New England Patriots – Everett Leader Herald

The Patriots and Tom Brady

As one year ends and another begins, we have to live with the detritus following Tom Brady’s departure and the failure of the Patriots to recover from that.

Brady has gone on to new heights with the Buccaneers. They are heading into the playoffs. They have gone to the sky with Brady at the helm of the offense.

How could it have been any other way when you think about it?

We wish the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time) a Super Bowl victory!

How sweet that would be…for the Buccaneers and for those of us who miss Brady?

As for the Patriots…the season has been like a death march.

Patriot’s glory days were a sight to behold

Remarkable two decade Dynasty ends

By LORENZO RECUPERO

The Patriots lost on Sunday.

In the red zone, in a potential game-winning position with 37 seconds left on the game clock, quarterback Cam Newton fumbled the ball, helping cement yet another New England loss.

Which team (Bills) the Patriots lost to and the final score (27-24) means nothing in this story, though.

The latest loss, the Pats fourth straight, hasn’t been a thing since they dropped four in a row back in 2002.

Incidentally, via that factoid, we are pulled back in time enough to evoke memories of just one year before that, the 2001 season — the year the New England Patriots football dynasty began in earnest with a guy they call Tom Brady.

The Patriots and the Tide

We have had a wide variety of heated discussions with Patriots sports fans about the season to date.

Inarguably, this is the worst season in 20 years – and the season isn’t half over, yet.

The Patriots just don’t have it.

Cam Newton is not Tom Brady.

Brady playing with Gronk adds insult to injury during a season when Julian Edelman can’t get open, when the offensive line can’t move the ball into the red zone, when the defense has all but fallen to pieces.

Frankly, this season is the stuff of disaster. It is terrifying to think the remainder of the season might be worse than its beginning.

Now comes into this mix a season without Crimson Tide championship football.

Patriot’s victory a triumph

A TV frame ofNew England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton heads off the field at Gillette Stadium after winning in the empty stadium. (Photo by Josh Resnek)

By JOSH RESNEK

The Pat’s victory Sunday over the Dolphins raised spirits here substantially.

Without quarterback Tom Brady leading the pack into the new season for the first time in two decades, there were many, many questions about how the team would perform.

What was missing from the victory?

People in the stands.

There weren’t any.

The cheering we heard after a good play or a score or a great run, were canned cheering.

Canned cheering is to an empty football stadium where the game is being played on the field what canned laughter is to sit-coms shown on television.

America loves canned laughter.

I don’t. I’ve always hated it, made fun of it, mimicked it and finally turned the station. Not so with canned cheering at yesterday’s football matchup between the Patriots now led by Cam Newton facing the Dolphins.

Pats sign Cam Newton, players say it’s brilliant

League reacts as star QB heads to Foxborough

By LORENZO RECUPERO

In March Tom Brady officially left the Patriot’s and signed up to be a Buccaneer and suddenly, the juggernaut of the AFC (and the entire NFL, really) was relegated from a postseason fixture to a playoff wannabe.

Suddenly, all that has changed, and the Patriots are once again hovering closer to the top of the AFC (and NFL) power rankings with the signing of former league MVP, quarterback Cam Newton.

News of Newton’s signing with the Patriots blasted off around the league like the ceremonial muskets fired once the home team scores a touchdown at Gillette Stadium.