The doom and gloom that rested over Patriots’ fans all week has parted; for now.  After last week’s loss to the Jets, many fans looked ahead on the schedule and saw little relief ahead.  With the Falcons and Ravens stopping by Foxboro, a quick respite in Denver, then a visit from the Titans, the Patriots would have their work cut out for them.  Even Christian Fauria on WEEI was predicting a 1-3 start for New England.  Top it off with a rainy autumn afternoon, and things were not looking cheery.  All that changed however, once the game began.  New England decided to run the ball and control the clock, and the no-name defense held Matt Ryan and the Falcons to 10 points.

Unfortunately, I didn’t actually see the game.  FOX was airing the game, but I was stuck with the Giants-Bucs instead.  Oh well, at this point the Giants are playing better and deserved the TV spot.  So instead I had the pleasure of listening to Gill Santos and Gino Cappelletti call the game over the airwaves.  Gill and Gino do an excellent job of keeping you up on the action and flow of the game, but it’s just never the same as seeing the players perform on TV.  You’re still left with questions, like was the Patriots defense the real reason why the Falcons struggled to score in the second half, or were the Falcons simply not executing on offense?

Looking over the box score, you have to be impressed by the defense.  They seemed to get stronger as the game went on, even with the loss of Vince Wilfork.  I’m sure they were aided by a Patriots’ offense that controlled the clock and kept them well rested.  The final tally on possession was New England 39:49 to the Falcons 20:11.  Turner ended up rushing for only 56 yards, and while Ryan was a respectable 17 for 28, he only amassed 199 yards.  The game changer was Turner’s fumble.  With the game knotted at 10, Atlanta was driving efficiently into New England territory.  Recovering that fumble, even if it only resulted in a field goal, was a huge boost to the New England D.  They could’ve easily been looking at a 17-10 Falcons lead at the half.

The other big piece to this victory was Fred Taylor.  It’s about time that Belichick let the man earn his paycheck.  Taylor was the marquee pick up this off-season.  And in my mind, it meant we wouldn’t see the high-flying offense of ’07, but instead a much more balanced attack.  Today was what I though the offense should look like.  Sure, they won’t blow teams out by thirty points, but until Brady and the receivers are all in sync (and healthy) this is how they should be playing the game.  Control the clock, protect the football, and wear out the opposition.

A few side notes.  Randy Moss has 26 receptions through 3 games.  That puts him on pace for 138 receptions this season.  He is also on pace to reach nearly 1,500 receiving yards.  Stephen Gostkowski is on pace for a career high 160 points, thanks to another 4 field goals.  Next week is the Ravens, and with the injury list growing weekly, the Patriots may be looking at a five hundred start to their season.