SB Nation - Laurence Maroney

Recap Week Fifteen: Colts 35 - Jaguars 31

BigBlueShoe — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:36:49 -0000

2 days ago: Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne catches the go-ahead touchdown pass in the fourth quarter during an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phil Coale)

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After a while, the numbers start getting scary.

When you see them placed before you, in black and white with pretty charts to bracket their authenticity, you cannot help but stare at them as if they were an alien language unearthed somewhere in the Gobi desert by wandering nomads. They seem too fantastical, too unrealistic. Yet, they are reality. They are happening.

When the dust settled on the Indianapolis Colts 35-31 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, the numbers from the game, and the accomplishments for certain individuals and the team, began to crystallize.

Only three team in NFL history have started a regular season 14-0: The 1972 Miami Dolphins (undefeated, won Super Bowl), the 2007 New England Patriots (undefeated regular season, lost Super Bowl), and now our Indianapolis Colts.
The win was Indy's 23rd straight win in the regular season.
It was the 7th fourth quarter comeback win of the year, also an NFL record.

And when you start looking at how the game, and the individual accomplishments in that game (Dallas Clark having the best season of any TE in NFL history, Reggie Wayne passing Raymond Berry for #2 all-time in Colts receiving, etc.), the numbers truly ring home just how special and talented this group of Colts really are.

But more impressive than the numbers and the stats was the drive, the passion, and the determination to win a game which, quite frankly, "meant nothing." All week long, we had wondered who was going to play, and for how long. Would Peyton Manning sit after a few series, or a quarter? By halftime, Manning was 12-12 with two TDs and the Colts up 21-17 on the road against the desperate and determined Jaguars team.

Though "meaningless," the Colts certainly did not play and coach this game as if they were simply looking to rest. The fought to win; truly win. And win they did. And after Jacob Lacey put the finishing touches on another brilliant come-from-behind victory, the win provided yet another bold claim for Peyton Manning to win his NFL record 4th MVP award.

(AP Photo/Phil Coale)

Before we start jumping into all the wonderful positives that came out of this game, let's get some of the concerns out of the way. First off, concern-trolling, or hand wringing, about the defense at this point is silly. For fourteen friggin weeks, we've seen them play like a top 5 group. One game should not offer cause for concern, especially when you consider that this game was played only four days after the defense had one of it most physical challenges in ages against the Denver Broncos. The D was hurt, tired, and playing against a tough, physical opponent whose game plan was to take advantage of the Colts fatigue. Factor in that Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis only played on passing downs, and that Indy was without Jerraud Powers, and the performance through the first three quarters was not all that surprising.

Also, consider that in quarter four, the Jaguars were shut down and shut out by this fatigued defense, and that Maurice Jones-Drew was virtually a non-factor in the final quarter when his team needed big plays to win the game.

Then, there were the field conditions. Last night, they were in piss poor shape. Colts announcers Bob Lamey and Will Wolford commented on the conditions all evening, saying how how patches of field were getting ripped up all over the place. Players slipped and fell all game long. The field contributed to Pat McAfee's "meh" punts and kick-offs, and likely contributed to both teams doing a sub par job covering on special teams (with the Jaguars looking much worse than the Colts).

So, while some might moan and complain that the 31 points will hurt Indy's defensive scoring average, or others might fret that this game "exposed" the Colts defense, my response is to calm down, stop being such a stats loser, and look at the game with the proper perspective. This was a game of attrition. The opponent wanted to wear the Colts down, and beat them senseless in the fourth quarter. They failed, and a big reason why they failed is the Colts defense.

(AP Photo/Phil Coale)

Last night's game saw several players step up and deliver in the clutch, something the Colts have seemingly re-written the history books doing this year. Much maligned by Colts fans this season, the game was a bit of a coming out party for Colts strongside linebacker Philip Wheeler. Wheeler was handed the starting job during OTAs, but after pre-season he was benched due to ineffective play in favor of Tyjuan Hagler. Several weeks ago, Hagler was placed on IR with a torn biceps muscle and Wheeler, one again, was the starter. While we have definitely seen flashes of improved play (like the forced fumble on the goal line again Laurence Maroney and the Patriots) overall Wheeler's play has been sub-standard.

That was, until his 11 tackle effort last night, with several of those tackles key plays to stop human-wrecking-ball-Jones-Drew.

There was also Eric Foster, who played at both DE and DT last night. Foster notched two absolutely HUGE sacks in the game, with one causing a Garrard fumble on the Jaguars opening drive that should have been recovered by Gary Brackett. It wasn't, and the Jags kicked a 50-yard FG. Foster earned his second sack with 3:03 left in the 4th quarter, ending a Jaguars drive as they tried to reclaim the lead following Peyton Manning's 65 yard TD bomb to Reggie Wayne, which ended up being the game-winner.

(AP Photo/Phil Coale)

Speaking of Manning, this game, just like last year's contest in late December (almost to the day) against the Jaguars, might have locked up another MVP award for the best QB in the NFL. Other than Dallas Clark bobbling a sure first down that hit him square in the hands (with the deflection getting picked off by Daryl Smith), Manning was virtually flawless. For the second game in a row, he threw 4 TDs. His 134.4 QB rating in the game, against a playoff-caliber team on the road, is the kind of performance that locks up MVP awards. All the voters watched that game, and if they did not come away impressed they should have their voting rights stripped from them while a midget kicks them repeatedly in the nuts.

Unless Drew Brees looks equally impressive this Saturday (at home, not on the road like Manning) against the Cowboys, Manning likely has gained enough support to win his NFL record 4th MVP award.

Overall, I cannot shower enough praise on Colts coach Jim Caldwell, who managed this game exceedingly well. Freeney and Mathis are nursing injuries, and you have to think that if Tony Dungy were still coaching that both players would not have played. Caldwell placed the two stud pass rushers on a "pitch count," using them only on passing downs and in the fourth quarter. The result was David Garrard playing rather poorly.

Yes folks. He played poorly overall.

When you average 5.6 yard a completion, and 4.9 yard per passing attempt (as Garrard did), that is indeed playing poorly. 40 attempts and only 223 yards is pretty "ugh." Garrard also had a near disastrous fumble and he threw three INTs. The game was close because the fumble was not recovered by the Colts and two of Garrard's three INTs were dropped by Antoine Bethea and Kelvin Hayden. As many of you know, I'm not a Garrard hater or anything. I personally think he is a fine QB. But last night, he got lucky on several key plays. His luck ran out in the fourth quarter, where Garrard was simply pitiful. He had three chances to help his team score and possibly retake the lead, but instead was forced to punt once, took a key sack on the next drive, and on the final drive threw an INT to Lacey at the Colts 33 yard line.

To Garrard's credit, he is indeed a tough guy. He took a vicious hit from Eric Foster late in the game, and it seemed that for a couple of series, Garrard might have thought his name was "Batman." However, he didn't leave the game and didn't call a timeout to deal with the injury. Again, serious tough guy. Major props.

When all is said and done, you have to tip your hat to the Jags. We joked this year that they were "dumpster fires," but last night they played all out, guns blazing. They had fire, sans dumpster. They played the way a team desperate for a playoff spot should play. Special thanks to the Jaguars fan community at Big Cat Country for a fine week of blogging.

With the Colts 14-0 for the first time in franchise history, the discussion now will shift to "going for perfection." Myself and several of our writers here will pontificate on this subject for the next few days, and I'm sure many of you readers out there have your own strong opinions one way or the other. But, for me, after watching last night's contest, and seeing how this team has played all season long, my opinion now has changed somewhat.

The games "mean something" now, and I think the Colts should not rest any starters for Weeks Sixteen and Seventeen. This is a special group, and the deserve have the best players out there for four quarters these next two games.

Go Colts!

Matching up against the Bills - the Patriots take on another divisional opponent

MaPatsFan — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:04:03 -0000

More photos » by Stephan Savoia - AP

3 months ago: New England Patriots tight end Benjamin Watson (84) is congratulated by teammate Stephen Neal after scoring the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter during an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Monday, Sept. 14, 2009, in Foxborough, Mass. The Patriots beat the Bills 25-24. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

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I love this picture of TE Benjamin Watson. In the pre-season, it was widely rumored that he was in the fight of his life for a job. Nicknamed "Stone Hands" and the potential victim of a team relegating TE's to blocking duties, it didn't look good for Mr. Watson. Then, things changed in our throwback opener against the Bills on Monday Night Football.

Full of controversy about "The Brady Rule", we were behind with a little over 2 minutes left in the 4th quarter. Tom Brady found TE Benjamin Watson who, in that moment, got rid of his "Stone Hands" monicker. The Bills fans in front of me at the game got very quiet. As we kicked off the Buffalo, Patriots fans were hoping for a miracle. And we got one. Leodis McKelvin, pulling down a Stephen Gostkowski boot into the end zone, decided to run the ball out instead of taking a knee for a touchback. As our special teams had practiced time and time again, McKelvin was stood up and the ball stripped from him in Bills territory. The Bills fans around me were now holding their heads. They knew that giving the Patriots the ball that close was not good. They were right. Brady hit Watson for another fantastic catch to win the game 25-24. What an opener for our Patriots and a disappointment for Buffalo. We've been on the other end of one of those this season (Indy anyone), so we're familiar with the feeling.

This has gone by fast, hasn't it? Suddenly we're 3 regular season games away from the end of the season and our Patriots, like last year, are in a race for the division crown. Unlike last year, we have a 1 game lead over the ever dangerous Miami Dolphins. If we win out, we're most certainly in the playoffs. If we don't, our destiny is not in our hands and we're at the mercy of a Dolphins opponent.

That's why this game is so important. That's why we need to take this one to the bank. That's why we can't lose focus. Playing on the road has been tough for us and this one just happens to be at Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of a division rival. Have I mentioned this game is important? All division games are, but a win keeps us ahead of the rivals from FL.

The Buffalo Bills have seen some transition this season. With the firing of Head Coach Dick Jauron, the team has made it clear they want change. And while Trent Edwards nurses an injury, backup Ryan Fitzpatrick has garnered a respectable 4-4 up to this point with the most recent beating of Matt Cassel's Chiefs in a close 16-10 matchup. The brutal ground game of Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson is something for Hoodie to keep track of. Lookout.

For me, the keys to winning this game lie not with shutting down Fitzpatrick. He's not burning up the field with his aerial assault; I feel like our somewhat struggling defensive backfield will do ok against him. No, the key to winning this game is run defense. Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson are, individually, workhorse backs that can carry a running game which is something we've never had. But put them together and they can make up for the lack of an aerial assault to the tune of 216 yards between them against Kansas City. What? Yeah, 216 yards. Can you say 4-3? I knew you could.

Looking at the stats, we're about middle of the road in run defense, so this worries me. Buffalo is middle of the road for run offense, but the Lynch/Jackson duo worries me. I'm sure that's where Buffalo will attempt to gash our defense. Once we've been lulled into worrying about that, There's always Terrell Owens. For all the crap we heap on Owens, the locker room cancer, etc... he's a threat every time he suits up.

On the other side of the ball, Buffalo is 5th in passing defense while New England is 2nd in both total offense and passing offense. This is where the battle might take place. Or one may think. We're 14th in rushing offense, but Buffalo is dead last in rushing defense. Laurence Maroney seems to be having some success of late. He's finally learned to put his shoulder down and slice through those thin holes. He's also learned the difference between patience and dancing, waiting for blocks to develop. This is where I think the Patriots will concentrate.

It's no secret the Patriots are an aerial team. But with a suspect Buffalo run defense and a very strong pair of Bills running backs, I think both teams will keep to the ground more often than not. Either way, we need this one.

Bills Fantasy Friday: Week 15 Start 'Em/Sit 'Em

Kurupt — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:00:25 -0000

More photos » by Ed Zurga - AP

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By now, pretty much every fantasy league should be in their playoffs. If not, what kind of league are you in?! For those of you lucky (or savvy) enough to still be fighting for your league's championship, congratulations.

The Buffalo Bills host the New England Patriots this Sunday in a matchup with decent fantasy implications - even for the Bills. Buffalo looks to finally knock the Patriots off, while Tom Brady and company are looking to better their playoff and division title chances with a road victory. Besides Brady, who might be worth a start in this do-or-die fantasy week? Let's find out.

Quarterbacks
Tom Brady - I think it's pretty obvious that if you own Brady, you start him. Despite having a "down" year from what many may have expected, he still has over 3800 yards and 23 touchdown passes thus far. And in case you forgot, he's owned the Bills throughout his career (240 yards per game, 2.1 touchdowns per game, 102.6 QB rating, 14-1 record). Start him with confidence, especially in this must win for the Patriots. Verdict: Start 'Em

Ryan Fitzpatrick - The typical Ryan Fitzpatrick games have returned as he's thrown for 184 yards the past two games....combined. Don't expect those numbers to improve greatly this week, even against a very susceptible Patriots' pass defense that's giving up 211 yards per game and has allowed 22 touchdown passes on the season. They've allowed over 300 yards passing in four of their last five road games. The opportunities will be there, but with Fitzpatrick as the quarterback, those will likely be wasted opportunities like so many other chances the Bills have had. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Running Backs
Laurence Maroney - Maroney has seen a bit of a rebirth this season, as he's been able to remain healthy and on the field for the entirety thus far. SInce taking over as the main rusher in the Patriots attack, he's put up 555 yards rushing and 8 touchdowns in 8 games. Those are solid numbers for a flex back, especially one who was mostly forgotten on draft day. With the Bills run defense still atrocious, Maroney will definitely have his chances to put up a monster game. Expect a short yardage touchdown and 75-100 yards at the very least. Verdict: Start 'Em

Sammy Morris - The former Bills has returned to the field recently after battling a knee injury. He's averaged roughly 7 touches per game in this three games since returning, but hasn't really had much of an impact. With Bill Belichick, you never know if Morris will assume the majority of the touches, but at this point, it's hard to believe he'll be anything more than a secondary option in the Patriots ground game. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Fred Jackson - Jackson continues to start and get the higher percentage of the rushes. I think that will continue. Jackson has been very successful against the Patriots recently putting up 276 total rushing and receiving yards and a touchdown in the past two match-ups between the teams. With Marshawn Lynch starting to come on, don't expect Jackson to get the type of work needed to reaches those numbers again, but he could be in line for a pretty solid fantasy day. I expect him to be a big factor in the passing game and he seems to be the goal line back at this point. I'd take a chance and go with him as a flex this week. Verdict: Start 'Em as a flex only

Marshawn Lynch - Lynch is starting to run a lot better recently, picking up 144 yards on 18 rushes over the past two games. With an offensive line that is beginning to run block a little better, Lynch is starting to benefit. However, he's still only averaged 8 rushes per game over his last six games. Don't expect a big game out of him, but he could have a solid game all around. He's not worth starting in fantasy though. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Wide Receivers
Wes Welker - Welker has been fantasy gold this year, in normal formats and especially in PPR leagues. He leads the league in receptions with a whopping 105 thus far, and his currently second in the NFL with 1,158 yards. Taking out the season finale last year where nobody could throw the ball in the wind, Welker has 34 receptions for 347 yards in four games against the Bills since joining the Patriots. Amazingly, he hasn't found the endzone. Don't worry about that though. Welker will be his usual self catching a ton of passes and moving the chains. Start him with a ton of confidence. Verdict: Start 'Em

Randy Moss - A lot has been said about Moss the past week, and whether or not he quit against the Panthers. I don't believe he did, but then again, I didn't see a whole lot of that game. One thing I do know, Moss, Brady and Belichick will be hellbent on getting this guy going again. I fully expect them to go to Moss early and often. He's dominated the Bills during his Patriots career. Again taking out the Wind Bowl game, Moss has 32 receptions for 437 yards and 6 touchdowns in four games. I fully expect Moss to have a big game this week, especially if Reggie Corner is involved at all. He'll get his. Verdict: Start 'Em

Terrell Owens - Owens scored last week, but again had a down game. He's put up good numbers against teams that reside in Florida this season, but has struggled in pretty much every other game. In the first match-up, Owens had just 2 receptions and was effectively taken out of the game. The Patriots will try to do that again and it's hard to believe they won't succeed. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Lee Evans - If ever there is a team to definitely bench Evans against, it's the Patriots. He's struggled mightily against them during his career and those struggles should continue. Evans has been a non-factor for much of the season. God bless you if you are actually contemplating starting him this week, or ever again! Verdict: Sit 'Em

Tight Ends
Benjamin Watson - (Who goes by Benjamin?) Watson pretty much destroyed the Bills in the 4th quarter of the first match-up and ending up scoring the two touchdowns to give the Patriots the lead for good. He's been a bit player in the Patriots passing attack since that night, which is a surprise to no one. Stick with whatever has gotten you to this point. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Shawn Nelson - No way. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Kickers
Stephen Gostkowski - Gostkowski is 5th in the NFL with 106 points and 6th with 23 field goals made. He's one of the few kickers that you should keep in your lineup each week. Verdict: Start 'Em

Rian Lindell - Surprisingly enough, Lindell is actually tied with Gostkowski with those 23 field goals made. Still, you really can't rely on him to get his chances from week to week. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Defense/Special Teams
New England D/ST - With Fitzpatrick and the cringe-inducing Bills offense as the opponent, there will be ample opportunities to pick up sacks and pick off some errant throws. They've been a solid fantasy unit this season, so you shouldn't really be concerned that they haven't done it this year. As is usually the case with fantasy defenses, you can pick up good chunks of points week to week based on matchups. I think this is one of those weeks. Verdict: Start 'Em

Buffalo D/ST - The pass defense has been opportunistic this season, but it's still hard to imagine them shutting down the Patriots this week. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Sleepers
None - If you're still playing in your league at this point, you really aren't looking for any sleepers to get you some cheap points. Plus, I don't think there's any in this game as it is.

*******

Let's just hope the Bills put up a fight and keep the game within striking distance. The Patriots will likely be coming in hungry and ready to smack the Bills around. I just hope the Bills are ready to smack back! Good luck in your fantasy playoffs this week, and Go Buffalo!

Game Recap: Patriots defeat Panthers, 20-10 and find new identity

MaPatsFan — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:57:10 -0000

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

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"We knew he was going to shut it down," Panthers cornerback Chris Gamble told me after the game. "That's what we wanted to do him. That's what we did. ... He'd just give up a lot ... Slow down, he's not going deep, not trying to run a route. You can tell, his body language." Gamble continued ... "I know everyone who plays against him, they can sense that. Once you get into him in the beginning of the game, he shuts it down a little bit."

Uhmm... Didn't Chris Gamble's team, like, LOSE?!? These are very tall words from a guy who contributed yet another L to his team's record. When he's watching the Patriots in January, maybe he can take solace in Randy Moss' bad day against the Panthers. Yeah, that's the ticket. Until then...SHUT.YOUR.PIE.HOLE!! My personal opinion? Moss doesn't dog it so much as change his speed and rhythm to throw DB's off. Did he have a rough day against the Panthers? Yep. How about Miami? Sure. But when you're the ONLY deep ball threat on a team, the opposition comes gunning for you. That's a lot of weight to carry on your shoulders. Doggin' it? Please...

It was an ugly win but a win none the less. Would I have preferred stellar, blowout, 2007-type play? You betcha. Would I have loved to see Moss connecting with Wonderboy on a long bomb or two? Sure. Is it going to happen this year? I don't think it will. So what do we have? What's going on that leads us to a glimmer of hope for the current incarnation of the New England Patriots?

I wrote at the beginning of training camp that I was so tired of all the hoopla surrounding Tom Brady's return. I was so sick of the ESPN/SI/Whatever... lovefest that I wanted to vomit. Every rival blogger I corresponded with would ask me what I thought and my catch phrase was, "Cautiously optimistic." The media billed the return of Tom Brady as the Return of the King (my guess is the Hobbits were named Wes and Julian, but I digress). Bleh. In reality, this is a team that for the first 2/3 of the season struggled to be a 2007 incarnation of itself. The difference? There were many, but I'll give you 2: Jabbar Gaffney and Donte Stallworth.

Neither of them is a stellar receiver, but they were lethal as #3 and #4 guys. Put Moss, Welker, Gaffney, and Stallworth on the field and you likely witnessed grown men on the opposition soiling themselves. Technically, it's called "spreading the field". I called it a freakin' JSF aerial assault. The biggest threat today? Well, other than Wes Welker, who's making a case for the best wide receiver of 2009, you have ~~special teamer~~ Sam Aiken and rookie Julian "Broken Forearm" Edelman. Hmm... What could be wrong, what could be wrong?

I had every intention of writing a full fledged game recap with stats and play-by-play analysis and things and stuff, but my ADHD brain got in the way (did you know the third of an Aminor is a C?). Where was I... Recap, things, stuff... Oh Yeah! This is a team that has struggled all year to find its identity. The absolute "broadside of a barn" misses with Greg Lewis and Joey Galloway cost us dearly. The loss of veteran RB Fred Taylor cost us dearly. Playcalling lost its creativity. I truly felt like this team was a ship without a rudder. Until this past Sunday, that is. No, I'm not delusional enough think the ship has been righted, but I do think they're beginning to find their way. Why? Read on, my captivated friends.

For most of the season, we have complained this team can't finish a game. They wrack up a crapload of points in the first half and then fizzle out in the second. We've seen it time and time again in big games against the Colts and Dolphins, to name a few. And it was true. Our New England Patriots seemed to have ZERO staying power. This past Sunday, however, I saw something that gave me hope. It was a running game. Bill Belichick has finally realized that his passing attack is not what it used to be, that Tom Brady bombs to Randy Moss are not going to work. So he put Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris, and Kevin Faulk to work. They ate turf, they fought, they grinded to the tune of 187 yards and 1 TD. Finally, coach Belichick didn't abandon the running game. Oh, and did I mention TE Benjamin Watson scored the other TD? I have been whining that Brady needs to find Watson more often and gets the ball to him for 6. Coach? Call me anytime. Keep it coming, would be my advice.

Only time will tell, but I think they're finally finding their identity. They're abandoning 2007 and facing the cold, hard reality of what they have to work with. Let's hear it for the 2009 Patriots!!!

Quick Recap: Patriots defeat Panthers, 20-10

MaPatsFan — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:09:18 -0000

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

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A W is a W, however ugly it is. Randy Moss was essentially non-existant with drops more often than not. Maybe we can count him as productive as a blocker or decoy - who knows. All I know is Wes Welker is an absolute rock star. 10 receptions for 105 yards puts him over 100 receptions for the year...and he missed 2 games this season.

Offensively, I was happy to see us mix the run and the pass. Laurence Maroney with 94 yards and Kevin Faulk with 58 simply chewed up the clock and kept Carolina off balance. Defensively, things look a bit better. The defensive backfield had some nice blocked passes.

This game, overall, was too close. We needed some key Carolina penalties to keep the game going. Against a team with better fundamentals, it would've been a different story.

Panther Paw Prints: Friday Edition

Jaxon — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:22:21 -0000

More photos » by Steven Senne - AP

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We've got a full basket of warm and fluffy Paw Prints today Panther fans. Let's get started.

I've spent a little time over on the SBN patriots site Pats Pulpit and must admit I'm finding the Patriots 'Late-Gate' controversy both amusing and a bit of deja vue: :

Late-Gate: Adalius Thomas Sounds Off; Personifies Why Guaranteed Contracts are a Bad Idea - Pats Pulpit
Adalius Thomas was the first of the infamous four late Patriots to talk to the media about yesterday's disciplinary measure taken by the head coach. He was clearly agitated by it and professed to be "dumbfounded" at the heavy consequence of being nine minutes late on a snowy New England morning. As he said separately to Albert Breer, "I mean, I could've been in a ditch. They really don't give a damn. Hey, as long as you aren't in that meeting, they really don't give a (bleep)."

Does anyone else see similarity in Thomas comments and those of Kris Jenkins a couple years back? We might have some disgruntled and therefore distracted players opposite us on Sunday. We need whatever advantage we can get, no matter how slight. Steve Smith tries to weigh in on it but his internal muzzle keeps it bland:

Panthers' Fox, Smith weigh in; other Pats notes
"It depends on the state of the team," Smith said. "If it’s a team that maybe hasn’t done as well as they think they should have, and you kind of do something a little outrageous, and they say, 'Oh, that’s what sparked it, and that was great.' And then if it goes the opposite direction, you have people that are going to say it wasn’t very good. I think it really just depends on the outcome."

Pictured: Patriots WR Wes Welker practices picking himself up off the turf in preparation for a visit from the Panthers!

So how spoiled are Patriots fans? They have the #2 offense in the NFL for Yards per game yet you still see headlines like this:

Patriots Offense Still Searching for Answers Through 12 Games - New England Patriots - NESN.com
The most logical place to look is the sideline. Quarterbacks coach Bill O'Brien is calling the offensive plays, and he seems to be suffering to find a rhythm in his first year with that responsibility. It's a transition year for the Patriots in that sense, as Josh McDaniels held that job from 2006-08 before departing last offseason to become Denver's head coach.

If Jeff Davidson could only crack the top 10 we would be ecstatic. So would Steve Smith, who is doing his best to keep from voicing his opinion about the Panthers offense:

Darin Gantt's Panthers Blog | The Herald - Rock Hill, SC
"It’s not too hard for me to say we are a running team first. That’s what we try to be. That’s what we are. We have two good running backs — three, four good running backs — and that’s what we do. But at the end of the day, run first or whatever you want to do, when we really need a big play downfield, in a hurry, they have to go to 89. So I don’t worry about it too much. I just keep coming back for some reason."

I imagine it has something to do with the dollar bills. Speaking of dollar bills, DE Tyler Brayton has been worth every dollar bill thrown his way. Did anyone really expect him to lead the d-line in tackles this season?

Brayton's found a quieter home with the Panthers | The Herald - Rock Hill, SC
"I would love to stay here," he said. "I think my heart would be broken if they didn't want me to come back or if whatever happened. I know this is still a business. I completely understand that. I feel like I have a lot of unfinished business here. I feel like God wants me to be here. "I just feel strongly about the men who are in this locker room, the men who are leading us on the field. I just feel like there's a lot of unfinished business left here for myself."

I couldn't agree more Tyler, there is some serious unfinished business in Charlotte. DT Maake Kemeatu says he will be 100% come training camp next year [must resist urge to joke about making it through one practice]

ProFootballWeekly.com - Panthers DT Kemoeatu says he will be 100 percent by training camp
Taking this year off has put another 3-5 years on my career," he said. "... Most football players, they take a couple months off or some just a couple of weeks (when they get hurt), and they're back at it again. Their body never gets to fully recover." Kemoeatu's contract has a provision in it that will make him a free agent after the 2010 season if his $9.3 million option bonus for 2010 is declined in March. It's expected that the team will decline that option, but could it decide to part ways with Kemoeatu this offseason instead? "Could they (cut him)? Might they? Yeah, anybody might," said Vierra. "It's a 30-year-old guy with a torn Achilles. Is it a concern? Anybody would be dishonest if they said it's not some concern. Will he play again? I'm not concerned about that. I know he'll play again."

How much again? $9.3M! I'm guessing an extension will be in the offing that kicks some of that money down the road. Unlike 2009 the Panthers will have a ton of options at DT come 2010.

I distinctly remember remarking last season how lucky we were to have the same defensive starters for the first 14 games. This 2009 season shows why we were 'lucky'. We will start our 13th straight different line-up on D versus the Patriots.

Despite massive shuffling, defense has persevered for Panthers | The Herald - Rock Hill, SC
"You've got to keep rolling and just have guys come in and catch up with the system," Lewis said. "That's the only way you can do it. You can't alter your playbook for certain offenses just because you may be short a guy here and a guy there. You need to get those guys caught up to speed and try to get them on the level with everybody else."

I want to say new DL coach Brian Baker has done a good job with his adjustments but I'm just not convinced yet.

What I will say is that if the Patriots run the ball more than they pass it Sunday, at least in the first half, then the Panthers have a shot.

Focus on Carolina: Panthers @ Patriots - Pats Pulpit
Bill, if you're listening, DO NOT ABANDON THE RUN GAME. Pound the rock and pound it hard. Send Laurence Maroney in as point and keep the ball on the ground. Carolina has a very good passing D and it simply doesn't make sense to try and exploit something that may give us trouble, especially when it hasn't been one of our strong suits of late.

In this scenario the Panthers should be able to keep the game close and hope that just a couple big plays will squeak out a victory.

Oh, and if you haven't already done it check out the Blogger Q&A link over on the Pulpit. Q&A threads are usually interesting and this one is no exception. I'll give you a hint, they are not happy sitting at 7-5.

Bill Belichick - Smart Move There Guy

PSTIM1 — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:59:28 -0000

More photos » by Stew Milne - AP

Bill Belichick would probably be more interested in having a voluntary colonoscopy than speaking with the media.

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The Patriots are in the heart of a playoff push, they need to be totally focused on making the post-season. At this point the last thing they need is distractions. That's why Bill Belichick's decision to send home Randy Moss and Adalius Thomas (and two other dudes) for being late to a team meeting is all the more dumbfounding. First of all he's pissed off two of his best player's, undoubtedly created tension in the locker room, and created a national story that the media will be all over. Seeing is Bill looks about as comfortable as a priest who accidentally brought his kids to a 2 Live Crew concert during press conferences you would think he'd do anything to avoid anything that brought on any type of media attention. We at Project Franchise think Bill is a great x's and o's guy but we now think that he might be one of those Rain Main type of retarded genius' who just knows football and doesn't really have the ability to grasp concepts that aren't related to the field of play - he surely has no clue how to dress. We can say that if our star player's were late because they were trapped in a snow storm we would dispatch our personnel to greet them at their car's with hot chocolate and blankets...Do you agree with Bill? Are we being too lax? Are you a "rule's are the rule's" person or are you a "best interest of the team" person?

Poll

Bill Belichick Sending His Stud Player's Home Was...?

Focus on Carolina: Panthers @ Patriots

MaPatsFan — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 03:31:31 -0000

More photos » by Steven Senne - AP

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Bill Belichick is aggravated. After a dismantling in the Big Easy and dropping a squeaker in Miami, he's miffed, PO'd, in a bad mood, grumpy... you name it. None of it's good, especially for the players. Like I've discussed before, Bill Belichick didn't suddenly have a brain fart and forget how to coach. As some of you have posited, it's possible there's some coaching issues with the OC position and Bill might be taking on too much, but I think we have a talent issue here. Looking specifically at our defense, they're young and lack the experience to keep points off the board, especially in the second half. The offense? They're simply not scoring enough points. That and some blown 4th and whatevers, but we've beaten that to death.

Moving on to the Panthers...

Belichick's peaved, so peaved he sent four players home. He's upping the ante and making sure players are listening. This is it right here, I tell you what. We need to win out to prevent Miami from crawling all over us:

Here's where the issue is -- The Patriots have four games left. If the Dolphins run the table, and it's not outrageous to think they could, then New England can't afford to lose another game. Because then, Miami will hold tiebreakers, as it did last year, and repeat as division champs.

We can't let that happen, which is why it's is so important to set a tone after 2 losses on the road. This Sunday at 1pm ET, we face off against another NFC South team, the Carolina Panthers. We know our AFC rivals far better than those from the NFC. Matching up every 4 years, it's hard to get a handle on the Panthers as a rival.

Looking at their last game against the Bucs, Matt Moore struggled to establish an air game against a decent Buccaneers passing defense, going 14/20 and 161 yards, no TD's and one pick. Rookie RB Jonathan Stewart picked up a significant number of yards, 120 and a TD, against a bottom-of-the-barrel Tampa Bay run defense. Looking at Carolina, they're 6th in pass defense and 26th in run defense. What does that say?

Bill, if you're listening, DO NOT ABANDON THE RUN GAME. Pound the rock and pound it hard. Send Laurence Maroney in as point and keep the ball on the ground. Carolina has a very good passing D and it simply doesn't make sense to try and exploit something that may give us trouble, especially when it hasn't been one of our strong suits of late.

There'll be more to come. For now, let's start learning a bit about this team. Look for more info in the coming days and make sure to use the Q & A FanPost our fine rival blogger has setup.

New England Patriots Links 12/08/09 - Put Up or Shut Up Time For '09 Patriots

Marima — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:57:26 -0000

LoMo tells it like it is.

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Laurence Maroney says the Pats are trying to hold onto their one-game AFC East division lead by zeroing in on what they can control.

"We need to stop living in the past," Maroney said. "We ain’t the ’07 team, we ain’t the ’03 team, we ain’t the ’01 team. We’re the ’09 team. We got to play with what we have here and make a name for ourselves and stop living like, ‘Oh, we’re the championship-caliber team.’ Just focus on what we can do now."

"A lot of the players who were on those (championship) teams are not here," Maroney said. "We have to really make a name for ourselves as being the ’09 team."

Bill Belichick elaborates on the missed opportunities in Sunday's loss.

It's such a varied set of plays and situations; I don't know how you could bring it down to one thing. We had opportunities offensively to put the game away and score more. We had opportunities defensively to close it out. We had opportunities to help ourselves in the kicking game and field position, and we didn't take advantage of them. And you can look at other games and find similar opportunities. In the Denver game, we had opportunities at the end of the game offensively. We had opportunities in the overtime defensively to get off the field and get the ball back. We had opportunities to close out the game at Indianapolis. We had opportunities to stop them. And we've won games when we've done that, too.

I don't see it as one particular thing. Ultimately, it comes down to playing your best football at critical times in the game and yesterday was an example where we weren't able to do that.

TEAM TALK

Erik Scalavino says the Patriots are at a loss to explain the losses; Monday news and notes from Gillette.
Monday Presser: Bill Belichick (15 min. video) Plus Transcript.
WEEI Patriots Monday: Tom Brady (24:10), Sammy Morris (16:30), Chris Baker (9:10), Bill "name, rank & serial number" Belichick (36:45).
Patriots Today: Patriots fall short in Miami. (10:50 min. video)

LOCAL LINKS

Robert Lee notes the Patriots are haunted by missed opportunities in Miami.
Christopher Price reports New England is tied for 28th in the league with 20 sacks. Belichick says it's not solely the pass rush at fault. Pressure on the QB and good coverage go hand in hand, and when you fall short in one department, chances are good that the other areas will suffer.
Karen Guregian speculates on what or who Brady meant when he said, "Sometimes I don’t think we fight very hard."
Mike Reiss feels this once-proud team lacks the killer instinct.
Robert Lee writes the Patriots dynasty is falling, one loss at a time.
Karen Guregian wonders if the injury to Brady's ring finger might be to blame for some of his inconsistent throws.
Mike Reiss analyzes the Patriots' struggles in the red zone.
Mike Reiss looks at snaps played by Patriots defenders in the team’s 22-21 loss to the Dolphins, and analyzes the trends.
Ian Rapoport notes Belichick will likely still continue to go for it on 4th down.
Mike Reiss describes the quiet Patriots locker room Monday morning after the loss.
Michael Hurley says the Patriots just aren't playing smart football.
Joe Zarbano says Laurence Maroney has the right attitude.
Boston Herald Patriots Notebook: Darius Butler knows the Dolphins picked on him, received support from veteran CB Shawn Springs and vows to get better; Patriots have fallen in the kick return department in the last few weeks; Brady sidesteps question about the offense's inconsistency under first year play-caller Bill O'Brien.
Ron Borges grades the Patriots in his week 13 Report Card.
Steve DeOssie grades the Patriots in his weekly Report Card.

NATIONAL NEWS

Tedy Bruschi (ESPNBoston) Five observations on the Patriots loss to the Dolphins. How will this Patriots team respond to adversity?
Judy Battista (NY Times) Patriots' decline begins on defense.
Tim Graham (ESPN) Jets atop NFL's defensive mountain.
Tim Graham (ESPN) Rob Parker and Skip Bayless debate, "Are the Patriots done?" (3:30 min. video) Parker says emphatically yes (they'll lose to Buffalo and Houston); Bayless says no (they still have enough talent, brains and pride.)
Don Banks (SI) Snap Judgments: Pittsburgh Steelers in trouble; AFC East race tightens up.
Michael Lombardi (Nat'l Football Post) Monday Tavern: Brees accuracy and will to win keep Saints perfect; Patriots must fix red zone woes on both sides of the ball.
Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News) Week 13 Checkdown: Pats, Steelers stumbling down similar paths.
Richard Deitsch (SI) Media Power Rankings - November.

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?