Tom Brady's Six Scores Power Patriots Through Slush and Into Record Book

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They always say in New England that if you don't like the weather, wait a minute. It'll probably change.

New England's fortunes for the year may have just gone through a similar transformation after their destruction of the Tennessee Titans.

That was a whippin'. Plain and simple.

There's got to be little joy in piling on a hopeless team, but while it might be a good week to turn your television off if you're a Titans fan, New England fans can certainly come back off the ledge now.

For five weeks, New England's been waiting for Brady to finally show that the knee wouldn't be a hindrance to the Patriots' title hopes this year, that the New England mojo that has driven their success this decade hasn't run out.

Five weeks of doubt were erased in all of two quarters as New England put the league on notice and has every writer in the press box wondering if you capitalize "Aristeia ."

I know it's hard to believe, but this is not that bad of a Tennessee Titans team. It really isn't.

You can see it on tape that it's a team that has decent technique, good raw ability, some special game-breaking talents, and a halfway decent coach.

Injuries have really taken their toll, of course, and that's really the story of their season. But the entire New England team's performance on Sunday was nothing short of historic.

This was Brady's revenge ride on the league, courtesy of the old Oilers. The fact that he was as good as he's ever been, in such ridiculous weather, just makes it even more impressive.

I live all of 20 miles from Gillette Stadium, if that. I haven't seen a flake of snow all day. Nothing but rain. Yet less than a half hour ride from me, Gillette looks like somebody dropped the world's biggest snow cone on Foxboro, MA.

Given the weather (and the uniforms), you'd be forgiven for thinking you turned on ESPN Classic rather than CBS. 

There'll be quite a bit said this week of the side-stories of this game.

Was Belichick bringing Brady back out for the second half a case of him running up the score? Was it just to let Brady get another ovation or to let Brian Hoyer calm down a bit? What will the Titans do at quarterback when their starter finished 2/17 for all of negative seven yards?

There will also be some things that get missed, of course.

The Patriots' blocking and their defense, specifically, deserve special mention. Sebastian Vollmer filled in beautifully at left tackle for the injured Matt Light, as well.

What might be almost as important as Brady's return to form, though, is the work of Laurence Maroney, who finally woke up and decided to play football.

On a sloppy day, running backs have to make their mark. Maroney certainly did on Sunday. The fact that Brady's performance will overshadow the young back's day is a bit of a shame.

But let that get ignored. Let people have at Belichick for letting Brady play in the second half with a 45 point lead. Let the doubters wonder if the Patriots can do that against a team with a pulse.

Let everyone say what they want. New England fans won't be listening.

Because in a game devoid of drama after the first half, the New England Patriots finally got out of their own way on a classic slushy, gross, sloppy, football day.

I guess to some people, that sounds like perfection.

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