Giants vs. Patriots: Life Not All Gloom and Doom for New England

You might not believe it New England, but things are going to be just fine. 

I am sure there are quite a few St. Louis Rams fans and Indianapolis Colts supporters who would love to scream, "Get over yourself!" The fact is, things are not all that bad. 

I had to step back and chuckle at a highly visible knee-jerk reaction from Boston.com's Eric Wilbur. His article on Tom Brady and his tough outing was on the wrong side of fanaticism. 

Brady didn't have a splendid game, but he certainly didn't kill every last piece of his legacy, as Wilbur wrote. 

"

The legend is dead, the prince has turned back into a frog, and...well, use whatever other cliché you want. A performance as bad as Tom Brady's tonight in Super Bowl XLVI deserves a lead just as lame. 

"

No. Neither the New England Patriots, nor their star quarterback, are dead. Consider them hibernating for a long spring that will culminate in summer workouts for yet another push to the playoffs. 

The one thing I learned about the Patriots this season was that I had them all wrong. They weren't the hapless defenders who were doomed to be incessantly scored upon. 

They were the AFC Champions who won with just enough defense and tons of prolific offense. While it's true that the New York Giants were marked as lovable underdogs before the playoffs, it is equally true that most if us saw the Patriots just as tattered with holes. 

Despite their soft secondary, they made it within one drive of ultimate glory. I would say that is pretty good for the 31st pass defense in the league. 

Now, the next part will not be easy. Such is the life of a dynasty franchise, hell bent on winning each and every year. 

This offseason will be harder than most, as multiple crucial players leave to the open market. 

Wes Welker is a free agent, as is BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Big issues also come on the other side of the ball, with defensive ends Mark Anderson and Andre Carter heading into the open market, as well as defensive linemen Gerard Warren, Shaun Ellis and linebacker Gary Guyton.

This is exactly the time to temper emotions. Wes Welker may have had the most famous drop of the Super Bowl, but he is still the most perfect cog to this finely-tuned machine. 

The Patriots were just one solid cornerback from winning it all. Even with their issues, they very nearly won it all. 

Soon, the positives of that fact will wash over New England. It just may take a couple months for such a thing to happen. 

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