The New England Patriots are 1-2 . Realistically, if not for a comedy of ball-handling errors on Sunday, they should be 2-1.

Nevertheless, with the 1-2 Panthers visiting Foxboro on Sunday as 5.5-point underdogs, the Patriots should (there's that word again) manage to head into October with a 2-2 record, thus buoying preseason hopes and expectations for a seven-plus-win season for Mike Vrabel and Co.

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Yet with the primary story throughout the winter, spring and summer focusing on the Patriots' lack of high-end talent across the board, it's a worthwhile time to take a moment and evaluate if any areas of the roster have outperformed expectations.

The short answer: Not really.

Digging through Pro Football F

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