An extremely arrogant post about the Patriots

I suppose I should be nervous for the Patriots tonight against preening mastermind Jack Del Rio and his jacked-and-pumped Jacksonville Jaguars. After all, pretty much everything I've heard and seen this week about the game has had a common, terribly worrisome theme:

Jacksonville can win this football game. Oh, yes, they can. And we're going to spend the next 30 minutes murdering all common sense and logic by telling you how.

Now, maybe I've been getting my Trey Wingo fix at all the wrong times, and maybe all of the simpering Schlereths, concussed Hoges, and blathering Baylesses have been giving the Patriots the proper respect.

Surely at some point perhaps they mentioned the record point total and the record point differential as signs of the Patriots' historically unmatched dominance. Surely they gave them their due for beating just about every legitimate heavyweight challenger along the way, having decked Indy and Dallas on the road, and knocked out San Diego at home. (If only they got to knock around that phony Favre, too.)

Yes, surely they mentioned that at this particular moment in time, the New England Patriots are blessed to take the field with, arguably, the best coach, the best quarterback, and the best wide receiver in the history of the league. Surely they mentioned that the Patriots have a greater depth of talent than any team has a right to in the salary cap era. Surely they mentioned these things while I was looking away. (And don't call me Shirley.)

But I have not heard them say these things, at least not nearly often enough given their significance in foretelling what might happen tonight, and because of that I can come to only the obvious conclusion: The vast majority of football pundits - and, I assume, fans who don't have an allegiance - would like nothing better than for the Patriots to follow up their unbeaten regular season with a winless postseason.

And to that I say this: I will remember to shed a tear for all of the poor, clueless souls who rooted and bet against the Patriots after they walk off the Gillette Stadium turf with another convincing victory over another talented, hopelessly overmatched opponent tonight. No, wait, check that: I'll be honest here. I won't feel their pain. Not an ounce of it. I'll smirk, smugly celebrate, and make Massholish sarcastic remarks, just like I'm doing now. What can I say, the Patriots' us-against-the-world attitude seems to be rubbing off on their fanbase. (Look, I'm even exaggerating perceived sleights, just like they do! Go Pats!)

Now, in all seriousness, I don't mean to suggest the Jaguars aren't worthy of respect, at least in certain aspects. The running backs, as I'm sure you have heard, are outstanding. Maurice Jones-Drew is a relentless dynamo, a Tasmanian Devil in cleats, and I'm sure he will pose a problem for the Pats' D on some level. And I'm a longtime fan of his running mate in the Jags' backfield, Fred Taylor. There was a time not so long ago when I thought he was the most complete runner in the NFL, a devastating combination of power and elusiveness, and he deserves endless credit for efficiently chugging along a decade into a career that often seemed like it would be cut short by injuries.

There are other characters and characteristics to admire. Quarterback David Garrard is bright and efficient. The defense is tough and mean. And as Football Outsiders whiz Aaron Schatz pointed out, their offense was actually superior to the Patriots' over the last half of the season. So, yes, I agree with the TV hairdos, bloviators, and Ordways - this is not a team to be taken lightly, even if Del Rio is playing Candy Land to Bill Belichick's chess.

But that's the point, dummy. The Patriots won't take them lightly. This team has been on a vengeful mission since a few hours after Mangini's goons confiscated that freakin' camera. They want to shut up the '72 Dolphins once and for all. They want their critics to shove their snarky asterisks where they will never see daylight again. They wanted 16-0, and you know they can taste 19-0. They want to be regarded as the greatest team in league history, dammit, and they are too talented, too well-prepared, and too motivated to allow the freakin' Jacksonville Jaguars to prevent them for fulfilling their mission.

This is how it's gonna be: Brady finds Moss for a pair of early scores, Garrard becomes uncharacteristically careless with the ball when he has to play from behind, and the Pats beat a good team in convincing fashion . . . again. Patriots 34, Jaguars 13.

Bring on Peyton and the Ponies, the only legitimate threat to that zero in the loss column. But you knew that all along, didn't you?

First and 10: Patriots 24, Jaguars 21

1. Heard Belichick's taped postgame interview on 'EEI today, and it was almost disconcerting how giddy, animated, and downright chatty he was in the immediate aftermath of the victory. Hell, he even asked Steve DeOssie and Pete Sheppard for their opinions on Jack Del Rio's decision not to go for the onside kick with a little over 2 minutes remaining, and engagingly discussed his thoughts on what to do in that situation. You got the sense that Belichick was genuinely savoring clinching the AFC East, the first real fruits of his best and most challenging coaching job since the 2001 season. Better yet, you got the sense that Belichick really likes his team at the moment . . . and if he likes his team, maybe that whole four-in-six-years thing isn't as improbable as it might sometimes seem.

2. There were a lot of encouraging developments in Sunday's victory - the success of the ol' dink-and-dunk offense, the renewed discipline in terms of protecting the ball and limiting penalties - but nothing raised a Pats fan's optimism more than this: Rodney Harrison is back, baby, and an outstanding Patriots defense just got smarter, meaner, and whole lot more fun to watch. Damn, I sure missed him.

3. When Tom Brady returned to the game one play after Jaguars linebacker Clint Ingram attempted to give him the Mo Lewis treatment, you could pretty much hear an entire six-state region exhale at once. No offense to Matt Cassel, but there is not a more horrific sight for a Pats fan than watching him jog onto the field while No. 12 is writhing in pain on the turf, gripping his right arm. I'm pretty sure I saw the last six seasons flash before my eyes in the few horrifying moments that Brady was down.

4. I want to see more of Dave Thomas even when Benjamin Watson is healthy. The rookie third-rounder out of Texas was the most impressive pass-catcher on the field Sunday, and it's pretty clear that Brady has confidence in him that he doesn't yet have with players who have seen much more playing time. (See: Jackson, Chad).

5. I know his production has tailed off even when he hasn't been injured . . . but man, Laurence Maroney makes such a difference when there's a concerted effort to involve him in the offense. His game-breaking touchdown run was simply breathtaking, and I'm keeping the faith that Belichick and Josh McDaniels intend on unleashing him in the playoffs. I'm still pissed about the whole four-touches-in-second-half thing against Indy. Give him the ball 15 times in the final two quarters, and I bet the Patriots win that game.

6. Asante Samuel is having a Pro Bowl-caliber season, but if he wants to become a legitimate No. 1 cornerback, he needs to make better judgments about the when to go for the ball and when to play it safe. Of course, his reputation has been enhanced almost solely due to his eight interceptions this season, and for the free-agent-to-be, more picks probably equals more digits in the paycheck.

7. If you didn't see it, check out Mike Reiss has an insightful piece in Wednesday's Globe on the Patriots' philosophy regarding roster construction. Belichick is particularly candid, and it really puts into perspective how wise it is to prioritize depth over a roster top-heavy in high-priced talent but with several minimum-wage players filling out the bench. The most obvious example is in the defensive backfield, where the likes of Artrell Hawkins and Chad Scott have helped the Patriots survive and even thrive despite losing Eugene Wilson and Randall Gay for the season and Harrison for a prolonged stretch.

8. While it looks like the Pats are all but locked in to hosting Denver in the first round, I find myself holding out hope for another showdown with the Jets. Eric Mangini had two weeks to prepare for the Pats last time around, and given his intimate knowledge of the Patriot Way, he made the most of it. He won't be so fortunate again. In Round 3 of the renewed "border war," the Patriots will have the prep-time advantage - I can't imagine they're wasting much thought on the Titans this week - and you know the revenge factor will give Belichick additional motive.

9. I don't know a Pats fan that wasn't pulling for Romeo Crennel to succeed in Cleveland, given that his opportunity to be an NFL head coach was long overdue. But now that the Browns are beyond hopeless and his job is in serious jeopardy, I find myself hoping that he'll make his way back to Foxboro next season. By all accounts Dean Pees has done a heck of a job with New England's defense, but Crennel is as good as it gets. Bet Mangini would love to have him in New York, too.

10. As for today's Completely Random Football Card:


Jacksonville rookie flash Maurice Jones-Drew reminds me so much of Brooks, the former Chargers and Bengals dynamo, and if you don't remember him, trust me when I say that it's high praise. Brooks was the short, speedy type like Jones-Drew, and he had huge legs and packed the hardest per-pound wallop of any back of his time. Brooks is one of few backs to continue improving into their 30s. Not a bad back for Jones-Drew to emulate, all in all.