCourty looks better there. When Chung and Gregory get back it will be interesting to see what happens with McCourty. If the two veterans can play like they did at the start of the season then this could become a very solid and deep position. That's the second biggest "if" heading into the second half of the season.

CB

Aqib Talib, Kyle Arrington (McCourty, Alfonzo Dennard, Marquice Cole): The biggest "if" is if new cornerback Aqib Talib can get his act together and play like a top draft pick. If he does ... then the weakest position on the team could become one of the strongest. If McCourty stays at safety, then the question is does Arrington hold onto his starting spot or does rookie Dennard continue to push him. Talib is the key, but Dennard could be the surprise.

K

Stephen Gostkowski, Zoltan Mesko: These guys are among the best kicker duos in the league .. but with room to improve. Gosty missed the game-winner in the home opener against the Cardinals, but he has settled down since then. And his kickoffs are still rockets. Zoltan doesn't have one of the best averages in the league, but he's one of the best at dropping the ball inside the 15-yard line. When you have the best offense in the league, that kind of field position is key.

Five of the final eight games are at Gillette. Including a Monday night game against Houston and a Sunday night game against the Niners. Oh, and there's that Thanskgiving night game against the Jets in New York. What a second half it should be.

Goodnight moon

Goodnight Bill. Goodnight Rex. Goodnight Gronk. Goodnight Wes.

Goodnight 2001 banner. Goodnight overtime win. Goodnight 2004 banner. Goodnight tonic and gin.

Goodnight McCourty the hero. Goodnight late flag from ref. Goodnight McCourty the goat. Goodnight traffic mess.

Goodnight Brady touchdown. Goodnight Sanchez sack. Goodnight Gosty game winner. Goodnight near heart attack.

Week 4 rewind

I could watch this hit over and over and over and over again.

Big Vince may one day be in the NFL Hall of Fame. If he can play another four or five years at the level he has played the last three -- and maybe win a Super Bowl or two -- he will go down as the greatest nose tackle of his generation. And he seems like truly one of the good guys. Except when he's about to unload on you with all his 325-plus pounds.

The Wilfork hit was tops on a very entertaining highlight reel from the Pats' victory over Buffalo. On the good and bad list the best thing is the Pats avoided a 1-3 start. That would have been very very bad.

GOOD

• The offense put up 52 points. That's more than some teams score in a month of football. Pats fans just need to savor every moment of this because the end for Brady is a lot closer than the beginning. He's in his 13th season and -- other than the times he ducks a little too soon -- he's playing as well as he ever has. The touchdown he threw to Woody and the one he ran in himself were great veteran plays. 
• The offensive line. How does Scarnecchia keep doing it? I don't know either. With Mankins out, the offensive line kept Brady upright against the new and improved Bills pass rush and, more importantly, blew open holes to allow the running game pile up an impressive 247 yards. 
• Speaking of 247 yards, backs Stevan Ridley and Brandon Bolden each ran for more than 100 yards. Ridley looks good but Bolden is the back I would want carrying the ball most of the time. I'm not a big fan of the time-share running back approach. And that's not even considering the fantasy football aspect. Just as I like fullbacks, I also like have one feature back and having him run the ball 25 times a game. You know. Like a Corey Dillon. It's unlikely either Ridley or Bolden are going to be the next Dillon, but maybe together than can come close.
• Brandon Spikes. The fourth-year linebacker has been a little inconsistent, but when he is on his game he is nasty. He has been delivering some crunching hits this season. On Sunday, two of those hits resulted in big fumbles. One at the goal line late in the first half with the Bills threatening to break the game open. He still misses some reads and hits the wrong hole, but if he can stay healthy he should quickly improve on that.
• Devin McCourty. I may be one of the few people who were so thrilled with his rookie year that I will still believe in him right up to the moment he is cut. But if he plays like he did Sunday that moment will be a ways off. The thing I like about McCourty is he is always near the ball. If he can keep remembering to look for the ball he can get back to what he did as a rookie,

BAD

• Stephen Gostkowski has to snap out of it and fast. He badly missed the game winner with seconds left in Week 2 against Arizona and he missed back-to-back attempts in Buffalo. His kickoffs are still rocket launched and I think most people still have confidence in him. Time for him to go on a 15-for-15 streak.
• The forecast for Sunday ... It looks like rain for Brady vs. Manning. Time to break out the tailgating tent and the rain gear. It's Week 5 and my first tailgate of the season. The ribs and chicken will taste good even if they'r a little soggy. As will the Don Julio.

Character study

WEEK 4
There is one trait that the Patriots have consistently shown so far this season. Resiliency. In the NFL -- with its wild ups and downs from week to week and even quarter to quarter -- it is one of the best traits a team can have. It's one that Belichick's teams have had almost every year (except maybe 2009). Yesterday in Buffalo it was on full display.

The Patriots found themselves down 21-7 with eleven minutes to go in the third quarter. If it wasn't for rare fumbles by Gronk and Welker, two more missed field goals for Gosty, and one long play by the Bills the Patriots would have been ahead comfortably. They were outplaying the Bills but Buffalo had made almost all the big plays. Thus, 21-7.

Then Brady, Welker, Gronk, Lloyd, Vince, Spikes -- and more importantly the banged up offensive line and running backs Ridley and Brandon Bolden -- decided enough was enough. Just about the time my nephew and I were texting each other "enough of this crap," the Patriots were embarking on a five touchdown spree that turned around the game and -- to steal a little hyperbole from the Blabosphere -- maybe even the season. Because 1-3 is 1-3 no matter how you slice it.

Suddenly Gronk looked like Gronk again. Brady was running in for a touchdown. Yes, Brady. Welker and Lloyd were catching everything that came their way. And Ridley and Bolden were combining for 243 yards and three touchdowns. The defense gave up too many yards again, but time after time in the second half they came up with the big hit or the big turnover. The biggest hit and the biggest turnover came courtesy of Big Vince, the team's emotional leader. With two minutes to play in the half and the Bills up 14-7, Welker fumbled at his own 20 setting the Bills up for a chance to deliver a crushing blow. It was the Pats D that delivered the blow.

Buffalo's C.J. Spiller slammed into the Pats D at the goal line and was slammed back by Brandon Spikes and the ball popped out and into Big Vince's hands. It was the second of six huge turnovers that helped keep the Pats in the game and then helped them put the game away.

As good as the Patriots were on offense, the defense was just as big despite giving up four touchdowns and a lot of yards. Like many games last year, a lot of those yards came after the game was well over.

Like every team in the NFL the Pats still have a lot of questions to answer moving forward. Do they have the depth to continue to overcome injuries? Can they be consistent in the running game? Can they ever get a pass rush? And can the secondary stop giving up big plays and taking bad penalties?

Peyton Manning returns to Gillette Sunday, this time with a horse on his helmet instead of a horseshoe. The Broncos will be another tough test for the Pats. It's likely to be a very close game. That would give the Pats a chance to answer maybe the biggest question still in need of an answer ... can they win a close game?

Close calls

WEEK 3
"We need to start winning close games."

That was Tom Brady's spot-on analysis after the Pats lost an entertaining and excruciating 31-30 brawl to the Ravens to drop to 1-2 on the young season.

Rich, my co-worker and most loyal reader (OK, my only loyal reader) asked last week "Are the Patriots still clutch?" It was a good question then and an even better question today. The answer at the moment has to be... no. Sure, Brady and the offense staged a great two-minute drive to retake the lead at the end of the first half last night. Last year there was a great comeback against Dallas and before the Ravens missed that kick in the AFC title game Brady lead the Pats on a great march capped by his gutsy lunge into the end zone. But when it really counts. When they really need a stop. Or a first down. They just can't get it done.

The Blabosphere will be buzzing with talk of replacement refs and bad calls. There were lots of those, for sure. But the officiating didn't decide the outcome of the game. It may have caused a lot of cases of heartburn for players and fans alike, but it was equally bad for both teams. The game -- as it always is -- was decided by the coaches and players. And once again, those wearing the Pats' logo came up short when it counted.

It's the second week in a row that the Patriots lost a close one. It's been a problem for a few years now. Finishing. It's what all great teams do. The Patriots knew how to finish when they were winning Super Bowls.  Almost all of those players are gone now. Belichick's new model has yet to master that skill.

The Patriots may not know how to finish, but they are often very good at starting. The Pats came out of the gate looking to make a statement after their sloppy play last week and only the most negative of Pats' fans didn't think they would. They always do. And they did it again last night. The defense -- which had been rock solid for two weeks -- looked stout again. The Ravens' first three possessions in front of a fired up home crowd went punt, interception, punt. Stud running back Ray Rice could do nothing. Brady and the offense used that momentum to build a 13-0 lead. As the Ravens faced a 3rd-and-6 at their own 22 to start the second quarter things were looking very good. And then the fake refs began what would be a long, long night of questionable, puzzling, and laughable calls.

Flacco came under pressure and dumped the ball off to Rice who had Jerod Mayo on his heels. The ball fell harmlessly incomplete and it looked like the Pats' D had stopped the Ravens on four straight drives. Then the yellow flag hit the turf and the Ravens had a first down and some much needed momentum. Two things would continue to happen from that moment on... the Ravens offense would shred the Pats' D almost at will and the fake refs would throw enough flags to make everyone watching feel pretty ill.

Vince Wilfork said after the game that the erratic officiating made it hard for the defense to play their game. It made then tentative. I love Big Vince but that's pretty lame. It didn't stop Ed Reed or Ray Lewis. And it really shouldn't have anything to do with stopping the run. The Pats' D hadn't given up 300 yards in either of their first two games. Last night the Ravens piled up more than 500 yards of offense. It's a close call as to which was worse... the fake refs or the Pats' defense.

And yet each time Baltimore would take the lead, Brady and the offense would have a response and drive for a huge score. It was as good a game that the offense has played in a while, especially considering the loss of Aaron Hernandez and most "experts" predicting the offense would struggle to find a way to replace him. They found a way and with just more than 14 minutes to play held a 30-21 lead. Time for another chance to close out a game. The Pats' D forced a Ravens punt and the offense picked up a couple of key first downs. Mesko dropped a beautiful punt down to the Baltimore 8 with seven and a half minutes to play. The Pats were all set up to finish out a huge road win.

The Ravens, sometimes with the help of the fake refs and sometimes with the help of the Pats' D, drove the ball 92 yards for a touchdown with four minutes to play. 30-28. Time for Brady and the offense to get a few first downs and close out the game. Which they couldn't quite do despite some serious help from the fake refs. Mesko had to punt at the two minute warning, giving the Ravens the ball at their 21 with 1:55 to play.

Everyone in my den agreed it was time for the defense to finally ... finally ... make a stand and close out a big win. But as we have seen many times before the defense couldn't finish. It wasn't even close. Flacco drove the Ravens down the field with ease to set up the winning field goal.

Unlike last year's AFC title game, this time the Raven kicker put the ball through the uprights (barely) and Baltimore won a hard fought and hard earned victory.

It was another close call for the Pats. As Brady said, it's time the Pats to make some of those calls go their way.

Week 2 rewind

Oh, ye of little faith. A look on ESPNBoston.com shows that almost all the "experts" are picking the Ravens Sunday night. Most of the picks have it a very close game but everyone -- except Mike Ditka and Matt Light -- gives the nod to Baltimore. Well, it's in Baltimore so that makes sense. Home field advantage is often the deciding factor in these games. The Ravens are the smart bet.

It's the comments accompanying these picks that are somewhat baffling.

Tedy Bruschi says the Pats "will be better after Thanksgiving than they are now." Mike Reiss goes with the Ravens due to "some of the shaky play from the the Patriots' offense in recent weeks." The Pats are "a work in progress" says Jackie "Welkergate" MacMullen.

So the Pats lose one game and suddenly the defending AFC champs are a work in progress? I don't remember any of the experts saying that after they dominated Tennessee on the road in Week 1. Quite the opposite. But apparently one bad game -- which the Pats could have won anyway -- turns a Super Bowl contender into a "shaky" team. Hmmm.

Sunday night will show if there's any merit to this line of thinking. I look back at the AFC title game last January and still see a game that the Pats dominated. I know, it came down to a Billy Cundiff missed field goal to decide it. But what it really came down to was Tom Brady -- in his words -- sucking. I don't expect that to happen again. As I don't expect Zoltan to have a punt blocked or the team to commit foolish penalties. Belichick's Pats have a history of responding to the challenge. Go ahead and bet on the Ravens. Just don't bet too much.

The Pats first-ever home opening loss at Gillette had more than the usual share of bad. But it also had a decent share of good. No. Really. It did.

GOOD

• The defense. For the second week in a row the Pats held the other team below 300 yards. The rushing defense may be the best in the league. It will be really tested by Ray Rice and the Ravens Sunday night. The pass defense continues to look good. Kevin Kolb only threw for 140 yards. Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald -- a man most experts predicted would get eight or nine catches for 110 yards or so -- was held to just one catch and four yards. Actually, that should be put under the "great" category, not just "good."
• The comeback. Brady and the offense struggled most of the day. Losing Hernandez early on didn't help. Nor did Brady seeing pass rushers where there didn't seem to be any. Even the best have those days. But in the fourth quarter the offense went no huddle and Brady, Welker, Lloyd, and Gronk marched down the field for the touchdown that brought them within two points.
• Ridley wasn't as dominant as he was in Week 1 running the ball but that was more a case of not getting the ball as much. Which was unfortunate since the game was close almost the whole way. He finished with a solid 71 yards on 18 carries.
• Stephen Gostkowski. (Yes, he will show up in the "bad" category too). Gosty hit field goals of 46, 34, 51, and 53! yards to keep the Pats in the game. He was having a sensational day ...

BAD

• ... till he missed that 42-yarder with the game on the line. And he missed it badly. Gosty hasn't had to make too many game winners during his career but missing one in Week 2 isn't the same as missing one in Week 15 or in the playoffs. I hope he gets a chance to redeem himself soon.
• Aaron Hernandez's high/middle/low ankle sprain is one of those bad breaks that you hope a team can avoid. But if it's going to happen it's better to happen in Week 2 than in the AFC title game. You really have to feel bad for Hernandez because he was poised to have a Pro Bowl year. He still might if the ankle heels fast enough.
• The missed two pointer. Where's Kevin Faulk when you need him? The Pats are the best in the league at the two-point conversion. The play they ran was a good one, getting Gronk in one-on-one coverage on the right corner of the end zone. But Brady threw the ball a little too far ahead and the coverage was very tight. Next time go back to the direct snap to Woody,
• Penalties. The Pats had eight penalties for 60 yards. The two penalties on the last drive by Gronk were the worst and cost the Pats what would have been the winning TD. The Pats played with an unusual lack of discipline all day.

Take away the penalties and miscues and the Pats would have won this game by 10 points. Which -- if Brady doesn't suck this time -- is what I think the Pats will beat the Ravens by Sunday night.

Mistaken identity

WEEK 2
The Patriots had not lost a home opener since Gillette Stadium opened its gates 10 years ago. I had not missed a home opener in those 10 years. Both streaks are over.

If I didn't have enough good reasons to be glad to be on the Cape this week, being away from the "panic button" talk of the Sports Blabosphere after the 20-18 loss to Arizona is another one. The Pats are 1-1. The Cards are 2-0. Who wants to bet a 12-pack on which team will end up with the better record at the end of Week 17? The Patriots went into Buffalo last season in Week 3 and lost. The Pats were 2-1. The Bills were a surprising 3-0. The Pats finished 13-3. The Bills finished 6-10. Leave the panic button alone.

The difference in last year's early-season loss to Buffalo, other than one was on the road and the other was at Gillette, was that in the Buffalo game the Patriots looked unstoppable as they took a 21-0 lead only to make a slew of mistakes and allow the Bills to come back and steal the game. Yesterday the Pats looked anything but unstoppable. They were unfocused, undisciplined, unprepared, and unlucky.

But -- just as in the Buffalo game -- it was the slew of mistakes that cost the Pats the game. My guess is that they won't make that many mistakes in the next 14 games combined. The same thing happened in 2010 when the 6-1 Patriots went into Cleveland to face the 2-5 Browns. The Pats turned the ball over three times including a fumbled kickoff. It was an ugly game and it ended in a 34-14 beating. The Pats didn't lose a game the rest of the season to finish 14-2. The Browns? They finished 5-11.

"Stunning" seems to be the word of choice to describe the loss. When you have an interception on your first offensive play, lose one of your key offensive players to injury, have a punt blocked at your own goal line, commit eight mostly stupid penalties, drop several key passes, and have your quarterback turtle one too many times it's not stunning at all ... it's inevitable. Any time all those things happen in one game you are very likely going to lose.

There were a lot of things not to like about the loss. One look at Belichick's face at the post-game press conference told you that. That's the way it is with losses. Especially at home. Of course, the biggest thing not to like is the loss of Aaron Hernandez (especially since he's the best player on my fantasy team the Rozzie Rats). If it's a high ankle sprain he could miss a month or more. That really hurts. But the Pats offense will be fine. With Brady, Gronk, Lloyd, Welker (yes, he's still on the team), Woody, and Ridley it's still one of the best in the game.

As is the defense. And that's one of the things you can like after a disappointing loss. Go to NFL.com and click on the Team Stats page. What team is ranked second in total defense? That would be your young, fast, and nasty New England Patriots D. Who's seventh against the pass? Also the Pats. Fifth against the run? Yup, the Pats D. Granted, the Titans and Cards are not the most dangerous offenses in the league. But the Pats have pretty much shut them both down. Something they couldn't do against anyone the last few years. The Cards scored three points after the Brady pick and a touchdown after the bocked punt. Take away those two scores and the defense only allowed 10 points after allowing just 13 in Week 1. When the Pats lost those ugly games against the Browns (2010) and the Bills (2011) the defense allowed more than 400 yards in offense. In the loss to the Cards they allowed just 245.

It was that defense the ripped the ball from the Cardinals with just seconds to play and gave the Pats the chance to steal the game.

So I'm actually feeling very positive about the Pats today. They just have to eliminate the mistakes they made. And if there's one thing the Pats have excelled at under Belichick, it's eliminating mistakes.

Next up: An AFC title game rematch Sunday night in Baltimore. That will be a great game. Make no mistake about it.

Ground rules

WEEK 1
The two biggest questions I had about the 2012 Patriots coming into yesterday's opener was how would their running game do and how would their defense do against a healthy Chris Johnson and the Titans' running game.

The answers: Stevan Ridley... 125 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. Chris Johnson... 4 yards and no touchdowns on 11 carries. Ridley will face stouter defenses and Wilfork and company will face fiercer running attacks, but the early signs are good.

As are the early signs from the Patriots rookie class. First-found picks Chandler Jones and D'onta Hightower teamed up for a forced fumble and recovery for a touchdown that broke open a close game in the second quarter. Jones and third-year man Jermaine Cunningham each had a sack and were around the quarterback all day. In the defensive backfield, rookie Tavon Wilson had an interception. Many times last year the secondary would give up more than 300 yards passing to a mediocre quarterback like Jake Locker and allow the other team to stick around. Not yesterday. Locker finished with just 229 yards (backup Matt Hasselbeck added 43) and the Titans were never in the game in the second half. That's the way a good defense should play against a mediocre offense.

The Pats offense put up close to 400 well-balanced yards. It was a clinic. Second-year man Ridley established himself as the lead back with his solid (fumble free) play. With the running game moving the chains and eating the clock, Brady didn't have to be his usual spectacular self. He just had to be efficient and he was, finishing with 236 yards, two touchdowns, no picks, and one smashed nose. The patched-up offensive line only allowed that one nose-busting sack and moved the line of scrimmage in the running game. Mankins, who was heaving in the huddle at one point, had a great game.

Brandon Lloyd put the shine back on the number 85 with a solid game and, of course, the two most important offensive players in the NFL, Gronk and Hernandez, each had a touchdown catch.

The only real miscue of the day was Gronk dropping the ball when he went to give it the Gronk spike after his great catch in the corner of the end zone. He'll have a chance to improve on that in the home opener this Sunday against Arizona. He may have quite a few chances.

Fall is in the air

The fake games are over. How do I know that? The 2012 NFL preview edition of Sports Illustrated landed at my door today.

From the time I was about 10 years old there were three magazines that came all around the same time that told me my favorite time of year was about to arrive.... the TV Guide fall preview edition, the Sears Christmas catalog, and the SI NFL preview.

I still get them all.

Summer is great. School vacation. The Cape. Gin and tonics. Baseball. 9 p.m. sunsets. Bocce ball in the yard. Gin and tonics.

But I have always looked forward to the end of summer. Probably because I have a September birthday. But also because it was the start of football season.

Gronk looks ready. So am I. Time to restock the tailgating supplies.

Pick-up football

The Patriots and the Giants closed out the preseason with a classic 6-3 snoozer. The last practice game is often a snoozer. Not much more than a pick-up game. Unless you are one of the guys on either team fighting for the last few open roster spots. Then it was one of the biggest games of your life ... or possibly the last game.

For the Pats, guys like Jermaine Cunningham, Brandon Bolden, Jesse Holley, and Sergio Brown got one last chance to show they can help the team. Cunningham and Bolden had strong games, making a bid to stick on the roster when the final cutdowns to the 53-man roster are made on Friday.

The preseason was not very pretty for the Pats. There weren't too many fun moments. In fact, the most entertaining football I saw either on TV or at Gillette came last night during the broadcast when a film showed Brady, Hernandez, Branch, and Gronk playing some pick-up football on the New Jersey turf before the game. The video below shows Gronk trying to cover Brady.

The fun is about to start.

Break it down -- tight end

My love-hate relationship with the tight end position is all love these days. After years of trying to find the right tight end to be a big part of the offense, Belichick went out and found two.

His obsession with the position goes back to his days with the Giants and Mark Bavaro. And then Ben Coates in the '90s with the Pats. Those guys can spoil a coach. Belichick is so obsessed with the position that he just snagged tight end Jake Ballard off the waiver wire the other day. Ballard had ACL surgery and won't be putting on shoulder pads until next season. But he's a good one with Super Bowl experience. And it pisses off the Giants. Good move all around.

STARTERS
Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. There's not much to break down at the tight end position with the New England Patriots. Gronk and Hernandez are as dynamic a duo as you can find. Batman and Robin? More like the Hulk and Robin. Gronk set a record for most touchdowns (17) by a tight end last season and was rewarded with the biggest contract ever for a tight end. The Pats don't pay their players. Ya, right. It's unreasonable to expect Gronk to match his numbers from last year, but that won't make him any less a game changer. Hernandez is the anti-Gronk. He is shifty. Pretty much a slot receiver. He's almost impossible to cover sometimes and, unlike Gronk, still hasn't reached his peak. His use out of the backfield near the end of last season was something we should see more of in 2012.

BACK-UPS
When Gronk and Hernandez were rookies the Pats had veteran Alge Crumpler on the roster as mentor and motivator. It sure worked. I was disappointed when Coach Crump wasn't brought back last year but Belichick figured the two young players didn't need any more mentoring. Once again he was right. Daniel Fells and rookie Tyler Urban are currently the other tight ends on the roster. Belichick uses tight ends so much in the offense that a third one is actually needed. Right now that guy is Fells.

I love the tight end position.

Curse word

Whew. I will not have to spend the 2012 season waiting for the Madden Curse to strike down Rob Gronkowski.

The future hall of fame tight end lost -- badly -- to Megatron (Calvin Johnson) in the online voting to be the cover boy for the video game Madden '13. I guess my 50,000 votes for Johnson helped. My right hand is sore but it was worth it.

Madden is one of the best video games ever created... way back in the late '80s. I was working the overnight shift back then and had time to play a lot of video games while "watching" my daughters. It was quite a change in the sports gaming experience. One that me and my nephews would later play whenever we would get together. My team would always lose. Sorry Ryan.

It's a great game. With an even better curse. Their favorite player gracing the Madden cover has replaced the SI jink as the thing fans should fear the most. Well, other than Eli Manning in a Super Bowl. The big guy himself (Madden) was on the cover for the first decade of the game, but in 1999 EASports decided to start putting star players on the box.

The first choice was runningback Garrison Hearst of the 49ers. He soon broke his foot and missed the next two seasons. Next up (or down) was Barry Sanders -- one of the greatest runners in the history of the game who was in the prime of his career. He decided to retire. Then there was Dorsey Levens (out of the game in a year), Eddie George (fumble to lose a big playoff game), Dante Culpepper (two blown knees), Marshall Faulk (knee), Ray Lewis (wrist), Donovan McNabb (torn ligaments), Shaun Alexander (foot), Vince Young (mental breakdown), Brett Favre (victim of Bounty-gate), Troy Palamalu (ligaments), and last year's cover boy Peyton Hillis who missed games due to a hamstring injury and a strep throat. The Madden Curse is nothing if not creative.

There's one other victim of the curse. The biggest one of all. Michael Vick. The dog whisperer. Vick adorned the game cover in 2004 in his sharp white and red Atlanta Falcons uniform. Vick was the man at the time. The greatest thing to hit football since... well, the previous greatest thing to hit football. My nephew Ryan (Sorry Ryan) took Vick with his first pick in our family fantasy football league. We do the draft down the Cape, often with some preseason football on the TV in the background. The draft had hardly ended when word came that Vick had suffered a broken fibula and was lost to the Falcons (and Ryan) for the whole season before the season even began. Poor Mike Vick. We thought the Madden Curse really got him. Of course the curse was just getting warmed up with #7. A few years later the football world would learn that Vick was holding dog fights at his mansion and that some of the dogs were killed. Vick would be tried and sentenced to jail.

Now THAT'S a curse.

I'll be voting for Aaron Rogers to win the cover competition.

Sorry Packer fans.

Where have I seen this before?

The Gronk ankle watch continues in earnest. It's all anyone is talking about. Did Gronk practice? How is Gronk? Will Gronk play?

The boot is off. There is talk of a "special cleat" for the Super Bowl (I wonder if Belichick leaks that stuff out just for laughs). Gronkowski said he was taking "mental reps" when he couldn't practice. Gronk taking mental reps. Hmmmm. Then today, the man who had the greatest season ever for a tight end, reportedly stepped on the field for "limited" participation in practice.

I expect Gronk to play and play pretty much like Gronk. I don't think Gronk knows how to play any other way. Pain or no pain. Torn ligaments or no torn ligaments.

A star player having an ankle injury before the biggest game of the year? The media following every twist and turn of the ankle story? Fans hoping the star player can get on the field? It worked out pretty well the last time that happened....