The most inane theory to date is that this season was a “rebuilding year” for the Patriots. The idea that expectations should have been tempered this season because the Patriots were attempting an “out with the old, in with the new” approach to make this team better for 2010. Sorry folks, I know you’re just trying to make yourselves feel better, but stop kidding yourselves. This championship, now being fought over by the likes of the Jets, Colts, Saints and Vikings, was just as sought-after for these Patriots as any that had come before.

The idea that any NFL team is in a temporary “rebuilding” state is simply something owners say to make their fans more compliant with their errant spending, or fans invent to soften the blow of a crushing playoff loss.

NFL teams are constantly in a state of flux. Each year, dozens upon dozens of league-ready college players are selected into the ranks of the National Football League. This process is much different than Major League Baseball’s, whose draftees usually aren’t ready for professional competition for years, and even the NBA, since nearly every team selecting in the first round of the NFL draft has the opportunity to select a player who is ready to contribute right now.

Throughout their run as the now-semi-disputed “Team of the Decade”, no one has been better at adding numerous talented cogs to their machine as the New England Patriots. Beginning with selecting Tom Brady 199th overall, everything the Patriots touched on Draft Days seemed to turn to gold.

They deftly maneuvered their position when possible to accumulate more picks, while trading for such every-day contributors as Randy Moss and Wes Welker (just before the draft, acquired for draft picks), you may know them. The trick to keeping your team highly competitive year after year is getting more value than your draft pick is projected to be worth.

When a team is so lucky to have stars develop (some through luck, some through great scouting, all through staying healthy), the plan then shifts to adding low-money role players into the fold to create a balanced, talented team with no “holes.” From 2000-2006, the Patriots ruled over the annual two-day event while building a team which accomplished feats such as three Super Bowl wins and an undefeated 2007 regular season, just to name a couple. However, in 2007, draft-day events started to unravel for the Pats.

With only a single pick in the 2007 NFL Draft (Brandon Meriweather – selected 24th overall) in the first three rounds, the team was sorely lacking in young talent. However, since so many other players (first and foremost, the offensive linemen) reached their absolute professional zenith, and the team bashed their way to a 16-0 regular season record, no one seemed to notice.

Then, in 2008, the Patriots forfeited their first round pick (what would have been the 31st overall) for illegal on-field recording activities. Luckily, the Patriots had previously traded into the sixth pick overall (eventually trading down to tenth) and landed Jerod Mayo out of the potential disaster. However, despite their wheeling and dealing in years prior, the Patriots only came out of the draft with two picks in the first two rounds, despite spending the assets to get three.

Now we’re starting to come to the ugly conclusion, aren’t we?

The Patriots landed precisely three players in first and second rounds of the 2007 and 2008 NFL Drafts. One of the three, Terrence Wheatley, despite showing much promise, has missed a great deal of time to a wrist injury. The other two, Mayo and Meriweather, are now every-day, vital contributors to the Patriots. Of the crop of draftees now reaching their emotional and athletic prime, the Patriots have only two of the plethora of highly-touted prospects.

In the last draft, the Patriots fared decidedly better, nabbing four picks in the second round, three of which (Patrick Chung, Darius Butler and Sebastian Vollmer) had valuable contributions in the 2009 regular season.

What makes this team seem like they’re in a “rebuilding process” is the lack of a headline-grabbing addition over the past two seasons. The closest they came was the expensive signing of free agent linebacker Adalius Thomas, who has been utterly disappointing since injuring his knee in his second season with the Pats in 2008 (and not particularly outstanding before that, either).

The primary focus of the Patriots’ brass now becomes adding one or two “key” guys before the start of the 2010 season. With four top-two-round picks coming up in April (one first, three second), and two first-round picks in 2011 (their own, and one potential top-10 overall pick acquired from Oakland for Richard Seymour).

Although they have the pieces to add big names in the long run by keeping these picks, the more realistic plan would be to trade some of them to add one or two stars to the offense (at wide receiver or running back) and/or the defense (a shut-down cornerback or stud middle linebacker) while they still have pieces (Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, Wes Welker, Randy Moss, the center-left side of the offensive line, Vince Wilfork and others) that make them a potential Super Bowl contender every year.

On a related note: Wouldn’t very-tradable wideouts Chad Johnson or Anquan Boldin look just fantastic in a Patriots uniform?

To Patriots’ fans, it was a fizzling ellipses in place of what we’d hoped would be an exclamation point at the end of the “No one believed in us!” Dynasty Decade.

Ever the die-hards, my father and I watched the entire game Sunday agreeing over and over again that the amount of points the Ravens had accumulated would not be enough to beat the Patriots.

After the first play from scrimmage, when Ray Rice broke off an 83-yard jaunt to the end zone through the Jerod Mayo/Vince Wilfork, chambers of the heart of the Patriots’ defense, we agreed. After nearly losing the ensuing kickoff, just before Brady was strip-sacked and the Ravens ran their way across a very short field to another touchdown, this one scored by a fullback the size of most offensive linemen, we agreed. Even when Billy Cundiff kicked his first of two chip-shot field goals at the end of the first quarter making the score 27-0, we agreed their points weren’t going to be enough to beat the Patriots. Not today. Not in a playoff game on the frost-bitten Razor.

However, when the Patriots failed to come out of the half with any of their trademark game-changing adjustments, and failed to score first in the third quarter, things changed. We agreed again, but this time it was not that the Patriots still had a shot, it was that the Patriots’ Dynasty Days were over.

The Ravens sniffed out every screen, bombarded the offensive line with multiple blitz packages, and simply dared Tom Brady to try and go deep to Moss with limited time and pocket mobility. The game plan attempted by nearly every team in the playoffs: “Run the ball, play great defense,” was executed with such heart-crushing precision that Foxboro fans were booing their beloved team off the field in the middle of the third quarter in order to beat traffic.

The Patriots’ game plan was to put pressure on Baltimore and make them pass. Joe Flacco passed for 34 yards and one interception. The Big Bangers on one team came to play on Sunday, and they were not wearing silver and blue.

One of the more frustrating parts of this game was watching the Patriots’ “offensive coordinator”, and I use that term loosely, after calling dozens of unnecessary shots down field with 14-point leads all season, adamantly refuse to take one shot down field to Randy Moss in order to close the gap while trailing by three touchdowns.

I’d hate to think how many people are shopping for new remote controls after smashing them into their walls during this eyesore. I mean, how many times can one person yell “Why aren’t they in a no-huddle!?” or “You have Randy Moss on your team!  GO DEEP!!!” without breaking the nearest electronic device to them? I know I didn’t last long…

So the Baltimore Ravens will move on (deservedly so) to face the Indianapolis Colts this coming weekend. And, despite the decade-long rivalry with Indianapolis, I’ll be rooting for the Colts on three-weeks rest over any team with Terrell Suggs on its active roster.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I just threw up in my mouth and have to rinse. Fare thee well, team of the 2000′s…

Just two weeks ago, riding high after their first road victory over a determined Buffalo Bills team as well as a neat and tidy drubbing of the Jacksonville Jaguars at home, the Patriots had shored up their playoff position and had just enough momentum behind them to make some serious noise in the playoffs. All that remained was one meaningless game in the warm Houston, Texas weather.

Then all living hell broke loose.

In the first quarter, Wes Welker caught his 123rd pass of the season (16 more receptions than the Giants’ Steve Smith, who was second in the league with 107), made a cut he’s made 3,000 times in his career to try to get farther up field and collapsed in pain. An absolutely metaphorical sucker-punch to the diaphragm knocked the collective wind out of Patriots fans everywhere.

Sure, the Patriots still have a puncher’s chance. They have the best quarterback, the best coach, and enough supplementary weapons to compete with the best teams in the league (none of which are playing especially great football at the moment anyway). In addition, rookie Julian Edelman stepped up with a terrific performance in Welker’s absence against Houston raking in 10 catches for 103 yards. But, make no mistake, Edelman is not Wes Welker.

We’ve all witnessed the striking similarities between the two slot receivers:  They’re both explosively quick, they possess tremendous pass-catching ability, as well as demonstrating unique grit and toughness on the playing field at a position rife with divas throughout the league. They both also have in them the immeasurably valuable gift of being able to deliver bone-crunching blocks that can knock the most ferocious of linebackers on their rear-ends, which is not only fantastic to watch, but essential in extending plays and creating open-space opportunities for other play makers.

However, it’s impossible not to look past the fact Tom Brady calls Wes Welker the smartest receiver he’s ever worked with. It’s not hard to see how he’s developed into that type of player, either. At a mere 5 foot 9 inches, Welker has had to fine-tune every part of his game in order to now stand head-and-shoulders above all other slot receivers (and most wide-outs as well) in the NFL.

After going undrafted out of Texas Tech, he was picked up by Miami and played for three seasons there (with a game stint in San Diego in the 2004-2005 season). All the while, applying every bit of experience and knowledge he picked up along the way to make himself the best player he possibly could be. Then, in one of the flat-out stupidest draft-day decisions in modern history, Miami traded Welker to the New England Patriots for a second-round pick, then used their round pick to replace him with Ted Ginn, Jr., passing on potential franchise quarterback Brady Quinn in the process. Since then, Welker has cut a swath through NFL defenses bringing in over 110 catches in three consecutive seasons and single-handedly moving the chains for fresh sets of downs nearly as often as the chain crew themselves.

Welker’s size does hinder his red-zone abilities, however, and his four touchdowns this season are the fewest (tied with Anquan Boldin and Greg Jennings) among players with over 1,000 receiving yards. However, Boldin and Jennings COMBINED for only 29 more receptions than Welker alone. His value is beyond “petty” scoring…

So, the Patriots must press on without him, and will allow Julian Edelman to be truly tested against the Ravens in a playoff match-up that will pit the third-ranked offense against the third-ranked defense. Since Welker’s absence means their opponent no longer needs to pick their poison between he and Randy Moss, the performance of Edelman and other seldom-used receiving targets such as Sam Aiken and Benjamin Watson will be exponentially important in tomorrow’s match-up.

Contrary to recent history, the most intriguing match-up isn’t where one would expect, between New England’s offense and Baltimore’s defense, but rather between the ground game(s) of both teams. While Baltimore would seem to have the edge on paper (fifth in the NFL in rushing as well as run defense as compared to New England’s 12th-ranked attack and 13th-ranked run D), the Patriots possess a healthy and unseasonably fresh Fred Taylor who is chomping at the bit to be unleashed in a playoff atmosphere.

In addition, New England will also have their full complement of defensive linemen for tomorrow’s game, healthy and ready to unleash their collective fury upon Baltimore’s offensive line. With only Dan Connolly questionable for the playoffs, a healthy Patriots squad is certainly looking to improve upon their first meeting with Baltimore this season, in which the leading passer (Joe Flacco, 264), rusher (Ray Rice, 103) and receiver (Derrick Mason, 88) all wore Ravens purple.

Tomorrow’s match-up should be anything but boring, with two high-powered offenses trying to shoot it out. However, the combination of late-season momentum and home field advantage should give the Patriots the edge in this game. Be sure to watch for a return to 2004-form from Tom Brady (try to read that sentence out loud, I dare you), hitting 7-8 different receivers multiple times without his favorite go-to guy.

While the Ravens have a more well-rounded team than they’ve had in a very long time, unfortunately they’ve drawn a Patriots team looking more and more like the talented, angry team of 2004, and the Ravens will advance, nevermore…

Tom Brady:  32/39, 402 yards, 2 TD, 2 Int

Fred Taylor:  131 yards, 2 TD

Randy Moss:  8 receptions, 134 yards, 2 TD

Julian Edelman:  11 receptions, 127 yards

Joe Flacco:  27/37, 313 yards, 1 TD, 2 Int

Ray Rice:  87 yards, 1 TD

Derrick Mason: 99 yards, 1 TD

Official Prediction:

New England Patriots 36, Baltimore Ravens 27

(Editor’s note: Make sure to ‘Become a Fan‘ of 4SportBoston on Facebook and automatically be entered to win the SupahFans.com “Sunday Funday” t-shirt if the Pats win on Sunday! – Of course, courtesy of our friends over at SupahFans.com!)

That is the “Best Of the Best of Belichick… YIPPEE!” by the way!

It’s that time of year to relax, reflect, and come up with resolutions we’ll never, ever stick to. For the 2009 season, I’ve chosen to reflect on it by coming up with a half-dozen or so of the most ridiculous awards known to mankind, the BOBBYs! I know I said this team is jelling and ready for the playoffs and I’m completely responsible for jinxing Wes Welker. I don’t want to talk about it. Now, onto the awards…

Presented to Shawn Springs, for constantly drifting off coverages, going where he feels like and following where he thinks the ball is going like a second grade soccer player, then somehow making plays, being in on nearly every play, and receiving accolades from every post-game talk show host.

This I suppose is the benefit of being a wily veteran.  When you’ve played cornerback for a dozen professional years, you learn where plays are going before they even start to develop.  Not bad for a 34-year-old in what may be the most physically demanding position in the game.

The Arian Foster “Most Confusing Athlete Name Since Mikki Moore” Award…

I had to name the award directly after him because, c’mon, his name is fantastic.

Well this one doesn’t need much of an explanation. Even Carmelo Anthony has a delicious candy bar as his namesake. Honestly, can someone explain this to me? I know we’re not gonna hear “it’s a family name”, right?

The Joe Pesci is to Robert DeNiro Award…

Presented to Logan Mankins. Remember in “Casino” where Joe Pesci was sent to Las Vegas to be Ace’s bodyguard? All of a sudden, people were kind of afraid to even talk to Ace because you knew Nicky Santoro could overhear your conversation and had the interpretive skills of a rabid pitbull? That’s Logan Mankins.

“No matter how big a guy might be, he would take him on.  You beat him with fists, he’d come back with a bat.  You come at him with a knife, he’d come back with a gun.  And if you beat him with a gun, you better kill him because he’ll keep coming back, and back until one of you is dead.”

It’s good to have a guy like that in your corner, on your blind side.  Make no mistake:  That’s why this guy was drafted.  You don’t leave Tom Brady in the hands of just any big, fat guys.  You give him at least one crazy one.

The “Oscar Winner Ben Affleck” Award…

To Chad Henne, for coming up with a much more devastating blow to the Patriots’ psyche than even Drew Brees, who put up the best numbers against the Patriots the entire season.

A week after the humiliating Saints game, everyone was looking forward to some good old interdivisional beatdown-time against the Dolphins until Chad Henne came up with his ridiculously good performance to break Patriot fans’ hearts everywhere. He’s never done it before, and he’ll likely never do it again. But for just that moment, all the apples were his. And we did not like dem apples.

The Grady Little Award…

No one wants it, almost no one even wants to hear about someone receiving an award based on it… but it’s to Colts coach Jim Caldwell. Way to friggin’ go.

The Ben Affleck in “Smokin’ Aces” Award…

I know, two Ben Affleck references in one post… he just really gets my points across.

To newest IR member Wes Welker. A great, gory thrill ride for those who haven’t seen it. But the most shocking thing you’ll see in the whole movie? After Ben Affleck’s character goes through his entire speech about the bounty on Las Vegas Showman “Aces,” and his elaborate plan is put in place, a trio of freaky-deekys after the same guy mows him down with a whole bunch of machine guns at a rest stop.

Even if you don’t like Ben Affleck, you still had a “WHOA!  HOLY #*$#! Didn’t he have first-billing in this movie?! Are they allowed to do that before I’ve had my first handful of popcorn!?” moment that took the wind out of your sails. This was about the same initial reaction I had to Wes Welker going down this Sunday. I can’t count the amount of times I’ve heard people immediately turn to Julian Edelman as a solution to this terrifying problem. Yeaahh…

Look everyone, just because Julian Edelman’s a tough, quick, receiver who has been shadowing Welker for the majority of this season, this does not mean he IS Wes Welker. Tom Brady has referred to Welker repeatedly as the smartest player he’s ever played with. That’s on a Bill Belichick team for his whole career. Edelman is the talented rookie who’s been following him around for a year. This is a big problem. Buuut, that’s not why we’re here.

The “Season 1 of The Office on DVD” Biggest Disappointment Award…

Jerod Mayo (with close runners-up Derrick Burgess and Adalius Thomas).

I know, I know, he got hurt early in the season and hasn’t been the same since. But, this guy was a monster last season. It was as if 25-year-old Tedy Bruschi had been driven back in a DeLorean and was ready to play full-time again.

While he still may be the most important and talented player on this defense, it is a different defense when Mayo comes flying in like a mad man on every single play. Here’s hoping he takes on a new psychotic persona come the playoffs. We’ll need him…

The Comeback of the Year Award…

Like I even need to type this. Tom Terrific, a year after having his leg almost torn in half by Chiefs’ safety Bernard Pollard, came back on his regular pace, headed for the Hall of Fame like he never missed a beat.

Okay, so yeah, he didn’t make it back to 50 touchdowns and 4,800 yards. But, did anyone expect Tom Brady to have his SECOND BEST season of his career this season? Honestly, did anyone see that coming?

With 28 touchdowns to only 13 picks, 4,398 yards and a quarterback rating of 96.2, it was statistically the best season he’s had save for only the astronomical numbers posted in the 16-0 regular season. If it hasn’t hit you yet, don’t worry, it will.

Remember Carson Palmer? Remember when it was a very real and scary possibility that Tom Brady may never be the same player? His mobility, pocket presence, arm strength… everything was in question.

All he did was come back and do what he’s done his entire career. With the exception of spreading the ball around to eight players per game (and honestly who needs to on this team?) he’s been every bit the Tom Brady we’ve known and loved for years now.  And, with his favorite receiver down for the count in the playoffs and teams being able to focus on Moss alone now, I’d watch for a return of the whole “20 passes to 11 receivers” first half performances of yore.

Forget about a young defensive player in a key spot or a receiver forced into more catches due to Welker’s absense:  The player to watch now is, and probably always has been the best quarterback in the NFL.

(Editor’s note: Make sure to ‘Become a Fan‘ of 4SportBoston on Facebook and automatically be entered to win the SupahFans.com “Sunday Funday” t-shirt if the Pats win on Sunday! – Of course, courtesy of our friends over at SupahFans.com!)

Oh… Yeah… That happened, didn’t it?

Well at least Colts head coach Jim Caldwell made sure we wouldn’t hear anything more about 4th-and-2 for the rest of the year with his historic Grady Little against the Jets. Although, I’m not sure it’s still technically considered a “Grady Little” if you stupidly take your best guys out on your way to a loss as opposed to the other way around. I suppose it’s a question for another time.

Tomorrow the Patriots will face the Houston Texans in the Lone Star State as 7 1/2 point underdogs. Apparently the fact the Patriots won’t be trying their best in this game hasn’t escaped those people betting (legally, of course) on football. Contrarily, the Texans are still technically alive in the playoff hunt and need desperately to win this game.

Assuming Houston can accomplish this against the Pats’ second and third teams (no sure thing, however), they would also need two other teams to lose out of Baltimore (at Oakland), Denver (against Kansas City) and the Jets against Cincinnati. A long shot? Err… Maybe, but certainly possible. And, don’t think for a moment that will be lost on the players on the team that has never been in this good of a position at the seasons’ end before.

Basically, if you have anything else you could be doing during this game tomorrow, don’t be ashamed or too afraid of missing something to go and do it. Unless, of course, you really love exhibition games.

However, the much more relevant issue here is the Patriots chances in the playoffs. Now, with a simulated bye week against Houston, the banged-up Patriots starters will get a chance to rest up for their home playoff game Wild-Card Weekend. But here’s the greatest part: “I like our chances!” (Note: This is not a jinx. I’m aware a Rams’ player was videotaped saying this minutes before the Patriots won their first Super Bowl in 2001, but sports radio host Michael Holley says this all the time.)

Last week, as Tom Brady and Randy Moss connected for three touchdowns against a mightily decent and aggressively mediocre Jaguars squad, something else was unfolding that may have just as much of an effect on New England’s chances. Jim Caldwell was getting ready for the biggest bag-over-the-head punch-in-the-face to his own team in the history of organized sports.

After watching the Pats’ defense in pre-”He’s on Fire!” NBA Jam mode (you know, where they’re not visibly on fire yet, but their shoes are smoking and every break seems to fall their way?) and the offense jell like it hasn’t in oh-so-very long, it became clear they are one of the “streaking” teams heading into the playoffs, and therefore one to be taken very, very seriously.

Later that day, there was truly magic in the freezing December air.

Remember that part in Jurassic Park when they first get to the island, and Alan Grant has just seen his first post-extinction dinosaur?  It’s the part where he’s sitting on the ground after hearing In-Gen created a T-Rex, and John Hammond majestically recites: “Dr. Grant, my dear Dr. Sattler… Welcome, to Jurassic Park.”

Just then, Grant raises his head to look out upon multiple herds of dinosaurs in the fields and through the water. That look on his face? One of astonishment? That one that says “Dear god, that’s what I’ve been waiting for all this time,” and kinda-sorta makes all your dreams come true? That’s the exact look I had on my face as I watched Peyton Manning spontaneously combust on the sideline after realizing his head coach was not letting him back into the game in order to keep the teams unbeaten regular season intact.

You read it here: This Colts team is not winning the Super Bowl. Every ounce of momentum they had going for them was violently ripped from their hands by both their coach and the torrential downpour of boos that rained down upon them as they walked off their home field. This isn’t the horse to back in the big show now. No way.

Not that this has much to do with the Patriots game tomorrow, but as I said before: It’s likely the Patriots won’t have much to do with it, either.

One more thing before I go on with my predictions for the game: Happy New Year to all. I hope they were as enjoyable for everyone as they were to me. One more time, I apologize for the lateness and/or lack of recaps and previews around this insane time, and assure you they will be on time and much more in-depth come playoff time (of course, this is assuming I haven’t been fired for my performance already).

Here’s to 2010, and here’s to all of you and yours!

Random Predictions:

Matt Schaub:  22/31:  299 yards, 3 TD

Andre Johnson:  11 catches, 164 yards, 3 TD

Arian Foster:  85 yards, 1 TD

Tom Brady:  14/20, 202 yards, 2 TD

Wes Welker:  7 catches, 79 yards, 1 TD

Randy Moss:  4 catches, 80 yards, 1 TD

Official Prediction:

Houston Texans 35, New England Patriots 27

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

First of all, a heartfelt apology to those people who count on the Patriots previews to be provided 24-48 hours in advance, as I have spent the last two days in a chaotic whirlwind of Christmas shopping and preparations that pushed me to the brink of insanity and back.  But, like fantasy sports, if it’s in before the game begins, it still technically counts.

The New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills will meet today for the 100th time in the history of the two franchises.  These meetings haven’t exactly been full of Christmas cheer for Bills fans, as their team has come up short 12 straight times, and 17 of the last 19 match-ups since the turn of the millennium.

The frigid forecast for Sunday’s contest doesn’t look much better for Buffalo either, who at 5-8 and in last place in the AFC East, possess an anemic offense ranked 29th overall as well as the NFL’s worst run defense, surrendering over 170 yards per game.  The Bills defense has done an above-average job statistically against the pass, but when players such as Thomas Jones, Chris Johnson, Pierre Thomas, Jamal Lewis and the indomitable Jamaal Charles are having monster games by themselves, there’s often no time or need to throw all that much.  Thomas Jones and Chris Johnson have so many yards from scrimmage against the Bills this season that they are almost single-handedly responsible for sinking thousands of fantasy teams from contention across the nation.

The Patriots, meanwhile, come into Buffalo with a badly-needed win over the Carolina Panthers under their belts.  Although those of us in Patriot Nation have stepped down off the ledge, we’re still being driven unspeakably crazy by our enigmatic superstar wide receiver.  To those of you blaming Randy Moss for the Patriots troubles this season:  STOP IT!

Why is it New England sports fans are constantly looking to hunt down and crucify the Manny Ramirez and Randy Moss-type athletes in the world?  Why can’t we appreciate the talent these guys bring to the table without demanding they all throw helmet-tossing fits of unbridled rage every time a play doesn’t go their way?  It’s simply unbelievable.  Three quick Moss-related points before we continue:

And we’re supposed to believe that if this same play had happened on an attempted pass in Wes Welker’s direction, we’d hear the same analysis?  Right!  In fact, I truly believe you’d be hard-pressed to find a quarterback/receiver combination in the entire NFL in which the receiver would receive every ounce of blame for an interception like this.  No way Brady overthrew Moss by 12 feet directly at a defensive back.  There’s just no way.  Gotta be the lazy guy’s fault.

2.  The Fumble:  Okay, now I’m not going to sit here and say Randy Moss fumbled on Sunday because he was being lazy or he wasn’t trying hard enough.  Nor will I tell you, like our friend Merrill Hodge, that he coughed up the ball because he was “trying too hard.”  However, I will tell you that this play, which was amplified almost ridiculously because of the critical eye currently fixated on Moss, doesn’t happen often.  Moss has lost exactly one fumble all season despite his gangly frame and 69 receptions on the year.  We need to relax people.

3.  The Panthers D-Backs’ criticisms.  This may be the most serious indictment of all against Randy Moss this season.  Football commentators of all shapes, sizes and flavors can talk to no end all they want about Moss’s effort, or lack thereof.  But when other players start to criticize his play, people really take note.  I would be inclined to, if not for the incessant trash-talking that occurs in the NFL every single day.

Since when did cornerbacks earn the credibility to dissect the efforts of other players, and have people take them seriously?  Don’t all defensive backs by definition have incredibly loud mouths and bad attitudes?  Really?  This is where we’re getting our “reliable” information now?  I cannot wait for Tom Brady to target Moss 27 times on Sunday.  What in the world will these people talk about then?

Before my predictions, I’d like to ask for just one thing for Christmas.  Will the fans in New Orleans responsible for the “Who Dat,” “Who Dey,” and “Who Dem” signs please cease and desist?  I honestly thought the first time I saw the horrible “D-(insert construction paper fence shape here)” signs that fans had sunk to a new, moronic low in sign-making, but this is just awful.  Nothing like the broadcast companies constantly putting ebonics-laced signs on TV to show the intellectual side of the Saints fan-base.  Now that my blog to Santa is out of the way, on to the predictions.

Tom Brady:  39/47, 333 yards, 1 TD

Randy Moss:  16 catches, 167 yards, 1 TD

Wes Welker: 13 catches, 101 yards

Laurence Maroney:  18 rushes, 99 yards, 3 TD

Ryan Fitzpatrick:  23/40, 157 yards, 3 Int

Marshawn Lynch:  22 rushes, 100 yards, 1 TD

Fred Jackson:  14 rushes, 58 yards

Bills Defensive Backs:  Will have nothing to say after the Patriots (the most pass-happy team in the history of cold-weather and snow games) tear holes in the Buffalo secondary all day long.  This one will be fun to watch.  And, anyone who doubts whether Tom Brady will stand behind his receivers and attempt to make them look good amidst a plethora of bad press, get ready:  Randy’s going to be back with a violent flourish this week.  Guaranteed.

New England Patriots 38, Buffalo Bills 7

One unnecessarily hard-fought game against a far less talented team.  One solid performance in the stretch run from a streaky defense.  One mightily ticked-off diminutive slot receiver who may shatter the single-season record for both receptions and DBE’s (Defensive Back Embarrassments.  Usually stemming from missed tackles on slippery receivers that refuse to go down after hits that would be devastating to athletes twice their size) despite missing two entire games to injury.

Sometimes, that’s enough to spark the momentum needed to carry a team with abundant quantities of talent, bad luck, and the stupidity of youth.

Sunday’s game against the Panthers was indeed the win that Patriots fans and the team itself desperately needed, though it didn’t come as easily as everyone had hoped.  The entire first half was filled with the same miscues and missed opportunities that have plagued this team for most the season to date.  Despite attempts by the offensive coordinator (whoever happened to be playing that role this day) and the team to sabotage itself (including a lost fumble by Sammy Morris on Carolina’s 10-yard-line), New England managed to pull it together enough to tie the game at the end of the first half.  Then, something amazing happened.

About halfway through the 3rd quarter, Wes Welker caught a 6-yard pass from Tom Brady, and got absolutely smoked by Carolina defensive back Charles Godfrey.  Though no “Launching” penalty was called at the time (punishment will certainly be forthcoming after the play is reviewed), the hit was clearly dirty.  Then, the New England Patriots did something they haven’t all season:  They rallied.

Brady went right back to Welker on the next play for twice as many yards.  Then, three more times on the tie-breaking drive.  Welker amassed 64 yards himself on the 96-yard scoring drive, and Carolina would trail for the remainder.

New England’s defense seemed to gather new life from the cheap-shot on their team’s Most Valuable Player.  What started out as mere trash-talking from the much-maligned defense ended in high fives, playful headbutts and genuine support for one another.  It was a different team.  It’s tough, as a wide receiver, to try and exact revenge on the defense that slammed into you full speed while you hung in mid-air, defenseless.  Welker found a way to do it.  By the time the game was over, he had 10 catches for 105 yards.  He stands at 105 receptions on the season, and joins only Marvin Harrison, Jerry Rice and Herman Moore as the only wide receivers in NFL history to have at least three consecutive seasons with at least 100 catches.  That’s elite company.

We will, all of us, have to wait and see if this translates into bigger, and more impressive wins, as well as a resulting momentum swing in the favor of the Patriots.  It was an otherwise meaningless win against a team so badly managed they kept Jake Delhomme on during his monumental compilation of interceptions over the past few years, while at the same time failing to realize they had a running back as talented as DeAngelo Williams on their team because that was DeShaun Foster’s job.

But hey, sometimes that’s all it takes.

Carolina will be led offensively by backup quarterback Matt Moore, who will attempt to bring down the last remaining AFC East team not to have already beaten the Panthers this season.  Though Moore, like Delhomme, went undrafted, he represents a tiny sliver of hope for Carolina fans that A.)  this injury to their starting quarterback may be just the thing the team needed to initiate a permanent switch at that position, and B.)  that they will now get to watch a quarterback they don’t have to constantly question whether he’s secretly getting paid off by other teams to inflate defensive back statistics.

Originally I had planned a joke about Jake Delhomme now having to get a job at Papa Gino’s, but one has to wonder if he could even hand-toss their signature dough without getting it intercepted.

At a time when many college students will be coming home for Christmas break, the Patriots return much in the same way.  Disheveled, hungover, broke and embarrassed; they’ll be desperate for some home-cooking, support of family, friends, and fans booing the horrendous pass interference calls against them instead of cheering wildly for them.

As much information as one can gather about a football team 12 games into the season, it can be all but thrown away right now.  This is where a team is created.  However, it is also a point where a team can become completely unraveled and fall apart.  This is where the Patriots can turn it around.

While Carolina may be out of the playoff hunt (and rightfully so, after leaving DeAngelo Williams to carry the team by his lonesome by neglecting to insert a real-live NFL quarterback into their lineup), the Patriots could still end this season 12-5.  With a little winning streak and their first two road wins under their belts, this team could enter the playoffs on the same kind of momentum swing the Steelers entered with as the sixth-seed in their championship season just a few years ago.

But, if we see the same type of forehead-slapping, remote-control-throwing play-calling we’ve seen the past few weeks, it could also be the start of a disastrous end to an already disappointing regular season.

Should the Patriots take care of business against Carolina (Note:  I’m fully aware you cannot say “take care of business” about a 7-5 team playing a 5-7 team, but I don’t care), they face a remaining schedule at Buffalo, home against Jacksonville, and at Houston that will surely test their mettle (hopefully) going into the playoffs.

Did I just say “hopefully” about the Patriots playoff chances?  Good god, it’s not 2007 anymore.

Random Predictions:

Tom Brady:  26/32, 344 yards, 3 TD

Wes Welker:  10 receptions, 139 yards, 1 TD

Sam Aiken:  7 receptions, 121 yards, 2 TD

Laurence Maroney/Sammy Morris:  139 yards rushing combined

Matt Moore:  20/29, 208 yards, 1 TD, 2 Int

Steve Smith:  11 receptions, 145 yards, 1 TD

DeAngelo Williams:  128 yards rushing, 1 TD

Official Prediction:

New England 27, Carolina 20