SB Nation - Nick Kaczur

New York Jets Pass Defense vs. New England Patriots Pass Offense

John B — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:32:12 -0000

by Michael Perez - AP

Last time the Jets shut down Tom Brady with non stop pressure. That's been their formula for success against Brady in the past, sending men from all angles, confusing his protection, and forcing him to throw early. It's the only way to beat an offense like this. If a quarterback this good has time, he'll find a window. If receivers this good have time, they'll eventually get open.

This kind of matchup favors the Pats. The Jets probably won't change much from what was successful the first time. Why would they? New England has the ability to adjust. It's funny because in the past, New England adjusted to New York's blitzing of Brady by the formula they tried in the first game, spreading the field and getting the ball out quickly. That won't work because the Jets will just send more men than blockers once again. At least one guy will run free to Brady and force an early throw. This time I think the Pats leave in extra blockers. As long as they leave Brady standing, he can find somebody.

In the first game, Darrelle Revis shut down Randy Moss with very little safety help. The Jets played a lot of cover zero and cover one. When he had help, he didn't need it. The one area the Pats found success was working the middle with Julian Edelman, a shifty slot receiver. Wes Welker will be in the lineup this time. He and Edelman will be working the middle a lot. We'll also see a lot of quick throws and screens to Welker and let him make plays. To get to Brady, the Jets are going to have to ask a lot out of Lito Sheppard, Donald Strickland, and Dwight Lowery. If the Jets are going to win, these guys in particular are going to have to cover and tackle well.

I also think the Pats will look to exploit Benjamin Watson and Chris Baker and test out Eric Smith. Eric will be playing Jim Leonhard's role now, not working underneath and as a blitzer in subpackages. We'll also see Kevin Faulk on a lot of screens out of the backfield to try and catch blitzers overpursuing.

One thing to watch on the line is the play of rookie Sebastian Vollmer, who replaced the injured Matt Light about a month ago. Vollmer has held up exceptionally well against some of the best rushers in the game like Dwight Freeney last week. Light had been the weak link on the line. The interior guys, Steven Neal, Dan Koppen, and Logan Mankins, as well as right tackle Nick Kaczur have been good in pass protection. The Jets should focus again on overload blitzes. It's going to be tough to consistently win matchups against these guys. Just overwhelm them to one side and hope the protection can't slide quickly enough.

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:30:15 -0000

More photos » by Chris Schneider - AP

2 months ago: Denver Broncos coach Josh McDaniels salutes the crowd after the Broncos defeated the New England Patriots 20-17 in overtime in an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009, in Denver. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)

Browse more photos »

Happy Tuesday, friends, and welcome to another edition of Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations. Is anybody else feeling like they could get used to feeling like this on a Tuesday? It's great to be 5-0, isn't it? Maybe Mark Kiszla is right, and we should all join him in welcoming Kyle Orton to Denver, since MHR is clearly bringing up the rear, there. Y'all know how skeptical I have been. Despite our ongoing skepticism, and community-wide propensity for all things negative, we press on. Ready..... BEGIN!!!!

1. Speaking of my skepticism, I was pretty high on this team, heading into the first game.

This is an 11-5 football team, and it's one that is only going to improve as it adds more quality talent in the next few years. I put my money where my mouth is too, donating $11 to the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure, on John Bena's wife's behalf. Please do the same thing, if you can, by donating $1 for every win you think the Broncos will get this season. Things have to break right for that to happen, sure, but I think they will. Forget last season, this is a totally different thing.

Well, that caused a stir. John Bena took a beating on Twitter about it, and even my brother Chris thought I was about 4 games too generous. At this point, I am frankly wondering if I shorted the Susan G Komen outfit by a buck or two. One mea culpa though.

By the way, the Broncos five losses are to the Patriots, Giants, and Raiders at home, and the Chargers and Eagles on the road. I know a lot of people will groan at the thought of losing to Oakland at home, but let's face it, the Broncos annually lose a game they have no business losing, and I had a feeling that that would be the one. I think they can beat Baltimore and Pittsburgh, because they protect the QB, and will be strong defensively against the run. It's about matchups, in those cases. Really, I believe that the Broncos can beat any team on their schedule if they execute, and consistently do the things you need to do to win football games.

I had the Broncos going to 4-0, (in case anybody claims nobody did), before losing both (Sunday) to the Patriots and next Monday night to the Chargers. They beat the Patriots, and I am pretty sure they'll beat the Chargers too, to move to 6-0. I also don't think there is any way they lose to the Raiders, with the consistent preparation and focus they've shown, and Oakland's extreme awfulness. So, even the most optimistic reasonable guy you know may have been underselling this team.

I am not much of a stats guy, but are you ready for an unbelievable one? In five weeks, the Broncos have made zero personnel moves. For all you hear about how much "turmoil" surrounded this team in the offseason, there has been absolutely none in the regular season. Of course, having had no major injuries helps, but it's really indicative of the quality of the team's personnel plan. There was no area where the staff thought incorrectly that the personnel would be good enough. It's good enough everywhere.

There is a lot of reason to really like this team. When the score was 10-0 in the first quarter, my father (Ed) called me, like he does when things aren't going that well for the Broncos. This is the conversation, practically word-for-word.

Ed: What's going on with your boys?

Ted: (A little annoyed.) Nothing, they had a good drive, but missed a field goal, and then they fumbled. Then they held the Patriots to a field goal despite really favorable field position. I'm not worried about it yet. These things happen.

Ed: I don't know...

Ted: This team has shown an ability to be resilient, and make adjustments. I think they'll hang in there, and be okay. (More annoyed, because the commercial was ending, and the game was restarting.) They just (bleeped) up a couple times, it's not the end of the world.

Ed: We'll see....

Ted: Yes, we will. I have to go, so I can pay attention.

Ed: Okay, when you write your analysis, you should mention that your expert father thinks they played like (bleep) because of those ugly uniforms.

Like me, my father is a former United States sailor (a Chief Nuke Machinist Mate), and we tend to employ some sailors' vocabulary when we speak. (In the interest of authenticity, I thought everybody should know that.)

I think back to the last few years, and there is a striking difference with this team. I think of 2005, and the Broncos hardly ever trailed in that season. Jake Plummer was made to play low-risk football, the defense was solid, and the Broncos ran the ball very well. If the plan was executed, the Broncos were going to win. Once it wasn't, in the AFC Championship Game, there was no coming back.

Between 2006-2008, the team was very mistake-prone, on both offense and defense (after the first 6 games of 2006). Generally, you'd have the feeling that if a player or unit made a mistake, that a long day of repeat mistakes would be sure to follow. Think of all the times Jay Cutler played the team out of games, or the defense took a holiday from tackling (or both happened in the same game, like the early season Chiefs game last season). There was always a puncher's chance, but you felt like every mistake was the killer.

I have a tremendous amount of faith in this team's ability to overcome mistakes. In the short amount of time they've been together, I've seen them do it a lot of times. It's not like they're making a lot of mistakes, but they show the ability to settle down and re-focus, no matter what happens. The 2008 Broncos would have gotten blown out today, no question about it. This team hangs in there, gets back to playing solid football, and gets in position to win in the end. It happened against Cincinnati, it happened against Dallas, and it happened again today. (Of course, there never was one second where the Browns or Raiders had an apparent chance, so there was no particular need to hang in there in those games.)

Check out this tweet from Darrell Reid, from Sunday night:

@Footz95: Bronco Fans Please 4Give Me 4 My Penalty That Almost Cost Us The Game. Luckily Its A Team Sport And My Teammates Overcame That Play. Thank U

That's pure class and accountability, and it's emblematic of this team. There was nothing about how the penalty was kind of ticky-tack, even if it was. He knows the rules, he ran into the guy's leg, and he is accountable for his mistake.

It's a gift to be able to feel like this, and I think only probably Patriots, Steelers, and Colts fans have been able to do so consistently, in recent memory. I think Giants and Saints fans probably can right now. Somehow, our team is going to keep focused, and find a way to be in the game until the final gun. What a great new Broncos fan reality.

2. Information From My Eyes, Patriots at Broncos:

a. The WRs for the Broncos did great work all game on Sunday. They ran a ton of hitches, and really got out of their breaks well on them. They also really caught the ball.

b. Andra Davis and D.J. Williams both missed clean sacks on Tom Brady, on delayed blitzes. It sure would have been nice to have those sacks, at the time.

c. I thought the use of Russ Hochstein as a FB was a nice touch a few times. It's been hit or miss this season, and it hit Sunday.

d. Both Brandon Marshall TDs were emblematic of his improvement as an all-around player. He made plays with his physicality, which he hadn't ever fully harnessed in past years. There was no sideways running Sunday, just good routes and power.

e. That Ben Watson TD was evidently a mistake by D.J. Williams, who from the looks of the rest of the scheme, and Wesley Woodyard's reaction, should have stayed in zone coverage, instead of following the underneath crosser.

f. Maybe Kyle Orton was so fantastic because he read Mark Kiszla's column before the game. Feeling like "one of us" has to go a long way, right?

g. That was a joke, of course, but Orton really did look as good as I have ever seen him. His feet were calm, active, and precise, his decisions were quick and correct, and his throws were consistently on the money. He looked like Tom Brady looks on a good day, and that's no overstatement.

h. I want to see a QB sneak on a short-yardage play one of these days. I am tired of seeing these handoff plays get blown up by quick penetration, usually over Ben Hamilton.

i. WOW, did Josh McDaniels ever flame-spray Mike Priefer and Keith Burns over that Darrell Reid penalty. He had a point. There was no particular need to be halfway rushing that punt, in that situation. Honestly, I am a believer in not trying to block a punt at all, unless there's 6 or more yards to go. That mitigates the risk of running into the kicker.

j. If you remember the second-down play in the 4th quarter, with about 10 minutes to go, where Brady threw deep and the ball was broken up by Brian Dawkins, the real play was made by D.J.Williams, in covering Wes Welker one-on-one. Brady clearly wanted to go there, and it was blanketed. On the next play, Brady did throw to Welker, and Champ Bailey had great coverage. The Broncos did a great job taking Welker away in the second half.

k. Everybody knows I wasn't that high on the Knowshon Moreno pick when it was made, but I have come to really love this player. He is going to be a superstar for years to come. I especially appreciate his skill at picking up the blitz, which is rare for a rookie.

3. Information From My Eyes, Other Games:

a. I had the Bengals-Ravens game on my fixed screen Sunday, for the duration. The key observation from that game is that I had it slightly wrong a couple weeks ago, when I said that the Ravens were without any glaring weaknesses. Their cornerbacks are below average, and they can be killed outside the numbers. Old friend Domonique Foxworth is a good guy, but an average-at-best player. Fabian Washington isn't even as good as that. Particularly if you can block the Ravens' pressure packages, there is a lot of opportunity for success.

b. It is, however, best to stay out of the middle of the field, with any kind of risky throws. Ed Reed is as great as ever, and we all know about Ray Lewis. Reed made a couple big plays Sunday, stripping Chad Ochocinco on a long gainer before the first half ended, and then also returning an interception for a TD later. The Bengals dominated this game, and Reed and Ray Rice were the Ravens' only real positives, and managed to keep the Ravens in it.

c. Matt Cassel says he wants to find the right "anecdote" to losing. The Chiefs ought to start by drafting a lot more speed, because they're the slowest team in the NFL, ahead of their opponent Sunday, Dallas. The Chiefs are going to have another very high draft pick this year, because they are really horrible. If I were Scott Pioli, I would do everything possible to get below the Top 10, because a third straight very high pick, along with Cassel's contract, is going to really mess up their salary structure, a la Oakland. I would give a top pick away, straight-up, for the 12th pick, in their situation. Bill Polian had it right when he said that you don't get good by picking high in the draft every year. Unless you're taking a can't-miss QB, like Peyton Manning, nobody is worth the money you have to pay out.

d. Speaking of the Chiefs, this has gone mostly under the radar, but they're not playing Derrick Johnson, their best linebacker. He was their best defensive player in 2008, and now he's frozen out for some undisclosed reason. If I were a 40-front team, I'd be calling the Chiefs before the trade deadline next week. I bet he could be had for a 5th-rounder.

e. Have you ever seen that show, Intervention, on A&E? I know I have a pretty male-heavy readership, and it's mostly targeted toward a female demographic, so I ask, rather than assume. Anyway, it's not what I would call uplifting television. There's always some really troubled person, with drugs, or gambling, or compulsive shopping, or whatever. Their family loves them, and wants to help get them on the straight and narrow, but addiction is really hard (my 3-year anniversary of quitting smoking is next Monday, so trust me, I have an idea about addiction).

Anyway, the Jaguars remind me of an addict who is trying to get clean, and tries hard, and does well for a while, and then has a staggering, messy relapse. Jacksonville's addiction is to playing undisciplined and stupid football. The last two weeks, against Houston and Tennessee, the Jags had their act together. Sunday, against Seattle, they relapsed, and got completely embarassed. Rashean Mathis, a good CB, had a horrid game, and got out of position repeatedly. I think Jack Del Rio's days have to be numbered, because his program just isn't getting the team to where they need to be. I'm not picking them in any more games this year, either, unless it's against an obviously terrible team. Sometimes, even though you may love the addict, they won't let themselves be helped, and you have to cut them off.

f. The 49ers are not addicted to undisciplined football, but they sure played like the Jaguars West on Sunday. Watching the Short Cut, I really feel like they lost their composure after Roddy White's 90-yard TD in the second quarter. Nate Clements got beat on that play, and had a tough game overall. The defense was physical, and maintained their run lanes, but didn't tackle well, at all. I expect that Mike Singletary will re-focus his team, and they'll show better in their next game, after their bye. Since they're clearly not built to play from behind, they need to establish early leads.

g. A lot was made of Dre' Bly's idiotic celebration Sunday, but Donnie Avery deserves some scorn too, for dancing after a TD catch, when it made the score 31-10 Vikings, with 6 minutes to go. That's just clown-like. Hand the ball to the Field Judge, and get back to your sideline.

h. Matt Schaub threw a noodle-armed out route Sunday, which Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie took back for the game-winning TD. Even after that, Schaub drove the team the length of the field, before the Cardinals held them on 4th and goal from the 1. The problem with being a zone-blocking team, as we've seen, is that you tend to struggle in short yardage situations, and the Texans really struggle with them.

i. I got called "ignorant" once by our dear friend/Colts blogger BigBlueShoe for saying that Anthony Gonzalez was a below-average starter. I considered it an honor, because I am happy to disagree with anybody. (Evaluation is a function of what I see, not what anybody thinks they know, and by extension, that they think I should "know.") In any case, Gonzalez, who is from 3 towns west of where I live, is going to stuggle to get on the field when he gets healthy. Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon have done fantastic work this season, and they're both better players than Gonzalez. Collie is smooth in his routes, and fundamentally sound, and Garcon is fast and fluid. Gonzalez struggles to get off press coverage, and as Mike Shanahan once said, if you can't get off press coverage, you'll be selling cars before too long.

j. The Steelers defense looks extremely beatable lately, especially if you can pass protect. The Lions did a lot of good stuff offensively Sunday, and lost only because they couldn't contain James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley. Trust me, they're not a terrible team team this season.

k. Josh Johnson looked like an NFL starting QB on Sunday, which is an accomplishment, for your second career start, against a defense like Philadelphia's. His stats were pedestrian (26-50, 240 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT with 5 carries for 40 yards), but he passed the eye test. His throws were mostly accurate and decisive, and he was victimized by quite a few drops, at least 6 or 7.

l. I haven't gotten a great look at Jason Peters yet this regular season, and I have been wanting to. Sunday's game didn't show me much, because Gaines Adams just looks clueless on the field. LDE Jimmy Wilkerson got 3 sacks for the Buccaneers, and lazy analysis would lead me to criticize RT Winston Justice, who I am typically not a big fan of. Thing is, I looked at the plays, and none were particularly bad plays by Justice. One was an overload, where the RG picked up Wilkerson, and on the other two, Donovan McNabb rolled into a decently-blocked Wilkerson.

m. ST&NO favorite Channing Crowder had a fantastic game on Monday Night, and really backed up his smack talk from the spring with Rex Ryan. Another ST&NO favorite, Sean Smith, did not have a particularly great game. He struggled a little with Braylon Edwards, and while he didn't embarass himself, he has looked a lot better in other games. He was still the best CB the Dolphins had, as Vontae Davis and Will Allen both struggled worse.

n. I called this just last Tuesday with Edwards. He got out of Cleveland, and he's going to flourish in New York. He always thought of Cleveland as a non-cosmopolitan place, even to a greater extent than what is really true. (It's medium in its cosmopolitan-ness; well behind the major cities, but well ahead of a place like Jacksonville.) Edwards also felt like Ohio fans secretly hated him because he is a Michigan guy. The enmity between OSU and Michigan people is pretty real, for Big 10 country anyway, but Clevelanders are almost universally Browns fans before they're OSU fans. It's an NFL town, first, no question about it. If Edwards did well for the Browns, he'd have gotten plenty of love here.

My read on Edwards' personality, from living in the same town, is that the fact that he comes from a fairly affluent, two-parent, suburban background works against his ability to be a great player. He knows he has options outside of football. Poor kids need football, and many dedicate themselves fully to it, but I don't think Edwards has ever felt like he needs it. (For an example, there's the famous story of him asking Will Demps how to get into modeling and acting, between plays, during a game with the Texans).

I expect that Edwards will be very good for the Jets, and get himself a good contract extension after this season. New York is the town he wants to be in, and at his best, he can be like Tiki Barber, a guy who is interested in a lot of other stuff, but finally focuses pretty well on football, and has some good years under some tough coaching. Just don't be the person who believes the nonsense about him being a bad player, because he is not one.

n. The Dolphins offensive line is really one-dimensional, because their Tackles, Jake Long and Vernon Carey, severely lack foot quickness. Both guys can really move defenders off the ball in the running game, though. I am a big fan of Justin Smiley at LG; he's a mauler. The Dolphins do well in their wildcat stuff, but I think they should play more with their QB under center, to generate opportunities in the play-action game. It's the only way their QB will ever be able to consistently take a very deep dropback, unless they want to max-protect with a limited pattern.

o. Wow.... two successful fake punts in one first half by the Jets. I don't know if I have ever seen that before. Brad Smith was almost stopped on the second one, but he managed to get away from the tackle.

p. Chad Henne has looked much better than I thought he could play the last two weeks, but I am not sold on some things. For one thing, since when do QBs have lousy, jail-house looking tattoos, or any tattoos at all? It's like when an enlisted guy in the military becomes an officer, and suddenly looks a little different, sporting a bunch of ink. (My buddy who is getting married in Dallas in about 2 weeks is actually one of these.) Anyway, it's weird to see a QB with that going on. As a player, he looked really good, though.

q. Ted Ginn put a pretty humbling move on Darrelle Revis in the 4th quarter Monday Night. When you hear scouts talk about suddenness, Ginn is not a guy who really has it, as opposed to somebody like Percy Harvin, who does. Ginn does, however, have world-class speed once he gets going, and he ran by the outstanding Revis for a go-ahead TD.

r. I usually ignore MNF while I write the bulk of ST&NO on Monday nights, but this Dolphins-Jets game was terrific. Both of these teams are playoff-caliber teams, and only one of them will probably make it.

s. The Packers had a bye week, and signed Mark Tauscher, which was smart. I think he is below-average, (and so is Chad Clifton), but they are a damnsight better than Daryn Colledge and Allen Barbre. If Aaron Rodgers can get sacked only 3-4 times per game, as opposed to 8-9, the Packers would have a better chance to beat good teams. Rodgers does tend to hold the ball too long at times, and I am sure the Packers are working with him on that, as well.

t. There were a lot of lousy games this weekend, which weren't particularly relevant to anything. I didn't bother with them. (That means you, Buffalo-Cleveland and Washington-Carolina.)

4. Between The Lines - Patriots at Broncos

a. The Patriots pass-protected very well in this game, much better than I expected them to. Matt Light and Nick Kaczur really held their own against Elvis Dumervil, Robert Ayers, and others. The Broncos mostly tried to play coverage, and generally didn't blitz a lot, but the Patriots handled their 3- and 4-man rushes virtually every time. Once Light was injured, and replaced by Sebastian Vollmer, I felt like the Patriots expressly didn't want to have him singled up on anybody, and they got more conservative with their protection calls. Of course, on the key play where Vonnie Holliday sacked and stripped Brady, and Dumervil recovered, that was only a 4-man rush, and Vollmer was the victim. The Patriots won this battle on volume, but he Broncos got the biggest play.

b. The Broncos also were outstanding in protection. Orton was never significantly pressured during the game, and the two sacks he took were both coverage sacks, delivered by LBs Rob Ninkovich and Tully Banta-Cain. Ryan Clady and Ryan Harris were outstanding as usual. Although Clady did have Banta-Cain on his sack, it's hard to call the play Ryan's fault. Pressure up the middle forced Orton to step backwards, into the area where Clady had ridden Banta-Cain. Sometimes you take a hit for doing your job right. The interior was strong in protection too, especially Chris Kuper. He does a great job anchoring against power rushers. The Broncos were terrific in this area, and won it going away.

c. The Patriots seemed to want to run the ball at Ryan McBean and Mario Haggan, and had a bit of success at it early with Sammy Morris. After that, they seemed to get away from that plan, only running much from shotgun looks. The Broncos defensive line was up to the task, consistently holding the line of scrimmage, as they have in all five games. Noteworthy performances were turned in by Ronald Fields, Le Kevin Smith, and Kenny Peterson, in addition to McBean. These big guys just continue to hold up. Logan Mankins was tough for the Patriots, and Dan Koppen was steady and crafty. Kaczur had a couple nice early blocks on the opening possession too. This battle was pretty even, in the final analysis.

d. Vince Wilfork was the best all-around player on the field on Sunday, and he couldn't be blocked. If the Patriots don't pay him, I'll be shocked, but there are actually rumblings that they may not. The rest of the Patriots defensive line got pushed around in the running game. The Broncos blockers were terrific in opening up holes for Knowshon Moreno and LaMont Jordan. Clady, Harris, and Kuper were especially noteworthy for their efforts in the running game. Wilfork did make a key stop on third-and-short, and blew up Hamilton on the play. Moreno's 4.2 yard average was a lot better than teams usually get from the Patriots. This is a win for the Broncos.

e. Remember a year ago, when the Patriots physically dominated the Broncos on both lines? That did not happen Sunday. The matchup was pretty even, with a slight edge going to the Broncos. This was very important to the final outcome of the game, as always.

(I am scrapping the BTL feature for another game. I am pretty overloaded lately, and I need to save the 90 minutes per week. It seemed like the best place to cut from. Sorry for anybody who will miss it.)

5. Weird comment from Pat Kirwan on NFL.com:

5. Things I didn't like

When the visiting Patriots lost the coin toss in overtime and the Broncos drove the field and kicked a winning field goal, it left me wanting more than that to decide a winner. Wouldn't it have been great if, after Denver's field goal, Tom Brady had one drive to score a touchdown?

Is Kirwan saying that Brady should get even more special treatment, because he's Brady, or is he saying that the NFL should allow both teams to get the ball at least once in overtime, as a rule for all teams? I typically like Kirwan's work, but this has me pretty confused.

And for the record, I don't think it would have been great if Brady had one drive to score a touchdown. To me, moving down the field after winning the toss, and kicking a winning FG is legitimate. I also think the Broncos play-calling would have been a bit different, once Knowshon Moreno got them inside the 30, if they felt like they really needed to play for a TD.

6. Big up Lindsay Jones of the Denver Post, for reminding us, via Twitter, of somebody who hasn't come forth with their mea culpa yet. I'm looking at you, Rick Reilly, purveyor of puff pieces.

Actually, Reilly's words were more mean-spirited than anybody's, so he really owes Josh McDaniels an apology.

@DenverBroncos : Deadspin compiles all the not-so-nice things Rick Reilly wrote about McDaniels last spring. Pretty interesting. http://deadspin.com/5379838/delighting-in-rick-reillys-massively-wrong-broncos-predictions

I don't normally read Deadspin, but nice work by Tommy Creggs here. Some interesting reminders:

Reilly on April 3rd: "And none of it would've happened without McDaniels' ham-handed style and his Macy's-balloon ego. I have a buddy who honestly believes McDaniels thinks this is fantasy football; that Pat Bowlen gave him a whole team to play with and screw over in his own image and what the hell, if his moves don't work out, his league has a special "mulligan" rule and he can start over. Only there's no "oops" rule in the NFL. Years from now, the Cutler Catastrophe will go down as the dumbest thing in Boy Blunder's very short coaching career. By then, perhaps he will be your waiter at Olive Garden."

That was right after the Cutler trade. Nice, huh? Try this one out:

Reilly on April 29th: "To repeat: Boy Blunder used a [first-round pick] to take a second. And if the Broncos are going to be as lame as I think they're going to be-4-12 perhaps-that first-round pick will be very high. McDaniels is the worst combination of things: Terribly naïve and doubly confident. Bronco fans, you're screwed."

And one more pearl;

Reilly on September 29th: "You can't just bolt your team because you think it's going to suck. (Which the Broncos are. There is no debating that. They are going to lose more than France. Just because you worked under Bill Belichick and you wear your sweatshirt like Bill Belichick does not mean you are Bill Belichick.)"

I would have been glad to debate Reilly on September 29th, or any other day. And if Josh McDaniels was my waiter at Olive Garden, I'd tip him pretty well, because I tip well, and because I bet the service would be outstanding.

I mean, like they say on ESPN, C'mon Man! This drivel was worse than what came from any of the serious-ish reporters, right? Your garden-variety John Clayton, Peter King, or Don Banks were smug and disconnected from reality, but it wasn't personal. With Reilly, this was clearly PERSONAL. Where are you at, Rick? Being a Denver guy, I suspect you'll see this, or at least hear about it, from somebody who does. Ted Bartlett from MileHighReport.com wants to know where you're at with this today, and is directly, publicly asking, on behalf of the thousands who realize how wrong you were, and think we have a great Head Coach.

Hell, if I find out that Chad Henne's tattoo is actually beautifully and tastefully done, and I had it all wrong, you can bet that I'll man up to it publicly. Same goes for anything I ever say, in all seriousness. Maybe accountability to readers is a blogger thing, I don't know.

7. Retired for John Elway

8. So, there's a hellaciously stupid line of thought that's circulating throughout the punditry (as always, meant negatively.) It seems that there are two kinds of people: those who dichotomize, and those who don't. The punditry tends to dichotomize, and there are two kinds of coaches right now. Hot Coordinators (including some retreads like Mike Nolan, Gregg Williams, and Mike Mularkey), and Super Bowl Winning Retreads. And lemme tell you, nobody wants a Retread. Why not? Because they're Retreads, stupid!

My favorite contrarian Andrew Perloff tells us so in his crack column Against The Grain: ("A weekly NFL column that heads in the opposite direction of your average pro football analysis." Just in case you were wondering....)

3. The NFL information men are hot on the trail of finding out where former Super Bowl-winning coaches like Mike Shanahan, Mike Holmgren and Bill Cowher will end up. But shouldn't we be asking ourselves if those coaches are the right hires for franchises like Washington, Dallas and Carolina? A retread coach with a ring is still just a retread. Duplicating that kind of success is still a longshot in the NFL. Some of the organization problems within those teams would cause just as big a headache for a proven winner.

Perloff has a point about the organization problems, but calling somebody a retread, and assuming that they suddenly can't coach is asinine. Analysts who don't know how to analyze always look for correlation, and assume causation, where there often is none.

Some teams, like the Redskins and Cowboys, will almost certainly make big-splash hires. Some, like the Bills and Jaguars, will be cost conscious, and probably hire a coordinator. Some, like the Panthers, could go either way. You can believe that whatever is deemed to be the trend du jour, (probably hiring coordinators), the other path will be criticized. Such is life with the dichotomizing punditry.

9. Another fun Ted Bartlett prognostication from the preseason:

The Broncos are going to have the best defense in the AFC West.

I guess I am just hot this year. :)

That's all I have for this week. Have a great Tuesday, and beyond, and we'll see you Saturday for Lighting Up The Scoreboard, even as I will be at Notre Dame this weekend for their game against USC. It will be my first time seeing Touchdown Jesus, so we'll see what that does for me as a guy who grew up Catholic. Maybe I will tweet from the game. Follow me at @TedBartlett905. Thanks for reading, and go Broncos!!!

Patriots at Broncos Friday Injury Report - Leading Rushers out on both sides

John Bena — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 22:12:45 -0000

DENVER BRONCOS
Player	Injury	Wed. Participation	Thur. Participation	Fri. Participation	Friday Status
RB Correll Buckhalter	Ankle	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	OUT
S Brian Dawkins	Knee/Shoulder	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	Limited Participation	Questionable
ILB/FB Spencer Larsen	Shoulder	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	OUT
G Ben Hamilton	Hamstring	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Questionable
CB Alphonso Smith	Ankle	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Questionable
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Player	Injury	Wed. Participation	Thur. Participation	Fri. Participation	Friday Status
WR Randy Moss	Not Injury Related	Did Not Participate	Not Listed	Not Listed
RB Fred Taylor	Ankle	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	OUT
T Nick Kaczur	Ankle	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Questionable
LB Jerod Mayo	Knee	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Questionable
S James Sanders	Shoulder	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Questionable
DB Shawn Springs	Knee	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Questionable
WR Wes Welker	Knee	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Questionable
DT Vince Wilfork	Ankle	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Questionable
QB Tom Brady	Right Shoulder	Full Participation	Full Participation	Full Participation	Probable
LB Adalius Thomas	Not Injury related	Not Listed	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	Probable

New England Patriots at Denver Broncos - Wednesday Injury Report

John Bena — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:17:15 -0000

DENVER BRONCOS
Player	Injury	Wed. Participation	Thur. Participation	Fri. Participation	Friday Status
RB Correll Buckhalter	Ankle	Did Not Participate
S Brian Dawkins	Knee/Shoulder	Did Not Participate
ILB/FB Spencer Larsen	Shoulder	Did Not Participate
G Ben Hamilton	Hamstring	Limited Participation
CB Alphonso Smith	Ankle	Limited Participation
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Player	Injury	Wed. Participation	Thur. Participation	Fri. Participation	Friday Status
WR Randy Moss	Not Injury Related	Did Not Participate
RB Fred Taylor	Ankle	Did Not Participate
T Nick Kaczur	Ankle	Limited Participation
LB Jerod Mayo	Knee	Limited Participation
S James Sanders	Shoulder	Limited Participation
DB Shawn Springs	Knee	Limited Participation
WR Wes Welker	Knee	Limited Participation
DT Vince Wilfork	Ankle	Limited Participation
QB Tom Brady	Right Shoulder	Full Participation

Pats 25, Bills 24: MNF Film Session

Brian Galliford — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:00:34 -0000

More photos » by Winslow Townson - AP

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For folks that are new to Buffalo Rumblings, here's the scoop: after each Buffalo Bills regular season game, we'll do a film review session in which we look back at the game to pick out some minor details that we may have missed while watching the games live. This is your film session for the Bills' 25-24 Monday Night Football loss to the New England Patriots.

Offense still missing a key ingredient. As surprisingly efficient as Buffalo's offense was in New England, the team was still missing a significant key to fielding a potent attack - and that was getting their receivers involved. Terrell Owens and Lee Evans need more looks. Yes, each dropped passes, and yes, Trent Edwards was able to find big gainers to Fred Jackson underneath, but particularly in the case of Owens, he's your money maker. He's your best player on offense. I don't blame Edwards for throwing where he threw, because the Pats did a good job of taking away his top option on most non-screen passes. The Bills just need to draw up more plays designed specifically for Owens and Evans. Perhaps they had that up their sleeves for the final, ice-the-clock drive that never materialized. It'd be nice to see both involved earlier in next week's game.

More defensive adjustments needed. The Patriots were able to string together long, time-consuming drives in the second half because roughly 4 out of every 5 Tom Brady passes came at the back end of a three-step drop. A defensive line consisting of Dwight Freeney, Mario Williams, Kevin Williams and Albert Haynesworth couldn't have pressured Brady in that situation. Perry Fewell did dial up a few blitzes that forced Brady into some incompletions and bad passes, but those were so few and far between that it hardly mattered. True, Brady should never have had the opportunity to win that game after the Bills took the 24-13 lead. But we need much more out of Fewell's scheming in that situation. (The one positive adjustment Fewell made, by the way, was against the run; NE's rushing attack was a non-factor for much of the game after the Bills gave up a few early runs.)

Demetrius Bell can play. Yes, he had a lot of mental mistakes. We covered that yesterday. And yeah, he also had some pretty serious pass protection breakdowns in the second half - Edwards was hit far too often. But I don't think I'm being hyperbolic when I say Bell is the most athletic tackle we've had here in years. The dude can flat out run, and he was terrific on toss sweeps, routinely sealing the edge. His technique is still lacking somewhat, but in playing the line's most difficult position in his first NFL start, he held up remarkably well. He needs to get better, because there are much scarier ends he'll be facing in the next few weeks than Tully Banta-Cain. My respect level for Bell increased somewhat when I saw him butting heads and jawing with Vince Wilfork - D-Bell is tough. Wilfork, for the record, was so fired up that he encroached on the very next snap.

The rest of the O-Line was great, minus Brad Butler. I paid particularly close attention to the interior three linemen, and Andy Levitre, Geoff Hangartner and Eric Wood were excellent. I wouldn't say that they "blocked" Wilfork, per se, but they sealed him magnificently and got him moving on other occasions. They handled him very well. The Pats didn't do a ton of blitzing, but when they did, communication was great between the inside three. Meanwhile, Butler - who didn't play poorly by any means - was the most susceptible to the bull rush, and was beaten more than any other player besides Bell. Of course, his assignment was a bit tougher, too, as he was tasked with blocking Adalius Thomas. His play wasn't bad, but he, too, needs to improve.

Props to the safeties. I really liked what I saw out of Jairus Byrd. I worried about his ability to tackle in the open field and support the run, but he did very well in both areas. He played as the third safety, and played quite a lot. Byrd's only issue was on the opening kickoff of the game - I'm not sure exactly what he was doing, but as his teammates ran down the field to cover the kick, Byrd was staring at the ground, and realized far too late that he, ahem, was supposed to be moving. NE returned the kick to the 50.

Bryan Scott wasn't great, but he did make 10 stops, and he was in on the coverage responsibilities on Ben Watson's two fourth-quarter touchdowns. So he needs to play better. The best safety on the field for either team was Donte Whitner. No, we didn't get any of the big plays we're craving from Whitner, but in making ten stops (five behind Keith Ellison's game-high 15), Whitner showed outstanding range and nearly had a fumble out of Randy Moss. He'll be just fine at free safety.

I love Fred Jackson. I don't think I need to get too in-depth here. He's one of the most patient runners I've ever laid eyes on. 20 touches, 140 yards, 1 TD. He was outstanding.

Quick - name the Bills' best D-Lineman. In this particular game, I'm calling it a three-way tie between Aaron Schobel, Chris Kelsay and Kyle Williams. Schobel made the big plays (sack, INT returned for TD); his pick-six was one of the most gorgeous plays I've ever seen. He nearly had a second pick early in the fourth quarter that would have prevented an eventual Pats field goal. But Kelsay was a monster in the first half; Nick Kaczur just straight up couldn't block him. Williams was also a force, routinely collapsing the pocket on Brady throws. The line was very active, but I'm curious to see how much of that was just a not-so-great Pats O-Line. The Bucs present a much stiffer challenge next week.

We're really, really going to miss Paul Posluszny. Poz was having a great game prior to breaking his arm. It was nearly as gut-wrenching watching him react to the injury on live TV (I missed it during the live telecast) as it was watching the end of the game itself. I feel terrible for him, but at the same time, the play looked pretty routine; it was difficult to see exactly how the injury happened. It might have happened on an earlier play. Either way, he's already out indefinitely, and he'll require surgery. That's a huge blow to a defense that needs all the help it can get.

I know many of you watch the game back just as I do - so if y'all caught anything on tape that wasn't discussed here, we'd love to hear about it in the comments section.

Patriots Week: Talking Tom Brady with Pats Pulpit

Brian Galliford — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:01:25 -0000

Welcome to Day Two of "Patriots Week" here at Buffalo Rumblings! (I hear y'all groaning out there.) Each day this week and throughout the weekend, we'll sit down with Pats Pulpit to discuss hot-button topics heading into perhaps the most dreaded Monday Night Football matchup this fan base has ever seen.

Yesterday, we began our discussions by taking a look, with the aid of MaPatsFan, at the Patriots' new 4-3 defensive alignment. We'll switch sides of the football today to talk about everyone's favorite golden boy quarterback, Mr. Tom Brady. Is he healthy? Is he rusty? Is he his usual self? We investigate after the jump.

Rumblings: We know Tom Brady's back. We know Tom Brady is physically healthy, knee and shoulder alike. How worried are you about his mindset coming back from injury, how quickly he's working through the rust, and perhaps most importantly, his offensive line?

Pulpit: Brady's return has been interesting to watch, specifically for the mental aspects you bring up. Physically, he looks good and has been throwing since the beginning of the year. During OTAs, he spent a great deal of time with Randy Moss and Wes Welker, getting back in sync with those two specifically. As fans, we always talk about the ESP that some QB/WR combos have, but it's usually the result of a lot of hard work. Case in point: during off-season practices, both Brady and Moss worked on "signals" they use to make subtle adjustments to Moss's routes. We saw an example of it in the third pre-season game against Washington. Moss's route was designed to go outside, but both Moss and Brady noticed that area of the field was clogged with defenders. A slight adjustment was made, and Moss turned in, grabbing the ball for a good gain.

The above is an example of getting back on the same page, but I feel like Brady's been a little tentative at times. Sure, he's taken his share of hits (the Albert Haynesworth tackle, for example), but I can't shake the feeling that there's a slight difference between the 2007 and 2009 Brady. Brady says he doesn't think about his knee brace, but how can you not think about a honkin' piece of metal on your leg? I'd love to say he's back to his old self, but I need more time to observe; I think our matchup against your Bills will be a good test.

Regarding the offensive line, I'm not that concerned - this year. We had 10 of 13 linemen's contracts due at the end of 2009 and have since signed two, I believe. We also acquired rookies Sebastian Vollmer and Rich Ohrnberger, who look to be standout first year guys capable of taking NFL reps as backups this year. Next year, the current thinking is they could possibly step into a starting role. In 2008, Matt Cassel was sacked 47 times, partly due to his lack of pocket presence, but the OL would have to pick up some of the blame. Getting younger with the 300 pounders is a good thing.

That's MaPatsFan's take - and it's exactly why I like talking to him. You won't find a fairer assessment.

Here's my take: Brady is going to be interesting to watch. He's all-world, and so is his top receiver. The Pats will score a lot of points this season. But let's not pretend that Brady will just magically re-appear as his former self after a devastating knee injury. No player ever has. Brady will still look brilliant this season, and the Pats will probably win shoot-outs with ease, but the idea that every Patriots offensive play will look like something out of Tecmo Super Bowl - as they did in 2007 - is absurd. MaPatsFan alluded to it best - it's going to take Brady some time to be completely mentally over the injury.

Even when he gets there, there has to be some concern about the offensive line. New England's line has always looked better than they really are because of Brady's dominance and the skill talent around them, but that doesn't mean they haven't been very good. Matt Light is on the downswing, however, and he showed some vulnerabilities in pass protection last season. Nick Kaczur is pretty average, though serviceable. Yes, many of the 47 sacks the team gave up last season can be attributed to Matt Cassel's inexperience, but it's still a ton of sacks. Brady will get hit this year. Bank on it. Hopefully, it'll lead to a few more mistakes.

Be sure to check Pats Pulpit today and throughout the week, as they'll have several reciprocating Bills-centric discussions going on. Today's topic: surprise cuts (i.e. Dominic Rhodes).

New England Patriots 53 man roster - some thoughts

MaPatsFan — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:04:36 -0000

by Stephan Savoia - AP

7 months ago: New England Patriots head football coach Bill Belichick looks over his rookies during football minicamp at the team's practice facility in Foxborough, Mass., Friday morning, May 1, 2009 (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

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We stay with 2 QB's, LB is a bit weak, TE will be a position to watch, OL is stacked on the interior...let's break it down position by position (props to NESilver for his comment in this thread)

Offense: 25

QB: Tom Brady, Brian Hoyer (2) - Odd we keep only 2, but that could change when the season starts.
RB: Laurence Maroney, Fred Taylor, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, BenJarvus Green-Ellis (5) - Solid group.
WR: Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Joey Galloway, Greg Lewis, Saim Aiken, Julian Edelman (6) - Break out the air raid sirens. Edelman looked like "Little Welker".
TE: Benjamin Watson, Chris Baker, Michael Matthews (3) - Like this group, Matthews is a big man which must mean "blocking TE". Baker has good hands which we haven't seen in NE TE's for a long time.
OL: Matt Light, Logan Mankins, Dan Koppen, Stephen Neal, Nick Kaczur, Sebastian Vollmer, Rich Ohrnberger, Dan Connolly, Ryan Wendell (9) - Deep on the interior, Vollmer is the next stud.

Defense: 25

DL: Richard Seymour, Vince Wilfork, Ty Warren, Jarvis Green, Ron Brace, Mike Wright, Myron Pryor (7) - Liking the depth, glad to see Pryor make the roster
DE/OLB: Derrick Burgess, Tully Banta-Cain (2) - Can you say, "4-3?" I knew you could. Here comes the pass rush.
LB: Adalius Thomas, Jerod Mayo, Gary Guyton, Pierre Woods, Eric Alexander, Rob Ninkovich (6) - Might be considered a little thin, possibly why NE is experimenting with a 4-3.
CB: Leigh Bodden, Shawn Springs, Jonathan Wilhite, Darius Butler, Terrence Wheatley (5) - Wheatley barely hung on to his spot. I hope a "shutdown corner" emerges.
S: Brandon Meriweather, James Sanders, Patrick Chung, Brandon McGowan, Matthew Slater (5) - Good group, although Slater will, most likely, be IR'd.

Specialists: 3

K: Stephen Gostkowski - What can I say? One of the best kickers in the league. A machine through the uprights and consistently boots kickoffs into the endzone.
P: Chris Hanson - Game changer. Massive hangtime and very good accuracy.
LS: Jake Ingram - Many laughed when Hoodie drafted Ingram. The rookie wins the long snapper battle.

Injured Reserve

OLB: Shawn Crable - Depressing. The dude can't catch a break.
RB: Chris Taylor
OL: George Bussey - Adds depth for next year.
LB: Tyrone McKenzie - Looking forward to seeing him inside for 2010.

Poll

What do you think of the roster?

Lovin' it!

524 votes

Too early to tell.

722 votes

Hate it.

66 votes

1312 votes | Poll has closed

New England Patriots Links 8/24/09 - Kaczur Close To Extension, Wilfork Waiting

Marima — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:45:52 -0000

DL Ron Brace (92) inches toward the quarterback during the Patriots-Bengals preseason game August 20th, 2009

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Bill Belichick talks about how Randy Moss is very good with the younger guys, and the healthy instructive relationships between offensive and defensive players.

They [Moss, Brady, other WRs] talk a lot about different techniques and how a certain defender plays and how to play against him – those types of things. Again, I think that was reflected last year when Randy was elected captain, not because of his playing ability, but because of his leadership and the way he interacts with his teammates and supports [them] — not just the receivers but also the defenders. They talk about it, too. They have a good working relationship with each other about, "This is what I’m trying to do to you and this is how I’m trying to defeat it,’ and help each other get better and ultimately that helps them get better. If our receiver tells our defensive back, ‘Hey, this is what you’re doing that’s giving me trouble or what you’re doing is making it easy for me,’ and the player can improve on the other side of the ball, ultimately, it improves him. It’s a healthy relationship and it’s one that we try to encourage. I think we get a lot out of them. Players are good about that. They are good about helping the younger players, but they’re also good about working with each other on different strengths and weaknesses and techniques that can be beneficial to our team.

Karen Guregian notes Vince Wilfork isn't buying what Kraft and the Patriots are selling regarding contract extensions and the uncertain in the leagues labor situation.

"I see both sides. I can truly sit here and say, ‘I see where the organization is coming from,’ but at the same time, they see what I’m seeing: Other teams are getting deals done, also. But they might not have situations like we have, where we have a bunch of top-notch players that’s up. So, for that reason . . . they’re probably in a little awkward situation. But at the same time, the whole NFL is."

Ian Rapoport asks Bill Belichick about Josh McDaniels' sweatshirt style.

The Bill Belichick disciple was rockin’ his old coach’s dress code. Hey, if you learn football things from a guy, it makes sense you learn other stuff. Obviously, I needed to get to the bottom of this.

Today, I asked Belichick, Did you offer McDaniels fashion advice?

"Yeah, we spent a lot of time on that," he deadpanned, trying not to laugh.

I told him I noticed McDaniel’s sleeves were rolled, not cut.

"Yeah, he’s probably trying to make his own statement then," Belichick quipped, now laughing out loud.

Glad I asked...

TEAM TIDBITS

Erik Scalavino reports Belichick found a few positives in the team's loss to the Bengals the morning after.
Bill Belichick Press Conference from Sunday, Transcript plus 15 min. video.
Patriots released TE Tyson DeVree on Sunday.
Patriots Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. (38 min. video) Bob Kraft does right by the veterans of old.
Patriots Today: Pats-Bengals, HOF induction and more. (13.41 min. video)
Belichick Breakdown: Relive the 2008 season with this memorable Bill Belichick breakdown showcasing the New England Patriots game against the Miami Dolphins on November 23, 2008. (9.17 min. video)

LOCAL LINKS

Karen Guregian reports that Tom Brady was responsible for the big Bengals hit that blasted him, not Nick Kaczur. Just a miscommunication.
Chris Gasper notes Vince Wilfork is "pretty frustrated" with his contract situation.
Shalise Manza Young focuses on rookie DL Myron Pryor, earning praise from Belichick and still getting into game shape.
Jeff Howe reports Pats' Defensive Linemen are excited about the 4-3 and confident in their abilities.
Christopher Price elaborates on Randy Moss's role as mentor to the wide receivers and defensive backs.
Shalise Manza Young points out that QB Kevin O'Connell was ready when Brian Hoyer went down.
Julian Benbow says Terrence Wheatley is trying to become a sharper corner.
Mike Reiss has gathered lots of good info and insight on his blog as always. Check it out.
Karen Guregian Patriots Notebook: Moss praised by Belichick, teammates; Watson missed another practice with undisclosed injury; the TE battle; Wilfork on playing 4-3; Kaczur close to new deal; notable absences from practice.
Mike Reiss and Chris Gasper Patriots Notebook: Team comes to Kaczur about extension.
Jeff Howe notes Belichick says Brady's work ethic is "like Tiger Woods."
Ron Borges emerges from his cave to inform us that Brady hasn't looked right all summer, has psychological issues related to his knee, and avoided the media post-game because of it. Good thing Dr. Borges is on call.

NATIONAL NEWS

Tim Graham (ESPN) Three and Out: Patriots. Tom Brady's performance should be easing Patriot Nation's anxiety; Don't count Laurence Maroney out; Tedy Bruschi could have trouble making the team.
Matt Bowen (Nat'l Football Post) Weekend Notes: Attacking Brady.
Matt Bowen (Nat'l Football Post) Why the film doesn't lie: What Brady, Cutler and others put on tape this preseason.
Tim Graham (ESPN) Thoughts from Patriots-Bengals exhibition game.
Peter King (SI) MMQB: No lack of drama as season nears. Brady got hit too much against Bengals.
Matt Bowen (Nat'l Football Post) Do preseason games matter? There's a purpose to playing in August.

Patriots changes by position: Offensive Line

MaPatsFan — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:54:12 -0000

via www.boston.com

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Membership in "The Pig Pile" must require facial hair and biceps the size of a redwood. Don't let me forget tipping the scales at over 300 pounds. Yup, really big boys. Torn apart by a dominant Giants defense, they have been held accountable to some degree for the Super Bowl XLII loss. Not unwarranted, Brady was sacked five times. However, there's no place like the "Pig Pile" for tearing up a player and spitting him out, so I give them some leeway over what has been an incredibly long run without a break. Sure, there's five months between the end of the season and training camp, but after four or five years, injuries will take there toll, especially at a position of constant contact.

In 2008, Matt Cassel was sacked 47 times to Tom Brady's 21 in 2007. That, in my mind, was less an OL breakdown and more an inexperienced QB who needed time to develop a pocket sense. With a long stretch to rest and heal, our starters come back intact. This is a good thing. Matt Light, Logan Mankins, Dan Koppen, Stephen Neal, and Nick Kaczur comprise one of the best offensive lines in football. And with Brady under center, you can bet he'll be upright and launching. From a backup standpoint, Mark LeVoir, Dan Connolly, Russ Hochstein, Billy Yates, and Ryan O'Callaghan are all multi-year Patriots and have a great deal of experience in the system. Again, this is a very good thing. The only spot where we don't have a third option on the depth chart is left tackle, but it wouldn't be a stretch to move some of the other guys around to cover.

I'm very stoked about this year's offensive line. JohnHannahRules, PhD Pig Pile may have more to say and training camp will give us a plethora of information but for now, I see a lot of upside to the front five.

Poll

Is the offensive line ready to rock?

Yes

421 votes

No

45 votes

Too early to tell

140 votes

606 votes | Poll has closed

Around the AFC East, Week 3: New England Patriots

Brian Galliford — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:00:26 -0000

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

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At 11-5, the New England Patriots were the best non-playoff team in football last season, missing the playoffs only because of the resurgence of the Miami Dolphins, who also finished 11-5. Perhaps the biggest downfall to the Patriots' season - and it can certainly be argued that an aging defense and the absence of QB Tom Brady were factors - was the unsettled play of the offensive line.

Despite once again fielding one of the league's best rushing attacks and a relatively consistent scoring juggernaut behind Cassel, the Patriots' line struggled, giving up 47 sacks on the season, with a good portion of them coming in key AFC East matchups. Many thought that given the line's struggles, the team would look to address the position in the Draft.

That happened, but only in the form of project second-round pick OT Sebastian Vollmer, who likely will not be prepared for game action during the 2009 season. (It should also be noted that the Patriots were rumored to be high on OG Eric Wood entering draft weekend; Wood, of course, ended up in Buffalo.) That leaves Matt Light and Nick Kaczur left to man their usual positions; without a serious free agent addition, it's status quo up front for New England. Is that a worry for Pats fans? One guy is better suited to answer that than anyone else I know, and that's MaPatsFan from Pats Pulpit.

The offensive line was a bit of an issue in Foxboro last year, with Cassel getting sacked 47 times (not to mention being partially responsible for a certain knee injury). Yet the line wasn't addressed beyond drafting Vollmer, a project player that probably shouldn't see the field in '09. Does the line have a chance to improve? Are Light and Nick Kaczur in particular capable of handling the edge?

MaPatsFan: I don't mean this to sound arrogant, but part of the reason the offensive line was struggling in 2008 was the success the Patriots have had over the last several years, particularly 2007. In the last eight seasons, the Patriots have played into January six times and four out of six of those stints went into February. It is my opinion that 2007 was such a difficult run from a player perspective, that it was the straw that broke the camel's back. Going into 2008 off-season practices, many of the OL starters were so banged up that they didn't see the practice field until late July or early August. Another reason for the increased number of sacks was Cassel's inexperience. I remember early in 2008, Cassel going sideways instead of moving up in the pocket. When he went sideways, he became a target for pass rushers. Later in the season, he developed a better pocket presence and worked the pocket better.

As you correctly surmise, Vollmer is a project and will see very little time; he's got a lot of guys in front of him before he gets on the field. As far as the starters and backups, 11 out of 13 have contracts coming due at the end of the 2009. The pessimist in me is nervous with the much potential change looming overhead. The optimist in me thinks those 11 will be playing for contracts, be they with the Patriots or another team. I think they do their very best to play as good as possible in order to maximize their earning potential come negotiation time.

Regarding Light and Kaczur, the latter is playing for a contract and both have had significant rest coming into this season. Whether or not that's a positive factor in there performance remains to be seen, but I'm of the opinion it can't hurt and I look for them to have a pretty good year keeping Brady upright.

***

I think it's fair to lay most of the line's struggles on Cassel, who struggled a bit early on and clearly had to learn a few things on the fly. But I'm not sure if I can swallow the idea that several seasons of success would lead to reduced play from your big men. No matter which way you cut it, the Pats still had over five months of vacation from their Super Bowl loss to the Giants until training camp last season. That's a significant amount of rest, no matter how banged up you are.

It's not as if this is some nightmare scenario for the Pats. All five of their guys have experience blocking for Tom Brady - a quarterback that could make five tackling dummies look like Pro Bowl offensive linemen. The line is gelled, and they're ready to roll. But the poor 2008 season, coupled with the large number of impending free agents and Brady's iffy knee, made the decision to bring in just one project player up front a strange one. But who am I to question the roster-building of the New England Patriots? They'll find a way to make it work.

One more AFC East topic coming your way as we talk Jets running backs.