In a piece now posted on Musketfire.com, We take a look, silly as it is, at the linebacking corps of the Patriots. It can be seen here . A brief blurb of the article appears below:
"And that brings us back to Brandon Spikes - a phenomenal downhill thumper that sets the emotional tone for the defense, if not the entire team. The man with the exploding hair (read here) is as athletic as he is violent, displaying an array of moves to shoot gaps and drives through ball carriers with force, causing fumbles and boo boos. In his third year, he has stayed healthy - something that he hasn't done in his previous two seasons."
You can follow Michael on twitter @FoxboroForum
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
New England Patriots' Midseason Forum, Part 1: Offensive Philosophy
The New England Patriots came into this season with an offense on the cutting edge of football innovation - about to usher in an era of efficiency never witnessed before, an attack so precise, so large and so brutal that the only team capable of beating them was themselves.
And ever since the centerpiece of this potential juggernaut went down with a severe ankle injury early in week 2, the Patriots have been doing just that.
From the beginning, the offense had the appearance of an aggressive assault based on sort of a multi-level scheme. In my warped mind, the roster was assembled to promote the idea of a 3-tiered attack, predicated on the presence of two intermediate horizontal threats, two solid underneath targets and an H-back to take advantage of whatever mismatches the defense had to concede to cover the second and third levels.
Because the roster was top heavy with tight ends, it became clear that we would see mostly the bigger brutes on the field with the "13 Personnel" packages, where the Patriots would line up Brandon Lloyd wide, Rob Gronkowski and Daniel Fells as the in-line tight ends, Aaron Hernandez as an H-back and Stevan Ridley as the running back. They could also spread out the formation more by going without a running back and setting Wes Welker wide.
With Hernandez in this role and the team using an up-tempo approach, Brady could scan the defense, identify where it is at it's most vulnerable and audible from the line, setting Hernandez in the best position to take advantage of mismatches - a classic example of taking what the defense gives you, but with the idea of maximumizing yards after the catch as the central theme.
Not a quick-strike plan by any means, though the potential is there - rather, it is an intermediate level attack designed to be an exasperatingly efficient, ground eating, clock churning methodical attack that wore down a defense with it's tempo and physicality and limited the number of possessions by the opposing offense.
The first indication of what was happening with the scheme was when they started collecting tight ends, with Daniel Fells signed away from Denver, Visanthe Shiancoe from Minnesota and then they nearly fell over themselves getting a claim into the NFL offices when Jake Ballard appeared on the waiver wire from the New York Giants.
They also signed a myriad of receivers, mainly former Patriots' Jabar Gaffney and Donte Stallworth to team with newly signed Brandon Lloyd and veterans Deion Branch, Wes Welker and Julien Edelman to give their preseason roster the look of inspiring potential, with visions of 50 point games dancing in their heads...
But as the regular season approached, Coach Bill Belichick went all Texas Chainsaw on the receiving corps, cutting every receiver the Patriots had with the exception of Welker, Lloyd and Edleman and started the season with Gronkowski, Hernandez, Fells as their tight ends, signing Michael Hoomawaniaui after the season began. They were going big - really big - and the idea was to physically dominate every opponent.
We got to see exactly one game of it - and then Aaron Hernandez' ankle injury derailed the entire thing.
Hernandez is the one player that this style of offense can not afford to lose long-term. His versatility adds so many variables to the playbook that when he's not there, the offense is ordinary and demonstrably inconsistent...ill equipped to match up well enough to take advantage of a defense's weaknesses consistently - which leads to questions regarding play calling and execution, which is where we are now.
New England has tried to partially replace Hernandez' versatility through Danny Woodhead, and he has been electrifying and clutch in the role, but the H-back position for the Patriots relies on great size to go with enough speed to split the opposing safeties on seam routes. However Woodhead's performance gives credence to the thought that the diminutive running back could flourish in an expanded role as a an excellent third down option going forward...
Given these facts, taking inventory of where this team stands at present should inspire a lot of optimism going forward. At a middling 4-3, the Patriots are nonetheless atop the AFC East, are traveling to London this week for a date with the St. Louis Rams, and have their bye the following Sunday.
Aaron Hernandez is back on a limited basis, Gronk is hobbling but able, Lloyd is being misused and Welker is being overused while Deion Branch is just kinda hangin' around. Edelman is back from his hand injury. Ridley has proven to be a solid runner and Woodhead is nearly as valuable as Hernandez in his limited role.
All of these players should benefit greatly from the two week break, and when they return to the field against Bills on November 11th, Visanthe Shaincoe will be eligible to play and it's possible that Power Back Brandon Boldin will be appropriately healed, along with everyone else that is bumped and bruised.
So the Mantra for the Patriots this week should be to survive the Rams and the trip to Jolly old England, then get back home to rest, heal and plan - knowing that they are healthy and finally ready to unleash their juggernaut offense on the rest of the NFL.
Next: The Patriots' defensive philosophy, from my demented point of view...Through the next 2 weeks, I'll be taking an in-depth look at philosophy as well as each positional settings for both the offense, defense and special teams.
And ever since the centerpiece of this potential juggernaut went down with a severe ankle injury early in week 2, the Patriots have been doing just that.
From the beginning, the offense had the appearance of an aggressive assault based on sort of a multi-level scheme. In my warped mind, the roster was assembled to promote the idea of a 3-tiered attack, predicated on the presence of two intermediate horizontal threats, two solid underneath targets and an H-back to take advantage of whatever mismatches the defense had to concede to cover the second and third levels.
Because the roster was top heavy with tight ends, it became clear that we would see mostly the bigger brutes on the field with the "13 Personnel" packages, where the Patriots would line up Brandon Lloyd wide, Rob Gronkowski and Daniel Fells as the in-line tight ends, Aaron Hernandez as an H-back and Stevan Ridley as the running back. They could also spread out the formation more by going without a running back and setting Wes Welker wide.
With Hernandez in this role and the team using an up-tempo approach, Brady could scan the defense, identify where it is at it's most vulnerable and audible from the line, setting Hernandez in the best position to take advantage of mismatches - a classic example of taking what the defense gives you, but with the idea of maximumizing yards after the catch as the central theme.
Not a quick-strike plan by any means, though the potential is there - rather, it is an intermediate level attack designed to be an exasperatingly efficient, ground eating, clock churning methodical attack that wore down a defense with it's tempo and physicality and limited the number of possessions by the opposing offense.
The first indication of what was happening with the scheme was when they started collecting tight ends, with Daniel Fells signed away from Denver, Visanthe Shiancoe from Minnesota and then they nearly fell over themselves getting a claim into the NFL offices when Jake Ballard appeared on the waiver wire from the New York Giants.
They also signed a myriad of receivers, mainly former Patriots' Jabar Gaffney and Donte Stallworth to team with newly signed Brandon Lloyd and veterans Deion Branch, Wes Welker and Julien Edelman to give their preseason roster the look of inspiring potential, with visions of 50 point games dancing in their heads...
But as the regular season approached, Coach Bill Belichick went all Texas Chainsaw on the receiving corps, cutting every receiver the Patriots had with the exception of Welker, Lloyd and Edleman and started the season with Gronkowski, Hernandez, Fells as their tight ends, signing Michael Hoomawaniaui after the season began. They were going big - really big - and the idea was to physically dominate every opponent.
We got to see exactly one game of it - and then Aaron Hernandez' ankle injury derailed the entire thing.
Hernandez is the one player that this style of offense can not afford to lose long-term. His versatility adds so many variables to the playbook that when he's not there, the offense is ordinary and demonstrably inconsistent...ill equipped to match up well enough to take advantage of a defense's weaknesses consistently - which leads to questions regarding play calling and execution, which is where we are now.
New England has tried to partially replace Hernandez' versatility through Danny Woodhead, and he has been electrifying and clutch in the role, but the H-back position for the Patriots relies on great size to go with enough speed to split the opposing safeties on seam routes. However Woodhead's performance gives credence to the thought that the diminutive running back could flourish in an expanded role as a an excellent third down option going forward...
Given these facts, taking inventory of where this team stands at present should inspire a lot of optimism going forward. At a middling 4-3, the Patriots are nonetheless atop the AFC East, are traveling to London this week for a date with the St. Louis Rams, and have their bye the following Sunday.
Aaron Hernandez is back on a limited basis, Gronk is hobbling but able, Lloyd is being misused and Welker is being overused while Deion Branch is just kinda hangin' around. Edelman is back from his hand injury. Ridley has proven to be a solid runner and Woodhead is nearly as valuable as Hernandez in his limited role.
All of these players should benefit greatly from the two week break, and when they return to the field against Bills on November 11th, Visanthe Shaincoe will be eligible to play and it's possible that Power Back Brandon Boldin will be appropriately healed, along with everyone else that is bumped and bruised.
So the Mantra for the Patriots this week should be to survive the Rams and the trip to Jolly old England, then get back home to rest, heal and plan - knowing that they are healthy and finally ready to unleash their juggernaut offense on the rest of the NFL.
Next: The Patriots' defensive philosophy, from my demented point of view...Through the next 2 weeks, I'll be taking an in-depth look at philosophy as well as each positional settings for both the offense, defense and special teams.
New England Patriots Gameday: Turning the Page
In a piece now posted on Musketfire.com, We take a look at the Patriots victory over the St. Louis Rams in London on Sunday evening...a brief blurb is posted below, and the full article can be read here.
"Many times we've witnessed Belichick and Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels play it safe, sending out the field goal unit, leaving 4 points on the field and denying the offense it's chance to build confidence by picking up the desired yardage - but when New England lined up and punched the ball into the end zone for a 14-7 lead on Shane Vereen's run into the teeth of the Ram's defenders, the Patriots may have turned the page on their past play calling transgressions."
"Many times we've witnessed Belichick and Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels play it safe, sending out the field goal unit, leaving 4 points on the field and denying the offense it's chance to build confidence by picking up the desired yardage - but when New England lined up and punched the ball into the end zone for a 14-7 lead on Shane Vereen's run into the teeth of the Ram's defenders, the Patriots may have turned the page on their past play calling transgressions."
Saturday, October 27, 2012
New England Patriots Midseason Forum, Part 3: Secondary
I was always a safety.
In the early 70's it was kind of an unwritten law amongst football coaches that the fastest guy on the team was always relegated to Free Safety. In Pop Warner, my coach told me "Just stand back here until the ball is snapped, then run to where the ball is". That was my training to be a safety.
Standing 20 yards off the line of scrimmage, checking out dandelions in the grass, looking up into the stands, trying to pick out my sisters in the crowd - I might as well have been on an deserted island. Every once in a while, one of their running backs would emerge from the scrum, and I'd run and throw my body into the ball carrier. As those occasions occurred, I learned about taking proper angles and to wrap up when tackling instead of just delivering a shot that would usually hurt me more than it did the ball carrier.
These thoughts came to me as I sat in the empty stands at the local High School's football field, watching the city public works crew manicure the field for tonight's game, trying also to come to grips with the struggles that our "local" professional football team were playing through, particularly in the position that I knew so much - yet so little - about.
Funny how the senses work. The smell of the fresh cut grass, the sight of the field crew painting the lines against a backdrop of the leaves turning, as if a frustrated artist threw his palette against the canvas, causing an explosion of color with no discernible pattern...
Ah, autumn in New England. Not even the dreariness and grime of this central Maine town can take away from it's splendor. I sat in the empty stands for an hour, remembering back to my playing days, musing on the fact that football is much more complicated in it's dynamics than it was when I played school ball...
I was smaller than most of the other kids on the team, but was also faster than anyone else. I tried out first as a Running Back. I had good vision and could see the hole form and I could cut sharply and sprint through it, and was at full speed before reaching the second level - but I had a little difficulty holding onto the ball when my 5 foot nothin', buck o' five frame took a shot from one of the bigger linebackers.
So I tried being a wide receiver. I thought, because of my speed, I could possibly command double teams and take 2 guys out of the play with me - but that doesn't work when your Quarterback couldn't throw a pass accurately more than 10 yards.
So I was a safety. Again. Or still, depending on your point of view.
Over the years since, I still have to pop my shoulder back into place on occasion, and my greying beard covers the long scar under my chin that came from taking a helmet under my facemask. The knuckles on both hands ache, the result of fractures and breaks and getting them slammed between helmets...
So believe me when I tell you that I understand why it seems that Patrick Chung always seems to be hurt - because he is. He has to be. It's a prerequisite to playing the position. Name another position on the defense where you can really get a head of steam going before you engage in contact.
But, what is a safety in today's game, really? A better question may be, what is a safety for the New England Patriots? An even better question may be, who is really a safety for the Patriots?
Chung has proven in his three years that he's too fragile. His heart is in the right place, but he's taken so much punishment that nothing else on his body could be. Newcomer Steve Gregory has shown flashes in pass coverage and is opportunistic but he too is fragile - plus Gregory looks so much like Joey Tribiani from Friends that it's difficult to take him seriously. ..can see him getting knocked out of bounds over by the cheerleaders, getting up, checking them out, chatting, big toothy grin - "How you doin'?"
Chung and Gregory were the starting tandem when the season started. Seven short weeks later, the duo have spent more time on the trainer's table than at practice, leaving Coach Bill Belichick no choice but to resort to the Plug and Play option, fitting anyone back there that is capable.
New England's last line of defense entrusted to rookies and converted corners? How's that working out?
Ask Sidney Rice. The speedy Seattle Seahawks' wide receiver split Wilson's and fellow rookie Nate Ebner's coverage right down the middle in Seattle, scoring on a 46 yard bomb from Rookie quarterback Russell Wilson for the winning points in Seahawks's 24-23 upset of the Patriots.
Ask Mark Sanchez and Dustin Keller. They had a successful day throwing the intermediate stuff against New England last Sunday - and "Success" is not a word that you see in the same sentence as Mark Sanchez very often. Of course it didn't help the secondary that Sanchez had all day to throw, and his receivers, Keller in particular, were so open that the Patriots' defenders weren't even in the frame of the tv cameras.
Fact is, New England's secondary is in shambles - but we've seen this before, and this time Belichick has last season's hardships as experience to draw from. Perhaps the most prudent of moves is to finally switch cornerback Devin McCourty back to free safety which, as we saw last season, seems to be a more natural position for him. Coupled with Rookie Tavon Wilson at the strong position, the move solidifies a backfield that has caused much anxiety amongst the cornerbacks, not to mention the coaching staff and fan base.
At the corners, Alfonzo Dennard is exhibiting the skills and physicality that had him projected to be a late 1st round or early second round pick - and may end up being the steal of the draft when he was selected as an afterthought in the 7th round after slugging a cop a few weeks prior to the draft.
I don't know about you, but anyone who has the stones to do that, I want that person pushing around the opposition's best receiver. Opposite Dennard is a mystery, given that oft-injured Ras-I Dowling has been relegated to the season-ending IR, so that he and Kyle Arrington can't take turns being in Belichick's doghouse. That leaves feisty 2nd year corner Sterling Moore to man the corner while Arrington and 4th year man Marquis Cole to fight for the Nickle and Dime snaps.
When Chung and Gregory are finally healthy, they should become depth players. The combination of Wilson and McCourty are solid - so there's no reason to break up that tandem...but there is plenty of reason to question how Chung, Dowling and perhaps Gregory continue to hold roster spots past this season.
The secondary should have been the Patriots' priority this past offseason, and they did address it with the selections of Wilson and Dennard. Now we're going to see if the selctions were enough to improve the much maligned secondary.
At this point, the Patriots have no choice but to roll the dice and take their chances. It's not as if they can just take their fastest player, throw him back there and tell him to run to the ball...
In the early 70's it was kind of an unwritten law amongst football coaches that the fastest guy on the team was always relegated to Free Safety. In Pop Warner, my coach told me "Just stand back here until the ball is snapped, then run to where the ball is". That was my training to be a safety.
Standing 20 yards off the line of scrimmage, checking out dandelions in the grass, looking up into the stands, trying to pick out my sisters in the crowd - I might as well have been on an deserted island. Every once in a while, one of their running backs would emerge from the scrum, and I'd run and throw my body into the ball carrier. As those occasions occurred, I learned about taking proper angles and to wrap up when tackling instead of just delivering a shot that would usually hurt me more than it did the ball carrier.
These thoughts came to me as I sat in the empty stands at the local High School's football field, watching the city public works crew manicure the field for tonight's game, trying also to come to grips with the struggles that our "local" professional football team were playing through, particularly in the position that I knew so much - yet so little - about.
Funny how the senses work. The smell of the fresh cut grass, the sight of the field crew painting the lines against a backdrop of the leaves turning, as if a frustrated artist threw his palette against the canvas, causing an explosion of color with no discernible pattern...
Ah, autumn in New England. Not even the dreariness and grime of this central Maine town can take away from it's splendor. I sat in the empty stands for an hour, remembering back to my playing days, musing on the fact that football is much more complicated in it's dynamics than it was when I played school ball...
I was smaller than most of the other kids on the team, but was also faster than anyone else. I tried out first as a Running Back. I had good vision and could see the hole form and I could cut sharply and sprint through it, and was at full speed before reaching the second level - but I had a little difficulty holding onto the ball when my 5 foot nothin', buck o' five frame took a shot from one of the bigger linebackers.
So I tried being a wide receiver. I thought, because of my speed, I could possibly command double teams and take 2 guys out of the play with me - but that doesn't work when your Quarterback couldn't throw a pass accurately more than 10 yards.
So I was a safety. Again. Or still, depending on your point of view.
Over the years since, I still have to pop my shoulder back into place on occasion, and my greying beard covers the long scar under my chin that came from taking a helmet under my facemask. The knuckles on both hands ache, the result of fractures and breaks and getting them slammed between helmets...
So believe me when I tell you that I understand why it seems that Patrick Chung always seems to be hurt - because he is. He has to be. It's a prerequisite to playing the position. Name another position on the defense where you can really get a head of steam going before you engage in contact.
But, what is a safety in today's game, really? A better question may be, what is a safety for the New England Patriots? An even better question may be, who is really a safety for the Patriots?
Chung has proven in his three years that he's too fragile. His heart is in the right place, but he's taken so much punishment that nothing else on his body could be. Newcomer Steve Gregory has shown flashes in pass coverage and is opportunistic but he too is fragile - plus Gregory looks so much like Joey Tribiani from Friends that it's difficult to take him seriously. ..can see him getting knocked out of bounds over by the cheerleaders, getting up, checking them out, chatting, big toothy grin - "How you doin'?"
Chung and Gregory were the starting tandem when the season started. Seven short weeks later, the duo have spent more time on the trainer's table than at practice, leaving Coach Bill Belichick no choice but to resort to the Plug and Play option, fitting anyone back there that is capable.
New England's last line of defense entrusted to rookies and converted corners? How's that working out?
Ask Sidney Rice. The speedy Seattle Seahawks' wide receiver split Wilson's and fellow rookie Nate Ebner's coverage right down the middle in Seattle, scoring on a 46 yard bomb from Rookie quarterback Russell Wilson for the winning points in Seahawks's 24-23 upset of the Patriots.
Ask Mark Sanchez and Dustin Keller. They had a successful day throwing the intermediate stuff against New England last Sunday - and "Success" is not a word that you see in the same sentence as Mark Sanchez very often. Of course it didn't help the secondary that Sanchez had all day to throw, and his receivers, Keller in particular, were so open that the Patriots' defenders weren't even in the frame of the tv cameras.
Fact is, New England's secondary is in shambles - but we've seen this before, and this time Belichick has last season's hardships as experience to draw from. Perhaps the most prudent of moves is to finally switch cornerback Devin McCourty back to free safety which, as we saw last season, seems to be a more natural position for him. Coupled with Rookie Tavon Wilson at the strong position, the move solidifies a backfield that has caused much anxiety amongst the cornerbacks, not to mention the coaching staff and fan base.
At the corners, Alfonzo Dennard is exhibiting the skills and physicality that had him projected to be a late 1st round or early second round pick - and may end up being the steal of the draft when he was selected as an afterthought in the 7th round after slugging a cop a few weeks prior to the draft.
I don't know about you, but anyone who has the stones to do that, I want that person pushing around the opposition's best receiver. Opposite Dennard is a mystery, given that oft-injured Ras-I Dowling has been relegated to the season-ending IR, so that he and Kyle Arrington can't take turns being in Belichick's doghouse. That leaves feisty 2nd year corner Sterling Moore to man the corner while Arrington and 4th year man Marquis Cole to fight for the Nickle and Dime snaps.
When Chung and Gregory are finally healthy, they should become depth players. The combination of Wilson and McCourty are solid - so there's no reason to break up that tandem...but there is plenty of reason to question how Chung, Dowling and perhaps Gregory continue to hold roster spots past this season.
The secondary should have been the Patriots' priority this past offseason, and they did address it with the selections of Wilson and Dennard. Now we're going to see if the selctions were enough to improve the much maligned secondary.
At this point, the Patriots have no choice but to roll the dice and take their chances. It's not as if they can just take their fastest player, throw him back there and tell him to run to the ball...
Friday, October 26, 2012
New England Patriots Midseason Forum, Part 2: Defensive Philosophy
So, Bill Belichick isn't a defensive genius any longer.
It must be true, I heard it on television and I read it several times on blogs, and even a national sports site. So all of these experts have now renounced Bill as a wannabe who should be put to sleep.
Football experts and analysts are a dime a dozen - make that a baker's dozen. Narcissists all, they routinely flip-flop in order to ensure that the American public agrees with them and considers them superior. Belichick doesn't care what they think, obviously doesn't agree with them and considers them the scourge of the earth.
“Sportswriters are a kind of rude and brainless subculture of fascist drunks whose only real function is to publicize & sell whatever the sports editor sends them out to cover" wrote Hunter S. Thompson decades ago, "Which is a nice way to make a living, because it keeps a man busy and requires no thought at all." It's obvious that Bill Belichick subscribes to the good Doctor's opinion...
So when the national media starts jumping off the Patriots' bandwagon, Belichick just says, "Aw Shucks", then stretches out for a nap with his new found leg room. Sets up a grill. Hires some roadies to set up a stage with a Pulpit...Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora providing an appropriate background beat while Bill raises a Hell and brimstone sermon ...
"Oh ye of little faith"...
Go ahead, jump off our bandwagon, he says. But keep in mind that when we catch our momentum, the freaking thing will be moving too fast for you to jump back on - and we don't need you anyway - never did...
When Belichick shocked the experts by selecting Illinois defensive back Tavon Wilson in the second round of this year's draft, the media accused him of having a longer reach than Mr. Fantastic, and Mel Kiper Jr. was rendered speechless on national TV, scrambling through his notes for something - anything - tangible to say about Wilson.
Which was worth at least a second round draft pick, perhaps a 1st rounder. Even if Wilson turns out to be nothing more than a career backup, just seeing Kiper stammering and spitting out sentence fragments in front of millions of TV viewers was worth wasting the pick on.
But Wilson is much more than that. He is already the defacto starting strong safety - and only two games into that stint, he's already an improvement over the fragile Patrick Chung. In Chung's defense, however, he is more of a free safety - as is Steve Gregory, and Devin McCourty. In fact, Wilson may be the only defensive back on the team with the size, durability and nasty streak to play strong safety...but that is a discussion for another time.
Right now we're searching for the philosophy of the defense, and it's not as easy as I thought it was going to be to identify.
I was prepared to announce the end to the evil and wrong "Bend but don't break" philosophy of the recent past, ushering in the "Street Thug" Defense - smack them in the mouth until they beg for mercy, then put your foot on their throat - sorry, all out of mercy.
I would love to say that, but I can't. Not yet. I can't even state with any confidence that this defense is radically better than last year's magic act. But unlike last season when we had no idea where the improvement was going to come from, if anywhere, the 2012 season offers potential that you can actually see.
The pieces are better, with players like Jones and Hightower and Wilson added to names like Mayo, Spikes and Wilfork - but right now, the results are the same...and when that happens, there's only one direction in which most folks will look - which is why Belichick is getting beat up in the media.
While last year's coaching job was perhaps the best smoke and mirror job in football history, it didn't start to turn in solid results until the second half of the season - and Belichick took a beating then as well.
How did that turn out, by the way?
As we've often heard, Belichick tends to build his team throughout the season, preparing his best for when the weather turns cold - and since we saw the defense really come together in the playoffs last winter, doesn't it go to figure that the same thing could be happening now?
Regardless, the front seven is solid, sometimes even spectacular. They are stout against the run, one of the top run defenses in the NFL. Which is awesome. You need to stop the run to make teams one-dimensional, so you can pin your ears back and go after the passer. But if you can't get to the passer, what's the point? All you've done is stop the run while the quarterback is laying 350 yards on your secondary.
At some point, the discussion becomes more of a philosophical theory equivalent to the chicken and the egg. Are the corners getting burned because the pass rush can't get to the quarterback, or are the corners not covering well enough to give the pass rush time to get there? It's really a combination of many things, but the biggest factor is that this is one of the youngest defenses in the NFL.
Outside of Wilfork, Mayo and Ninkovich, most of the players are still playing on their rookie contracts. Three of the starters are rookies, one on each level.
The secondary is in flux, with no discernible depth chart. Injuries have ravaged the safeties and it seems to make the corners nervous that their over the top help has consisted of a couple of rookies at times, making them wary about turning to look for the ball in fear that the receiver will get away from them - at least that's what we've been told.
But if that sounds like a cheap cop-out, it probably is. If you even make an attempt to look back for the ball while you're mugging the receiver, your chances of not being called for pass interference increase by a factor of fifty. If you try to reroute the receiver at the line of scrimmage, the chances that you dictate how the play turns out increases as well.
So both the scheme and the execution need to improve. In recent weeks, some new blood has been infused into the secondary, and some positions are being shuffled. The Cover 2 zone hasn't worked - one only has to look back at the Jets' and Seahawks game to realize this - and the corners have shown much better in man coverage.
The Wilson / McCourty combination at the safeties merits a closer look, and 7th round cop puncher Alfonzo Dennard may already be the best cornerback on the team. If he can lock down and solidify one of the corners, and if Wilson and McCourty perform as ably as their potential suggests, this has the makings of a championship defense.
I want to say that again. This has the makings of a championship defense. It really does. Perhaps fans and the media would be best advised to be patient and let Belichick work his genius.
And he's going to work it out, whether we're on his bandwagon or not.
It must be true, I heard it on television and I read it several times on blogs, and even a national sports site. So all of these experts have now renounced Bill as a wannabe who should be put to sleep.
Football experts and analysts are a dime a dozen - make that a baker's dozen. Narcissists all, they routinely flip-flop in order to ensure that the American public agrees with them and considers them superior. Belichick doesn't care what they think, obviously doesn't agree with them and considers them the scourge of the earth.
“Sportswriters are a kind of rude and brainless subculture of fascist drunks whose only real function is to publicize & sell whatever the sports editor sends them out to cover" wrote Hunter S. Thompson decades ago, "Which is a nice way to make a living, because it keeps a man busy and requires no thought at all." It's obvious that Bill Belichick subscribes to the good Doctor's opinion...
So when the national media starts jumping off the Patriots' bandwagon, Belichick just says, "Aw Shucks", then stretches out for a nap with his new found leg room. Sets up a grill. Hires some roadies to set up a stage with a Pulpit...Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora providing an appropriate background beat while Bill raises a Hell and brimstone sermon ...
"Oh ye of little faith"...
Go ahead, jump off our bandwagon, he says. But keep in mind that when we catch our momentum, the freaking thing will be moving too fast for you to jump back on - and we don't need you anyway - never did...
When Belichick shocked the experts by selecting Illinois defensive back Tavon Wilson in the second round of this year's draft, the media accused him of having a longer reach than Mr. Fantastic, and Mel Kiper Jr. was rendered speechless on national TV, scrambling through his notes for something - anything - tangible to say about Wilson.
Which was worth at least a second round draft pick, perhaps a 1st rounder. Even if Wilson turns out to be nothing more than a career backup, just seeing Kiper stammering and spitting out sentence fragments in front of millions of TV viewers was worth wasting the pick on.
But Wilson is much more than that. He is already the defacto starting strong safety - and only two games into that stint, he's already an improvement over the fragile Patrick Chung. In Chung's defense, however, he is more of a free safety - as is Steve Gregory, and Devin McCourty. In fact, Wilson may be the only defensive back on the team with the size, durability and nasty streak to play strong safety...but that is a discussion for another time.
Right now we're searching for the philosophy of the defense, and it's not as easy as I thought it was going to be to identify.
I was prepared to announce the end to the evil and wrong "Bend but don't break" philosophy of the recent past, ushering in the "Street Thug" Defense - smack them in the mouth until they beg for mercy, then put your foot on their throat - sorry, all out of mercy.
I would love to say that, but I can't. Not yet. I can't even state with any confidence that this defense is radically better than last year's magic act. But unlike last season when we had no idea where the improvement was going to come from, if anywhere, the 2012 season offers potential that you can actually see.
The pieces are better, with players like Jones and Hightower and Wilson added to names like Mayo, Spikes and Wilfork - but right now, the results are the same...and when that happens, there's only one direction in which most folks will look - which is why Belichick is getting beat up in the media.
While last year's coaching job was perhaps the best smoke and mirror job in football history, it didn't start to turn in solid results until the second half of the season - and Belichick took a beating then as well.
How did that turn out, by the way?
As we've often heard, Belichick tends to build his team throughout the season, preparing his best for when the weather turns cold - and since we saw the defense really come together in the playoffs last winter, doesn't it go to figure that the same thing could be happening now?
Regardless, the front seven is solid, sometimes even spectacular. They are stout against the run, one of the top run defenses in the NFL. Which is awesome. You need to stop the run to make teams one-dimensional, so you can pin your ears back and go after the passer. But if you can't get to the passer, what's the point? All you've done is stop the run while the quarterback is laying 350 yards on your secondary.
At some point, the discussion becomes more of a philosophical theory equivalent to the chicken and the egg. Are the corners getting burned because the pass rush can't get to the quarterback, or are the corners not covering well enough to give the pass rush time to get there? It's really a combination of many things, but the biggest factor is that this is one of the youngest defenses in the NFL.
Outside of Wilfork, Mayo and Ninkovich, most of the players are still playing on their rookie contracts. Three of the starters are rookies, one on each level.
The secondary is in flux, with no discernible depth chart. Injuries have ravaged the safeties and it seems to make the corners nervous that their over the top help has consisted of a couple of rookies at times, making them wary about turning to look for the ball in fear that the receiver will get away from them - at least that's what we've been told.
But if that sounds like a cheap cop-out, it probably is. If you even make an attempt to look back for the ball while you're mugging the receiver, your chances of not being called for pass interference increase by a factor of fifty. If you try to reroute the receiver at the line of scrimmage, the chances that you dictate how the play turns out increases as well.
So both the scheme and the execution need to improve. In recent weeks, some new blood has been infused into the secondary, and some positions are being shuffled. The Cover 2 zone hasn't worked - one only has to look back at the Jets' and Seahawks game to realize this - and the corners have shown much better in man coverage.
The Wilson / McCourty combination at the safeties merits a closer look, and 7th round cop puncher Alfonzo Dennard may already be the best cornerback on the team. If he can lock down and solidify one of the corners, and if Wilson and McCourty perform as ably as their potential suggests, this has the makings of a championship defense.
I want to say that again. This has the makings of a championship defense. It really does. Perhaps fans and the media would be best advised to be patient and let Belichick work his genius.
And he's going to work it out, whether we're on his bandwagon or not.
Monday, October 22, 2012
New England Patriots on Paper: The Curse of Devon Loch
It's called "Pulling a Devon Loch", and it's never a good thing.
So after suffering through three different episodes with the demoralizing feat, the Patriots have to feel pretty good about how things turned out for them on Sunday evening.
And not a second too soon, as it turns out.
One could look at the New England Patriots' 2012 season thus far, and remark that this team that many were predicting to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl this coming February are under the curse of Devon Loch, the centerpiece of perhaps the strangest incident ever to happen in British sports history.
In the spring of 1956, a gelding by the name of Devon Loch was participating in the Grand National, the longest and richest steeplechase horse race in the British Isles. At over miles long and with 16 fences for the horses to clear, twice, the course has a reputation as the ultimate test of horse and jockey, most starters failing to complete the two circuits.
The thing is absolutely nuts. It's like watching a NASCAR race using horses instead of cars - horses spilling over fences, throwing thier riders - who are subsequently trampled - It's a free-for-all that is so decadent and depraved that it makes the Kentucky Derby look like amateur hour at a church social.
The gelding, owned by the Queen Mother, had won two races earlier in the year and was one of the favorites to take the Grand National - and his fortune had taken another turn for the better once his major competition had fallen off early in the race. Devon Loch was sprinting easily after clearing the last fence and was on the final stretch with a five length lead and just 40 yards to the post when he suddenly jumped in the air and landed on his belly (Watch here) , allowing a long-shot to overtake him and win the race.
The Queen Mother was so amused at the finish that she quipped, famously: "Oh, that's racing.".
American football fans typically tend to be a little more emotional about their teams blowing late leads - and very few understand the mentality that it takes to blow off such a disappointment.
So, metaphorically speaking, "To pull a Devon Loch" means that a sports team has suffered a sudden, last-minute failure to complete an expected victory...and in the first six weeks of this NFL season, the Patriots had been Devon Loch-ing everywhere, giving up last second, narrow victories to Arizona, Baltimore and Seattle....and blowing a late lead to the New York Jets Sunday before rallying for an overtime victory.
And that seems particularly relevent since Patriots visit the United Kingdom this Sunday to take on the resurgent St. Louis Rams, mere miles from where perhaps this strangest incident in the history British Sports took place over 60 years ago.
Had they not been able to reverse their fortunes against the Jets, the British media would probably have been all over them concerning the curse - but as it is now, I'm probably the only person on the planet that thinks the curse has any journalistic merit...
It remains a mystery to this day as to why Devon Loch jumped. Some muse that he was cramping, causing the collapse. More likely, a shadow thrown by an adjacent water-jump fence may have confused Devon Loch into thinking a jump was required and he half-jumped and collapsed, and it seems possible that such confusion caused him to fail to continue.
His jockey later claimed that a loud cheer from the crowd startled the horse and caused him to break stride...but the truth is that no one really knows for sure why Devon Lock took a digger, nor why the Patriots have had trouble finishing off their opponents.
All we know for sure is that New England has finally rid itself of the dreaded curse, and can now concentrate on game planning for the Sillynannies - er - the Rams game this coming Sunday in London...
So after suffering through three different episodes with the demoralizing feat, the Patriots have to feel pretty good about how things turned out for them on Sunday evening.
And not a second too soon, as it turns out.
One could look at the New England Patriots' 2012 season thus far, and remark that this team that many were predicting to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl this coming February are under the curse of Devon Loch, the centerpiece of perhaps the strangest incident ever to happen in British sports history.
In the spring of 1956, a gelding by the name of Devon Loch was participating in the Grand National, the longest and richest steeplechase horse race in the British Isles. At over miles long and with 16 fences for the horses to clear, twice, the course has a reputation as the ultimate test of horse and jockey, most starters failing to complete the two circuits.
The thing is absolutely nuts. It's like watching a NASCAR race using horses instead of cars - horses spilling over fences, throwing thier riders - who are subsequently trampled - It's a free-for-all that is so decadent and depraved that it makes the Kentucky Derby look like amateur hour at a church social.
The gelding, owned by the Queen Mother, had won two races earlier in the year and was one of the favorites to take the Grand National - and his fortune had taken another turn for the better once his major competition had fallen off early in the race. Devon Loch was sprinting easily after clearing the last fence and was on the final stretch with a five length lead and just 40 yards to the post when he suddenly jumped in the air and landed on his belly (Watch here) , allowing a long-shot to overtake him and win the race.
The Queen Mother was so amused at the finish that she quipped, famously: "Oh, that's racing.".
American football fans typically tend to be a little more emotional about their teams blowing late leads - and very few understand the mentality that it takes to blow off such a disappointment.
So, metaphorically speaking, "To pull a Devon Loch" means that a sports team has suffered a sudden, last-minute failure to complete an expected victory...and in the first six weeks of this NFL season, the Patriots had been Devon Loch-ing everywhere, giving up last second, narrow victories to Arizona, Baltimore and Seattle....and blowing a late lead to the New York Jets Sunday before rallying for an overtime victory.
And that seems particularly relevent since Patriots visit the United Kingdom this Sunday to take on the resurgent St. Louis Rams, mere miles from where perhaps this strangest incident in the history British Sports took place over 60 years ago.
Had they not been able to reverse their fortunes against the Jets, the British media would probably have been all over them concerning the curse - but as it is now, I'm probably the only person on the planet that thinks the curse has any journalistic merit...
It remains a mystery to this day as to why Devon Loch jumped. Some muse that he was cramping, causing the collapse. More likely, a shadow thrown by an adjacent water-jump fence may have confused Devon Loch into thinking a jump was required and he half-jumped and collapsed, and it seems possible that such confusion caused him to fail to continue.
His jockey later claimed that a loud cheer from the crowd startled the horse and caused him to break stride...but the truth is that no one really knows for sure why Devon Lock took a digger, nor why the Patriots have had trouble finishing off their opponents.
All we know for sure is that New England has finally rid itself of the dreaded curse, and can now concentrate on game planning for the Sillynannies - er - the Rams game this coming Sunday in London...
New England Patriots Gameday: Not once, but twice...
The New England Patriots let their opposition hang around like they're all best friends gathered for a tailgate party. Problem is, the New York Jets know when it's time to drop the BBQ ribs and the pleasantries and start smacking folks in the mouth.
And smacking folks in the mouth is exactly what they did. Unfortunately for them, the Patriots Tom Brady showed that he still has a little magic left in that ragged right arm.
Brady drove his Patriots 40 yards in 6 plays, setting up Stephen Gostkowski's 43 yard game tying field goal to send the game into overtime, then continued with the hot hand in the extra period, taking his team 54 yards in 12 plays to set up Gostkowski again, this time from 48 yards to give the Patriots the lead.
Defensive end Rob Ninkovich strip sacked Jet's quarterback Mark Sanchez on the ensuing drive, then recovered the fumble, ending the game as New England survived 26-23.
It was a stirring victory for New England, the kind that digs a team out of a funk, the kind that rights the ship, the kind that gets them on track. Use whichever worn out cliche you'd like, or make up one of your own. The Patriots' gritty, determined victory on Sunday evening is the stuff that turns a season around.
They needed this type of game. They needed to stick with a game plan for a full 60 minutes. They needed to face this type of adversity, they need to hear the fans getting on their backs - they needed to fall behind their most hated rival so that Brady could could engineer this comeback.
The talk around the water cooler is that Tom Brady has lost his magic, that he doesn't have anymore comebacks left in him. And not just around the water cooler. All week, the media had been lambasting Brady, going so far as to say that he is no longer an elite quarterback, that his status had fallen to that of a game manager...
...but not on this night. Brady coolly drove his team down the field not once, but twice. On this night, he found enough zip on his passes to fit them into Rob Gronkowski's bread basket on the final drive of regulation. On this night Danny Woodhead, Wes Welker and Aaron Hernandez happened to catch perfectly thrown balls to set up Gostkowski's game tying field goal as time expired.
Yes, on this night when the New York Jets defense played the Patriots offense as well as any team has all season and only gave up 17 of New England's 26 points, Brady "managed" to make a balanced attack work to grind out a physical victory.
Rex Ryan and his staff were able to not only take away the Patriots wide receivers for most of the game, but they also took away the running game for good chunks of time as well. And to the credit of the New England coaching staff, they stayed with their game plan and continued to run the ball and to go deep to Lloyd when they felt they had the tactical advantage - while Brady patiently worked the middle of the field, eventually softening up the defense in time for his last minute heroics.
The Patriots' defense showed up in crunch time as well, as Dante Hightower sacked Jets' quarterback Mark Sanchez on 3rd and 7 from the Patriots' 25 yard line, forcing a Jets' field goal attempt. Had New York converted that 3rd down, they could have run down the clock and there would have been no time left for Brady to work his magic.
New England sacked Sanchez again on their next possession in overtime, this time with Rob Ninkovich and Jermaine Cunningham going high/low on Sanchez, forcing a fumble that Ninkovich recovered to seal the win.
A statement game? Possibly. In the land where steamed lobsters and clam bakes are standard fare for tailgating parties, there could be no better statement than for the Patriots to smack their guests in the mouth.
After all, turnabout is fair play.
And smacking folks in the mouth is exactly what they did. Unfortunately for them, the Patriots Tom Brady showed that he still has a little magic left in that ragged right arm.
Brady drove his Patriots 40 yards in 6 plays, setting up Stephen Gostkowski's 43 yard game tying field goal to send the game into overtime, then continued with the hot hand in the extra period, taking his team 54 yards in 12 plays to set up Gostkowski again, this time from 48 yards to give the Patriots the lead.
Defensive end Rob Ninkovich strip sacked Jet's quarterback Mark Sanchez on the ensuing drive, then recovered the fumble, ending the game as New England survived 26-23.
It was a stirring victory for New England, the kind that digs a team out of a funk, the kind that rights the ship, the kind that gets them on track. Use whichever worn out cliche you'd like, or make up one of your own. The Patriots' gritty, determined victory on Sunday evening is the stuff that turns a season around.
They needed this type of game. They needed to stick with a game plan for a full 60 minutes. They needed to face this type of adversity, they need to hear the fans getting on their backs - they needed to fall behind their most hated rival so that Brady could could engineer this comeback.
The talk around the water cooler is that Tom Brady has lost his magic, that he doesn't have anymore comebacks left in him. And not just around the water cooler. All week, the media had been lambasting Brady, going so far as to say that he is no longer an elite quarterback, that his status had fallen to that of a game manager...
...but not on this night. Brady coolly drove his team down the field not once, but twice. On this night, he found enough zip on his passes to fit them into Rob Gronkowski's bread basket on the final drive of regulation. On this night Danny Woodhead, Wes Welker and Aaron Hernandez happened to catch perfectly thrown balls to set up Gostkowski's game tying field goal as time expired.
Yes, on this night when the New York Jets defense played the Patriots offense as well as any team has all season and only gave up 17 of New England's 26 points, Brady "managed" to make a balanced attack work to grind out a physical victory.
Rex Ryan and his staff were able to not only take away the Patriots wide receivers for most of the game, but they also took away the running game for good chunks of time as well. And to the credit of the New England coaching staff, they stayed with their game plan and continued to run the ball and to go deep to Lloyd when they felt they had the tactical advantage - while Brady patiently worked the middle of the field, eventually softening up the defense in time for his last minute heroics.
The Patriots' defense showed up in crunch time as well, as Dante Hightower sacked Jets' quarterback Mark Sanchez on 3rd and 7 from the Patriots' 25 yard line, forcing a Jets' field goal attempt. Had New York converted that 3rd down, they could have run down the clock and there would have been no time left for Brady to work his magic.
New England sacked Sanchez again on their next possession in overtime, this time with Rob Ninkovich and Jermaine Cunningham going high/low on Sanchez, forcing a fumble that Ninkovich recovered to seal the win.
A statement game? Possibly. In the land where steamed lobsters and clam bakes are standard fare for tailgating parties, there could be no better statement than for the Patriots to smack their guests in the mouth.
After all, turnabout is fair play.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
New England Patriots on Paper: Hope...and cheeseburgers
Being just a casual Patriots' fan is like being just mildly interested in breathing. Or eating cheeseburgers.
If you are not passionate about them, then you are taking them for granted.
These things are all around us. Why, in Lewiston alone you can't walk two blocks without coming across a burger joint or someone in Patriots' gear - and the only time you don't notice the air you're breathing is if the breeze is coming from the south. Otherwise, you still smell the burgers - and whatever that other thing is...
That thing has never been properly explained, and is not brought up in most circles, either. It's just kind of there, which may explain the enormous number of restaurants, corner stores and street vendors in town, their hood ventalation systems pumping the aroma of cheeseburgers into the heavy air. It's like Lewiston's cologne.
These things are tolerated. It's either that or move away, but small town inertia creates a difficult paradox. You want to move, but the rapidly spinning vortex located at the center of every New England town has a constant gravitational effect that, eventually, sucks you towards it's core - then spits you into nothingness.
In the interim, hard-core fans concentrate on their sports teams to keep their minds off of the ineveitable - and when the teams suck or are struggling, we tend to stem on their every movement, desperately seeking The Answer.
The casual fan will bitch and whine and complain that the Patriots have lost three of their first six games, then go back to watching reruns of Fear Factor. "I mean, after all, they never lose more than three games for a whole season, right?" they will muse, distractedly. "This is Tom Brady and Bill Belichick and the Gronk kid - and that big dude on defense - they won all of those trophies, and now they suck?"
The passionate, hard-core fan? Well, now that I think about it, we kind of take them granted as well, but on a much deeper level. We don't question them when they're struggling. We just analyze and break down the issue, which eventually leads to frustration and high blood pressure. But no matter what level of fandom you believe yourself to be in, we all have one failsafe, one default setting that we can fall back on when we finally realize that we have no idea what we're talking about:
In Bill we trust.
We've been so spoiled by the tremendous success the team has had for the past dozen years since Bill Belichick changed the fortunes of the Patriots that we come to automatically expect them to go 13-3 every year and host the AFC Championship game.
This team has been so good for so long, that the kids who were born the year that New England started their magical run are now in middle school.
Think about that for a second or two. Kids born after the beginning of the mellinium have not known a Patriots' team that sucked. Their parents, however, know that feeling all to well - yet we still fall short of rendering this team the respect that they are due for the recent successes.
In the history of professional football, a run of success like what the Patriots have strung together is rare. Consider what we have been witness to since 2000: The Patriots have won 9 division titles, compiling a record of 158 - 62, roughly translating to 13 wins annually. They have been to the AFC Championship game in 6 of those seasons, winning 5 times and advancing to the Super Bowl, of which they have won 3.
Ah, the memories...even my 8 year old son has fond memories which extend back before even his birth. That's right, he was a fan in the pre-life. In February of 2004 I was watching the Patriots play the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII with a couple of my kids and my very pregnant wife. The game was a defensive struggle until the second half, when both teams started scoring at will.
The tensions were high and it was indeed a roller coaster ride for the ages. About halfway through the 4th quarter, my wife grabbed my hand and placed it on her belly. "He's goin' nuts", she claimed - and sure enough, he was kicking to beat the band - and when Adam Vinitieri lined up for the game-winning kick, he started going after internal organs...
We all have memories like this, well maybe not our unborn sons beating the crap out of their mothers from the inside, but pleasant memories nonetheless. Like, where you were when Vinatieri hit the game winning field goal against the Rams for the Patriots first title. Did you have tears in your eyes? I sure as hell did....
What were we talking about? I kind of strayed from the topic. Or maybe not.
The truth is that the New England Patriots are ingrained in us, and whether we are a casual fan or the die-hard, won't-watch-SportsCenter-for-three-days-if-they-lose variety, their many successes and infrequent failures affect us all. We all have our memories, we all breath oxygen and we all love cheeseburgers - well, all except those vegertarian perverts - and it is in our nature to take all of these things for granted.
The past decade has catapulted the New England Patriots from lovable losers to one of the most successful franchises in NFL History, all under the tenure and leadership of Owner Robert Kraft, Head Coach Bill Belichick and some guy playing quarterback named Tom Brady.
So the Patriots have set their bar so incredible high for so long, that we are disappointed with a season that finds them struggling along at .500. So perhaps we sould take a few minutes as we wait for the game to start this afternoon and take inventory of what this team has meant to all of us and the memories they have given us.
Naw, screw that. You play to win the game, as Herm Edwards so eloquently stated during his now infamous rant following a New York Jets' loss back when he was their coach. A winning culture can transform a city, a state or an entire region. It can give hope where there seems to be none...
...and hope is a good thing, maybe the best thing a football team can give it's fans - and hope is something that can never be taken for granted.
If you are not passionate about them, then you are taking them for granted.
These things are all around us. Why, in Lewiston alone you can't walk two blocks without coming across a burger joint or someone in Patriots' gear - and the only time you don't notice the air you're breathing is if the breeze is coming from the south. Otherwise, you still smell the burgers - and whatever that other thing is...
That thing has never been properly explained, and is not brought up in most circles, either. It's just kind of there, which may explain the enormous number of restaurants, corner stores and street vendors in town, their hood ventalation systems pumping the aroma of cheeseburgers into the heavy air. It's like Lewiston's cologne.
These things are tolerated. It's either that or move away, but small town inertia creates a difficult paradox. You want to move, but the rapidly spinning vortex located at the center of every New England town has a constant gravitational effect that, eventually, sucks you towards it's core - then spits you into nothingness.
In the interim, hard-core fans concentrate on their sports teams to keep their minds off of the ineveitable - and when the teams suck or are struggling, we tend to stem on their every movement, desperately seeking The Answer.
The casual fan will bitch and whine and complain that the Patriots have lost three of their first six games, then go back to watching reruns of Fear Factor. "I mean, after all, they never lose more than three games for a whole season, right?" they will muse, distractedly. "This is Tom Brady and Bill Belichick and the Gronk kid - and that big dude on defense - they won all of those trophies, and now they suck?"
The passionate, hard-core fan? Well, now that I think about it, we kind of take them granted as well, but on a much deeper level. We don't question them when they're struggling. We just analyze and break down the issue, which eventually leads to frustration and high blood pressure. But no matter what level of fandom you believe yourself to be in, we all have one failsafe, one default setting that we can fall back on when we finally realize that we have no idea what we're talking about:
In Bill we trust.
We've been so spoiled by the tremendous success the team has had for the past dozen years since Bill Belichick changed the fortunes of the Patriots that we come to automatically expect them to go 13-3 every year and host the AFC Championship game.
This team has been so good for so long, that the kids who were born the year that New England started their magical run are now in middle school.
Think about that for a second or two. Kids born after the beginning of the mellinium have not known a Patriots' team that sucked. Their parents, however, know that feeling all to well - yet we still fall short of rendering this team the respect that they are due for the recent successes.
In the history of professional football, a run of success like what the Patriots have strung together is rare. Consider what we have been witness to since 2000: The Patriots have won 9 division titles, compiling a record of 158 - 62, roughly translating to 13 wins annually. They have been to the AFC Championship game in 6 of those seasons, winning 5 times and advancing to the Super Bowl, of which they have won 3.
Ah, the memories...even my 8 year old son has fond memories which extend back before even his birth. That's right, he was a fan in the pre-life. In February of 2004 I was watching the Patriots play the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII with a couple of my kids and my very pregnant wife. The game was a defensive struggle until the second half, when both teams started scoring at will.
The tensions were high and it was indeed a roller coaster ride for the ages. About halfway through the 4th quarter, my wife grabbed my hand and placed it on her belly. "He's goin' nuts", she claimed - and sure enough, he was kicking to beat the band - and when Adam Vinitieri lined up for the game-winning kick, he started going after internal organs...
We all have memories like this, well maybe not our unborn sons beating the crap out of their mothers from the inside, but pleasant memories nonetheless. Like, where you were when Vinatieri hit the game winning field goal against the Rams for the Patriots first title. Did you have tears in your eyes? I sure as hell did....
What were we talking about? I kind of strayed from the topic. Or maybe not.
The truth is that the New England Patriots are ingrained in us, and whether we are a casual fan or the die-hard, won't-watch-SportsCenter-for-three-days-if-they-lose variety, their many successes and infrequent failures affect us all. We all have our memories, we all breath oxygen and we all love cheeseburgers - well, all except those vegertarian perverts - and it is in our nature to take all of these things for granted.
The past decade has catapulted the New England Patriots from lovable losers to one of the most successful franchises in NFL History, all under the tenure and leadership of Owner Robert Kraft, Head Coach Bill Belichick and some guy playing quarterback named Tom Brady.
So the Patriots have set their bar so incredible high for so long, that we are disappointed with a season that finds them struggling along at .500. So perhaps we sould take a few minutes as we wait for the game to start this afternoon and take inventory of what this team has meant to all of us and the memories they have given us.
Naw, screw that. You play to win the game, as Herm Edwards so eloquently stated during his now infamous rant following a New York Jets' loss back when he was their coach. A winning culture can transform a city, a state or an entire region. It can give hope where there seems to be none...
...and hope is a good thing, maybe the best thing a football team can give it's fans - and hope is something that can never be taken for granted.
Friday, October 19, 2012
New England Patriots on Paper: Just run the damned ball
"In life, as in a football game, the principle to follow is: Hit the line hard."
Theodore Roosevelt
How long has it been since Teddy Roosevelt spewed that little gem? At least a century, maybe more?
How long does it take a football coach to forget this little gem? Less that a week, apparently.
Sitting at 3-3 in this young football season is not where the New England Patriots expected to be - yet here they are. But one needn't have to think too deeply to understand why.
Many will tell you that it's New England's secondary that is to blame. Still others will try to assuage your grief and befuddlement by saying that quarterback Tom Brady has lost it - is no longer an elite, clutch signal caller. and still others will try to persuade you that the team doesn't have the will to finish off an opponent. New York Jets' fans will tell you that the Patriots just suck.
But while any of these may or may not contribute to New England's roller coaster season thus far, Patriots fans need to remember one thing: This team is 4 points shy of being undefeated - four points - and had there been more a semblance of balance to the offense in any of the losses, the outcome would have been vastly different.
No? Well, considering that the Patriots lost to the Cardinals when Danny Woodhead's touchdown run in the final minute was negated by a phantom holding call on tight end Rob Gronkowski, and a subsequent potential game winning chip-shot field goal attempt by kicker Stephen Gostkowski was yanked wide...
...that the Ravens beat New England on a last second chip-shot field goal that seemed to pass outside of the uprights and should have been ruled no good, and that Seattle's Sidney Rice split two rookie safeties in coverage for a last minute Seahawk touchdown and a 1 point win last Sunday- yes, it's entirely possible that New England could be sitting pretty at 6-0 going into this Sunday's chapter of the rivalry with AFC East co-leader, the New York Jets.
And while these game losing plays are what gets shown on highlight reels, it is poor play calling and bad decision-making throughout these games that put the Patriots in the position to take these losses. These games each featured different heartbreaking finishes, but there is one constant in each that was the impetus for failure: They abandon the run.
Four points. It's not solely on the secondary, though their collective mediocrity at times has contributed. It's not because Brady has lost it, because he's now a more complete quarterback that in the championship years. It's not even a matter of failing to execute the game plan. It is simply a matter of the staff not sticking to the run, putting our talented players in a position much more given to failure than success.
Usually, statistics don't tell the complete story as to why a team is struggling, but there is one that is particularly compelling. In the Patriots three wins, they average an astounding 220 yards per game rushing. In their 3 losses, a middling 84 yards per game.
Not hard to figure out, is it?
Yet, it seems, these numbers appear lost on the staff in their weekly game-planning. The Patriots can run the ball. Their offensive line is a collection of athletic and beastly road grinders and the tight ends are just as rugged . Stevan Ridley has shown tremendous burst and intestinal fortitude in hitting the line hard, and Danny Woodhead has shown time and again that he may be the best clutch back in the NFL, at least the most electrifying.
The New England Patriots have every intangible that there is to physically dominate their counterparts, yet here we sit at .500.
By 4 lousy points.
The good news is, there are 10 games left in the 2012 season. Plenty of time to right the ship by achieving balance. The bad news? They can't afford another loss if they have designs on the road to the Super Bowl being detoured through Foxborough. It's entirely possible for New England to go on an undefeated run, despite the issues in the secondary and in spite of "sucking" - and it all starts this Sunday against the hated New York Jets.
This rivalry is one of the true donnybrooks in professional sports, with bad blood being conjured in as many different ways as there have been games between the two. There's nothing else to say. No preview of the two teams are necessary. There are no other trends to study, no secret to winning this game - no obscure stats to fall back on.
Just run the damned ball, and everything else will take care of itself.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Rookie mistakes cost the New England Patriots a win against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday afternoon.
Problem is, it wasn't a rookie making the mistakes.
Patriots' Quarterback Tom Brady threw two interceptions deep in Seahawks territory amid a variety of other miscues, and New England's defense couldn't bail out the 13 year veteran despite forcing three turnovers of their own, giving the Patriots an ugly 24-23 loss in Seattle.
Seahawk's rookie quarterback Russell Wilson threw a 46 yard bomb to reciever Sidney Rice with 1:27 remaining in the game, giving Seattle the winning margin.
Brady had a tough day in the red zone, mismanaging the clock at the end of the second half and taking a bad intentional grounding penalty that kept New England from scoring, forcing them into the locker room with just a 17-10 lead that should have been much more. He had another intentional grounding penalty in the 4th quarter which ended a critical drive.
Wes Welker had another great afternoon, catching 10 balls for 138 yards - his 4th consecutive 100 yard recieving day. Brandon Lloyd, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez each caught 6 balls and Danny Woodhead came down with five more clutch recpetions, but the Patriots dropped to 3-3 tie with the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins in the AFC East.
Seattle's rookie quarterback Russell Wilson went deep often on New England's secondary, finding 8 different recievers for 293 yards and three touchdowns while picking up two key pass interference penalties.
Neither team could generate much of a ground game, so it became a battle of the Quarterbacks in the misty rain. In the end, it was the two time MVP Brady that came away the loser as the illusive Wilson had a career day on a 16 for 27 performance that frustrated the Patriots' defense despite taking two sacks at the hands of New England rookie Defensive End Chandler Jones - one producing a fumble that ended a promising drive.
Despite the miscues that forced New England to settle for field goals instead of touchdowns, the Patriots led 23-10 on a 35 yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski with 9:25 left in the game.
That's when Wilson worked his rookie magic.
Wilson threw deep to fellow rookie Golden Tate for 51 yards on the first play of the ensuing possession, taking a Brandon Spikes' forearm to the head for additional 15 yards. 3 plays later, Wilson hit Braylon Edwards, who made an acrobatic catch along the sideline for a 10 yard touchdown to bring the Seahawks, 4-2, to within 6 points at 23-17 with just over 7 minutes remaining.
Both teams traded punts, then New England was forced to punt for a second consecutive drive. Seattle's Leon Washington returned the punt 25 yards to the Seahawk 43 yard line, setting up Wilson's heroics.
With no timeouts and the raucous CentryLink Field crowd making plenty of noise, Seattle's #1 ranked defense rose to the occasion, saking Brady once and forced him to throw short to Welker on the Patriots final drive, ending any hope for a New England comeback.
Problem is, it wasn't a rookie making the mistakes.
Patriots' Quarterback Tom Brady threw two interceptions deep in Seahawks territory amid a variety of other miscues, and New England's defense couldn't bail out the 13 year veteran despite forcing three turnovers of their own, giving the Patriots an ugly 24-23 loss in Seattle.
Seahawk's rookie quarterback Russell Wilson threw a 46 yard bomb to reciever Sidney Rice with 1:27 remaining in the game, giving Seattle the winning margin.
Brady had a tough day in the red zone, mismanaging the clock at the end of the second half and taking a bad intentional grounding penalty that kept New England from scoring, forcing them into the locker room with just a 17-10 lead that should have been much more. He had another intentional grounding penalty in the 4th quarter which ended a critical drive.
Wes Welker had another great afternoon, catching 10 balls for 138 yards - his 4th consecutive 100 yard recieving day. Brandon Lloyd, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez each caught 6 balls and Danny Woodhead came down with five more clutch recpetions, but the Patriots dropped to 3-3 tie with the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins in the AFC East.
Seattle's rookie quarterback Russell Wilson went deep often on New England's secondary, finding 8 different recievers for 293 yards and three touchdowns while picking up two key pass interference penalties.
Neither team could generate much of a ground game, so it became a battle of the Quarterbacks in the misty rain. In the end, it was the two time MVP Brady that came away the loser as the illusive Wilson had a career day on a 16 for 27 performance that frustrated the Patriots' defense despite taking two sacks at the hands of New England rookie Defensive End Chandler Jones - one producing a fumble that ended a promising drive.
Despite the miscues that forced New England to settle for field goals instead of touchdowns, the Patriots led 23-10 on a 35 yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski with 9:25 left in the game.
That's when Wilson worked his rookie magic.
Wilson threw deep to fellow rookie Golden Tate for 51 yards on the first play of the ensuing possession, taking a Brandon Spikes' forearm to the head for additional 15 yards. 3 plays later, Wilson hit Braylon Edwards, who made an acrobatic catch along the sideline for a 10 yard touchdown to bring the Seahawks, 4-2, to within 6 points at 23-17 with just over 7 minutes remaining.
Both teams traded punts, then New England was forced to punt for a second consecutive drive. Seattle's Leon Washington returned the punt 25 yards to the Seahawk 43 yard line, setting up Wilson's heroics.
With no timeouts and the raucous CentryLink Field crowd making plenty of noise, Seattle's #1 ranked defense rose to the occasion, saking Brady once and forced him to throw short to Welker on the Patriots final drive, ending any hope for a New England comeback.
Monday, October 15, 2012
New England Patriots Gameday: Tomato Soup
When Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman taunted Patriot quarterback Tom Brady as both left CenturyLink Field yesterday, he may have been on to something.
Maybe the New England Patriots weren't ready for a Heavyweight Fight.
Brady looked tired, looked dejected and defeated as he walked toward the locker room. Far from a sportsman and more like the brash, physical presence that the Seahawks count on every Sunday to bring the wood, Sherman minced no words to Brady on the field, nor in his Twitter feed after his team had just upset the Patriots and their #1 ranked offense.
During the game, he jawed at Brady constantly, daring him to keep throwing his way. "Please keep trying me. I'm going to take it from you." to which Brady reportedly replied, "Come see me after the game".
Sherman did. That is, he did take it away from Brady, then went to see him after the game. And then went on his Twitter account and continued gloating, claiming that the Patriots offense was "Gimmicky" and that they "weren't ready for a Heavyweight fight."
One has to wonder if he took to the streets of Seattle afterward, beating his chest and spitting beer on women...
Poor sportsmanship aside, perhaps Sherman got to the crux of the Patriots problems, not just for this game, but since the beginning of the season. They just don't seem to have that killer instinct - and it's not necessarily on the players as much as it's on the coaches and play calling. It's something that has been evident in wins as well as losses, of which the Patriots sport three of each on the season.
No sequence of plays illustrates this point better than the events that transpired toward the end of the first half of the Seahawks' 24-23 victory.
With the Seahawks at midfield, trailing 14-10 with just over 7 minutes left in the half, New England's fabulous rookie defensive end Chandler Jones strip-sacked Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson, and Patriot Rob Ninkovich fell on the ball. Brady took the Patriots down inside the Seahawk red zone, where he hit Wes Welker on a 9 yard completion on 3rd & 10, setting up a 4th and 1 on the Seattle six yard line.
I turned to my 8 year old boy and said, "Watch this, Buddy. This is where the Patriots slam the door on these guys." Jacob, who was doodling in his notebook and waiting patiently for halftime and his promised Grilled Cheese sandwich and bowl of Tomato Soup, glanced up from his notebook, shrugged and went back to his drawing.
Brady called a timeout so he and coach Bill Belichick could discuss what they were going to do on the 4th down play. Confident that they would go for the 1st down and drive the ball into the end zone, I got up to gather the food for his dinner - and came back into the living room just in time to see Stephen Gostkowski hit a 25 yard field goal for a 17-10 New England lead with just over 2 minutes left.
I was aghast. between Belichick, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Brady, they had decided that they couldn't pick up one yard to essentially bury the Seahawks just before the half.
"No!" I moaned, my mouth agape. Jacob, whom I had shocked out of his doodling focus looked up at me wide-eyed. "What's wrong, Daddy?" he asked urgently, "Are we out of Tomato Soup?"
We had plenty of soup, but apparently the Patriots had either lost their nerve or their confidence. Or both.
I went back into the kitchen to start cooking his dinner when I heard a commotion on the TV. I ran back into the living room as Trevor Scott had knocked the ball away from Seahawk Jon Ryan and after a scramble for the ball, the Patriots had the ball back in the Seahawk red zone with nearly a minute remaining...and that's when things got really strange.
A flurry of passes and clock mismanagement later and the Patriots down at the Seattle 3 yard line with only 6 seconds left, Brady fired a bullet at no one in particular just to get rid of the ball to set up a field goal attempt. But instead he was called for Intentional grounding, which is not only a loss of down penalty, but also, by rule, the referees are expected to run off 10 seconds of the game clock - and the Patriots walked off the field with no points, clinging to a 7 point advantage...
A few minutes later I brought my boy's dinner into the living room and slumped onto the couch next to him, silently lamenting the Patriots' missed opportunities. Jacob, seeing that I was frustrated and sad, offered me a bite of his sandwich.
"Go ahead, Daddy," he said, "It's really good dunked in the Soup". I accepted, and it was good. Delicious in fact. I thanked Jacob for the bite and he replied, "Maybe we could send some of this soup to the Patriots so they can win."
I was about to tell him that it doesn't work like that, but I knew he would ask me why - and I had no explanation for him. For now, I just smiled. And had a few more bites of his sandwich and searched in my brain for a reason how the Patriots had lost their nerve, and what they needed to do to get it back.
If only it were as simple as eating some Tomato Soup.
Maybe the New England Patriots weren't ready for a Heavyweight Fight.
Brady looked tired, looked dejected and defeated as he walked toward the locker room. Far from a sportsman and more like the brash, physical presence that the Seahawks count on every Sunday to bring the wood, Sherman minced no words to Brady on the field, nor in his Twitter feed after his team had just upset the Patriots and their #1 ranked offense.
During the game, he jawed at Brady constantly, daring him to keep throwing his way. "Please keep trying me. I'm going to take it from you." to which Brady reportedly replied, "Come see me after the game".
Sherman did. That is, he did take it away from Brady, then went to see him after the game. And then went on his Twitter account and continued gloating, claiming that the Patriots offense was "Gimmicky" and that they "weren't ready for a Heavyweight fight."
One has to wonder if he took to the streets of Seattle afterward, beating his chest and spitting beer on women...
Poor sportsmanship aside, perhaps Sherman got to the crux of the Patriots problems, not just for this game, but since the beginning of the season. They just don't seem to have that killer instinct - and it's not necessarily on the players as much as it's on the coaches and play calling. It's something that has been evident in wins as well as losses, of which the Patriots sport three of each on the season.
No sequence of plays illustrates this point better than the events that transpired toward the end of the first half of the Seahawks' 24-23 victory.
With the Seahawks at midfield, trailing 14-10 with just over 7 minutes left in the half, New England's fabulous rookie defensive end Chandler Jones strip-sacked Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson, and Patriot Rob Ninkovich fell on the ball. Brady took the Patriots down inside the Seahawk red zone, where he hit Wes Welker on a 9 yard completion on 3rd & 10, setting up a 4th and 1 on the Seattle six yard line.
I turned to my 8 year old boy and said, "Watch this, Buddy. This is where the Patriots slam the door on these guys." Jacob, who was doodling in his notebook and waiting patiently for halftime and his promised Grilled Cheese sandwich and bowl of Tomato Soup, glanced up from his notebook, shrugged and went back to his drawing.
Brady called a timeout so he and coach Bill Belichick could discuss what they were going to do on the 4th down play. Confident that they would go for the 1st down and drive the ball into the end zone, I got up to gather the food for his dinner - and came back into the living room just in time to see Stephen Gostkowski hit a 25 yard field goal for a 17-10 New England lead with just over 2 minutes left.
I was aghast. between Belichick, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Brady, they had decided that they couldn't pick up one yard to essentially bury the Seahawks just before the half.
"No!" I moaned, my mouth agape. Jacob, whom I had shocked out of his doodling focus looked up at me wide-eyed. "What's wrong, Daddy?" he asked urgently, "Are we out of Tomato Soup?"
We had plenty of soup, but apparently the Patriots had either lost their nerve or their confidence. Or both.
I went back into the kitchen to start cooking his dinner when I heard a commotion on the TV. I ran back into the living room as Trevor Scott had knocked the ball away from Seahawk Jon Ryan and after a scramble for the ball, the Patriots had the ball back in the Seahawk red zone with nearly a minute remaining...and that's when things got really strange.
A flurry of passes and clock mismanagement later and the Patriots down at the Seattle 3 yard line with only 6 seconds left, Brady fired a bullet at no one in particular just to get rid of the ball to set up a field goal attempt. But instead he was called for Intentional grounding, which is not only a loss of down penalty, but also, by rule, the referees are expected to run off 10 seconds of the game clock - and the Patriots walked off the field with no points, clinging to a 7 point advantage...
A few minutes later I brought my boy's dinner into the living room and slumped onto the couch next to him, silently lamenting the Patriots' missed opportunities. Jacob, seeing that I was frustrated and sad, offered me a bite of his sandwich.
"Go ahead, Daddy," he said, "It's really good dunked in the Soup". I accepted, and it was good. Delicious in fact. I thanked Jacob for the bite and he replied, "Maybe we could send some of this soup to the Patriots so they can win."
I was about to tell him that it doesn't work like that, but I knew he would ask me why - and I had no explanation for him. For now, I just smiled. And had a few more bites of his sandwich and searched in my brain for a reason how the Patriots had lost their nerve, and what they needed to do to get it back.
If only it were as simple as eating some Tomato Soup.
Friday, October 12, 2012
New England Patriots on Paper: Twelve
If a tree falls in the forest and there’s no one around to hear it, does it make a sound?
A better question this week may be "If Pete Carroll builds a football team in the Pacific Northwest - essentially in the middle of a forest - does it make a sound"? Either way, the answer to the question is a resounding "Yes".
Being isolated in the Pacific Northwest makes anything the Seahawks do under the radar, so it's no surprise that Carroll has assembled a team that is a solid playoff favorite, a team that has as dominating a defense as you'll find, a team with a running back that is fueled by Skittles, a team that is led by Number twelve.
As Jersey sales go, Number 12 is by far the most popular and best selling. Everywhere you go in the city, you will see folks wearing it, you'll see "12" flags rippling in the omni-present tempest that whips down the wind tunnel known as the Puget Sound. So popular is the number that it is considered a supreme honor for a Seahawk's fan to raise the "12" flag in a ceremony before each game...
On December 15, 1984, the Seahawks organization retired the number 12 - never to be worn again. But it wasn't a player that wore the number that caused it to be retired, it was the raucous fans that made every defensive series the loudest, in decibel level, in the NFL.
The Number 12 is worn by "The 12th Man"
Living across the Puget Sound in the city of Bremerton in the early 80's, I attended Seahawk games with regularity, craving professional football, climbing aboard the Seattle ferry bound for Bremerton after the games, my ears literally ringing. I also got to see the Rolling Stones in concert in that cold echo chamber, the experience forever burned into my brain by, among other things, the sheer power of the amplified noise.
So when the Seahawks introduced CenturyLink Field in 2002 as the replacement for that old concrete morgue and it's dynamic acoustics, one had to think that the decibel levels would decline to a tolerable level.
Well, they haven't, as the Seahawks play in front of the loudest fan base in the league - particularly with the opposing offense on the field - and it doesn't help the visitor's cause that Carroll has built the top rated defense in the league. The defense, nicknamed the "Legion of Boom" coupled with the frenzied crowd noise can be as intimidating as any venue in the NFL.
And it will be even louder this Sunday for two very large reasons. First, the Defending AFC Champion New England Patriots bring their #1 ranked offense into the CenturyLink vortex, and Seahawk legend Cortez Kennedy is having his number 96 retired in a halftime ceremony, which should have the hometown faithful pumped up for the second half.
So, how does a team counter this decided advantage for the Seahawks? It helps to have Tom Brady running the offense, and it helps even more to have a solid running game.
The Patriots have both.
As identities go, the Patriots won't have a true one until Tight End Aaron Hernandez rejoins the mix after having been out for the past 3 games with an ankle injury - but the core is present for a dominating attack that features balance and tremendous size. The only real question for the Patriots on offense is their patchwork offensive line, which is stellar in run blocking but only average in keeping Brady upright, giving up 12 sacks on the young season. In their defense, however, most of the sacks given up were on desperation all-out blitzes.
The Patriots are the #3 rushing team in the league at 165 yards per game. The Seahawks counter with a rush defense that is giving up a meager 66 yards per game. The Pats throw for nearly 300 yards per game - Seattle allows over 100 yards less than that. Something's gotta give.
New England scores a robust 33 points per game. Seattle gives up 14. Again, something's gotta give.
And here's what gives: Mystique.
The Patriots are, well, the Patriots. Their track record speaks for itself, and the awe factor will be in play, particularly in the defensive backfield where the most tenured of the Seahawks are their safeties Cam Chancellor and Earl Thomas, both of whom bring 3 years of experience - While Brady is in his 14th year, throwing to Wes Welker (9 years of beating corners) and Brandon Lloyd with 10 years of acrobatic, sure-handed catching.
The young stable of running backs have risen to the occasion, with 2nd year man Stevan Ridley taking the point as the 5th leading rusher in the NFL - just 18 yards behind Seattle's Marshawn Lynch at #3. Power back Brandon Boldin is a load to bring down in short yardage and scatback Danny Woodhead continues to deliver clutch plays, seemingly every time he handles the ball.
Even young Tight Ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez with their 3 years each bring a mystique as the top Tight End duo in the NFL - so one wouldn't blame the Seahawk's defense for being a bit star-struck.
But Seattle's good old reliable Number 12 won't be star-struck. Their 12th man gives this defense the best home field advantage in the NFL. Just ask the Dallas Cowboys. The Green Bay Packers will tell you the same thing. The decibel level will be particularly on display against the Patriots with their no-huddle, hyperactive, Up-Tempo offensive attack.
When New England's offense is on the field at home, you can hear crickets chirping between Tom Brady identifying the "Mike" linebacker, calling out audibles and the snap count. In Seattle, he will have to use hand signals and stomp his feet to do these things. It goes to figure that the crowd alone will be able to slow the attack a little but it will ultimately be up to Seattle's defense to stop New England's offensive juggernaut.
The Seahawks have quietly assembled a defense that is as collectively stout as it is fast. Even the corners, traditionally the smallest players on defense, have linebacker size to go along with top end press coverage skills. Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman are both 6' 3" and right around 225 pounds each and are super-aggressive, resulting in some unneeded and untimely penalties, but there is no better set of true bump-and-run coverage corners in the NFL.
This talent at the corner leads to a bit more freedom for their safeties, who are among the top tandem in the league. Cam Chancellor is a big, downhill hitter who could probably play outside linebacker, but has decent coverage skills from his strong position, while Thomas is also a big hitter, but offers range and angle technique that makes him, essentially, a third corner in their base 4-3 set, all but eliminating the need for a nickle back.
The Defensive front consists of widebodies Red Bryant (whom the Patriots seemed fond of during free agency) and Chris Clemons at ends, with even wider-bodied Alan Branch and Brandon Mebane as the tackles. On passing downs, lightening quick 1st round draft pick Bruce Irvin and fifth year End/Tackle Jason Jones come in to give the Seahawks an intimidating pass rush. Again, just ask the Cowboys and Packers.
The Linebacking corps is the weakest link in this unit - which seems to be a theme for Patriots' opponents this season. Rookie Bobby Wagner anchors the unit from his middle linebacker position, flanked by 2nd year man K.J. Wright and veteran Leroy Hill. While the starters are average, either by experience or discipline issues, the depth behind them is marginal at best...and this is the rub on this defense.
The Seattle Seahawks' #12 can be very intimidating in their home stadium. The Patriots' have their own #12 who is pretty good, no matter the venue. If the past two games have told us anything, he is more than up to the task.
He is the best Quarterback in the NFL. Patriots' fans hope he will be the best number twelve in CenturyLink Field on Sunday afternoon.
A better question this week may be "If Pete Carroll builds a football team in the Pacific Northwest - essentially in the middle of a forest - does it make a sound"? Either way, the answer to the question is a resounding "Yes".
Being isolated in the Pacific Northwest makes anything the Seahawks do under the radar, so it's no surprise that Carroll has assembled a team that is a solid playoff favorite, a team that has as dominating a defense as you'll find, a team with a running back that is fueled by Skittles, a team that is led by Number twelve.
As Jersey sales go, Number 12 is by far the most popular and best selling. Everywhere you go in the city, you will see folks wearing it, you'll see "12" flags rippling in the omni-present tempest that whips down the wind tunnel known as the Puget Sound. So popular is the number that it is considered a supreme honor for a Seahawk's fan to raise the "12" flag in a ceremony before each game...
On December 15, 1984, the Seahawks organization retired the number 12 - never to be worn again. But it wasn't a player that wore the number that caused it to be retired, it was the raucous fans that made every defensive series the loudest, in decibel level, in the NFL.
The Number 12 is worn by "The 12th Man"
Living across the Puget Sound in the city of Bremerton in the early 80's, I attended Seahawk games with regularity, craving professional football, climbing aboard the Seattle ferry bound for Bremerton after the games, my ears literally ringing. I also got to see the Rolling Stones in concert in that cold echo chamber, the experience forever burned into my brain by, among other things, the sheer power of the amplified noise.
So when the Seahawks introduced CenturyLink Field in 2002 as the replacement for that old concrete morgue and it's dynamic acoustics, one had to think that the decibel levels would decline to a tolerable level.
Well, they haven't, as the Seahawks play in front of the loudest fan base in the league - particularly with the opposing offense on the field - and it doesn't help the visitor's cause that Carroll has built the top rated defense in the league. The defense, nicknamed the "Legion of Boom" coupled with the frenzied crowd noise can be as intimidating as any venue in the NFL.
And it will be even louder this Sunday for two very large reasons. First, the Defending AFC Champion New England Patriots bring their #1 ranked offense into the CenturyLink vortex, and Seahawk legend Cortez Kennedy is having his number 96 retired in a halftime ceremony, which should have the hometown faithful pumped up for the second half.
So, how does a team counter this decided advantage for the Seahawks? It helps to have Tom Brady running the offense, and it helps even more to have a solid running game.
The Patriots have both.
As identities go, the Patriots won't have a true one until Tight End Aaron Hernandez rejoins the mix after having been out for the past 3 games with an ankle injury - but the core is present for a dominating attack that features balance and tremendous size. The only real question for the Patriots on offense is their patchwork offensive line, which is stellar in run blocking but only average in keeping Brady upright, giving up 12 sacks on the young season. In their defense, however, most of the sacks given up were on desperation all-out blitzes.
The Patriots are the #3 rushing team in the league at 165 yards per game. The Seahawks counter with a rush defense that is giving up a meager 66 yards per game. The Pats throw for nearly 300 yards per game - Seattle allows over 100 yards less than that. Something's gotta give.
New England scores a robust 33 points per game. Seattle gives up 14. Again, something's gotta give.
And here's what gives: Mystique.
The Patriots are, well, the Patriots. Their track record speaks for itself, and the awe factor will be in play, particularly in the defensive backfield where the most tenured of the Seahawks are their safeties Cam Chancellor and Earl Thomas, both of whom bring 3 years of experience - While Brady is in his 14th year, throwing to Wes Welker (9 years of beating corners) and Brandon Lloyd with 10 years of acrobatic, sure-handed catching.
The young stable of running backs have risen to the occasion, with 2nd year man Stevan Ridley taking the point as the 5th leading rusher in the NFL - just 18 yards behind Seattle's Marshawn Lynch at #3. Power back Brandon Boldin is a load to bring down in short yardage and scatback Danny Woodhead continues to deliver clutch plays, seemingly every time he handles the ball.
Even young Tight Ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez with their 3 years each bring a mystique as the top Tight End duo in the NFL - so one wouldn't blame the Seahawk's defense for being a bit star-struck.
But Seattle's good old reliable Number 12 won't be star-struck. Their 12th man gives this defense the best home field advantage in the NFL. Just ask the Dallas Cowboys. The Green Bay Packers will tell you the same thing. The decibel level will be particularly on display against the Patriots with their no-huddle, hyperactive, Up-Tempo offensive attack.
When New England's offense is on the field at home, you can hear crickets chirping between Tom Brady identifying the "Mike" linebacker, calling out audibles and the snap count. In Seattle, he will have to use hand signals and stomp his feet to do these things. It goes to figure that the crowd alone will be able to slow the attack a little but it will ultimately be up to Seattle's defense to stop New England's offensive juggernaut.
The Seahawks have quietly assembled a defense that is as collectively stout as it is fast. Even the corners, traditionally the smallest players on defense, have linebacker size to go along with top end press coverage skills. Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman are both 6' 3" and right around 225 pounds each and are super-aggressive, resulting in some unneeded and untimely penalties, but there is no better set of true bump-and-run coverage corners in the NFL.
This talent at the corner leads to a bit more freedom for their safeties, who are among the top tandem in the league. Cam Chancellor is a big, downhill hitter who could probably play outside linebacker, but has decent coverage skills from his strong position, while Thomas is also a big hitter, but offers range and angle technique that makes him, essentially, a third corner in their base 4-3 set, all but eliminating the need for a nickle back.
The Defensive front consists of widebodies Red Bryant (whom the Patriots seemed fond of during free agency) and Chris Clemons at ends, with even wider-bodied Alan Branch and Brandon Mebane as the tackles. On passing downs, lightening quick 1st round draft pick Bruce Irvin and fifth year End/Tackle Jason Jones come in to give the Seahawks an intimidating pass rush. Again, just ask the Cowboys and Packers.
The Linebacking corps is the weakest link in this unit - which seems to be a theme for Patriots' opponents this season. Rookie Bobby Wagner anchors the unit from his middle linebacker position, flanked by 2nd year man K.J. Wright and veteran Leroy Hill. While the starters are average, either by experience or discipline issues, the depth behind them is marginal at best...and this is the rub on this defense.
The Seattle Seahawks' #12 can be very intimidating in their home stadium. The Patriots' have their own #12 who is pretty good, no matter the venue. If the past two games have told us anything, he is more than up to the task.
He is the best Quarterback in the NFL. Patriots' fans hope he will be the best number twelve in CenturyLink Field on Sunday afternoon.
Monday, October 8, 2012
New England Patriots Gameday: A Shogun named Bill
Upon first glance, it appears that Peyton Manning outperformed Tom Brady on Sunday in what was dubbed a showdown between the two best Quarterbacks in the NFL, perhaps the two best quarterbacks in NFL History.
A double-take tells a different tale.
Manning racked up typical stats, completing 31 of 44 passes, good for 345 yards, with three touchdowns, no picks and a 116.2 passer rating. Brady finished at 23 of 31 for only 223 yards, with one touchdown, no interceptions and a 104.6 rating.
The numbers don't lie. Statistically, Manning dominated Brady. So, how is it that Manning was able to put up clearly superior numbers - yet still end up on the short end of the 31-21 final score?
Simply said, Brady didn't have to.
Brady has always been on the cutting edge of Coach Bill Belichick's innovative schemes. His football intelligence is the stuff of legend. One of the greatest things about watching Brady play is seeing him standing in the backfield, barking out assignments to his charges, identifying the "Mike", changing the play at the line. He is a reflection of Belichick on the field. Some may call him seito...
Belichick's warrior students - or seito - have always been those upstanding in character and those who toed the line, relenting to his wisdom and logic - trusting in his knowledge of the system. They are disciplined and conditioned to protect the football, and to take it away from their foe, to stomp them relentlessly until they submit. They follow blindly, knowing that the man who will go down in NFL history as the best ever to coach the game expects this of them.
He is the General. He commands his troops and teaches them in the way of the soldier - that training and practice and attention to detail are necessary precusrors to success on the field of battle. He is the General, using his warriors to impliment his teachings, combining them with brute force to subdue his enemies.
He is a modern day Shogun.
In ancient times, being a Shogun meant being a military General, often with more power and influence than the Emperor himself. Appropriately used, the term sei-i-tai-shōgun meant, literally, "great general who subdues barbarians".
The house that the Shogun resides in is refered to as Bakufu. The persons who accompany the General and protects his Bakufu and those who dwell in it are known as Samurai.
On Sunday afternoon, in the Bakufu known simply as Gillette Stadium, these Samurai protected their turf, dominating the Barbarians known as the Denver Broncos with an offense operating with such precision that their total output was breathtakingly efficient and balanced. Brady didn't have to match Manning's desperate heaves, as the up-tempo, hyperactive attack that he commands subdued the Broncos to the tune of 251 yards on the ground.
That's right. In this game of violent ground acquisition, it was the Patriots punishing ground attack that subdued Denver's overwhelmed defense. The running game, powered by the legs and vision of Stevan Ridley, his charge led by his behemouth linemen, pounded the Broncos front seven into submission, with Brady throwing only if he thought he had the tactical advantage, and it worked like a charm.
Manning's charges in the running game were stonewalled by New England's defensive forces, forcing him to the air. In fact, 206 of Manning's 345 yards and two of his touchdown tosses came in desperation time, after New England had taken a commanding 31-7 lead, with just under 5 minutes left in the 3rd quarter.
Conversely, only 47 of Brady's total came after that lead was achieved and he had already geared it down, with almost all of the yardage converting 3rd downs while working on the clock with the running game. What this means is that Brady outgained his counterpart 176 - 139 when it counted the most, both tallying one score through the air.
The Patriots' ground game took care of the rest, scoring 3 times and completely controling the pace of the game.
"Running that offense, Tom Brady is just as good as he's always been. And that's why we lose. Because he's just as good as he's always been.'' lamented Bronco's All-Pro cornerback Champ Bailey, "We knew what was coming, but we couldn't stop it.''
If the Shogun and his Samurai continue dominating their barbaric foes at the pace they've set the past two weeks, every player that they face will be echoing Bailey's sentiments, singing the sad song of the vanquished:
Clutch, from the album Transnational Speedway League
Experience it here
A double-take tells a different tale.
Manning racked up typical stats, completing 31 of 44 passes, good for 345 yards, with three touchdowns, no picks and a 116.2 passer rating. Brady finished at 23 of 31 for only 223 yards, with one touchdown, no interceptions and a 104.6 rating.
The numbers don't lie. Statistically, Manning dominated Brady. So, how is it that Manning was able to put up clearly superior numbers - yet still end up on the short end of the 31-21 final score?
Simply said, Brady didn't have to.
Brady has always been on the cutting edge of Coach Bill Belichick's innovative schemes. His football intelligence is the stuff of legend. One of the greatest things about watching Brady play is seeing him standing in the backfield, barking out assignments to his charges, identifying the "Mike", changing the play at the line. He is a reflection of Belichick on the field. Some may call him seito...
Belichick's warrior students - or seito - have always been those upstanding in character and those who toed the line, relenting to his wisdom and logic - trusting in his knowledge of the system. They are disciplined and conditioned to protect the football, and to take it away from their foe, to stomp them relentlessly until they submit. They follow blindly, knowing that the man who will go down in NFL history as the best ever to coach the game expects this of them.
He is the General. He commands his troops and teaches them in the way of the soldier - that training and practice and attention to detail are necessary precusrors to success on the field of battle. He is the General, using his warriors to impliment his teachings, combining them with brute force to subdue his enemies.
He is a modern day Shogun.
In ancient times, being a Shogun meant being a military General, often with more power and influence than the Emperor himself. Appropriately used, the term sei-i-tai-shōgun meant, literally, "great general who subdues barbarians".
The house that the Shogun resides in is refered to as Bakufu. The persons who accompany the General and protects his Bakufu and those who dwell in it are known as Samurai.
On Sunday afternoon, in the Bakufu known simply as Gillette Stadium, these Samurai protected their turf, dominating the Barbarians known as the Denver Broncos with an offense operating with such precision that their total output was breathtakingly efficient and balanced. Brady didn't have to match Manning's desperate heaves, as the up-tempo, hyperactive attack that he commands subdued the Broncos to the tune of 251 yards on the ground.
That's right. In this game of violent ground acquisition, it was the Patriots punishing ground attack that subdued Denver's overwhelmed defense. The running game, powered by the legs and vision of Stevan Ridley, his charge led by his behemouth linemen, pounded the Broncos front seven into submission, with Brady throwing only if he thought he had the tactical advantage, and it worked like a charm.
Manning's charges in the running game were stonewalled by New England's defensive forces, forcing him to the air. In fact, 206 of Manning's 345 yards and two of his touchdown tosses came in desperation time, after New England had taken a commanding 31-7 lead, with just under 5 minutes left in the 3rd quarter.
Conversely, only 47 of Brady's total came after that lead was achieved and he had already geared it down, with almost all of the yardage converting 3rd downs while working on the clock with the running game. What this means is that Brady outgained his counterpart 176 - 139 when it counted the most, both tallying one score through the air.
The Patriots' ground game took care of the rest, scoring 3 times and completely controling the pace of the game.
"Running that offense, Tom Brady is just as good as he's always been. And that's why we lose. Because he's just as good as he's always been.'' lamented Bronco's All-Pro cornerback Champ Bailey, "We knew what was coming, but we couldn't stop it.''
If the Shogun and his Samurai continue dominating their barbaric foes at the pace they've set the past two weeks, every player that they face will be echoing Bailey's sentiments, singing the sad song of the vanquished:
Clutch, from the album Transnational Speedway League
Experience it here
Sunday, October 7, 2012
New England Patriots Gameday: 252 yards and a cloud of dust
If anyone still questions what Bill Belichick's mind-set is for his team, Sunday's thrashing of the Denver Broncos should have answered them.
Smashmouth. Dominating. Downright scary. He doesn't want to just win - he wants to crush his opponent.
The New England running game outgained their prolific passing game as the Patriots ran the ball right into the teeth of an overmatched Broncos' front 7 for a total of 252 of New England's 475 total yards - more than matching last week's 247 yards that they laid on the Buffalo Bills.
Can we now say that the New England Patriots are a running team?
Looking every bit the feature back that Patriots' fans have been waiting for since Corey Dillon left, Stevan Ridley ran with purpose and passion, gashing the Broncos' defense for 151 yards on 28 carries as New England dominated in almost every category there is, smacking Denver right in the mouth to the tune of 31-21.
Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels started fast with the running game and never let up, while the Patriots' defense bottled up Denver's running attack, as Willis McGahee never was able to get untracked early, and the Broncos all but abandoned the run when they fell behind by three scores in the third quarter.
Deftly mixing in timely pass plays, New England Quarterback Tom Brady still managed to almost match the running game production, passing for 223 yards on a 23 of 31 performance, throwing lasers into tight coverage time after time, finding Wes Welker 12 times for 95 yards and spreading the rest of his completions around to 5 different recievers.
For the second week in a row, the Patriots' running game topped 200 yards as Danny Woodhead chipped in 47 yards on the ground including an electrifying 19 yard run on a 3rd and 17 that kept alive a crucial drive. He also caught one pass for 25 yards to convert another 3rd and long to keep another scoring drive alive - but the night belonged to Ridley.
Despite a fumble late in the game that gave life to the surging Peyton Manning and the Broncos' offense, Ridley carried the load, leading the Patriots to a 31-7 lead late in the 3rd quarter before Manning caught fire and threw two 4th quarter scores to close the gap to 10 points.
After Ridley's fumble, Manning led the Broncos down to the Patriots 11 yard line with over 3 minutes left in the game and trailing by that 10 point margin, but Linebacker Rob Ninkovich forced a Willis McGahee fumble and Jermaine Cunningham recovered, ending the Broncos' comeback hopes.
Manning had a typically efficient game, pelting the New England secondary for 345 yards and 3 touchdowns, 188 of those passing yards to Demetrius Thomas, who victimized New England cornerbacks on several long gainers. But the lack of a running game ultimately doomed the Broncos, who now stand at 2-3 on the season and headed to San Diego to face the Chargers in an AFC West matchup.
New England is above .500 at 3-2, and are at the top of the AFC East. They travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks and their tough defense next Sunday.
Smashmouth. Dominating. Downright scary. He doesn't want to just win - he wants to crush his opponent.
The New England running game outgained their prolific passing game as the Patriots ran the ball right into the teeth of an overmatched Broncos' front 7 for a total of 252 of New England's 475 total yards - more than matching last week's 247 yards that they laid on the Buffalo Bills.
Can we now say that the New England Patriots are a running team?
Looking every bit the feature back that Patriots' fans have been waiting for since Corey Dillon left, Stevan Ridley ran with purpose and passion, gashing the Broncos' defense for 151 yards on 28 carries as New England dominated in almost every category there is, smacking Denver right in the mouth to the tune of 31-21.
Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels started fast with the running game and never let up, while the Patriots' defense bottled up Denver's running attack, as Willis McGahee never was able to get untracked early, and the Broncos all but abandoned the run when they fell behind by three scores in the third quarter.
Deftly mixing in timely pass plays, New England Quarterback Tom Brady still managed to almost match the running game production, passing for 223 yards on a 23 of 31 performance, throwing lasers into tight coverage time after time, finding Wes Welker 12 times for 95 yards and spreading the rest of his completions around to 5 different recievers.
For the second week in a row, the Patriots' running game topped 200 yards as Danny Woodhead chipped in 47 yards on the ground including an electrifying 19 yard run on a 3rd and 17 that kept alive a crucial drive. He also caught one pass for 25 yards to convert another 3rd and long to keep another scoring drive alive - but the night belonged to Ridley.
Despite a fumble late in the game that gave life to the surging Peyton Manning and the Broncos' offense, Ridley carried the load, leading the Patriots to a 31-7 lead late in the 3rd quarter before Manning caught fire and threw two 4th quarter scores to close the gap to 10 points.
After Ridley's fumble, Manning led the Broncos down to the Patriots 11 yard line with over 3 minutes left in the game and trailing by that 10 point margin, but Linebacker Rob Ninkovich forced a Willis McGahee fumble and Jermaine Cunningham recovered, ending the Broncos' comeback hopes.
Manning had a typically efficient game, pelting the New England secondary for 345 yards and 3 touchdowns, 188 of those passing yards to Demetrius Thomas, who victimized New England cornerbacks on several long gainers. But the lack of a running game ultimately doomed the Broncos, who now stand at 2-3 on the season and headed to San Diego to face the Chargers in an AFC West matchup.
New England is above .500 at 3-2, and are at the top of the AFC East. They travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks and their tough defense next Sunday.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
New England Patriots On Paper: Working the body
To this day, the fight at the end of Rocky II remains one of the most riveting and mezmerizing scenes in all of the sports film genre.
What's not to like? Both fighters are beaten horribly, while the swings in momentum are sudden and just as violent. Apollo Creed, a fine name for a Champion - going the distance, he had won the first fight between he and Rocky Balboa, but he didn't beat him. He didn't dominate the challenger. There were many who thought Balboa had won the fight. Creed's integrity was on the line.
In the months leading up to the fight, Creed trained like never before. He challenged himself, game-planned religiously, trained harder. But no matter how hard he trained, he couldn't protect his body from the punishment it was about to take. And when he started absorbing those blasts to the body, the confidence and swagger gave way to desperation and risk-taking.
All through the fight, Rocky's trainer Mickey Goldmill kept imploring the challenger to work on the Champion's body, using his brute strength to defeat the champ at his core. "The body! The body! The body!" he would yell at his fighter. Again and again, Rocky would work his way inside, throwing haymakers to Creed's ribs until, finally, he had worn the champion down enough to knock him out...
In football vernacular, going for the body means to run the ball right down the throat of the defense, something that the New England Patriots are going to try to do against the Denver Broncos this Sunday.
And why not? The Patriots gave the Buffalo Bills a collective endoscopy last sunday, running for 247 yards on 40 carries, for a whopping 6.2 yards per carry. What's to say they can't do the same thing to the Denver Broncos this Sunday?
The Broncos present a similar set of skill players as the Bills, just not as expensive. They have two of the premier pass rushers in the league in linebacker Von Miller and defensive end Elvis Dumervil and an All-Star set of corners in Champ Bailey and Tracy Porter. Those are some impressive folks for sure, but that's really all the Broncos offer on defense...
...which is enough on most Sundays, given the potency of the Broncos' offense. But if the Patriots come anywhere close to producing what the running game gave them in Buffalo against similar athletes, it's not going to be enough this Sunday.
Because what's the best way to take away a great pass rush? Right, run the ball. How about taking those corners out of the game? Run the ball. Run right up the gut. Go to the body.
It seems like such a simple solution, it couldn't actually work, could it? Is it just coincidence that when they do commit to the run, it's a precursor to victory?
They ran the ball well against the Titans in the opener, abandoned everything when Hernandez went down against the Cardinals and seemingly ignored the run against the Ravens until they needed it to kill the clock, which they couldn't do because they never established it throughout the game.
But when they went right at the teeth of the Bills last weekend, they embarassed Buffalo's revamped defense.
It is far too early to claim that New England has the capability of tremendous balance, the ability run the ball at will consistently. But when they commit to the run and stay with it, they have shown a trend towards that end. Balance on offense is such a difficult thing to attain, and very few teams can make claim to such a thing. We can say with certainty, however, that when the Patriots go up tempo and get on a roll, only they can stop themselves.
The Bills found that out the hard way, playing small ball in sub packages and getting the ball ran down their throats as the Patriots physical and tough offensive line dominated Buffalo's front seven. Unfortunately for Denver's defense, they perform best as a unit in their nickle and dime sets as well.
That's the reality of what the Broncos face on Sunday afternoon, and it doesn't help their cause that their linebacking corps will be without one of it's best players. D.J. Williams is suspended for the first 6 games after the NFL said he supplied a ''non-human'' urine sample during a drug test. Really. But hard hitting Joe Mays is back after being suspended and fined 50 grand for pulling a Mike Tyson against Houston's Matt Schaub and his ear.
Even with Mays back on the active roster, the unit is still just average and they can be overpowered. Their safeties - as are the linebackers without Williams, are average at best - though 2nd year man Rahim Moore shows promise as a physical presense, if he can steady his production and stay on the field. But despite the limitations due to suspensions and attrition and non-human urine, the Broncos play full of confidence and with brash swagger.
The Patriots counter with a combination of up tempo and cool focus.
Stevan Ridley is becoming an all-purpose, 20 carries-per-game feature back right before our eyes, with a combination of power and speed and an impressive burst when he gets to the second level, which he should be able to find often, given that the Broncos defensive line represents their soft under-belly. Danny Woodhead is a superb reciever out of the backfield and an equally fine blocker when he stays in to help pick up a blitzer. He consistently shows toughness between the tackles when he gets the opportunity to handle the ball.
Boldin is the Hammer, the Corey Dillon-like presense that can get you that tough extra yard or three, and keep the chains moving and the clock running.
The Body! The Body! The Body!
What makes the task for the Broncos defense even more daunting it that collection of tight ends that the Patriots can throw into the mix. Gronkowski gets the headlines for yards recieving and touchdowns and ball gronking, but his blocking ranks right up there in his skill set. As a lead blocker, he smothers linebackers with his frame, allowing the back to slither past before the would be tackler ever sees him.
In pass protection, he forms a physical tandem, teaming with the tackles to keep the rush ends away from Brady and to keep the linebackers from setting the edge. By design, he can always release into the pattern, giving Brady a formidable weapon as a check down.
It is unclear whether versatile tight end Aaron Hernandez will play, but even if he doesn't, Wes Welker and Brandon Lloyd are proving to be plenty enough for the secondary to be concerned with. If Hernandez' ankle is healed enough for him to play, the pickings will be ripe for both him and Gronkowski between the safeties. Daniel Fells also adds much to the blocking, and has soft hands when targeted.
Just as Rocky was successful by going to the body early and often, the Patriots would be best served to play inside the tackles, taking away Denver's advantage at the corners. By running effectively, it will force the Broncos to counter punch by bringing a safety or extra linebacker into the box. If Brady can catch them in that alignment and immediately go up tempo, it then turns the advantage to New England's passing game, particularly underneath.
Rocky Balboa was presented as a one dimensional fighter, and Micky tried to shift the advantage to his fighter by changing tactics, fighting in a style that was out of character, to surprise Creed with trickery - but moving inside to take away Creed's reach advantage was what won the fight - delivering blow after blow and forcing Creed to into a slugfest that he was doomed to lose.
The Patriots need no such trickery, however. Running the ball with their fine stable of young running backs behind their tough and underrated offensive line - Going to the body of the Broncos defense - is what will win this contest, and is a plan for success against any Patriots' foe going forward.
Anything less could turn this contest into a bad sequel for the Patriots, on the scale of total flops like Rocky 3, 4, 5, etc, etc...They really should have stopped making those films after Rocky won the title....
What's not to like? Both fighters are beaten horribly, while the swings in momentum are sudden and just as violent. Apollo Creed, a fine name for a Champion - going the distance, he had won the first fight between he and Rocky Balboa, but he didn't beat him. He didn't dominate the challenger. There were many who thought Balboa had won the fight. Creed's integrity was on the line.
In the months leading up to the fight, Creed trained like never before. He challenged himself, game-planned religiously, trained harder. But no matter how hard he trained, he couldn't protect his body from the punishment it was about to take. And when he started absorbing those blasts to the body, the confidence and swagger gave way to desperation and risk-taking.
All through the fight, Rocky's trainer Mickey Goldmill kept imploring the challenger to work on the Champion's body, using his brute strength to defeat the champ at his core. "The body! The body! The body!" he would yell at his fighter. Again and again, Rocky would work his way inside, throwing haymakers to Creed's ribs until, finally, he had worn the champion down enough to knock him out...
In football vernacular, going for the body means to run the ball right down the throat of the defense, something that the New England Patriots are going to try to do against the Denver Broncos this Sunday.
And why not? The Patriots gave the Buffalo Bills a collective endoscopy last sunday, running for 247 yards on 40 carries, for a whopping 6.2 yards per carry. What's to say they can't do the same thing to the Denver Broncos this Sunday?
The Broncos present a similar set of skill players as the Bills, just not as expensive. They have two of the premier pass rushers in the league in linebacker Von Miller and defensive end Elvis Dumervil and an All-Star set of corners in Champ Bailey and Tracy Porter. Those are some impressive folks for sure, but that's really all the Broncos offer on defense...
...which is enough on most Sundays, given the potency of the Broncos' offense. But if the Patriots come anywhere close to producing what the running game gave them in Buffalo against similar athletes, it's not going to be enough this Sunday.
Because what's the best way to take away a great pass rush? Right, run the ball. How about taking those corners out of the game? Run the ball. Run right up the gut. Go to the body.
It seems like such a simple solution, it couldn't actually work, could it? Is it just coincidence that when they do commit to the run, it's a precursor to victory?
They ran the ball well against the Titans in the opener, abandoned everything when Hernandez went down against the Cardinals and seemingly ignored the run against the Ravens until they needed it to kill the clock, which they couldn't do because they never established it throughout the game.
But when they went right at the teeth of the Bills last weekend, they embarassed Buffalo's revamped defense.
It is far too early to claim that New England has the capability of tremendous balance, the ability run the ball at will consistently. But when they commit to the run and stay with it, they have shown a trend towards that end. Balance on offense is such a difficult thing to attain, and very few teams can make claim to such a thing. We can say with certainty, however, that when the Patriots go up tempo and get on a roll, only they can stop themselves.
The Bills found that out the hard way, playing small ball in sub packages and getting the ball ran down their throats as the Patriots physical and tough offensive line dominated Buffalo's front seven. Unfortunately for Denver's defense, they perform best as a unit in their nickle and dime sets as well.
That's the reality of what the Broncos face on Sunday afternoon, and it doesn't help their cause that their linebacking corps will be without one of it's best players. D.J. Williams is suspended for the first 6 games after the NFL said he supplied a ''non-human'' urine sample during a drug test. Really. But hard hitting Joe Mays is back after being suspended and fined 50 grand for pulling a Mike Tyson against Houston's Matt Schaub and his ear.
Even with Mays back on the active roster, the unit is still just average and they can be overpowered. Their safeties - as are the linebackers without Williams, are average at best - though 2nd year man Rahim Moore shows promise as a physical presense, if he can steady his production and stay on the field. But despite the limitations due to suspensions and attrition and non-human urine, the Broncos play full of confidence and with brash swagger.
The Patriots counter with a combination of up tempo and cool focus.
Stevan Ridley is becoming an all-purpose, 20 carries-per-game feature back right before our eyes, with a combination of power and speed and an impressive burst when he gets to the second level, which he should be able to find often, given that the Broncos defensive line represents their soft under-belly. Danny Woodhead is a superb reciever out of the backfield and an equally fine blocker when he stays in to help pick up a blitzer. He consistently shows toughness between the tackles when he gets the opportunity to handle the ball.
Boldin is the Hammer, the Corey Dillon-like presense that can get you that tough extra yard or three, and keep the chains moving and the clock running.
The Body! The Body! The Body!
What makes the task for the Broncos defense even more daunting it that collection of tight ends that the Patriots can throw into the mix. Gronkowski gets the headlines for yards recieving and touchdowns and ball gronking, but his blocking ranks right up there in his skill set. As a lead blocker, he smothers linebackers with his frame, allowing the back to slither past before the would be tackler ever sees him.
In pass protection, he forms a physical tandem, teaming with the tackles to keep the rush ends away from Brady and to keep the linebackers from setting the edge. By design, he can always release into the pattern, giving Brady a formidable weapon as a check down.
It is unclear whether versatile tight end Aaron Hernandez will play, but even if he doesn't, Wes Welker and Brandon Lloyd are proving to be plenty enough for the secondary to be concerned with. If Hernandez' ankle is healed enough for him to play, the pickings will be ripe for both him and Gronkowski between the safeties. Daniel Fells also adds much to the blocking, and has soft hands when targeted.
Just as Rocky was successful by going to the body early and often, the Patriots would be best served to play inside the tackles, taking away Denver's advantage at the corners. By running effectively, it will force the Broncos to counter punch by bringing a safety or extra linebacker into the box. If Brady can catch them in that alignment and immediately go up tempo, it then turns the advantage to New England's passing game, particularly underneath.
Rocky Balboa was presented as a one dimensional fighter, and Micky tried to shift the advantage to his fighter by changing tactics, fighting in a style that was out of character, to surprise Creed with trickery - but moving inside to take away Creed's reach advantage was what won the fight - delivering blow after blow and forcing Creed to into a slugfest that he was doomed to lose.
The Patriots need no such trickery, however. Running the ball with their fine stable of young running backs behind their tough and underrated offensive line - Going to the body of the Broncos defense - is what will win this contest, and is a plan for success against any Patriots' foe going forward.
Anything less could turn this contest into a bad sequel for the Patriots, on the scale of total flops like Rocky 3, 4, 5, etc, etc...They really should have stopped making those films after Rocky won the title....
Thursday, October 4, 2012
New England Patriots Gameday: Finding an Identity
The New England Patriots came into this afternoon's contest with the Buffalo Bills desperately seeking an identity.
They found one, but it's not what anyone expected.
Rookie free agent Running Back Brandon Bolden ran for 132 yards and a score and Stevan Ridley chipped in with 106 yards and two scores as the Patriots came from 14 points down in the 3rd quarter to blow out the Buffalo Bills 42-28.
For the second consecutive game, Tom Brady stayed relatively clean, being sacked just once as he completed 19 of 32 passes for 290 yards and two scores, underscoring a masterful job by New England's offensive line that was missing Pro Bowl Guard Logan Mankins.
They didn't miss a beat.
Rob Gronkowski and Wes Welker each had over 100 yards recieving, making the Patriots only the second team in NFL history to have two rushers and two receivers go over the century mark. But Gronkowski's contribution in the running game was even more impressive.
Lining up as an H Back, Gronkowski took on Buffalo's prize free agent, defensive end Mario Williams, blowing him off the line and opening huge holes for Bolden and Ridley.
Leading 7-0 after an opening drive that ate up 90 yards on 7 plays, The Patriots offense became stagnant, letting drives stall. When Rob Gronkowski fumbled deep in Patriots' territory, it took the Bills one play to tie the score and make it a brand new game. A missed field goal attempt by Stephen Gostkowski on the next Patriots drive seemed to deflate the defense, as Buffalo quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick drove the Bill right down the field, connecting with Tight End Scott Chandler for a 20 yard score, putting the hometown Bills up 14-7.
When New England got the ball back, they immediately turned it over to Buffalo on a Wes Welker fumble deep in Patriots territory. Four plays later, with the Bills poised to take a 2 touchdown lead with the clock ticking down to halftime, Vince Wilfork took it upon himself to deny the Bills, forcing running back C.J. Spiller to fumble at the 2 yard line and Wilfork recovering.
Dodging that bullet, the Patriots couldn't dodge the next one.
After stopping the Patriots on their first possession of the second half, the Bills struck quickly, Fitzgerald finding receiver Donald Jones, who weaved his way through the New England secondary for 68 yards and a 21-7 Buffalo lead.
Then, as the sun managed to burn through the overcast sky above Ralph Wilson Stadium, the mythical person managing the switch that turns on the Patriots offense woke up, and New England went on a tear reminiscent of late last season, scoring touchdowns on six consecutive drives, none of which took more than 8 plays as the Patriots moved the ball at will, relying on a potent power running game while mixing in timely throws.
So, for this day anyway, the Patriots are a running team. They are a passing team. They hit hard on defense and they played stellar special teams.
But their new-found identity is the same identity that they've had for the past dozen years. They are a winning team, and their balance on offense should be an ominous sign to future New England opponents.
They found one, but it's not what anyone expected.
Rookie free agent Running Back Brandon Bolden ran for 132 yards and a score and Stevan Ridley chipped in with 106 yards and two scores as the Patriots came from 14 points down in the 3rd quarter to blow out the Buffalo Bills 42-28.
For the second consecutive game, Tom Brady stayed relatively clean, being sacked just once as he completed 19 of 32 passes for 290 yards and two scores, underscoring a masterful job by New England's offensive line that was missing Pro Bowl Guard Logan Mankins.
They didn't miss a beat.
Rob Gronkowski and Wes Welker each had over 100 yards recieving, making the Patriots only the second team in NFL history to have two rushers and two receivers go over the century mark. But Gronkowski's contribution in the running game was even more impressive.
Lining up as an H Back, Gronkowski took on Buffalo's prize free agent, defensive end Mario Williams, blowing him off the line and opening huge holes for Bolden and Ridley.
Leading 7-0 after an opening drive that ate up 90 yards on 7 plays, The Patriots offense became stagnant, letting drives stall. When Rob Gronkowski fumbled deep in Patriots' territory, it took the Bills one play to tie the score and make it a brand new game. A missed field goal attempt by Stephen Gostkowski on the next Patriots drive seemed to deflate the defense, as Buffalo quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick drove the Bill right down the field, connecting with Tight End Scott Chandler for a 20 yard score, putting the hometown Bills up 14-7.
When New England got the ball back, they immediately turned it over to Buffalo on a Wes Welker fumble deep in Patriots territory. Four plays later, with the Bills poised to take a 2 touchdown lead with the clock ticking down to halftime, Vince Wilfork took it upon himself to deny the Bills, forcing running back C.J. Spiller to fumble at the 2 yard line and Wilfork recovering.
Dodging that bullet, the Patriots couldn't dodge the next one.
After stopping the Patriots on their first possession of the second half, the Bills struck quickly, Fitzgerald finding receiver Donald Jones, who weaved his way through the New England secondary for 68 yards and a 21-7 Buffalo lead.
Then, as the sun managed to burn through the overcast sky above Ralph Wilson Stadium, the mythical person managing the switch that turns on the Patriots offense woke up, and New England went on a tear reminiscent of late last season, scoring touchdowns on six consecutive drives, none of which took more than 8 plays as the Patriots moved the ball at will, relying on a potent power running game while mixing in timely throws.
So, for this day anyway, the Patriots are a running team. They are a passing team. They hit hard on defense and they played stellar special teams.
But their new-found identity is the same identity that they've had for the past dozen years. They are a winning team, and their balance on offense should be an ominous sign to future New England opponents.
The Man with the Exploding Hair
That's what my 8 year old boy told me yesterday as we watched the highlights of the New England Patriots' 52-28 demolition of the Buffalo Bills.
And he's right. His long locks flowing from under his helmet, flailing everywhere like gyrating serpents as if a creature like the mythical Medusa was hidden behind the menacing tinted face shield as he stalks the ball carrier...
...finding the man with the ball - closing in - and when he gets close enough for the back to see his eyes, it turns his hands to stone; the serpents snapping in unison like a bullwhip as he makes punishing contact, instantly exploding in as many different directions as there are locks on his head as he drives through the tackle - the ball hits the ground, followed shortly by his victim...
Ah, madness. I usually try to shield my boy from such demented fantasies, but explosions and mythical monsters are right in an 8 year old's wheelhouse, so why bother?
Just before the half on 2nd down and goal from the Patriot two yard line and Buffalo leading 14-7, Bills' running back C.J. Spiller took a hand off from quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, cut left to a small seam that he thought he could squeeze through.
All he found was Spikes. And his exploding hair.
Spikes met Spiller in the crease, clocking him so hard that the ball came loose. Defensive Tackle Vince Wilfork, who always seems to be in the right place at the right time, plucked the ball away from Spiller, saving a sure 7 points and, perhaps, the game.
Later in the 4th quarter, Spikes did the same thing to Bills running back Fred Jackson, this time with safety Tavon Wilson recovering. The Patriots quickly scored, putting the game out of reach.
Moments later, Wilfork impacted the game once again by decleating Buffalo receiver Donald Jones as he skimmed the line of scrimmage and took a short dump-off pass over the middle. Whether by design or instinct, Wilfork had dropped into short coverage, and was the last person Jones thought he'd run into.
But he did, and Jones became the poster child of the Patriots physical, attacking defense.
With each passing week, it seems that the Patriots have become more physical,more intimidating, more game-changing - Spikes and Wilfork at the point of the attack - and now that they've finished off an opponent in impressive fashion, it appears that they have found their hearts as well. With these things comes more than wins, it comes with a reputation.
And with football being a violent sport, having the hard-hitting reputation that Spikes is earning is a very good thing. He is the enforcer, the intimidator, the equalizer - the man in the middle of everything, anchoring a squad that is as tough inside the numbers as any of the Patriots' Championship defenses.
Established veteran Wilfork already had a rep for being tough and durable and violent, as athletic a 330 pound man as you'll ever see, and along with equally massive Kyle Love, Spikes, and fearless safeties Chung and rookie Tavon Wilson, they form an intimidating nucleus . Speedy and long Chandler Jones, tough guys Ninkovich, Mayo and Hightower round out a defense that is becoming one of the more intimidating lineups in the league.
And it's all tied together by a 330 pound Titan of a man and the linebacker with the exploding hair.
Gone is the stupid and wrong "Bend but don't break" philosophy of the past half-dozen seasons - replaced by the "You'd better hold onto that ball tightly, because you're gonna get smacked" philosophy.
Granted, last season the former was good enough to get the Patriots to the Super Bowl as the coaching staff used smoke and mirrors in their defensive magic act. The opposition would move the ball up and down the field seemingly at will, racking up huge stats along the way. But when the smoke cleared, they were left looking in the mirror, wondering how they lost the game.
Somehow, it was effective - but blood pressures began to rise among the fan base and it caused fantasy football owners to start every player they had from the team facing New England.
Not this season. Not with the reputation this defense is earning. Not with the man that former Patriot linebacker Tedy Bruschi calls "A monster" and "a cross between Rodney Harrison and Ted Johnson" roaming the middle of the field. The man that even Tom Brady gushes about:
"That play that Spikes made to knock the ball out from Spiller, I love being on the team with Brandon Spikes. What he does for our defense, and creating fumbles, and really the hard-hitting presence that he is in the middle of the field. Brandon brings that physical element, and to knock the ball out of Spiller like that, that was really awesome. And that's what he did against Arizona, to knock the fumble off the (running back), but that was one of the best plays that I've ever seen anyone make. He has a nose for the ball, he has a nose for knocking the ball out, and that was a huge play in the game yesterday. For Vince to be on the top of it and to recover it, that was a huge play in the game."
After all of the plays that Tom Brady has witnessed in his 13 years in the NFL, rarely have we heard such a gushing testimonial, particularly for a defensive player. In that snippet, one can sense the growing respect that the 2010 second round draft pick has earned, and will continue to earn as he is just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential.
In Greek mythology, the image of Medusa was believed to have apotropaic qualities, meaning to have the ability to ward off evil, and legend is that the demi-god Perseus carried around the creature's head as a weapon. In the modern day NFL, Brandon Spikes and Vince Wilfork have the same qualities, having the ability to change the direction of the ball carrier just with presence alone, as well as changing the momentum of a game with one violent exchange.
As the rest of the Patriots' defense follows suit and becomes even more intimidating, even Perseus' father, the mighty God Zeus, wouldn't be able to hold onto the ball if he tried to run into the teeth of the Patriots' defense.
New England Patriots Gameday: What Brady learned from Nick Stevens
If you give Tom Brady The Business, be prepared for what comes back at you.
In the third quarter of Sunday's rout of the Buffalo Bills, Brady took a shotgun snap at the Bills' 4 yard line, looked for a reciever, ate a Turkey club with hand-cut fries, tweeted that it was yummy, had a few sips of coffee, then decided he'd go for a stroll.
Keep in mind, Brady runs about as fast as James Whitmore crossing the street in The Shawshank Redemption, and with all of the associated geriatric style. But his line had been giving him so much time in the pocket, he could afford the little respite. There was no juking, just a head-first dive/slide toward the end zone, of which it appeared, on first glance, that he came up a little short.
Old friends Wes Welker and Deion Branch made sure to let him know about it.
He jumped up off the turf, laughing. Not because he knows he runs like Whitmore (he does), nor because his run had just given the Patriots a 21-all tie after being down by 14 just five minutes earlier (it had), but because he knew in that one instant that the Patriots' offense was back. It was the laugh of a man who knew he had survived the best the Bills could throw at him, and was saying, "Now, it's our turn" (it was).
He jogged to the sideline, ball still tucked under his arm, and sat on the bench - when both Welker and Branch approached him, specifically to give him The Business "What are you doing on the bench", Welker recanted this morning on a radio interview, "your knee was down. You gotta get back out there."
The referee had signaled touchdown and the scoreboard operator had put up the 6 points. And these were the the real refs, not the ones filling in from the lingerie football league. Surely these refs had the keen eye of a Bald Eagle, if not the ugly nature. Surely, his old friends were in jest.
In truth, on the replay it did appear as though Brady's knee hit the turf before the ball crossed the plane of the goal line and, as with all scoring plays in the NFL, the replay official was looking it over up in the booth - and since the network was contractually obligated to show the slo-motion replay at least 23 times, they alternately panned to Brady in between replays, who appeared to be progressively slipping in some sort of food coma - perhaps an effect from the trytophan-laced turkey club - very relaxed, as if his hunger was satiated and he was waiting for the server to bring him his bill...hoping to slip away from the two annoying temmates that were jabbering at him from both sides, perhaps have a quick nap.
Finally, the referee confirmed that there was not enough indisputable evidence to overturn the call of touchdown on the field, and that Brady's 4 yard run was indeed good enough for the score. Naturally, the camera panned on Brady just as he told Welker and Branch to go do something to themselves that would have made Nick Stevens very proud...
Stevens is an actor and a comedian. He lives in New York, of all places, but is generally known to his legions as perhaps the most recognizable Patriots' fan in existence. His web videos for Townienews.com are not only hilarious, but also rude and point-specific, quick to tell fans of the Patriots' opponants to "GFY" (it's not hard to figure out), his signature sign off.
Known to millions as Paul "Fitzy" Fitzgerald, Stevens' alter-ego embodies all that is right about the typical Patriots' fan - passionate, knowledgeable and with the ability to belch the name of every reciever that Brady has ever thrown a pass to - in alphabetical order. His impassioned eulogy of the Patriots loss to the Giants in February's Super Bowl (watch here) is a living testimonial to how Patriots' fans feel about the hometown team. And Eli Manning.
He refers to Brady as "TFB" and the Patriots are the "Hoodie Regime" and they play in the "AFFC". He refers to Ravens' safety Bernard Pollard as "that ACL tearin', season stealing mother (insert a variation of Brady's remark here) and actually tried to "Gronk spike" a small dog that he found wandering around on the streets.
So, he's basically the guy sitting next to you in any New England bar, and when he drops an F-Bomb, you don't think much of it. But when squeaky clean Tom Brady does so in front of 300 million lip readers, it becomes a viral sensation. So when Welker was asked during a radio interview who the dysphymistic remark was intended for, the football world collectively held it's breath.
Welker chuckled nervously, "I think he was directing it at me and Deion".
Earlier in the day, Brady himself was asked about the incident, and he assured his interviewer that the remark was not directed towards the fans, and not towards the refs, "I was just fired up." he said, and defered all further questions to anybody but him.
Welker started laughing like a hyena, and the millions of sports fans who thought thought Brady was saying those words under his breath to the Bills' fans in the stands at Ralph Wilson Stadium were left without any drama at all - just a couple of old friends punkin' each other.
That's Welker's official version of how that all went down. Brady's too. Belichick's probably getting a good sneer out of it, and I'm sure that somewhere in the bowels of Gotham, Fitzy is concocting another webcast , with Brady as his guest "GFY" guy.
It's only fair that Brady agree to the guest shot, after all that Fitzy has taught him.
In the third quarter of Sunday's rout of the Buffalo Bills, Brady took a shotgun snap at the Bills' 4 yard line, looked for a reciever, ate a Turkey club with hand-cut fries, tweeted that it was yummy, had a few sips of coffee, then decided he'd go for a stroll.
Keep in mind, Brady runs about as fast as James Whitmore crossing the street in The Shawshank Redemption, and with all of the associated geriatric style. But his line had been giving him so much time in the pocket, he could afford the little respite. There was no juking, just a head-first dive/slide toward the end zone, of which it appeared, on first glance, that he came up a little short.
Old friends Wes Welker and Deion Branch made sure to let him know about it.
He jumped up off the turf, laughing. Not because he knows he runs like Whitmore (he does), nor because his run had just given the Patriots a 21-all tie after being down by 14 just five minutes earlier (it had), but because he knew in that one instant that the Patriots' offense was back. It was the laugh of a man who knew he had survived the best the Bills could throw at him, and was saying, "Now, it's our turn" (it was).
He jogged to the sideline, ball still tucked under his arm, and sat on the bench - when both Welker and Branch approached him, specifically to give him The Business "What are you doing on the bench", Welker recanted this morning on a radio interview, "your knee was down. You gotta get back out there."
The referee had signaled touchdown and the scoreboard operator had put up the 6 points. And these were the the real refs, not the ones filling in from the lingerie football league. Surely these refs had the keen eye of a Bald Eagle, if not the ugly nature. Surely, his old friends were in jest.
In truth, on the replay it did appear as though Brady's knee hit the turf before the ball crossed the plane of the goal line and, as with all scoring plays in the NFL, the replay official was looking it over up in the booth - and since the network was contractually obligated to show the slo-motion replay at least 23 times, they alternately panned to Brady in between replays, who appeared to be progressively slipping in some sort of food coma - perhaps an effect from the trytophan-laced turkey club - very relaxed, as if his hunger was satiated and he was waiting for the server to bring him his bill...hoping to slip away from the two annoying temmates that were jabbering at him from both sides, perhaps have a quick nap.
Finally, the referee confirmed that there was not enough indisputable evidence to overturn the call of touchdown on the field, and that Brady's 4 yard run was indeed good enough for the score. Naturally, the camera panned on Brady just as he told Welker and Branch to go do something to themselves that would have made Nick Stevens very proud...
Stevens is an actor and a comedian. He lives in New York, of all places, but is generally known to his legions as perhaps the most recognizable Patriots' fan in existence. His web videos for Townienews.com are not only hilarious, but also rude and point-specific, quick to tell fans of the Patriots' opponants to "GFY" (it's not hard to figure out), his signature sign off.
Known to millions as Paul "Fitzy" Fitzgerald, Stevens' alter-ego embodies all that is right about the typical Patriots' fan - passionate, knowledgeable and with the ability to belch the name of every reciever that Brady has ever thrown a pass to - in alphabetical order. His impassioned eulogy of the Patriots loss to the Giants in February's Super Bowl (watch here) is a living testimonial to how Patriots' fans feel about the hometown team. And Eli Manning.
He refers to Brady as "TFB" and the Patriots are the "Hoodie Regime" and they play in the "AFFC". He refers to Ravens' safety Bernard Pollard as "that ACL tearin', season stealing mother (insert a variation of Brady's remark here) and actually tried to "Gronk spike" a small dog that he found wandering around on the streets.
So, he's basically the guy sitting next to you in any New England bar, and when he drops an F-Bomb, you don't think much of it. But when squeaky clean Tom Brady does so in front of 300 million lip readers, it becomes a viral sensation. So when Welker was asked during a radio interview who the dysphymistic remark was intended for, the football world collectively held it's breath.
Welker chuckled nervously, "I think he was directing it at me and Deion".
Earlier in the day, Brady himself was asked about the incident, and he assured his interviewer that the remark was not directed towards the fans, and not towards the refs, "I was just fired up." he said, and defered all further questions to anybody but him.
Welker started laughing like a hyena, and the millions of sports fans who thought thought Brady was saying those words under his breath to the Bills' fans in the stands at Ralph Wilson Stadium were left without any drama at all - just a couple of old friends punkin' each other.
That's Welker's official version of how that all went down. Brady's too. Belichick's probably getting a good sneer out of it, and I'm sure that somewhere in the bowels of Gotham, Fitzy is concocting another webcast , with Brady as his guest "GFY" guy.
It's only fair that Brady agree to the guest shot, after all that Fitzy has taught him.
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