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Game Day, 9/7/2008
September 7, 2008
New England Patriots vs Kansas City Chiefs
1pm EST
The start of a new season offers hope and new beginnings to most NFL teams. The Patriots are saddled with the pressure to return to the Super Bowl. They have to overcome any hangover that may linger. With any loss, it'll be the first thing written. Can the boys shrug off things and return to glory?
Looking at the pre-season, you'd think the Pats had a ton of issues. And they might. But I think the pre-season represented nothing. However, it did raise some concerns.
With no Tom Brady, the offense was sluggish and almost non-existent at times. Cassel and Gutierez? Yikes! Lets hope we never have to see how the backup QBs play this season. The offense certainly would of been a lot better with Tom playing. The offensive line did play a bit better as the pre-season played out but if there are concerns if any of the starters do go down. Losing Stephen Neal was a big blow. Is Matt Light still gimpy? Can the O-Line still protect Tom? They better.
The running game has some depth this year with the addition of Lemont Jordan. Will Sammy Morris return to his pre-injury form? He carried the running game for a bit last season. Can Lawrence continue his good play from the playoffs? They should be able too.
Specials teams looked dreadful in the preseaon. They simply looked bad against the Eagles game letting two return TDs. Sure it was only the pre-season but they could of played better.
Finally the defense was a bit shakey at times letting teams run by them far too often. Most of the starters were playing so there was no excuse. Of course the Pats didn't really game plan but they looked old at times. I do look forward to see how the rookies, Jerod Mayo and Shawn Crable do. They did look good in pre-season.
With all these concerns though, I think the Patriots will be alright. They allowed themselves room to improve as the season moves ahead. Last season, they were at peak form early on and had no where to go but down. The defense certainly will improve, They have too much veteran talent to fall apart. And the offense still has Tom Brady. (I hope). Bill Belichick went at this season differently and so hopefully with minimal injuries, the Patriots can win the bloody Super Bowl again.
Today's game should be a layup. The Chiefs are young and mostly inexperienced. However, the game will probably be close early on and show some rust on both sides. But I do expect the Patriots to win the game.
-bostondave
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