On a night when we learned that Tom Brady could still pull off the impossible (but may or may not be able to outrun Suzy Kolber) plenty of questions still linger regarding the 2009 Patriots.
1. What is the status of Jerod Mayo?
Who knows? Could be that he’s fine and he’ll play Sunday. Could be that he’s out for the season, I guess. Ready for Tedy Bruschi, Part II?
2. Who is “Todd” Light and what did he do with his brother Matt?
Good question. I’m officially worried that we might be entering the “Bruce Armstrong in 1998” phase of Light’s career, probably complete with a totally unwarranted Pro Bowl selection. A staggering overreaction after one game? Maybe. But watching Aaron Maybin and Aaron Schobel handle Light had to worry Brady and Bill Belichick at least a little, right?
(I kid with the “Todd” Light stuff. I’m enjoying the Gruden Era on ESPN. It’s amazing how nice it is to have a competent crew on Monday Night. Of course it won’t last. Gruden will go back coaching next year and the Worldwide Leader will replace him with Rick Reilly or seven-time ESPY host Samuel L. Jackson)
3. Why doesn’t Laurence Maroney have a reality show?
I’m serious about this. He caught two passes, the same as Terrell Owens.
“T.O.” gave you all the greatest hits last night. Dropped passes? Check. A killer penalty? Yup. Getting in the face of his quarterback at the worst time possible? You bet. Refused to speak to the media after the game? Of course, just as I’m sure he would have done if he had caught three TD passes in a 35-10 win. A great talent, but an absolute waste of a human being. Any doubt this will be a disaster for the Bills?
Meanwhile, the great WR Draft Class of 2007 (sort of, I know — both acquired for picks that season) keeps getting it done. Twelve catches each for Moss and Welker. Oh, and Kevin Faulk will be converting third-and-sevens into first downs until 2020. And is there a better blocking back in the NFL? I’m still convinced that if Faulk wasn’t suspended for the opener last season no one would know Bernard Pollard and Matt Cassel would still live in a one-bedroom condo in Franklin.
4. Is it too late to find a spot for Ben Watson on the Patriots’ all-time team?
Ben Coates? Sure, he had that 96-catch season in 1994 and played in five Pro Bowls (five more than Watson), but did he ever do what Watson did last night? Two TDs in a minute and a half?
All kidding aside, good for Watson. This is a guy who, a few weeks ago, looked to be a coin flip just to make the team. Now perhaps he’ll finally be known for more than the Usain Bolt meets Ronnie Lott tackle he blasted Champ Bailey with in 2006. Plus this should lead to about 50,000 fantasy owners grabbing Watson off waivers only to watch him catch two passes for eight yards vs. the Jets on Sunday. No one can burn a fantasy owner like Belichick. Which leads to …
5. There will be no lead back this year, right? Another season of four guys splitting 20-25 carries a game?
I’m not ready to proclaim that, but Fred Taylor didn’t exactly pull a Conner Henry in terms of a debut (nine carries, 25 yards). Yeah, he scored a TD, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were watching Special Guest Star Fred Taylor. Still wondering what Sammy Morris did to become the new Heath Evans. This is a guy who averaged 4.5 and 4.7 yards per carry in 2007 and 2008, respectively.
6. OK, it’s a little premature, but can this team win the Super Bowl?
A little premature? Let me ask you this: After missing the playoffs in 2002, did anyone think the Patriots could win the Super Bowl after Week 1 in 2003 (the 31-0 whipping by Lawyer Milloy and the Bills)? Or how about 2002? After the Super Bowl in 2001, they christened Gillette Stadium with a 30-14 win over the Steelers in the ’02 opener. So, you never know.
Look, the Mayo injury could be huge (I think he’s the most important player on the defense) and I’ve got some concerns about the offensive line (not just Light), but I saw very little last night to suggest that this won’t be an elite team in 2009. Are the Pats going to go 16-0 again? No, and that’s probably not a bad thing. I still think a combination of a new-look defense and a return to reality for the offense (from 2007, I mean) equals an 12-4 record. (The four losses? Home vs. Baltimore, at Indy, at New Orleans and a meaningless Week 17 loss at Houston with the division and 2 seed already clinched). And 12-4 teams can win Super Bowls. And by “return to reality,” I mean somewhere around 450 points from the offense. Still could be the best in the league, but to expect 2007 again is crazy. That’s once in a generation kind of stuff.
But nothing was truly answered last night. OK, I suppose if you had doubts about Brady you are feeling better, but I assumed at worst he’d give you the pre-2007 level of production. While he was rusty for a good deal of the game, I’m going to go ahead and call his return a success. But what about the defense? And running back? And the o-line? How about the rookies? The point is, not a whole lot was learned. Maybe the Jets game will provide some answers.
But I suspect that everyone will leave Week 2 (and Week 17, for that matter) feeling the same way they did following Week 1 when it comes to the 2009 New England Patriots. This is a team with a fate that ultimately rests with the offense. And that is not going to change.
Unless Suzy Kolber can play linebacker …
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