The difference between Weeks 1 and 7

By Os Davis  |   Tuesday, October 24, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

New England Patriots
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The New England Patriots beat the Buffalo Bills for the second time in 2006, but on this occasion the tone was all different. So what's the difference between Week 1 and Week 7?

On opening day, the teams met for a 19-17 victory, but if a win can be described as "lackluster," that was it. Bills QB J.P. Losman notched exactly one more yard (164) and four more completions (15) on the same number of attempts (23) than his much-heralded counterpart, Tom Brady. Of course, Brady also threw for two TDs in the game while his Patriots ultimately won on a safety.

Despite breaking out the two-pronged running attack presented by the resurrected Corey Dillon and surprising Laurence Maroney, the two-point win in New England was seen as underwhelming, uneven, unpretty and lots of other negative adjectives beginning with un-. The fourth-quarter two-pointer was thought to be the product of grace under pressure, even luck beholden against an inferior team the Patriots should have crushed in Foxborough.

Heck, our own RealFootball365 "Power Rankings" piece hesitantly put the Pats at No. 9 on the hit parade following the game, delivering this verdict: "Belichick's boys look shakier than ever. And has Tom Brady ever appeared more puzzled on the field than he did Sunday afternoon? All dynasties must come to an end, and New England's is fading out."

(Did the negative vibes surrounding what was, after all, a win against a division mate strike anyone else as odd? Haven't the Patriots of three Super Bowls played this way all along, closing games every which way to Sunday and doing just enough to win? And didn't Belichick's boys lose to Drew Bledsoe's Bills in Week 1 three years ago by something like 452-0?)

This weekend, Brady outdid Losman by exactly two yards, and again the QBs had strikingly similar completion ratios: Brady's 18-of-27 was a sliver better statistically than Losman's 16-of-25. And Brady notched two TD passes again. Maroney managed just 29 yards, another second straight meager performance to follow his sick breakout game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

This week, it was Patriots winning over the Bills, 28-6; expressions like "convincing," "smooth sailing" and "a firm grasp on the AFC East lead early" are uttered. And this week, the navy blue-and-silver are sure to be stay near the top of most power ranking charts and at least given a mention in talks about the AFC Playoffs.

(Incidentally, how is it that a three-time champion with coaching staff and much of its core intact playing in a puff division still not get serious consideration on pre-game show jerk-around discussions regarding who'll be left standing in the AFC? And how is it that the San Diego Chargers have been more highly regarded than the Pats or, for that matter, the Denver Broncos? When the AFC Championship Game is played in colder climes than those of So. Cal, a certain lightning-bolt bandwagon should empty itself fairly quickly.)

What's changed for the Patriots in six weeks?

First, of course, is Brady, who hasn't so much as changed as rechanged. Brady has topped 200 yards just twice this year, and the Week 7 game had him completing 18 passes. In the post-Branch era, there is no go-to guy per se. Three different guys (including TE Benjamin Watson) have twice posted the team high in receiving yards for the Patriots; Brady was able to distribute to seven players against the Bills, perhaps indicating the Reche Caldwells of the tattered receiving corps are learning Belichick-style small ball. Brady's Patriots circa 2001 are back.

Another change since Week 1: Doug Gabriel, who chipped in three nice receptions including the score-capping TD catch, has proven to be a seamless acquisition and could be very well be seeing the ball more often as the season progresses. Why'd the Oakland Raiders trade this guy?

Meanwhile, the defense was again stifling. Does anyone realize that the Patriots have yet to give up more than 17 points in a game? Just looking at the tackles list - Junior Seau, Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, Rodney Harrison, Rosevelt Colvin - makes you wonder which of the New England scouts has discovered the Fountain of Youth. It also make you wonder why, when pre-game pundits discuss the best defenses in the NFL ... oh, never mind.

What's the difference between this team in Week 1 and Week 7? You got me; at 5-1, the Patriots have gotten off to their second best start in the Belichick era, yet they still seem to fly just below the hype radar.

Feels like the same old Patriots, actually...

Insight into the New England Patriots every week on RealFootball365.com
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About Os Davis

Os Davis has taken a twisted route to get to RealFootball365.com in his nearly 17 years in professional writing, working in any number of capacities in the sportswriting, news reporting and film criticism worlds. In print media, Os has served as editor at a few publications, including Albuquerque's...
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