BOSTON -- So, what is the story of the 2022 New England Patriots?
While there has been an unanticipated twist or two -- namely, an impromptu quarterback controversy and a stunning home loss to the Bears on Monday Night Football -- the Patriots have more or less stuck to the script that was written by many in the summer.
This was a team that figured to be ... OK. Whether they shot a little above or a little below .500 was a matter of healthy debate, but the overriding feeling was that Bill Belichick's team would mostly beat the teams that it should beat while losing to the NFL's top dogs.