Rookie nerves make for some tense moments at times in professional football games, but when those nerves belong to your starting quarterback who's been in the NFL for 14 years, it's quite a bit more disconcerting.
Of course, Tom Brady being tentative to pull the trigger on throws to his rookie receivers is a side effect of having said rookies dropping your passes the week before...
...but once the perennial Pro Bowl selection found Aaron Dobson on a 15 yard strike at the start of the second quarter - and then Kenbrell Thompkins for 16 yards and a touchdown a few plays later - the Patriots' offense suddenly had found the mythical "on" switch and left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers eating dirt.
Brady bounced back nicely after three ugly initial drives, throwing for 225 yards and two touchdowns and the Patriots' defense again stepped up with big plays when they needed them as New England dragged the visiting Buccaneers behind the woodshed for a 23-3 beating that was more brutal than the final score would indicate.
Dobson caught a game-high seven balls, tying him with veteran Julian Edelman for the team lead, and fellow rookie Kenbrell Thompkins caught three, including both of Brady's touchdown throws - and perhaps most importantly, Brady was stepping into this throws, delivering those wicked fastballs anywhere he wanted without passion or prejudice...
...even picking on the game's best cover corner, just because he could.
Running back Brandon Bolden helped open things up , absorbing the passing back role that is so vital to the wholeness of the Patriots' offense, hauling down five balls for 49 yards and adding the crucial element that was lost when Shane Vereen went down with a broken wrist in the season opener at Buffalo...
...then displaying his versatility, Bolden also sparking a spirited second half ground game with a 46 yard textbook cut and downhill run on the first New England series of the third quarter, later yeilding to power back LeGarrette Blount who ground out 56 yards on eight clock killing carries to close out the game.
The Patriots 156 rushing yards representing a 4.7 yards per carry average against what is one of the best run defenses in the NFL - and if you take away Brady's 5 yards in 5 "scampers", the average goes up to 5.4 yards per carry. Regardless, the Patriots took the game to the Buccaneers in the second half and punched them in the mouth. Repeatedly.
The 16 yard Thompkins catch and run for a score gave the Patriots the lead at 7-3 just into the second quarter, snagging the short toss over the middle and maneuvering his way through traffic to finding the end zone untouched - and then grabbing a 5 yarder at the back of the end zone on the next drive to give the Patriots a 14-3 lead just before the half...
...with Dobson contributing on both drives in such a way that it appeared that Brady had become so comfortable with his pass catchers that he was playing cat-and-mouse with the Bucs' secondary, playing one off of the other - and when that got boring, the two-time league MVP simply went to Julian Edelman, or to Michael Hoomanawanui or to Bolden.
Stephen Gostkowski added a field goal with just seconds left in the half after Aqib Talib intercepted Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman just inside Buccaneer territory for the only turnover of the game - and the game would have been a complete blowout early in the 3rd quarter had Brady not thrown an interception trying to thread the needle to Zach Sudfeld in the endzone.
A couple of Gostkowski field goals ended the scoring, but the outcome of the game was never really in doubt after Talib's third interception of the season - The Patriots scoring on five of six drives encompassing the second through the early fourth quarter.
Freeman had an up and down day, and certainly put some balls right on the money, but his receivers left him hanging on more than a few occasions. The 4th year Kansas State product was 19 of 41 for 236 yards and the one costly pick - but coupled with his running game failing to eclipse the century mark and his receivers taking a barbaric beating at the hands of New England's secondary, his efforts weren't nearly enough.
Though Talib's pick with a nice grab in front of Vincent Jackson was the only official turnover of the game, the New England defense forced three other changes of possession on downs, stopping the Buccaneers on 4th and five from the Patriots' 39, a 4th and one from the 38 and a 4th and thirteen from the 34 - crucial stops that speaks to the resiliancy of the defenders.
The 34 points that the Patriots have allowed in their three opening contests is the best start to a season in the Belichick era - in fact, the 11.3 points per game average is the best start in 35 seasons - but that average will be put to a stiff test next Sunday night in Atlanta when the face up against Matt Ryan and the Falcons at the Georgia Dome...
...and the rookie receivers will be just that much more expereinced, as will their quarterback be with them. Rookie nerves run both ways, and as the rookies grow into the offense, so will Brady's confidence in them and his comfort level as well - and before you know it, all world tight end Rob Gronkowski will be back making defensive backs cry, and then Danny Amendola and Shane Vereen after that.
And when all is said and done, the Patriots just may have that juggernaut offense that blows folks out of the building, but for now, they'll just be happy with developing the rookies while the defense hands out savage beatings and the the running game kills clocks.
Geez, that sounds kind of violent, doesn't it?
Yup, it sure does. Welcome to the 2013 New England Patriots.
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