Tom Brady is not himself yet. That much remains true after the Pats 26-10 win over the Falcons. But I refuse to heap it all on his shoulders. Wes Welker is Brady’s binky and not having him for a second straight week is huge. In Welker’s place, Edelman, Aiken and Galloway did nothing to distinguish themselves. In fact, they damn near drove Brady into madness with their play in the first half, as evident by Tom Terrific’s near Vesuvius-like eruption just prior to the break. I don’t blame the guy for getting agitated. Brady’s still rounding into form, so when he makes good throws, he has every right to expect his guys to be where the ball is. They weren’t, and that was one of the main reasons why the Pats had to settle for 4 field goals in 5 trips to the red zone. That won’t do against good teams, at least not on most weekends.

Offense sells tickets, but thus far, the best part of the Pats team has been their defense. Never thought I’d be typing that here during the final weekend of September, but they’ve come along faster than anyone anticipated.

Today the Pats managed to take both Michael Turner and Tony Gonzalez out of the Falcons offense. That’s how the old school Pats defense rolled, the championship Pats defense. Do you realize Gonzalez caught just one pass, and that came in the 4th quarter. That’s mind-boggling. Certainly, the Pats concentrated their game plan around making Gonzo a non-factor, but they were able to do it using Brandon McGowan and help. McGowan was an under the radar signing in the offseason, but he’s been more visible than any of the Pats safeties. A real surprise.

Now on paper, this group doesn’t measure up to the Bruschi/Harrison/Seymour crews, but they continue to make plays and hold opponents down. 17 points versus the Bills, 16 against the Jets and 10 today. You promise Belichick that right now and I suspect he’d sign on the dotted line. With continued good health, these guys should only get better. Brady and his receiving crew should too. That will make the Pats as one of the teams to beat, just like we thought…just not how we thought it.