This National Football League season has largely been difficult to watch for New England Patriots fans. The offense has looked unfamiliar, as it has lumbered through most of its games, and future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Tom Brady has looked more like a low-level player instead of an elite competitor.
That all changed on Sunday, however, as the Patriots steamrolled the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers 55-31, looking more like the offensive juggernaut they are known to be.
The win improved the Patriots to 7-2, but more importantly, it appears that Brady and his receiving team are starting to become comfortable with one another.
Before the season began, New England let one of Brady’s favorite targets, Wes Welker, sign with the Denver Broncos. Tight end Aaron Hernandez is sitting in jail on murder charges. Tight end Rob Gronkowski missed the first five games of the season recovering from wrist and back surgery. The Patriots looked like a mess as the offense struggled to gain even 300 yards per game, while Brady completed less than 50 percent of his passes.
Danny Amendola, who the Patriots signed to replace Welker, missed several games because of an injury, while rookie wide receivers Kenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson were struggling to learn the Patriots’ offense.
Then came Sunday and the Steelers, which were ranked second in the league in pass defense. No problem for Brady and company. Brady passed for 432 yards and four touchdowns. Gronkowski caught nine passes for 143 yards and a touchdown, and the Patriots became the first team ever to score 55 points on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Perhaps the most telling play of the game came in the fourth quarter when Brady hit Dobson down the field for an 81-yard touchdown pass that broke the Steelers’ backs. Dobson could be the deep threat that Brady has lacked since Randy Moss left the team a few seasons ago. Dobson appears to finally grasp the offense, and if he and Brady can continue to stay on the same page like they did against the Steelers, the Patriots could become a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
The Patriots defense has injuries to several key players and did give up 31 points to the Steelers, but it has played strongly this season and was the reason the Pats were winning early despite their offensive woes. The Patriots have had great offenses in the past seven seasons, reaching two Super Bowls and several AFC title games, but haven’t won the Super Bowl since 2004. Most of that has been because they haven’t had a great defense like they had for the Super Bowl wins in 2001, ’03 and ’04.
If the defense can stay on track and the offense continues to play like it did on Sunday, then the Patriots will be a tough opponent for any team.
As for the Steelers game, it wasn’t just the passing attack that came to life, but the running game that also gave the Steelers fits. Stevan Ridley rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. The Steelers are ranked 31st against the run, but Ridley’s running opens up the passing game.
This game could become an aberration, and the Patriots might continue to struggle as the season moves into the second half, but if the Patriots build on Sunday’s performance, the rest of the league should look out for New England.
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Today’s editorial was written by Sports Editor Al Edwards on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.
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