Ask And You Shall Receive

Not a tough call, but a good call nonetheless.

FOXBOROUGH — “Bad defense, bad coaching, bad plan, bad football.’’

This was Bill Belichick’s post-midnight confession after the Patriots were spanked by Kansas City Chiefs, 42-27, in their season opener Thursday night at Gillette Stadium.

I guess this means 19-0 is out of the question.

Firm grasp of the obvious there...

Yeesh.

We all know the Patriots and their fans were getting a little full of themselves. After winning the greatest Super Bowl ever, they won the offseason. They went all in and assembled the perfect football team. Here in New England, football was not about competition anymore. Simply coronation.

After winning the Super Bowl in Houston, the Patriots partied. They handed out gaudy rings with 283 diamonds (get it, Falcons? 283 diamonds, as in 28-3). Team Trump went to the White House, patented the “Blitz for Six,’’ motto, and gleefully cooperated with another NFL Films homage to their superior preparation and brainpower. The Patriots not only beat you, they embarrassed you. They made sure everyone knows that they are smarter than all the other teams they play. They anticipate everything.

This column exhibits an earnestness and glee that Shank writes with when he's infatuated with the subject at hand, which generally involves a losing local professional sports team.