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.

Tim Tebow: How will he fit in as a Patriot

NFL.com picture

Stop what you're doing right now, drop your pens and papers (well keyboards in most people's cases) immediately because Tim Tebow has been signed and is now a member of the New England Patriots. The media circus will now head to Foxborough as Tebowmania hits New England... Wait a minute no it won't because the Patriots know how to squash media frenzies so in fact you can now say that Tebowmania is over but don't worry Tim this is a good thing for you as you can finally do what you want and concentrate on playing football.

Tim Tebow's signing has come as a surprise to some but many people did say Tebow would suit the Patriots including myself when last month I said his best shot of remaining in the NFL was with the Patriots. To reiterate what I mentioned in May; Bill Belichick knows how to make the most out of versatile athletes and use them for the benefit of himself and the team. If we elaborate on the matter everyone who knows about the Patriots will realise that Tebow will now buy in to the 'Patriot Way' if he is to have a shot of making the roster come the end of training camp, he will give simple answers in press conferences and nobody will know of his actual involvement on the field until game day because the Patriots know how to manage these type of situations and players.

This is a win-win situation for the Patriots as like Albert Haynesworth, Chad Ochocinco and even Anthony Gonzales these type of players came in to New England to try and prove themselves; there was no risk for the Patriots in any of these deals but unfortunately none of them actually worked out as even Ochocinco made the Super Bowl with the team but his struggles to learn the playbook meant that he barely saw any snaps throughout the season. Now although these previous scenarios may not have reaped rewards for the Patriots we do know that in the past Bill Belichick has got the best out of veteran players or players who nobody would take a chance on such as Wes Welker, Danny Woodhead and reviving the career of Willie McGinest to mention a few. Belichick is a mastermind and 9 times out of 10 he gets it right so if he manages to turn Tim Tebow in to a productive football player you can safely say it would be one of his finest achievements.

Tebow walks in to a situation where he can learn from the son of God Tom Brady, you all remember that SNL segment right, and to learn from arguably the greatest quarterback of all time is an honour as well as an opportunity that comes around just once in a lifetime. The Patriots don't need exposure and Tim Tebow himself will have been told he has not been brought in to promote himself as some sort of celebrity because the Patriots are a team who only do business for football purposes and to win a championship. Bill Belichick and his staff sign players they feel can benefit their team so that they can win as year in year out they strive to get better. Now we know that Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is a believer in Tim Tebow as a player and as a quarterback which was proven when he gave away draft picks to the Ravens in order to move up and acquire Tebow in the 2010 NFL Draft but his role for the Patriots is something that everyone will keep second guessing until the first time we see him on the field in a New England jersey. 

This signing proves that Belichick doesn't hate Tim Tebow and we all know that the head coach loves versatility; in March 2010 four weeks before the NFL draft he said of Tebow "My sense of Tim Tebow is that if you asked him to play nose, he'd play nose. I think he's the kind of kid, where whatever you ask him to do he'll do. I don't know what a team will do with him, but I think he's a real interesting player. He's had a great career, obviously it speaks for itself." Since establishing himself as one of the best college football players of all time Tebow's stock skyrocketed until his dreadful season in New York last year which on a side note may be a another reason why Belichick signed Tebow as we all know how much he loves to make a success out of players who his rivals have deemed not good enough; Welker in Miami and Woodhead in New York. We know that Belichick loves versatility as some of his greatest players have played various positions on the roster with Richard Seymour switching from defensive end to play fullback, linebacker Mike Vrabel playing Tight End and also catching a memorable touchdown in Super Bowl XXXVIII and with playmaker Troy Brown playing pretty much anyway from wide receiver, cornerback and on special teams.

Tebow is a great athlete and with his versatility people are predicting he will play a number of positions this season with the Patriots but he has been signed as a quarterback and he will learn to grow as a quarterback. If Tebow and the Patriots don't work out then we know he isn't cut out for the NFL because if there's one team and one coach who can get the best out of a player it is Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. Tim Tebow comes on to the roster trying to earn a spot on the Patriots team ahead of the season and with minicamp underway today Tebow got straight in to the mix of things as he threw the football with Tom Brady and reunited with Josh McDaniels. His first meeting with the media as a Patriot proved that there will be no media circus allowed around him as he briefly thanked the Patriots for giving him an opportunity. "It's such an honor to be a Patriot and play for coach Belichick and McDaniels, and learn under Tom, and be a part of this great franchise and very successful franchise. I found out firsthand. Lost to them several times. It's going to be a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to working hard every single day and getting a lot better, and learning under some great people." 

Tebow knows this is his last shot but what a last shot it is. He knows he will have to bide his time but if he shows off his skills during training then the mastermind that is Bill Belichick will find a way to incorporate him in to the team's offense to benefit the team. Everybody knows that Tebow won't be taking any of Brady's snaps as a quarterback but I personally see Tebow being used at the goal line, in short yardage situations, two point conversions and in the red zone as we all know how hard it is to actually get the football in the end zone once you're on your opponents goal line but Tebow has a knack for doing this; Tim Tebow has nine red zone TD passes in his 25 games and during his career inside the 10 Tim Tebow has rushed 11 times for 9 touchdowns so he has the efficiency to suggest he could help the Patriots in the red zone.

The Patriots love to employ an element of surprise and deceive opponents and by adding someone like Tebow they have the someone with many different attributes to help the team in a number of positions; he may well line up as a blocker at full back or for Ridley in the running game and could be at tight end until Gronkowski gets healthy but ultimately Tebow has come to learn from Tom Brady because unfortunately for the Patriots Tom Brady won't be around forever. Brady is an amazing quarterback but with someone like Tebow at coach Belichick and Josh McDaniels' disposal they can give this offense a different dimension at times and manage Tom Brady as he is getting older. There's no need for your franchise quarterback to be risked getting hurt on QB sneaks and on short yardage plays so Tebow can come in for these type of plays and make a difference.

Tebow has thrown 17 touchdowns to 9 interceptions in his career as an NFL QB, he has 2,422 passing yards, 989 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. He is a born winner and a teammate who will bring something to the locker room as you can never have too many leaders. Bill Belichick spoke of whether Tebow could change his throwing motion and survive in the NFL in March 2010 and said  “Tiger Woods has rebuilt his golf swing twice. Every quarterback I've ever had or coached has worked on his mechanics and improved them. Phil Simms, certainly (Jeff) Hostetler, Brady, I can't think of too many that haven't. It's part of every player's development. I mean, show me a player who comes into this league at 21 and is a finished product at any position. Show me one guy.
"They all need work. They all have things they need to work on. Some guys are more coachable than others. Some guys have different things they need to correct, whatever the technique or physical development happens to be. I don't think that's unusual.''

With the above quote and the talent we know Tebow has I think it is save to safe that he will grow under the guidance of Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels and hopefully he takes this opportunity with both hands. Whatever his position if makes the Patriots roster you can expect Tebow to make an impact at some point of the season and you bank on him throwing a goal-line touchdown pass against the Jets just to rub salt in their wounds. I think there is a chance he will grow as a backup QB to Tom Brady as rumours still linger about Ryan Mallet's future with the Browns still interested. Tim Tebow once said in an interview that "My greatest joy in Denver is going to be to repay Coach McDaniels for believing in me." and now he needs to repay McDaniels, Bill Belichick and the Patriots for giving him this chance. There is no money guaranteed in this deal so the Patriots have nothing to lose but this scenario just seems to be perfect for both Tim Tebow and the Patriots. With his skill set I see Tebow being a success in New England and if all goes to plan those to say that a new improved Tim Tebow might be the heir to Tom Brady's throne when the future hall of fame quarterback reaches the end of his contract in 5 years' time. The beauty of sport is only time will tell what actually happens and eventually we will find out if Tebow Time is a success in New England.