Settle Down, Beavis

Three games into the NFL season and Shank is all but ready to award the Lombardi Trophy to the New England Patriots. While I'm in favor of that notion, it's amusing that Shank's been trashing Bill Belichick since he got here, and suddenly he's the best thing since sliced bread.

But the No. 1 story line of the night was Belichick. We keep thinking we have seem the ultimate demonstration of his greatness and then we see something that tops the last one. We thought the opening-night win at Arizona would stand as the Hoodie’s favorite non-Super Bowl win, but Thursday’s shocker against the Texans was even better. It was a game won by all the boring things Bill loves — special teams, defense, and mistake-free offense.

“I’m so proud of the way our guys competed,’’ said Belichick. “A real satisfying win. The whole week the coaching staff did a tremendous job.’’

When an intrepid sort noted that Bill was climbing the ranks of career wins for coaches, Belichick said, “Today is not about me. It’s about the team, the players, the assistant coaches, and all the credit they deserve.’’

He'll be signing a different tune as soon as the Patriots lose their first game.