Patriots Pulse: The Season Is Back On

Oh me. Oh my. Oh me oh my.

I gotta be honest I did not see that coming. Cersei Lannister shame on me for that.

The New England Patriots, who were power ranked by the idiots at NFL.com as 31st in the league this week, just walked into Buffalo's beautiful new stadium and handed the second best team in the division (we won last year in case you forgot) their first loss in their $2.2 billion project.

Oh me.

The Bills were feeling themselves pregame when they won the coin toss and took the ball. That resulted in a quick 3 and out, and instead the Patriots set the tone with a 12-play, 97-yard TD drive.

And it was game on.

That decision also allowed the Pats to receive the 2nd half kickoff, where they nearly matched their first half opening drive with an eerily similar 14-play, 73 yard TD to regain the lead after a wild end to the first half.

Oh my.

Despite Josh Allen trying his best to make the not top 10 plays of all time, the teams basically traded punts for the next quarter.

Then the Bills struck and took the lead with 4 and a half to go. And the ball was in Drake Maye's hands, with what felt like the season on the line.

And the boy came through.

8 plays, 73 yards - with 68 of them through the air. Climaxing (literally speaking for Pats fans) with the catch of the year by Efton "Practice Squad" Chism.

I didn't think it was possible for me to be in a better mood than I was immediately following the game - then I saw that CJ clip.

"They barely scored - they struggled all day".

"29 points? Didn't feel like it if you ask me".

It did to me CJ!!

Oh my god I love that interview. That's the Patriots living rent free in your head type of shit. That level of saltiness only comes out in stage one of grief; Denial.

Denial that you aren't the best team in the AFC East. Denial that the team that just beat you had won like 20 total games in the four years leading up to last year yet somehow still went to the Super Bowl before you.

Denial that the potentially worst offense in the league through three weeks tore your ass up, scoring more TDs than they had the first three weeks combined. And denial that Josh McDaniels dropped his nuts on you and threw on both 2nd and 3rd and 10 to ice the game.

If that clip isn't the best thing you saw today - including the Chism catch - you aren't a Patriots fan.

Ok, I'm calming down.

While the adrenaline/emotion settles, what I really feel is relief.

I was doing my best to stay positive this week, telling myself that Buffalo was the place we turned our season around last year. That despite a rocky 2-2 start, we pulled off the upset and used that as the catalyst to a Super Bowl run.

I thought - why not again?

But despite my best efforts, it still felt like a pipe dream.

The Bills had their annual turnover avalanche game last week, yet still held off the hapless Chargers. It felt unlikely they'd have back-to-back duds on offense.

We also didn't have Diggs, who was the lifeblood of our team last year, especially in that Buffalo game. I couldn't figure out where we'd get the edge we needed to pull this off. The news of Gonzo and Barmore being ruled out didn't help either.

But boy am I a happy boy today.

This one game by no means is a surety we're going to replicate last year; there's still a lot we need to do to improve and play more consistently.

But it shows we got fight. That even when we're being drowned by local and national media, the boys can block out the noise, or use it as motivation, and play ball.

This was a prove it game. And the Pats proved that they'll fight til their hands are cut off. Fire me up coach!!

I'm relieved that this season is no longer on a Nike stock trajectory. But I'm more so excited that Drake Maye showed his first signs of his 2025 self, and that our shorthanded defense stepped up, completely eliminated Josh Allen's ability to scramble, and made the play to end the game.

The season just got turned all the way up. I can't wait for next Sunday.