Pats Pulpit
Patriots vs. Steelers used to be one of those games we all got up for. It was usually a late window or primetime game, and the Patriots usually came out on top. Not so much anymore. Maybe the Pats will string together two consecutive wins at some point, but it sure as hell ain’t this week.
1. This game will go down as one of the weirdest I have ever watched, or will ever watch. The Patriots simultaneously deserved to lose this game by five scores and win this game by three scores, which I didn’t even think was possible.
2. It’s just incredibly frustrating, because other than the very obvious elephant in the room, there was actually a lot to like about what I saw yesterday. Drake Maye was efficient. He was able to lead long scoring drives. He extended plays with his legs and was accurate. The defense only gave up a big play when it came in the form of a penalty. But when you turn the ball over FIVE FREAKING TIMES, including two at the goal line, you have no business winning a football game.
3. But honestly, I think that we got a fairly solid sense of what we can expect from the OPatriots in 2025. This is a team on the bad side of mediocre, and they’ll be going up against a bunch of other teams this season who are also on the bad side of mediocre. They’re going to win some of those games, they’re going to lose some of those games, and depending on the direction a few bounces go in the future, they’ll finish just above or just under .500 for the year. This might be a season where you feel good about the wins, but not great. If the Patriots had won yesterday, I’d of course be happy…but not that happy.
4. What did make me happy, though, in spite of myself, was the way the NFL leaned into the 1975 vibes with their broadcasting. I tried very hard not to like it, because it’s dumb and it’s cheesy, but there’s just something about 1970s technology that slaps.
5. If nothing else, it gave me a renewed appreciation for Earth, Wind & Fire. I don’t know if I’d call them an underrated band in regards to how much love they get, but it’s easy to forget how many absolute bangers they had. And I’m pretty sure that every single human being who lists “Wedding DJ” on their employment record is legally required to kick off every wedding reception with “September.” Few things get middle-aged, uncoordinated people out of a white folding chair and onto a dance floor to start awkwardly bending their knees and swaying their hips like that song.
6. But of course, the best thing to come out of the 1970s was the New England Patriots’ throwback uniform. The early Patriots did very (very, very, very, very) few things right, but they absolutely nailed the unis.
7. And...
