The Big Easy

All biases aside, Drew Brees was simply amazing last night. He was so good, so cold-blooded efficient, he would have probably given the 2000 Ravens or even the 1985 Bears fits, although those two defenses would have forced him to work a little bit harder than the Pats’ defense did. Brees completed 18 of 23 passes for 371 yards, an average of 20 yards per completion. He tossed five touchdown passes to five different receivers and finished with a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3. The man had as many touchdowns as he did incomplete passes. An incredible performance. 

His 38-yard touchdown pass to Robert Meachem was one of the best throws I’ve ever seen. How the hell did he fit that pass in there?

On the other side of the ball, the Saints put a choke hold on the Patriots' vaunted offense, picking off Tom Brady twice and limiting Randy Moss and the Slot Machine to nine catches between them. Brady, who failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time since the Jets kept him out of the end zone in Week 2, put a nice little bow on last night's game. ''There's obviously a big gap between us,'' he said. ''It wasn't nearly as competitive as we all were expecting.''

I’ve been giving the Pats are a hard time lately, mostly because they haven’t won a real road game or racked up a signature win this season, but last night I actually felt kind of bad for them. They were entirely outclassed in every facet of the game. That doesn't happen often--about as often as Bill Belichick goes out of his way to congratulate an opponent. 

BEN:

I think you'd probably be better off pitying some team that's actually struggling, as opposed to one that's "only" in the league's top 7 or 8.

The Saints beat the hell out of my team, no question about that, but I'm a long way from despairing. The young defense got totally embarrassed, by an extremely impressive offense, and they have some learning to do. But I still like the way they're constituted, and continue to be impressed with Belichick's ability to keep his team in the game while giving the defense a makeover. The offense is supposed to carry the torch while they're getting their reps in, and Monday night, they didn't execute. Still, they've got some incredible weapons, and they're going to get their stats.

Ok, sure, this week's game did not inspire confidence for those late-round playoff games. That's a monkey on their back, clearly. But they're still in great position to win 10+ games for the seventh consecutive year, as well as the AFC East. And I should point out, while we're harping on intangibles and matters of mystique, that pretty much every team's resume--except for these Saints--has some kind of problem with it. The Chargers and Cowboys are dynamic and talented, but frequently play way below their potential. The Bengals lost an embarrassing game to the Raiders, and no one seems sure whether they're for real. The Vikings have no signature wins and a very soft schedule. Even the Colts seem to get away with murder every week; most people suspect it will catch up to them.

What does it all add up to? My bet would be a Saints championship; but then again, all it takes is a team getting hot at the right time. I'm not sure it feels like a Super Bowl year for the Pats, but then again, neither did 2001, until it did. I still think they have the tools to win, if they get it together. And, anyway, I'd rather have this "off year" than, say, an actual losing season.

I see that you are continuing to care a great deal what Bill Belichick does in the 60 seconds after his games end. I wish you well in that pursuit.

MILES:

I feel sorry for your team because the Patriots are slowly but surely turning into the 2005-2008 Yankees. You've been so thoroughly spoiled by the Pats' recent string of success, you're having a hard time seeing the forest for the trees. I understand what you're up against. As a fan, you want to believe the Pats will figure out a way to win it all, just like in years past. The talent's there, you'll find yourself repeating, year after year after year. Belichick, you'll assure yourself, knows what he's doing. The defense, you'll insist, will get it together when it matters most. We've won the AFC East seven (or eight or nine or 10) years in row, and we still have Tom Brady and Randy Moss, you'll say. That first-round match up doesn't worry me at all, you'll swear. Nobody wants to play us, damn it! By the time the playoffs roll around each year, you will have convinced yourself the Patriots are world beaters. 

Trust me, though, this won't end well. In fact, it's only going to get worse before it gets better.