Hopes were high as the Detroit Lions visited the New England Patriots, with the aspirations of beating a championship-calibre team. However, Tom Brady and his Patriots were too much, and won via a blowout victory (34-9).

The Lions are one of the top teams in the National Football League (NFL), and this showdown with the Patriots was a measuring stick as to where they really stood in the division.

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Early on in the game, the Lions got on the scoreboard due to the efforts of Matt Prater and his field goals.

However, the Patriots were not daunted, and answered back with 20 points from their offensive team.

Unlike the previous week, where the Patriots dominated with their superb rushing game, they showed their mettle with their passing skills and proved that they are an all-around team that is capable of winning another Super Bowl.

"Everyone is linked together," quarterback Tom Brady said, "so we all feed off each other -- offense, defense, special teams."

Brady threw for 349 yards out of the 439 yards that the Patriots gained. He completed 38 of 53 passes against a Lions team that came into the game with the top-ranked defense in the league according to Football Outsiders' DVOA metric.

This marks yet another link in the chain of the Patriot's surging winning streak.

Over their seven game winning streak, the Patriots have been averaging 39.6 points per game, with the last three opponents being top-tiered teams in their own divisions.

The Lions on the other hand have dropped two straight games after a promising 7-2 start. They have not scored more than 30 points since the first week of the current NFL season.

The Patriots started off the season with most pundits and fans shaking their heads and thinking that the golden years of Brady and Head Coach Bill Belichick are gone.

Now though, it seems that the team that everybody knew has never really left. In fine form, the Patriots seem to be on the road towards another Super Bowl. 

Tagsnew england patriots, Detroit Lions, tom brady