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Howe On Patriots: 'This Scorched Earth Thing Is Real'

BOSTON (CBS) -- Look out, NFL. The Patriots are mad.

While the plus-49 point differential in three games indicates that the Patriots might be out for blood this season, the Boston Herald's Jeff Howe added some context to the team's state of mind through the first month of the season.

Howe said the most important thing for the Patriots this season will be maintaining that edge that's driven them to the 3-0 start.

"The number one thing in my opinion is to keep the edge that they've come out of the gates with. They hate everybody, and they're playing as such. So it's important to just keep that momentum going, keep their foot on their opponents' throats, whoever it happens to be that week," Howe said on Toucher & Rich. "I think they've done a nice job of handling three different types of situations this season where it was handling their own emotion after the banner dropped in Week 1, being able to withstand what the Bills put on the field in terms of their emotions in a road game in Week 2. And then last week against the Jaguars, a game that would have been very easy to sleepwalk through, they showed up and they trounced 'em from start to finish.

"They're doing that because they're playing for their quarterback. This scorched Earth thing is real. Tom Brady is in a different mode than anybody around him has ever seen him before. His teammates have rallied around him."

Howe noted that even the great 2007 team slowed down by the later part of the season, so it's unlikely the Patriots can continue to dominate opponents on a weekly basis through January.

"History says no team has ever done that. So eventually yeah, they're going to slow down," Howe said. "I think it's just important for them to remember why they're there."

Howe also discussed other ways the Patriots can improve, expectations for Akiem Hicks, and more. Listen below:

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