Patriots Lose Revis

Darrelle Revis signing with the New York Jets is a big blow to New England's secondary. Bill Belichick will find replacements that will get the job done this season, but there is no denying that Revis is one of the top two corners in the league. For a team that has been so dominant over the past decade plus, it really felt like Darrelle Revis and a healthy roster were the reasons this team finally won another Super Bowl after a ten year drought. Now, I still believe the Patriots will win the division and likely make it back to the AFC championship game, but I really wonder how big of a difference Revis' play was for them. Going forward we'll see if New England picks up a corner or at least a replacement for Shane Vereen (Reggie Bush, Roy Helu, CJ Spiller). New England will still be one of the best in the league, but it will be important that they hit on a couple draft picks this spring.

Brady's Best Yet

It was important for Tom Brady and the Patriots to win the Super Bowl Sunday night. Not only for the organization, but for the legacy of Brady. If the Seahawks would have run the ball on second and goal, and went on to win the game, Brady would be three and three in Super Bowls. That record would simply not do justice for how good both he and Bill Belichick have been over the course of this 15 year run. Now the two are 4-2 in Super Bowls, and two incredible plays by New York Giants away from being 6-0. This Super Bowl was perhaps Brady's best, as he carved up the NFL's best defense going 37-50 and throwing for four touchdowns to four different receivers. His fourth quarter is on the short list of all-time Super Bowl performances, and (if it was not official) cements him as one of the best quarterbacks of all-time.

Key to Super Bowl Sunday

How can the Patriots win this weekends Super Bowl? It can't be simply Tom Brady's greatness, or Belichick's genius. There has to be more. At the end of the game, if the Patriots are victorious, of course those two will receive much of the credit. However, the play of New England's defense will be the key to a victory on Sunday night. It is important that Chandler Jones and Vince Wilfork create pressure both on the quarterback and in the middle. Holding Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch to a sub-par game is critical. It will also be key that the New England linebackers contain Russell Wilson, and do not let him break out for any big plays outside of the pocket. Lastly, the secondary will be imperative. Darrelle Revis and other cornerbacks must make sure they continue to cover well, even when Wilson is able to extend plays with his feet. If the New England Patriots defense are able to do all this, they may not even need an MVP performance from Brady, just a solid one.

A Super Bowl for Legacy

There will be plenty of time over the next couple weeks to talk about legacies, especially that of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. Brady is already without question one of the best quarterbacks of all time. However, it is interesting to compare Brady to Russell Wilson. If the Patriots lose to Seattle I will be very upset for many reasons. One of which will be that Wilson will be on track to become the next Brady. With two Super Bowls in his first three seasons, he will have a very similar resume to that of Brady's first three years in New England. It would also leave Brady at 3-3 in Super Bowls, which does not seem to give justice to his career. Still two weeks until the game, but at this point I'm leaning towards picking Seattle. Part of that may be my fear of jinxing my team, and also my fear of the Seattle defense.

New England Once Again the Class of the NFL

What a difference seven weeks make. Seems like a long time ago that the Patriots were being man handled on Monday Night Football at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs. The blowout loss on the road resulted in a week full of doubt provided by the media. Is Belichick done? Is Brady going to be traded? End of an era?A quick answer to all of those questions was and still is: No.

After last nights impressive 42-20 road victory in Indianapolis, the Patriots are sitting atop the AFC. Amazing that after so much scrutiny thrown the teams way, New England has to be considered the favorite. Much like many predicted at the start of the season.

Perhaps the most encouraging part about last nights win was the dominance of the run game. Led by little known running back Jonas Gray (38 carries for 199 yards and 4 touchdowns), the Patriots dominated the game on the ground. This spells great things for the team going forward, and with Denver losing a second game in a row, the Patriots are in the drivers seat looking to wrap up home field advantage.

It won't be easy. Upcoming road games in both Green Bay and San Diego should be tough, but would anyone be surprised if Brady and Belichick came out of this next stretch at either 14-2 or 13-3? I know I wouldn't.

It seems like every year we must all be reminded never to question the "Patriot way". Yet, every season whenever the Patriots face adversity they just prove the doubters wrong. So as we head towards Thanksgiving and the stretch run of the regular season, I advise all members of the media to not question the genius that is Bill Belichick. I know I won't.