The Patriots were supposed to beat the Jets today and they did, in convincing fashion. The Patriots 54-13 win was New England’s 12th straight against the hapless Jets.

Beating the Jets around here is akin to getting a nor’easter in the winter. It’s expected. However just because it is an expectation, doesn’t mean that a win against the Jets isn’t a big deal.

It is a big deal. It is a big deal because this Patriots team needed a win like today’s to validate their belief in themselves. The Patriots have lost heartbreakers to the Dolphins, Bucs and Cowboys. Despite that, they believe they are a good football team and today’s performance was proof of that.

In football, there is no better elixir for a bad offense than a bad defense. Playing a team that is struggling on defense helps cure anything that ails an offense. Moving the ball consistently and scoring points helps an offense and a team gain confidence.

The Patriots gained some much needed confidence today after scoring on nine of their first ten possessions. If that doesn’t help a rookie quarterback and a struggling offensive line gain confidence, I don’t know what will?

Today’s beat down of the Jets didn’t just give the offense confidence. It gave the entire team confidence. The Patriots finally got a first hand look at what they could be. Sure, it was against arguably the worst team in the league, but it doesn’t matter. Today felt like the good Ol days here in New England and it was great to see.

Now let’s see if the Patriots can build off of it with their next two games on the road. If they win the next two, then we’ll know that this team has finally become the team we thought they were going to be at the beginning of the season.

We will find out next Sunday when they visit the Chargers.