Jealous of Snow, Not Football Squad

Sure, I'll admit it -- I'm jealous that Chicago has awesome snow storms right now and New England has warm, gross, December rain. But just to clarify -- Chicago's snow is the only thing I'm jealous about.

One would have suggested I may have been jealous of their football squad after today's game between the Patriots and Bears. After all, in such horrible conditions, the Bears would have the advantage via their ability to pound the rock on the ground and play tough, rugged defense. Once reality transpired, though, fans saw New England convincingly take down a 9-win opponent for the second straight week. And the total score in those two weeks? A mere 81-10 advantage for the hometown heroes.

For anyone who questioned which team was the best in the NFL right now, that question was loudly answered today. In a hostile environment with less than favorable weather conditions, the Patriots put on a massacre of the Bears from the start. After a 33-0 score at the half -- already the most points Chicago had given up all season -- and the rest was history.

At 11-2, the Patriots are inching closer to securing the top seed in the AFC. A game like this one further assures me that home field advantage is huge for the Pats. Environments like these -- in the cold, frigid, snowy, sloppy conditions -- are where the Patriots excel in comparison to other teams. The way Brady spreads the ball out, the way they protect the rock, the way their defense stiffens up when they need to do so -- it all reminds me of the glory days. Hopefully this is the year those days return.

But make no mistake about it. These Patriots haven't won a thing yet. Don't blur the line between confidence and satisfaction. No one should be satisfied with New England's season thus far. Crowning ourselves as champions today would be the most hypocritical thing we could do. We accuse Jets fans of being ridiculous when winning the "Week 2 Super Bowl" when they celebrate following a big win. By the same token, we haven't won a thing yet. Be happy, yes. Celebrate, sure. Have confidence in our ability to bring home the ultimate prize this year, absolutely. But realize it's far from over. In fact, the ride is really just beginning. Patriots fans, of all people, should know this.