Wow, the weeks after the Patriots lose are certainly depressing. This is the 4th time in 2009 that I've found myself entering a football-free bubble. When the Patriots win I pretty much watch every bit of football news I can get my eyes on. Everyone loves to hear all the commentators glow over their team.
But after a loss there are only a few things I can bring myself to watch. First and foremost is listening to Tom Brady and Bill Belichick's interviews from WEEI that are posted as podcasts on Monday and Tuesday respectively. Nowhere else will you find Coach Belichick more open and relaxed. Sure you still get some of the standard responses: somethings were good, some things were not so good... we've got to coach and play better...
But generally the Coach is willing to go into a little more depth about the games. Win or lose I never miss either appearance. Hearing their voices reminds me that it's a long season with ups and downs, and certainly no one takes losses harder than them.
I also bring myself to watch Playbook on NFL Network. Mike Mayock, Brian Billick and Solomon Wilcots do a great job breaeking down the X's and O's of what happens on the field. That's what I want to know.
I don't want to hear from ESPN how the Patriots are no longer the team they once were. Um, yeah we know that. I also don't need to hear from Peter King how Belichick should not have pulled Tom Brady with 5 minutes to go against the Saints. The media is so interested in extrapolating every bit of information they can out of every win or loss. And as Brady says, you can't ride that roller coaster if you want to be a succesful team in the NFL.
Just ask the New York Jets who were punching their playoff ticket when they were 4-0.
Given Coach Belichick's past success the mediots find it fun to pile on him when his team doesn't dominate. Clearly they don't pay heed to the philosophy that Belichick preaches, and that's the thing that makes the Patriots such a good team. He's not interested in history, about how the team has done in the past, what they've accomplished, games they've won or lost. Each week is it's own season, and each week he just tries correct the mistakes and make the team better.
So people can make any kind of judgement they want about the New England Patriots. Win or loss they are going to show up and compete as hard as any team in the NFL. There will be weeks like they had against the Saints. Just like they had against the Redskins in 2003, the Dolphins in 2004, the Chargers in 2005, the Jets in 2006, the Ravens in 2007 (a game they should've lost), or the Dolphins in 2008. Ultimately one loss will never define Bill Belichick's Patriots as much as all those in the media who pray for the day New England is just a .500 team want it to.
They will show up in Miami, and compete to get their first true road win of the season. After that happens, who knows what the fate of the 2009 Patriots will be, but a win this weekend will all but assure that they will be playing in January and with that comes at least a chance at playing in another Super Bowl.
