The New England Patriots may not be back, but it looks like they are getting closer to becoming the team they are supposed to be.
If you’re willing to overlook one big defensive meltdown, there’s not much bad to say about Sunday’s 45-7 win over the St. Louis Rams. New England was almost perfect on offense, and the defense, for once, didn’t help an average quarterback achieve a banner day.
After a month of turmoil on both sides of the ball, the Patriots got it together and did what they were supposed to do. With a bye this week to get healthy, this team may be poised to go on a run during the second half.
Offense: A
To paraphrase something Rams DE Chris Long said after Sunday’s game, Tom Brady finally looked like Tom Brady. It’s been a few weeks since we’ve seen the Patriots quarterback go to work on a defense, but that’s exactly what he did against St. Louis, dicing the Rams up for 304 yards on 23 of 35 passing with four touchdowns. He did a good job of getting TE Rob Gronkowski involved (146 yards), and was able to find Brandon Lloyd, who he’s struggled to connect with, for two touchdowns. RB Stevan Ridley added 127 yards on 15 carries (88 in the third quarter) to help close out the game. Previous game’s grade: C
Defense: A
We’re overlooking WR Chris Givens' 50-yard touchdown on the opening drive, and focusing more on how the defense shut the Rams out on the next nine drives. Sam Bradford was allowed to complete 73 percent of his passes, but the damage was minimal (205 yards). RB Stevan Jackson was limited to 23 yards on seven carries. Previous game’s grade: C
Special teams: A
Not a whole lot here. Zoltan Mesko only punted twice and Stephen Gostkowski nailed his lone field goal attempt. The Rams were held to an average of 18.6 yards on five kick returns. Previous game’s grade: C+
Coaching: A
Bill Belichick played this week right. He kept his team in New England for as long as possible to shield them from the hoopla of the international game, and they came out looking like the more prepared team. Better yet, Josh McDaniels kept his trick plays in the bag and let the Patriots play like the Patriots. Good feelings all around. Previous game’s grade: D
Nick Underhill covers the Patriots for MassLive.com. Follow him on Twitter @CBSPats or @Nick_Underhill.