Well tonight the Patriots ran into their first legitimate opponent of the 2013 regular season and you have to admit that they passed the initial test with a 30-23 win against the Falcons at the Georgia Dome in Sunday Night Football. New England (4-0 overall, 2-0 away) would be the first to admit that they should have won much more comfortably (they led 30-13 in the fourth quarter) since the Falcons (1-3 overall, 1-1 home) had a chance to tie it at the end after recovering an onside kick but Matt Ryan's (34 of 54 for 421 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) fourth down pass for Roddy White in the end zone was deflected away by Aqib Talib.
For what it's worth, the last two times the Pats started 4-0 was in 2004 and 2007: both years ended in the Super Bowl (a win and loss respectively). However before we start dreaming of the Super Bowl this season, it's likely that we'll wake up to the sobering reality that Vince Wilfork is out for the rest of the season with a torn Achilles (reported by Boston Globe's Shalise Manza Young and ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss). It happened in the first quarter on a seemingly innocent play but with such a big body sometimes it's tough to tell the severity of an injury. When he got carted off then never returned, you knew it was bad because he never misses action. The Pats could survive without Wilfork since truth be told he plays a rather outdated position in today's pass-first, second and third NFL but he is unquestionably one of their best players, a captain and leader. Let's hope the early reports are somehow wrong.
Tonight's victory was a throwback to the happier times with the Patriots (the Super Bowl years) when nobodies picked up during the week or languishing on the bench turn in huge plays. Which was your favorite: Matthew Mulligan's (6th team in 6 years) first catch for New England (a 1-yard touchdown), undrafted rookie Joe Vellano replaces Wilfork and has a sack or Michael Buchanan (a 7th round pick) who also recorded a sack? I'm not even including Kenbrell Thompkins (6 catches, 127 yards, 18-yard TD catch) since by now we all know his story and importance to this team. Oh and LeGarrette Blount who nobody thought should make the final roster, had a 47-yard touchdown run. Haha it was that kind of night.
The Falcons proved to be the Texans or Chargers of the NFC: a talented team that plays too conservatively (Houston) or is prone to make the brutal mistake in a big spot (San Diego). In the first half they passed up an easy field goal only to get stuffed on fourth down when it was obvious points would be at a premium in this contest. Talib picked off Ryan for his NFL-leading fourth interception of the season that sent the fraud Atlanta fans home early.
No Steven Jackson meant little in the way of a running game for the Falcons. Tony Gonzalez (12 catches, 149 yards, 2 TDs) looked like the greatest tight end who ever lived but that probably isn't far off from the truth. Julio Jones (6 catches, 108 yards) was the focus of Talib and New England's defense so he only showed up in pseudo-garbage time with a miraculous 49-yard grab.
It is always a good day or night as it were for kickers indoors: Matt Bryant and Stephen Gostkowski each had three field goals with New England's kicker booming a 48-yard and 49-yard kick. Tom Brady (20 of 31 for 316 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, 1 fumble) started off slow with only nine passing attempts in the first half but the Pats adjusted from a power running gameplan to more of a passing attack led by Thompkins and Julian Edelman (7 catches, 118 yards) in the second half except for Blount's long run.
The Pats survived another week without Danny Amendola (anybody seen him by the way?) and Rob Gronkowski. Next Sunday's game (1, CBS) at Cincinnati (2-2) doesn't seem as tough after the Bengals lost 17-6 today in Cleveland to Brian Hoyer and the Browns. Of course the NFL taught us long ago not to make too much out of one week (win or lose). New England is happy to be one of the six remaining unbeaten teams left in the league (5 after Monday Night Football) after a tricky road win against a desperate squad.
UPDATE 10/1: As I predicted, today the Pats resigned cornerback Marquice Cole and safety Kanorris Davis (who was signed off the practice squad on Saturday then released yesterday). I bet Davis is back on the practice squad as soon as tomorrow.
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