Game 1 of the new-look Pats

This morning, I was pretty pessimistic about the Patriots' chances. I figured the offense would sputter along and pick up at MOST 14 to 17 points. And I didn't think the Pats defense was up to the task of stopping the Jets.

But for one week at least, Cassel led the Pats to victory on the road. The game was a mix of things that surprised me and things that didn't.

Things that did not surprise me:
-Pats heavily relied on Wes Welker. Though Randy Moss is the most dynamic downfield threat, the old Belichick style of play is a running game with short ball control passes, which means Welker is going to be the key guy. The screen to Welker worked all day--no surprise the Pats ran it about 5 times. This play is likely to be a staple for the next several weeks.

-Jets could not run on the Pats defense. The Pats defense is pretty much built to stop the run, and while I really like Thomas Jones, he's not the kind of runner who gives the Pats any trouble.

Things that DID surprise me:
-Brett Favre was not consistently effective in the passing game. With all the trouble in the Patriot secondary, it seemed a foregone conclusion that the Pats would have to apply the pressure in order to slow down the Jets. In fact, the Pats didn't really get to him much (other than one sweet 15-yard sack).

-Jets defense did not throw many complicated blitzes at Cassel. Maybe they held off because they were worried about getting burned by the screens, but if there is one thing that every New England fan knows about Cassel, it's that his decision-making is Bledsoe-esque and he holds onto the ball too long.

-Lamont Jordan looks good! He iced the game in the 4th quarter. Not sure why he didn't get any touches in the first 3 quarters.

All in all, this was like watching a 2003 Pats game. Dink and dunk offense, lots of screens, power running, stubborn defense, and special teams winning the field position game. I think if the Pats can pull out these kinds of wins against the Bills and Jets this year, they do stand a good chance of winning the division.