Welcome to Season 13, Episode 2 of the Unconventional Preview, a serious yet lighthearted, nostalgia-tinted look at the Patriots’ weekly matchup …
One game into a Patriots season that began with low expectations, it’s a welcome plot twist that the main question entering Sunday’s home opener against the Seahawks has hopeful connotations.
The question: After their tough, disciplined performance in a 16-10 win over the Bengals — a showing that looked like it was lifted from the earliest phase of the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick union — should we recalibrate those expectations?
More concisely, is this team better than we figured?