Tom Brady to NFL: We're On a Mission

It took only until the second possession to see what was so sorely missed all of last season—a beautiful rainbow from Tom Brady to Randy Moss along the right sideline. And though it ended in a pass-interference by ex-Patriot Asante Samuel, one almost expected to hear Guy Lombardo strike up "Seems Like Old Times" with his orchestra. Omitting the company script, Brady chose to be frank at the press conference, afterwards: "We are on a mission." Indeed, the first half unfolded with a sense of purpose, a crisp execution not seen in a Patriots pre-season game in quite a few years. The Patriots opened with a shotgun max protect with a H-back formation in the backfield to protect Brady since it was the first live rush he'd faced in over a year. The offense opened in a two TE, two WR, and a H-back with David Thomas being the assigned blocker. On the next few plays, the Patriots went to a three wide formation, and with the help of a new-look, pass-rushing 4-3 fr...