…that he just threw five touchdown passes in a single quarter.

Yeah, better cut the SOB right now.

Fans of the top teams sure can be critical! Guys like Joseph Addai and Lawrence Maroney, unfortunately, have both been injured quite a bit of their careers. Addai has probably gotten more mileage than Maroney, but Addai has been written off recently. I would be hesitant to write either of them off. Both are great competitors. Both have had their moments to shine, just too few of them with the spotlight on so many of their teammates.

Concerning Brady and Manning, has there ever been any serious doubt about either one of them? I think only career ending injuries or eventual age will slow up either one of them. I recently saw an article projecting 8-9 more years (including this year) for each of them. Peyton Manning will, more than likely, win the stat wars. He’s had the most recent Super Bowl victory, so people with short memories still seem to regard him as the #1 QB. However, a review of Sunday’s torching of a depleted Titans secondary ought to remind people what the likes of Brady, Moss, Welker, Faulk, and Maroney can do to opposing defenses. Ben Watson did not even factor in any of it, nor did Sammy Morris, Fred Taylor, or any number of the other potential Patriot weapons.

Never, ever count Brady or the Patriots out of anything until there is nothing left. Frankly, predictions of their demise are as likely as anything to merely further stir their resolve to get things right. Having Bill rail on them for failing to get forty yard+ plays on offense and a lack of turnovers yielded BOTH – in abundance.

Not saying that will happen every week or that the opponent was well prepared; they had injuries and apparently were not as well prepared as they thought they were for the game plan, and they made far too many mistakes. Winners force mistakes, make few of their own, and take advantage of the opportunities given. Normally, this is precisely what the best Patriot teams have done. They’ve gone a few years since they have done it in the games that counted the most, but they’ve still demonstrated an entire decade of doing it effectively.

I am not ready to proclaim a season championship, but I’m telling you, DON"T COUNT OUT the Patriots either. IF they can continue to improve at their current rate and put it all together against the top teams as well as they’ve started to show, they will be right in the hunt and have a very good chance to be there at the end of the season. NOT a done deal by any means, but not beyond possibility either. They DO have to continue to improve and they have to rebuild depth in a few spots to make sure it happens. Just don’t count ’em out, that is all I say at this point.