The New England Patriots lost a game Sunday, and judging by some of the commentary this week, you'd think they were just an above-average team whose time has come and gone.
The Patriots fell to the Baltimore Ravens 37-20 in Week 9 to drop to 8-1 on the season. Yes, the defending Super Bowl champions have only one loss entering their Week 10 bye.
We've seen this movie before. The Patriots are not immune from suffering a blowout loss, and it's actually happened in most of their Super Bowl-winning seasons.
Hall of Fame defensive back and current NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders isn't buying some of the criticism being flung at the Patriots this week. He still feels they're the league's best team.
"The Patriots are still the dogs," Sanders said during "NFL Total Access" on Wednesday. "The Patriots have the No. 2 defense, and probably -- I haven't checked the statistics -- probably still the No. 1 offense, or No. 2 or 3. No matter what it is, they're still the best. They just lost a game, man, they didn't lose who they are. They just lost a game. And I'm pretty darn sure they're gonna face the Ravens again, probably in the second round of the playoffs, and there will be adjustments made. I can't wait to see the second matchup."
The Patriots sit atop the AFC standings with an offense that ranks second in points scored and a defense that ranks No. 1 in points allowed.
Do the Pats have weaknesses to address? Of course, and their run defense is among the primary concerns. But it would be foolish to write them off and overreact too much to one loss on the road against a really good opponent.
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The Patriots have shown time and time again they are capable of making the necessary adjustments following tough losses, and with two weeks to prepare for the toughest part of its schedule, New England should be an improved team in Week 11 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
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