Mike Dussault

What’s so impressive about this Patriots team is that nobody cares about legacies and all that stuff. At least not right now. What’s been so remarkable about Belichick and Brady is they don’t marinate in the past. Every day, every play is a new challenge, and this relentless focus on the task at hand is why this Patriots team is so for real. Case in point: New England’s go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. Facing a 20-16 deficit, the Patriots lined up on a second-and-goal from the 1. Brady, who’ll never be confused with Cam Newton running the football, trucked off left tackle for an apparent go-ahead touchdown. But a review of the play showed that Brady’s knee had come down before he crossed the goal line and the score was erased. New England tried running the ball with tailback BenJarvus Green-Ellis on third down, but Baltimore didn’t give an inch. On fourth-and-goal, Brady went over the top, successfully crossed the goal line and was blown up by linebacker Ray Lewis. The hit was huge, but Brady’s score was even bigger.

Belichick now has a tough-minded team that will not quit, and certainly won’t “fade away when they get punched in the mouth,” as Baltimore running back Ricky Williams claimed early last week. This team’s newfound grittiness was on full display against the Ravens, as it won a game without star quarterback Tom Brady playing like a star.