01:00 AM EST on Thursday, December 23, 2004

You've got to love New England, where the fans love to panic.

The Patriots have one, totally-out-of-character, freakish, four-minute meltdown in Miami, and it's as if the 27 wins in their previous 28 games never happened.

The Pats, who never seem to lose a game they shouldn't -- in fact, for much of the last two seasons, almost never lost at all -- shockingly give away a game to the struggling Dolphins and now, it seems, people are wondering if they can even beat the pathetic 49ers, much less the J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets, this weekend in the Meadowlands.

At least people finally are paying attention to the Patriots.

Largely taken for granted while they, yawn, ho-hum, rolled past one overmatched opponent after another, the Pats suddenly are the center of attention for panic-stricken, Nervous Nellies who seem to think New England's favorite football team might not win another game this season.

Oh, OK, they probably can slip past sorry San Francisco. But the J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets? And record-setting Peyton Manning and the Colts in the AFC semifinal?

Not bloody likely. Not with that suspect secondary. Not with Tom Brady throwing the ball like Drew Bledsoe. Not with Rodney Harrison picking up a stupid penalty seemingly once a quarter. Not with that offensive line.

Easy, now. Settle down. Take a deep breath.

I know Patriots fans aren't used to losing, but is it possible to maintain just a bit of perspective here?

After all, aren't these the same fans who, according to local legend, never wavered in their faith that the Red Sox would come back from a 3-0 deficit in the ALCS -- not even after that 19-8 debacle of a loss in Game Three at Fenway -- and beat the hated Yankees, then go on to win their first World Series in 86 years?

Nobody was a doubter then, right? Just ask 'em. Every citizen in Red Sox nation will swear now that they knew -- absolutely, unequivocally, no question, for a flat-out, dead-on certainty -- the Sox finally were going to win it all.

So, why, then, all the fuss about a four-minute flub by the formerly flawless football team from Foxboro?

And if the Pats ever lose to the J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets . . .

Well, guess what? They very well might, but it won't have any bearing on their chances of winning a second straight Super Bowl.

Frankly, I didn't think the Patriots would lose in Miami. Because, while the Dolphins have a good defense, I didn't think they could put up enough points to win. And they wouldn't have, had it not been for a pass-interference penalty by Harrison in the end zone, followed by the worst throw Brady has made in his four seasons as a starter, resulting in an interception that set up the game-winning touchdown.

I did think the Patriots would lose to the Jets. It's tough enough to play back-to-back road games, especially when the first one is on a Monday night. Throw in the fact the Pats will be travelling to New Jersey on Christmas Day, then will be facing a longtime rival that's not only headed for the playoffs, but also is the last visiting team to win at Gillette Stadium, and you've got a recipe for trouble.

Now, however, I'm thinking the Patriots will bounce back and win.

Even if they don't, it won't change the fact that they will be a formidable foe in the postseason, a team nobody wants to play. Especially if Ty Law is able to return at cornerback.

Offensively, this Patriots team has better balance between running and passing than any that coach Bill Belichick and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis have had in their five seasons in New England. Brady is a two-time Super Bowl MVP. The Patriots beat Carolina in the last Super Bowl with Tom Ashworth and Russ Hochstein on the offensive line, so who's to say they can't win another with Steve Neal and Brandon Gorin?

Defensively, it's amazing the Pats have been able to overcome their obvious weaknesses in the secondary as long as they have. But if Law can come back at anything close to his normal self, then don't forget New England has three first-round draft choices on the defensive line and a veteran corps of big-play linebackers.

The New England coaching staff remains the best in the business, although special teams coach Brad Seely isn't looking too good at the moment.

Bottom line?

The Pats very well may -- gasp! -- lose two in a row after having lost only two of the previous 29. But don't panic, because that doesn't mean they can't win a second straight Super Bowl.