The Patriots vs. An Empty Field: A Recap

GM,

Yesterday, the Patriots' 59-0 blowout of the Titans left few people wondering if New England was for real and if Tennessee was really that bad. It's a resounding "yes" to both. What some may have forgotten, though, is Bill Belichick's far-from-normal-anywhere-outside-of-intramural-football coaching mentality, which leads to passing, calling timeouts, and going for it on fourth down while pummeling a team mercilessly. This was the 2007 Belichick; the 2008 Belichick just didn't have the horses.

Allow our readers to get a glimpse into our lives. You may remember having this phone conversation yesterday at halftime, after Tom Brady had thrown his fifth touchdown pass of the second quarter thanks to Belichick's running a hurry-up offense while up 38-0:

GM: Can you believe Belichick called a timeout to get one more score in?!

JW: Well, honestly, I can understand not kneeling on your opponent's 10-yard line in the first half. That could be more disrespectful. But if Brady comes out in the second half...

GM: Oh, I hope they end his career.

JW: Exactly. And if he throws a pass, I hope they find a way to end Belichick's too.

What ensued, of course, was a Brady-led drive that consisted of three runs and six passes, the last of which hit Moss for his third TD of the day and Brady's sixth. You may take a different stance than I on running up scores, but what about leaving your Hall-of-Fame quarterback in the snow 13 months after he suffered a season-ending injury--in a game that was actually close at the time?

-JW

JW,

It says something about Tennessee's collective psyche that Tom Brady made it out of Gillette Stadium yesterday with working legs and a head still attached to his body. Seriously? There wasn't a third-string safety willing to take one for the team and give Brady the career-ending ass kicking he so richly deserved? There wasn't a bounty on his photogenic head? Sure, the refs nipped any chippiness in the bud by issuing a bulls--t roughing-the-passer penalty on the second half's first play from scrimmage, but I'm not sure they needed to. The Titans are done in every conceivable way, and you have to care before you can take revenge.

Here's some other thoughts, presented in the order in which they occurred to me:

1. We'll hear a lot about Jeff Fisher's job over the next few days, but perhaps it's owner Bud Adams who needs to hand over the reigns. Asked to comment on yesterday's loss, the 86-year-old stated, "The way it is going, I don't know if we'll win any games, and that is unheard of in the National Football League." I think it's safe to say that the Detroit Lions are popping champagne corks and slapping each other on the backs. Meanwhile, Bud's trying to convince his financial people that the stock market can never have an off year.

2. Given the fact that I was still hearing a few "The Titans Really Have To Win This One" stories as late as Sunday morning, I think it's safe to say that we've been overvaluing them as a football community. Folks, let's agree. Unless "have to" means "shouldn't because it will compromise their draft position," the Titans no longer have to win anything.

3. In 2002, the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Arizona Cardinals 49-0 at home, showing flashes of the offensive brilliance that would lead them to a 10-0 start the next season. Their next four games? 2-2 and a date with the remote control come January. While the Patriots are good, they're still not great. And they're certainly not beating anyone else that badly anytime soon.

4. Vince Young didn't step onto the field until eleven seconds remained in the third quarter of a 59-0 game. He promptly went 0-2 with an interception. Titans fans, say hello to your savior.

-GM