While Mike Singletary became the latest NFL coach fired for turning a promising season into an underachieving fiasco, Bill Belichick added another chapter to what might become the best coaching job of his Hall of Fame career.
Missing four starters and playing with several more who were battling the flu and had to be given IVs during the game, the Patriots routed the Bills 34-3 to go 13-2 and clinch home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs.
"It's been a theme all season," tight end Alge Crumpler told reporters after the game. "We plug a guy in and the guy comes in and plays well. That's what this team has been all about."
To all the apologists for banged-up teams such as the Vikings, we present the New England Patriots, who have used an average of 40 different starters per season since Belichick created this empire in 2001.
During the 2003 season, the Patriots won a Super Bowl while being forced to start 42 players. That was a record for a division champion. It stood until 2005, when the Patriots broke it with 45. In 2008, they went 11-5 with a franchise-record 14 players on injured reserve, including Tom Brady, who missed 15 1/2 games.
By comparison, the Vikings have used 40 starters this season, yet they were dead in the water before Thanksgiving, when Brad Childress was fired following a 31-3 loss to the Packers at home.
The 2010 season began with most of us in love with the Vikings, Cowboys, Chargers or some other team that's probably flopped far short of Super Bowl XLV by now.
As for the Patriots, well, they were considered too young and suspect on defense. They had too many rookies and free agents. They had left guard Logan Mankins, who would hold out for half the season. And their injuries already were mounting early on with Ty Warren, Leigh Bodden and Kevin Faulk dropping because of season-ending injuries.
