FOXBOROUGH — The Patriots began playing games Thursday night and not a moment too soon. Even faux football games as U-G-L-Y as the Patriots’ 7-6 exhibition-opening victory over the New Orleans Saints are a welcome alternative to watching the Red Sox continue to subject us to a season of discontent, dissolution, and delusional proclamations of playoff worthiness.

As former coach Jim Mora said in a now infamous diatribe — “Playoffs? Don’t talk about playoffs. Are you kidding me? Playoffs?” Guess they haven’t heard that one in the Fens. Not even MLB’s version of grade inflation, the second wild card, appears to be able to save the wayward sons of Yawkey Way.