Bedard: As division race opens, 'greasy' Patriots might be onto something as Bills loom

As we are now past the halfway point of the season with this Patriots team after Sunday's 24-6 victory over the Panthers that was rough on the eyes for anyone not rooting for New England, we should be able to more clearly define his team, especially after a third-straight win ...

Right?

I'm having a dickens of a time figuring this team out.

Sometimes they block well enough for the passing game to look somewhat dangerous. Sometimes, like the last two games, it's hard to watch. The rushing offense is pretty good, when the team doesn't put the ball on the ground. They still have way too many delay of game and other assorted dumb penalties, and still like to put the ball on the ground.

We know the defense will shut you down if you only do one thing well (Chargers passing game last week, Panthers' ground attack on Sunday). Mathew Judon and Christian Barmore need a nickname for the emerging inside/outside pass-rushing duo thing they have going on ... Crash and Smash? I'm not good at these things. But the last (only?) really good and balanced offense the Patriots have faced, Dallas, ran through the Patriots fairly easily.

In general, what has the Patriots' three-game winning streak told us about the team heading into next week's game hosting the Browns?

Who the hell are these guys? I think I've figured it out.

In hockey, they love to use the term greasy.

Greasy goal.

Greasy win.

Heck, even Butch Cassidy called Jake DeBrusk greasy after a game — and it wasn't about how slick his hair was.

Basically, it just means you got the job done, and you did so by putting in the work. Zero style points. In fact, it was probably viciously ugly. Maybe a little luck involved.

That's, at least to this point, what the 2021 Patriots are — The Greasy Patriots.

They aren't banking many style points — especially with this guy walking into the building on Sundays.

It certainly ain't going to be a Picasso with the passing offense at any point soon. The defense has "shut down" the likes of Zach Wilson, Davis Mills, Mike White and Sam Darnold (with a cameo by Justin Herbert) but it's not like they've dominated a well-balanced offense to this point. The defense shows up, doesn't have all that many stars, lost two of their best players (Stephon Gilmore, Jonathan Jones) and just get the job done — lunchpail-style.

Greasy.

It's unusual around these parts. The Patriots have had grind-them-out victories in every season, but no one ever considered them the greasy types before. Not with Mr. Uggs at QB — even with Mr. Happy as coach.

Those Patriots were The Standard. Everyone was jealous and wanted to be them. The teams in the division tried to be meaner and more physical, but it never worked consistently.

Other teams do not want to be these Patriots, who aren't exactly easy on the eyes with an inconsistent offensive line that seems to allow at least one decapitating hit to Jones every game. The backfield is down to Brandon Bolden as the lone healthy halfback after Sunday... any fantasy takers? The linebackers are old and slowing. The run defense can be hideous at times. Devin McCourty admitted he was "awful" a few weeks ago. Anybody trading for Jalen Mills, your No. 2 cornerback?

Don't you think that Belichick secretly loves this? The team plays like one of his cutoff hoodies — drab and dour. But damn if that outfit ain't sexy after a win like Sunday's.

Despite getting only two real drives out of the offense — and in only one quarter — and only leading the Darnold Debacles 14-6 in the third quarter thanks to dumb penalties and two more turnovers, it felt like a laugher for much of it.

That's what a Greasy Win feels like.

And you know what? They might just keep accumulating them well into the postseason.

The Bills, on the other hand, are fancy boys compared to these Patriots. Huge passing numbers some weeks, some really good defense, too.

And then they lose games, like on Sunday, 9-6 to the ... Jaguars.

Why? They're pretty. They don't to be punched in the mouth. They don't know how to grind. They're front runners.

It's why I've never really given up on 11-6 this season, or the division. The Patriots don't look like much, but they know how to struggle and still find a way to win. 

Greasy Team.

In some seasons, like this one where up is down and down is up in the AFC, that means a lot — and can go far.

I still have no idea what to make of this team and what they will be this season. Sometimes they're tough to look at in general.

But it looks like we're going to have a winter of football around these parts, which we couldn't say last season.

Bring on more grease.