Do you believe in the Deflategate curse?
This has been said already, but in case you haven't really thought about this, here it is.
The Ravens, Colts and Seahawks are all 0-2. The Colts and Seahawks look awful and the Ravens lost arguably their best defensive player, Terrell Suggs, for the season.
What do they all have in common? They lost to the Patriots in the playoffs last year and all had some things to say about New England at one point or another. The Seahawks were more tight-lipped, but they did start a fight at the end of the Super Bowl.
Coincidence, or is it the Deflategate Curse? Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe seems to think it's a curse.
Check it out. We know the Patriots have an Enemies List longer than that compiled by Richard Milhous Nixon. We know the Patriots will go about their business for 17 weeks, plus playoffs, punishing all those who did them wrong . . . kicking butt and taking names . . . all the way to Santa Clara.I don't believe in conspiracies and I'm the farthest thing from a conspiracy theorist, but I do find them sort of interesting.
But there is something else afoot. Independent of games involving the Patriots, bad things are happening to New England’s enemies. Some intangible Machiavellian justice appears to be rearing its vengeful head. It is as if an occult hand is smacking the rats and rascals who accused and abused New England’s highly successful/sanctimonious football team.
As Shaughnessy points out, the Ravens and Colts were looked at as threats in the AFC and have done nothing through two games to show they're anything close to that. It's obviously early, so things can turn around for them both. This is especially true for the Colts, who play in what is probably in the weakest division in football. There is way too much talent on that team to play as bad as they have.
Shaughnessy also points the finger at the Texans and owner Bob McNair, the Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones, as well as the Giants and Eagles, teams who have played in big games against the Patriots in the past or have spoken out against the defending Super Bowl champions in recent months.
Those four teams being "cursed" are way more of a reach than the Ravens, Colts and Seahawks, but it's fun to think about. All four of those teams are pretty bad as well, and they're all on the schedule for New England this year.
Much has been made in recent days about how the Patriots may look to run up the score in games their winning this season because they're pissed off about how the off-season went. It appears as though they tried to do that against Buffalo by passing the ball when they clearly didn't have to. Buffalo made a run but didn't close the deal.
Can you blame them for being upset?
The same thing happened in 2007.
Spygate? Beat the crap out of everyone. But we know how that ended.
If the Patriots are going to do this again, they better make it to Super Bowl 50 and finish the job. Nothing is worse than acting/playing arrogant and then losing on the grandest stage.
Follow me on Twitter - @JesseGaunce
For more of my articles, click here.
