Merry Christmas, My Flock

It's the most wonderful time of the year: the NFL Playoffs.

Just two weeks away, the NFL playoffs are the ultimate tournament. But let's digress a little and spend a few words on that other most wonderful time of the year. Yes, it's Christmas, or whatever else you care to recognize and celebrate. Peace on earth. Goodwill toward men. Have a cup of cheer and some razzle-berry dressing. That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown. And as long as we don't have Bledsoe, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

As a writer, I'm tempted like most other writers to contrive some corny NFL/Christmas crossover. Right now, I think we're all happy that we don't have Ebenezer Ekuban Scrooge -- or worse, the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come -- lurking in the Pulpit or our favorite team's locker room. Maybe I'll try something after we get through the important stuff.

Do You See What I See?

I see a team that I predicted in the preseason would finished 13-3. Normally, you don't predict injuries. Except after John Elway retired and Denver was riding Terrell Davis like he was the incarnation of their logo. I predicted he'd get hurt and Denver would be finished. Some things like that you can see coming.

And you know the Super Bowl champions are going to sustain injuries. Every team is giving them their best shot, and New England had a really tough schedule right out of the gate. But they sustained so many injuries last year, you thought maybe they'd get through this one.

Alas, that was not the case, but it is the case that this team could conceivably end up 11-5, just two games off what would have been considered a torrid record, especially considering their early schedule.

Let's look back to a few things I wrote just before the season started.

"These guys simply like winning, and they're willing to do whatever is necessary to make that happen."

I made a point to mention that they don't have "attitude" or "swagger" like a lot of the posers. It was true then, and it's true now. They just do their jobs, which they love doing. They love playing, and they love winning. If Tedy Bruschi (sorry, John Dennis) isn't pure evidence of that, I don't know what is.

"The loss of coordinators Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel appeared devastating when they were both evident back in January, but ... Like a predatory chameleon, the Patriots will grow back their coordinator arms or simply redistribute duties to other personnel."

Everyone was flipping out, even halfway through the season, especially when the already battered Patriots took another battering. Some people suggested it was because Weis wasn't calling the plays, or that Eric Mangini (sorry, Dale Arnold) wasn't as good a coordinator as Crennel. It wasn't. Which brings us to ...

"... [I]t appears the ninth ranked defense from last year is on par for a similar performance this season."

Well, not quite. The injuries really took a toll, especially on the defensive secondary, where we all know seven -- SEVEN -- players, including Rodney Harrison, ended up on injured reserve.

So New England's defense is ranked 26th (up from 29th just last week) overall. They're 30th against the pass (31st last week) due to that plague of injuries to the D-backs. Nothing Crennel could have done about it or after it any more than Mangini could.

But the rest of the defense lacked in many key positions, and it was the return of Bruschi and Richard Seymour that began to right the ship. Just 8 weeks ago, the Pats running defense was 27th. Last week, they were 11th. Want to guess what they are this week?

Sixth.

That's right. Sixth. Missing Crennel now?

"The offense should be even better than the seventh ranked squad of last season."

Yes, even with the loss of Weis and no offensive coordinator, I thought New England's offense would be better. Why? Brady had another year under his belt and was just getting better, which has been true -- he's having a career year. Dillon had just finished a career year and looked hungrier and happier than ever. Unfortunately, injuries have dampened the running game. But the two biggest developments were the addition of left tackle Logan Mankins and the return of tight end Ben Watson. I'll let the first 11 games speak for themselves.

The result so far?

Well, they're seventh after being fifth the week before, and that's after a stellar 28-0 trashing of the 3rd ranked scoring defense, 2nd overall. The top eight teams have very little space between them. The Patriots, having the Jets and Dolphins in front of them, should move up by season's end.

Missing Charlie Weis now?

"I see them at 4-2 coming off the bye.... If they can get through Indy at 6-2, it's fairly clear sailing down the stretch..."

After several devastating injuries early on, the Patriots came out of the first six games 3-3 and the first eight 4-4. Obviously, preseason-planned home wins over San Diego and Indianapolis didn't pan out. Otherwise, the record, at it were, speaks for itself.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

More appropriately, did you hear what I heard?

The first thing I heard, Saturday, Dec. 17 at about 1:25 p.m. was the roar of the crowd -- an oddly adrenalized crowd -- at Gillette Stadium as the Patriots were introduced. The next thing I heard was this slightly unnerving pounding noise; and then I realized it was the Patriots pounding Tampa Bay, one of the alleged elite teams, into submission.

And then later that night, around 8:20, I was watching NFL Primetime, and just following the Patriots highlights, I heard this low, almost imperceptible ... voice. It sounded like the cumulative voice of every player on every potentially playoff-bound team, saying "Oh, shi ... They're back."

Indeed, for all the Patriots have gone through, for all it appears the league tried to avoid this, the Patriots are back in position to make a late-season run, and now that they're assured of a home game in the playoffs, who wants to play them? The answer is: NO ONE.

Oh, sure the now imperfect Colts probably still think this is year, but they have to be shaken after losing at home to San Diego, making them vulnerable both there and on the road -- they're going to have a really tough time in Seattle this weekend. Pittsburgh probably wants a third shot New England. Cincinnati wants to "be the man," so you know they want to "beat the man." And now the Cincinnati players have recorded a revision of their 1981 Super Bowl battle cry, "Who Dey Think Gonna Beat Dem Bengals?" Pretty bold for a team that hasn't won a damn thing in 20 years.

But you know they were watching those highlights and were just a little nervous.

Think about it. The league has been watching New England struggle all season, and even when they saw the rest of the AFC East, except the semi-surprising Dolphins, are pretty horrible, the Patriots didn't look like a threat -- even after thrashing Buffalo in the Great White North.

But last week ... so much to worry about. Among all the so-many important injuries have been those to the Pats offensive backfield. Dillon's return a few weeks ago was expected, and he's been marginal. But last week, Kevin Faulk and Patrick Pass also played. That means the Pats backfield is back just about fully intact after a season of injuries. Tell me that doesn't scare people.

Do You Know What I Know?

In 2001, the Patriots started 1-3, were 3-3 after six and 4-4 after eight. They ran the table (six games) after losing to eventual Super Bowl opponent St. Louis, finishing the season 11-5. In 2003, they started 2-2 and ran the table from there, part of their phenomenal 21-game winning streak. This year, very similar to 2001 in so many ways, they have the potential to win their last five games heading into the playoffs.

The progress this team has made since emerging from the league's setup schedule and related injuries is well-documented here and elsewhere. Yet, for some reason, the rest of the world is still shocked by what they're seeing: Tom Brady having a career season, suddenly being talked about as a potential MVP candidate; Bill Belichick conceivably performing his best coaching of his career, perhaps of anyone's career; a defense on the brink of collapse whose front line appears possibly stronger than ever -- as though you'd be unable to drive a division of tanks through them.

So here we are, two games away from the playoffs. Two games away from another potential meeting with Destiny. Two games away from a run to cement this team's legacy as "THE DYNASTY".

Listen To What I Say

Anything can happen in the playoffs. Snow storms. Tuck rules. Opportune turnovers. Fortunate bounces. Close calls. You make your own luck, and luck in the NFL is spelled w-o-r-k.

No grand designs. No razzle-dazzle. No heroes.

"If you do what we've told you to do, you'll get what you deserve," Belichick told the 2004 Patriots before taking the field against Carolina in Super Bowl XXXIX. "Do your job, and you'll be champions."

Merry Christmas, my flock, and a potentially very happy New Year.