NFL Takeaways: What Is Up With the New England Patriots?
By Erik Lambert
Jan 13, 2013; Foxboro, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) listens to coach Bill Belichick (center) and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels (right) during the AFC Divisional Round playoff game against the Houston Texans in the AFC Divisional Round playoff game at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots defeated the Texans 41-28. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports
Injuries and wild plays highlighted week 3 of NFL action. Here are some takeaways from the most surprising developments.
Tom Brady and Bill Belichick losing their touch
Something is going on with the New England Patriots. Where is that mystique? Where is that dominant aura that has made them so deadly for years? To think Tom Brady and Bill Belichick struggled to get a win at home against a winless Oakland Raiders team has to raise concerns about whether the Patriots have run out of gas. They should still beat lesser teams, but their title window looks smaller and smaller every day.
Chip Kelly can win shootouts but won’t win championships
Yes, the Philadelphia Eagles can score lots of points and pull off big comebacks but what Chip Kelly and his team has accomplished clouds the real issue. This breakneck style football is great for the regular season and great for the stat columns but it’s merely overshadowing continued problems on defense. For all his brilliance at offensive wizardry, Kelly has to know that his team can’t live by this way of winning. It almost never turns out well in the playoffs.
Blake Bortles should’ve started for Jacksonville Jaguars from Day One
It was said before and should be said again. Chad Henne may be a veteran but the fact is rookie Blake Bortles outplayed him in the preseason. He is the future of the Jacksonville Jaguars and should’ve been starting from the beginning. Rookie mistakes aside, Bortles is simply more talented than Henne and seems to get more rise out of his offensive teammates. Now only after three-straight losses have the Jags made the switch and it may be too late to save their season.
Cincinnati Bengals look like AFC favorites
Nobody is really talking about them but the Cincinnati Bengals just continue to handle their business. They have one of the strongest rosters in the NFL and have also been able to largely dodge the ridiculous injury bug that has swept the league thus far. Every win has been big. There is offense and there is defense and there is an impressive homefield advantage. Regardless of what people may think, the Bengals are and should be AFC favorites.
Peyton Manning and Broncos lost the battle but not the war
It wasn’t the ending they had hoped for. The Denver Broncos may have said it was just an important game, but everybody knew they wanted revenge badly against Seattle for their Super Bowl humiliation. Unfortunately the Seahawks, as they seem to always do, pulled it out at home. However, Peyton Manning and his veteran team can walk away knowing that in spite of their defeat, the gap between the two rosters has narrowed significantly. If one or two plays had gone differently, Denver could’ve won. As it stands they are 2-1 but have a surprisingly optimistic outlook.