For a month and a half, the Patriots have looked average to below average every week. They were smacked by the Saints in late November, lost a tightly contested battle in Miami the following week, and then won back-to-back games against the Panthers and Bills in lackluster fashion.
But their 35-7 rout of the Jaguars (a playoff contender, mind you) on Sunday begs the question of whether or not the Patriots are still feared. With all due respect to the Steelers, New England has been the team of the decade and is always dangerous in the postseason. They’re also somewhat flying under the radar because they haven’t looked particularly great, but have won three in a row and might be building some confidence again.
That said, it’s no surprise that the Patriots beat the snot out of the Jaguars today. They’ve beaten Jacksonville the last four times the two teams have played and have outscored the Jags 110-57 in those four games. They just match up well with Jacksonville and they proved it again today.
My eyes tell me that this isn’t the same Patriots team that has trampled the competition in the past, even with their impressive win today. But with Tom Brady under center and Bill Belichick patrolling the sideline, my gut wonders if this isn’t a team (which has had a ton of success in the postseason) peaking at the right time and that could sneak up on the opposition in the playoffs two weeks from now.
