Out for blood - NFL Week 12

Ok, so it’s official. Tom Brady, Bill Belicheck, et al are out for blood. And why shouldn’t they be – they’ve been slighted, been called cheaters, been called poor sports – mercy me, they ran up the score.

But you know, that’s what they do. Winners don’t go out and play to the level of their opponents; they go out and play as hard as they can, day in and day out.

That’s why the Montreal Canadiens won all those games in the late 1970s. That’s why nobody could handle Michael Jordan and the Bulls in 1997.

That’s why the Steelers lost last week and it’s also why nobody can stop the Patriots now.

For too long, Tom Brady has been told he’s a great quarterback – just as good as Payton Manning, perhaps. Receivers looked great when they played with him, not the other way around. And often enough, those same receivers would not look as good on another team.

Okay, so maybe it’s the system Brady plays under. Maybe it’s the coaching.

But maybe it’s because Brady is so good, he lifts those around him.

It would explain this season. Randy Moss came to New England looking like he was washed up, traded away for a draft pick.

While stranded in Oakland for two years, he had just 11 touchdowns and a little over 1,500 yards recieving.

This season alone, he has over 1,000 yards receiving and 16 Touchdowns.

This is what Brady can do with some talent around him. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that players like Deion Branch are untalented – but Brady has never had a singular talent like Moss. Thanks to him, the Patriots have the league’s best offence.

Just this year alone, it’s averaging over 430 yards a game – 300 of them passing - and have over 400 points, leading the league. These are both improvements from last year.

But that’s only half of the game. The Patriots defence has also played exceptionally well. They’re third in points allowed (270), fourth in points allowed per game (15.7) an within the top ten for rushing and passing yards allowed.

They’re getting the job done. They shut down the other team, often early in games. But most importantly – they never give up.

And why should they? After all, they’re out for blood.