Before I get to my thoughts on the Patriots, just a few other notes I forgot to mention in my preview of why this team should get more respected.
-They came up with the 'introduce yourself as a team' concept that everyone is copying now in the Super-Bowl
-Tom Brady refused to do endorsements without his line-men, he also bought them really expensive watches
-This team routinely destroys opposition that talks shit with my favorite obliteration coming against the Chargers in the 18-1 season. (notable exception: Jets, although I expect that to change this year)
Now that that is out of the way, on to my thoughts about last night's game against the Miami Dolphins.
I have to admit, I did not watch the entire game but I saw it in parts. This was due to a phenomenal U.S. open final between two class-act athletes. Seeing as there is no more tennis, next week I will be able to give a better summary of the happenings of the Patriots. Of the parts that I did catch the number one thing that should worry Pats fans is the defense. Now, Cabrock made an excellent point in his debut post about why defenses are struggling across the NFL so I will give the Patriots until week 3 to show me something defensively. The thing is, the pass-rush was excellent, last season Chad Henne would have thrown 5 picks under that kind of pressure but it looks like he improved vastly. The secondary was decent, including some good one-on-one coverage but the line-backers were dreadful. For now we are tossing this up to a lack of film and preparation but this team will not accomplish anything if they keep letting teams bully them with easy scoring drives. If the Patriots can get even an average performance game in and game out from their line-backing corps I believe that they will truly be a force to be reckoned with this year.
On the offensive side of the ball there is only one thing you can say: wow!
Tom 'Terrific' recovered from his first interception in 11 months (this isn't mentioned enough, that stretch was actually incredible) to go on and throw for 517 yards and 4 TD's. This was largely fueled by a super fast no-huddle offense that had the Patriots snapping the ball quickly and often, completely overpowering and exhausting the Dolphins defense to the point where they had to use up a time-out just so they could get some rest. The receivers were exceptional as well (with the exception of Ochocinco who only had one catch, but if he is your worst receiver you know you are good) Wes Welker tied an NFL record with a 99-yard catch, Gronkowski and Hernandez bullied corner-backs that tried to cover them and the offensive line gave Brady incredible protection throughout the contest. Even their duo of running backs both had a very good 4.9yds/carry nights to keep the Dolphins on edge. If the Patriots keep playing offense like this, getting into the playoffs wont be a concern, if they keep playing defense like this however, a Super Bowl is unlikely. All in all it is only week 1, the Patriots are off to a good start and have their home opener against the Chargers next week. That game should provide us with more insight into how the season will unfold for the 2011 New England Patriots.
Again, appologies for the shortness of the article, watching a full game next week will allow me ot provide more insight. As always if you like the article or the site follow me @ Daki_4 on Twitter
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