Fans of the New England Patriots tend to overreact. When the Patriots lost their first game this season, it crushed the spirit of Patriots Nation. People began to question if second-year quarterback Drake Maye has what it takes to grasp the complicated offense of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Some people even questioned if Drake Maye possesses the skill and demeanor to succeed as a quarterback in the NFL. Could the number 3 pick in the 2024 draft be a bust?
These speculations screeched to a stop when the Patriots won their second game behind an impressive performance by Maye, who completed 19 of 23 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns, also running for 31 yards and another touchdown. Suddenly, fans praised Maye as the second coming of Tom Brady, obviously bound for the Hall of Fame.
I love writing this Rural Matters column in the Bridge Weekly. Practically the only troubling thing about it is that I have a Friday deadline for submitting a column that won't reach you, dedicated readers, until the middle of next week. This time gap isn't important when I'm writing about fishing, gardening, hunting, or childhood adventures, but when I'm writing about the Red Sox, Celtics, or Patriots, the time gap can be concerning. For instance, the Patriots will play against Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers after I write this column, but before you read it. Predicting the outcome of this game is difficult.
Aaron Rodgers has reached the age when professional quarterbacks usually begin to decline, and he isn't as physically gifted as he once was, but he performed quite well during the first two games this season. Most analysts agree that the Steelers roster is more talented than the Patriots roster. Although it's a home game for the Patriots, the Steelers are favored by one point to win. On the bright side, two talented defensive players for the Patriots, Christian Gonzalez and Keion White, have both recovered sufficiently from injury to return to the practice field. Hopefully, they will be able to play in Sunday's game. Meanwhile, three of the Steelers' Defensive starters are expected to miss the game. Whether this makes a difference in the outcome remains to be seen.
One thing that is easy to predict is that the Patriots will win more games this season than the four victories that they achieved during each of the previous two seasons.

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