New England Patriots: Super Bowl XLIX Champions!

The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks contested arguably the greatest Super Bowl of all-time. It had everything from hard hitting defense to brilliant offense and just pure drama as the two teams battled it out until literally the last seconds of the game. With 23 seconds to go Russell Wilson threw an interception to Patriots rookie defensive back Malcom Butler on the one yard line sending the New England Patriots players and fans around the world to go in to a frenzy of celebration as well as disbelief that they had finally captured their first Super Bowl championship since 2004.

Brady's reaction to Butler's intercepted summed it all up for anyone associated with the Patriots

After Jermaine Kearse's catch down at the goal-line it appeared that New England would surely suffer a third straight Super Bowl defeat as it seemed once again that the football gods were once again going to snatch victory away from the Patriots with a David Tyree/Mario Manningham type play. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in particular needed this victory more than anything to quieten down all the doubters and finally get this massive weight off of their shoulders. Despite all Brady and Belichick have achieved if Wilson had indeed completed that pass to Lockette or if the Seahawks had just run the ball with Lynch like 99.9% of people would have done then Seattle would have surely won this game and left the Patriots franchise in devastation.

But the beauty of sport is that it is all swings and roundabouts and that is none truer than in the National Football League. When Brady started his career he was a young kid fighting tooth and nail to make it in the NFL and under the guidance of Belichick the Patriots won 3 Super Bowls in 4 years thanks to a a fantastic defense, great coaching and the heart as well as the desire of a young quarterback. Some would say that at that time Brady was just a game manager, some would say that despite having the best win ratio in NFL history he hadn't won the big one since 2004 and that it was just because of that great defense that Brady had 3 Super Bowl rings. People would even dare to call Brady a choker and bring up the lack of Super Bowl success since SpyGate despite guiding his team to the big one two more times since 2004. The 2007 team almost pulled of perfection, in 2011 the Pats just couldn't get the job done and it appeared that the 4th championship may never come around.

The Patriots roster this season was the best since 2007 and all the pieces were in place for a championship. After a sluggish start to the season and the humiliation at the hands of the Chiefs in week 4 the Pats steamrolled through the regular season to finish 12-4. They pulled off a memorable comeback win over the Ravens in this years divisional round before blowing out the Colts in the AFC Championship but then the deflate-gate drama happened. Since the Pats' AFC title victory people have tried to unsettle New England just a fortnight before Super Bowl 49 but in fact deflate-gate was possibly the best thing that could of happened to the Patriots heading in to this Super Bowl matchup against the Seahawks.

To be branded cheaters and have their integrity questioned once again must have stung and team owner Robert Kraft's speech proved that when he came out and defended the franchise in emotional fashion. It inspired the team and probably gave them the final push they needed to get the job done this past Sunday. If Brady and Belichick had failed to guide the team to Super Bowl victory this time around then to be honest despite all the success of this franchise would the Patriots have been able to bounce back from a third heartbreaking Super Bowl defeat? Knowing the Patriots obviously they would have still been successful but I think three defeats in a row at a time where the window on a 4th championship is closing more and more year by year may have indeed been two much even for this masterful duo and a franchise that has been at the top of the NFL mountain since 2001.

On Sunday Night it did appear that the Patriots may lose in the big one once again. Following a brilliant drive that ended in a Brady to Gronkowski touchdown just before the half the Patriots looked in control but Seattle snatched all the momentum back when Russell Wilson put a quick drive together in under a minute to tie the game at 14 each going in to the half. Then Seattle took control leaving New England down by 10 points at 24-14 against the best defense in the league and arguably the greatest defense of all time. Tom Brady and the Patriots had it all to do especially as no team had ever come back from a deficit larger than 7 in the fourth quarter of a Super Bowl but they put together a fantastic drive which included a fantastic play on 3rd&14 which saw Brady fire a dime to Julian Edelman who had a fantastic game; the drive ended in a Brady to Amendola touchdown with just under 8 minutes to play in regulation.

Then New England's defense came up big straight away to get the ball back by forcing Seattle to a 3 and out. 24-21 4:47 left on the clock, 2&11 Brady hit Rob Gronkowski for the first down as the Patriots forced their way in to field goal range and it looked like they would at least tie the game but against this Seattle team it needed to be a touchdown especially given the circumstances. So then on 2nd and goal the Patriots scored the go ahead touchdown as Brady hit Edelman after he pulled off a spin move to put the Pats up 28-24 but then as we know it seemed Seattle would break the hearts of all Pats players and fans before Malcom Butler pulled off one of the finest plays in Super Bowl history to stop Seattle's comeback attempt and leave the Patriots in ecstasy.

The Patriots had finally avenged the demons of the past and laid to rest the painful defeat to the Giants in this same stadium back in 2007 as well as the other Super Bowl loss to New York back in 2011. Tom Brady and Belichick have now appeared in 6 Super Bowls with 4 victories and both have the most playoff victories for a quaterback/head coach. Brady's stellar offensive performance which saw him complete 37 of 50 passing attempts for 4 touchdowns and 328 yards earned him his 3rd Super Bowl MVP award leaving him tied with his childhood hero Joe Montana. In the game he surpassed another one of his idols old records as Brady ended the game with 13 Super Bowl touchdowns with the record previously standing at 11. Many now, including myself personally, consider Brady to be the greatest quarterback of all-time now that he is tied with Super Bowl wins on 4 with Montana and Terry Bradshaw and the fact that when you total up all the records Tom has and all the success he has achieved with Bill Belichick and the Patriots it is clear to see why he has a very strong case for greatest of all-time.

The Brady and Peyton Manning debate for greatest of an era is now over as Brady as 4 Super Bowl rings to Peyton's one. I'm not taking anything away from Peyton but Tom has all the postseason records whilst Peyton has all the regular season ones. Tom has played with only 9 pro bowl wide receivers to Manning's 27 and yet Brady is the one with 4 Super Bowl championships. Of course it is a team effort and the fact that this Pats team had so much determination as well as skill to capture this championship helped Brady but in the NFL the quarterback always seems to get too much of the praise or too much of the blame which is why we have so many debates about QB's and all in all who is the best ever. The greatest of all time debate will be even more heated than ever unless Brady and Belichick can win a 5th championship then that would kill any argument from anyone ever.

But for anyone associated with the Patriots whether that be the players, the coaches, anyone linked directly with the franchise or anyone in the fanbase from across the globe the debates can wait because the Super Bowl is coming back to Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Patriots are 4 times Super Bowl Champions and have established themselves as the greatest dynasty in NFL history. This team showed all the passion, heart, desire, skill and motivation it takes to win an NFL Championship. Tom Brady dethroned a devastating Seattle defense, this offense came up big when it mattered most. The offensive line that stood up strong against a devastating Seattle frontline to play a big part and players like Julian Edelman (some people's MVP choice), Danny Amendola (an unsung hero who came up big this postseason), Brandon LaFell (Brady's comfort blanket and a big contributor) and finally superstar tight end Rob Gronkowski all did their jobs.

I did say if he stayed healthy Gronk would be the difference this season with the result being a Patriots Super Bowl win and that was the case. The Pats offense defeated the legion of boom and the Pats defense came up big all season long to write their own story and establish their own greatness in New England's football folklore. Malcom Butler will be receiving Tom Brady's MVP truck after his game winning play, which I myself did indeed suggest during my celebrations on Sunday night via Twitter, and the likes of Jamie Collins, Dont'a Hightower, Rob Ninkovich, Chandler Jones, Vince Wilfork, Brandon Browner, Devin McCourty, Darrelle Revis among many others all get to wake up feeling on top of the world after becoming champions and deservedly so after they all played fantastic on Sunday. All 53 players on the Patriots roster earned their Super Bowl ring as they all played a part in the team becoming champions, they all did it for themselves personally and they all helped cement Brady and Belichick's legacy which is something all Patriots fans have been wanting since 2007. Everyone associated with the New England Patriots will be smiles from today's parade and throughout the entire off-season before the hard work begins ahead of the 2015 season and their title defense which will begin on the 10th September but until then let us say it one more time... The New England Patriots are Super Bowl Champions!

Super Bowl XLIX: Patriots vs Seahawks

Destiny, rising in the face of adversity and desire; these are the things that great teams believe in, do and aspire too which is something both the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks possess.

These two NFL heavyweights will lock horns come Sunday evening for arguably the biggest prize in sport, the Lombardi Trophy. The Patriots are looking to capture their 4th championship in franchise history and more importantly their first since 2004. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick will also be looking to exorcise demons from previous Super Bowls as it was in this exact stadium back in 2007 where the Patriots were minutes away from pulling off the perfect season before losing to the Giants and finishing the campaign 18-1.

Despite all their achievements and all the success the Patriots organisation has achieved it appears that Sunday's game is going to define a legacy. If Brady and Belichick win then it is a 4 Super Bowl win and 6 appearances, both have the most playoff wins for a QB and for a head coach and both hold numerous other records that help stake their claim as the greatest ever. If they don't defeat Seattle then other fan bases will continue to jibe the Pats with "Spygate", "Deflate gate" and about any other gate they can think of.

The Patriots are usually the masters of rising up in the face of adversity and punching it right in the throat which is something you could say they've done more so than ever this season but Seattle have had to combat this themselves. After a lacklustre start to the season the defending champions were heavily criticised including the almighty legion of boom and despite the fact that many experts were touting a possible return to the Super Bowl for these Seahawks secretly I believe and from what I saw about 90% of people really did feel that Dallas or Green Bay would knock off Seattle in this postseason but it never happened.

The Seahawks rose from the ashes last week to pull off one of the greatest playoff comebacks in NFL history as they rallied back from 16-0 down to take the game to overtime at 22-22 before Russell Wilson finished off the game to Jermaine Kearse with a beautiful touchdown leaving Green Bay shell shocked and wondering what if (I doubt any of their players will be watching the game tomorrow). So now Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch and this amazing Seattle Seahawks defense, who came up big especially in the red zone last week, will have a chance to repeat against a team who were in fact the last NFL franchise to pull off such a feat.

It's that among many other factors which makes this game so exciting and so damn hard to predict! This will arguably be Seattle and New England's toughest games of the season. The Patriots themselves pulled off a memorable playoff comeback against Baltimore in the divisional round so we know how much heart and determination both of these teams have. They also put in a stellar performance in last weeks AFC Championship game against the Colts to blow out the opposition 45-7 with LeGarrette Blount running wild and the Pats defense coming up big with huge intensity and fantastic play for near enough the entire 60 minutes.

The Patriots defense is probably the second best in the league and the truth is that they are not that far behind Seattle's but with this Seahawks D being so tough and so nasty it just puts them head and shoulders above the rest. Now Tom Brady has faced many great D's in the past and he will have been studying Seattle night and day for the past fortnight so he will be prepared and he has the tools to defeat the legion of boom.

The LOB's and this Seattle defenses kryptonite for me is Rob Gronkowski as despite how good the likes of Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, Jeremy Lang and Bobby Wagner are they've never come up against a player like Gronk as this man can do anything. Now despite Gronk's abilities to block, catch and just about to near enough anything my key to the game is this Pats o-line protecting Tom Brady as well as whether they can be effective enough to help get the run game going.

In Brady's past two Super Bowl losses the Giants front 3 was able to create tons of pressure to force a collapse in the pocket and get to Tom. If that happens again on Sunday it will be hard for the Pats to win especially as we've seen how brilliant that the likes of Bruce Irvin and Michael Bennett are in the pass rush. They have the skills to crash up the middle and replicate the success the Giants had against Brady but this Pats o line ranks 4th in giving up the fewest sacks this season so them doing their jobs will be crucial.

If they can indeed hold up strong and give Brady time in the pocket as well as create a successful run game with Blount also being a key factor then the Pats have the tools to win this game. The recipe to New England's success on offense this season has been quick passes, slants and the abilities of their small, nibble receivers creating plays after the catch so Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola will have big roles to play. This is something that Seattle have sometimes struggled against in the past with TY Hilton of the Colts being an example. Edelman, Amendola can both run similar corner routes to this one and because all are so good but with different qualities it makes for an exciting head to head when this Pats offense goes against the Seattle defense. Add Gronk in the mix as mention previously along with the big bodied Brandon LaFell who's having a breakout year at wideout for the Patriots, he has become one of Brady's most trusted weapons, and this Patriots offense will be giving the Seattle defense a few sleepless nights of their own. (Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan fans will appreciate the pun).

The Pats defense will be having a few restless nights of their own as they know how devastating Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch can be. Beast mode is the best running back in the league and thrives for the big games whilst Wilson always seems to keep calm in high pressure situations and also always manages to pull out a big play when needed. Doug Baldwin for me is a very underrated receiver and will pose the Pats defense threats but because of his slant running type nature New England will be well equipped for this. 

Despite Russell Wilson's ability to use his legs and considering how underrated his throwing ability is at times which was something the Broncos underestimated in last years Super Bowl I feel this Patriots defense has all the tools to combat the Seattle offense. Just like Wilson is a new type of QB these Patriot linebackers in the form of Jamie Collins and Dont'a Hightower are new breeds of linebackers and are equipped to disrupt as well as get after Russell Wilson. whilst the likes of Vince Wilfork, Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich definitely have a chance of frustrating beast mode.

Add the Pats secondary to this defense which includes brilliant safety Devin McCourty along with Darrelle Revis wanting to prove he's the best corner in the game on the biggest stage of them all when he goes against Richard Sherman tomorrow and you can see why this is the best Patriots defense since 2007. Remember the last time the Pats were in a Super Bowl Julian Edelman played at corner; now they have key contributors such as Brandon Browner, Logan Ryan, Kyle Arrington and Patrick Chung who all have risen to the occasion thanks to the inspiration and leadership from the likes of Revis and McCourty. For the Seahawks to win they'll need to run the ball effectively through Lynch so that Wilson can try to deceive the Pats D by using his own legs and with his throws but if that doesn't happen they'll become a bit more predictable which will help the Patriots in attempting to stop this Seattle offense.

Now everyone is talking about Seattle repeating or the fact that this is the game to cement Belichick but more so Tom Brady's legacy and to be quite honest it is a little bit. It is incredible that he would have to win this to make on Sunday to have 4 Super Bowl wins from 6 appearances in the big one just to prove the doubters wrong but personally I see this as being the career game for Rob Gronkowski who will help Brady, Belichick and the Patriots achieve their dreams once again. Gronk, the man who played for the university of Arizona, has waited 3 years for this since the Super Bowl loss to the Giants when he hobbled around on one ankle and has missed the past two playoffs with other injuries so it's only fitting that the biggest game of Gronk's career will be played in Arizona, a place he loves and a place where he hopes his dreams will be fulfilled come Sunday night. Seattle may be favourites and I do agree with that assessment but I've been adamant all season that if Gronkowski stays healthy the Patriots will win the Super Bowl so despite the fact that Pete Carroll is up against his former team as well as that the all mighty legion of boom are the best defense to come along since 1985 Bears I am standing by that prediction now more than ever.

Prediction: Patriots 27-23 Seahawks

        

Preview: Ravens vs Patriots

The New England Patriots will host the Baltimore Ravens in another high stakes playoff game with the winner heading to the AFC Championship game in 8 days time. The Ravens are one of the only teams in recent memory to walk in to Foxborough and enjoy great success with two playoff victories over the Patriots in the 2012 season when they went on to win the Super Bowl and back on the 10th January 2010 when they dismantled New England 33-14. 5 years later and these two teams are going to lock horns once again with both hoping that today's game will be the catalyst for a run to the Super Bowl.

Both Baltimore and New England have faced adversity this year and both have shut up their critics which is what makes this game so exciting as well as so tough to predict. The Ravens went in to Pittsburgh last week and knocked off their biggest rivals in the wild card round 30-17 when many predicted they would fail. In recent years we've seen how wild card teams get hot at the right time and go on a run whereas teams with a bye sometimes struggle to shake off the rust of not playing and pay the price with a sluggish performance. This was something that happened once or twice to the Indianapolis Colts in the Dungy-Manning era but for Belichick's Patriots you can be assured that his team will be fired up and ready to go.

Tom Brady said the other day that this is the 2014 Patriots vs the 2014 Ravens each with their own unique identity and whilst I completely agree with that assessment let's be honest Brady himself, Belichick and the whole of the Patriots locker room definitely won't be short of motivation when it comes to facing Baltimore. The thought of defeating an old enemy one more time is something that Brady and Belichick will be eager to do but it won't be easy and even 'Terrific Tom' himself hasn't been particularly terrific in past meetings with the Ravens as he has thrown 3 touchdowns to 7 interceptions in the teams last 3 playoff meetings.

Flacco on the other hand has been a worthy adversary for Brady and co as you can see from the stats above so it is safe to assume that today's game will be a close duel once again. The difference this time round for New England is that this is the best defense hands down since 2007/2008 and in my opinion this is the best overall roster since then as well which is what makes me believe that New England will find a way to get the job done tonight. Joe Flacco has been incredible in the post season and since he entered the league in 2008 he has proven himself to be a very good quarterback but the physicality and natural ability of this Patriots defense that possesses so many game changers will be something Flacco hasn't faced before in Foxborough.

We're talking about Flacco facing past defenses that have had Ras-I Dowling on the roster, Sterling Moore who basically made a once in a lifetime in the Patriots' lone win against Flacco in the postseason and that year Julian Edelman even lined up as a corner in the Super Bowl which says it all about how the Pats were struggling on defense as they did rank 31st that year too. The defense now has Devin McCourty excelling after switching to safety and is one of the best in the league with Patrick Chung, Brandon Browner, Logan Ryan and the gem of the secondary Darrelle Revis who has proven himself to be the best corner in the league not named Richard Sherman. Up front you have Vince Wilfork who has bounced back from a season ending achilles injury last season with Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich both capable of generating a pass rush as well as stopping the run and then at linebacker Dont'a Hightower and Jamie Collins are phenomenal young players with so much potential who are already two of the main players and leaders of this New England defense.

Jamie Collins is one of the best young players I've seen in recent memory and number 91 can do practically anything from man coverage to zone, dropping back to cover the pass as well as stopping the run. He makes big plays, sniffs out the danger, forces turnovers and quite frankly he has the speed, talent and intelligence to be one of the best linebackers in football. With a physical secondary along with other players we've mentioned including the tandem of Collins and Hightower the Patriots can disrupt the Ravens offense just like their old defenses have done in the past to Tom Brady. Defense wins championships and although it is an old sporting cliche quite honestly more often than not it is proven to be true but when you have an offense led by Tom Brady and a healthy Rob Gronkowski well that does certainly help.

The Patriots will be raring to go and I stand by my bold statement that if Gronk is healthy the Pats will win the Super Bowl. He is an absolute nightmare for opposing defenses and I'm sure coordinators lose sleep over thinking of ways to try and stop him or if it is even remotely possible. Gronk's ability to make big plays, draw double coverage which makes Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell become so effective and his ability to block in the running game proves why he is the most valuable player to the Patriots. The running game will be key tonight as if the Patriots get it going it will make the passing game run more effectively which will give Tom Brady the opportunities to pick holes in a Ravens secondary that has obvious weaknesses. History may not bode very well for New England against Baltimore but the past is the past for a reason as the 2014 Patriots are equipped to go all the way this year and end a 10 year wait for a 4th Lombardi; if they do their jobs tonight they'll be one game away from a 6th Super Bowl appearance in the Brady-Belichick era.

Prediction: Ravens 23-31 Patriots

Belichick could get his 20th win in the postseason tonight which would leave him tied for 1st all-time

Broncos vs Patriots: Manning vs Brady XVI

Tomorrow sees the 16th installment in the legendary rivalry between two of the greatest quarterbacks to play the game and as always there are high stakes when Peyton Manning's Denver Broncos go head to head against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

With the Patriots on a four game winning streak they have been resurgent after a slow start to the 2014 season but now find themselves at 6-2 after a 2-2 start and with a chance to place themselves in the first seed position for the playoffs if they manage to defeat Denver tomorrow. The Broncos are also on a 4 game winning streak so they will walk in to Gillette Stadium full of confidence especially having beaten the Patriots when the two teams last met in last seasons AFC Championship game.

That victory in January avenged the demons of a 34-31 comeback victory by Brady's Patriots earlier in that season when New England rallied from a 24-0 halftime deficit to knock off the Broncos in their own back yard but with Denver's 26-16 postseason victory a couple of months after that encounter just mentioned Manning tied his head to head postseason record against Brady to 2-2 all-time.

Unfortunately for Peyton history does suggest that the Patriots could well come out as the victors tomorrow with Brady holding a 10-5 all-time winning record over his old foe. With New England's huge 51-23 win over Chicago last Sunday this team is slowly moving through the gears week by week and finding ways to win after winning a narrow one against the Jets 27-25 the week before and knocking off the Bills in their own backyard 37-22.

With a bye week next week for the Patriots a win tomorrow against Denver would set them up perfectly for their remaining 7 games and allow them to focus on their tough tasks ahead as they go in search of claiming home field advantage for the playoffs; something that would definitely benefit the Patriots if they have to play the Broncos in the postseason as taking Peyton Manning out of Mile High stadium would work huge favours for New England.

The most intriguing aspect of tomorrow's matchup is the improved fortunes of both of these teams defenses and that is what makes this game a lot more interesting in comparison to the other meetings we've seen between these two teams in recent years. The Patriots may be without their best pass rusher in Chandler Jones but have made two additions at linebacker before the trade deadline this past Tuesday to cover for the season ending injury to Jerod Mayo and also possess the number one pass defense in the league.

Manning vs Brady Round 16

That will be put to the test by what many considering to be the most devastating offense in the NFL and one that has added a versatile running back to its armory in recent weeks to go along with the ridiculously effective passing game that Manning has going on in Denver. Peyton is tied with Andrew Luck for the most touchdowns in the league with 22 but has to just 3 interceptions to the third years 9. Manning's efficiency will be vital to any success the Broncos want to have tomorrow especially going up against a Bill Belichick defense that thrives on forcing turnovers. 

The Patriots are tied for 7th in the league with 10 forced fumbles and have recovered 8 which leaves them tied for 2nd in that category. They are also tied 8th in interceptions with 8 and 9th in sacks with 21 so you can tell that the Pats defense has been playing at a very high level. Star cornerback Darrelle Revis is back to his superstar best challenging receivers at the line of scrimmage and has locked down star studded wideouts such as AJ Green and Brandon Marshall along with rookie sensation Sammy Watkins in the first half of this season.

Add Revis to a secondary that includes the likes of Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung, Kyle Arrington, Logan Ryan along with the return of Brandon Browner who made a massive personal improvement last week against the Bears following his debut against the Jets and it is clear to see this team has talent. That is not even including the players at the front of the D such as Dont'a Hightower, Jamie Collins, Rob Ninkovich and Vince Wilfork who are all key contributors to the success of this unit.

They in particular will need to step up in Chandler Jones' absence who is arguably the Patriots best all round defensive player. As for the Broncos defense well they aren't exactly slouches themselves after adding the likes of DeMarcus Ware, TJ Ward and Aqib Talib who left the Patriots for Denver this past offseason. Denver's defense ranks high in key categories too; 6th in sacks with 23, 13th in interceptions with 7 but they are a lowly 31st in forced fumbles with 3 and just one recovery.

On paper despite Brady's historical upper hand over Manning as well as the drastic improvements this Patriots offense has made week by week the Broncos offense is still edges that of New England and I feel that the outcome of this game will be decided by who wins out of the Patriots defense and Broncos offense when these two units go up against each other tomorrow.

As mentioned earlier Manning has 22 TD's to just 3 picks and a host of weapons with the dynamic duo of Julius and Demaryius Thomas with the two having hauled in 15 of Peyton's 22 scores this season. The other 7 are with Emmanuel Sanders who had 3 last week against the Chargers, 4 on the year, along with Jacob Tamme (2) and Wes Welker with just the one this season. Add that with running back Ronnie Hillman, he has broke on the scene in Montee Ball's absence, who has 347 yards and 2 touchdowns in his past 4 games then you can begin to evaluate just how good this Denver offense is.

But as we know the Patriots offense is not looking too shabby either after fantastic performance after performance in October which ended with Tom Brady being announced AFC offensive Player of the month. Brady had a 129.1 passer rating, with 1,268 yards and 14 touchdowns in those 4 Patriots victories and personally I feel this has propelled him in to the MVP conversation along with Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck, DeMarco Murray and JJ Watt.

Brady completed 30 of 35 passing attempts for 354 yards and 5 touchdowns last week leaving him with a quarterback rating of 148.4. Rob Gronkowski had 9 catches for 149 receiving yards and 3 TD's and has definitely got back to his devastating best as Gronk now has 7 touchdowns this season leaving him tied for 4th. Brandon LaFell has also built up fantastic rapport with Brady and has 4 touchdowns on the year with 1 last week hauling in 124 yards in the process.

Ever since that Monday Night meltdown against the Chiefs all Brady and co have done is prove the doubters wrong. Anyone who did doubt Tom Brady's abilities is quite frankly an idiot but he did what any fantastic player does and that was silence his critics on the field. The change in fortunes has brought a breath of fresh air along with hope in New England. Brady now has 18 touchdowns to just 4 interceptions on the year which ranks him 5th only behind Manning, Luck, Rivers and Rodgers.

Now that the Patriots have solved offensive line issues and the offense is performing at a high level you would have to say they are one of the best teams in the league due to their all round talent on defense, offense and special teams. Despite the loss of Stevan Ridley on the ground Shane Vereen has continued to be a brilliant weapon for Brady in the running and passing game and is the type of versatile player that Brady and Belichick love.

Vereen has one rushing touchdown for 281 yards giving him a 4.8 average and two receiving touchdowns for 208 yards. Jonas Gray was added to the running game fold last week and put in an impressive debut with the big bodied back racking up 98 yards off 20 carries averaging 4.9 yards a carry. If he can continue to impress he will be the Patriots' equivalent of Denver's Ronnie Hillman and a well welcomed running game addition to a team that possess one of the most efficient passing games in the NFL.

Gronk (7), LaFell (4), Vereen (2), Amendola (1) and Tyms (1) are the recepients of Brady's passing scores this year but the guy who has been particularly important to the improvements of the passing game is Gronks new tight end partner Tim Wright. He possesses the other 3 Brady touchdown scores and Wright's addition to the offense has given Brady a new tight end duo threat to trouble opposing offenses which has given Brady and the Pats offense to get all of these offensive players mentioned involved.

The rewards are key to see and after analysing both Denver and New England's offenses tomorrows game will be a mouth watering encounter especially as we know the quality of both sides defenses as well. Personally I feel this is the most exciting regular season game since the November 7th encounter in the 2007 season when the 8-0 Patriots faced off against Manning's 7-0 Colts. Despite the quality of both offenses both defenses can force mistakes in the opposing offenses and that is why I feel that it will be a nail biting game for fans of both teams that will end in a close one. I will go out on a limb and say that the Patriots get a repeat of that close win back in 07 and triumph over the Broncos 24-20 setting up a thrilling race for the first seed position come playoff time!

Perfect Patriots Pounce On Bengals!

The Cincinnati Bengals walked in to Gillette Stadium licking their chops at the possibility of defeating the New England Patriots in their own back yard but walked out on Foxborough with the same deflated feeling that the Pats had experienced themselves last week. Defeat to the Chiefs 41-14 had raised many questions over the brightness of the future for the legendary duo of Brady and Belichick but the two executed tonight's game plan brilliantly as they rallied to an early 14-0 first quarter lead against the Bengals.

Brady was back to his magical best completing 23 of 35 passing attempts for 2 touchdowns to Tim Wright who had a breakout night and Rob Gronkowski who looks to be back to his best which is fantastic news for the Patriots. I called for Timothy Wright's breakout game to be last week but it came tonight and whilst many have questioned the Logan Mankins trade which exposed New England's offensive line problems after tonight everyone will be praising the genius of Belichick as Wright, the man who moved the other way as part of that trade with Tampa Bay, had an Aaron Hernandez type performance and had 5 receptions for 85 yards and one score.

This helped Rob Gronkowski get free and avoid double coverage throughout the game with the big man catching 6 passes from Brady including the catch which saw Brady eclipse 50,000 passing yards during his NFL career becoming only the 6th quarterback to do so; Gronk finished the night with 100 yards, one score and averaged 16.7 yards per catch. The fantastic performances by the two tight ends along with an inspired performance by the offensive line which helped Brady get his flow back in the passing game as well as also helping the team establish the running game, something New England fans have been crying out for.

The 6th QB to reach the landmark for passing yards

Josh McDaniels made the right play calls and used the one-two punch of Ridley and Vereen to devastating effect with the two combining on the ground for 203 rushing yards; Ridley had over 100 and got one touchdown. The effectiveness in the run game really did give the Patriots the balance they needed to win tonight's game and is something they have been renowned for having over the years. The passing game had 8 different receivers haul in a catch from Brady with the efficient display on offense seeing them post 36 points with Stephen Gotskowski kicking all 5 of his field goals successfully.

The other touchdown was a fumble return by Kyle Arrington who had a brilliant night on the defense. The defense did what I and many people expected after last weeks humiliation if not better by bouncing back in style with Darrelle Revis having his best game in a Patriot uniform to date limiting AJ Green in the passing game. Coach Belichick gave him the freedom to match up with the receiver one on one with Revis winning the battle throughout the game; Revis also had a forced fumble on a night which saw the Patriots force 3 turnovers with Jamie Collins causing the other. The Patriots also managed to get a pass rush going which unsettled Andy Dalton at times who despite actually having a good night personally, 15/24 for two touchdowns, suffered as the rest of the team around him depleted.

Tonight's 43-17 victory is just the bounce back performance that the New England Patriots needed to silence the doubters and get their season back up and running. They now sit joint first in the AFC East with a 3-2 record ahead of two divisional games coming up against the Bills next Sunday and the New York Jets the following week on Thursday Night Football. Before the Chiefs game I sang the Patriots praises regarding their ability of performing under the lights of prime time television and while last week didn't go too well for them they sure as hell did well tonight! Brady now owns a 13-8 record on Sunday Night Fooball and the Patriots are an NFL best 38-9 in the month of October since 2003 including a home record of 23-1 in that time which is very impressive.

Brady was all fired up after guiding New England to victory

Brady himself knows there's a long way to go on the season but to beat a team that many had down as the most complete in the conference has to boost morale; this victory was New England's 32nd straight regular season victory at home against AFC opposition. That record will definitely be put to the test in week 9 when they host Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos which comes after the two divisional matchups mentioned earlier on and just after a home encounter against the Chicago Bears. That means that 3 of the Patriots next 4 games are at Gillette Stadium which could give this team even more confidence before they head in to their bye week come week 10.

So Brady and co are back with a vengeance with quarterback's career record after a loss now standing at 35 wins with just 8 losses (won last 9). As well as this since 2009 in 33 games Brady is 29-4 throwing 65 touchdowns to just 13 interceptions with a QB rating of 112. Anyone who questioned the Patriots will now surely feel foolish and the team will now have their road trip to Buffalo in sight as they look to take control of the division which after tonight many analysts and experts will expect them to do. Tonight may have been just one game but it showed the heart as well as the spirit that this New England team has and that is something you cannot teach and will definitely come in hand throughout the long regular season and more importantly come playoff time.

A look ahead: New England Patriots 2014

In recent years Tom Brady and Bill Belichick's New England Patriots have always started an NFL season as many peoples favourites following 3 Super Bowl triumphs in the Brady-Belichick era. With that being said the team haven't lifted the Lombardi trophy since 2004 and have also fell at the final hurdle twice in 2007 and 2011. For most franchises going deep in to the postseason is still considered a successful campaign but for the Patriots it's win the big one or bust.

This is at the forefront of New England's mind especially heading in to a season where the GQ quarterback Tom Brady will be 37 come kick-off time on September 7th. You can certainly argue that the window is closing for the legendary although it has been said as well as mentioned often that Terrific Tom could play in to his 40s. Personally I would put him in a bracket along other sporting legends who've enjoyed success in their twilight years such as Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs and Ryan Giggs of Manchester United.

The last time Brady & co won the Super Bowl was back in 2004. Can they end a ten year drought?

So with that being said whilst looking at Brady's career in recent years it is clear to see that he can still get it done and hasn't deteriorated even with a receiving cast last year that including rookies along with no real superstars to throw to. A fourth Super Bowl ring would almost certainly cement Brady as the best quarterback of all-time; I mean who could argue with 4 Super Bowl wins and 6 appearances on the grandest stage of the all. If that happens this year retirement will naturally be thrown out there by the media but regardless of whether the Pats win it all this year I think Brady will play for at least another 3 seasons, including this one, as that would mean he would be 39 when the 2016 season starts and potentially could signal the end of his career.

Regardless of when Brady and Belichick leave New England one things for sure you have to say that with these two at the helm of the organisation as well as taking in to consideration that New England have added to a roster that made the AFC Championship game last year you'd definitely put the Patriots as one of the favourites to represent the AFC come Super Bowl 49 in Arizona just after the turn of the new year. They'll have to contend with the likes of the Denver Broncos who they had an arms race with this past off-season during free-agency. A Brady vs Manning AFC Championship game is well on the cards again when you look at the rosters assembled by New England and Denver but don't count out a young Indianapolis Colts team that is led but a superb young quarterback in Andrew Luck who just gets better and better as he prepares to enter his 3rd season in the NFL to shake things up for the old dogs in this conference.

The Pats last made the Super Bowl in 2011 and since then have also made the past 2 AFC Championship games so naturally any Patriots fan will have high hopes for New England to make it to the big game but after unfortunate injuries down the stretch in recent years and the fact that the Patriots in general have been spoilt for success over the past decade I personally am looking at the 2014 season through more objective eyes. New England's success will come down to the young guns stepping up as this roster does have a lot of young talent; Only Vince Wilfork along with Tom Brady remain on the roster from the team's last Super Bowl victory. You can expect even bigger things from young defensive players such as Chandler Jones and Dont'a Hightower who enter their third season this year as well as Jamie Collins who emerged as a gem late in the 2013 season. The secondary is looking scarily good with Devin McCourty, Brandon Browner and Darrelle Revis all on the roster and all hunting out opposing offenses.

Along with a revamped secondary the young Pats will have big roles to play in 2014

New England's success will come down to the young guns stepping up as this roster does have a lot of young talent; Only Vince Wilfork along with Tom Brady remain on the roster from the team's last Super Bowl victory. You can expect even bigger things from young defensive players such as Chandler Jones and Dont'a Hightower who enter their third season this year as well as Jamie Collins who emerged as a gem late in the 2013 season. The secondary is looking scarily good with Devin McCourty, Brandon Browner and Darrelle Revis all on the roster and all hunting out opposing offenses.

On offense the Patriots have added Brandon LaFell to the likes of Julian Edelman as well as second year players Aaron Dobson and Kenbrell Thompkins with Dobson in particular being predicted for a breakout season. It is clear to see that this offense of the Patriots has potential with Rob Gronkowski being the key player to any success that the offense looks to have with his blocking for the running game as well as drawing double coverage in the passing game being key. That's along with the fact that when he receives the ball he is one of the best players in the league especially at getting in to the end-zone and putting points on the board.

With that being said Gronk has struggled for injuries in recent years but if he can stay healthy, especially in the playoffs, then the Patriots have a real shot to go all the way in 2014. For now though I'm sure they'll be honing their skills and getting back to basics whilst focusing on getting their passing game back to top notch for the 2014 season. If the offense can get it going this season along with a defence that has the potential and players to create a unit that will rival the legendary defensive units from the past 3 Super Bowl winning teams then you'd say that New England has one of the most well equipped rosters in the National Football League and has all the tools to make it to Phoenix Stadium in 2015 with the franchise having a shot at winning it's 4th NFL Championship.

Does a healthy Gronk in the postseason equal a Super Bowl victory for New England?