SB Nation - Rodney Harrison

Game Recap: Dolphins defeat Patriots, 22-21

MaPatsFan — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:50:26 -0000

More photos » by Lynne Sladky - AP

13 days ago: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) sits on the bench in the closing minutes of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins in Miami on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009. The Dolphins won 22-21. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

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Let's see... failure to convert in the RedZone...check. Failure to finish (ie: consistently score in the 2nd half)...check. Defensive backfield getting burned by what was to be considered an average passing offense...check. HoF QB throwing critical interceptions...check.

First, credit where credit is due. Miami did a good job of exploiting the mistakes made by this Patriots team and turning them around to their advantage. Behind most of the game, the Dolphins made big plays when they needed to and turned this game around for Miami. However, I am here to focus on the myriad of "fails" plaguing this New England Patriots team.

I normally can't stand columnist Ron Borges. He's cut from the same cloth as Dan Shaughnessy, which is to say they both hammer away at the team they're covering, claiming "the point everyone is missing...", in order to sound like the smartest guy in the room. I normally can't stand Borges, but in this column, I think he's right:

Years ago, Chuck Fairbanks said it best. "It’s not about X’s and O’s. It’s about Jimmys and Joes." For half a decade with the Pats people believed otherwise. In Bill We Trust became the motto, but does anyone honestly believe Bill Belichick forgot how to coach? A guy who has been watching game film since he was 6 now can’t break down film and discover a team’s weaknesses?

Bill Belichick didn't suddenly become stupid. He didn't wake up one morning with an IQ 50 points lower than what it was the day before. No, as Ron Borges claims, it's not about Belichick (at least, not all of it) but about the onfield talent. I haven't brought this up before, but it's been on my mind for the past few weeks or so: there's just not as many playmakers as there used to be. The players are simply not executing. Is the coaching staff showing them what to do? I would assume so; it's relatively the same staff as in previous years with the obvious exceptions of Scott Pioli and Josh McDaniels.

But if coaching were to be blamed, it would be in the Belichick player acquisition strategy. For years, Belichick has been known as a guy at the top of his game in finding "value" players, at piecing together a team with a sprinkle of seasoned vets as well as using later rounds in the draft to shore up the ranks for the future. But has this turned out to be the best approach for this team? Sure, Randy Moss and Wes Welker were brilliant moves, no question. Fred Taylor? The jury's still out as we need to see more playing time from him. But along with the brilliance have been some big whiffs, ones that have cost us dearly. Joey Galloway, Shawn Springs, Greg Lewis, Derrick Burgess, Adalius Thomas... all were relatively big money acquisitions that left this team digging into the young up-and-comers to fill the gaps.

Look in the past, at the years on the banners hanging at Gillette Stadium. You could name scores of big playmakers. Troy Brown, Corey Dillon, Deion Branch, Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, Rodney Harrison...all of them ready to step up when it was needed. Who do we have now? Wes Welker, Sebastian Vollmer (when he's playing), Julian Edelman (when he's playing). Who else?

Ok, enough of that. Let's get back to the debacle known as Patriots @ Dolphins. The whole is usually the sum of its parts. There's rarely one part that is the cause of a catastrophic failure. But, like a car, enough blown gaskets can seriously derail the vehicle.

4^th and 1 on Miami 6 - We could argue all day about whether or not to go for it on this 4^th and 1. I get the whole "play to win vs. play not to lose" argument. But I'm conservative. Unless you're about to lose the game if you don't score a touchdown, go for the field goal. But that's not what I consider to be the biggest gaff of that series. Brady hands the ball to Sammy Morris who encounters, guess what, a stacked Miami line. Why Brady didn't hand it off to Laurence Maroney, who was right behind Morris, is beyond. He had more room and could've a) built up a bigger head of steam or b) had a chance to choose another hole. And how about being creative? Maybe fake handoffs to the backs and slip it to Wes on a reverse? Welker can dodge cruise missiles never mind defensive backs.
2^nd and 5 on Miami 5 - With a running game that appears to be doing fairly well, what does Brady do? He tosses a floater to the right-hand corner of the endzone, forcing it to a blanketed Randy Moss. Miami's Vontae Davis makes a great play on a guy who has 5 inches on him and comes down with the pick. What does Randy do? He watches. How about, you know, KNOCKING THE BALL AWAY!!! Put in some effort, Randy.
Chad Henne's 51 yard march - After a failed NE series culminating in a desperate 4^th and 11, Chad Henne marched down the field to put Miami kicker Dan Carpenter in range; Carpenter nailed a 41 yarder to go up by 1. As mentioned above, where were the playmakers? Where were the guys coming up with big stops on defense? Henne did a great job of connecting with is receivers, something our defense couldn't prevent and our own offense couldn't do.
Final Brady interception - This may have aggravated me the most. Chances are it wouldn't have made a difference, but EAT THE BALL!!! Instead, Tom Terrific decides to, I don't know what, and Channing Crowder intercepts. That was not the Tom Brady I've come to "know". That was a desperate, rookie move. I hate to say it, but he looked like Mark Sanchez on that one.

Now that you're all depressed, let me leave you with some good cheer. In 2007, there was this 10-6 team who squeaked into the playoffs as a wildcard, won out in the playoffs by the hair on their chinny chin chin, and defeated an 18-0 juggernaut by 3 points to win the Super Bowl. Well, maybe that didn't cheer you up that much, but think about it this way: if they can do it, why can't we?

Recap: The Big Easy...wasn't. Patriots fall to the Saints

MaPatsFan — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:15:47 -0000

More photos » by Patrick Semansky - AP

19 days ago: New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, left, hugs New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton after their NFL football game, Monday, Nov. 30, 2009, in New Orleans. The Saints defeated the Patriots 38-17 to remain undefeated at 11-0. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

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New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton has talked about the respect he has for Bill Belichick. In particular, he mentions the '06 Pro Bowl when the 2 had a chance to spend time "kicking it old skool" on a fishing trip:

"Anytime you get to spend a week and really just try to get someone else’s thoughts and opinions, someone who has been as successful as Bill has been…" Payton said. "For me, as a young coach after my first year, there might just be three or four different scheduling questions or things that you might want to get a better grasp on. He’s a guy that I have a ton of respect for and I really enjoyed the time we had a chance to spend just that week."

Seems like Bill may have giving up a little too much info to the up and coming coach.

Let me get this out of the way: the New Orleans Saints are, more than likely, the best all around team in the NFL right now. They are not great at any one thing. However, and even more damaging to opponents, they are very good at everything. As Belichick is fond of saying, "all three phases of the game". I have no doubt that barring an epic failure during the NFCCG, the Saints will destroy whoever the AFCCG winner is.

I've been thinking about our 2 toughest road games, the Colts and the Saints (both in domes, btw. Coincedence? Hmm...). We were dominating the Colts for 2 quarters (nothing happened in the third quarter) and simply couldn't do anything against an Indy team who got super hot in the fourth quarter. We nearly pulled that game out. Against the Saints, there was no nearly pulling out anything. They put the pedal to the floor and never let up. If not for the fact that it was against my team, it was some darn good football to watch.

I will not take away anything from the talent of that team, but there were some serious "Fails" on the Patriots that need to be talked about:

Offensive Line - Sean Payton decided to give us the run; he knew it wasn't that damaging so he figured let's hand them whatever meager ground game they can muster and watch out for the aerial assault. 3 and 4 man rushes were hammering away at the O line which meant Payton didn't have to put any safeties in the box. Keeping the DB's in the backfield helped to neutralize the passing attack.
Tom Brady - Brady is not back. His accuracy, to put it mildly, sucked. Overthrowing receivers and 2 critical picks are not championship caliber quarterbacking. Tom, I'm your biggest fan but when you're tanking, I gotta read you the riot act. He looked confused at times and out of rhythm with his 2 biggest targets, which leads me to the next topic...
Receivers - Not enough of them. The Saints effectively neutralized Wes Welker (6 for 32) and Randy Moss (3 for 67) while number 3 guy, Sam Aiken amassed the most with 7 for 90. There's not enough guys to make defenses nervous; neutralize the first 2 and it makes Brady jumpy. More weapons.
Defensive Backfield - Defensive Coordinator Dean Pees may claim that youth wasn't the problem, but could you picture Rodney Harrison falling for the pump fakes and misdirection looks Drew Brees threw at our current backfield? They got torched on a number of occasions because they fell for Brees' trickery. The second issue is not realizing something Sean Payton did: the officiating crew was "letting the teams play" and were allowing all kinds of crap on receivers. Consequently, New Orleans' DB's beat the daylights out of our receivers and got away with it. Why didn't we do that? Instead, we played them too soft with too much of a cushion.

Structurally, we have a few glaring issues to resolve:

The absolute gaffs on Joey Galloway and Greg Lewis really put us in a world of hurt. We didn't realize it at the time, but not having more targets for Brady has turned what could've been an F35 aerial assault into a strafing run by a glider. You can't expect Wes Welker and Randy Moss to do it all. Shut those 2 guys down and trouble is a brewin'.
I've been complaining about this since the draft: we DO NOT have an effective pass rush. OLB Adalius Thomas is not the guy. Derrick Burgess, crowned as the guy, is not the guy. Generating consistent pressure on a quarterback is a key element in a strong and effective defense. Pressure a quarterback, ANY quarterback, and they have less time to do what they need to do.

I overestimated the Patriots' ability to win a big road game against an opponent they knew little about and underestimated an undefeated opponent based on their statistics. Sean Payton has said he modeled his team after the championship Patriots teams. Maybe we could learn a thing or 2 by peeking into the history books.

Horse Tracks 11/17/09 - Orton's status questionable for Sunday; Harris ruled out

Douglas A. Lee — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:36:44 -0000

DB - Week 11 - Mon: McDaniels - Broncos TV

DPP - Kyle Orton's status for Broncos uncertain for now - Lindsay Jones

INDT - 6-3 is not 3-6! Where’s the love? - Hunter Ansley
"Denver isn’t the only divisional leader sporting the deep scar of a shameful loss; it’s just the only one that everyone loves to hate. It’s the only team that has ESPN sportscasters squirming in their stools with gleeful doubt."

DPP - Denver's lines no longer in control - Mike Klis
Said Mike Nolan, "I think a lot of that is lack of discipline in what we're doing. We did it so well for most of the early part of the season, and we've got to get back to that. It's evident on film and the players all see it. It always seems to be the case when games are tight and guys try to make a play that can make a difference, and those are the times you have to be the most disciplined."

DPP - Ground work focus for next round of foes - Jeff Legwold
"Denver has surrendered more than 170 yards rushing in back-to-back weeks to teams that currently are ranked 17th and 19th running the ball."

DPP - Kiszla: Orton's field hooky not a good move
Wow. I'm not sure if Kiszla is saying what I think he's saying...

DPP - Q&A: Peyton Hillis needs to fight for a spot on Sundays - Jeff Legwold
Legwold does a very good job of explaining why Peyton Hillis hasn't been playing. But then he uses the J.J. Arrington signing as an example of a dangerous preference for veterans that results in salary cap hits when they get injured (no joking). It cost the Broncos $100,000 versus the cap. That's virtually nothing and certainly not notable. Let's also consider that Arrington is only 26 years old. Legwold also knocks McXanders using (for example) a higher pick than necessary for a player they like in the draft. Frankly, I want the front office to choose players they like and think fit the team, not just gather for value's sake...

DPP - Broncos Mailbag: Playoff hopes quick to crumble - Mike Klis
Klis thinks the Broncos match up well versus the Dolts and Colts. Hmm...Klis says almost the exact opposite of Legwold, and that McD "won't reach for players to fill a position of need."

NFLN - Mile high meltdown - Video
Martz and Faulk on the Broncos

DB - Forward Progress - Chris Gentilviso

DPP - Analysis: Experience will help Broncos through this rut - Mike Klis

DPP - Spotlight on Broncos all-purpose player Spencer Larsen - Lindsay Jones

DPP - Broncos eyeing ... The Chargers - Lindsay Jones

DPP - A numbers tale of Broncos turnovers

CBS4 - Elway Thinks The Broncos Are 'In Trouble' - Matthew Buettner

CSG - Broncos focus on AFC West showdown with Chargers - Frank Schwab

CSG - Broncos' McDaniels doesn't rule Orton out for Chargers - Frank Schwab

AP - Broncos Playing Wait-And-See Game With Orton - Arnie Stapleton

USAT - With Broncos slowing down, Chargers charge back in AFC West

DB - Ask Wesley Woodyard...

Chargers News

SDUT - Surging Bolts hope they don't succumb to hype - Kevin Acee

SDUT - Fashioning that look of success - Nick Canepa

SDUT - This Chargers list rings true - Nick Canepa

SDUT - Monday injury update - Kevin Acee

Y! - Tomlinson delivers after hearing special news - Mike Silver

NCT - Winning brings out chuckles from Turner - Jay Paris

NFL Results

NFL - Baltimore Ravens 16 at Cleveland Browns 0

FH - Ravens Win, Fume at Quinn 'Cheap Shot'

AFC West News

KCS - Chiefs coach Haley finding out it’s not easy making the decisions - Adam Teicher

SFC - Gradkowski might start for Raiders - David White

SFG - Raiders Silver and Black Blog : Non-QB update - David White

NFL News

PFW - Week 11 matchup tidbits

NFL - Browns' Cribbs injured vs. Ravens, taken to hospital

NFL - Bengals agree to terms with ex-Chiefs RB Johnson

NFL - Seahawks owner Allen diagnosed with lymphoma

NFL - NFL fines Titans owner $250K for reported obscene gesture

NFL - Foot injury likely to sideline Dolphins' Brown vs. Panthers

NFL - Bills fear knee injury to LT Bell could be season-ending

NFL - Cowboys expect Hamlin out 3-4 weeks; Colombo longer

NFL - Gross expected to go on injured reserve after ankle surgery

NFL - Jets, defensive line coach make 'mutual decision' to part ways

NYT - Gruden Extends Contract With ESPN - Judy Battista

NYT - Supreme Court Won't Hear Redskins Name Case

NFL Opinion

NYT - N.F.L. Quick Hits From Week 10: Why Passing Is King - Andy Benoit

NFP - Diner morning news: great week, great games - Mike Lombardi

NFL - Six from Sunday: Believe in the Bengals; Romo, Russell struggle - Pat Kirwan

CBS - Prisco Grades: Week 10

FH - Vikings Put Faith in Adrian Peterson - Thomas George

ESPN - Gut-check time for Lovie - Gene Wojciechowski
Wojo wonders if Lovie Smith should bench Cutler

PFW - Johnson worth the risk for Bengals - Mike Wilkening

NFP - What will Bengals gain with L.J.? - Matt Bowen

NFP - NFL coaches eyeing college jobs - Jack Bechta

NFP - Deadline today for player extensions - Andrew Brandt

NFP - Scout’s notebook: offensive review - Wes Bunting

Beating the Belichick Decision to a Pulp

NFL - Belichick defends decision to go for it on fourth down vs. Colts
So are these guys being honest, or are they overcompensating as former Pats trying to seem objective??...
NBC analyst Rodney Harrison, a safety for Belichick for six years who retired before this season, called it "the worst coaching decision I've ever seen Bill Belichick make."
ESPN analyst Tedy Bruschi, who retired this year after 14 seasons as a Patriots linebacker, said, "The decision to go for it would be enough to make my blood boil for weeks. ... I would look at this decision as a lack of confidence in our ability as a defensive unit to come up with a big play to win the game."

NYT - ZEUS Computer Program Supports Belichick’s Fourth-Down Bid - Toni Monkovic

NFP - The Monday Tavern: Belichick prepares for every situation, even this one - Mike Lombardi

NFL - Belichick's move done out of respect for Manning's ability - Mike Lombardi

NFL - Easy to second guess, but Belichick was just playing the percentages - Steve Wyche

Y! - Criticism for Belichick is misguided - Dan Wetzel

PFW - Belichick made no blunder with bold decision - Nolan Nawrocki

SI - Bill Belichick made right decision in Patriots-Colts game - Joe Posnanski

ESPN - Belichick flunked his open-book test - Gene Wojciechowski

FOX - The Day After: The real problem with Belichick's call - John Czarnecki

Poll

If you were Bill Belichick, would you have gone for it on fourth down Sunday night?

Yes

219 votes

No

175 votes

394 votes | Poll has closed

Silly untruths about the 2009 Patriots at the mid-season point

BigBlueShoe — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:12:04 -0000

More photos » by Winslow Townson - AP

about 1 month ago: New England Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo (51) celebrates a stop as Miami Dolphins center Jake Grove (64) and quarterback Chad Henne look on during the fourth quarter of New England's 27-17 win in an NFL football game in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

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Yesterday, we had the unthruths about the 2009 Colts. Now, we close out with untruths about the 2009 Patriots.

False

Tom Brady will take three years to fully recover from his injury, which means that he won't be "great" for a while now.

True

This year, Brady is completing 65% of his passes for 2364 yards (third best in AFC) and has 16 TDs to 5 INTS (same TD to INT ratio as Peyton Manning). Early this season, Brady did look "out of sync" with his receivers, and the Patriots are lucky they did not lose their first game of the year to the Buffalo Bills. However, Brady has recovered his form and is playing very well. In fact, it is shaping up to be one of his best statistical seasons ever.

Much of the "it will take three years" talk comes from using Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer as an example. Palmer suffered a somewhat equally horrible knee injury to Brady's in 2006, and it is only now that Palmer looks to have returned to form. This example is very misleading and flawed though. Palmer was "ready" to play the next season after his injury, but the Bengals roster in 2007 was not the Patriots roster in 2009. Flaws in the Cincy roster, bad coaching, and poor ownership factored more into the Bengals struggling since their last playoff appearance; not Palmer's injury.

False

The Patriots have lost too many important players to be a contender anymore.

True

Gone are Tedy Bruschi, Rodney Harrison, Mike Vrabel, and Richard Seymour. These players were the foundation of three championships. However, new players like Jerod Mayo and Brandon Meriweather have the Patriots allowing only 14.5 ppg (#2 behind the Colts). So, statistically, this is one of the better defense the Patriots have ever had. When you have Tom Brady, and you give him a defense that is only allowing roughly 2 TDs a game, you ARE a contender.

False

The Patriots basically have only two receiving weapons on offense: Randy Moss and Wes Welker. Double those two guys and you should be able to shut down this offense.

True

Um, if things were that easy, the Patriots would be 0-8 now. They aren't. When teams double those two WRs, tight end Benjamin Watson has stepped up and made some big plays. He is on his way to a career year, currently with 19 receptions for 271 yards and 4 TDs.

Like with all great teams, lots of silly, incorrect information gets thrown out there and just accepted as fact (like when people say Peyton Manning "struggles" against 3-4 defenses). When morons spew this kind of lazy garbage, it is up to us bloggers to kick them in the nuts, laugh in their face, and yell "WRONG!"

Know Your Colts History: 9 Signs That Its Rivalry Week

JakeTheSnake — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 05:00:34 -0000

1. You've scrounged through the Patriots' roster looking for ways to make zingers off of their names. Some examples:

Nice whiff on that tackle Vice Wil-dork!
Junior Seau, seriously? You've been a senior for a decade.
Tully Banta-Cain? More like Tully Banta-FAIL! You must have learned from A-FAIL-ius Thomas!
Hey BenJarvus Green-Ellis...I don't like you either!

2. For Veteran's Day you wore your favorite patriotic shirt that had no red in the design whatsoever. Blue and white are the only colors on the U.S. flag that matter anyway.

3. You've become allergic to New England clam chowder for some reason this week.

4. You just plopped down extra money on your Thanksgiving flight so you can board Colts 1.

5. This week you adopted a large group of rats and put them in your kitchen to create a realistic stadium experience.

6. Seeing a Brady jersey causes you to yell and kick the nearest tree, unlike the other 51 weeks of the year where you just foam from the mouth.

7. That gray hoodie that you during winter has suddenly disappeared.

8. Whenever you see Rodney Harrison and Tedy Bruschi on television, you tell yourself that they're still on the team, just so you can hate the Patriots even more.

9. Whenever someone asks you "Who's your daddy?" you automatically respond by saying, "Archie Manning, one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game! What did your dad ever do?" before realizing that you're not Peyton Manning and the discussion up to that point had absolutely nothing to do with this week's game.

Preview Week Nine: Patriots at Colts

BigBlueShoe — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:00:33 -0000

Now that I own this blog, and all the souls of the people currently reading it (which kind of makes me sound like the Freddy Krueger of sports bloggers), I'll dump on you what I dump on my own readers every Thursday during the NFL season: My game previews.

Welcome to primetime, b*tch!

If you don't get the Freddy Krueger reference, just keep your mouth shut or you will make MaPatsFan and I feel very old.

For this preview, I am required to (ugh!) do it from the POV of a Patriots fan, which basically means I cannot insert snide comments about Bill Belichick's sleep-inducing press conferences, or state that players "suck" just because I don't like them. For me, this takes all the fun out of writing a preview. I mean, what good is a preview if I can't make YET ANOTHER joke about Spygate, the Pats choking in the Super Bowl, and the laugh-rot-comedy-musical-review that is a Bill Belichick's post-game handshakes, which for Belichick seem less about sports congeniality and more akin to getting water boarded in a tank of gasoline.

Someone is NOT enjoying this handshake

Nevertheless, I will saunter forth with this preview, which (both on paper and seemingly in practice) might pit the two best teams in the NFL against each other this Sunday.

While the surprising Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints are getting much of the "WOW!" headlines, the bigger story is the play of the New England Patriots. Gone from last year's defense, which ranked #8 in scoring at 19 points per game, are Richard Seymour, Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, and Rodney Harrison. More so than Tom Brady, the foundation of three championships was built on defensive players, who always had a knack for coming up HUGE in big games (don't... think about... that damned Rhodes fumble...). This year, with all those players gone, with Adalius Thomas seemingly declining before our eyes, the Patriots sport the #2 scoring defense in the league, giving up 14 points per game.

They are second only to the Colts, who give up 13 points per game.

Again, Denver and New Orleans are getting the headlines for defense, but the real story (aka, the one more interesting to people who actually know football) is the play of the Pats and Colts defenses. No one expected these two teams to have such outstanding defenses in 2009. With Indy losing longtime head coach Tony Dungy to retirement and letting Ron Meeks go (rather unceremoniously, I might add), the feeling from many was Indy's defense would regress even further from the mess it was last season.

Not so.

The Colts and the Pats continue to prove that excellent pass defense, coupled with smart pressure packages that maximize the risk of the opponent making a mistake, are the best practices to stopping NFL offenses.

So, for me, this game is actually less about the legendary quarterbacks (Peyton Manning and Tom Brady... perhaps you've heard of them) and more about the defenses for the Pats and Colts.

Patriots Defense

For Peyton Manning, players like Vrabel, Brushi, and Harrison used to give him fits. No defense bothered Peyton like the Patriots defenses from 2001-2004. Now, with those players gone, can new faces like Jerod Mayo and Brandon Meriweather provide equal frustration to "Perfect Peyton"? Currently, Peyton is well on his way to winning his fourth NFL MVP, a feat no player has ever done. A "bad" day for Peyton now is "only" throwing for 350 yards, completing 65% of his passes, and no turnovers.

Again, that's "bad."

If the Patriots want to have any hope of winning this game, they must attack and frustrate Peyton. They must confuse, disguise, and rattle him. That is, by no means, an easy feat. In fact, no team has really been able to "rattle" Peyton since, maybe, the 2004 Patriots in the playoffs.

Colts Defense

For the Colts defense, they hired longtime Brady nemesis Larry Coyer as their defensive coordinator. Pats fans remember coyer as the "real" mastermind behind the Denver Broncos defense from 2002-2006. Coyer coached their defense during Denver's playoff win over the Pats in 2005, which saw Tom Brady throw an INT for a TD. From 2002-2004, Coyer was instrumental in keeping the "Holy Trinity" of the AFC intact (Patriots would beat the Colts, Broncos would beat the Patriots, Colts would beat the Broncos).

Now, Coyer is in Indy, and he has their defense playing as well as it has ever played. Dwight Freeney will own an NFL record if he sacks Brady this weekend, which would give him a sack in ten straight NFL games (going back to last year). Though Indy's secondary is beat up, losing longtime Patriots boogeymen Bob Sanders and Marlin Jackson for the season, the Colts do sport some impressive safeties with Antoine Bethea and Melvin Bullitt. Colts rookie corner Jerraud Powers is a legit Rookie of the Year candidate, and Jacob Lacey (another rookie) has looked impressive as well. Despite their youth, this group has indeed been tested against passing attack from the Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans. They have passed with flying colors.

Final Pontification from Resident Blogging A-hole

Like all great Patriots v. Colts games, this one will likely go down to the wire. And while the QBs will likely get all the jeers and glory, it will be the defenses of these two NFL giants that will decide the game. While neither team runs the ball well (numbers-wise), both defense want to opponents' QB to throw more than they want to. The pass defenses for both clubs are their strengths. Look for both to find ways to pressure the QBs and force them into short-field mistakes.

Likely, the team with the fewest mistakes will win.

BigBlueShoe invades your mind and scrambles your brains with all things Patriots v. Colts

BigBlueShoe — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:00:52 -0000

Manning v. Brady... on a more "local" level.

View full size photo »

Hiya Patriots fans! Once again, we are in November. Once again, we have the Patriots v. the Colts. Once again, your headmaster has been ~~stupid~~ gracious enough to hand me the keys to your blog. Once again, I plan to poop on your living room carpet, leave the toilet seat down, and drink all your booze before I leave... so to speak.

For roughly seven years, we fans were blessed to have one of the best rivalries in the history of pro football played out annually even though the two teams in this rivalry did not reside in the same division. This year, the rivalry is still the same. The key ingredients are still simmering. However, what is a bit different is the flavoring.

Gone are Tedy Brushi, Marvin Harrison, Richard Seymour, Bob Sanders, Mike Vrabel, Marlin Jackson, Rodney Harrison, and Tony Dungy. These men helped build this rivalry up into something unique and special. Cowboys v. 49ers never reached our peak, nor did Giants v. 49ers. Patriots v. Colts is a special grudge match that, in many ways, is the envy of rivals who play each other twice a year. While Giants fans, Cowboys fans, and Eagles fans all love to boast about the NFC East rivalries, I can say with absolute confidence that they people have no idea what rivalry REALLY is until they experience Patriots v. Colts.

This rivalry has produced some of the greatest game ever in NFL history, be they playoff or regular season. No offense to the NFC East, but their games do not come close in terms of magnitude, awe, and sheer football OMFG-did-you-see-that-play!-ness.

So, yeah, Patriots v. Colts is a big deal. Anyone who dismisses it is a hater of football, or what is sometimes referred to as a "Jets fan" (calm down Jets fans, it's a joke; here's another beer you can throw at a toddler's head). Like all games going back in this rivalry, I hope this one is an all-timer as well. Hope you enjoy my "takeover" of Pats Pulpit for the next two days. Please comment to your heart's content.

Armaggedon 2009 (or, the War of 18 and 12) : Just how evenly matched are the Patriots and Colts

BigBlueShoe — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:16:43 -0000

More photos » by AJ Mast - AP

about 1 month ago: Indianapolis Colts linebacker Clint Session runs the ball after intercepting a pass from Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. The Colts won 20-17. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

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For all the hoopla the New Orleans Saints are getting (and rightly so) for their 8-0 start, the reality is that, statistically, the Patriots and the Colts are more impressive. And while it is no en vogue for people like Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris to proclaim "Statistics are for losers," the reality is stats tell us an awful lot about how good a team will likely be moving forward.

Small side note: Anyone else find it both pathetically and ironically funny that Morris, who is 1-7 as a head coach, would proclaim that "statistics are for losers." Speaking of losers, Morris will be lucky if he keeps his job at the end of this season.

The Saints sport the league's best offense, averaging nearly 38 points per game, which is, of course, INSANE! However, their defense is surrendering 21 points per game, ranking them 19th in the league. But while the Saints appear free-wheelin' and high-flyin', the Patriots and Colts seem much more balanced as football teams and, therefore, much more dangerous.

New England sports the #2 scoring defense in football, surrendering 14 points a game. Their offense scores 28 points per game (#3 in the league). Indy trots out the #1 scoring defense, giving up just 13 points per game, and an offense that scores 27 points per game (#6 in the league).

If we Colts fans know anything it's that great offense with mediocre-to-bad defense can only take you so far in this league. Eventually, you will run into a team that will stall your offense. When that happens, your defense must have the talent and the coaching to win the game for your team. For the Pats and Colts, they seem to have the kind of defensive talent to stop opposing teams, which is incredible considering the Pats are without Mike Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi, Rodney Harrison, and Richard Seymour this year. Meanwhile, the Colts are without Bob Sanders, Marlin Jackson, Ed Johnson, and Tyjuan Hagler. Yet, they still shut people down.

Again, balance on offense and defense can make a football team dangerous, and this Sunday two very dangerous teams will face off in what hopefully will be a great game.

For more, check out Marima's FanShot.

Former Patriot Rodney Harrison Likes New Chiefs WR Chris Chambers

Joel Thorman — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:00:36 -0000

More photos » by Keith Srakocic - AP

The Chiefs signed Chris Chambers on Tuesday. (AP AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

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Since there isn't a Pioli/Haley/Parcells connection with the Kansas City Chiefs newest signing, former San Diego Chargers WR Chris Chambers, we decided to bring you....

....A former New England Patriots talking about Chambers (Whew, a former Pats player approves).

Rodney Harrison, currently of NBC's Football Night in America, talked with ESPN Radio earlier today, before the news of Chambers broke. He was on-air convincing Chicago Bears GM Jerry Angelo to make a run at Chambers. Well, Angelo may have made a claim - unfortunately for him the Chiefs are a higher priority on the list.

Here's what Harrison, who played for the Patriots from 2003-2008, had to say about Chambers this morning (via ESPN Chicago):

"I like him, I like him, I played against the young man for years," Harrison said. "Very physical receiver [with] great hands, and runs good routes. Good downfield speed, very tough. A deceptively strong receiver that's very dependable and who gave us fits."

Chambers has four touchdowns in nine career games against Harrison's Patriots.

"I talked to [Philadelphia Eagles cornerback] Asante Samuel, [who said Chambers] was a guy who was a tough matchup because he's so strong and goes up for the ball. He attacks the ball at the highest point.

"I like Chris Chambers," Harrison continued. "If you could pick him up for the next eight games for a couple million bucks, I think it's a great deal. If you could add another weapon, especially with the weapons the Bears already have, and give Jay Cutler that deep downfield threat other than Johnny Knox … a guy who can run slant, intermediate routes, who's not afraid of getting hit."

Basically, replace Chicago with Kansas City and he's still got a point. I think this is an upgrade for the Chiefs.

Harrison says he's worth the risk, especially since the Chiefs would only have to commit nine games.

Of course, Harrison is also talking about Chambers before a 2008 injury that has reportedly (and statistically) slowed him down.

Is Parity dead in the NFL? Patriots still in an elite club

MaPatsFan — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:40:22 -0000

It's funny. Sometimes stories and ideas are abundant. During the season, there's no lack for things to write about. Game wrapups, upcoming matchups, Q&A's with other bloggers. It's a wealth of information right at the fingertips. The long drought that is the off-season is a pain in the butt from a writer's perspective. So isn't a bye week. I'm not complaining, mind you, it gives one a little bit of a break.

As I said above, sometimes ideas are abundant and flow easily. Other times, they're sitting in the back of my mind, waiting for something to push them forward. So is the case with my thoughts on the NFL's parity issues. I've been thinking about this for a few weeks, specifically after 2 Patriot blowouts in a row. Outside of the boys from Foxborough, we have 3 undefeated teams (Colts, Broncos, Saints) and 3 winless teams (Titans, Buccaneers, Rams). Weird.

This idea of parity was pushed forward, as it often is, by our very own Marima's daily links, specifically a story by SI.com's Kerry J. Byrne. I found this to be an excellent piece of writing that asked as many questions as it answered. At the very least, Kerry provided some interesting facts and a few alarming (but good for us) statements:

The fact of the matter in today's NFL is that four teams -- all in the AFC -- have held an iron grip over the NFL for more than a decade. Denver, Indy, New England and Pittsburgh can be counted on year after year -- with the occasional exception here and there -- to stand among the very best teams in the league.

Those four have won 11 of the past 14 AFC titles. They've won six of the past eight Super Bowls and eight of the past 12. Over the past 15 years, the AFC's Big Four have filled 19 of 30 spots in the AFC title game.

Byrne confirms what I think we've all known: these 4 teams consistently run at the top of the heap. While the Colts are having a banner year in 2009, NE owns history right now:

The Patriots, of course, are two years removed from the first 16-0 season in history, they won a record 34 games over two seasons earlier this decade (2003-04), they need one postseason victory to set a record for most in a decade (15) and they've set every win streak in history this decade, regular season (21), postseason (10) and combined (21). Brady, meanwhile, has won a record 78.5 percent of every game he's started (106-29) in his career. Again, all facts that should, on their face, prove that concepts such as "parity" are dead.

What does Byrne offer as reasoning for this disparity in parity? Something we've all known all along: great organizations beget great teams.

Here's one guess why: the NFL, with so many players and so many coaches and so much turnover and so many moving parts, is all about management. And, right now, management has never been more important.

Humans are not equal in talent, whether they're in the front office, on the sidelines or in the huddle, and the notion that a few rules will "level the playing field" is being mocked openly on the field right now.

The highlighted statement is something I've felt all along. If you have a great organization working to get the best talent on the gridiron, you'll be a winner. Lose Scott Pioli? No problem; Nick Cesario has been groomed for years to take on that position. Lose Josh McDaniels? Ok, it's been a little bumpy, but Bill O'Brien seems to be improving. The Patriots have also gone through an amazing amount of turnover on the field. 3 giants on defense retired or were traded (Tedy Bruschi, Rodney Harrison, Richard Seymour). Tom Brady came back after a year's recovery from ACL/MCL surgery. Julian Edelman and Fred Taylor have sustained major injuries and could be out for a significant portion of the season. Jerod Mayo was knocked out 7 plays into the season and finally returned a few weeks back.

Teams don't sustain changes like that unless they have great ownership, a great front office, and great coaching. The Patriots, like the other 3 mentioned above, have all that and can weather the storm of changes without too much disruption. Hopefully, the league doesn't try to somehow handicap or punish teams who have built these great organizations, but who knows.

I guess the question is should they mess with it to create parity?