Sport-Blog.com

It has been a very difficult season for the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. But with the post-season just around the corner, the team is getting healthy and playing its best football of the season at the most opportune time.

OK, a win over the Bills isn't exactly the same as topping the Colts. And two wins in a row over the Bills and the Jets does not a season make. But the 16 game NFL regular season is a marathon, not a sprint, and the Patriots are coming together and getting healthy just as the team heads towards the 2005 finish line.

The Patriots have battled it all since their Super Bowl win last year. First they lost their two coordinators, offensive genius Charlie Weis, who has had a great season coaching the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and Romeo Crennel, who is doing his best to rebuild the Cleveland Browns. Then the season started without Tedy Bruschi on defense, only to see that defense lose Rodney Harrison for the season and All-Pro Richard Seymour for a key chunk of games. Then came the offensive injuries, to offensive lineman Matt Light, halfback Corey Dillon, all-purpose back Kevin Faulk and wide receiver David Givens. How the Pats stayed afloat is just one more testament to head coach Bill Belichick.

And now, just in time for the stretch run, the Pats are getting healthy on offense and playing solid defense. A 16-3 win over the Jets two weeks ago was significant in that the defense held NY to just a single field goal. A week later, that same Patriots defense held Buffalo scoreless until the final few minutes giving indications that the unit was finally performing as a group. Yes they still miss Harrison but Bruschi is now back and the team is beginning to shut down folks once again.

On offense, Superstar Tom Brady has been solid all season but now he is getting some of his complimentary weapons back. David Givens makes top wide-receiver Deion Branch that much better, Dillon is the team's running game and well, Faulk, he just finds a way to contribute. With the full arsenal on Sunday, the Pats went for a team record 32 first downs and compiled nearly 500 yards of total offense in a 35-7 thrashing of the Bills, in Buffalo no less.

The Pats still appear to be light years away from the level of play of the Colts who are on the verge of having one of the best seasons in NFL history. But the Pats are peaking at the right time with a number of key people who understand what it takes to win in December and January regaining their health. A match-up next weekend with Tampa Bay will go a long way towards determining if this late season push is more about lackluster competition or about the Patriots beginning to play well.

Clearly, the team getting healthy and the level of play increasing. Given that, you have to believe this is a team that most will want to avoid come the post-season. Because Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the Pats know what it takes to win a playoff game.

As everyone knows full well, Brady has never lost in the NFL playoffs in his career.