Season Review Week 1-7: New England Patriots – Part I
A brilliant season for the New England Patriots ended on a disappointing note as after overcoming all opposition the Patriots like in 2007 fell at the final hurdle once again to the New York Giants.
In a season where they went 13-3 the Patriots also became the AFC Champions and were ended just one incomplete catch away from lifting a fourth Super Bowl under head coach Bill Belichick.
Now in 2012/13 they are looking for another shot at the Lombardi Trophy and are once again one of the favourites to challenge for the Super Bowl.
The Patriots boast one of the most fearsome offensive rosters led by quarterback Tom Brady who is considered by many as the best quarterback of his generation. New England’s receiver corps is also second to none with the likes of tight ends Rob Gronkowski
and Aaron Hernandez while wide receivers Wes Welker and Brandon Lloyd are also in a league of their own.
However, the team has struggled for victories this year with the defence not doing enough to stop the opposition from scoring with the team giving up a huge 290 yards passing on average each game.
Their record currently stands at 4-3 and in this three part series we will review New England’s performance in the first seven games of the season.
Week 1: At Tennessee Titans
The New England Patriots have made it a habit to start the season brightly and this year was no different as they won convincingly over the Tennessee Titans 34-13.
This was the ninth time in a row that the Patriots have won on the opening day of the National Football League (NFL) season with Brady once again showcasing why even after so many years he still remains at the top of the game.
The quarterback passed for 236 yards and two touchdowns both of them in the first half with the Titans never able to challenge their dominance throughout the game.
New England were up 28-10 by the end of the third quarter and added six more points in the final quarter to win the game.
Defensively the Patriots delivered a massive performance with Jake Locker who made his debut for the Titans as a starter struggling to make plays.
Week 2: Against Arizona Cardinals
Coming up with a brilliant performance in the first game the Patriots welcomed Arizona Cardinals in week 2 and were favourites for the win at home.
However, things did not go their way as Arizona’s defence held back Tom Brady who did not pass for a single touchdown until late in the game.
It was a touch and go affair after Arizona built up a huge 20-9 lead early in the fourth quarter while their defence shackled Brady from making scoring plays.
The Patriots though did not give up and mounted a comeback attempt with Stephen Gostkowski firing a 53-yard field goal at the 6:45 mark to make it 20-12.
Brady finally found his man as he launched an accurate pass from five yards to tight end Rob Gronkowski with two minutes left to make it 20-18.
The Patriots regained possession and Brady marched them forward into field goal range with seconds to spare.
Gostkowski lined up for the 42-yard attempt to win the game but it wasn’t to be as the kicker sent his kick wide leading to celebrations by the Arizona Cardinals.
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