Daily Madden: 'The Patriots Aren't Your Father's Patriots'
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — The Dallas Cowboys were probably one of the worst teams in the NFL at the outset of the season, especially after suffering an embarrassing loss to the 49ers in the opening week, but now they are 3-1. The Chargers are also 3-1 after making a tough start and being maligned. In the same club are the Detroit Lions, so who would have thought?
It appears to be a real topsy-turvy time for NFL teams, but Madden said it's that way every year.
"We think that we know before it starts and then we quickly learn that we don't know and then as the season goes on, we're going to learn more than we don't know," he said.
"I used to say NFL stands for 'Never Figure League,' You never do figure it out. With free agency and everything, every team is a different team every year. So to look at what they did last year and assume it's going to be the same this year just doesn't work."
The Coach also spoke about Monday's night's game. The Patriots are playing in Kansas City and some people are starting to say Tom Brady has lost it, his age is showing and that it could be the beginning of the end.
"The Patriots aren't you father's Patriots. They've kind of dismantled that team or lost a lot of players and then they lost a lot of good players, through free agency, trade, retirement, whatever and they didn't replace them with good players. So they have Tom Brady and they have Bill Belichick but they lost a lot of stuff around it," Madden said.
Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles is listed as probable with ankle sprain for Monday's game against the Patriots and Madden said that you're never quite such what to expect with kind of injury.
"That's the danger, if you had a full-go Charles, that's one thing—I mean he's going to be pretty good, but coming off an ankle sprain, that's a difficult deal," he said.
Listen to the John Madden segment live weekday mornings at 8:15 and Monday and Friday mornings at 9:15 on KCBS All News 740 AM/106.9 FM.