If not for Gronks injury, yesterday would have gone down as the most inspiring win of the Patriots season. And even with the unfortunate break, Sunday still qualifies as their most complete effort since Week 1 in Tennessee.
The offense was clicking, the defense made plays and the special teams (especially the PAT blocking) were on point. If not for Gronks injury, Im not sure wed have anything to complain about. Instead, Im guessing more than a few people might have pulled out the old: You know, the Pats are one Gostkowski chip shot, one extended upright and one Russell Wilson bomb away from 10-0!
But even if Gronk had escaped with his arm in one piece, I'd say there was one other sour development during Sunday's win:
The booing of Adam Vinatieri.
I dont want to make a big deal out of it, because we all know its just a game. Literally and figuratively. We know, despite the boos, that there will come a time when Vinateris standing at the 50-yard line, accepting his induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame, and at that point no one will care about the Colts. There won't be any boos. Hell joke and well laugh, before forgiving, forgetting and collectively recognizing his place on the dynasty's Mount Rushmore.
When it comes down to it, I don't think that the fans who booed Vinatieri yesterday are disrespectful or ungrateful or have somehow forgotten everything that he did for this franchiselike I said, it's just a gameI guess I'm just shocked by how many people are still care enough to boo.
Sure, he pissed off a lot of people. What Vinatieri did was no better or worse than what Ray Allen pulled last summer. But seven years later, with the Pats-Colts rivalry a thing of the past and Vinatieri barely relevant on the NFL radar?
New England Patriots
Still booing? I'm not even mad. That's amazing.
But seriously, when was the last time anyone was affected by Adam Vinatieri playing for the Colts? How many people even knew that he was still playing for the Colts? And while I'm really not trying to preach at the boo birds, I wonder how many of them realized that, given his impending free agency, recent struggles and upcoming 40th birthday, this may have been Vinatieri's last career game at Gillette, and New England's last chance to see one of the two most important players in franchise history?
Eh, it probably wouldn't have mattered. Boo birds gonna boo. It's their God-given right.
And when it comes to Vinatieri, I'm just a little surprised by how many fans still feel like exercising it.
Rich can be reached at rlevine@comcastsportsnet.com. Follow Rich on Twitter at http:twitter.comrich_levine