Back to basics: Blocking. Tackling. Passing. Catching. Route-running. Defending the seams. After a beatdown like the Patriots suffered Monday night, they need to go back to the fundamentals and clean up some major, major problems. It wasn't just the defensive breakdowns, it wasn't just the offensive breakdowns--it was everything. You have to go back to December 10, 2006 to find the last time a Tom Brady-led Patriots team got beat by 21 points like tonight. It was brutal, and there's so much to fix--and a short week coming up to prepare for a road game in the division at Miami.
It could be that the Patriots will have to, first, win the division and get into the playoffs and then hope that they can generate a run of good luck and solid play like recent Super Bowl champions Pittsburgh (2005), Indianapolis (2006), and New York (2007)--surprising wild-card teams that got hot at the right time. How ironic would it be if the Patriots of 2009 became the Giants of 2007--deeply flawed but able to hang in there, tough out some wins, and be in a position where a play or two could make all the difference?
Stranger things have happened. But first things first. A short week to work on blocking, tackling, passing, catching, covering. Then a crucial game at Miami Sunday. Maybe by late afternoon Sunday we'll begin to have a few answers and a glimpse of a possible future for this team the remainder of the year.
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