As soon as the regular season ended, changes started coming all around the league. Black Monday was a busy day in the NFL world, as several head coaches, general managers, and coordinators lost their jobs. Three days into this busy time of the year, it was announced that Bills' head coach Doug Marrone has opted out of his contract. The Bills have failed to reach the playoffs the past 2 seasons under Marrone. This season, they went 9-7 and were in the running to make the playoffs as a wildcard, but negated that chance after losing to Oakland in week 16. While they didn't fulfill their ultimate goal, playing into the postseason, 9-7 is an improvement. Many people credit this improvement to Doug Marrone, but I give just as much, if not more credit to defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz. Did you see Buffalo's defense, this season??
With Marrone gone, and probably taking most of the coaching staff with him, who becomes the new head coach in Buffalo? My vote as a football fan in general, is Jim Schwartz. I love the guy. My vote as a diehard Patriots fan, knowing we play them twice a year, almost anyone but Jim Schwartz. But when I write about other teams than the Patriots, I try to be as unbiased as possible, and just view things from a football-nerd standpoint. Personally, I think Schwartz would be a great person to take on this role. I know many people will go back to his days as HC of the Lions and make the argument that if he couldn't win there, he won't win in Buffalo, either. But I disagree. Again, just look at what he's done with the Bills' defense in ONE season. Imagine what their defense will look like next season, and the season after that. Good...scary good if you're a Pats fan. After all, defense wins championships. With an NFL caliber quarterback (even better if he has some experience in the league), and a solid offensive coordinator, the Bills could almost immediately become a top 12 team. Pick a good head coach and they become a legitimate threat in not just the AFC East, but the entire AFC.
As of now, Buffalo has no head coach, no quarterback, and no first-round picks in this years draft. That's not much of a draw for potential head coaching candidates. So if I'm the Bills, I'm looking at Chargers OC, Frank Reich (which they are), or Jim Schwartz. And now that I think about it, Reich and Schwartz could turn out to be a scary-duo; one of the best defensive-minds in football and a good, offensive-minded HC, who's already proven he can be successful in the NFL. Bills fans should be excited about the potential opportunities that await.
As always, GO PATS.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Regular Season Finale
It's not often that I exhale and say "FINALLY" when a Patriots game ends, but today was one of those days. Again, I know this game meant absolutely nothing as far as the playoffs go, but for me (and Bill and Brady, I'm sure), how we played today says a lot as we head into the postseason. It was another slow start, all around; Revis allowing the 43-yard completion to Watkins, hardly any pass rush until mid-second quarter, the absolutely frustrating offense, and the pitiful offensive line performance...just a brief summary.
77% of Pats fans on Twitter: "we don't need to worry. We have a ton of starters on the bench, today."
You could maybe make that case offensively, but defensively? Ehh. Revis, Collins, Chandler Jones, Nink, Wilfork, and McCourty, and Ryan all played in the first half. Heading into halftime, we trailed 17-6. Over the past 5 games, our defense had allowed only ONE red zone touchdown. Today, we allowed 2 in the first half, alone. I'm not freaking out, nor do I feel like we should be, but I do think our defense needs to be revamped before our first playoff game. Back to the shutdown, physical, dominant defense we got so used to seeing during our 7 game win streak, please.
On the other side of the ball, it's bad when field goals are the only points you can put up. It's worse when it's week 17, too. We didn't have Jules, Gronk, Gray, Connolly, or Vollmer, which does make a huge difference, but ever since the loss to Green Bay, our offense has noticeably struggled. And it all starts with the offensive line. The lack of pass protection and inability to block for our running backs is hurting us, just like it did in the first four games of the season. Hopefully we use the bye week to our advantage. Whatever the Pats did after the blowout loss to Kansas City, do it again. The best way to start our playoff run would be a dominant performance like we put on against Cinci. We're the #1 seed (thankfully), but we still have a long way to go and a lot to work on.
Two wins at home and we're headed to the Super Bowl. Another repeat of today's game, and we'll be watching the Super Bowl from home, instead of playing in it. Starting from Belichick, down to McDaniels and Patricia, to Brady & co, everyone has to do better. I believe they will, because I know how bad they want it. A frustrated, pissed off, postseason Brady? I like it.
We're on to the playoffs.
Go Pats.
77% of Pats fans on Twitter: "we don't need to worry. We have a ton of starters on the bench, today."
You could maybe make that case offensively, but defensively? Ehh. Revis, Collins, Chandler Jones, Nink, Wilfork, and McCourty, and Ryan all played in the first half. Heading into halftime, we trailed 17-6. Over the past 5 games, our defense had allowed only ONE red zone touchdown. Today, we allowed 2 in the first half, alone. I'm not freaking out, nor do I feel like we should be, but I do think our defense needs to be revamped before our first playoff game. Back to the shutdown, physical, dominant defense we got so used to seeing during our 7 game win streak, please.
On the other side of the ball, it's bad when field goals are the only points you can put up. It's worse when it's week 17, too. We didn't have Jules, Gronk, Gray, Connolly, or Vollmer, which does make a huge difference, but ever since the loss to Green Bay, our offense has noticeably struggled. And it all starts with the offensive line. The lack of pass protection and inability to block for our running backs is hurting us, just like it did in the first four games of the season. Hopefully we use the bye week to our advantage. Whatever the Pats did after the blowout loss to Kansas City, do it again. The best way to start our playoff run would be a dominant performance like we put on against Cinci. We're the #1 seed (thankfully), but we still have a long way to go and a lot to work on.
Two wins at home and we're headed to the Super Bowl. Another repeat of today's game, and we'll be watching the Super Bowl from home, instead of playing in it. Starting from Belichick, down to McDaniels and Patricia, to Brady & co, everyone has to do better. I believe they will, because I know how bad they want it. A frustrated, pissed off, postseason Brady? I like it.
We're on to the playoffs.
Go Pats.
Quick Thoughts: Week 17
Still having a really hard time believing this is the last week of the regular season...
But since it is...
Tomorrow we find out who's in and who's out of the playoffs. Pretty much everything is up for grabs except the #1 seed in the AFC (go Pats!). Other than that, it's anybody's guess how the playoffs will look. We can all take some pretty educated guesses and get a pretty good idea. I mean, for Denver to lock up the #2 seed, all they need is either a win (which they play Oakland so...) or a Cincinnati loss or tie. I'd just go ahead and make a wild pick that the Broncos get the highly coveted first round bye, locking in at #2 in the AFC. As for the NFC, well this one's a little more complicated. Especially since the #1 seed is literally anybody's for the taking. My guess would be Seattle takes the top spot, but I would love to be wrong on that.
My take:
Out of the eight week 17 games in the AFC, seven of those impact the playoff picture. The one that doesn't? Bills @ Pats. New England has nothing to gain and nothing to lose from the game. Really the only thing they could lose is a healthy player. I do expect to see TB12 on the field Sunday for the regular season finale, but hopefully only for a quarter. Same goes for guys like Revis, McCourty, Wilfork, Chan95, Edelman, Vereen, Gronk and a few others. Obviously, some starters have to play, but resting our key players for most of the game is the way to go. This game doesn't mean anything for the Patriots, but who doesn't want to close out the season with a win?
As always, go Patriots.
But since it is...
Tomorrow we find out who's in and who's out of the playoffs. Pretty much everything is up for grabs except the #1 seed in the AFC (go Pats!). Other than that, it's anybody's guess how the playoffs will look. We can all take some pretty educated guesses and get a pretty good idea. I mean, for Denver to lock up the #2 seed, all they need is either a win (which they play Oakland so...) or a Cincinnati loss or tie. I'd just go ahead and make a wild pick that the Broncos get the highly coveted first round bye, locking in at #2 in the AFC. As for the NFC, well this one's a little more complicated. Especially since the #1 seed is literally anybody's for the taking. My guess would be Seattle takes the top spot, but I would love to be wrong on that.
My take:
AFC NFC
New England
|
Seattle
|
Denver
|
Detroit
|
Cincinnati
|
Dallas
|
Indianapolis
|
Carolina
|
Pittsburgh
|
Arizona
|
San Diego
|
Green Bay
|
Out of the eight week 17 games in the AFC, seven of those impact the playoff picture. The one that doesn't? Bills @ Pats. New England has nothing to gain and nothing to lose from the game. Really the only thing they could lose is a healthy player. I do expect to see TB12 on the field Sunday for the regular season finale, but hopefully only for a quarter. Same goes for guys like Revis, McCourty, Wilfork, Chan95, Edelman, Vereen, Gronk and a few others. Obviously, some starters have to play, but resting our key players for most of the game is the way to go. This game doesn't mean anything for the Patriots, but who doesn't want to close out the season with a win?
As always, go Patriots.
Friday, December 26, 2014
Offseason Business
I know, I know. We still have a lot of football left to play. Who's thinking ahead to March already? *slowly raises hand*
I know we still have one game left to play in the regular season and then the post-season (which I hope carries into February for us :P), but the Patriots' executives are already looking ahead to the offseason. Every offseason brings new demands. As we all know, the Patriots aren't usually very big spenders. Over time, you kind of (have to) get used it. After all, at the end of the day, the NFL is a business. Sometimes, okay a lot of the time, fans get too "emotionally attached" to players, who eventually wind up leaving, for whatever reasons. That's what happened to me with Welker. He was the player that got me so interested in football. I always tell the story of how I remember watching his final game as a Dolphin, his first game as a Patriot, and every game since. He was my absolute favorite player (but that changed after his suspension for PEDs). While most fans would love for their respective teams to bring back nearly every player season after season, that will simply never happen...whether it's due to failure to reach an agreement on a contract/salary or behind-the-scenes issues and disagreements.
This offseason, the Patriots have plenty of work to do. First and absolutely foremost, get Revis resigned. I know he's technically signed through next season, but there is no way the Pats are picking up his $20 million option. His deal also prevents the Patriots from being able to franchise tag him. If he's allowed to test to the market, he's more than likely gone. So as soon as New England's season comes to a close (no rush, though!), both sides need to lock themselves in a room, and get a multi-year deal done. Second matter of business: locking up McCourty for a few seasons. He wants to stay in New England, and most everyone on the Patriots' side (fans, execs, Coach, and teammates) want him back, as well...ehh, except for my grandpa but that's another post, for another day.
Biggest offseason needs, whether they're addressed via free agency or the draft:
> a replacement for Nate Solder. Because in my opinion, he. is. gone.
> we still need to find that solid, #2 tight end. Gronk has been fantastic this year, but when he's banged up or an opposing defense manages to make him a non-factor, we're back to just our ground game and Jules or LaFell. We still don't use Tim Wright enough. Maybe he still hasn't fully grasped the playbook yet, maybe Brady and/or McDaniels don't trust him enough, yet - who knows. But signing another tight end to take some of the load off of Gronk would be in everyone's favor.
> Resign Shane Vereen. I think his versatility is more valuable to our offense than a lot of people realize. He's not the strongest tuck-it-and-run-up-the-middle-runner, but hey, he was never supposed to be. He's primarily a third-down back, and is great at catching passes out of the backfield, for short yardage gains. That may have made it sound too simple, but without Shane Vereen these past 2 seasons, I don't even want to think about where we would be.
> Bring back Dan Connolly. After all of the offensive line issues we've had to endure this season, I don't even want to think about this same unit, minus Dan Connolly. That's just scary. It's going to be hard to sell me on the idea of letting Connolly walk and bringing in someone new, yet again.
> Resign Gostowski. I think this one definitely happens. Unless Gostowski wants too much or the Patriots are just too cheap. But they have to acknowledge that over the past few seasons, Gost has earned a pretty nice contract.
> Belichick and staff need to decide whether or not they believe in Gray and Blount to permanently (and successfully) fill the RB position, from here on out and over the next couple seasons. If not, I'm on board with signing Stevan Ridley to a one-year, "prove it" deal.
> adding one more wide receiver to Brady's arsenal. Someone like Edelman and somewhat like Amendola, except more durable... Devon Wylie comes to mind.
> to be very general, the entire offensive line is the unit that needs to be reevaluated and addressed, most. Stick with Connolly-Stork-Wendell-Vollmer as our main guys, and build around that group. This season we've seen a lot of different OLine combinations, partly due to injuries, which is understandable. They play a contact sport, injuries are bound to happen. What's most disappointing/frustrating to me, is our lack of depth when it comes to the offensive line positions. Sure, we have guys to step in and fill the positions when needed; but if they can't do what they're getting paid to do, they're just filling a roster spot, in my opinion.
*will update post later*
As always, go Patriots!
I know we still have one game left to play in the regular season and then the post-season (which I hope carries into February for us :P), but the Patriots' executives are already looking ahead to the offseason. Every offseason brings new demands. As we all know, the Patriots aren't usually very big spenders. Over time, you kind of (have to) get used it. After all, at the end of the day, the NFL is a business. Sometimes, okay a lot of the time, fans get too "emotionally attached" to players, who eventually wind up leaving, for whatever reasons. That's what happened to me with Welker. He was the player that got me so interested in football. I always tell the story of how I remember watching his final game as a Dolphin, his first game as a Patriot, and every game since. He was my absolute favorite player (but that changed after his suspension for PEDs). While most fans would love for their respective teams to bring back nearly every player season after season, that will simply never happen...whether it's due to failure to reach an agreement on a contract/salary or behind-the-scenes issues and disagreements.
This offseason, the Patriots have plenty of work to do. First and absolutely foremost, get Revis resigned. I know he's technically signed through next season, but there is no way the Pats are picking up his $20 million option. His deal also prevents the Patriots from being able to franchise tag him. If he's allowed to test to the market, he's more than likely gone. So as soon as New England's season comes to a close (no rush, though!), both sides need to lock themselves in a room, and get a multi-year deal done. Second matter of business: locking up McCourty for a few seasons. He wants to stay in New England, and most everyone on the Patriots' side (fans, execs, Coach, and teammates) want him back, as well...ehh, except for my grandpa but that's another post, for another day.
Biggest offseason needs, whether they're addressed via free agency or the draft:
> a replacement for Nate Solder. Because in my opinion, he. is. gone.
> we still need to find that solid, #2 tight end. Gronk has been fantastic this year, but when he's banged up or an opposing defense manages to make him a non-factor, we're back to just our ground game and Jules or LaFell. We still don't use Tim Wright enough. Maybe he still hasn't fully grasped the playbook yet, maybe Brady and/or McDaniels don't trust him enough, yet - who knows. But signing another tight end to take some of the load off of Gronk would be in everyone's favor.
> Resign Shane Vereen. I think his versatility is more valuable to our offense than a lot of people realize. He's not the strongest tuck-it-and-run-up-the-middle-runner, but hey, he was never supposed to be. He's primarily a third-down back, and is great at catching passes out of the backfield, for short yardage gains. That may have made it sound too simple, but without Shane Vereen these past 2 seasons, I don't even want to think about where we would be.
> Bring back Dan Connolly. After all of the offensive line issues we've had to endure this season, I don't even want to think about this same unit, minus Dan Connolly. That's just scary. It's going to be hard to sell me on the idea of letting Connolly walk and bringing in someone new, yet again.
> Resign Gostowski. I think this one definitely happens. Unless Gostowski wants too much or the Patriots are just too cheap. But they have to acknowledge that over the past few seasons, Gost has earned a pretty nice contract.
> Belichick and staff need to decide whether or not they believe in Gray and Blount to permanently (and successfully) fill the RB position, from here on out and over the next couple seasons. If not, I'm on board with signing Stevan Ridley to a one-year, "prove it" deal.
> adding one more wide receiver to Brady's arsenal. Someone like Edelman and somewhat like Amendola, except more durable... Devon Wylie comes to mind.
> to be very general, the entire offensive line is the unit that needs to be reevaluated and addressed, most. Stick with Connolly-Stork-Wendell-Vollmer as our main guys, and build around that group. This season we've seen a lot of different OLine combinations, partly due to injuries, which is understandable. They play a contact sport, injuries are bound to happen. What's most disappointing/frustrating to me, is our lack of depth when it comes to the offensive line positions. Sure, we have guys to step in and fill the positions when needed; but if they can't do what they're getting paid to do, they're just filling a roster spot, in my opinion.
*will update post later*
As always, go Patriots!
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Thank you, Cinci!
Monday night was basically an early Christmas present for Pats fans. With the Broncos falling to the Bengals, the Patriots clinched the #1 seed and home field throughout the playoffs. That's right...the road to the Super Bowl officially runs through Foxboro. 'Tis a lovely sound.
Home field advantage is obviously huge, considering what happened when we went to Denver last season for the AFCCG. We won't get into that. But this season, something just feels different. I'm one of the most superstitious people on the planet, so I have to be careful what I say. But, in my honest opinion, I don't think it would've mattered where the Patriots have to play this postseason, whether it was at home or on the road. They want it too bad this year.
Though our last 3 wins haven't been pretty or high-scoring games, we've still shown that we can play and win, despite, well mainly, slow starts and poor offensive line play. The Patriots haven't looked unbeatable the past 3 weeks, and they haven't played bad teams/easy games, either. Honestly, Sundays game against the Jets was a little too close for comfort and could've easily gone either way. But...what matters most is that they pull it together when it really counts, and come away with the win. Sound familiar? Pretty similar to Pats' championship teams of years past, eh? The '03 and '04 seasons, anyone?
On another note, who's ready to see Jimmy Garoppolo in action this week? I'm pretty excited to see how the potential future-face of the Patriots plays against such a good defense. Luckily, we're at home and the game doesn't really matter, thanks to Cinci getting it done on Monday night!
Again, thank you, Bengals. Well done.
As always, GO PATS.
Home field advantage is obviously huge, considering what happened when we went to Denver last season for the AFCCG. We won't get into that. But this season, something just feels different. I'm one of the most superstitious people on the planet, so I have to be careful what I say. But, in my honest opinion, I don't think it would've mattered where the Patriots have to play this postseason, whether it was at home or on the road. They want it too bad this year.
Though our last 3 wins haven't been pretty or high-scoring games, we've still shown that we can play and win, despite, well mainly, slow starts and poor offensive line play. The Patriots haven't looked unbeatable the past 3 weeks, and they haven't played bad teams/easy games, either. Honestly, Sundays game against the Jets was a little too close for comfort and could've easily gone either way. But...what matters most is that they pull it together when it really counts, and come away with the win. Sound familiar? Pretty similar to Pats' championship teams of years past, eh? The '03 and '04 seasons, anyone?
On another note, who's ready to see Jimmy Garoppolo in action this week? I'm pretty excited to see how the potential future-face of the Patriots plays against such a good defense. Luckily, we're at home and the game doesn't really matter, thanks to Cinci getting it done on Monday night!
Again, thank you, Bengals. Well done.
As always, GO PATS.
Monday, December 22, 2014
Just Average
Though I say it sometimes, I usually don't like the saying "a win is a win." But, when we're facing a Rex Ryan coached defense and a team who's dedicated to their coach, I'll gladly accept it.
Sunday's game was kind of mediocre, in my opinion. Offense didn't do anything spectacular and defense played good, not great.
I'm not shocked that we struggled and I'm honestly not surprised that it was a close game. I was kind of shocked at just how close it was, but...I keep reminding myself that the main thing is, we won.
My biggest concern is that for the past few weeks, offense has gotten off to ridiculously slow starts, and really haven't come alive until the second half. Which, thankfully, we've still been able to win, but what happens if this continues into the post-season? We know that we can't wait until the second half to find our rhythm against a high-powered team like Denver, or Pittsburgh, or Indy, or if we get to the big one, a team like Seattle. Hopefully, the offense hasn't peaked already. This is when it really counts and when we need a fast-paced, high-scoring offense the most. We were without Jules and Blount, so that probably had a little to do with it, but there's no excuse for the past few games. Sunday was a horrible day for our offensive line. Brady was sacked 4 times in the first half, alone? Come on, give me a break. That's inexcusable. Not only did they fail to protect Brady, they couldn't block for Gray, Vereen, and Bolden, either. You can say that Brady had an off day. This was certainly not his best performance. I still put most of the blame on the OLine. 70% of Brady's problem was the lack of time he had to throw the ball. Pass protection is so important. Obviously, if the receivers don't have time to run the routes, the play probably isn't going to go too well. And that was the offense's problem for most of the day, Sunday. Brady's interception? Yeah, not a great decision on his part, but not entirely on him. I think he had what, maybe 2.4 seconds until he was swarmed by green jerseys? No wonder Brady was cussing his offensive line out, on the sideline. I can't say I blame him.
With one game left to play in the regular season, now it's time to focus on fixing the agonizingly slow 1st half offense of recent weeks, and staying healthy. It's gotta start with improving the OLine. The main problem earlier this season was Brady's lack of trust in the offensive line. And again, I can't say I blame him. Hopefully Connolly will be good to go from here on out and we can keep our best OLine combination on the field throughout the post-season. That's a big deal. I'd like to see Jules sit out next weeks game; no need to put him out there and risk anything. I believe Blount and Arrington were out today as a precaution, so they should be good to go, just resting up. If Denver loses tomorrow night, then next Sunday's game at home against the Bills should be second-stringers and bench-warmers. We'll see. As Ninkovich said today, "oh yeah, go Bengals." <--- just for tomorrow night only.
The Patriots just looked average for most of the game. Nothing special. Fortunately, it was enough for a win and most importantly, a first-round bye. I have to believe that New England takes things up a notch, come January. Fast paced, no huddle offense and no mercy defense.
Go Pats!
Sunday's game was kind of mediocre, in my opinion. Offense didn't do anything spectacular and defense played good, not great.
I'm not shocked that we struggled and I'm honestly not surprised that it was a close game. I was kind of shocked at just how close it was, but...I keep reminding myself that the main thing is, we won.
My biggest concern is that for the past few weeks, offense has gotten off to ridiculously slow starts, and really haven't come alive until the second half. Which, thankfully, we've still been able to win, but what happens if this continues into the post-season? We know that we can't wait until the second half to find our rhythm against a high-powered team like Denver, or Pittsburgh, or Indy, or if we get to the big one, a team like Seattle. Hopefully, the offense hasn't peaked already. This is when it really counts and when we need a fast-paced, high-scoring offense the most. We were without Jules and Blount, so that probably had a little to do with it, but there's no excuse for the past few games. Sunday was a horrible day for our offensive line. Brady was sacked 4 times in the first half, alone? Come on, give me a break. That's inexcusable. Not only did they fail to protect Brady, they couldn't block for Gray, Vereen, and Bolden, either. You can say that Brady had an off day. This was certainly not his best performance. I still put most of the blame on the OLine. 70% of Brady's problem was the lack of time he had to throw the ball. Pass protection is so important. Obviously, if the receivers don't have time to run the routes, the play probably isn't going to go too well. And that was the offense's problem for most of the day, Sunday. Brady's interception? Yeah, not a great decision on his part, but not entirely on him. I think he had what, maybe 2.4 seconds until he was swarmed by green jerseys? No wonder Brady was cussing his offensive line out, on the sideline. I can't say I blame him.
With one game left to play in the regular season, now it's time to focus on fixing the agonizingly slow 1st half offense of recent weeks, and staying healthy. It's gotta start with improving the OLine. The main problem earlier this season was Brady's lack of trust in the offensive line. And again, I can't say I blame him. Hopefully Connolly will be good to go from here on out and we can keep our best OLine combination on the field throughout the post-season. That's a big deal. I'd like to see Jules sit out next weeks game; no need to put him out there and risk anything. I believe Blount and Arrington were out today as a precaution, so they should be good to go, just resting up. If Denver loses tomorrow night, then next Sunday's game at home against the Bills should be second-stringers and bench-warmers. We'll see. As Ninkovich said today, "oh yeah, go Bengals." <--- just for tomorrow night only.
The Patriots just looked average for most of the game. Nothing special. Fortunately, it was enough for a win and most importantly, a first-round bye. I have to believe that New England takes things up a notch, come January. Fast paced, no huddle offense and no mercy defense.
Go Pats!
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Pats @ Jets
There's really only two games left in the regular season? This season has literally flown by.
I feel like I've said that the Patriots have a lot on the line for every game over the past month. But it's true, they have. And tomorrow's matchup in the Meadowlands is no different.
Last week, the Patriots clinched a playoff spot and won the AFC East, remaining the number one seed in the AFC. If the season ended today, we'd have a first round bye and homefield throughout. Exactly what we want. But, the season doesn't end today...and our last two games won't be easy wins.
Debatably the most talked about storyline this week, has been Rex Ryan vs Belichick for what could be the final time. These two rivals have given us a lot of laughs over the past few seasons. The Jets' season is way past over at this point. But that doesn't mean they're going to just lay down and let us win. We're division rivals, with a long history, and let's face it, we pretty much hate each other. Of course both teams are going to play their hearts out. For some unknown reason, a lot of fans seem to think that this game is a sure win. I honestly cannot understand why or how anyone would think this. Anytime we play the Jets, it's normally a tough game. Other than a few exceptions over the past 4-5 seasons, the games have usually been pretty close, and keep us on the edge of our seats. Seriously, it doesn't matter how bad the Jets' record is, they give New England some trouble. Considering that this is probably Rex Ryan's last game against New England in Jets green, he probably wants to beat us, one more time. And his players want to get him that one more win. Have you noticed that even though they have a losing record, they're last in their division, and they just really haven't had a good season, they still give it everything they've got, week in and week out? That says something about how much love and respect they have for their coach.
In my opinion, tomorrow's game plan should be simple, yet effective play calling. Keeping our players healthy is a definite (and obvious) concern. Since we've already clinched a playoff spot, limiting injuries as best we can and preserving 'special' plays is huge. We already know we'll be without Jules and Blount tomorrow, which, is kind of scary, but in my opinion, this is a great opportunity to test the depth of our roster. Next man up. Ehem, Tyms time to shine? Use that other tight end? It's only Wright. Will Amendola answer our prayers? Okay, enough with the puns, Lauren...
I'm hoping for a monster performance from Jonas Gray, again, tomorrow. Now that he's finally out of the doghouse, I'm sure Pats fans everywhere would love to see him shred the Jets d-line...which is wicked good.
No more interceptions, Tommy. C'mon. This is December. You play your best football in December, remember? Listen, all we're asking for is pinpoint accuracy, touchdowns, a fired up (& healthy) Brady, and a win. Sound good? Alright, good talk.
So defense...basically just keep doing what ya doing. Oh um, Browner, can we aim for let's say, 2 flags at most? Deal.
Defensively, if the Patriots can limit Geno (both passing and running it himself) and stop Percy Harvin and Chris Ivory, then we should be okay. I have a weird, but good feeling about Revis, tomorrow. I don't know, but I think Revis has a huge game against his old team. A pick or two? An absolute shutdown performance? Maybe Bill will even let him live his dream and catch a pass from TB12 and score a touchdown against his former team. Who knows. But I have a feeling...
Onto offense. The Patriots know that the Jets' defense is really good. But I think our offense...is even better. Protect Brady, block for Gray, and use every weapon. Obviously, again, by no means will this be an easy one. But the main goal, is to stay healthy, stay focused, and come away with the win.
As always, Go Pats!
I feel like I've said that the Patriots have a lot on the line for every game over the past month. But it's true, they have. And tomorrow's matchup in the Meadowlands is no different.
Last week, the Patriots clinched a playoff spot and won the AFC East, remaining the number one seed in the AFC. If the season ended today, we'd have a first round bye and homefield throughout. Exactly what we want. But, the season doesn't end today...and our last two games won't be easy wins.
Debatably the most talked about storyline this week, has been Rex Ryan vs Belichick for what could be the final time. These two rivals have given us a lot of laughs over the past few seasons. The Jets' season is way past over at this point. But that doesn't mean they're going to just lay down and let us win. We're division rivals, with a long history, and let's face it, we pretty much hate each other. Of course both teams are going to play their hearts out. For some unknown reason, a lot of fans seem to think that this game is a sure win. I honestly cannot understand why or how anyone would think this. Anytime we play the Jets, it's normally a tough game. Other than a few exceptions over the past 4-5 seasons, the games have usually been pretty close, and keep us on the edge of our seats. Seriously, it doesn't matter how bad the Jets' record is, they give New England some trouble. Considering that this is probably Rex Ryan's last game against New England in Jets green, he probably wants to beat us, one more time. And his players want to get him that one more win. Have you noticed that even though they have a losing record, they're last in their division, and they just really haven't had a good season, they still give it everything they've got, week in and week out? That says something about how much love and respect they have for their coach.
In my opinion, tomorrow's game plan should be simple, yet effective play calling. Keeping our players healthy is a definite (and obvious) concern. Since we've already clinched a playoff spot, limiting injuries as best we can and preserving 'special' plays is huge. We already know we'll be without Jules and Blount tomorrow, which, is kind of scary, but in my opinion, this is a great opportunity to test the depth of our roster. Next man up. Ehem, Tyms time to shine? Use that other tight end? It's only Wright. Will Amendola answer our prayers? Okay, enough with the puns, Lauren...
I'm hoping for a monster performance from Jonas Gray, again, tomorrow. Now that he's finally out of the doghouse, I'm sure Pats fans everywhere would love to see him shred the Jets d-line...which is wicked good.
No more interceptions, Tommy. C'mon. This is December. You play your best football in December, remember? Listen, all we're asking for is pinpoint accuracy, touchdowns, a fired up (& healthy) Brady, and a win. Sound good? Alright, good talk.
So defense...basically just keep doing what ya doing. Oh um, Browner, can we aim for let's say, 2 flags at most? Deal.
Defensively, if the Patriots can limit Geno (both passing and running it himself) and stop Percy Harvin and Chris Ivory, then we should be okay. I have a weird, but good feeling about Revis, tomorrow. I don't know, but I think Revis has a huge game against his old team. A pick or two? An absolute shutdown performance? Maybe Bill will even let him live his dream and catch a pass from TB12 and score a touchdown against his former team. Who knows. But I have a feeling...
Onto offense. The Patriots know that the Jets' defense is really good. But I think our offense...is even better. Protect Brady, block for Gray, and use every weapon. Obviously, again, by no means will this be an easy one. But the main goal, is to stay healthy, stay focused, and come away with the win.
As always, Go Pats!
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Sometimes I write about teams other than the Pats..but not often.
Da Bears? Duhh, Bears? Dumb Bears? Whichever way, really...
Whether they fire Marc Trestman (which they should), release or trade Jay Cutler, or make personnel changes, the Bears are bound to have a busy off season. And since they're officially eliminated from playoff contention, their off season begins in 2 weeks. That might give them just enough time to do some major damage control. One thing about Chicago and it's sports fans, is that they hate losing, with a passion, and want to win. And aside from the Blackhawks, they haven't had much of that lately.
After their off season moves and acquisitions, I, like many people, thought the Bears would have a relatively good season...I had them making the playoffs as a wildcard. Instead, their season couldn't have gone more opposite. You could make the argument that injuries are the reason for this disappointing season (to put it lightly). But it doesn't change their losing record. After all, if you're a good team, with a good coach, and a desire to win, you can overcome injuries; maybe not all of them completely, but better than this. In the NFL, you live and breathe the saying, "next man up."
In my honest opinion, I think this season says more about Trestman and Emery than it does Jay Cutler. And I've never been a Cutler apologist. But benching the man for Jimmy Clausen? C'mon. I remember Clausen in Charlotte. I swear my grandpa has never laughed more in his life. I think he was 1-9 as a starter? Annnnd he hasn't won an NFL game in 4 years. But Marc Trestman is supposedly benching Cutler and starting Clausen to show that "the system is not the problem." You're right coach...the problem is you.
I'm not a Bears fan in the slightest, but I can't help but feel sorry for them after this lackluster season and performance. I miss the old Lovie Smith days. Aside from poor clock management, he was actually a good coach. Jay Cutler was a better quarterback under Smith than he's been with Trestman. Let's be completely honest, the entire offense was performing better (on a consistent basis) with Lovie Smith.
Best for the Bears?
Fire Trestman, Kromer, maybe Emery, and keep Cutler. Give him another season or two.
Potential Coaching candidates:
A more defensive-minded coach might be in their favor.
-Someone like current Seahawks defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn, comes to mind.
-Or Cardinals defensive coordinator, Todd Bowles.
-Though his previous stint as an NFL head coach, failed, pretty miserably I might add, Gregg Schiano might have success in Chicago. Why? Given the talent and depth on the Bears' roster, he would have more to work with than he did in Tampa Bay. The Bears defense is a couple of healthy players (and a good head coach) away from returning to top of the ranks status. Chicago's offense is again, loaded with talent, but lacks leadership. And that's on Cutler and Trestman, as well as offensive coordinator, Aaron Kromer. If I'm a Bears fan, Schiano wouldn't be my first choice, but I wouldn't be completely against it, either.
-Gotta throw Jim Harbaugh's name around here, too. Not much to say here. He had a good run in San Francisco, but now his time has come and gone. My thoughts are that it will be the same story, different team, 3 or 4 years down the road, if he stays in the NFL. He does have a history with Chicago, and could give the Bears a few good seasons. Even if they do somehow land Harbaugh, I can't picture a Super Bowl championship in the next say, 2 years or so. But hey, just a playoff win would be a welcome upgrade at this point.
If the Bears take a different route by getting rid of Cutler and keeping Trestman...
Potential Teams for Jay Cutler:
-the Titans. I think this one makes a lot of sense and I'm actually in favor of it.
-the Rams. St. Louis is a good quarterback away from making serious noise in the NFC. Their defense already does. Putting Cutler in a new system, with a strong defense to bail him out...it might just be meant to be.
-the Bills. I personally don't want a whiny, pissed off Cutler in our division, but hey, it makes sense. The Bills are another team that's a few pieces away from being legit contenders. They already have the defense, and they have some play makers on offense, now they just need, how to put this, well, someone who's not Kyle Orton under center.
-the Texans. Imagine what Bill O'Brien could do with Jay Cutler. He would fix his attitude problem, and he might just be the best mentor/coach that Cutler has ever played for. I know that Trestman is supposedly a quarterback guru, but he hasn't proven that with Cutler. When it comes to Bill O'Brien, he could do it. Give him an experienced quarterback, with a little mobility, and a strong arm, and he could teach him the rest, the mental part of the quarterback position.
I feel weird if I don't end every post with "go Pats", so...
Go Pats!
Whether they fire Marc Trestman (which they should), release or trade Jay Cutler, or make personnel changes, the Bears are bound to have a busy off season. And since they're officially eliminated from playoff contention, their off season begins in 2 weeks. That might give them just enough time to do some major damage control. One thing about Chicago and it's sports fans, is that they hate losing, with a passion, and want to win. And aside from the Blackhawks, they haven't had much of that lately.
After their off season moves and acquisitions, I, like many people, thought the Bears would have a relatively good season...I had them making the playoffs as a wildcard. Instead, their season couldn't have gone more opposite. You could make the argument that injuries are the reason for this disappointing season (to put it lightly). But it doesn't change their losing record. After all, if you're a good team, with a good coach, and a desire to win, you can overcome injuries; maybe not all of them completely, but better than this. In the NFL, you live and breathe the saying, "next man up."
In my honest opinion, I think this season says more about Trestman and Emery than it does Jay Cutler. And I've never been a Cutler apologist. But benching the man for Jimmy Clausen? C'mon. I remember Clausen in Charlotte. I swear my grandpa has never laughed more in his life. I think he was 1-9 as a starter? Annnnd he hasn't won an NFL game in 4 years. But Marc Trestman is supposedly benching Cutler and starting Clausen to show that "the system is not the problem." You're right coach...the problem is you.
I'm not a Bears fan in the slightest, but I can't help but feel sorry for them after this lackluster season and performance. I miss the old Lovie Smith days. Aside from poor clock management, he was actually a good coach. Jay Cutler was a better quarterback under Smith than he's been with Trestman. Let's be completely honest, the entire offense was performing better (on a consistent basis) with Lovie Smith.
Best for the Bears?
Fire Trestman, Kromer, maybe Emery, and keep Cutler. Give him another season or two.
Potential Coaching candidates:
A more defensive-minded coach might be in their favor.
-Someone like current Seahawks defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn, comes to mind.
-Or Cardinals defensive coordinator, Todd Bowles.
-Though his previous stint as an NFL head coach, failed, pretty miserably I might add, Gregg Schiano might have success in Chicago. Why? Given the talent and depth on the Bears' roster, he would have more to work with than he did in Tampa Bay. The Bears defense is a couple of healthy players (and a good head coach) away from returning to top of the ranks status. Chicago's offense is again, loaded with talent, but lacks leadership. And that's on Cutler and Trestman, as well as offensive coordinator, Aaron Kromer. If I'm a Bears fan, Schiano wouldn't be my first choice, but I wouldn't be completely against it, either.
-Gotta throw Jim Harbaugh's name around here, too. Not much to say here. He had a good run in San Francisco, but now his time has come and gone. My thoughts are that it will be the same story, different team, 3 or 4 years down the road, if he stays in the NFL. He does have a history with Chicago, and could give the Bears a few good seasons. Even if they do somehow land Harbaugh, I can't picture a Super Bowl championship in the next say, 2 years or so. But hey, just a playoff win would be a welcome upgrade at this point.
If the Bears take a different route by getting rid of Cutler and keeping Trestman...
Potential Teams for Jay Cutler:
-the Titans. I think this one makes a lot of sense and I'm actually in favor of it.
-the Rams. St. Louis is a good quarterback away from making serious noise in the NFC. Their defense already does. Putting Cutler in a new system, with a strong defense to bail him out...it might just be meant to be.
-the Bills. I personally don't want a whiny, pissed off Cutler in our division, but hey, it makes sense. The Bills are another team that's a few pieces away from being legit contenders. They already have the defense, and they have some play makers on offense, now they just need, how to put this, well, someone who's not Kyle Orton under center.
-the Texans. Imagine what Bill O'Brien could do with Jay Cutler. He would fix his attitude problem, and he might just be the best mentor/coach that Cutler has ever played for. I know that Trestman is supposedly a quarterback guru, but he hasn't proven that with Cutler. When it comes to Bill O'Brien, he could do it. Give him an experienced quarterback, with a little mobility, and a strong arm, and he could teach him the rest, the mental part of the quarterback position.
I feel weird if I don't end every post with "go Pats", so...
Go Pats!
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Surprise, surprise.
This NFL season has been full of surprises, per usual. Many teams have endured ups and downs and only the best have come out stronger. Whether it's due to offseason moves or injuries or changes in coaching and personnel, 4 teams have stood out to me this season.
Second: Buffalo Bills. It pains me to give any kind of high praise to a division opponent, who we still have to play one more time in this regular season. With that being said, I have to give credit where credit is due. And credit is definitely due. This was also kind of a weird pick for me because it's not so much the entire Bills team, but mainly the defense. As soon as Jim Schwartz was fired in Detroit during the offseason, I was practically begging for the Pats to hire him. He's a defensive mastermind. And he's definitely proved that this season. The reason Buffalo is second in our division and still in contention for a possible wildcard seed, IS their defense. More specifically their defensive line. Give them another offseason, minicamp, and training camp with Jim Schwartz and they'll be an even better unit. I promise. They can stop the run, break up plays, disrupt routes, and get to quarterbacks, week in and week out. Consistency is key in this league.
1) Panthers - Much has changed since last season, when so many people dubbed the Panthers defense as even better than Seattle's Legion of Boom. The Panthers defense has taken a major step in the wrong direction. Who's to blame? For starters, Ron Rivera.
After losing two of Cam Newton's best (and only) receivers in free agency, Carolina's offense has struggled and Newton has been incredibly inaccurate and inconsistent. Maybe they should consider doing what the Texans are doing with JJ Watt... I could see Luke Kuechly being pretty good at hauling in touchdown passes. He already dominates on the defensive side, why not let him carry the team offensively, too. Sounds good to me.
Let's do the good surprises first:
First up, Arizona. This one was probably a given, considering how all sports networks/websites/magazines have featured the Cardinals more this season than they have since the early 2000's. After last season, I knew the Cardinals were going to be good. I mean they were good last season. This season though, they've gone above and beyond anything I had expected. Especially when you take into consideration the injuries they have had to overcome. They're just an all around good team. One thing that really sticks out to you is their will to win. As previously mentioned, Arizona has lost several key players to injuries for significant amounts of time. It's hard enough to win without your starting quarterback...throw in the fact they haven't had a fully healthy Larry Fitz or Tyrann Mathieu all season, they lost Carson Palmer for the season in his first game back from an injury sustained earlier in the season, and one of my new favorites to watch this season, RB Andre Ellington, was put on IR this past week. That's just a few of the injuries the Cardinals have had to deal with this season. And for the most part, they just keep winning. As of now, Arizona leads their division and can still clinch home field. Bruce Arians has done such a commendable job. He's bringing a good, competitive, winning football team back to Phoenix; something they deserve. I'm cheering for them in the NFC. Second: Buffalo Bills. It pains me to give any kind of high praise to a division opponent, who we still have to play one more time in this regular season. With that being said, I have to give credit where credit is due. And credit is definitely due. This was also kind of a weird pick for me because it's not so much the entire Bills team, but mainly the defense. As soon as Jim Schwartz was fired in Detroit during the offseason, I was practically begging for the Pats to hire him. He's a defensive mastermind. And he's definitely proved that this season. The reason Buffalo is second in our division and still in contention for a possible wildcard seed, IS their defense. More specifically their defensive line. Give them another offseason, minicamp, and training camp with Jim Schwartz and they'll be an even better unit. I promise. They can stop the run, break up plays, disrupt routes, and get to quarterbacks, week in and week out. Consistency is key in this league.
Annnnd the bad:
Where to start.
2) Bears - *sigh* it's truly disappointing that a team with so much talent and so much potential has had such a bad season (well really the past 4 seasons). Jay Cutler may not be, okay he's definitely not, a top 5 quarterback, but he's decent. Yeah, he whines too much and is severely overpaid, given his lack of production, but I can think of worse quarterbacks. Before the season started, the Bears looked like they could have a top 10 defense. Unfortunately, injuries have been the story for Chicago's defense. After one of my favorite defensive ends, Jared Allen, signed with them during the offseason, I couldn't wait to see what this defense was going to do this season. You know what a team with players like Charles Tillman (love love loveeee Peanut Tillman), Jared Allen, Lance Briggs, DJ Williams, and Tim Jennings, is capable of...but due to injuries and changes in coaching, they haven't lived up to the hype or most expectations. On the offensive side, again, the Bears have a talented roster. Brandon Marshall, Matt Forte, Alshon Jeffrey, Martellus Bennett...Jay Cutler should be drooling. Even I'm jealous of the weapons he's surrounded by.
I don't see Marc Trestman lasting long as a head coach in the NFL. Especially not in Chicago...Not if they're smart, anyway. They jumped the gun on Jay Cutler. His days in Chicago are numbered, or at least should be, in my opinion. He's had 6 seasons to prove himself, and what have they gotten out of that? Exactly one playoff win...in six years. I could see him going to the Titans or the Rams and having success. But how far he'll go in a Bears uniform? This is it, guys. He's reached his ceiling as a Bear.
I don't see Marc Trestman lasting long as a head coach in the NFL. Especially not in Chicago...Not if they're smart, anyway. They jumped the gun on Jay Cutler. His days in Chicago are numbered, or at least should be, in my opinion. He's had 6 seasons to prove himself, and what have they gotten out of that? Exactly one playoff win...in six years. I could see him going to the Titans or the Rams and having success. But how far he'll go in a Bears uniform? This is it, guys. He's reached his ceiling as a Bear.
1) Panthers - Much has changed since last season, when so many people dubbed the Panthers defense as even better than Seattle's Legion of Boom. The Panthers defense has taken a major step in the wrong direction. Who's to blame? For starters, Ron Rivera.
After losing two of Cam Newton's best (and only) receivers in free agency, Carolina's offense has struggled and Newton has been incredibly inaccurate and inconsistent. Maybe they should consider doing what the Texans are doing with JJ Watt... I could see Luke Kuechly being pretty good at hauling in touchdown passes. He already dominates on the defensive side, why not let him carry the team offensively, too. Sounds good to me.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Revenge on the 'Phins
And so begins a dominant December for the Pats. Hopefully.
While Sunday night's matchup against the Chargers was far from pretty for most of the game, a win is a win. Belichick, Brady & Co. usually play some of their best football in December. If we're lucky, this season will be no different. Our last 3 games are all against division rivals. We host Miami at home, then go to the Meadowlands to take on the Jets, then back home vs the Bills to close out the regular season. A lot of fans seem to think that these final games will be blow outs and are definite wins. But if you look deeper than their records, you know that the Bills defense is pretty good, Miami's offense can be sneakily explosive, the Dolphins defense is nothing to overlook, and the 2-win Jets will be giving everything they've got. What does that mean for New England? The Pats (which I doubt they are) and their fans shouldn't expect a cakewalk, by any means. Miami and Buffalo are both still fighting for a playoff berth. I definitely hope we win out and finish the season strong. More than anything, I hope we avoid injuries and stay healthy. Home field throughout the playoffs would be wicked nice, but give me a healthy Pats team, and I really think they could win anywhere this year. Brady wants it too bad not to.
Sweet, sweet revenge
Since the Pats got embarrassed in week 1, by the Dolphins, they're more than likely looking to get revenge. Because the season opener loss was really what started all the Patriots criticism and doubt.
What's different this time?
For one, location. The Patriots always seem to struggle in Miami, and the Dolphins usually struggle in Foxboro.
Second, injuries. The Dolphins were healthy and loaded at the beginning of the season. Now, not so much. One positive for the Dolphins and a negative for the Pats this time around: Dion Jordan is active and healthy. The first time they faced off this season, D. Jordan was serving a 6 game suspension for PED use. Luckily, we have a much improved offensive line. I don't think anyone wants to remember our atrocious Week 1 offensive line and performance. Scary stuff.
Third, division games are different. Not that the other 10 games we play every season don't matter, and they're certainly not easy, but something is just different about playing division opponents. You can feel it in the atmosphere and the energy is insane. I think it has a lot to do with even though the AFC East has been called the weakest division in the NFL multiple times, the Pats and their fans know that often, the teams are better than their records say.
3 things I hope to see:
- another shutdown defensive performance. Who else is stoked for Revis/Wallace, round 2!
- no Patriots turnovers and a classic high-powered New England offense
- an all around good game and a convincing win...since we're tied with Denver but hold the tie breaker (thankfully), and the last 2 weeks have been slow starts and too many 3 & outs for the Pats offense. I'd love to see us score 40+ points. But a win, will do!
I think it's going to be a relatively close game, but the Patriots will start to pull away early in the 4th. There's a lot on the line over the next 3 games. I don't think a loss completely derails the Patriots from their Super Bowl goal, but an AFC playoff road that runs through Foxboro is definitely what we want.
As always, Go Patriots.
While Sunday night's matchup against the Chargers was far from pretty for most of the game, a win is a win. Belichick, Brady & Co. usually play some of their best football in December. If we're lucky, this season will be no different. Our last 3 games are all against division rivals. We host Miami at home, then go to the Meadowlands to take on the Jets, then back home vs the Bills to close out the regular season. A lot of fans seem to think that these final games will be blow outs and are definite wins. But if you look deeper than their records, you know that the Bills defense is pretty good, Miami's offense can be sneakily explosive, the Dolphins defense is nothing to overlook, and the 2-win Jets will be giving everything they've got. What does that mean for New England? The Pats (which I doubt they are) and their fans shouldn't expect a cakewalk, by any means. Miami and Buffalo are both still fighting for a playoff berth. I definitely hope we win out and finish the season strong. More than anything, I hope we avoid injuries and stay healthy. Home field throughout the playoffs would be wicked nice, but give me a healthy Pats team, and I really think they could win anywhere this year. Brady wants it too bad not to.
Sweet, sweet revenge
Since the Pats got embarrassed in week 1, by the Dolphins, they're more than likely looking to get revenge. Because the season opener loss was really what started all the Patriots criticism and doubt.
What's different this time?
For one, location. The Patriots always seem to struggle in Miami, and the Dolphins usually struggle in Foxboro.
Second, injuries. The Dolphins were healthy and loaded at the beginning of the season. Now, not so much. One positive for the Dolphins and a negative for the Pats this time around: Dion Jordan is active and healthy. The first time they faced off this season, D. Jordan was serving a 6 game suspension for PED use. Luckily, we have a much improved offensive line. I don't think anyone wants to remember our atrocious Week 1 offensive line and performance. Scary stuff.
Third, division games are different. Not that the other 10 games we play every season don't matter, and they're certainly not easy, but something is just different about playing division opponents. You can feel it in the atmosphere and the energy is insane. I think it has a lot to do with even though the AFC East has been called the weakest division in the NFL multiple times, the Pats and their fans know that often, the teams are better than their records say.
3 things I hope to see:
- another shutdown defensive performance. Who else is stoked for Revis/Wallace, round 2!
- no Patriots turnovers and a classic high-powered New England offense
- an all around good game and a convincing win...since we're tied with Denver but hold the tie breaker (thankfully), and the last 2 weeks have been slow starts and too many 3 & outs for the Pats offense. I'd love to see us score 40+ points. But a win, will do!
I think it's going to be a relatively close game, but the Patriots will start to pull away early in the 4th. There's a lot on the line over the next 3 games. I don't think a loss completely derails the Patriots from their Super Bowl goal, but an AFC playoff road that runs through Foxboro is definitely what we want.
As always, Go Patriots.
Monday, December 8, 2014
Takeaways from Pats @ Chargers
First and foremost, I think it's worth mentioning
that the reason we won this game is because of the incredible performance by
our defense. This was one of their best games of the season. They held a
high-powered offense to only 7 points...the same offense that put up 30 points
on the Seahawks, and 34 on the Ravens just last week. And what's more, we did
it without two of our best defensive players: Chandler Jones and Hightower.
This defense is playing like they have something to prove. I like it.
Most obvious concerns:
Quarterback: Can't even lie, we've seen much,
much better performances from Tommy. His interception straight to Manti Te'o
was one of his worst I've ever seen. When it comes down to it, he showed up and
got the job done when it counted most.
Offensive Line: First half?
Attrocious. I would have cut everyone at halftime, starting with Solder. Second
half was slightly better. Solder started to find his footing and do his job a
little better. O-Line deserves half the blame for Brady's off game.
Play calling/Josh McDaniels: if you know me or
follow my twitter, you had to know this one was coming. During the first 3
quarters on Sunday night, I have never missed Bill O'Brien so bad. Almost every
week I complain about McDaniels and say he needs to go. But tonight I started
thinking, "who do I want to replace him?" Because as much as I joke
around about Brady calling all of the offensive plays himself, that's just not
logical. It wouldn't happen. And to be honest, I don't know who I'd want as our
next OC. It's not that McDaniel's doesn't have the offensive mind to succeed in
the NFL; it's that he gets too conservative and leaves you scratching your
head, wondering why this guy is getting paid millions, when you know 9 year
olds that can call better plays.
Penalties: if the ultimate goal is to win Super
Bowl 49, which this is the impression I was under, then the Patriots have to
get their penalty problem under control. If Belichick can take no names and
turn them into stud, standout players, he can surely fix this problem. Penalties have been killing momentum for us all
season.
Red Zone offense! - inability to score, or even
make plays in the red zone this late in the season is usually not a good sign.
Luckily, somehow the Pats have found a way to correct their errors, usually
mid-game, and win despite slow offensive starts, unsuccessful trips to the red
zone, and turnovers.
Teams have finally started to figure out that if
you double-team Gronk and force Brady to throw elsewhere, we're nowhere near as
successful in the red zone. It was only a matter of time. And I blame McDaniels
and Belichick for not having a backup plan for when this (inevitably) started
happening.
Revis delivered another shutdown performance and
put on a clinic. He was targeted exactly once, allowing only 3 yards the entire
night. Man oh man, I love the non-Jet Darrelle Revis.
Brandon Browner had a pretty good night, too.
Still not over that “helmet-to-helmet” penalty, that negated McCourty’s
pick-6 and gave the Chargers a first down. I didn’t agree with that call at
all. I still think Browner is at his best when he’s covering big tight ends.
When he covers wide receivers, he needs McCourty’s help. All in all, still love
what he brings to our defense. I know that about 75% of the Pats penalties seem
to come from Browner, but in my opinion, we signed a physical corner, to bring
a nasty, physical presence to New England's defense (something we haven’t had since
Rodney Harrison or even Brandon Meriweather), what else do you expect. It kind
of comes with the territory.
More in-depth thoughts and analysis coming in the next couple days!
As always, go Pats!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)