Felger & Mazz On: Belichick's Challenge Turning Into Patriot Blowout
[photogallerylink id=46400 align=right]Monday night's win for the Patriots may prove to be the turning point of this season. Felger and Mazz took a look at the blowout game and the risk Belichick took, the intense emotion, and the confidence it should give the Pats.
Felger: "You could just tell the attitude of that team. If you stayed up just to watch that last two minutes of it, you know what that one meant to those guys last night. And it makes sense why Bill Belichick was so happy, and he should be. Here's one reason: not just because they came through, but you know how he set this game up. He played the disrespect card, and he played it pretty heavily, to the point where he showed everyone Patriots Football Weekly, where all eight of their experts [picked the Dolphins]. He played that to the team, and he did the whole thing that this team used to do routinely, and respond to routinely: "No one believes in you, and for a lot of you guys, no one else wanted you, and the guys that cover you on a daily basis don't believe in you." Let me ask you something: if he plays that card they lose, what do you do then? …It was great motivation by Belichick, I just think there were some stakes there… that's why you saw a lot of emotion last night, because there was a lot at stake there. He challenged them, their personality, their manhood, all those clichés, and they came though, so they deserve that moment."
Mazz: "For all the questions we have had about them over the last year plus now, this doesn't erase them all, but it certainly helps at least alleviate some of the concerns. Look, they were up 7-6 at the half, they came out and blew their doors off in the second half. Now, granted, there are still questions on defense, and a good number of those plays came on special teams, but that's part of the game. It was a very good win for them, to go down there and beat that team the way they did. It doesn't mean that they're going to the Superbowl or anything of the like, but if you're asking me, 'do I come out of it feeling a hell of a lot better than I did coming out of that Buffalo game?' Hell yes."
