Patriots Aren't Perfect, But Neither Are They Putrid

Through two weeks of the preseason New England's performance is no cause for fans to hit the panic button.

Rumors of the New England Patriots' demise have been - as Mark Twain so eloquently once told a reporter questioning his welfare - greatly exaggerated.

Not that Friday night's preseason victory over the Carolina Panthers' junior varsity will bump the Pats' Super Bowl LVII odds or get much play on Bill Belichick's Hall-of-Fame resume. But through two games, the Patriots - contrary to the national media narrative - hardly look like a disheveled outfit bound for a non-playoff disaster in 2022.

In dominating the Panthers - Carolina's only touchdown came on a 50-yard Pick Six - the Patriots are 1-1 and have shown enough promise areas in enough areas that projecting them as the second-best team in the AFC East and a legitimate playoff contender doesn't feel all that far-fetched.

To wit:

*Rookie offensive lineman Cole Strange, mocked by many NFL Draft "experts", has been steady in two starts at left guard. He's opened holes, won his share of one-on-one battles and - unless we've missed a flag - has yet to be called for a penalty. The Dallas Cowboys' Tyler Smith, drafted 26 spots ahead of Strange in the first round, committed two holding penalties in his first half in the NFL.

*After an 0-for-3 start against Carolina, quarterback Mac Jones completed four of his last five passes and engineered a touchdown drive.

*Rookie receiver Tyquan Thornton has a touchdown catch.

*Nelson Agholor may be playing himself out of a trade and into a starting job in Foxboro.

*Ty Montgomery is flashing the run-catch skillset that just might allow New England to absorb the retirement of former Super Bowl hero James White.

*Free-agent find Lil'Jordan Humphrey not only has 11 catches for 143 yards and a touchdown, he made a special-teams play against Carolina as good as any you'll see during the entire NFL regular season.

*And the admittedly unorthodox system of having two play-callers and zero official offensive coordinators is yet to be a bugaboo. In two games the Patriots have had two offensive pre-snap gaffes, once when confusion forced a timeout against the New York Giants and against the Panthers when 12 players were in the huddle.

But if there's a sense of relief about the Patriots' offense, there has to be genuine optimism about the performance of the first-team defense.

In two games - spanning roughly four series - the bulk of New England's starters have combined to keep opposing offenses out of the end zone. Again, the Panthers did not play top quarterbacks Baker Mayfield or Sam Darnold or star running back Christian McCaffrey, but the Patriots nonetheless smothered them.

Josh Uche has a sack in each game. Ja'Whaun Bentley and free-agent linebacker Mack Wilson are providing playmaking speed at the second level sorely lacked last season. Myles Bryant had a big punt return against the Giants and a fumble recovery Friday night.

Obviously, we're not counting on Belichick to throw a bouquet of roses at his team in mid-August. Because he won't. And he shouldn't.

"It's another step in the process," he said after Friday's win. "Looking forward to a good week in Vegas to work with Josh (McDaniels) and his coaching staff.

Next week we'll hear ad nauseum about what the Patriots no longer have since McDaniels departed for the Raiders.

But, don't look now, what's left behind in Foxboro may not be so bad after all.