The New England Patriots have just five draft picks in April's draft - that's like Old Mother Hubbard and her bare cupboard to the normally draft pick stockpiled Patriots - but never fear, for that cupboard isn't so bare as it is made out to be....
...because Bill Belichick never stops evaluating talent, and always knows just how to turn the rules in his favor...and he has a knack for turning a handful of picks into a treasure trove. He's been busy already. picking up a couple of pass rush prospects from the suddenly fertile proving grounds of the Canadian Football League.
When the Patriots came to an agreement with CFL baller Armond Armstead on a contract with around 650K guaranteed money, many around the league felt that New England recieved the equivalent of a high draft choice in the deal. Estimates from a pool of league Coaches and General Managers place that draft pick value at an average of the second round.
Playing in Canada is most assuredly a step down in the competition level when compared to the NFL, but the game in Canada is also a game that is, by design and purpose, more wide open and played in space almost exclusively - and while that's not necessarily where the NFL is ultimately headed, the game is played increasingly in that direction - which is why a pass rusher such as Armstead became such a lusted after product.
It was a shrewd move by New England to offer such money and lure Armstead to Foxboro, as his presence makes an already very deep group of defensive linemen very formidable. When you look at the depth just on the edges, Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich, Jermaine Cunningham, Justin Francis and now Armond Armstead is as deep - and young - as any rotation in the NFL. If you factor in the possibility that linebacker Dont'a Hightower easily subs in, the depth becomes ridiculously stocked.
Normally, being designated a redshirt is a college thing, yet the Patriots acquired two players in 2012 who fell into an injury status and never saw the field - and are being counted on for big things in 2013.
In the 2012 preseason, the New York Giants inexplicably waived injured Tight End Jake Ballard whom, in light of the severity of his knee injury, they expected to clear waivers and be placed placed on their Injured Reserved list - but the Patriots put a bid in on him and received his rights, much to the chagrin of the embarrassed Giants' front office.
Ballard's body of work is a short sample, one year starting and catching 38 balls and scoring four times, but is also a devastating blocker and at 6' 6" and 260 pounds has the bulk and the athleticism to be effective pulling and crunching down with wham blocks...and his height makes him another effective weapon in the red zone.
He was undrafted out of Ohio State, so the draft value would never be known, but given his work and the fact that Coach Bill Belichick thought enough of him to snatch him off waivers knowing that he wouldn't play until 2013 is enough to make one think along the lines of a mid-round pick now that he's somewhat of a known quantity.
Jeff Demps has never played a down of professional football, yet his upside may be one of the most exciting stories coming into the offseason. With world class speed and a full year in the Patriots system under his belt, Demps can honestly be labeled as a secret weapon, because no one really knows how Belichick is going to use him.
A running back and kick returner at Florida - boy, doesn't Belichick love him some Gators? - some envision him in a Danny Woodhead type role while others see him primarily as a special teamer - though he could certainly become an all purpose back that could run wheel routes out of the backfield or be lined up wide to create a speed matchup with a linebacker or safety.
His body of work at Florida is compelling. In four years playing for the Gators, he averaged a ridiculous 7.3 yards per carry and has rare speed with two very distinct gears: "Full Speed" and "Saturn V Rocket", and actually outruns angles. Once through the crease with a head of steam, get the kick team ready for a point-after try.
Many saw Demps as a third or fourth rounder before withdrawing from last years draft to concentrate on the Olympics, mostly due to concerns about his size and small hands - and signed with New England after returning from London and played briefly in the preseason before being placed on the IR with an unspecified leg injury.
Those three, along with Cornerback Aqib Talib who was acquired for a fourth round pick in November, constitute, at worst, two 3rd rounders and a 4th rounder - and in Talib's case, Belichick surrendered a fourth rounder to get the former first rounder from Tampa.
And it shouldn't be forgotten that Belichick has been nicknamed "Trader Bill" for a reason - he typically trades down in the draft to acquire bundles of draft picks, so it wouldn't be surprising to see the Patriots active in every round of the draft, perhaps multiple times in certain rounds.
As it stands right now, the Patriots have just five draft picks coming up in April's draft - but that's ok. With the talent that he's redshirted, and the free agent Talib that he hopes to resign, even if he doesn't make any deals, Belichick's cupboard isn't nearly as barren as many would think...
...and neither is New Englands status as Dynasts. As long as they keep stockpiling talent and can patch a hole or two in the offseason, there's no reason to suspect that we'll see the Patriots hit the skids anytime soon.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Dinner and a Movie: Super Bowl Hype Edition
It has been 10 days since I've watched SportsCenter.
Not that I don't care about who wins the Super Bowl and who loses, I just don't give a spit about all of the side stories, the rumors and accusations, chest beating, beer spitting, bicep kissing and players' wives being all mouthy.
Football is football. I don't care what the players do on their off time. I don't care if someone has fathered 20 kids with 27 different mothers - I don't care about their sins - that's on them.
But about what they do on the football field, about that I care very much...
...oh, I hear things - perhaps glance upon something that somebody said on my way to the draft boards and the basketball and hockey scoreboards - but my TV stays off when I'm by myself, and on Disney Channel on the rare occasion my boy wants to watch TV - or Lifetime Channel when my wife is trying to clear the room and get some solitude.
The two weeks between the Conference Championship games and the Super Bowl is football's version of a Lifetime Channel movie, with so much testosterone instigated hijinks and estrogen motivated mouth-spouting that it if you were to add a smidgen of teen-angst it would be perfect for the militants that produce their shows...
...and the soft porn, let's not forget about that. A lot of skin on display in the love scenes...so when the wife flips on the TV, my boy and I know that it's time to go hunker down in the man cave, play some video games, have munchies, take in a good movie and ignore that nightmare in the living room - pretend it's not happening - because it is wrong.
But so is being mired in this self-induced vacuum for another four days - so it's important for us to keep busy, to forget about the mindless hype going on all around us and concentrate on entertaining ourselves properly.
And not because my team is not in the game - I did the same thing last season - but unfortunately the Patriots laid an egg so large in the AFC Championship game that the producers at Lifetime wanted to make a made-for-TV, based-on-a-true story about how the Patriots oppressed themselves...
...but because I'm a Patriots' fan, I know what the fans for the Ravens and 49ers are going through right now: Sensory overload, thoughts swirling, vertigo taking over, obsessive-compulsive disorder beginning to manifest, even if you don't have it...
It's important for them to remember to sit back and look at the world for a few moments. Super Bowl hype can engulf you. Take a break, don't let it consume you...don't worry, it will still be there when you return...retreat to your man cave, take your sons with you and make sure you have plenty of hot dogs, because this weeks "Must See" movie begs for them...
"People once believed that when someone dies, a crow carries their soul to the land of the dead. But sometimes, something so bad happens that a terrible sadness is carried with it and the soul can't rest. Then sometimes, just sometimes, the crow can bring that soul back to put the wrong things right."
In the movie The Crow, the lead bad guy named Top Dollar quipped,"Childhood's over the moment you know you're gonna die."...but I beg to differ - childhood is over the moment you sit through one of those violent, bloody films on that evil Lifetime channel...so much so that the violence in this movie pales by comparison.
Why? Simply because no one mistakes what happens in the Crow for real life. It is understood that Brandon Lee plays a character who is essentially a zombie - an undead regular guy that climbs out of his grave and goes after the dirtbags that murdered him and his girlfriend.
It is understood that the bad guys in the film are stereotypical hoodlums and that their boss is a circa-1970's style cliche-spouting, over-acting narcissist who isn't happy unless half of the city is burning...it is understood that the movies is based on a comic book series of the same name - and it goes without saying that the movie is a lot of fun, taken in that context.
The cinematography is extraordinary and the musical score is first rate...there is no graphic gore and the whole beyond-the-grave storyline gives the film a surreal presence in stark clarity...and it has one of the coolest explosions in the history of movie explosions.
And that's the thing about this movie...it has everything a guy could want in a mainstream film: A zombie (who's the hero no less), explosions, hot cars, a sword fight and more cliches than you can shake a stick at...and intrigue is added when you consider that the guy that plays the Zombie/Hero was killed during filming in an unfortunate accident involving a prop gun...
The photography is the most striking feature of the movie, and it grips you from the opening scene...always a deeply contrasting grey scale and always raining - a perfect statement film for the mid-90's - dark, grinding, surreal...a grunge movie from the grunge rock decade.
It's right in a kids' wheel house, too, which makes it entertaining for the entire family - plus if you times things exactly right, it becomes interactive as well:
...there's a scene just into the meat of the film where Ernie Hudson of Ghostbusters fame and obscure actress Rochelle Davis are sitting on stools at the counter of an open air Hot Dog emporium that serves as sort of a launching point for the action, with Hudson, who plays a cop, offering to buy Davis a hot dog...it's perfectly placed in the film because by the time you reach it, the hot dogs that you bought from the store earlier have had time to steam properly..
And you did buy hot dogs, right? And buns, maybe some potato salad, chips, assorted condiments including hot dog chili...get it all worked up, evil-scientist style, so that when this scene is reached, you can glide through the line of food and fixins with no hassle or delay...
...pause the film, run out into the kitchen and in a flurry of arms and legs and elbows fix your dogs, get drinks, and take care of your business, because the movie takes off like a rocket after that scene, and you won't want to miss a second of it's weirdness...
And afterwards, after everyone scatters to the four corners of the house or have gone to bed, then you can get back to the hype and drama of the Super Bowl - but with a fresh mind and without guilt because you just took the time to do something with your kids.
By the time the game starts, the stats have been recycled, ad nauseum, and all that's left is opinion, false platitudes and an endless live feed of drunks "woo"ing...and in the end, even if your team wins the damned thing, you're too exhausted from all of the forced input that you feel like you just got brain raped, and you're glad that it's over.
But I've been through enough of these drama-filled Super Bowl weeks to know to stay away from all of that until game time...and to plan it out so that I'm busy cooking during halftime - because nothing but the game itself is important. I want to see football - if I wanted to see glitz and glamour and blood and bullying and backbiting and people acting like idiots in general, I'd sit down and actually watch the lifetime Channel...
...football is far less barbaric, so long as you leave the drama out of it.
lobotomy
Not that I don't care about who wins the Super Bowl and who loses, I just don't give a spit about all of the side stories, the rumors and accusations, chest beating, beer spitting, bicep kissing and players' wives being all mouthy.
Football is football. I don't care what the players do on their off time. I don't care if someone has fathered 20 kids with 27 different mothers - I don't care about their sins - that's on them.
But about what they do on the football field, about that I care very much...
...oh, I hear things - perhaps glance upon something that somebody said on my way to the draft boards and the basketball and hockey scoreboards - but my TV stays off when I'm by myself, and on Disney Channel on the rare occasion my boy wants to watch TV - or Lifetime Channel when my wife is trying to clear the room and get some solitude.
The two weeks between the Conference Championship games and the Super Bowl is football's version of a Lifetime Channel movie, with so much testosterone instigated hijinks and estrogen motivated mouth-spouting that it if you were to add a smidgen of teen-angst it would be perfect for the militants that produce their shows...
...and the soft porn, let's not forget about that. A lot of skin on display in the love scenes...so when the wife flips on the TV, my boy and I know that it's time to go hunker down in the man cave, play some video games, have munchies, take in a good movie and ignore that nightmare in the living room - pretend it's not happening - because it is wrong.
But so is being mired in this self-induced vacuum for another four days - so it's important for us to keep busy, to forget about the mindless hype going on all around us and concentrate on entertaining ourselves properly.
And not because my team is not in the game - I did the same thing last season - but unfortunately the Patriots laid an egg so large in the AFC Championship game that the producers at Lifetime wanted to make a made-for-TV, based-on-a-true story about how the Patriots oppressed themselves...
...but because I'm a Patriots' fan, I know what the fans for the Ravens and 49ers are going through right now: Sensory overload, thoughts swirling, vertigo taking over, obsessive-compulsive disorder beginning to manifest, even if you don't have it...
It's important for them to remember to sit back and look at the world for a few moments. Super Bowl hype can engulf you. Take a break, don't let it consume you...don't worry, it will still be there when you return...retreat to your man cave, take your sons with you and make sure you have plenty of hot dogs, because this weeks "Must See" movie begs for them...
"People once believed that when someone dies, a crow carries their soul to the land of the dead. But sometimes, something so bad happens that a terrible sadness is carried with it and the soul can't rest. Then sometimes, just sometimes, the crow can bring that soul back to put the wrong things right."
In the movie The Crow, the lead bad guy named Top Dollar quipped,"Childhood's over the moment you know you're gonna die."...but I beg to differ - childhood is over the moment you sit through one of those violent, bloody films on that evil Lifetime channel...so much so that the violence in this movie pales by comparison.
Why? Simply because no one mistakes what happens in the Crow for real life. It is understood that Brandon Lee plays a character who is essentially a zombie - an undead regular guy that climbs out of his grave and goes after the dirtbags that murdered him and his girlfriend.
It is understood that the bad guys in the film are stereotypical hoodlums and that their boss is a circa-1970's style cliche-spouting, over-acting narcissist who isn't happy unless half of the city is burning...it is understood that the movies is based on a comic book series of the same name - and it goes without saying that the movie is a lot of fun, taken in that context.
The cinematography is extraordinary and the musical score is first rate...there is no graphic gore and the whole beyond-the-grave storyline gives the film a surreal presence in stark clarity...and it has one of the coolest explosions in the history of movie explosions.
And that's the thing about this movie...it has everything a guy could want in a mainstream film: A zombie (who's the hero no less), explosions, hot cars, a sword fight and more cliches than you can shake a stick at...and intrigue is added when you consider that the guy that plays the Zombie/Hero was killed during filming in an unfortunate accident involving a prop gun...
The photography is the most striking feature of the movie, and it grips you from the opening scene...always a deeply contrasting grey scale and always raining - a perfect statement film for the mid-90's - dark, grinding, surreal...a grunge movie from the grunge rock decade.
It's right in a kids' wheel house, too, which makes it entertaining for the entire family - plus if you times things exactly right, it becomes interactive as well:
...there's a scene just into the meat of the film where Ernie Hudson of Ghostbusters fame and obscure actress Rochelle Davis are sitting on stools at the counter of an open air Hot Dog emporium that serves as sort of a launching point for the action, with Hudson, who plays a cop, offering to buy Davis a hot dog...it's perfectly placed in the film because by the time you reach it, the hot dogs that you bought from the store earlier have had time to steam properly..
And you did buy hot dogs, right? And buns, maybe some potato salad, chips, assorted condiments including hot dog chili...get it all worked up, evil-scientist style, so that when this scene is reached, you can glide through the line of food and fixins with no hassle or delay...
...pause the film, run out into the kitchen and in a flurry of arms and legs and elbows fix your dogs, get drinks, and take care of your business, because the movie takes off like a rocket after that scene, and you won't want to miss a second of it's weirdness...
And afterwards, after everyone scatters to the four corners of the house or have gone to bed, then you can get back to the hype and drama of the Super Bowl - but with a fresh mind and without guilt because you just took the time to do something with your kids.
By the time the game starts, the stats have been recycled, ad nauseum, and all that's left is opinion, false platitudes and an endless live feed of drunks "woo"ing...and in the end, even if your team wins the damned thing, you're too exhausted from all of the forced input that you feel like you just got brain raped, and you're glad that it's over.
But I've been through enough of these drama-filled Super Bowl weeks to know to stay away from all of that until game time...and to plan it out so that I'm busy cooking during halftime - because nothing but the game itself is important. I want to see football - if I wanted to see glitz and glamour and blood and bullying and backbiting and people acting like idiots in general, I'd sit down and actually watch the lifetime Channel...
...football is far less barbaric, so long as you leave the drama out of it.
lobotomy
Saturday, January 26, 2013
New England Patriots on Paper: Safeties, Corners in focus on Draft Board
For eight years now, the New England Patriots have either missed badly with defensive backs in the draft and free agency, or haven't bothered trying.
The result? Haven't seen a new Power Rangers-esque "Zordon" Tube to hold another Lombardi Trophy in the Patriots' Hall in eight years - I wonder if there's a connection?
Despite having the one of the top offenses in the league annually, the lack of both a pass rush and effective cover corners have rendered the Patriots also-rans, losing twice in the Super Bowl, twice in the Conference Championship game and three other times in various levels of post-season play - pretty much whenever they ran into a team that could take advantage of their deficiencies in the secondary.
So for the past eight years, despite having perhaps the best team in football even with their issues, they've hit the offseason on a losing note...and 6 months until the games start to count again is a long time to chew on what could have been - causes tension in the jaws, grit on the teeth, backaches, headaches...losing is good for nothing, and there is no such thing as silver linings in going home without a trophy.
Let me rephrase that. There are no such things as silver linings in going home without the Lombardi Trophy. That's the only thing that makes the nut...
...so the question remains: What is Bill Belichick going to do about it?
Who the hell knows? Not me, but at least we can dream, right? In studying the defensive backs coming out of college, a few names have risen to the top of our Big Board...and with the Senior Bowl now completed and the Combine just a few weeks away, we introduce our top players with the Patriots in mind:
1. Matt Elam, SS, 5' 10" 202lbs, Florida: Athletic, instinctive and quite physical, Elam demonstrated the ability to walk up into the box and be a force near the line of scrimmage while also dropping back into coverage as a single-high safety. Round 1
2. Eric Reid, FS, 6' 2" 210lbs, LSU: He possesses the ideal build and athleticism for the position, shows excellent instincts and is a scrappy, tenacious defender whose big hits and ball skills make him a legitimate weapon in the deep patrol. He throws his body around and might be the most violent striker in the SEC, which is saying a lot. Round 1
3. Jonathan Cyprien, SS, 6' 0" 210lbs, Florida International: Aggressive playing style and active demeanor. Enjoys the physical nature of the position. Meets the ballcarrier with a pop and refuses to let up. Round 2 - 3
4. Phillip Thomas, FS, 6' 1" 210lbs, Fresno State: Tracks the ball well, showing good leaping ability and soft hands to pluck the ball from the air. Physical hitter. Lowers his shoulder into the ball-carrier to make the forceful hit and wraps securely to assure the tackle. Possesses the light feet and surprisingly fluid hips to drop down and cover receivers out of the slot. Round 2 - 3
5. D.J. Swearinger, FS, 5' 11" 210lbs, South Carolina: A very physical defender who showed great open-field tackling skills and dependability in coverage. At this point he looks like a mid-round selection. Considering his versatility and toughness, however, he could be on the verge of a strong jump up the board this season. Round 3 - 4
The result? Haven't seen a new Power Rangers-esque "Zordon" Tube to hold another Lombardi Trophy in the Patriots' Hall in eight years - I wonder if there's a connection?
Despite having the one of the top offenses in the league annually, the lack of both a pass rush and effective cover corners have rendered the Patriots also-rans, losing twice in the Super Bowl, twice in the Conference Championship game and three other times in various levels of post-season play - pretty much whenever they ran into a team that could take advantage of their deficiencies in the secondary.
So for the past eight years, despite having perhaps the best team in football even with their issues, they've hit the offseason on a losing note...and 6 months until the games start to count again is a long time to chew on what could have been - causes tension in the jaws, grit on the teeth, backaches, headaches...losing is good for nothing, and there is no such thing as silver linings in going home without a trophy.
Let me rephrase that. There are no such things as silver linings in going home without the Lombardi Trophy. That's the only thing that makes the nut...
...so the question remains: What is Bill Belichick going to do about it?
Who the hell knows? Not me, but at least we can dream, right? In studying the defensive backs coming out of college, a few names have risen to the top of our Big Board...and with the Senior Bowl now completed and the Combine just a few weeks away, we introduce our top players with the Patriots in mind:
Safeties
1. Matt Elam, SS, 5' 10" 202lbs, Florida: Athletic, instinctive and quite physical, Elam demonstrated the ability to walk up into the box and be a force near the line of scrimmage while also dropping back into coverage as a single-high safety. Round 1
2. Eric Reid, FS, 6' 2" 210lbs, LSU: He possesses the ideal build and athleticism for the position, shows excellent instincts and is a scrappy, tenacious defender whose big hits and ball skills make him a legitimate weapon in the deep patrol. He throws his body around and might be the most violent striker in the SEC, which is saying a lot. Round 1
3. Jonathan Cyprien, SS, 6' 0" 210lbs, Florida International: Aggressive playing style and active demeanor. Enjoys the physical nature of the position. Meets the ballcarrier with a pop and refuses to let up. Round 2 - 3
4. Phillip Thomas, FS, 6' 1" 210lbs, Fresno State: Tracks the ball well, showing good leaping ability and soft hands to pluck the ball from the air. Physical hitter. Lowers his shoulder into the ball-carrier to make the forceful hit and wraps securely to assure the tackle. Possesses the light feet and surprisingly fluid hips to drop down and cover receivers out of the slot. Round 2 - 3
5. D.J. Swearinger, FS, 5' 11" 210lbs, South Carolina: A very physical defender who showed great open-field tackling skills and dependability in coverage. At this point he looks like a mid-round selection. Considering his versatility and toughness, however, he could be on the verge of a strong jump up the board this season. Round 3 - 4
Corners
1. Xavier Rhodes, CB, 6' 1" 217lbs, Florida State: strong for the position with a solidly-built frame and excellent arm length. He loves to jam and get physical in press coverage, getting in the face of receivers at the line of scrimmage and staying aggressive through the whistle. Can flip his hips and easily change directions with a near-effortless transition, showing the ability to adjust and contort his body...mugs the reciever at the line. Round 1
2. Jonathan Banks, CB, 6' 2" 185lbs, Mississipi State: He is active with his hands when in press and possesses the fluidity to cut with receivers. He's alert to the run, though he isn't a particularly physical tackler. Round 1 - 2
3. Jordan Poyer, CB, 6' 0" 182lbs, Oregon State: Athletic, physical and possessing the ball skills to make opposing quarterbacks pay for testing him. Round 1 - 2
4. Desmond Trufant, CB, 5' 11" 190lbs, Washington: Athletic and instinctive, Trufant has demonstrated legitimate NFL coverage ability and helped his cause by showing improved overall physicality. Round 2 - 3
5. Logan Ryan, CB, 6' 0" 190lbs, Rutgers: Scouts calling him the next Devin McCourty but with more physicality. Round 2 - 3
Analysis: It's a looooonnnnnggggg way until April's Draft, but it's never too early to start looking at some serious talent. Much can be altered with a free agency signing, including the Patriots signing their own Free Agent in Aqib Talib.
If they do that, Safety will still be top priority, but it brings Wide Recievers and Offensive Linemen into the conversation for the first 3 rounds. Stay tuned...
Thursday, January 24, 2013
New England Patriots on Paper: Goon Squad
Editor's note: In this 10 part series, we will be focusing in-depth at each level on the field from a potential and performance standpoint including who's likely to be back, who's likely to be elsewhere and where improvement is needed...today is part 2 of the series, looking at the secondary...
Steve Gregory doesn't scare anyone.
He looks too much like Joey Tribiani from the sitcom Friends to be frightening. Bless his heart, he tries to be intimidating, but being devastatingly handsome with a killer pickup line and has a propensity for bouncing off of tight ends and for forgetting that he has arms to wrap up with.
In fact, few of the New England Patriots defensive backs make the grade, either in technique or in the intimidation factor.
But, what is intimidating to a receiver? What makes a quarterback have a moment of hesitation before throwing a certain direction?
Hockey teams utilize a player designated as a "Goon". Baseball has the "beanball" reliever and Basketball has hack artists that were known as "Enforcers" back in the day...and football's equivialent is nothing more than a big hitter patrolling the middle of the field, making the folks running pass patterns have panic attacks...
...but having a fearsome hitter roaming the back lot is one thing, but not the only thing. Athleticism and coverage ability are just as intimidating - but when you combine all three of those things and use them as a schematic for what a secondary should be, the Patriots fall woefully short.
The good news is that the Patriots have the roster room and cap space to make this an elite unit, but it would mean eating contracts and admitting bad personnel moves - but Bill Belichick is playing with house money and doesn't care what anyone thinks of him anyway.
The key to the scenario is figuring out what to do with Aqib Talib. He was obviously the difference maker in their secondary the last half of the season, but with him the Patriots' staff have put themselves in a precarious spot of knowing that one injury to him - which is likely, as we've seen -and the Patriots were right back at square one...
..oh, that happened already, didn't it?
When Aqib Talib came limping off the field after the second defensive series in the AFC Championship game against Baltimore, New England's chances of winning the game limped off with him. Though he is not to be blamed for the deficiencies in the secondary when he's not out there, one could reasonably pin a "Fragile" label to his jersey and not get any major argument from Patriots fans.
So how does his combination of top shelf coverage talent and fragility figure in with the Patriots' plans for a Championship run in 2013?
Sadly, not very well. Though most fans would like to see him back, it has to be noted that Talib was brought in on the NFL equivalent of a series of NBA 10 day contracts that bound no one to anything beyond the end of this season...and with this is Talib's big contract year, the feeling is that he will demand more money than the Patriots would probably be willing to spend.
And with Patrick Chung not likely to be invited back and the afore mentioned Gregory with his issues, the secondary promises to look vastly different in 2013.
So, let's look at this from a standpoint of status: What in the secondary is good?
That conversation starts with Devin McCourty. The Free safety converted from cornerback brought as much stability to the position as it's seen in almost a decade and, honestly, he is a much more natural for the position than he was at corner, though his corner play would have been a lot better had he any confidence in the people playing behind him...which ended up being him, which is a tangled web that - well, you get the point.
McCourty has the over the top skills and ball awareness and vision to be a top flight free safety, and room on his wiry frame to add a pound or ten to be proportionate to his height. Assuming that Patrick Chung has worn out his welcome in Foxboro and that Gregory will never learn how to wrap up when tackling, the safety pool is very shallow after McCourty.
Tavon Wilson, last year's second round draft pick likely will not be in the talk for Strong Safety consideration, which leaves us thinking either draft or free agency - the problem being that neither of those things have been kind to the Patriots in the recent past in regard to the secondary.
The outlook on the corners is a little more rosy, though issues with both of the starters could impact the group even more deeply than the ambiguity at safety.
Aqib Talib's status is that of either accepting way less money than other cornerback-desperate teams would be willing to dish out, or being tagged as the team's franchise player - with the latter far more likely than the former.
But much of what happens with Talib is tied to what happens with Wes Welker's contract status and the franchise tag - so that bears watching. The feeling here is that Talib will be playing elsewhere in 2013, leaving 2nd year steal Alfonzo Dennard as the only starter-quality cornerback on the unit.
Dennard also had injury issues which kept him out of a few games, and his absence was more noticeable than it should have been for a rookie 7th round draft pick...but as we all remember, Dennard was touted as a 1st or 2nd round talent coming out of Nebraska, but fell almost completely off the draft board after jacking up a cop in a bar scuffle just before the draft.
He goes on trial for the incident in early Feburary, so his availability may be in question - but the team is going forward as if he'll be around for the start of Camp in July....
...and that's about it. No Chung or Talib, perhaps a Gregory and a Wilson - hopefully Dennard and McCourty for sure. Needless to say, this is a unit that has some holes to fill.
Analysis: Blow it up. McCourty and, if available, Dennard are locks for seeing the starting nods for the Patriots at Free Safety and Cornerback when the 2013 season begins...but after that, there's really nothing but a bunch of regular guys.
Talib will be looking to cash in on his first big payday and the Patriots have to be wary of his injury history in his brief tenure with the club. Some will look at the fact that he came to the Patriots fresh off suspension and hadn't played in a month prior and that contributed to his injuries, but if you are the Patriots do you want to take that chance?
If so, the franchise tag may be the only available option, and that tag is too valuable to the cohesiveness of the offensive line - which we'll get to in another part to this series - so we have to assume that New England will look toward the draft or free agency to fill these spots opposite McCourty and Dennard.
The name Jarius Byrd has been tossed about in relation to someone the Patriots would target as an option at safety, and it is clear from his play in Buffalo that he was the better of the University of Oregon safeties between he and Chung - whom the Patriots nabbed in the 2nd round of the 2008 draft - but Byrd may not make it to free agency.
The draft offers a few possibilities, and though it's very early in the evaluation process to make any solid speculation, cornerback Xavier Rhodes out of Florida State is a big, physical corner in the mold of Talib who could be available late in the 1st round. He excels in press coverage and is viewed as a potential shut down guy.
There have been a few early mocks that have associated the name Matt Elam with New England. Elam is a safety that is much in the mold of a Chung, but with far greater skill in deep coverage. To Chung's credit, he does play the run well and Elam has a similar close to the line impact with the Florida Gators...plus, how much does Bill Belichick like Florida defenders?
With the secondary being the bitch-kitty for the Patriots' overall success and the veterans on the team not getting any younger, the team must be aggressive in filling these spots with quality. Whatever they end up doing, they absolutely can not miss with their acquisitions - there is too much at stake and the unit has been the weak link for an otherwise loaded team for far too long.
The Patriots are going to be watching the Super Bowl instead of playing in it, and a big reason why is that the Patriots secondary doesn't scare anyone. But what we've pointed out is that intimidation is key, but intimidation takes many forms...
...and hopefully the Patriots are able to form an intimidating secondary that can press the issue and force quarterbacks into poor decisions and cause recievers to think twice about going over the middle.
The Patriots are loaded everywhere else, and if they let this offseason go by without solidifying the secondary, they will again doom themselves to falling short of their ultimate goal.
Steve Gregory doesn't scare anyone.
He looks too much like Joey Tribiani from the sitcom Friends to be frightening. Bless his heart, he tries to be intimidating, but being devastatingly handsome with a killer pickup line and has a propensity for bouncing off of tight ends and for forgetting that he has arms to wrap up with.
In fact, few of the New England Patriots defensive backs make the grade, either in technique or in the intimidation factor.
But, what is intimidating to a receiver? What makes a quarterback have a moment of hesitation before throwing a certain direction?
Hockey teams utilize a player designated as a "Goon". Baseball has the "beanball" reliever and Basketball has hack artists that were known as "Enforcers" back in the day...and football's equivialent is nothing more than a big hitter patrolling the middle of the field, making the folks running pass patterns have panic attacks...
...but having a fearsome hitter roaming the back lot is one thing, but not the only thing. Athleticism and coverage ability are just as intimidating - but when you combine all three of those things and use them as a schematic for what a secondary should be, the Patriots fall woefully short.
The good news is that the Patriots have the roster room and cap space to make this an elite unit, but it would mean eating contracts and admitting bad personnel moves - but Bill Belichick is playing with house money and doesn't care what anyone thinks of him anyway.
The key to the scenario is figuring out what to do with Aqib Talib. He was obviously the difference maker in their secondary the last half of the season, but with him the Patriots' staff have put themselves in a precarious spot of knowing that one injury to him - which is likely, as we've seen -and the Patriots were right back at square one...
..oh, that happened already, didn't it?
When Aqib Talib came limping off the field after the second defensive series in the AFC Championship game against Baltimore, New England's chances of winning the game limped off with him. Though he is not to be blamed for the deficiencies in the secondary when he's not out there, one could reasonably pin a "Fragile" label to his jersey and not get any major argument from Patriots fans.
So how does his combination of top shelf coverage talent and fragility figure in with the Patriots' plans for a Championship run in 2013?
Sadly, not very well. Though most fans would like to see him back, it has to be noted that Talib was brought in on the NFL equivalent of a series of NBA 10 day contracts that bound no one to anything beyond the end of this season...and with this is Talib's big contract year, the feeling is that he will demand more money than the Patriots would probably be willing to spend.
And with Patrick Chung not likely to be invited back and the afore mentioned Gregory with his issues, the secondary promises to look vastly different in 2013.
So, let's look at this from a standpoint of status: What in the secondary is good?
That conversation starts with Devin McCourty. The Free safety converted from cornerback brought as much stability to the position as it's seen in almost a decade and, honestly, he is a much more natural for the position than he was at corner, though his corner play would have been a lot better had he any confidence in the people playing behind him...which ended up being him, which is a tangled web that - well, you get the point.
McCourty has the over the top skills and ball awareness and vision to be a top flight free safety, and room on his wiry frame to add a pound or ten to be proportionate to his height. Assuming that Patrick Chung has worn out his welcome in Foxboro and that Gregory will never learn how to wrap up when tackling, the safety pool is very shallow after McCourty.
Tavon Wilson, last year's second round draft pick likely will not be in the talk for Strong Safety consideration, which leaves us thinking either draft or free agency - the problem being that neither of those things have been kind to the Patriots in the recent past in regard to the secondary.
The outlook on the corners is a little more rosy, though issues with both of the starters could impact the group even more deeply than the ambiguity at safety.
Aqib Talib's status is that of either accepting way less money than other cornerback-desperate teams would be willing to dish out, or being tagged as the team's franchise player - with the latter far more likely than the former.
But much of what happens with Talib is tied to what happens with Wes Welker's contract status and the franchise tag - so that bears watching. The feeling here is that Talib will be playing elsewhere in 2013, leaving 2nd year steal Alfonzo Dennard as the only starter-quality cornerback on the unit.
Dennard also had injury issues which kept him out of a few games, and his absence was more noticeable than it should have been for a rookie 7th round draft pick...but as we all remember, Dennard was touted as a 1st or 2nd round talent coming out of Nebraska, but fell almost completely off the draft board after jacking up a cop in a bar scuffle just before the draft.
He goes on trial for the incident in early Feburary, so his availability may be in question - but the team is going forward as if he'll be around for the start of Camp in July....
...and that's about it. No Chung or Talib, perhaps a Gregory and a Wilson - hopefully Dennard and McCourty for sure. Needless to say, this is a unit that has some holes to fill.
Analysis: Blow it up. McCourty and, if available, Dennard are locks for seeing the starting nods for the Patriots at Free Safety and Cornerback when the 2013 season begins...but after that, there's really nothing but a bunch of regular guys.
Talib will be looking to cash in on his first big payday and the Patriots have to be wary of his injury history in his brief tenure with the club. Some will look at the fact that he came to the Patriots fresh off suspension and hadn't played in a month prior and that contributed to his injuries, but if you are the Patriots do you want to take that chance?
If so, the franchise tag may be the only available option, and that tag is too valuable to the cohesiveness of the offensive line - which we'll get to in another part to this series - so we have to assume that New England will look toward the draft or free agency to fill these spots opposite McCourty and Dennard.
The name Jarius Byrd has been tossed about in relation to someone the Patriots would target as an option at safety, and it is clear from his play in Buffalo that he was the better of the University of Oregon safeties between he and Chung - whom the Patriots nabbed in the 2nd round of the 2008 draft - but Byrd may not make it to free agency.
The draft offers a few possibilities, and though it's very early in the evaluation process to make any solid speculation, cornerback Xavier Rhodes out of Florida State is a big, physical corner in the mold of Talib who could be available late in the 1st round. He excels in press coverage and is viewed as a potential shut down guy.
There have been a few early mocks that have associated the name Matt Elam with New England. Elam is a safety that is much in the mold of a Chung, but with far greater skill in deep coverage. To Chung's credit, he does play the run well and Elam has a similar close to the line impact with the Florida Gators...plus, how much does Bill Belichick like Florida defenders?
With the secondary being the bitch-kitty for the Patriots' overall success and the veterans on the team not getting any younger, the team must be aggressive in filling these spots with quality. Whatever they end up doing, they absolutely can not miss with their acquisitions - there is too much at stake and the unit has been the weak link for an otherwise loaded team for far too long.
The Patriots are going to be watching the Super Bowl instead of playing in it, and a big reason why is that the Patriots secondary doesn't scare anyone. But what we've pointed out is that intimidation is key, but intimidation takes many forms...
...and hopefully the Patriots are able to form an intimidating secondary that can press the issue and force quarterbacks into poor decisions and cause recievers to think twice about going over the middle.
The Patriots are loaded everywhere else, and if they let this offseason go by without solidifying the secondary, they will again doom themselves to falling short of their ultimate goal.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
New England Patriots on Paper: Deal with Welker issue quickly
Editor's note: In this 10 part series, we will be focusing in-depth at each level on the field from a potential and performance standpoint including who's likely to be back, who's likely to be elsewhere and where improvement is needed...
Funny how one dropped pass can overshadow and entire body of work.
Well, make that two dropped passes. Make that two dropped passes in the most critical of situations.
Make that two dropped passes, one of which probably prevented the New England Patriots from winning their 4th Lombardi Trophy last season, and one that may have prevented the Patriots from advancing to this season's Super Bowl...
...we really don't know these things for certain, but we do know what happened because he didn't catch the passes that were right in his hands.
Every Patriots' receiver drops passes. Every receiver in the NFL drops passes - it happens. But in Welker's case, happening on the stages that they did, in the situations that they did...yes, they are going to overshadow the 118 catch, 1354 yard season that Welker gave the Patriots in 2012.
In six years, Welker has registered staggering statistics, numbers on a Hall of Fame pace: 672 catches for 7459 yards - and another couple of seasons like those would likely assure the diminutive slot receiver that gold jacket...but the question is, does he do that in Foxboro or somewhere else?
An even better question is, Does he want to continue to do it in Foxboro?
If he does, he sure has a funny way of showing it - and the impending drama is threatening to hold the New England Patriots hostage when it comes to building a team for next season.
When asked if he wants to return to the Patriots, his reply was, “I’m not sure. I’m really not worried about it at all.” - which is neither here nor there standing on it's own, but you add them to the comments toward the end of the regular season about going to the highest bidder, and it starts to become muddled - and the Patriots can not allow his contract status to impede their forward progress.
For his part, Coach Bill Belichick was his usual fountain of information on the issue - with his C.M. Punk style rants that go on forever, but say absolutely nothing.
But sometimes actions speak louder than words, and the fact that Belichick had Julian Edelman starting in Welker's place at the beginning of the season, and has been running Tight End Aaron Hernandez out of the slot should speak volumes to Welker - and just in case it doesn't, I'll spell it out for him:
If Welker and his agent try to play hardball with Belichick and Kraft again this spring, he will be gone.
The Patriots can not afford to have an already shallow depth pool at the receiver position become even more capricious while dealing with protracted negotiations. If there isn't some sort of an agreement reached by the start of the start of free agency, the Patriots may be forced to gravitate towards life without Welker in order to maximize their options at the position.
Quarterback Tom Brady wants him back, referring to Welker as the "Heart and soul" of the Patriots...and while that is nowhere close to being the case, it speaks of how Brady views the four-time All Pro - a man that he had defended since the big drop in the Super Bowl.
Other than Welker, There's 31 year old Brandon Lloyd and 4th year spark plug Julian Edelman at wide receiver...and there's no denying that the group is in desperate need of some TLC in either Free Agency, the draft or both.
The perception of Lloyd's role on the team was muddled somewhat because the common feeling among football experts was that the 2012 Patriots were in the market for a vertical threat that could stretch the field - and that's not Lloyd's game - that's not why he was brought to New England yet many feel that his first year with the Patriots was not successful because he did not provide them with the deep threat that many thought he was brought in to be.
Lloyd is a horizontal threat, and a damned good one. Lloyd will take his defender outside the numbers anywhere between 10 -15 yards down the sideline, and his acute spider-sense allows him to get his body positioned to make a difficult sideline catch seem routine, sometimes as if he snagged the ball in a web. If there is a knock on Lloyd it is his propensity to avoid contact. If targeted on an underneath route, he will make the catch and immediately look for someplace to sit down.
And just like any other reciever on the roster, Lloyd would benefit from having a true deep threat opposite him.
Conversely, converted college quarterback Julian Edelman's game is much like Welker's yet with more speed and youth. Trying to locate Edelman in space is difficult, but trying to get your hands on the slippery 26 year old is another story altogether. He has much value on special teams as well, proving to be an adept and instinctive punt returner...durability is his concern, as he tends to get hurt in freakish ways and it remains to be seen if he can hold up over an entire season given as many touches as he's apt to receive.
Analysis: The Patriots need another receiver regardless of Welker's status - be it by free agency or through the draft. It is likely that the answer to this issue is not on the team at this moment - but there are a few wildcard scenarios.
The first is Aaron Hernandez, who is the proverbial matchup nightmare no matter where he lines up, but has proven to be quite a capable slot reciever and has the speed and wiggle to create separation for long gains downfield - these abilities are well documented. But the real wildcard is the possibility that Belichick is developing former olympic sprinter Jeff Demps to fill a myriad of roles, one of which could be an occasional deep threat, a third down back and a slot receiver made out of pure greased lightning.
Regardless, this is a position that the Patriots need to address with some semblance of impact, and they need to take control of the Welker situation as quickly as possible to afford themselves the time and cap space to bring in that impact player.
Funny how one dropped pass can overshadow and entire body of work.
Well, make that two dropped passes. Make that two dropped passes in the most critical of situations.
Make that two dropped passes, one of which probably prevented the New England Patriots from winning their 4th Lombardi Trophy last season, and one that may have prevented the Patriots from advancing to this season's Super Bowl...
...we really don't know these things for certain, but we do know what happened because he didn't catch the passes that were right in his hands.
Every Patriots' receiver drops passes. Every receiver in the NFL drops passes - it happens. But in Welker's case, happening on the stages that they did, in the situations that they did...yes, they are going to overshadow the 118 catch, 1354 yard season that Welker gave the Patriots in 2012.
In six years, Welker has registered staggering statistics, numbers on a Hall of Fame pace: 672 catches for 7459 yards - and another couple of seasons like those would likely assure the diminutive slot receiver that gold jacket...but the question is, does he do that in Foxboro or somewhere else?
An even better question is, Does he want to continue to do it in Foxboro?
If he does, he sure has a funny way of showing it - and the impending drama is threatening to hold the New England Patriots hostage when it comes to building a team for next season.
When asked if he wants to return to the Patriots, his reply was, “I’m not sure. I’m really not worried about it at all.” - which is neither here nor there standing on it's own, but you add them to the comments toward the end of the regular season about going to the highest bidder, and it starts to become muddled - and the Patriots can not allow his contract status to impede their forward progress.
For his part, Coach Bill Belichick was his usual fountain of information on the issue - with his C.M. Punk style rants that go on forever, but say absolutely nothing.
But sometimes actions speak louder than words, and the fact that Belichick had Julian Edelman starting in Welker's place at the beginning of the season, and has been running Tight End Aaron Hernandez out of the slot should speak volumes to Welker - and just in case it doesn't, I'll spell it out for him:
If Welker and his agent try to play hardball with Belichick and Kraft again this spring, he will be gone.
The Patriots can not afford to have an already shallow depth pool at the receiver position become even more capricious while dealing with protracted negotiations. If there isn't some sort of an agreement reached by the start of the start of free agency, the Patriots may be forced to gravitate towards life without Welker in order to maximize their options at the position.
Quarterback Tom Brady wants him back, referring to Welker as the "Heart and soul" of the Patriots...and while that is nowhere close to being the case, it speaks of how Brady views the four-time All Pro - a man that he had defended since the big drop in the Super Bowl.
Other than Welker, There's 31 year old Brandon Lloyd and 4th year spark plug Julian Edelman at wide receiver...and there's no denying that the group is in desperate need of some TLC in either Free Agency, the draft or both.
The perception of Lloyd's role on the team was muddled somewhat because the common feeling among football experts was that the 2012 Patriots were in the market for a vertical threat that could stretch the field - and that's not Lloyd's game - that's not why he was brought to New England yet many feel that his first year with the Patriots was not successful because he did not provide them with the deep threat that many thought he was brought in to be.
Lloyd is a horizontal threat, and a damned good one. Lloyd will take his defender outside the numbers anywhere between 10 -15 yards down the sideline, and his acute spider-sense allows him to get his body positioned to make a difficult sideline catch seem routine, sometimes as if he snagged the ball in a web. If there is a knock on Lloyd it is his propensity to avoid contact. If targeted on an underneath route, he will make the catch and immediately look for someplace to sit down.
And just like any other reciever on the roster, Lloyd would benefit from having a true deep threat opposite him.
Conversely, converted college quarterback Julian Edelman's game is much like Welker's yet with more speed and youth. Trying to locate Edelman in space is difficult, but trying to get your hands on the slippery 26 year old is another story altogether. He has much value on special teams as well, proving to be an adept and instinctive punt returner...durability is his concern, as he tends to get hurt in freakish ways and it remains to be seen if he can hold up over an entire season given as many touches as he's apt to receive.
Analysis: The Patriots need another receiver regardless of Welker's status - be it by free agency or through the draft. It is likely that the answer to this issue is not on the team at this moment - but there are a few wildcard scenarios.
The first is Aaron Hernandez, who is the proverbial matchup nightmare no matter where he lines up, but has proven to be quite a capable slot reciever and has the speed and wiggle to create separation for long gains downfield - these abilities are well documented. But the real wildcard is the possibility that Belichick is developing former olympic sprinter Jeff Demps to fill a myriad of roles, one of which could be an occasional deep threat, a third down back and a slot receiver made out of pure greased lightning.
Regardless, this is a position that the Patriots need to address with some semblance of impact, and they need to take control of the Welker situation as quickly as possible to afford themselves the time and cap space to bring in that impact player.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Andrew's "luck"y day, take's Brady's spot in Pro Bowl
New England Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady has asked to be removed from the roster for the Pro Bowl.
The 36 year old, eight-time Pro Bowl selection cites an unspecified injury, which opens the door for Indianapolis Colts' sensational rookie quarterback Andrew Luck to make his first of potentially many appearances.
Brady's ommission from the roster leaves only Special Teams demon Matthew Slater and linebacker Jerod Mayo as the only players from the AFC Runners-up still slated to make an appearance at the annual post-season all-star game to be played this Sunday in Honolulu.
NFL contractually obligations mandate that the losing coaches from each conference championship game will coach the Pro Bowl squad, which means that we will see New England's Bill Belichick and Atlanta's Mike Smith coaching the AFC and NFC squads respectively.
The 36 year old, eight-time Pro Bowl selection cites an unspecified injury, which opens the door for Indianapolis Colts' sensational rookie quarterback Andrew Luck to make his first of potentially many appearances.
Brady's ommission from the roster leaves only Special Teams demon Matthew Slater and linebacker Jerod Mayo as the only players from the AFC Runners-up still slated to make an appearance at the annual post-season all-star game to be played this Sunday in Honolulu.
NFL contractually obligations mandate that the losing coaches from each conference championship game will coach the Pro Bowl squad, which means that we will see New England's Bill Belichick and Atlanta's Mike Smith coaching the AFC and NFC squads respectively.
Monday, January 21, 2013
New England Patriots on Paper: Duct Tape
In New England just about anything can be fixed with duct tape. Temporarily.
The pervaisive attitude is such, and as time passes and the duct tape holds, the only time you think about it is when you happen past the patch job every now and then - and you think to yourself "Man, I gotta remember to fix that right", yet there it sits, day after day, year after year until one day, when you really need it - well, it's duct tape.
For eight years the New England Patriots have been using duct tape to fix what's broken, and every year when they really need it to work - well, again, it's duct tape.
Here's a novel idea for the Patriots: Why not try to fix it properly?
The offense has the athletes, but don't make the plays in the big spots when they need to - poor clock management, dropped passes, underthrows, overthrows...and the highest scoring team in the NFL this season couldn't finish enough drives to overcome Baltimore's 28 points? In the regular season, it was just a blip on the radar, but in the playoffs?
That's all she wrote.
The offensive line is top shelf, excellent at both run blocking and pass protection. Large dexterous bookend tackles, a perennial pro bowl left guard, a center that beat out the long time incumbent and a serviceable right guard.
The running backs, sudden and tough and good for a top 10 standing in the league. Recievers? How does the best slot reciever and two of the best tight ends in the NFL sound? Quarterback? Tom Brady - enough said.
The issue? Too much emphisis placed on on Tight Ends.
Its the trend in the NFL, but we saw what happened when first Aaron Hernandez and then Rob Gronkowski went down with injuries. Regardless of what Josh McDaniels says and regardless of what Bill Belichick says, the offensive game plan was designed to be Tight End-centric and the running game was used as duct tape to fit the bill until the Tight Ends were fixed - which never happened.
The solution? Balance. Equal emphisis on the running game and the passing game - so that when someone goes down, the load doesn't fall on Tom Brady's damaged, aging shoulders...Brady is often described as an accurate passer, and when things are going well, he is the best that's ever been. When he's asked to do the impossible, he's no Merlin....and that's when the underthrows, overthrows and intentional grounding occur.
He's not Superman - never has been. He's the vital cog that labors more and more as the other components fail and the staff keeps patching it with duct tape...and with the status of Wes Welker up in the air and with no reciever on the roster under the age of 30, an infusion of youth and speed is needed in the offseason, via the draft or free agency...
The defense has the athletes, but can't make the plays in the big spots when they need to. Ignoring the needs of the secondary in draft after draft, sometimes missing on a pick by trying to get too cute and taking too many chances on players that either have injury issues or are just plain marginal talents...
...call it the Tom Brady effect: The Belichick administration has been recieving pass after pass for lucking out with selecting Brady with the 199th pick in a draft held many moons ago - but after missing with obscure defensive backs on an annual basis, that margin for error has evaporated, particularly now since the normally draft-pick loaded Patriots have a total of five picks in the upcoming draft, and none in rounds 4-6.
Belichick could do his normal wheeling and dealing, but maybe he should stay put with these picks and actually select the best players available in positions of need...which continues to be Safety and Cornerbacks, and has been annually since the glory years.
When Cornerback Aqib Talib went down in the second defensive series of the game against the Ravens on Sunday night, it was the beginning of the end for the Patriots...because he was their mid-season piece of duct tape for the secondary - which was a prudent and smart move, but still wasn't enough to mask a lack of quality depth.
The safety play was awful more often than it was good, with the bright spot being converted corner Devin McCourty's switch to safety when Talib arrived. With McCourty, Talib and sensational rookie steal Alfonzo Dennard in house, there is a solid core of players in the secondary, so selecting a safety early and adding some depth through free agency seems prudent, as does resigning Talib.
The Patriots lucked into Dennard, make no mistake. He slugged a cop for which he is going to trial for in the offseason, and for which 31 other teams passed on him several times before Belichick took a gamble on him in the 7th round...which really isn't gambling at all - but the Nebraska product, who was a projected 1st to 2nd rounder pre-cop slug, teamed with Talib to give the Patriots a formidible corner tandem - so long as they stayed healthy.
The front seven are solid, and Belichcik did not miss when selecting team players such as Jones and Hightower last season, and Mayo and Spikes in seasons past. Vince Wilfork remains one of Belichick's best selections and anchors and excellent defensive line...
...but the Talib injury and the lack of quality depth in the secondary coupled with the struggles on offense has brought into focus what the Patriots need to accomplish this offseason, should they wish to make any sort of title run in 2013 and beyond.
Because the bottom line is when push came to shove in the big spotlight, the Patriots defense couldn't and the Patriots' offense just didn't.
Yes, Baltimore's defense is tough and physcial, but they are old and vulnerable - they allowed the Patriots to run the ball, allowed them to pass the ball, but often the team that musters the will and the strength to make the one big difference-making play on a drive to either extend or force it to stall will be the one that comes out on top ultimately.
The Ravens defense made the plays to stall drives, and the Patriots did not make the plays to extend them. It's as simple as that.
And why is that? The Ravens draft well, are choosy in what frere agents they bring in and don't try to sugar coat their problems - while the Patriots fix their issues with stealth and duct tape.
These facts were presented for all of the world to see Sunday night - now what do the Patriots do about it?
The pervaisive attitude is such, and as time passes and the duct tape holds, the only time you think about it is when you happen past the patch job every now and then - and you think to yourself "Man, I gotta remember to fix that right", yet there it sits, day after day, year after year until one day, when you really need it - well, it's duct tape.
For eight years the New England Patriots have been using duct tape to fix what's broken, and every year when they really need it to work - well, again, it's duct tape.
Here's a novel idea for the Patriots: Why not try to fix it properly?
The offense has the athletes, but don't make the plays in the big spots when they need to - poor clock management, dropped passes, underthrows, overthrows...and the highest scoring team in the NFL this season couldn't finish enough drives to overcome Baltimore's 28 points? In the regular season, it was just a blip on the radar, but in the playoffs?
That's all she wrote.
The offensive line is top shelf, excellent at both run blocking and pass protection. Large dexterous bookend tackles, a perennial pro bowl left guard, a center that beat out the long time incumbent and a serviceable right guard.
The running backs, sudden and tough and good for a top 10 standing in the league. Recievers? How does the best slot reciever and two of the best tight ends in the NFL sound? Quarterback? Tom Brady - enough said.
The issue? Too much emphisis placed on on Tight Ends.
Its the trend in the NFL, but we saw what happened when first Aaron Hernandez and then Rob Gronkowski went down with injuries. Regardless of what Josh McDaniels says and regardless of what Bill Belichick says, the offensive game plan was designed to be Tight End-centric and the running game was used as duct tape to fit the bill until the Tight Ends were fixed - which never happened.
The solution? Balance. Equal emphisis on the running game and the passing game - so that when someone goes down, the load doesn't fall on Tom Brady's damaged, aging shoulders...Brady is often described as an accurate passer, and when things are going well, he is the best that's ever been. When he's asked to do the impossible, he's no Merlin....and that's when the underthrows, overthrows and intentional grounding occur.
He's not Superman - never has been. He's the vital cog that labors more and more as the other components fail and the staff keeps patching it with duct tape...and with the status of Wes Welker up in the air and with no reciever on the roster under the age of 30, an infusion of youth and speed is needed in the offseason, via the draft or free agency...
The defense has the athletes, but can't make the plays in the big spots when they need to. Ignoring the needs of the secondary in draft after draft, sometimes missing on a pick by trying to get too cute and taking too many chances on players that either have injury issues or are just plain marginal talents...
...call it the Tom Brady effect: The Belichick administration has been recieving pass after pass for lucking out with selecting Brady with the 199th pick in a draft held many moons ago - but after missing with obscure defensive backs on an annual basis, that margin for error has evaporated, particularly now since the normally draft-pick loaded Patriots have a total of five picks in the upcoming draft, and none in rounds 4-6.
Belichick could do his normal wheeling and dealing, but maybe he should stay put with these picks and actually select the best players available in positions of need...which continues to be Safety and Cornerbacks, and has been annually since the glory years.
When Cornerback Aqib Talib went down in the second defensive series of the game against the Ravens on Sunday night, it was the beginning of the end for the Patriots...because he was their mid-season piece of duct tape for the secondary - which was a prudent and smart move, but still wasn't enough to mask a lack of quality depth.
The safety play was awful more often than it was good, with the bright spot being converted corner Devin McCourty's switch to safety when Talib arrived. With McCourty, Talib and sensational rookie steal Alfonzo Dennard in house, there is a solid core of players in the secondary, so selecting a safety early and adding some depth through free agency seems prudent, as does resigning Talib.
The Patriots lucked into Dennard, make no mistake. He slugged a cop for which he is going to trial for in the offseason, and for which 31 other teams passed on him several times before Belichick took a gamble on him in the 7th round...which really isn't gambling at all - but the Nebraska product, who was a projected 1st to 2nd rounder pre-cop slug, teamed with Talib to give the Patriots a formidible corner tandem - so long as they stayed healthy.
The front seven are solid, and Belichcik did not miss when selecting team players such as Jones and Hightower last season, and Mayo and Spikes in seasons past. Vince Wilfork remains one of Belichick's best selections and anchors and excellent defensive line...
...but the Talib injury and the lack of quality depth in the secondary coupled with the struggles on offense has brought into focus what the Patriots need to accomplish this offseason, should they wish to make any sort of title run in 2013 and beyond.
Because the bottom line is when push came to shove in the big spotlight, the Patriots defense couldn't and the Patriots' offense just didn't.
Yes, Baltimore's defense is tough and physcial, but they are old and vulnerable - they allowed the Patriots to run the ball, allowed them to pass the ball, but often the team that musters the will and the strength to make the one big difference-making play on a drive to either extend or force it to stall will be the one that comes out on top ultimately.
The Ravens defense made the plays to stall drives, and the Patriots did not make the plays to extend them. It's as simple as that.
And why is that? The Ravens draft well, are choosy in what frere agents they bring in and don't try to sugar coat their problems - while the Patriots fix their issues with stealth and duct tape.
These facts were presented for all of the world to see Sunday night - now what do the Patriots do about it?
Injuries shelve Wilfork, three others for Pro Bowl
New England Patriots' Defensive Tackle Vince Wilfork led a group of four Patriots named to the Pro Bowl who have withdrawn from the annual post-season exhibition game.
Citing an unspecified injury, the lone Patriots' All Pro withdrew this afternoon.
Earlier in the day, Wide Reciever Wes Welker and Right Guard Logan Mankins announced their voluntary ommission from the game, played this coming Sunday in Hawaii.
It is believed that Welker suffered a rib injury during New England's 28-13 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game last night, while Mankins has been battling hip and leg injuries all season.
The announcements, coupled with Tight End Rob Gronkowski's broken forearm, leaves just Quarterback Tom Brady, Special teams demon Matthew Slater and linebacker Jerod Mayo as the Patriots still in line to make the trip to Honolulu.
Citing an unspecified injury, the lone Patriots' All Pro withdrew this afternoon.
Earlier in the day, Wide Reciever Wes Welker and Right Guard Logan Mankins announced their voluntary ommission from the game, played this coming Sunday in Hawaii.
It is believed that Welker suffered a rib injury during New England's 28-13 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game last night, while Mankins has been battling hip and leg injuries all season.
The announcements, coupled with Tight End Rob Gronkowski's broken forearm, leaves just Quarterback Tom Brady, Special teams demon Matthew Slater and linebacker Jerod Mayo as the Patriots still in line to make the trip to Honolulu.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Ravens pound Patriots; earn Super Bowl berth
The Baltimore Ravens finally put the ball in Joe Flacco's hands in the bit time spotlight, and he got them a berth in the Super Bowl.
Trailing the New England Patriots by a 13-7 score at the half, Flacco directed two long third quarter drives, the second one culminating with an Anquan Boldin touchdown catch on the first play of the 4th quarter for a 21-13 lead.
On the ensuing drive, Patriots running back was knocked out on a hit by Bernard Pollard, causing Ridley to lose control of the ball. Baltimore recovered and had the ball at the New England 47 - then Flacco drove the nail in the coffin. Flacco hit Boldin once again, this time from 11 yards out for an insurmountable 28-13 lead.
Flacco was sensational in the second half after a so-so 1st half. Overall he went 21 for 36 for 240 yards and three touchdowns.
After Patriots' cornerback Aqib Talib left the game with what appeared to be a hamstring injury, Flacco started picking on the smaller Kyle Arrington, who played well and always had good position, but just wasn't able to match the athleticism of Boldin, who went high for both scores.
Tight End Dennis Pitta abused Patriots' Safety Steve Gregory for five big catches for 55 yards and an easy score.
Brady had an atrocious game hitting on only 29 of 55 pass attempts for 320 yards, on touchdown to Wes Welker and 2 interceptions. The offensive line kept the Baltimore pass rush away from Brady, but the defensive linemen deflected several passes, including one that was intercepted.
Wes Welker, who may have played his last game for New England finished with 8 catches for 117 yards - but also dropped a key 3rd down pass that set Baltimore up for their first 3rd quarter touchdown.
Trailing 28-13 the Patriots were able to mount a drive with just under 10 minutes left in the game, but it stalled at the Baltimore 11 yard line as Brady threw a ball harmlessly to the turf on 4th and 4. On New England's next drive starting with 7:25 to go, they threatened again, only to have a tipped ball turn into an interception by Danelle Ellerbe.
Brady threw his second interception in the end zone with just over a minute to play, marking the 5th time they had driven down inside the Ravens' 25 yard line and came away without a touchdown.
The loss of Aqib Talib was the key to the Ravens' second half surge, as Flacco constantly picked on the smaller Patriots' defensive backs. Without the big corner Talib, Flacco threw a lot of high balls that he knew only Boldin could get to. On the other side, Alfonzo Dennard was a bright spot for the Patriots, as he held speedster Torrey Smith to 4 grabs.
Normally, 28 points isn't enough to beat the Patriots, but the Baltimore defense combined with many Patriots' miscues doomed them to their lowest point total of the season.
A turning point in the game came with 11 seconds left in the 1st half, when clock mismanagement cost the Patriots a chance at a touchdown - settling for 3 points and the 13-7 haltime lead.
The four points left on the field turned out to be huge, as the Patriots fell behind by fifteen points instead of 11, affecting the play calling, particularly on the 4th and 4 that the Patriots had to try for a 1st down. Had they been down by only 11, they could have kicked a field goal in that situation, but instead came away with nothing.
And that was the beginning of the end.
Now the Baltimore Ravens have earned a shot at a world title, as brothers John and Jim Harbaugh, coaches of the Ravens and San Francisco 49ers respectively, meet in Super Bowl 47 at the Superdome in New Orleans.
Trailing the New England Patriots by a 13-7 score at the half, Flacco directed two long third quarter drives, the second one culminating with an Anquan Boldin touchdown catch on the first play of the 4th quarter for a 21-13 lead.
On the ensuing drive, Patriots running back was knocked out on a hit by Bernard Pollard, causing Ridley to lose control of the ball. Baltimore recovered and had the ball at the New England 47 - then Flacco drove the nail in the coffin. Flacco hit Boldin once again, this time from 11 yards out for an insurmountable 28-13 lead.
Flacco was sensational in the second half after a so-so 1st half. Overall he went 21 for 36 for 240 yards and three touchdowns.
After Patriots' cornerback Aqib Talib left the game with what appeared to be a hamstring injury, Flacco started picking on the smaller Kyle Arrington, who played well and always had good position, but just wasn't able to match the athleticism of Boldin, who went high for both scores.
Tight End Dennis Pitta abused Patriots' Safety Steve Gregory for five big catches for 55 yards and an easy score.
Brady had an atrocious game hitting on only 29 of 55 pass attempts for 320 yards, on touchdown to Wes Welker and 2 interceptions. The offensive line kept the Baltimore pass rush away from Brady, but the defensive linemen deflected several passes, including one that was intercepted.
Wes Welker, who may have played his last game for New England finished with 8 catches for 117 yards - but also dropped a key 3rd down pass that set Baltimore up for their first 3rd quarter touchdown.
Trailing 28-13 the Patriots were able to mount a drive with just under 10 minutes left in the game, but it stalled at the Baltimore 11 yard line as Brady threw a ball harmlessly to the turf on 4th and 4. On New England's next drive starting with 7:25 to go, they threatened again, only to have a tipped ball turn into an interception by Danelle Ellerbe.
Brady threw his second interception in the end zone with just over a minute to play, marking the 5th time they had driven down inside the Ravens' 25 yard line and came away without a touchdown.
The loss of Aqib Talib was the key to the Ravens' second half surge, as Flacco constantly picked on the smaller Patriots' defensive backs. Without the big corner Talib, Flacco threw a lot of high balls that he knew only Boldin could get to. On the other side, Alfonzo Dennard was a bright spot for the Patriots, as he held speedster Torrey Smith to 4 grabs.
Normally, 28 points isn't enough to beat the Patriots, but the Baltimore defense combined with many Patriots' miscues doomed them to their lowest point total of the season.
A turning point in the game came with 11 seconds left in the 1st half, when clock mismanagement cost the Patriots a chance at a touchdown - settling for 3 points and the 13-7 haltime lead.
The four points left on the field turned out to be huge, as the Patriots fell behind by fifteen points instead of 11, affecting the play calling, particularly on the 4th and 4 that the Patriots had to try for a 1st down. Had they been down by only 11, they could have kicked a field goal in that situation, but instead came away with nothing.
And that was the beginning of the end.
Now the Baltimore Ravens have earned a shot at a world title, as brothers John and Jim Harbaugh, coaches of the Ravens and San Francisco 49ers respectively, meet in Super Bowl 47 at the Superdome in New Orleans.
Forty Niners mug Falcons, await foe in Super Bowl matchup
Navarro Bowman knocked away a 4th and 4 pass attempt from Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan to wide receiver Roddy White with 1:10 left in the game with the Falcons at the San Francisco 10 yard line to send his 49ers to Super Bowl 47.
Atlanta seized the momentum early in the game, taking a 17-0 lead in the 2nd quarter and led 24-14 at the half, but San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick mixed timely passes between Frank Gore power runs, scoring twice in the second half while the 49ers' defense blanked the high octane Atlanta Falcons, resulting in a 28-24 win.
San Francisco now prepares for the winner of the AFC Championship Game between the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens, the kickoff scheduled for just minutes from now.
A Patriots victory would force a rematch between the Patriots and 49ers, San Francisco winning a wild game in Foxboro just weeks ago, capitalizing on New England errors to build a 31-3 lead in the third quarter before the Patriots stormed back to tie the game at 31 before running out of gas, losing 41-34.
Up next, Ravens vs. Patriots from Gillette Stadium...
Atlanta seized the momentum early in the game, taking a 17-0 lead in the 2nd quarter and led 24-14 at the half, but San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick mixed timely passes between Frank Gore power runs, scoring twice in the second half while the 49ers' defense blanked the high octane Atlanta Falcons, resulting in a 28-24 win.
San Francisco now prepares for the winner of the AFC Championship Game between the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens, the kickoff scheduled for just minutes from now.
A Patriots victory would force a rematch between the Patriots and 49ers, San Francisco winning a wild game in Foxboro just weeks ago, capitalizing on New England errors to build a 31-3 lead in the third quarter before the Patriots stormed back to tie the game at 31 before running out of gas, losing 41-34.
Up next, Ravens vs. Patriots from Gillette Stadium...
Gremlins, vicious dogs and Desmond Howard: A gambler's tale of woe
Never bet on your team.
I received that advice many years ago by a jaded old man at a sports book in Wendover, Nevada...feeling froggy that my New England Patriots had run the playoff table and were staring down a Brett Favre led Green Bay Packers team that was a 14 point favorite heading into the teams meeting in Super Bowl XXXI.
I had actually gone into the casino to play a bit of blackjack and to put some money down on the horses, but seeing that 14 point bulge displayed on the digital signage was like taking a slap in the face, and I was ready to avenge my team's honor...
...of course, I had nothing but anger to back up my feelings and was ready to leap blindly into the maw of a Green Bay Packers' defense that ended up dominating the Patriots to the tune of that 14 point point spread.
I lived just north of Salt Lake City, Utah at the time, and it was a long drive across the desolate Bonneville Salt Flats to the Stateline Casino just across the border into Nevada - but would have gleefully driven the two hours to collect my earnings...
...but there was no way that I was going to go anywhere near the place now. My money was gone, eaten up by the gambling gremlins, so there was no reason to go back, except of course for the blackjack and poker tables and the horses...it was quite an Odyssey to take the Wendover trip back in the day. Gambling of any sort was strictly forbidden in Utah - still is - and so if you wanted to gamble, it was a road trip to the devilish desert state...
But now I'm in New England where I can walk two minutes to the corner market to buy a lottery ticket or drive 5 minutes to the off track betting facility in Lewiston to put down a few bucks on the ponies - and if I want to get really hardcore I could drive 25 minutes to Oxford where a fine new Casino and the Gambling Gremlins await my money.
There's a difference now. Driving to Wendover from Salt Lake was a novelty that required most of the day, and there was no guarantees that that my Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme would survive the trip across the flats - it was an event...
...going to place a wager here is a quick stop by the OTB on my way to pick up the wife from work. The challenge isn't there, so I don't bother.
So when my friend Brian suggested a wager for tonight's AFC Championship game between my New England Patriots and his Baltimore Ravens, I scoffed.
I recanted my tale of woe to him, of how Desmond Howard broke both my bank and my heart, as his kick return for a touchdown in Super Bowl xxx plus the ensuing Mark Chamura from Brett Favre two point conversion supplied Green Bay with the 14 points to cover the point spread and send millions of hopeful dreamers to the figurative bread lines...
...but he handed me a tissue and waved off my weak reasoning as a pile of bad paranoia.
"Besides," he said, "We're betting straight up. You'd never be able to cover that point spread." I thought quickly back to my reasoning for placing that bet 17 years ago and realized he was trying to sucker me into a little point spread action.
A brief scuffle ensued until his Borg-like dog decided suddenly that I was a threat and came after me. He had always liked gnawing on me like I was his personal chew toy whenever I would visit anyway, nothing big, just long red streaks up and down my forearms that would disappear by the next morning...
After several minutes of ugliness, order was restored and we finally agreed on a standard Facebook wager: Whichever team lost, one of would have to wear the other's jersey, take a prison-like photo and make the loser's Facebook page wear the damned thing like a badge of dishonor until the Super Bowl.
In many ways, that would be worse than losing a paycheck.
My Tom Brady Jersey awaits you, Brian. It's bright red and smells like your dog's favorite chew toy, so he's going to go nuts on you...
And of course, I'll be taking pics...and you should make sure that that vicious mutt is securely leashed - wouldn't want to see my Brady throwback jersey get ripped or stained...
I received that advice many years ago by a jaded old man at a sports book in Wendover, Nevada...feeling froggy that my New England Patriots had run the playoff table and were staring down a Brett Favre led Green Bay Packers team that was a 14 point favorite heading into the teams meeting in Super Bowl XXXI.
I had actually gone into the casino to play a bit of blackjack and to put some money down on the horses, but seeing that 14 point bulge displayed on the digital signage was like taking a slap in the face, and I was ready to avenge my team's honor...
...of course, I had nothing but anger to back up my feelings and was ready to leap blindly into the maw of a Green Bay Packers' defense that ended up dominating the Patriots to the tune of that 14 point point spread.
I lived just north of Salt Lake City, Utah at the time, and it was a long drive across the desolate Bonneville Salt Flats to the Stateline Casino just across the border into Nevada - but would have gleefully driven the two hours to collect my earnings...
...but there was no way that I was going to go anywhere near the place now. My money was gone, eaten up by the gambling gremlins, so there was no reason to go back, except of course for the blackjack and poker tables and the horses...it was quite an Odyssey to take the Wendover trip back in the day. Gambling of any sort was strictly forbidden in Utah - still is - and so if you wanted to gamble, it was a road trip to the devilish desert state...
But now I'm in New England where I can walk two minutes to the corner market to buy a lottery ticket or drive 5 minutes to the off track betting facility in Lewiston to put down a few bucks on the ponies - and if I want to get really hardcore I could drive 25 minutes to Oxford where a fine new Casino and the Gambling Gremlins await my money.
There's a difference now. Driving to Wendover from Salt Lake was a novelty that required most of the day, and there was no guarantees that that my Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme would survive the trip across the flats - it was an event...
...going to place a wager here is a quick stop by the OTB on my way to pick up the wife from work. The challenge isn't there, so I don't bother.
So when my friend Brian suggested a wager for tonight's AFC Championship game between my New England Patriots and his Baltimore Ravens, I scoffed.
I recanted my tale of woe to him, of how Desmond Howard broke both my bank and my heart, as his kick return for a touchdown in Super Bowl xxx plus the ensuing Mark Chamura from Brett Favre two point conversion supplied Green Bay with the 14 points to cover the point spread and send millions of hopeful dreamers to the figurative bread lines...
...but he handed me a tissue and waved off my weak reasoning as a pile of bad paranoia.
"Besides," he said, "We're betting straight up. You'd never be able to cover that point spread." I thought quickly back to my reasoning for placing that bet 17 years ago and realized he was trying to sucker me into a little point spread action.
A brief scuffle ensued until his Borg-like dog decided suddenly that I was a threat and came after me. He had always liked gnawing on me like I was his personal chew toy whenever I would visit anyway, nothing big, just long red streaks up and down my forearms that would disappear by the next morning...
After several minutes of ugliness, order was restored and we finally agreed on a standard Facebook wager: Whichever team lost, one of would have to wear the other's jersey, take a prison-like photo and make the loser's Facebook page wear the damned thing like a badge of dishonor until the Super Bowl.
In many ways, that would be worse than losing a paycheck.
My Tom Brady Jersey awaits you, Brian. It's bright red and smells like your dog's favorite chew toy, so he's going to go nuts on you...
And of course, I'll be taking pics...and you should make sure that that vicious mutt is securely leashed - wouldn't want to see my Brady throwback jersey get ripped or stained...
New England Patriots Gameday: The power of the solid
"You shouldn't abuse the power of the solid. Bad things will happen."
He doesn't exactly say what it is that would happen if one were to abuse the power of the solid, though the immortal Yeti-like character "Skips" ends up saving his foolish co-workers a violent end - and Mordecai and Rigby live to slack off another day.
Regular Show is an animated series focused on the lives a blue jay, Mordecai, and his best friend, a raccoon named Rigby - and together they manage to bring a plague of surrealistic catastrophes to the park where they are groundkeepers, putting everyone that works with them in harms way.
So when Mordecai and Rigby keep asking each other for solids, each one more ridiculous than the previous one, it puts the park - and everyone in it - in danger, and it is Skips that ends up saving the day...
The Baltimore Ravens did the New England Patriots a solid last weekend. In fact, they did every fan in the NFL not rooting for Denver a solid by taking out the over-rated Broncos...
...and while it's true that the Ravens denied the world another Manning versus Brady showdown for the AFC Title, it is equally true that they saved us from the nauseatingly endless hype that was sure to accompany it.
But one must be careful, because to abuse the power of the solid - to repeatedly ask for favors - causes bad things to happen.
In fact, what the Ravens did last weekend was to find a minute tear in the space-time continuum and rip it wide open, generating a rift that caused the center of the football universe to gravitate from Denver back to Foxboro where it should have been all along - where it was all along, we just needed something to open our eyes to it.
Throughout the season, the football universe watched knowingly as the Houston Texans dominated the AFC and as the Denver Broncos kept right on their heels - The Baltimore Ravens started quickly as well, yet floundered and eventually fell out of the chatter about the top teams in the AFC...
...and then there was the Patriots lurking in the weeds and waiting to ambush those who felt that their slow start was anything other than an aberration. Denver found out when they came to Foxboro and took a beating just when the Patriots were starting emerge from their early season funk - but it wasn't until the Houston Texans visited Gillette Stadium in early December did the tear in the continuum begin.
And by the time the Ravens were celebrating on that frigid field in Denver, the football universe was as it should be again, the teams aligned like planets according to their prominence and girth, with those Ravens and the New England Patriots being the farthest from the great vortex that sucks in the unworthy.
So tonight, these two teams meet for the American Football Conference title, battling for a spot in the Super Bowl two weeks from now...and how each of them got here is unimportant, but will make for an interesting story once this season is completed. For now, all we need be concerned with is that the two best teams in the AFC are meeting with no ambiguity...
...and the solids? Opponents neither ask for, nor receive favors when battling each other - but at times a team with offer a gift to the other in the form of a football put on the ground or a throw to the wrong hands...but in a game such as this the teams take what they want, because when comes down to the last warriors standing it becomes brute will and strength and is indeed a matter of the survival of the fittest.
The only unfulfilled solid left is the promise that both of these made to their fans, the idea of favoring them with an appearance in the Super Bowl - but since only one of them can fulfill their promise to the fans, you can rest assured that tonight neither will be doing the other any more solids...
...because if they do, they will lose - such is the power of the solid.
He doesn't exactly say what it is that would happen if one were to abuse the power of the solid, though the immortal Yeti-like character "Skips" ends up saving his foolish co-workers a violent end - and Mordecai and Rigby live to slack off another day.
Regular Show is an animated series focused on the lives a blue jay, Mordecai, and his best friend, a raccoon named Rigby - and together they manage to bring a plague of surrealistic catastrophes to the park where they are groundkeepers, putting everyone that works with them in harms way.
So when Mordecai and Rigby keep asking each other for solids, each one more ridiculous than the previous one, it puts the park - and everyone in it - in danger, and it is Skips that ends up saving the day...
The Baltimore Ravens did the New England Patriots a solid last weekend. In fact, they did every fan in the NFL not rooting for Denver a solid by taking out the over-rated Broncos...
...and while it's true that the Ravens denied the world another Manning versus Brady showdown for the AFC Title, it is equally true that they saved us from the nauseatingly endless hype that was sure to accompany it.
But one must be careful, because to abuse the power of the solid - to repeatedly ask for favors - causes bad things to happen.
In fact, what the Ravens did last weekend was to find a minute tear in the space-time continuum and rip it wide open, generating a rift that caused the center of the football universe to gravitate from Denver back to Foxboro where it should have been all along - where it was all along, we just needed something to open our eyes to it.
Throughout the season, the football universe watched knowingly as the Houston Texans dominated the AFC and as the Denver Broncos kept right on their heels - The Baltimore Ravens started quickly as well, yet floundered and eventually fell out of the chatter about the top teams in the AFC...
...and then there was the Patriots lurking in the weeds and waiting to ambush those who felt that their slow start was anything other than an aberration. Denver found out when they came to Foxboro and took a beating just when the Patriots were starting emerge from their early season funk - but it wasn't until the Houston Texans visited Gillette Stadium in early December did the tear in the continuum begin.
And by the time the Ravens were celebrating on that frigid field in Denver, the football universe was as it should be again, the teams aligned like planets according to their prominence and girth, with those Ravens and the New England Patriots being the farthest from the great vortex that sucks in the unworthy.
So tonight, these two teams meet for the American Football Conference title, battling for a spot in the Super Bowl two weeks from now...and how each of them got here is unimportant, but will make for an interesting story once this season is completed. For now, all we need be concerned with is that the two best teams in the AFC are meeting with no ambiguity...
...and the solids? Opponents neither ask for, nor receive favors when battling each other - but at times a team with offer a gift to the other in the form of a football put on the ground or a throw to the wrong hands...but in a game such as this the teams take what they want, because when comes down to the last warriors standing it becomes brute will and strength and is indeed a matter of the survival of the fittest.
The only unfulfilled solid left is the promise that both of these made to their fans, the idea of favoring them with an appearance in the Super Bowl - but since only one of them can fulfill their promise to the fans, you can rest assured that tonight neither will be doing the other any more solids...
...because if they do, they will lose - such is the power of the solid.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Foxboro weather update: Steady crosswinds cue running game
Much milder temperatures than expected will be experienced at Gillette Stadium tomorrow evening for the AFC Championship Game between the Baltimore Ravens and the hometown New England Patriots.
Previous forecasts suggested temperatures in the teens at kickoff with winds out of the northwest sending temps plummeting as darkness fell - but a change in the forecasted wind direction, now predicted to come from the west-southwest, will keep the temperatures from falling into the teens until well after the game has concluded.
However, the shift of the wind direction has a far more reaching impact than just a change in temperatures, as it will be cutting almost directly across the field, which impacts both team equally, but a disadvantage exists for the Baltimore Ravens should the coin toss go against them.
Baltimore Quarterback Joe Flacco has a propensity for favoring the right side of the field, particularly when going deep, so the Patriots definately would like to see him having the throw against the driving steady wind by trying to move north to south, which to Flacco would be like throwing almost directly into the wind, given the angle.
With winds forecasted to drive steadily at around 25 mph, the running game becomes more prominent for both teams, but particularly for the Ravens. The Patriots are well equipped to stop Ray Rice and the Baltimore running game - particularly if the wind makes the Ravens one-dimesional while the Patriots' physcial and nasty offensive line should be able to dominate the Ravens' run defense.
Flacco may find himslef in a hole going into the 4th quarter, and if that's the case it will be just that much tougher to catch up in a hurry with the wind being a huge obsticle.
Stand by, because this is New England: Don't like the weather? Wait five minutes...
Previous forecasts suggested temperatures in the teens at kickoff with winds out of the northwest sending temps plummeting as darkness fell - but a change in the forecasted wind direction, now predicted to come from the west-southwest, will keep the temperatures from falling into the teens until well after the game has concluded.
However, the shift of the wind direction has a far more reaching impact than just a change in temperatures, as it will be cutting almost directly across the field, which impacts both team equally, but a disadvantage exists for the Baltimore Ravens should the coin toss go against them.
Baltimore Quarterback Joe Flacco has a propensity for favoring the right side of the field, particularly when going deep, so the Patriots definately would like to see him having the throw against the driving steady wind by trying to move north to south, which to Flacco would be like throwing almost directly into the wind, given the angle.
With winds forecasted to drive steadily at around 25 mph, the running game becomes more prominent for both teams, but particularly for the Ravens. The Patriots are well equipped to stop Ray Rice and the Baltimore running game - particularly if the wind makes the Ravens one-dimesional while the Patriots' physcial and nasty offensive line should be able to dominate the Ravens' run defense.
Flacco may find himslef in a hole going into the 4th quarter, and if that's the case it will be just that much tougher to catch up in a hurry with the wind being a huge obsticle.
Stand by, because this is New England: Don't like the weather? Wait five minutes...
New England Patriots on Paper: The fall of the House of Mirrors
The Ray Lewis factor propelled the Ravens to a spot in the AFC Championship Game.
At least that's the popular notion, and while it's true that high emotion can trump some minor deficiencies and matchups, it's also true that the Denver Broncos' loss last Sunday was more about the Broncos cowering to the Baltimore Ravens who brought physicality and motivation.
...and it brings up the question as to whether the Denver Broncos were who everyone thought they were and just got beat by the better team, or were they residing in a Hall of Mirrors - where nothing is what it seems - and weren't that good to begin with.
It's a fair question - one that no one I know is qualified to answer with any authority. But from the viewpoint of being a fan, it is an intriguing question and perhaps one that deserves a couple of paragraphs...
...especially in light of the point spread for this game. The Vegas sports books employ some knowledgable folks - and anyone who has ever placed a casual wager on a 9 1/2 point favorite in any sport knows what it feels like to walk out of the casino a few dollars lighter.
It's a tough spread to cover - ask Peyton Manning and the Dever Broncos who took their field against the Ravens last Saturday on the working end of a 9 1/2 point bazooka and never came close to realizing a cover...and so these smart people that determine these spreads - how in the world did they miss that one so badly?
Perhaps they felt that with the Broncos defending their home turf in front of a hostile crowd against a team that had played a tough matchup with the Colts the week before while the Broncos had the week off that it gave a decided edge ot them over a Ravens' team that limped into the post-season.
...The Patriots found out how emotionally inspired this veteran Ravens squad can be in week three, when New England limped into Baltimore the morning that Ravens' reciever Torrey Smith lost his brother in a tragic accident, and melted down in the final minutes - just as Denver did last week - as the strength reserve from their emotions willed the Ravens to victory.
But there are a few things to remember here. First, that field goal that decided the game may or may not have been good - the call on the field could have gone either way...and that is what it is. Secondly, emotions tend to ebb and flow, and they certainly fade over time...and the Ravens may well have spent every ounce of emotional energy they had in beating the Broncos last week.
It was clear that the Ravens were the better team last week against a Broncos team that were not battle-hardened, playing a schedule that built them up their record to gain the first seed and home field, but set them up to ultimately fail - and they were nowhere close to being prepared for the heavyweight fight they got involved in.
Baltimore pushed them around like a bully would a weakling on the playground - shoved Manning to the ground and took his milk money and absolutely abused the Broncos' defense, which in reality is a couple of good players and a bunch of guys.
The Patriots are battle-hardened, far more talented than Denver and will not be so easily pushed around. In fact, New England could well end up dominating this game on a physical level - they are younger, tougher and faster than Baltimore, which makes it difficult to buy into the experts' opinions of a close game.
The illusion that the Broncos had been promoting as a Super Bowl contender was shattered by a tough Ravens team, but that was just a case of the bully Ravens tossing the Broncos out of the House of Mirrors.
The Ravens are still in there, and perhaps even deeper than before, as thier victory over Denver caused reality to become even more distorted - the heavyweight fight they are about to encounter at Gillette Stadium on Sunday night will undoubtedly prove that.
"There was blood upon her white robes, and the evidence of some bitter struggle upon every portion of her emaciated frame. For a moment she remained trembling and reeling to and fro upon the threshold - then, with a low moaning cry, fell heavily inward upon the person of her brother, and in her violent and now final death-agonies, bore him to the floor a corpse, and a victim to the terrors he had anticipated."
Tomorrow evening, in just as grand style as Poe's Fall of the House of Usher, the final fall of the House of Mirrors will occur, and the Baltimore Ravens will play again this season nevermore...
At least that's the popular notion, and while it's true that high emotion can trump some minor deficiencies and matchups, it's also true that the Denver Broncos' loss last Sunday was more about the Broncos cowering to the Baltimore Ravens who brought physicality and motivation.
...and it brings up the question as to whether the Denver Broncos were who everyone thought they were and just got beat by the better team, or were they residing in a Hall of Mirrors - where nothing is what it seems - and weren't that good to begin with.
It's a fair question - one that no one I know is qualified to answer with any authority. But from the viewpoint of being a fan, it is an intriguing question and perhaps one that deserves a couple of paragraphs...
...especially in light of the point spread for this game. The Vegas sports books employ some knowledgable folks - and anyone who has ever placed a casual wager on a 9 1/2 point favorite in any sport knows what it feels like to walk out of the casino a few dollars lighter.
It's a tough spread to cover - ask Peyton Manning and the Dever Broncos who took their field against the Ravens last Saturday on the working end of a 9 1/2 point bazooka and never came close to realizing a cover...and so these smart people that determine these spreads - how in the world did they miss that one so badly?
Perhaps they felt that with the Broncos defending their home turf in front of a hostile crowd against a team that had played a tough matchup with the Colts the week before while the Broncos had the week off that it gave a decided edge ot them over a Ravens' team that limped into the post-season.
...The Patriots found out how emotionally inspired this veteran Ravens squad can be in week three, when New England limped into Baltimore the morning that Ravens' reciever Torrey Smith lost his brother in a tragic accident, and melted down in the final minutes - just as Denver did last week - as the strength reserve from their emotions willed the Ravens to victory.
But there are a few things to remember here. First, that field goal that decided the game may or may not have been good - the call on the field could have gone either way...and that is what it is. Secondly, emotions tend to ebb and flow, and they certainly fade over time...and the Ravens may well have spent every ounce of emotional energy they had in beating the Broncos last week.
It was clear that the Ravens were the better team last week against a Broncos team that were not battle-hardened, playing a schedule that built them up their record to gain the first seed and home field, but set them up to ultimately fail - and they were nowhere close to being prepared for the heavyweight fight they got involved in.
Baltimore pushed them around like a bully would a weakling on the playground - shoved Manning to the ground and took his milk money and absolutely abused the Broncos' defense, which in reality is a couple of good players and a bunch of guys.
The Patriots are battle-hardened, far more talented than Denver and will not be so easily pushed around. In fact, New England could well end up dominating this game on a physical level - they are younger, tougher and faster than Baltimore, which makes it difficult to buy into the experts' opinions of a close game.
The illusion that the Broncos had been promoting as a Super Bowl contender was shattered by a tough Ravens team, but that was just a case of the bully Ravens tossing the Broncos out of the House of Mirrors.
The Ravens are still in there, and perhaps even deeper than before, as thier victory over Denver caused reality to become even more distorted - the heavyweight fight they are about to encounter at Gillette Stadium on Sunday night will undoubtedly prove that.
"There was blood upon her white robes, and the evidence of some bitter struggle upon every portion of her emaciated frame. For a moment she remained trembling and reeling to and fro upon the threshold - then, with a low moaning cry, fell heavily inward upon the person of her brother, and in her violent and now final death-agonies, bore him to the floor a corpse, and a victim to the terrors he had anticipated."
Tomorrow evening, in just as grand style as Poe's Fall of the House of Usher, the final fall of the House of Mirrors will occur, and the Baltimore Ravens will play again this season nevermore...
Friday, January 18, 2013
Patriots' Body Art: A letter to Collin
Dear Collin,
You don't know me, but I am a friend of your Father's - not like a close, personal friend, because I have never met him, though I hope to someday soon...I know him through social media, I know him through pictures that he shares with the world, through his words, through his passions...
...and it is of the passions that I wish to speak with you.
Because you changed your father's life - you are the most important thing in his life. When people look at Brad Stevens and sees your name in huge lettering on his shoulder, they know this without ever meeting you - but perhaps they more know more about him, because when a person gets a tattoo, it's never capricious, never an ambiguous plan - it's always about something that means much to the person.
So when you were born, your father wanted to do something to commemorate the reality and sheer adrenalin-driven intensity of the moment, something that he couldn't let slip by unnoticed by time - and it had to be something on a grand scale - nothing cheap looking or average in any way.
It had to be something that could never be packed away in a box, tucked away in a scrapbook or left to gather dust on a high shelf - something that could never be lost or stolen - and it had be to something that screamed out to everyone, "This is my son!"...because your father is a man that wears his emotions on his sleeves...both figuratively and literally.
and the fact that your name appears in a football helmet on his shoulder was not an arbitrary choice, because before that moment of your birth his only real passion was football. and all around that helmet are three logos that represent everything to a person as passionate about football as he is, those three representing championships won.
The signature moment in his life - your birth - happened within minutes of his heroes, the New England Patriots, raising a World Championship trophy...it may have been the first sound you ever heard on this earth was the monotone droll of Bill Belichick holding the trophy but still jabbering in coach-speak about how to go about his next conquest - never complascent, never satisfied but always appriciative...
He played in school, your Dad, and from experience I know that being part of a team, sharing desires and pain as well as joy is something that gets in your blood and in your brain, it teaches you life lessons and brings you an extension of your family that you never knew existed.
To him, it's not just football. It's so much like everyday life, it's failures and successes, it's drama, that it is life...and a certain brand of football called the Patriot Way - played by a team whose foundation is set on stone, found not only in the very roots of human ideals - the knowledge of which comes with age and wisdom - but also in things as simple and familiar as a nursery rhyme.
A brand of football that echos the sentiments of every loving father, that envision their sons to live their lives a certain way, in a manner that represents hard work and harder play - to ensure that you have performed your responsibilities with due diligence, prepared for your task with all of your focus, to care for yourself in a manner that promotes good health and to tie all of these things together so that when the task comes at hand, you can enjoy, have fun and be successful, knowing that these are the fruits of your labor.
To do things a certain way, to know that champions pay the price, and that the game of life, as in the game of football, is either won or lost before even taking the field of battle.
To live the Patriot Way is to live as though your conscience is your only witness, to always do what you feel is right, to trust what you've been taught as instinct to ask yourself, "Am I satisfied?" and to know that there is no positive answer to that question, because the Patriots Way is to take pride in your accomplishments and use them as a bar that one is constantly striving to improve upon.
But most of all, it is to know that you've earned what you have, something to be very proud of indeed.
He talks of taking you to football games. Right now, he gets single tickets and goes by himself , but he is aching to share his veneration for these players with you - to have you there, setting up his tailgating equipment together, breaking out the grill, laying out the food, watching the lot fill up with people wearing the home blues, some in the home whites and still others in the red throwbacks of your grandfather's era...
...the sense of camaraderie and family can not be ignored, nor can the unique sights and smells...and these are all people of passion who relish the same brand of football that your father shares with both you and the world. The game itself? Believe it or not, it's the scene, its the atmosphere and the knowledge that your team can not be beaten, no matter the score...
A brand of football whose history - whose present - is told on your father's arms...the future? Well that's where there is just skin at the moment.
Look at the art on his arms, it all means something to him. Tedy Bruschi, former linebacker for the Patriots is on there, so is Tom Brady and all three logos from the Super Bowls that they won together; there is the Lombardi Trophy, the shield and many other tattoos that individually mean something to him, and collectively, along with your helmet, tells a compelling story of his life...
...and he's not done. He hopes to have at least a few more logos added to his collection, though he is running out of room on his arms - but as long as the Patriots organization continues to set the standard by what every other team is measured, the collection will continue to grow...
...as does his pride and love for you, and he will always wear the proof of that as a badge of honor - because it is an honor, a blessing, to have someone to call "Son"...
You don't know me, but I am a friend of your Father's - not like a close, personal friend, because I have never met him, though I hope to someday soon...I know him through social media, I know him through pictures that he shares with the world, through his words, through his passions...
...and it is of the passions that I wish to speak with you.
Because you changed your father's life - you are the most important thing in his life. When people look at Brad Stevens and sees your name in huge lettering on his shoulder, they know this without ever meeting you - but perhaps they more know more about him, because when a person gets a tattoo, it's never capricious, never an ambiguous plan - it's always about something that means much to the person.
So when you were born, your father wanted to do something to commemorate the reality and sheer adrenalin-driven intensity of the moment, something that he couldn't let slip by unnoticed by time - and it had to be something on a grand scale - nothing cheap looking or average in any way.
It had to be something that could never be packed away in a box, tucked away in a scrapbook or left to gather dust on a high shelf - something that could never be lost or stolen - and it had be to something that screamed out to everyone, "This is my son!"...because your father is a man that wears his emotions on his sleeves...both figuratively and literally.
and the fact that your name appears in a football helmet on his shoulder was not an arbitrary choice, because before that moment of your birth his only real passion was football. and all around that helmet are three logos that represent everything to a person as passionate about football as he is, those three representing championships won.
The signature moment in his life - your birth - happened within minutes of his heroes, the New England Patriots, raising a World Championship trophy...it may have been the first sound you ever heard on this earth was the monotone droll of Bill Belichick holding the trophy but still jabbering in coach-speak about how to go about his next conquest - never complascent, never satisfied but always appriciative...
He played in school, your Dad, and from experience I know that being part of a team, sharing desires and pain as well as joy is something that gets in your blood and in your brain, it teaches you life lessons and brings you an extension of your family that you never knew existed.
To him, it's not just football. It's so much like everyday life, it's failures and successes, it's drama, that it is life...and a certain brand of football called the Patriot Way - played by a team whose foundation is set on stone, found not only in the very roots of human ideals - the knowledge of which comes with age and wisdom - but also in things as simple and familiar as a nursery rhyme.
A brand of football that echos the sentiments of every loving father, that envision their sons to live their lives a certain way, in a manner that represents hard work and harder play - to ensure that you have performed your responsibilities with due diligence, prepared for your task with all of your focus, to care for yourself in a manner that promotes good health and to tie all of these things together so that when the task comes at hand, you can enjoy, have fun and be successful, knowing that these are the fruits of your labor.
To do things a certain way, to know that champions pay the price, and that the game of life, as in the game of football, is either won or lost before even taking the field of battle.
To live the Patriot Way is to live as though your conscience is your only witness, to always do what you feel is right, to trust what you've been taught as instinct to ask yourself, "Am I satisfied?" and to know that there is no positive answer to that question, because the Patriots Way is to take pride in your accomplishments and use them as a bar that one is constantly striving to improve upon.
But most of all, it is to know that you've earned what you have, something to be very proud of indeed.
He talks of taking you to football games. Right now, he gets single tickets and goes by himself , but he is aching to share his veneration for these players with you - to have you there, setting up his tailgating equipment together, breaking out the grill, laying out the food, watching the lot fill up with people wearing the home blues, some in the home whites and still others in the red throwbacks of your grandfather's era...
...the sense of camaraderie and family can not be ignored, nor can the unique sights and smells...and these are all people of passion who relish the same brand of football that your father shares with both you and the world. The game itself? Believe it or not, it's the scene, its the atmosphere and the knowledge that your team can not be beaten, no matter the score...
A brand of football whose history - whose present - is told on your father's arms...the future? Well that's where there is just skin at the moment.
Look at the art on his arms, it all means something to him. Tedy Bruschi, former linebacker for the Patriots is on there, so is Tom Brady and all three logos from the Super Bowls that they won together; there is the Lombardi Trophy, the shield and many other tattoos that individually mean something to him, and collectively, along with your helmet, tells a compelling story of his life...
...and he's not done. He hopes to have at least a few more logos added to his collection, though he is running out of room on his arms - but as long as the Patriots organization continues to set the standard by what every other team is measured, the collection will continue to grow...
...as does his pride and love for you, and he will always wear the proof of that as a badge of honor - because it is an honor, a blessing, to have someone to call "Son"...
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
How Iron Man and Dr. Octopus help the Patriots
Some names just sound like they belong on a football field - and some sound like they belong in a deli...and still others sound like they belong in an office cubicle...
...some need ominous nicknames if their real name doesn't sound tough enough.
Dont'a Hightower doesn't have to worry about a nickname, nor does Brandon Spikes...both of their names suggest dark malfeasance. Hightower could be referenced to Bubba Smith's character in the old Police Academy films, while Spikes just sounds tough.
You could even make a case for Vince Wilfork not needing a nickname, but because of the play on words, it's difficult to omit.
And only for the defense. Offensive guys don't get nicknames, unless it can't be helped.
You have Gronk and Hernando, though some prefer Rainmaker for Hernandez - and that's about it. The Stupid and wrong "Brady Bunch" nickname will never be uttered in my presence again - though I just did to make my point. That's just...bad.
Most of the time, offensive linemen have gritty names, but the Patriots are lacking in that department as well...Mankins is kind of tough sounding and Vollmer sounds like the name of a bad prison guard...but Nate Solder? Dan Connolly? Ryan Wendell? Sounds like the boys sitting around the table on an episode of Roseanne, playin' poker...decidedly not tough.
The receivers? Welker and Lloyd sounds like a British funeral home. Hoomanawanui doesn't count because no one can pronounce his name. Fells? Makes me think of that evil sitcom Three's Company - so, no spank you.
Ridley, Boldin and Woodhead sounds like the law firm that they all replaced and there's really nothing you can do with Vereen - his name conjures up images of his famous cousin Ben tap dancing all over the joint...
Brady? Like I said, let's not even go there...
...but despite the fact that the offense just doesn't have any really, really cool names - nicknames are only for the defense, so the offense will just have to keep kicking it, then retire to the nerdery...
And after 16 regular season games and one playoff game of hearing the same old drab Patriot Way, what with all of their scoring and winning and such nonsense, the thing to do is to get bent on old Police Academy films, watch many sitcom reruns, eat many honey buns and ponder these nicknames for the New England Patriots' defense:
DE Chandler "Dr. Octopus" Jones - long limbs and he clings to the quarterback...
DT Kyle "Tough" Love - That one was obvious...
DT Vince "Forklift" Wilfork - He picks 'em up and shoves e'm back, right, Mark Sanchez?
DE Rob "Ironman" Ninkovich - labored as an iron worker in Junior College
OLB Dont'a "Bubba" Hightower - in honor of Sgt. Hightower, Bubba Smith
MLB Brandon Spikes - He doesn't need a nickname - impressively tough sounding...
OLB Jerod "Extra" Mayo - Yup, that's were the deli reference came from
CB Alfonzo "The Shark" Dennard - The Fonz, jumpin' the Shark...
SS Steve "Joey Tribiani" Gregory - looks just like the guy, don't you think?...
FS Devin "D-mac" McCourty - He already had a nickname, so let's go with it
CB Aqib "The Last" Talib - Translation of his name - or, that's the last ball you're gonna see...
DB Patrick "Cheech 'n"Chung - I couldn't help it...
And now that I look at this ridiculously talented lineup with the goofy nicknames, the solid inner core and infusion of youth at each level...I still can't figure out a good name for the defense as a whole...
...although I could just call them the best defense this team has seen in many years - physical, young and violent - so young that they're only going to get better, which is why the Patriots will be a force for years to come.
Hopefully on Sunday night at around 10:00pm, we can call them AFC Champions as well.
...some need ominous nicknames if their real name doesn't sound tough enough.
Dont'a Hightower doesn't have to worry about a nickname, nor does Brandon Spikes...both of their names suggest dark malfeasance. Hightower could be referenced to Bubba Smith's character in the old Police Academy films, while Spikes just sounds tough.
You could even make a case for Vince Wilfork not needing a nickname, but because of the play on words, it's difficult to omit.
And only for the defense. Offensive guys don't get nicknames, unless it can't be helped.
You have Gronk and Hernando, though some prefer Rainmaker for Hernandez - and that's about it. The Stupid and wrong "Brady Bunch" nickname will never be uttered in my presence again - though I just did to make my point. That's just...bad.
Most of the time, offensive linemen have gritty names, but the Patriots are lacking in that department as well...Mankins is kind of tough sounding and Vollmer sounds like the name of a bad prison guard...but Nate Solder? Dan Connolly? Ryan Wendell? Sounds like the boys sitting around the table on an episode of Roseanne, playin' poker...decidedly not tough.
The receivers? Welker and Lloyd sounds like a British funeral home. Hoomanawanui doesn't count because no one can pronounce his name. Fells? Makes me think of that evil sitcom Three's Company - so, no spank you.
Ridley, Boldin and Woodhead sounds like the law firm that they all replaced and there's really nothing you can do with Vereen - his name conjures up images of his famous cousin Ben tap dancing all over the joint...
Brady? Like I said, let's not even go there...
...but despite the fact that the offense just doesn't have any really, really cool names - nicknames are only for the defense, so the offense will just have to keep kicking it, then retire to the nerdery...
And after 16 regular season games and one playoff game of hearing the same old drab Patriot Way, what with all of their scoring and winning and such nonsense, the thing to do is to get bent on old Police Academy films, watch many sitcom reruns, eat many honey buns and ponder these nicknames for the New England Patriots' defense:
DE Chandler "Dr. Octopus" Jones - long limbs and he clings to the quarterback...
DT Kyle "Tough" Love - That one was obvious...
DT Vince "Forklift" Wilfork - He picks 'em up and shoves e'm back, right, Mark Sanchez?
DE Rob "Ironman" Ninkovich - labored as an iron worker in Junior College
OLB Dont'a "Bubba" Hightower - in honor of Sgt. Hightower, Bubba Smith
MLB Brandon Spikes - He doesn't need a nickname - impressively tough sounding...
OLB Jerod "Extra" Mayo - Yup, that's were the deli reference came from
CB Alfonzo "The Shark" Dennard - The Fonz, jumpin' the Shark...
SS Steve "Joey Tribiani" Gregory - looks just like the guy, don't you think?...
FS Devin "D-mac" McCourty - He already had a nickname, so let's go with it
CB Aqib "The Last" Talib - Translation of his name - or, that's the last ball you're gonna see...
DB Patrick "Cheech 'n"Chung - I couldn't help it...
And now that I look at this ridiculously talented lineup with the goofy nicknames, the solid inner core and infusion of youth at each level...I still can't figure out a good name for the defense as a whole...
...although I could just call them the best defense this team has seen in many years - physical, young and violent - so young that they're only going to get better, which is why the Patriots will be a force for years to come.
Hopefully on Sunday night at around 10:00pm, we can call them AFC Champions as well.
Motivated by doubters, Rob Ninkovich is Patriots' Iron Man
Rob Ninkovich sat in Cam Cameron's office, frustrated and with a bone to pick.
2007 was a difficult year for the second year player from Purdue, as it was for Cameron and all of the 1-15 Miami Dolphins, so Ninkovich wanted to know why he was on the roster, but not allowed to contribute as he was inactive for all but four games.
And Cameron, who was about to get the axe from Dolphins management, pulled no punches with Ninkovich. "I don't think you have the skills."
Bet Cameron would like to have that one back, along with letting Wes Welker escape his losing culture, trading the four-time All Pro to New England prior to that 2007 season...so it's no small wonder why Cameron isn't coaching right now - he may know X's and O's, but he apparently doesn't know much about a player's heart.
But forget about Cameron. He is but a blip on the Dolphins' radar that couldn't evaluate talent, for which Bill Belichick is probably eternally grateful...and Belichick could have thanked him in person this Sunday had he not been fired a month ago from his position as the Baltimore Ravens' offensive coordinator.
Again, small wonder.
Rob Ninkovich was drafted in the 5th round by the New Orleans Saints in 2006, drawing raves and climbing the depth chart in camp and played three regular season games before a knee injury ended his rookie campaign. The following season he again injured his knee, this time in training camp, and was subsequently waived.
After his disappointing tenure with Miami, he returned to the Saints briefly after being signed off the Dolphins' practice squad in December of 2008. Saints' coach Sean Payton told him that his only future in the NFL was as a long snapper, so Ninkovich knew his days were numbered when the Saints signed another long snapper - and he was subsequently released.
His life turning into a revolving door between hope and frustration, Ninkovich signed on with the Patriots during that 2009 camp and the rest, as they say, is part of Patriots' lore.
Wearing number 50 and bearing somewhat of a resemblance, Ninkovich is often compared to former Patriot linebacker Mike Vrabel- which is fair, given their versatility and relentless motors - but their journey to the NFL took decidedly different paths.
While Vrabel was highly recruited out of high school and ended up accepting a scholarship to Ohio State where he starred for 4 years before being selected in the 3rd round of the 1997 draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, playing his professional ball not all that far from his home in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.
In contrast, nobody came to visit Ninkovich. He thought that maybe he could walk on to a college program, but his grades in high school were - well, let's just say he wasn't named valedictorian - so it looked more and more like he was going to be continuing the family tradition of becoming an Iron Worker.
But that was when he got the call that changed the course of his life. NJCAA Hall of Fame coach Bob MacDougall, who was coaching at Joliet Junior College at the time, invited Ninkovich to come and play ball for him - to round out his skills and bring up his grades so he could get into a four-year University.
"He played tight end in high school and was a terrific athlete, so I knew he was destined for something great,'' MacDougall says about his most recognizable former player. "He had great 'stick-to-itiveness.' He's a great example of what junior college is all about.''
And he needed those traits, because Junior College is like the bush leagues - no scholarships, equipment at a premium and had to use his own transportation to get to games.
"Joliet made me appreciate everything." Said Ninkovich, now in his 4th year with New England, "I had my high school pads on, had to buy my cleats, had one pair of gloves for the full season. Drove to practice every day, drove to games. It really just made me hungrier to continue.''
To make sure Rob stayed on the path out of the Iron Works trade, his father put him smack in the middle of it in the break between his freshman and sophomore years, and whether it was being suspended off of a bridge or setting Iron Beams up 20 stories in a downtown Chicago building, his father, Mike, had just one purpose in mind: That his Son finish college.
"It was kind of scary,'' Ninkovich said of working that high off the ground. "But it opened my eyes that I didn't want to be an ironworker the rest of my life.''
Two years and one National Junior Collge Championship later, Ninkovich transferred to Purdue, earning second team all Big Ten honors, an invitation to the East / West Shrine Game and, ultimately, a shot at playing professional football.
All Ninkovich has done is record a team high 8 sacks, forced 5 fumbles and recovered 4 on the season and registered an interception last week against the Texans.
He is under contact with the Patriots through next season, but as versatile as the 6 year veteran is - so versatile in fact that he rarely comes off the field and can play defensive end and outside linebacker, rush the passer or drop into coverage - it would behoove the Patriots' family to get "Nink" signed and wrapped up with a shiny new contract, though Ninkovich isn't worried about that at the moment...he has bigger fish - um, birds - to fry this Sunday, with another American Football Conference Championship at stake.
So right now all he's thinking about is the Baltimore Ravens - Ray Rice and Joe Flacco, but no Cam Cameron - which is too bad, really.
It would have been poetic justice that Cameron's charges become victims of Rob Ninkovich's determination and work ethic.
"Anybody who looks at my story, just work hard and once you get your chance, make the most of it.''
And with the New England Patriots, he is doing just that.
2007 was a difficult year for the second year player from Purdue, as it was for Cameron and all of the 1-15 Miami Dolphins, so Ninkovich wanted to know why he was on the roster, but not allowed to contribute as he was inactive for all but four games.
And Cameron, who was about to get the axe from Dolphins management, pulled no punches with Ninkovich. "I don't think you have the skills."
Bet Cameron would like to have that one back, along with letting Wes Welker escape his losing culture, trading the four-time All Pro to New England prior to that 2007 season...so it's no small wonder why Cameron isn't coaching right now - he may know X's and O's, but he apparently doesn't know much about a player's heart.
But forget about Cameron. He is but a blip on the Dolphins' radar that couldn't evaluate talent, for which Bill Belichick is probably eternally grateful...and Belichick could have thanked him in person this Sunday had he not been fired a month ago from his position as the Baltimore Ravens' offensive coordinator.
Again, small wonder.
Rob Ninkovich was drafted in the 5th round by the New Orleans Saints in 2006, drawing raves and climbing the depth chart in camp and played three regular season games before a knee injury ended his rookie campaign. The following season he again injured his knee, this time in training camp, and was subsequently waived.
After his disappointing tenure with Miami, he returned to the Saints briefly after being signed off the Dolphins' practice squad in December of 2008. Saints' coach Sean Payton told him that his only future in the NFL was as a long snapper, so Ninkovich knew his days were numbered when the Saints signed another long snapper - and he was subsequently released.
His life turning into a revolving door between hope and frustration, Ninkovich signed on with the Patriots during that 2009 camp and the rest, as they say, is part of Patriots' lore.
Wearing number 50 and bearing somewhat of a resemblance, Ninkovich is often compared to former Patriot linebacker Mike Vrabel- which is fair, given their versatility and relentless motors - but their journey to the NFL took decidedly different paths.
While Vrabel was highly recruited out of high school and ended up accepting a scholarship to Ohio State where he starred for 4 years before being selected in the 3rd round of the 1997 draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, playing his professional ball not all that far from his home in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.
In contrast, nobody came to visit Ninkovich. He thought that maybe he could walk on to a college program, but his grades in high school were - well, let's just say he wasn't named valedictorian - so it looked more and more like he was going to be continuing the family tradition of becoming an Iron Worker.
But that was when he got the call that changed the course of his life. NJCAA Hall of Fame coach Bob MacDougall, who was coaching at Joliet Junior College at the time, invited Ninkovich to come and play ball for him - to round out his skills and bring up his grades so he could get into a four-year University.
"He played tight end in high school and was a terrific athlete, so I knew he was destined for something great,'' MacDougall says about his most recognizable former player. "He had great 'stick-to-itiveness.' He's a great example of what junior college is all about.''
And he needed those traits, because Junior College is like the bush leagues - no scholarships, equipment at a premium and had to use his own transportation to get to games.
"Joliet made me appreciate everything." Said Ninkovich, now in his 4th year with New England, "I had my high school pads on, had to buy my cleats, had one pair of gloves for the full season. Drove to practice every day, drove to games. It really just made me hungrier to continue.''
To make sure Rob stayed on the path out of the Iron Works trade, his father put him smack in the middle of it in the break between his freshman and sophomore years, and whether it was being suspended off of a bridge or setting Iron Beams up 20 stories in a downtown Chicago building, his father, Mike, had just one purpose in mind: That his Son finish college.
"It was kind of scary,'' Ninkovich said of working that high off the ground. "But it opened my eyes that I didn't want to be an ironworker the rest of my life.''
Two years and one National Junior Collge Championship later, Ninkovich transferred to Purdue, earning second team all Big Ten honors, an invitation to the East / West Shrine Game and, ultimately, a shot at playing professional football.
All Ninkovich has done is record a team high 8 sacks, forced 5 fumbles and recovered 4 on the season and registered an interception last week against the Texans.
He is under contact with the Patriots through next season, but as versatile as the 6 year veteran is - so versatile in fact that he rarely comes off the field and can play defensive end and outside linebacker, rush the passer or drop into coverage - it would behoove the Patriots' family to get "Nink" signed and wrapped up with a shiny new contract, though Ninkovich isn't worried about that at the moment...he has bigger fish - um, birds - to fry this Sunday, with another American Football Conference Championship at stake.
So right now all he's thinking about is the Baltimore Ravens - Ray Rice and Joe Flacco, but no Cam Cameron - which is too bad, really.
It would have been poetic justice that Cameron's charges become victims of Rob Ninkovich's determination and work ethic.
"Anybody who looks at my story, just work hard and once you get your chance, make the most of it.''
And with the New England Patriots, he is doing just that.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
A little trash talking to get this party started
The helmet logo of the Baltimore Ravens is lame.
Oh, now I've gone and done it - the time for talking is over, 'cause thems fightin' words...
The media war between Boston and Houston area sportswriters all last week occurred because anyone with half a brain knew how this game was going to turn out, and when your team has been slighted as a 9 1/2 point underdog by the oddsmakers - and you know there's no way your team will ever cover the spread - you kind of lose your motivation for anything but tv and beer.
The trash talking this week leading up to Sunday's AFC Championship tilt at Gillette stadium hasn't erupted in a war of words - and it won't because these teams have too much respect for one another to waste each other's time with stupid propaganda. Just practice, film, get your sleep and take care of your body because every ounce of energy you can muster will be required in this heavyweight fight.
One guy did, though. Brendon something or other. He fired off about a half dozen tweets about the Patriots' "Gimmicky" offense. The next day he issued an apology, which no one cared about in the first place - no one asked for an apology, but I'm sure Coach John Harbaugh explained things to him.
Freaking Belichick. Classic Dollar Bill moment from the Texans game - when he was down on a knee preaching to the defense - heard the roar of the crowd, glanced at the jumbo tron to see that Shane Vereen had just caught a lovely pinpoint pass from Tom Brady for a touchdown, then focused back on the players - never stopped coaching.
The whole "Moment" was actually about 3 seconds, about how long it takes to glance up from your sandwich to notice that A.J. McCarron's girlfriend just walked in with Brett Musberger to have a coffee, then shrug and take your next bite - which was about how Belichick looked during the sequence.
Belichick notices everything, though he may not act upon what he's seeing right away, you can be damned sure he has it logged in that filing cabinet in his brain...and that's where you are, Brendon Whats yer name - filed just behind Pittsburgh's Ryan Clark, one of the few who dared call out Belichick - and Bill made sure he had something for him.
Not anything vicious, nothing that was going to hurt him or that would interfere with the flow of the game or get him a penalty - but at some point during the course of the game, somewhere within the flow, he's going to make you look like a fool - and every person in the civilized world and Canada are going watch it happen live.
I'm sure that Coach Harbaugh explained that to you as well.
His plans are so devious that I bet that stuff like that is actually built into the game plan, has a name, maybe like "The Longest Yard" - just so you know that Bill will get you - but only you...
...for the rest of the Baltimore Ravens he has nothing but respect for, and that carries down to every member of the organization and players. These teams have had some classic battles and not even the most power people in sports - the Vegas oddsmakers - have any idea what to expect.
They'll flash that 9 1/2 points around for a while like it was a brand new Rolex, adjust it down to where there's equal money being wagered as the day draws near, and should settle in at game time right around 6 1/2 or 7. Or maybe not, it's been holding firm despite all of the money being laid down on the Patriots to cover that ridiculous spread.
The funny thing is that I'll bet none of the players are thinking about the point spread, nor are the coaches - there's no room for that kind of nonsense when you're playing for a title. It's lace 'em up, strap 'em down and go.
These are the two best teams in the AFC, and they both deserve to be playing for this title.
The Broncos fell apart right before our eyes and that predatory instinct of the Raven took hold, and the fat lady started wailing away - then New England toyed with an outclassed Texans' team before nailing the coffin shut...which brings us back to the trash talking...
So, yeah, the dumb little cartoonish bird on your helmets? Lame. It should have been the sleeve patch of Edgar Allen Poe looking all evil and junk, with a Ravens' beak coming out of his face. That's tough looking, that's like Raider-esque.
But now that I think about it, you logo is tougher than ours. Yours is a menacing looking bird, ours is Elvis...and the only people that the King ever scared was the folks that owned the all you can eat Chinese joint around the corner from Graceland...
...and I stink at trash talking - so just humor me, never mind about our goofy logo and believe me when I say:
Until you change that logo stuff around, ain't nobody going to take you seriously.
Oh, now I've gone and done it - the time for talking is over, 'cause thems fightin' words...
The media war between Boston and Houston area sportswriters all last week occurred because anyone with half a brain knew how this game was going to turn out, and when your team has been slighted as a 9 1/2 point underdog by the oddsmakers - and you know there's no way your team will ever cover the spread - you kind of lose your motivation for anything but tv and beer.
The trash talking this week leading up to Sunday's AFC Championship tilt at Gillette stadium hasn't erupted in a war of words - and it won't because these teams have too much respect for one another to waste each other's time with stupid propaganda. Just practice, film, get your sleep and take care of your body because every ounce of energy you can muster will be required in this heavyweight fight.
One guy did, though. Brendon something or other. He fired off about a half dozen tweets about the Patriots' "Gimmicky" offense. The next day he issued an apology, which no one cared about in the first place - no one asked for an apology, but I'm sure Coach John Harbaugh explained things to him.
Freaking Belichick. Classic Dollar Bill moment from the Texans game - when he was down on a knee preaching to the defense - heard the roar of the crowd, glanced at the jumbo tron to see that Shane Vereen had just caught a lovely pinpoint pass from Tom Brady for a touchdown, then focused back on the players - never stopped coaching.
The whole "Moment" was actually about 3 seconds, about how long it takes to glance up from your sandwich to notice that A.J. McCarron's girlfriend just walked in with Brett Musberger to have a coffee, then shrug and take your next bite - which was about how Belichick looked during the sequence.
Belichick notices everything, though he may not act upon what he's seeing right away, you can be damned sure he has it logged in that filing cabinet in his brain...and that's where you are, Brendon Whats yer name - filed just behind Pittsburgh's Ryan Clark, one of the few who dared call out Belichick - and Bill made sure he had something for him.
Not anything vicious, nothing that was going to hurt him or that would interfere with the flow of the game or get him a penalty - but at some point during the course of the game, somewhere within the flow, he's going to make you look like a fool - and every person in the civilized world and Canada are going watch it happen live.
I'm sure that Coach Harbaugh explained that to you as well.
His plans are so devious that I bet that stuff like that is actually built into the game plan, has a name, maybe like "The Longest Yard" - just so you know that Bill will get you - but only you...
...for the rest of the Baltimore Ravens he has nothing but respect for, and that carries down to every member of the organization and players. These teams have had some classic battles and not even the most power people in sports - the Vegas oddsmakers - have any idea what to expect.
They'll flash that 9 1/2 points around for a while like it was a brand new Rolex, adjust it down to where there's equal money being wagered as the day draws near, and should settle in at game time right around 6 1/2 or 7. Or maybe not, it's been holding firm despite all of the money being laid down on the Patriots to cover that ridiculous spread.
The funny thing is that I'll bet none of the players are thinking about the point spread, nor are the coaches - there's no room for that kind of nonsense when you're playing for a title. It's lace 'em up, strap 'em down and go.
These are the two best teams in the AFC, and they both deserve to be playing for this title.
The Broncos fell apart right before our eyes and that predatory instinct of the Raven took hold, and the fat lady started wailing away - then New England toyed with an outclassed Texans' team before nailing the coffin shut...which brings us back to the trash talking...
So, yeah, the dumb little cartoonish bird on your helmets? Lame. It should have been the sleeve patch of Edgar Allen Poe looking all evil and junk, with a Ravens' beak coming out of his face. That's tough looking, that's like Raider-esque.
But now that I think about it, you logo is tougher than ours. Yours is a menacing looking bird, ours is Elvis...and the only people that the King ever scared was the folks that owned the all you can eat Chinese joint around the corner from Graceland...
...and I stink at trash talking - so just humor me, never mind about our goofy logo and believe me when I say:
Until you change that logo stuff around, ain't nobody going to take you seriously.
Secondary a priority, these are not the Week 3 Patriots
The drama and tension in last season's AFC Championship game was so thick, it was as if Edgar Allen Poe had penned the script himself.
And why not? After all, wasn't he the master of macabre irony?
And isn't it the least bit ironic that the two players involved in the pivotal play of that game - Cornerback Sterling Moore and Ravens' Wide Receiver Lee Evans - are nevermore...
...at least not with these teams - but these teams are more or less intact from their Title clash last January, the veterans a year older and the youngsters a year wiser - with the greatest difference on either team being a would-be castoff that has helped transform a Patriots secondary from something desolate and terrible to championship caliber, just as fearsome a group as the aging Ravens' vanquishers.
Aqib Talib is brash, a side-effect of confident defiance. The deal that Bill Belichick made with Tampa Bay to acquire the troubled - perhaps immature - yet supremely talented cornerback highlighted not only the desperation of the Patriots, but also the desire of the Buccaneers to get some sort of value for the former 1st round draft pick, who was under suspension from the league at the time of the deal.
Some were wary of the deal, others cautiously optimistic. The price that the Patriots paid for Talib - a 4th round draft pick in the upcoming 2013 draft - could easily be compensated through the Supplemental draft had Talib continued down a path of delinquency, plus they took Tampa's 7th round pick, something that I wrote was "Advantage Patriots - no matter which way the door swings" in regard to his behavior.
But it's been so far, so good with the Kansas State product - and his impact has been everything the Patriots had hoped for, and then some.
His stat line doesn't begin to tell the tale.
Talib is physical, he is brash and trusts his instincts and football IQ. In fact his meager looking statistics are a suggestion of how much respect Patriots opponents have for his abilities. He isn't afraid of contact, as his collision with Houston's Arian Foster in the Division round will attest, and has the hips and drive, the length and speed to take chances and be able to recover if he guesses wrong.
"He is a great corner. He is a playmaker," said wide receiver Torrey Smith, who had his way with Denver's Champ Bailey on Saturday, and will face Talib this Sunday, "He is more of a man-coverage guy, but they kind of do more zone stuff up there. I'm sure he is versatile and can do a little bit of both. It will be a nice challenge for us."
Before his arrival, Belichick was shuffling things around constantly in the secondary. He brought in former Charger Steve Gregory to team with Patrick Chung as the starting safeties, then drafted Tavon Wilson as his nickle safety - but Chung slumped and he and Gregory were injured and out for several games early in the season...
...and when Belichick tried to compensate by throwing Wilson and fellow rookie Nate Ebner back as the last line of defense for the Patriots, it lasted exactly one game as the Seattle Seahawks took advantage of the inexperience and burned them on a game winning touchdown bomb as Sidney Rice easily split the inexperienced duo for an easy grab and a one point Seahawk victory.
Two weeks later, after coaching up his young safeties, Belichick tried it again and the St. Louis Rams burned them again with the exact same play - on their first drive of the game - and that was the impetus that started the process of bringing Talib to New England.
Once clear of the suspension for ingesting a banned substance - Talib was forced to miss the week 10 game against Buffalo before being eligible to return the following week - his presence instantly yielded results and allowed cornerback Devin McCourty to play his more natural Free Safety position, shifting Gregory to the Strong Safety and relegating Chung to the dime safety spot, essentially buried on the depth chart.
But bringing in Talib was only part of the solution in the secondary. With McCourty shifting to the back end where he excels, it left the corner opposite Talib to Kyle Arrington who was burnt so many times by the opposition's #2 receivers that he found his way to the bench in favor of 7th round draft pick Alfonzo Dennard, another talented young corner saddled with legal hassles.
Dennard's evolution to a legitimate man corner in the few weeks that followed was just that much more impressive, given that teams were steering clear of Talib and targeting him...and his play has caused many an expert to gush in regard to Dennard as clearly being the steal of the draft.
Dennard was a first round talent coming out of Nebraska, ye saw his stock and margin for error drop to nothing after he slugged a cop in the midst of a bar fight just weeks before the draft - which scared off every other team, but Belichick said he was comfortable that Dennard, and felt that the incident "Isn't who he is", and when he was still on the board as an afterthought, Belichick nabbed him.
Dennard's and Talib's body of work with the Patriots are very small samples, scientifically speaking, but there is enough evidence in the samples to suggest that this is a corner tandem that has the ability to shut down a passing game, particularly with ball hawks McCourty and Gregory roaming the back end and lending a hand.
This is clearly not the same secondary that Joe Flacco and Torey Smith took behind the barn in Week 3 - in fact, both of these teams have evolved to being the two best teams in the American Football Conference, which their presence on the turf at Gillette Stadium this coming Sunday night will attest.
On that night, the Ravens proved to be the better team by a disputed field goal on the final play of the game...ominously ironic given that New England was the better team last January, that time by a missed field goal.
Recent history has shown us that, on any given Sunday, these teams are no better than each other, other than a field goal either way - so somethings gotta give...
...but chances are this time it's not going to be the Patriots secondary.
And why not? After all, wasn't he the master of macabre irony?
And isn't it the least bit ironic that the two players involved in the pivotal play of that game - Cornerback Sterling Moore and Ravens' Wide Receiver Lee Evans - are nevermore...
...at least not with these teams - but these teams are more or less intact from their Title clash last January, the veterans a year older and the youngsters a year wiser - with the greatest difference on either team being a would-be castoff that has helped transform a Patriots secondary from something desolate and terrible to championship caliber, just as fearsome a group as the aging Ravens' vanquishers.
Aqib Talib is brash, a side-effect of confident defiance. The deal that Bill Belichick made with Tampa Bay to acquire the troubled - perhaps immature - yet supremely talented cornerback highlighted not only the desperation of the Patriots, but also the desire of the Buccaneers to get some sort of value for the former 1st round draft pick, who was under suspension from the league at the time of the deal.
Some were wary of the deal, others cautiously optimistic. The price that the Patriots paid for Talib - a 4th round draft pick in the upcoming 2013 draft - could easily be compensated through the Supplemental draft had Talib continued down a path of delinquency, plus they took Tampa's 7th round pick, something that I wrote was "Advantage Patriots - no matter which way the door swings" in regard to his behavior.
But it's been so far, so good with the Kansas State product - and his impact has been everything the Patriots had hoped for, and then some.
His stat line doesn't begin to tell the tale.
Talib is physical, he is brash and trusts his instincts and football IQ. In fact his meager looking statistics are a suggestion of how much respect Patriots opponents have for his abilities. He isn't afraid of contact, as his collision with Houston's Arian Foster in the Division round will attest, and has the hips and drive, the length and speed to take chances and be able to recover if he guesses wrong.
"He is a great corner. He is a playmaker," said wide receiver Torrey Smith, who had his way with Denver's Champ Bailey on Saturday, and will face Talib this Sunday, "He is more of a man-coverage guy, but they kind of do more zone stuff up there. I'm sure he is versatile and can do a little bit of both. It will be a nice challenge for us."
Before his arrival, Belichick was shuffling things around constantly in the secondary. He brought in former Charger Steve Gregory to team with Patrick Chung as the starting safeties, then drafted Tavon Wilson as his nickle safety - but Chung slumped and he and Gregory were injured and out for several games early in the season...
...and when Belichick tried to compensate by throwing Wilson and fellow rookie Nate Ebner back as the last line of defense for the Patriots, it lasted exactly one game as the Seattle Seahawks took advantage of the inexperience and burned them on a game winning touchdown bomb as Sidney Rice easily split the inexperienced duo for an easy grab and a one point Seahawk victory.
Two weeks later, after coaching up his young safeties, Belichick tried it again and the St. Louis Rams burned them again with the exact same play - on their first drive of the game - and that was the impetus that started the process of bringing Talib to New England.
Once clear of the suspension for ingesting a banned substance - Talib was forced to miss the week 10 game against Buffalo before being eligible to return the following week - his presence instantly yielded results and allowed cornerback Devin McCourty to play his more natural Free Safety position, shifting Gregory to the Strong Safety and relegating Chung to the dime safety spot, essentially buried on the depth chart.
But bringing in Talib was only part of the solution in the secondary. With McCourty shifting to the back end where he excels, it left the corner opposite Talib to Kyle Arrington who was burnt so many times by the opposition's #2 receivers that he found his way to the bench in favor of 7th round draft pick Alfonzo Dennard, another talented young corner saddled with legal hassles.
Dennard's evolution to a legitimate man corner in the few weeks that followed was just that much more impressive, given that teams were steering clear of Talib and targeting him...and his play has caused many an expert to gush in regard to Dennard as clearly being the steal of the draft.
Dennard was a first round talent coming out of Nebraska, ye saw his stock and margin for error drop to nothing after he slugged a cop in the midst of a bar fight just weeks before the draft - which scared off every other team, but Belichick said he was comfortable that Dennard, and felt that the incident "Isn't who he is", and when he was still on the board as an afterthought, Belichick nabbed him.
Dennard's and Talib's body of work with the Patriots are very small samples, scientifically speaking, but there is enough evidence in the samples to suggest that this is a corner tandem that has the ability to shut down a passing game, particularly with ball hawks McCourty and Gregory roaming the back end and lending a hand.
This is clearly not the same secondary that Joe Flacco and Torey Smith took behind the barn in Week 3 - in fact, both of these teams have evolved to being the two best teams in the American Football Conference, which their presence on the turf at Gillette Stadium this coming Sunday night will attest.
On that night, the Ravens proved to be the better team by a disputed field goal on the final play of the game...ominously ironic given that New England was the better team last January, that time by a missed field goal.
Recent history has shown us that, on any given Sunday, these teams are no better than each other, other than a field goal either way - so somethings gotta give...
...but chances are this time it's not going to be the Patriots secondary.
Frigid Temps, wind await Ravens in Foxboro
If revenge is indeed a dish best served cold, then Gillette Stadium will feel like a 5 star restaurant to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night.
The National Weather Service is forecasting clear skies and temperatures in the low teens at kickoff when the Ravens and New England Patriots meet in the AFC Championship Game.
Winds will be from the Northwest at around 15 miles per hour making the air temperature feel more like single digits. Also, the wind velocity and direction dictate that it would be most advantagous for the Patriots to be driving toward the south end zone in the 4th quarter of a close game.
The Ravens lost to the Patriots in last year's AFC Title game, also played in Foxboro at Gillette.
This game marks the first time that the same two opponents have met in consecutive conference championship games since the Broncos and Browns met after the 1986 and 1987 seasons - and the first time that the tilt has been played at the same location against the same opponant since the Steelers and Oilers squared off at Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium following the 1878 and 1979 seasons.
For the record, the Broncos and Steelers both swept those respective games.
The Ravens exacted some revenge earlier this season, beating the Patriots on a warm night in Baltimore clear back in September, but it's clearly not the same as dethroning the defending champions on their home field on a frigid night in January...
The National Weather Service is forecasting clear skies and temperatures in the low teens at kickoff when the Ravens and New England Patriots meet in the AFC Championship Game.
Winds will be from the Northwest at around 15 miles per hour making the air temperature feel more like single digits. Also, the wind velocity and direction dictate that it would be most advantagous for the Patriots to be driving toward the south end zone in the 4th quarter of a close game.
The Ravens lost to the Patriots in last year's AFC Title game, also played in Foxboro at Gillette.
This game marks the first time that the same two opponents have met in consecutive conference championship games since the Broncos and Browns met after the 1986 and 1987 seasons - and the first time that the tilt has been played at the same location against the same opponant since the Steelers and Oilers squared off at Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium following the 1878 and 1979 seasons.
For the record, the Broncos and Steelers both swept those respective games.
The Ravens exacted some revenge earlier this season, beating the Patriots on a warm night in Baltimore clear back in September, but it's clearly not the same as dethroning the defending champions on their home field on a frigid night in January...
Monday, January 14, 2013
Dynastic, charmed Patriots honored to host AFC Title Game
The planets are aligned, the tomato cans are on the shelf and the New England Patriots are hosting the AFC Championship game.
Everything is the way it should be...
Everything is the way we expect it to be. We are charmed, us Patriots' fans...I hesitate to call it being spoiled for the simple fact that there are those of us old enough feel like we've paid our emotional dues - and then some. But it doesn't mean we shouldn't appreciate what these guys do consistently day in and day out.
Even the players aren't immune to taking this dynasty for granted.
"As a guy two years in the league, I guess I just assume it happens every year." Patriots tackle Nate Solder, who is heading to his second straight AFC title game, said Sunday, "But I know that's not the case."
The Patriots are going to be playing in their seventh American Football Conference Championship Game since 2001.
Think about that for a moment: Bill Belichick has led this franchise to seven title games in 12 years - and of the six they've already played in their record is 5-1, with the lone loss to the Peyton Manning led Colts, overcoming a 21-3 deficit to beat the Patriots in Indianapolis.
They have won 11 division titles in that span and have gone on the play the National Football Conference Champion in the Super Bowl five times, toting a Lombardi Trophy out after three of them. But after all of that success, does playing in this game ever become mundane, jaded?
Not according to Belichick. Moments like this are what he lives for.
"Of course we’re excited to be heading into the AFC Championship Game against the Ravens." Belichick said on Monday, "It’s a great honor, really, to participate in the game."
The only season that they did not win an at least an AFC East title was in 2008 when Bernard Pollard snapped Tom Brady's knee-guts and Belichick somehow willed Matt Cassell to win 11 games, but they lost out on the title by virtue of tie-breaker.
Along the way there's been interference by lady luck, no less than two Mannings always trying to take stuff away from Brady, and something called a "Mangini"...
But just as charmed as we fans unwittingly are, this Patriots' team may be even more so.
No? Need anyone be reminded that this train became derailed almost as soon as it left the station, suffering a two game slide before turning their season around in a fierce come from behind overtime victory over the New York Jets - in that game the Patriots fell behind late when suddenly it was as if someone flipped a switch, Brady leading drives for field goals to first tie the game then win it in the extra frame for a 4-3 record, cruising from that point.
Then around Halloween the team made a serious, desperation move to bring in veteran corner Aqib Talib from Tampa Bay - a move coupled with the rise of rookie Alfonzo Dennard that allowed Devin McCourty to move to safety and the Patriots' leaky secondary suddenly became solidified and potent.
At the beginning of December they were 9-3 coming out of a tough road win in Miami. Rob Gronkowski had broken his left forearm two weeks earlier, and they were going to be without his services for at least another 3 to 4, and had the 11-1 Houston Texans coming in to Foxboro for a Sunday night Showdown.
As they had the previous two weeks, they had adapted and gone on about the business of winning - opening a 42-14 can of beatdown on the Texans, a loss so profound for Houston that it became the impetus of a slide so steep that their grip on the #1 seed in the conference evaporated by years' end...
...a horrible first half against San Francisco ensued, but once the Patriots were down by a 31-3 count early in the second half, New England's offense ripped off 28 points in the blink of an eye, and though they lost that game, that scoring burst gave pause to many a defensive coordinator because it confirmed the existing body of evidence that suggested that no lead was safe, and that it's merely a matter of time before Brady goes off on your defense.
Walk-through efforts against Jacksonville and Miami closed out the regular season, and as the clock ticked down on the 28-0 shutout of the Dolphins, the Patriots had taken Houston's first round bye, something that seemed like an impossibility after the loss to San Francisco - two weeks of healing and honing later they took on and whipped those same Texans in the conference semi-finals...
...Denver's loss to the Baltimore Ravens elevating New England to the highest remaining seed in the AFC and, as a result, will host those Baltimore Ravens in Sunday night's AFC Title tilt.
So, the Patriots evolved from what appeared to be a jaded 3-3 team with a swiss cheese secondary and a beat up pro bowl Tight End that was going nowhere fast to a charmed 12-4 squad with a championship caliber defense and another beat up Pro Bowl Tight End that suddenly found itself hosting the AFC Championship Game.
Whether you'd call that charmed, lucky or just plain good, the fact is that they are here and hosting the only other team in the conference that should be on the field Sunday night.
Hopefully the Patriots are charmed, lucky and good enough to get to another Super Bowl.
Everything is the way it should be...
Everything is the way we expect it to be. We are charmed, us Patriots' fans...I hesitate to call it being spoiled for the simple fact that there are those of us old enough feel like we've paid our emotional dues - and then some. But it doesn't mean we shouldn't appreciate what these guys do consistently day in and day out.
Even the players aren't immune to taking this dynasty for granted.
"As a guy two years in the league, I guess I just assume it happens every year." Patriots tackle Nate Solder, who is heading to his second straight AFC title game, said Sunday, "But I know that's not the case."
The Patriots are going to be playing in their seventh American Football Conference Championship Game since 2001.
Think about that for a moment: Bill Belichick has led this franchise to seven title games in 12 years - and of the six they've already played in their record is 5-1, with the lone loss to the Peyton Manning led Colts, overcoming a 21-3 deficit to beat the Patriots in Indianapolis.
They have won 11 division titles in that span and have gone on the play the National Football Conference Champion in the Super Bowl five times, toting a Lombardi Trophy out after three of them. But after all of that success, does playing in this game ever become mundane, jaded?
Not according to Belichick. Moments like this are what he lives for.
"Of course we’re excited to be heading into the AFC Championship Game against the Ravens." Belichick said on Monday, "It’s a great honor, really, to participate in the game."
The only season that they did not win an at least an AFC East title was in 2008 when Bernard Pollard snapped Tom Brady's knee-guts and Belichick somehow willed Matt Cassell to win 11 games, but they lost out on the title by virtue of tie-breaker.
Along the way there's been interference by lady luck, no less than two Mannings always trying to take stuff away from Brady, and something called a "Mangini"...
But just as charmed as we fans unwittingly are, this Patriots' team may be even more so.
No? Need anyone be reminded that this train became derailed almost as soon as it left the station, suffering a two game slide before turning their season around in a fierce come from behind overtime victory over the New York Jets - in that game the Patriots fell behind late when suddenly it was as if someone flipped a switch, Brady leading drives for field goals to first tie the game then win it in the extra frame for a 4-3 record, cruising from that point.
Then around Halloween the team made a serious, desperation move to bring in veteran corner Aqib Talib from Tampa Bay - a move coupled with the rise of rookie Alfonzo Dennard that allowed Devin McCourty to move to safety and the Patriots' leaky secondary suddenly became solidified and potent.
At the beginning of December they were 9-3 coming out of a tough road win in Miami. Rob Gronkowski had broken his left forearm two weeks earlier, and they were going to be without his services for at least another 3 to 4, and had the 11-1 Houston Texans coming in to Foxboro for a Sunday night Showdown.
As they had the previous two weeks, they had adapted and gone on about the business of winning - opening a 42-14 can of beatdown on the Texans, a loss so profound for Houston that it became the impetus of a slide so steep that their grip on the #1 seed in the conference evaporated by years' end...
...a horrible first half against San Francisco ensued, but once the Patriots were down by a 31-3 count early in the second half, New England's offense ripped off 28 points in the blink of an eye, and though they lost that game, that scoring burst gave pause to many a defensive coordinator because it confirmed the existing body of evidence that suggested that no lead was safe, and that it's merely a matter of time before Brady goes off on your defense.
Walk-through efforts against Jacksonville and Miami closed out the regular season, and as the clock ticked down on the 28-0 shutout of the Dolphins, the Patriots had taken Houston's first round bye, something that seemed like an impossibility after the loss to San Francisco - two weeks of healing and honing later they took on and whipped those same Texans in the conference semi-finals...
...Denver's loss to the Baltimore Ravens elevating New England to the highest remaining seed in the AFC and, as a result, will host those Baltimore Ravens in Sunday night's AFC Title tilt.
So, the Patriots evolved from what appeared to be a jaded 3-3 team with a swiss cheese secondary and a beat up pro bowl Tight End that was going nowhere fast to a charmed 12-4 squad with a championship caliber defense and another beat up Pro Bowl Tight End that suddenly found itself hosting the AFC Championship Game.
Whether you'd call that charmed, lucky or just plain good, the fact is that they are here and hosting the only other team in the conference that should be on the field Sunday night.
Hopefully the Patriots are charmed, lucky and good enough to get to another Super Bowl.
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