They're Back!

If you felt like it was the beginning of the millennium this afternoon watching the Patriots derail the Ravens in overtime, you weren't alone. The 23-20 victory confirmed what I was hoping for in the past week and a half -- the old Patriots are on their way back.

In his return to New England, hometown hero Deion Branch quieted the critics by hauling in 9 catches for 98 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter to spark the Patriots' comeback. And, for those of you who want to keep making the ridiculous comparisons between Branch and Moss -- Branch matched the total number of receptions that Moss had in a Pats uniform this year with just his first game this afternoon.

Baltimore took a 20-10 lead into the fourth quarter before the flashback happened before our eyes. Stifling defense, hard-nosed football, Brady hitting all of his receivers -- the old way. Special teams played a huge role in the overtime period, seeing rookie punter Zoltan Mesko salvage a compromising field position situation with a 65-yard bomb that backed the Ravens up to their own 19 yard line. On New England's following possession, they would win the game on a Stephen Gostkowski 35-yard field goal, his first career overtime attempt.


It wasn't pretty all game. Nobody tore up the stat sheet. Nobody made a huge 70-yard touchdown catch. But they limited their turnovers (Brady's second pick on the hail mary doesn't really count) and they made clutch plays on defense when it mattered most. Had Aaron Hernandez been able to hold on to two Tom Brady passes in the fourth quarter and overtime, the game may have been over even sooner. For three quarters, Patriot nation was left wondering whether the trade of Randy Moss was a mistake. After seeing this team play at the end of the game -- which we've seen them struggle with over the past few years -- I don't think anyone has the bitter taste of uncertainty remaining.

The Patriots are continuing to show signs indicating they're back to their old style. They're hitting receivers on a number of different routes, timing plays perfectly, making defensive stands, and being completely and totally unpredictable. That's what I remember most from our glory days. The confidence among our defense is building. Our offensive chemistry and timing are coming into synchronization. And, hopefully, all of these things will come together in the second coming of New England's glory days.