If you listened to all the local sports shows prior to the start of the season I lost count how many times I heard people saying the Patriots could make a run at 19-0. I mean, it's the same exact team, offensively right?
Yes. But offense is 1/3 of the game. There are 5 things that are different this year that directly impacted that goal from the get-go:
Vrabel is catching TDs from Cassel in KC.
Rodney is taking friendly shots at Brady on TV.
Bruschi is on NFL Live on ESPN and is going through the paces to become the next great analyst for them.
Seymour went from the best organization in the NFL to the worst.
Brady missed an entire season.
People that have never played a sport, much less football, have no idea what it's like to come back from an injury and get yourself back up to speed. Brady is overthrowing guys, both distance wise and height wise. Everything is related to his knee. It might be 100% healthy now, but his mechanics are off, he needs to trust his knee more, and generally shake off the rust. Until he does that he'll keep overthrowing guys.
It may be mid-season before Brady is back into his usual groove, but when he returns to that same level of performance it will make a world of difference. Hopefully the Patriots don't have to wait much longer.
