Don't Put the Pats in the Past

The Patriots just got their butts handed to them. By the Dolphins. Yes, the Dolphins, and if memory serves me correctly a year ago they were "destroyed" by the Patriots.

But let's not get away from ourselves here. I'm not trying to take anything away from the Dolphins—namely Ronnie Brown, who had 30 points (four rushing touchdowns, one passing) all on his lonesome. The Patriots are a year removed from a Super Bowl and have most of their players still intact (minus some key players, like Asaunte Samuel and Donte Stallworthe).

Yes, Tom Brady is gone and out, and, yes, Matt Cassel is running this offense. He hasn't started a game since high school—that is true. But he's been in USC's system watching some great QBs such as Matt Leinart and Carson Palmer.

He has been in the Patriots' system long enough to watch and learn from Brady. He knows this system a lot better than you think. He isn't so helpless—look at Aaron Rodgers.

If you want to blame something on the Patriots, blame their running game. The Patriots have no sense of who they are when they run the ball. Laurence Maroney and Sammy Morris have been splitting carries, and even LaMont Jordan has been taking some.

The Pats have no idea who their go-to back is. What was "supposed" to happen was that Maroney, who was injured for part of last season, was going to take majority of the snaps, and Morris was the goal line back. Ever since Brady went down, no one knows what is going on.

But the talent is still there.

The receiving corps is still intact. Randy Moss is going to be Randy Moss.  He will be nowhere close to producing as much as he did last year.  I look at him to put up some Calvin Johnson/Chad Ocho Cinco-like numbers from last year.

Wes Welker will give you pretty much the same numbers from last year, minus the TDs and yards. Jabar Gaffney is the man to look at as he came up huge in the last four games, with a TD in each.

Every defense has a bad week, just like every offense has a bad week (e.g. the Steelers' O-line against the Eagles on Sunday and the Oakland Raiders against any opponent). The Dolphins were a very underrated opponent matching up against the "mighty" Pats, and the Dolphins made them pay.

But look for the Pats to bounce back next week. They have something to prove. They're going to put 110 percent effort (which they should do every week) out there on the field.

The Patriots still have their coach. Bill Belichick a genius. The schemes and plays he puts together, the work ethic—the man is a machine. It might be true he needs talent to do it, as seen when he was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns. But he does have talent in New England.

They won't be perfect, but still look for them to win 10 to 12 games.

As T.O. said: "Getcha popcorn." Because, in two weeks (bye in week four), the Patriots are coming back with a vengeance.