New England accent

The Buffalo Bills stink, although not as bad as the New York Jets. The New Orleans Saints are pretty lousy, too. The Miami Dolphins can be classified as better but hardly good (although tell that to the San Diego Chargers). And then we come right back to Buffalo.

The two-time defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots have won five of their last seven games to all but wrap up the AFC East and a spot in the playoffs. But the aforementioned teams – an astounding collection of some of the NFL's worst – have been New England's latest conquests.

So what, really, can you know about the Patriots, who haven't beaten a good team since a 31-28 victory at Atlanta on Oct. 9?

"We're 8-5," quarterback Tom Brady said. "I don't think anyone's too fearful of a team that's 8-5."

Well, they should be.

The whole Patriots-get-no-respect-thing got played out in 2001 and 2003. The fact is New England has gotten just about all the respect it could possibly receive. The Pats have been nearly canonized for their three Super Bowl titles in four years. The television commercials are everywhere, the books are on the bestseller lists and Brady is on more magazine covers than Jessica Simpson. Even the offensive linemen have become stars.

But then again, there have always been those slights that burn. This is a team that was a home underdog to the Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs last season and a team that everyone wrote off this season when injuries decimated the roster.

But here we are with 8-5 New England playing host to the 9-4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday in a game that may tell us all we need to know about the Patriots. The Bucs lead the NFC South, have won four of five and boast a punishing defense. They, too, are dreaming of the Super Bowl.

The Pats will either prove to be pretenders and beneficiaries of a weak schedule, or emerge (after Indy) as the team you least want to play in the AFC.

"We made some progress in the last few weeks," Brady said Wednesday. "I don't think we're playing as well as we would like to, but that's something that we have a few more weeks to really get better at."

Here is the thing about the Patriots: Under coach Bill Belichick, they are 17-5 in December. In the playoffs (January/February), they are 9-0. These numbers can't be ignored. This is what New England does – peak at just the right time and bring it all together when it matters most.

For much of this season, Brady has been asked to carry the club. But now the running game is healthy. The defensive stopgaps are starting to become stoppers. Tedy Bruschi, who returned in midseason from a stroke, is beginning to get in midseason form. The offensive line, which started its fifth different combination last Sunday, keeps making progress and may even get starting tackle Matt Light back for the playoffs.

"This week would be great to put it together," Brady said. "This would be a great week to have our best game of the year and we're going to need it because we're playing a very, very tough team who obviously isn't intimidated by going on the road this year."

Yes, they could really use Rodney Harrison. Yes, there are still so many holes. No, this isn't the same team that won 21 consecutive games.

But do you think anyone wants to face them? Even the Colts, who drilled a lesser Pats club back in November?

They shouldn't.

Perhaps all the optimism coming out of New England is false, a byproduct of mystique and those lousy opponents. But then again, the schedule isn't the Patriots' fault. They don't make it.

When you can go on the road and beat anyone (even the Bills) by four touchdowns it is cause for attention. That's what good teams do: annihilate inferior opponents. Last Sunday was the Patriots of old.

"How good are we?" asked defensive tackle Richard Seymour, who missed four games (including the Colts loss) due to injury but had three tackles and a sack against Buffalo. "I don't know. I just know early in the year against Denver and Indianapolis, we didn't do as well as we'd like.

"I definitely believe we can play with anyone in the division. Now we've got to show we can play with anyone in the conference."

Proving day comes Saturday when one of the NFC's better teams comes a-calling. It's a statement game. And the rest of the NFL had better be paying attention because the champs just might still be capable of some stunning statements.