Pats Ready to Rumble

With the Patriots only two hours away from kickoff in Miami and memories of the NFL lockout quickly fading away, New England is ready for football season to begin on this beautiful Monday night.  That, and we really need something to take our minds off the slumping Red Sox, who have somehow turned an insurmountable wild card lead into a race with the Tampa Bay Rays. Boston's recent struggles have fans worried about a September collapse, the kind of epic choke that only the Red Sox are capable of.

Thankfully, there is much more optimism on the gridiron.  The Pats have assembled an impressive array of talent this season, leading some pundits over at The Sporting News to predict a 15-1 regular season (why not just go all in and mark 'em down for another 16-0?), especially since New England isn't saddled with a tough schedule this season.  I'm not as optimistic; 13 or 14 wins, the latter representing last season's total, sound about right, and I'm concerned the team might need some time to mesh before it really takes off.  I'm not sure how high-profile newcomers Albert Haynesworth, Chad Ochocinco and BenJarvus Green-Ellis will fit into Bill Belichick's system, and they may need some time to get comfortable and adapt to their new surroundings, teammates and roles. 

Adding big personalities to quiet, professional teams such as the Patriots can cause chemistry issues; look what happened to the New York Yankees from 2002-2008 when they added Jason Giambi, Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield, Randy Johnson, and Johnny Damon, among others, and couldn't win a World Series.  On the other hand, the Pats thrived in Randy Moss's inaugural season and could enjoy a similar level of success four years later. 

But hopefully they've worked it all out during preseason (not that anyone cares, but they were 2-2) and are good to go tonight, because after the tenth anniversary of 9/11 and the Sox slipping on a banana peel this weekend, we just need to kick back, stoke up some nachos and enjoy a few hours of pure American entertainment. The Dolphins look like a mediocre bunch this year, so they shouldn't pose much of a challenge for Tom Brady and co.

All signs point to an easy win for the Patriots, which is exactly what this city needs.