New England Patriots - "The Right Way"

The Patriots have also won three in a row, and with their easy schedule (knock on wood) they should end up with a 13-3 record. That would be the second-best record in franchise history. So with all that being said, it would probably come as a surprise to you that I'm really not happy with how this team has played this year.

Maybe I'm being greedy. Most fans would give their left arm to be in the situation that Patriots fans are in. But the thing you have to remember is that I'm not talking about any old NFL team. I'm talking about the three-time world champion New England Patriots. I'm talking about the team who won, not because they had all the talent, but because they played together, didn't make mistake, and came up big in the biggest of moments.

They were a team for the ages. And I just can't say that about our current squad. Look at some of our games this year: 

Scraping past Buffalo 19-17 in Week 1 thanks to a safety.

A 24-17 win over the Jets the next week after leading 17-0

A 7-17 loss to Denver that featured several mental meltdowns

A turnover fest that lead to a 20-27 loss to the Colts, punctuated by an interception on a potential game-tying drive.

An anemic 14-17 loss to the Jets

A 17-13 win over Da Bears featuring more turnovers than a Martha Stewart pastry-making special

A 28-21 win where the Patriots asked the 2-8 Lions to take the game, but they just wouldn't oblige.

Would the Patriots teams who won those titles ever put up a wrap sheet like that?  Sure they had their game or two where they faltered. Every team does. And they also had their fair share of close calls. But there's a big difference between those nail-biters and and the ones this year. The Patriots teams in the past were guilty of letting inferior teams hang around, but would make the big play to win anyway. The Patriots of this season let inferior teams hang around, look like they're going to make a play, and then turn the ball over. Instead of standing tall and taking the game, the Patriots hope their opponent makes a mistake and gives it to them. It's the difference between "winning" and "not losing".

Another telling stat is that six out of the seven games mentioned above were all played at Gillette Stadium, with the Week 2 victory over the Jets being the lone exception. Those Super Bowl teams played their best football in the confines of "The Razor" and made everyone who stepped into their house pay a price. "The Homeland Defense" was a huge source of pride for those teams, yet this year's squad has done very little to gain that type of psychological advantage over their opponents. When an opponent is up by a touchdown they looking over their shoulder for the inevitable moment when the Patriots come back. This year teams really feel like they can beat New England. However, if there is a silver lining, it's that these Patriots are undefeated on the road - a very good sign going into a post-season where they may not have home field advantage after the wildcard round.

I realize that I'm being harsh. It's not really fair to compare this year's team with those of the past. Just like it's not fair to the current Bears squad when people make comparisons to the '85 team. It's a different year. There will never be another '85 Bears. There will never be another '01-'04 Patriots. They were the stuff of legends. They were lightning in a bottle.

But still, there is a responsibility to uphold the reputation of the past Patriots. And in all honesty, it's a reputation this team should strive to uphold. Not just out of respect, but because mirroring the attitude, discipline, dedication, heart of those Patriots teams will breed an atmosphere of winning, and winning the right way.

I made the comment to my friend the Monday after the Lions game that I was so mad at the team. My friend looked puzzled and said, "Wait, they won didn't they?". I said, "Yeah, but they played terrible."  My friend shook his head, confused, "But they won..." 

I guess I really can't expect fans of another team to understand what the past six years have been like for the followers of the Patriots. For us every game has been about more than just winning. It's been about winning the right way. We've had that drilled into us. Winning the right way is what prepares you for the playoffs. Just look at the Colts. They win, but they don't know how to win. When the game isn't handed to them, when the other team makes big plays, they don't know how to overcome that. When you win the right way, overcoming the odds is natural.

Winning the right way is what makes you ready to come up big in the biggest of moments. And it's something this team just hasn't done consistently this year. This Patriots squad could very well end up 13-3. But that record won't mean a thing if the Pats take a cue from the past two weeks and cough up four turnovers in the playoffs. Teams who bask in their record are the teams left shell-shocked in January. Teams who make every game count, use every opportunity, and avoid mistakes are the teams who hold up the trophy. The Patriots may not be the former, but they're also not the latter. Not yet anyway. This team has got four games left - four more sessions of school.

They need to learn to win "The Right Way".

Predictions:

NFC NORTH:

1. Bears

2. Vikings

3. Lions

4. Packers

NFC SOUTH:

1. Saints

2. Falcons

3. Panthers

4. Buccaneers

NFC EAST:

1. Cowboys

2. Giants

3. Eagles

4. Redskins

NFC WEST:

1. Seahawks

2. 49ers

3. Rams

4. Cardinals

NFC SEEDING:

1. Bears

2. Cowboys

3. Saints

4. Seahawks

5. Eagles

6. Falcons

AFC NORTH:

1. Ravens

2. Bengals

3. Steelers

4. Browns

AFC SOUTH:

1. Colts

2. Jaguars

3. Titans

4. Texans

AFC EAST:

1. Patriots

2. Jets

3. Dolphins

4. Bills

AFC WEST:

1. Chargers

2. Broncos

3. Chiefs

4. Raiders

AFC SEEDING:

1. Colts

2. Patriots

3. Chargers

4. Ravens

5. Bengals

6. Jets

NFC PLAYOFFS:

Wildcard Round:

Saints over Falcons, Seahawks over Eagles

Divisional Round:

Seahawks over Bears, Cowboys over Saints

NFC Championship:

Cowboys over Seahawks

AFC PLAYOFFS:

Wildcard Round:

Chargers over Jets, Bengals over Ravens

Divisional Round:

Colts over Bengals, Patriots over Chargers

AFC Championship

Patriots over Colts

SUPERBOWL XLI:

Patriots over Cowboys