The Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, 37-31, continuing a streak of home wins against the Bills that dates back to 2000. As I said after the game, 6-3 sounds a hell of a lot better than 5-4 – no doubt there was a feeling of relief when the Patriots luckily eeked this one out. But despite the victory I couldn’t help but be frustrated after watching this game. The Patriots seemed to do everything in their power to give the opponent a chance to score and beat them by a single point at the end of the game; yet again. Which begs me to ask the question – are the Patriots really that good?

Hear me out. Last year the Patriots went 13-3, made the Super Bowl, and easily could have won it. They managed to do all of that with one of the worst defenses in terms of yards allowed in NFL history. This year the running game has improved significantly, the defense was bolstered via the draft, and the Patriots primary areas of concern were seemingly addressed. Yet they’ve already lost as much as they did last year, and they’re finding themselves almost losing to the Bills at home despite  putting up 37 points – that ladies and gentlemen, is a problem.

So who is the culprit? I’ll tell you who is not to blame – the offense. Tom Brady is once again quietly putting together a remarkable season that few will truly appreciate. Brady’s prodding along with a 100+ QB rating, 18 touchdowns, and only 3 interceptions. Better yet, New England’s running game has finally blossomed into the multi-pronged attacked Bill Belichick has wanted for so long.

Which brings us, naturally, to the defense. The Patriots pass defense continues to be horrendous – they are currently 29th in the NFL, and they turn the Ryan Fitzpatrick’s of the league into the second-coming of Peyton Manning. The acquisition of Aqib Talib could certainly help – it’s going to have to if the Patriots are to be considered a true contender. If we can’t stop the Bills’ passing attack, what’s going to happen when we play the Peyton Manning led Broncos? Any team with a top-tier passing attack will literally rip the Patriots secondary to shreds – at the moment.

The bigger issue to me may actually be the Patriots’ defensive line. While the Pats are in the top 10 in the league in run defense, the Bills showed that against a formidable running attack they aren’t that good. CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson tore up the Patriots for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns - simply unacceptable when you can’t stop the pass, either. But I think the real issue may be the defensive line’s ability to pressure the passer. Without a formidable blitzing scheme any good QB will continue to pick them apart, and the lack of pressure on the QB makes turnovers even more difficult to come by for an already struggling secondary.

Make no mistake about it – Devin McCourty’s interception that sealed this victory for the Patriots was not an example of “playmaking” – it was Ryan Fitzpatrick pressing and making a goofy mistake that cost his team the game. For a team that has lost two Super Bowls as of late to a team with probably the best pass rush in the NFL, the Patriots need to open their eyes. Without making the opposing quarterback uncomfortable, their will be no chance of the Patriots capturing another Lombardi trophy.

Rob Gronkowski, you savage man-bro beast. You need to play in the Super Bowl. Seriously. Do it for the strippers.  Do it for all the bros out there. Do it for me. Spike that ball, you beautiful bastard.

Everybody in New England saw that ankle twist completely around. My reaction was he’s done, out for the season, that’s it 100%. Then he was back on the field a few minutes later, playing as though nothing was wrong. To be honest, I’m worried that it was a combination of toughness and adrenaline that got Gronk back out there, and I’m even more worried that he did additional damage in returning to the game.

Yesterday Gronk was listed as “Did not practice” for a practice that didn’t even occur (hypothetical practices? what has the NFL come to?). He’s walking with a boot. You better believe that the ankle is sore as hell. While I believe that Gronk did serious damage to his ankle – this ain’t no sprain, just watch the tape – I also have no doubt that he’ll play in the Super Bowl. They’ll dope that ankle up good and proper, and hopefully he won’t lose a step.

Everybody knows that if Gronk’s out, it’s a huge loss for the Patriots. He was Tom Brady’s best target this year, and that’s enough of an argument if we leave it at that. But the more I look at this match-up, the more I realize that Gronkowski could very well be the difference maker. With the pressure the Giants will be putting on Brady, he’ll be looking to get the ball out of his hands almost instantaneously. Sure, Brady has the chemistry to complete these passes to Wes Welker and Deion Branch, although they tend to leave little room for error. But in a blitz situation, Gronk has the size to be easily found, and the speed and strength to create the separation needed.

With blitzes coming (and we know they will) Gronk may only have to shred a tackler or two to break a big play into the endzone. I just can’t see that Patriots winning without the Tom-Gronk connect being a vital part of their success.

Rob Gronkowski was raised much like a wolf, amongst a pack of savage Gronkowski brothers desperately wrestling for their own survival. As the second youngest of the Gronkowski clan, Rob had to fight an uphill battle against his older brothers if he wanted to eat. But since he emerged from the Gronkowski cave into the spotlight of the NFL, Gronkowski has done nothing but feast – on opposing defenses, on strippers, on games of Twister.

God damn, it makes for some good television.

On Sunday Gronkowski quietly set the record for the most touchdowns in a season by a tight end, 14, despite having the record for most receiving touchdowns by a tight end revoked when a Tom Brady pass was later called a lateral. Regardless, Gronkowski set the total touchdown record for a tight end, and remains tied with Vernon Davis and Antonio Gates (not bad company) for the reception record. That’s all well and good, until you realize that the NFL season is only 75% complete. Even if Gronkowski’s torrid pace slows, he’s set up to shatter records.

So why is he so good? Here are three of the major reasons:

1) He’s a physical specimen – We’re talking 6’6 and 265 pounds – and he runs a 4.65 40-yard dash. You couldn’t dream up a better build – just ask Bibi Jones, she loves those abs.

2) He does it all –  I’ll be the first to admit that with Tom Brady running around in his Uggs being a boss, I don’t spend a lot of game time watching Gronkowski’s blocking. But nearly every analyst who watches him highlights his blocking ability. He more regularly dominates linebackers and defensive linemen than just about any tight end in the league. Coupled receiving ability, he’s the perfect tight end.

3) He’s been brainwashed – If you hear the Gronk man talk, let’s just say he’s not going to articulate you to death. That said, he has been smart enough to absorb the only message necessary for success in New England – it’s all about the team and getting the W. He recites this mantra in response to any and all allegations against him, and Bill Belichick weeps tears of joy.

You can try to make a case against Gronk being the best tight end in the league, but in the last two seasons he’s had no equal. New Orleans’ Jimmy Graham does have more receiving yards this year – 1046 to 928 – but he also had 8 touchdowns to Gronkowski’s 14. Perhaps a better gauge? Gronkowski is leading all receivers in the NFL with 13 receiving touchdowns. Second place belongs to Calvin Johnson, with 12.

Best of all, Gronk is only 22 years old and is also joined in New England by Aaron Hernandez, a former arch rival from junior football. Hernandez himself has 523 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns on the season. These guys have managed to play alongside each other, and clearly make each other better. There’s no doubt that Rob Gronkowski is having a lot of fun – both on the Twister board and in between the lines.

A lot went right for the Patriots yesterday, as they toppled a Vince Young led Eagles team 38-20 on the road. Tom Brady continued his ascent on the NFL’s single season passing yardage record, throwing for 361 yards and 3 touchdowns to pass Johnny Unitas on the all-time wins list (not a bad day’s work). Wes Welker and Deion Branch were involved in the offense, compiling 115 and 125 receiving yards, respectively. Rob Gronkowski had a touchdown, as usual. The defense even played well for much of the game. The Pats are now tied for the best record in the AFC and sit firmly atop their division.

Yet my confidence is waning.

As I watch the Patriots offense, it’s easy to see that little can go wrong. Tom Brady is so good, and has so many weapons, it’s almost impossible to defend against the pass. Benjarvus Green-Ellis, while not sensational, runs hard and doesn’t cough the ball up (he had 2 touchdowns yesterday). The offensive line has been decent as of late, despite starting  3rd string center. But the defense man… what are we going to do about this damned defense?

The first drive of yesterday’s game was case in point. Vince Young attacked from the get-go, leading the Eagles up the field for a touchdown on the back of two huge passing plays. If Vince Young is capable of carving up this secondary, I can only imagine what Aaron Rodgers would do. Or Drew Brees. Or Matt Ryan. You get the idea.

While I’m often cited as being overly optimistic about the championship chances of Boston’s sports team, this is one season in which I am assuredly pessimistic. With the easiest road in the league from here on out, the Patriots seem destined to end the season at 13-3 or 12-4. They’ll likely get a first round playoff bye, and home field advantage. But I can’t get around foreseeing another early playoff exit for the Patriots. Even as their confidence grows and the wins rack up, come the playoffs they’ll all of a sudden have to face the best teams in the league. Our inability to stop opposing quarterbacks will be our downfall, and another year in Tom Brady’s prime will be wasted.

Sure, this sounds very negative. But I don’t see any way around it. Maybe Billy B has a magic cornerback rabbit up his sleeve, because at this point as a New England fan, I feel like that’s just about all I can hope for.

After a two game slide, the Patriots leveled the ship against their biggest division rival yesterday, with Tom Brady leading the way in a dominating second half that resulted in a 37-16 win. With the victory the Patriots swept their division series against the Jets while taking control of the division. With an easy schedule from here on out, the Patriots’ playoff fate now lies firmly in their own hands.

Aside from the playoff implications, there were four other items of note to me throughout this game.

1) The play of Tom Brady – After receiving really the only interception related controversy of his career the last couple of weeks, Brady silenced his critics with a dominant 329 yard, 3 touchdown passing performance. There’s no doubt that few if any quarterbacks with a 100+ rating have ever been subject to such criticism. Brady was nearly flawless in the second half last night – to steal the wonderful words of Chris Collinsworth we were witnessing “quarterback play at the absolute highest level” as Brady relentlessly marched a no huddle offense down the field. And while Benjarvus Green-Ellis tore up the Jets in their last meeting, Danny Woodhead led the Pats’ rushing attack with a measly 38 yards this time around – meaning Brady’s help from the run game was nonexistent.

2) The play of Rob Gronkowski – Rob Gronkowski – lover of playmates and touchdowns – may very well be the best tight end in the league right now. Standing at 6’6 and 265 pounds, the Gronk man also runs a 4.65 40-yard dash. That means he’s fast enough to get open, is a huge target, and basically can’t be taken down after the catch. Welker aside, Gronk has become Brady’s favorite receiver. His performance last night (113 yards, 2 TDs) was spectacular, although he needs some pointers from Aaron Hernandez on awesome touchdown dances. Since he broke into the league no tight end has been as productive offensively, and his blocking is also second to none.

3) The play of Darrelle Revis – This should come as little surprise to anyone, but Darrelle Revis was just about flawless last night. In all the NFL games that I watch, Revis is one of very few players that consistently impresses me. In my eyes, he has no peer in the NFL. Let’s put it this way – he spent all night matched up with Wes Welker, the league’s leading receiver. Welker’s stat line at the end of the game? Only 6 receptions for 46 yards.

4) The play of New England’s Secondary – Leigh Bodden? Gone. Patrick Chung? Out. Devin McCourty? Out. James Ihedigbo? Out. The Patriots’ already worst pass defense in the league played last night with one starter and three back-ups, frequently using their 5th string backups. A recipe for disaster, right? Not so fast. Give credit where credit is due, this group manned up and played one hell of a game. Now can they build off of it?

All in all a big win, and it should be fun to watch Tom Brady rack up fantasy numbers from here on out. The fun begins with a Monday night matchup next week against the Chiefs.

The Patriots won big over one of the elite teams in the AFC yesterday, a 35-21 victory over Phillip Rivers’ San Diego Chargers. While this was a big win, I’ll be the first to downplay this victory – this game could very easily have gone the other way. The Patriots got the right bounces in this one, but rather than a dominant display, I saw a team that showed it certainly is capable of having a game or two stolen from them. With the Bills and the Jets winning yesterday, I’m certainly happy that was not the case – it should be a very competitive year here in the AFC East.

Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski were studs as usual for the Pats – with little else to say I’ll hit you with some meaningless statistics, that nonetheless are fun and effective in illustrating just how good Tom Brady has been thus far. If Brady maintains his torrid pace he’ll end the season with 7,520 passing yards – the NFL record is 5,084 by Dan Marino. It was also interesting to note that on this all-time passing list Brady currently holds the 4th best season ever. Peyton Manning, frequently cited for being a better passer than Brady, is 11th on the list in his best season. Brady is also on pace for 56 touchdowns this year, which would break his own NFL record of 50. The boy is on point – let’s keep him healthy.

In other news this post is only a mere distraction from the Red Sox, who have now lost 13 of 17 games in September. They still have a 90% chance of making the playoffs, but with the Rays only two games back I’m not sure how much trust I have in that number.

In an NFL season that is proving to be a wild and wide open crap shoot, the Patriots re-established themselves as one of the favorites in the NFL by beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 39-26 in impressive fashion. Even before this game began it was notable — Ben Roethlisberger and Tom Brady are the only quarterbacks with two or more Super Bowl wins to face each other since 1985. And following a loss, Brady is 22-2 in his career. Make that 23-2 now, as Brady and nearly everybody else on the Patriots brought their A-game.

Brady threw three touchdown passes to rookie tight end Rob Gronkowski and ran one in himself, to go along with his 350 yards passing. He was fired up all game, between the lines and on the sideline, and it clearly got his team going. The Patriots defense, revitalized by the return of safety Patrick Chung, looked awesome. This group, whose starters average 25.5 years old, has turned in some fantastic performances for such a young crew — and yesterday was their finest. I think that inconsistency, as shown in the past two weeks by the Pats defense, will have to be expected as the norm as this group matures. But it’s scary to think about how good this group could be 1, 2, or 3 years down the road — especially when coupled with Tom Brady and the 1,100 draft picks the Pats have next year.

The damn Jets keep winning overtime games, which really stinks for the Patriots, but they’ll be ready for them when they meet again. Coupled with a Giants loss to the Cowboys, I think it’s fair to say any of the NFL’s elite teams can win or lose any week — making for one of the most interesting NFL season’s in recent memory. Tom and the defense certainly injected this one fan with an additional spark of hope last night.

In other news, I finally checked out Ben Affleck’s The Town yesterday. I was expecting it to be good, and it easily surpassed my expectations. I’d definitely check it out if you haven’t already.

Check out http://chrisross91.wordpress.com.

The New England Patriots beat the Buffalo Bills 38-30 yesterday, in a win that is particularly tough to appreciate. Although the win moves New England to 2-1, allowing 374 yards to the worst ranked offense is football is startling to me at best. I can’t imagine what’s going to happen when Peyton (or any other good offense for that matter) comes to Foxboro this year.

That being said, I hate to bitch and moan too much about a victory — especially one in which the offense looked so good. Brady was the man as usual, making a point to toss two TD passes to Randy Moss, thus strengthening his campaign to bring Moss back to New England next season. But perhaps most impressive was the play of the Patriots’ two rookie tight ends, Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski. Hernandez led all Patriots with 6 receptions for 65 yards while Gronkowski has 4 receptions for 43 yards and a touchdown. It’s immediately evident that these two have been able to contribute right off the bat and are quickly becoming a key part of the Patriots offense.

Regardless of the play of the offense, I’m still not overly impressed with wins over the Bengals and Bills coupled with a loss to the Jets. But at least the Patriots were able to take some of the spotlight off of Jonathan Papelbon, who was busy imploding against the Yankees and dropping a key game for the Red Sox. I told you his time in Boston is done.

Check out http://chrisross91.wordpress.com.