FOXBORO – You’re forgiven if you forgot what that looked like.

The Patriots cruising into halftime with a gigantic lead.

Their quarterback kicking his feet up early in the fourth quarter.

A smile spreading wide across the head coach’s face, with most of the game – hell, maybe all of it – going exactly to plan.

Before Sunday’s blowout of the Panthers, the Patriots hadn’t won a game like that since the last time they were a playoff team almost four years ago.

That day, the Pats stomped on the remains of the Urban Meyer Jaguars, 50-10, and in doing so clinched a postseason berth because they’d rebounded from a loss to Buffalo the week before in what was viewed as a measuring-stick game.

That same test now awaits them again in Western New York next weekend, when the entire league will be

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