The rumors of the Patriots' demise were greatly exaggerated. In a day of near-misses by the superstars, the big men on the offensive and defensive lines proved to be the difference in the 26-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
The Patriots controlled both lines of scrimmage, allowing the resurgent Fred Taylor to outgain the Falcons on the ground by a wide margin. The defensive line was still unable to come up with a sack, but put enough pressure on 2nd-year QB Matt Ryan in key situations to get off the field.
Tom Brady and his receivers were on the same page but different paragraphs for most of the game. Chris Baker's TD reception midway through the 4th quarter was the first time that Tom Brady was able to hook up for a score since late in Week 1.
Randy Moss had his 61st career 100 yard game, catching 10 balls, proving to still be Brady's go-to guy. Joey Galloway and Sam Aiken, however, need to keep building trust in their QB's eyes. Julian Edelman was again an adequate replacement for Wes Welker, but the real deal will be a sight for sore eyes upon his return.
Vince Wilfork and Laurence Maroney were both injured during the first half. While neither injury appears to be season-ending, the Patriots need all hands on deck for Week 4 against the Baltimore Ravens.
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Original Story:
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