COMMENTARY
The Patriots are not, to paraphrase an old football coach, who I thought they were.
Turns out they’re a little bit better than that now, and may well prove to be much better than that on the journey through the winter toward Atlanta and Super Bowl LIII.
I suspect this season is shaping up to be a mea culpa for me. Allow me to explain.
Entering the season, I figured that the Patriots — coming off a jarringly melodramatic offseason following a tough loss in Super Bowl LII to an Eagles team that delivered a well-timed spectacular night — would overcome their frustrations to again emerge as the favorite in the AFC.