SB Nation - Junior Seau

Bill Belichick - Smart Move There Guy

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

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

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...?

Interview: "Sports Jobs with Junior Seau" on VERSUS

MaPatsFan — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:15:20 -0000

More photos » by Stephan Savoia - AP

Browse more photos »

One of the fun parts of this gig is the chance to interview people in the sports world. From athletes to sports columnists, it's cool playing "big time" sports media guy (I'm a legend in my own head). I also like to give you a bit of behind-the-scenes; to me, that's more fun than just listening to a plain, old interview.

I was contacted by a guy who knew a guy (seriously) to interview Junior Seau. VERSUS is broadcasting "Sports Jobs with Junior Seau". The concept is this: Junior takes on various sports jobs that are mostly behind the scenes type occupations. Check out the video after the jump for more about the jobs.

You get the picture. Well, representatives for VERSUS reached out to the blogging community to get on a conference call and interview Junior about the show. There were 2 of us football guys, but Hockey as well as MMA was represented. All in all, a good mix of people. Junior had done jobs in all these areas, so it turned out to be pretty interesting.

When I first got the email, I figured I'd get a chance to ask Junior a lot of football questions. It's a good thing I'd prepared some questions about the show! Once on the call, the moderator introduced himself and let me know that I should be concentrating my interview on "Sports Jobs". Uh oh. After scrambling a bit while the other interviewers did there thing, I had my turn (if you want to fast forward through, I'm at about 15:30).

Without further delay, check out us bloggers interviewing Junior about his new VERSUS show, Sports Jobs with Junior Seau.

Know Your Colts History: 9 Signs That Its Rivalry Week

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New England Patriots Links 11/02/09 - Goodbye to the Bye, Gearing up for the Fins

Marima — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:40:27 -0000

Bill Belichick answers questions for the media before the weekend break.

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Tom Brady reveals one of the motivational tools used by Bill Belichick.

Q: "Bill Bashing" - I've got to talk about that. Junior Seau said you're not a part of the team until you'd been "Bill-Bashed". He said it even happens to Tom Brady, but he said to ask you about it. Have you been "Bill-Bashed" before?

TB: Yeah. Randy calls it "You Tubed." We have practice on a Wednesday or a Thursday, and there you are the next morning on the big screen. You get in there pretty excited on a Wednesday morning or a Thursday morning, and then there're 30 plays of myself and Randy [Moss] and Wes [Welker], and he's going ‘What do you guys think you're doing here? This is you know what...' and using a lot of words I can't use here. He's tough on us, and I think it's for a reason. He always has a purpose in what he does and he's a very smart man and he's a great coach. He's just trying to motivate us to be the best we can be.

Bill Belichick talks about making good use of the Bye week.

Q: Is that basically what you do - self scout and throw out what's not working and get some guys up to speed, especially some of your young guys and guys coming of P.U.P.?

BB: That's right. We have some young players that have gotten a little bit of playing time, but we will continue to give them more reps in the bye week. And [it] also gives us a little more time to prepare for Miami. They've played seven games, so we'll get a pretty look at them and that will take some work there for what they do and the problems they present. It always comes at a good time, but I think it's a good feeling to come back from London. I'm glad we weren't facing a regular week this week after the trip back across the ocean.

No question. Yes, we'll have to work on [the Wildcat.] That's one of the unique things that they do and we'll be able to get a little bit of a head start on that.

TEAM TALK

Patriots All Access Transcripts (From the episode that aired Oct. 30th, on WBZ.) Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.
John Cockrell Friday Out-Takes: LJ gets DQ'd in KC; Blooper Reel and more.

LOCAL LINKS

Albert Breer notes the Patriots didn't even play yesterday but they still came out winners anyway.
Adam Kilgore reports that at 32 and coming off a major knee injury, quarterback Tom Brady says his arm feels better than ever.
Monique Walker says that at 23 years old Jerod Mayo is a true leader and wise beyond his years.
Adam Kilgore focuses on the Patriots' reconstructed secondary.
Karen Guregian reports Tom Brady has moved up in the NFL rankings to third in passing yardage (2038), and the Pats (198 pts) are third behind the Vikes and Saints in scoring.
Mike Reiss' Blog: Patriots burned with the Wildcat last year; Pats gain separation in the AFC East; Focus on Brett Lockett; Mid-Season Awards; Leaders in Special Teams Tackles; and much more. Too many to list.
Karen Guregian awards some Bests and Worsts from the first seven games of the season.
Mark Farinella looks at where the Patriots stand at this juncture in relation to the AFC East and the Conference, noting the killer stretch they have over the next five weeks.
Shalise Manza Young looks back at the team to this point and offers her own superlatives, high school style.
Albert Breer says it's unusual in the NFL that a team will rotate players in and out at corner, yet the Patriots have mixed playing-time patterns with Leigh Bodden, Jonathan Wilhite, Darius Butler and Shawn Springs the last four weeks.
Michael Hurley notes Tom Brady reveals one of Bill Belichick's coaching secrets, and it's all on film.
Ian Rapoport has a terrific piece about Pierre Woods' trek from the raw streets of Cleveland to the plush carpet of the Patriots locker room. Men like Ted Ginn Sr. are the real heroes of this world.
Jeff Howe reports Wes Welker's production keeps growing with his understanding of the game.
Nate Dow notes in 33 regular season games as a Patriots, Junior Seau tasted defeat only 3 times. A look at his tangible contributions suggests his value goes far beyond his stats.
Ian Rapoport discusses the intense Jets-Fins game at the Meadowlands and the hate within the AFC East.
Shalise Manza Young gets Up Close with Kendall Simmons.
Steve Buckley offers an excerpt from his book about 2007, "Wicked Good Year - How the Red Sox Patriots and Celtics Turned the Hub of the Universe into the Capital of Sports."
Christopher Price plugs the Joe Andruzzi Foundation as it hosts the second Annual New England Celebrities Tackle Cancer at Christina’s Monday night in Foxboro. (For ticket and event information, click here.)
Boston Herald Patriots Notebook: Kevin Faulk still a focal point; Brandon McGowan is the team's leading tackler with 43; Logan Mankins talks about his false start penalties, blaming mental errors.
Albert Breer notes Jason Taylor briefly considered signing with the Pats. "I have immense respect for Bill and Tommy,’’ Taylor said. "Like I said, if it didn’t work out in Miami, that’d definitely be a place I’d go, based on those two guys.’’
Mike Reiss catches us up with how the former Patriots are doing with their new teams.

NATIONAL NEWS

Tim Graham (ESPN) Rex Ryan bewildered by loss to Dolphins. Ryan not gracious in defeat.
Peter King (SI) MMQB: Favre, Favre, Favre and the Favreity, Favre-Favres. Plus some NFL stuff.
Don Banks (SI) Snap Judgments: Cowboys turning heads, Ravens 'D' stars and more from Week 8.
Mike Florio notes the recent Congressional sniffing around the NFL, "Given the whole health care thing and the war in Afghanistan and the economy in the crapper... doesn't the government have better things to do?"

It Was the Best of Teams, it Was the Worst of Teams: Week 7 in the NFL

urnext — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:00:39 -0000

Fooch's Note: If you want to discuss the elevation of Alex Smith back to the starting QB position, head over here.

Week 7 in the NFL was all about the blowout. Only two games were decided by less than 10 points, and one of those would have been a blowout if not for the Quarterback change. Obviously, some of the games were closer than the final score indicated. But most of the games really were a one sided affair. So let's start with the game that was supposed to showcase to those who live on the other side of the pond, what the NFL is all about.

Patriots 35, Buccaneers 7

The NFL came to London on Sunday and the 85 thousand who packed into the stadium were treated to a real snooze fest. That is, of course, unless you're a Pats fan. Why didn't the NFL chose the Steelers to play in this game? Could you imagine all the mileage sports announcers and writers would get out of all the "Big Ben" jokes? The Patriots showed why they're one of the best as Tom Brady completed 23 of 32 passes for 308 yards and 3 touchdowns. On the other hand, the Bucs showed why they haven't been good since they kicked out Tony Dungy as their head coach. Josh Johnson completed only 9 of his 26 passes for 156 yards, while throwing 3 interceptions. While the final score came as no surprise, I was incredibly surprised to see Junior Seau running around the field. Isn't he close to 50 years old? This is the same player who was already a Pro bowl linebacker on the Chargers team that got destroyed by the 49ers in their last Super Bowl.

Bears 10, Bengals 45

Cedric Benson returned to play in Chicago for the first time since getting the boot by the Bears for his off field shenanigans. Is their a funner word to say than "shenanigans"? Like any true prodigal son, he made the Bears pay, rushing for 189 yards as well as scoring a touchdown. But he wasn't the only one tearing up the Bears defense. Chad "watch out CNN" Ochocinco had 10 receptions for 118 yards and 2 touchdowns. Jay Cutler of the Bears completed 26 of his 37 passes for 251 yards, but he also had 3 interceptions. It looks like the Bears will only go as far as Cutler can take them. In their 3 wins he's thrown 7 TD's and only 1 interception. But in their 3 losses Cutler only had 4 TD's but 9 interceptions.

Colts 42, Rams 6

Anyone who thought the Rams had a chance in this game, please raise your hand. Go ahead and raise your hand. I said, raise your hand. No one? Not even you, Steven Jackson? Seriously, there's not a player a feel worse for than Steven Jackson. It must be hard being the only great player on a really, really bad team. The Rams are so bad that the Colts defense outscored the Rams offense 7-6. For the season the Rams offense has only scored 5 TD's while giving up 4. Rumor has it that the Rams have already contacted Roger Goodell and asked if they can just go ahead and chose the first draft pick now, instead of waiting until April. Rams, you are now on the clock.

Bills 20, Panthers 9

This game was all about TO. No, not that TO. I'm talking about turn overs. The Panthers turned the ball over 4 times which led to 17 points for the Bills. The Bills sure didn't score 20 points because they moved the ball so well on offense. Ryan Fitzpatrick was only 11 of 22 for 123 yards. Their leading rusher, Marshawn Lynch, only gained 40 yards on 17 carries. The Bills scored 20 because Jake Delhomme likes to throw interceptions (he had 3 in the game). It makes you wonder what head coach John Fox was thinking. The Panthers have 2 of the best RB's in football, yet he let Delhomme pass the ball 44 times in the game. Not that I'm complaining. For anyone wondering about the other TO, he had 3 receptions for 27 yards and is on pace for 553 yards on the season. This from a player who's had at least 1,000 yards receiving in 9 of his last 10 seasons (the one exception coming in his second year with the Eagles when they benched him after 7 games).

Saints 46, Dolphins 34

This game started as a blowout. Miami jumped to an early 21 point lead, and had a 14 point lead at halftime. The problem was, their lead was over the Saints. The Saints can score points in a hurry, and that's just what they did. They turned a 14 point halftime deficit into a 12 point margin of victory. In the spirit of Halloween, Drew Brees did his best Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde impersonation. Brees was 22 of 38 for 298 yards and a TD. He also ran for 2 TD's but he also had 3 interceptions. The play of the game had to go to Reggie Bush. With the ball on the 9 yard line the Saints ran a double reverse. By the time Bush got the ball he was all the way back on the 22, but he quickly turned it up field, sprinted down the sideline, and then leaped head first from the 6 yard line over a defender, and into the endzone. Darren Sharper also had a pick 6 for the Saints, while Ricky Williams rushed for 3 TD's for Miami.

Packers 31, Browns 3

In a battle between two teams wearing colors that look like they belong in the toilet instead of on a uniform, it was the Packers who easily took care of the Browns. The Browns actually took an early 3-0 lead, but it was all Packers the rest of the way. Aaron Rodgers gave his usual solid play completing 15 of 20 for 246 yards and 3 TD's. Packers RB, Ryan Grant, also had a great day, rushing for 148 yards. The Browns, for their part, were as bad as the Packers were good. Derek Anderson completed only 12 of 29 passes for 99 yards and an interception. For the season Anderson only has a QB rating of 40.6. It makes you wonder if "Mangenius" is playing Anderson so the Browns can avoid paying any bonuses or escalators in Brady Quinn's contract.

Jets 38, Raiders 0

What's the cure for a QB who had a horrible day and a team coming off a tough loss? Play the Raiders of course. The Jets coaching staff learned last week that it would probably be better if Mark Sanchez passed the ball as little as necessary. The Jets ran the ball 54 times for 316 yards, compared to only 15 passes attempted. It was the second straight game that the Jets rushed for over 300 yards as a team. On the Raiders side, coach Tom Cable decided he had seen enough of JaMarcus "The Walrus" Russell and benched him in favor of Bruce Gradkowski. Not that Gradkowski was much better completing 10 of his 19 passes for only 97 yards. The good news is that DHB had his best game of the season catching an incredible 2 passes for 28 yards, doubling his season totals to 4 receptions and 64 yards over 7 games. Take that Michael Crabtree.

Vikings 17, Steelers 27

The stage was set. The Vikings had the ball down by 3 with time running out. Saint Favre had led the "Purple People Eaters" into long field goal range but the touchdown was what everyone wanted. Suddenly something very strange happened. Favre threw the ball but it was a Steeler who caught it. Keyarn Fox intercepted Favre's screen pass at the 18 yard line and bumbled down the field for a TD. The best part of the run was when Favre did the QB feet first slide to the side of Fox and then tried to tie his shoes for him as he ran past. Before anyone complains, I get it. Even if Favre had tackled Fox it wouldn't have mattered. Why risk an injury? But it was still funny to watch him not even really try to make the tackle. For the game, the Vikings had 1 return for a TD and the Steelers had 2, both by the defense. Their was also an interesting part when a TD was called back from the Vikings because of a penalty by Jeff Dugan. However, Dugan got his revenge when he ran over an official later in the game on Percey Harvan's punt return for a TD.

Cardinals 24, Giants 17

A bad day got worse when the Cardinals pulled the upset off at the Meadowlands. Eli Manning stunk up the place with 3 interceptions, including 1 to end the game with the Giants driving for a game tying TD. Even the TD Manning did have was more luck than anything. A deep pass over the middle was deflected by Rogers-Cromartie, but instead of hitting the ground, it shot up into the air where it was caught by the other WR down the field, Hakeem Nicks. Nicks ran the rest of the way into the endzone untouched. For the Cardinals, Beanie "Baby" Wells had the best game of his career rushing 14 times for 67 yards and a TD.

Chargers 37, Chiefs 7

The Chiefs ended a 9 game losing streak last week and were looking to make it two in a row. Riding the high emotions of the victory the Chiefs hosted the Chargers and proceeded to look like the horrible team they were during their 9 game losing streak. The Chargers pummeled the Chiefs for a 30 point victory, and it wasn't even that close. Going into the game Rivers decided to set a world record for being the only person to read an entire book while standing in the pocket during an NFL football game. The Chiefs generated zero pass rush and Rivers picked apart their defense for 268 yards and 3 TD's. The Chiefs Matt Cassell, for his part, completed only 10 of 25 passes for 97 yards as well as throwing 3 interceptions. All the Denver fans watching the game rejoiced continually because of the bullet they dodged by not being able to trade for Cassell.

Falcons 21, Cowboys 37

Matt Ryan of the Falcons had only been sacked 2 times on the season. The Cowboys made sure to change that by getting to him 4 times. The pressure led to him throwing 2 interceptions and the Cowboys pulled away in the second half for a comfortable 16 point win. The play of the game happened right before the half. On 3rd and goal from the 5, with no timeouts, and 15 seconds on the clock, Tony Romo dropped back to pass. The pocket quickly collapsed around him with about 3 Falcons having a chance to sack him and send the game into halftime, down only 10-7. But somehow Romo pulled a Harry Houdini, broke the tackle, moved forward, and passed for the TD with 2 seconds left in the half. Romo also seems to have a new favorite target in Miles Austin. Austin had 171 yards receiving in the game and has had an impressive 421 yards receiving over the last 2 games.

49ers 21, Texans 24

There's been a lot of debate recently about what the 49ers should do at the QB position. Should they stick with Shaun "Game Manager" Hill. Maybe they should choose Nate Davis who's looked great in meaningless preseason games against 3rd string defenses. Or maybe the 49ers should use one of their 1st round picks in next years draft to get a QB for the future. The one person who seemed to be forgotten in all this discussion was Alex Smith. That's obviously no longer the case. Although it was only 1 half, Smith looked better than anyone to where the Red and Gold for quite some time. And he's still only 25. It was only 1 half, and he could easily go back to playing his more timid style we're all used to around here, but he's deffinately put himself back into the discussion.

Junior's back, but why? New England Patriots sign Junior Seau

MaPatsFan — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:22:27 -0000

More photos » by Stephan Savoia - AP

2 months ago: New England Patriots linebacker Junior Seau smiles during practice at the NFL football team's facility in Foxborough, Mass., Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 14, 2009. The Patriots signed 40-year-old Seau, who is entering his 20th NFL season. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

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"In eight months, I’ve been working out for a chance to make a choice. The chance, I didn’t have control of. Bill had control of that. But the choice was to be prepared for that chance. So for eight months, I have been training to receive a chance, and to have a choice. And here we are."

This is why Junior Seau is back. In a sport so full of dopes and idiots, thugs and morons, in walks a man of honor who has earned respect in the locker room and on the field. Junior stays ready. He stays ready for the phone call that may come.

"Junior", says Bill.

"Yeah Coach", replies Seau.

"We need you."

"I'm there, coach. Whatever you need."

A man of honor.

I am not delusional. I'm not totally blind with a man crush on Junior Seau. The man's 40 years old. And, in a sport where careers can end before a player cracks his third decade, my eyes are open to the fact that Junior's contributions on the field may not be at the same level as a Jerod Mayo or a Gary Guyton. But he has value to Bill and that's all I need.

In a defense that's horribly thin at linebacker, Seau seems to be filler, a backup role player that might see 15 to 20 snaps on a good day. He knows the system and he's played with many of the best in that system (Tedy Bruschi anyone?). Is he the ILB that will stand arm-in-arm with Jerod and hold down the middle? I don't think so. Could he be the guy who jumps in every now and then for a Mayo/Guyton inside? Probably. More importantly, as he enters his 20th NFL season, Junior's been around.

He has a love for the game and a love for the players in it, specifically the New England Patriots. He's stated many times that this is the only team he'll play with and Belichick is the only coach he'll play for. He'll do anything for Belichick; the two trust each other that much:

"The best thing I do is I lean on Bill Belichick," Seau said. "And the reason I say that is that Bill doesn’t kick around tires and say, ‘I’m just going to go grab a guy that’s 40 years old off the surfboard and say come and join us.’ He has a plan. And his plan is something that we’re going to try and implement, whatever it may be.

Junior is a lot of things. Is he past his prime? Sure, and he knows it. But what he has that this team needs is a fire, a veteran presence at linebacker that we're missing. Maybe Belichick brought him back because he's the spark that this team needs.

One thing I know is that you can’t coach courage. You can’t. You give me an A, B gap, I’m going through there, until I break glass. I will go through the A and B gap until I break glass. And that’s what I do.

Can't coach courage. When so many are whining about their paychecks, Junior is talking about courage.

A man of honor.

Seau back from retirement

ZombieMonta — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:00:21 -0000

When you say the words "coming back from retirement," four people instantly pop into my head: Brett Favre, Sugar Ray Leonard, Jay-Z, and Junior Seau. The latter announced yesterday that he is returning to the New England Patriots for another go at a championship.

Seau hasn't made the Pro Bowl since 2002, when he was a Hall of Fame caliber linebacker for the San Diego Chargers. Since then, he continually seems to come back on a one-year basis. In 2005 he said this to the USA Today: "Golfing in San Diego is pretty tough to leave. Every day I think about retirement. This game is not meant for human beings to play beyond a certain amount of years."

In 2006, he retired. But he came back, again and again, and now after sitting out a little bit, he's back again at age 40. With three comebacks under his belt, he's actually one comeback ahead of both Michael Jordan and Brett Favre. Honestly, who didn't see this coming? Whenever you make appearances on the Versus network where you try to stare down an angry bull, that's proof enough that you still have your competitive spirit.

This says a lot about the New England Patriots, who have never been shy about exiling defensive players who they think can't help them anymore (i.e, Richard Seymour). For them to turn to a 40 year-old Seau, whose best years are long behind him, it shows how little confidence Belichick must have with his defense.

MHR Chalk Talk -- New England Patriots at Denver Broncos (Week 5, '09)

Steve Nichols — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:30:14 -0000

There are three sides to a football team, which we call the offense, the defense, and special teams. The best teams are elite on all sides of the ball. So after 25% of the regular season is complete, consider this for Denver...

Offense -

QB Orton has thrown at least one TD in every game and zero interceptions. He has a very respectable rating of 97.7 and a completion rate of 59%. And he's done this with a restrictive glove on his hand to protect an injury. The glove comes off this week.

RB Correll Buckhalter averages 7.2 yards a carry. 7.2 YPC!!! Is that a statistical fluke? 37 carries should be enough of a base to demonstrate that this amazing stat isn't based on just a few carries or big plays. (Denver's "other" RB, Knowshon Moreno, is up currently up for NFL Rookie of the Week).

Defense -

It doesn't get better than this - after four games, Denver's opponents are averaging less than a touchdown per game. That's just plain "scary good".

Denver has been playing Super Bowl-level defense so far. They've given up the fewest point in the NFL, the second-fewest total yards, the third-fewest passing yards, and the fifth-fewest rushing yards.

Special Teams -

Kicker Matt Prater was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for September.

Denver has beaten the Bengals. The Bengals would be undefeated except for that loss, having also beaten the Steelers, the Packers, and the Browns. Denver also beat Dallas, a team that many considered "a real test for Denver". Dallas lost a close game against the potential Super Bowl-favorite Giants 31-33, and won the rest of their games minus the game against Denver. Denver's schedule also included two teams that are struggling (the Browns and the Raiders), but the message is clear; The Denver Broncos are back.

This week, the team will face their toughest challenge to date, the New England Patriots. My gut has been that the Patriots have the edge for this game for several reasons. First, the success that Denver has is due in large part to Denver's desire to copy the NE approach to preparing and growing a football team. Denver is doing a great job, but the genesis for the program is in NE. While Denver is proving themselves to everybody, NE is a cornerstone of football excellence and has been for the decade. But as I dug deeper, I found some tidbits that give me hope for a historic start for Denver. Let's break down the matchups and see what information comes off the chalk board.

The New England Offense

It all starts with Tom Brady, easily one of the top three QBs in the League. Brady does many things very well. First, he spreads the ball around so that opposing teams can't focus on one threat. His movement within the pocket is the best I've ever seen. With a quick step, Brady avoids hits and buys crucial extra seconds to throw the ball. Brady is accurate, and can throw deep. He is very good at reading defenses, and makes good adjustments at the line. Chicks dig him (I'm told).

The NE receivers and TEs are all very good, but three of them are freakishly good. If you know nothing about football, you've heard of Randy Moss. Randy Moss is a deep threat at WR, and deadly. He has the speed, the hands, and the quick stutter step to create distance between himself and just about any defender. Moss has been widely considered one of the best WRs in the League for several years, and with different QBs on different teams. Complementing Moss, Wes Walker specializes in routes in short- to middle-ranges. His quickness and physical play makes him enough of a legitimate threat that no defense can throw everything at stopping Moss. Moss and Welker are arguably one of the top receiving tandems in the League, and playing with one of the best QBs.

It doesn't stop there. One of my favorite TEs in the game is Ben Watson. He has 2 TDs so far this season, and is averaging 14.5 receiving yards after 12 passes. Many players are good at what they do, but Watson is a pure athletic specimen. His speed is frightening, and he has very good hands. He is too fast to be covered by a linebacker, and too physical for most defensive backs. You may recall the 2005 AFC Divisional game in Denver during which elite CB and speed demon Champ Bailey got an interception and ran the ball back nearly the length of the field, only to be hit at the last second by Ben Watson, who took a perfect angle (starting as far back plus the width of the field) with smoke and flames flying off of his patented Iron Man Jet-Boots.

But this year, NE hasn't looked great at running back. They are getting at least 100 yards a game on the ground, but only rank 17th in the run. Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, and Fred Taylor are all capable RBs, and only need to do enough to make the passing game a threat. In short yardage, they can cause most defenses to choose between stopping the first down or a major play, but they aren't causing a lot of concern for most teams.

The Patriots run the same offensive system as Denver. They will use a lot of 3-WR sets, and like to use two-TE sets as well. They like the edges of the field. When they bring in a FB (Laurence Maroney) he blocks - nothing more. He has no receptions this year, and only 2.9 yards per carry. Brady will throw screen passes to the edges that set up complex blocking schemes to get the receiver downfield, or he will throw to Welker and rely on Welker's solid routes and evasive skills, or he will go to Moss for the deep threat. Watson at TE is the threat always lurking in the passing game, as he can catch the quick hook or just streak up the middle and "split the safeties".

Whatever is a defense to do? That's right. They call in the Blue and the Orange.

The Denver Broncos Defense

Denver can take Welker out of the passing game with their fantastic pass rush. That rush is so effective, it really doesn't require Denver to blitz much at all. (Denver hasn't even really blitzed much this year!) The face of the Denver pass rush attack is Elvis Dumervil. Look at the following two video clips. The first shows Neo (from the film "The Matrix") dodging bullets. The second shows Elvis Dumervil avoiding a face mask with same move as Neo, and going after QB Tony Romo for the sack. Yes, the same back bending move.

NEO -

Dumervil -

(click here, then go to the 1:46 mark, and watch until 1:52)

A defense beats Tom Brady the same way that they beat Peyton Manning of the Colts; they pressure the QB. Denver is doing this better than anyone right now. This is also how the Jets managed to beat Brady.

A second benefit of the pass rush is that it keeps Watson in check. I wrote that the deadly weapon against the Broncos that the Cowboys possessed was TE Jason Witten. Denver's amazing pass rush forced Witten to stay on the line to protect Romo, and took Witten's potential mismatches out of the game. With an effective pass rush, and moving Dumervil around on the line, Watson should be kept in a blocking role.

So we see how the pass rush helps Denver in two key areas - it minimizes Brady, and it takes Watson out of the game. What else does Denver need to do?

The run game isn't a threat for Week Five. Denver's players can play their own brand of football (plugging the gaps with five lineman in a 5-2 look, allowing the LBs enough protection at the second level to stop runs).

In the passing game, Champ Bailey will match up with Moss. This is the best a defense can ask for against Moss; having the best CB in the League to match up against an elite WR is a major help. Against Welker, Denver will have CB Andre' Goodman. He already has an INT for 30 yards (it came against Oakland), and has been playing extremely well opposite Bailey. Anything that can get through either of these high quality CBs faces legendary safety Brian Dawkins and play-making strong safety Renaldo Hill. That's right, both Goodman and Hill have turned into playmakers in Denver, giving Denver a secondary for the ages. (I'll repeat, as I do each week, that there is an argument to be made that Dawkins and Bailey are the best players to have ever played at free safety and cornerback, respectively).

Unlike the last couple of years, Denver is wisely playing both safeties in deep zone coverage, which takes away deep plays and gives both safeties added time to assess and react. As readers of MHR's Xs and Os authors HoosierTeacher and TedBartlett905 know (if I may say so myself), the two best ways to help your cornerbacks to look elite is to have a good pass rush (from the front 7) and solid protection over the top (from the safeties). Denver now has both.

The Denver Offense vs The New England Defense

Denver's offense may not have Tom Brady, but they have some advantages. The offensive line features two of the best tackles in the NFL in Ryan Clady and Ryan Harris. Denver is loaded in depth at WR. Let's look at the list.

Brandon Marshall - We knew he could run over defenders, but after the game against Dallas, we learned that he has amazing cut-back skills. If he gets the ball, he's very hard to stop.
Eddie Royal - Doesn't shine as much in an offense that spreads the ball around. But his route skills, agility, speed and hands make him a deadly threat if any team dares to leave him in single coverage with no support in the deep secondary.
Brandon Stokley - Excellent hands, excellent experience, excellent route runner, and willing to take punishment to make the dangerous catches. Colts' loss, our gain.
Jabar Gaffney - Familiar with the NE system, he came to Denver already knowing how to play in the new offense. Both he and Stokely can play at #1 or #2 in the event of an injury, and the team would carry on.

Now here's my question for the average fan. You've heard of Shawn Springs at CB, but can you name any other CB on the NE roster? Terrence Wheatley was the only name that came to my mind before I looked up the roster (and no, he's not the #2 CB). In fact, when you move past Vince Wilfork at NT and Ty Warren at LDE, most of the names wouldn't be recognizable to most fans. This isn't a bad thing, since many non-Denver fans probably couldn't name many of the Denver front-seven's players. Name recognition isn't everything, but the point is that NE has had turnover on the defense, and is even currently in talks to bring back Junior Seau.

New England plays the Fairbanks-Bullough 3-4, and relies on multiple looks out of this base to confuse and adjust to opponents. They are well coached, and will improve as the season moves forward. As it is, they rate above average in each vital category (points against - 9th, yards against - 7th, pass against yards 7th, run against yards 11th).

I think Denver will do what they always do, with little change. They'll run the ball and try to establish an early running game. They'll mix in screen plays (which sometimes include the RB in the slot), and spread the field with multiple receiving threats. It will be interesting to see how much difference we might see with Orton's protective glove off.

Matchups in Terms of Rankings

(advantage in italics and bold)

Denver vs New England

Offense Defense

Points scored (avg and rank) 19.8 (19th) 17.8 (9th) Points against (avg and rank)

Yards for (avg and rank) 365 (9th) 287.5 (7th) Yards against (avg and rank)

Pass yards (avg and rank) 217 (18th) 192.2 (7th) Passed against (avg and rank)

Run yards (avg and rank) 148 (4th) 95.2 (11th) Ran against (avg and rank)

Defense Offense

Points against (avg and rank) 6.5 (1) 21.8 (14th) Points scored (avg and rank)

Yards against (avg and rank) 239.8 (2nd) 376 (8th) Yards for (avg and rank)

Passed against (avg and rank) 162.5 (3rd) 273.8 (5th) Pass yards (avg and rank)

Ran against (avg and rank) 77.2 (5th) 102.3 (17th) Run yards (avg and rank)

Keys to the Game

Denver

Go after Brady. With a good pass rush by Denver, the Patriots lose Watson in the passing game, and Brady has trouble getting the ball to his receivers without risking interceptions.
Establish the run. Both teams demonstrate better defenses than the opponent's offense in this game except in one matchup. Denver's run game is better than the NE run defense. Denver needs to exploit this in order to keep Brady off the field, and to assist Orton by keeping the defense from focusing on the pass.
Don't allow the big play. Denver likes to shut down offenses, and to plod along on offense until they see an opening to exploit. This makes for a low-scoring game, and low tempo. If NE is able to create some quick strikes, it may take Denver several possessions to score.

New England

Don't leave points on the field. Denver won't score on most possesions. A score on every or most possessions (even a FG) will be hard for Denver to catch.
Get the lead. Denver can protect a lead with the running game easier than they can play catch up. Against Dallas and Cincy, Denver had to rely on big pass plays near the end of the games to get their wins. Get the lead, and force Denver from playing their 4th ranked running game into playing their 18th ranked passing game.
Protect Brady at all costs. This is the direct inverse, but it is the number one key for both teams, so it bears repeating. In my opinion, the game comes down to whether Brady gets pressured or not.

Conclusion

Before the season, I would have called this game for NE. In fact, going into my preparation for this article, I would have given NE the edge. The more I look at the matchups, the more I see that the teams appear to be very balanced. Both teams will use two TE sets to stop the 3-4 (or Denver's 5-2, if you prefer). NE has the advantage at QB, but both teams have fantastic WRs and TEs. Denver may have the advantage at OL. Right now, I'll take the Denver defense over the Patriots defense in terms of personnel and effectiveness, and I'll take Denver's running game over the Pats.

The key always seem to come down to the trenches, and this game is no different. In this case, if Denver can get to Brady throughout the game, I predict a Denver win. If Brady has time, the game goes the other way. I tend to think the Broncos can get to Brady, but I also think NE will make adjustments throughout the game to protect Brady (including quick passes, screens, and check downs more so than actual blocking adjustments).

This game is too close to call. I really have to give many advantages to Denver (including homefield, the running game, and the elite defense), but NE has the intangible of having the coach from whom our own coach learned from. I ran a very good defense when I coached, and learned everything from my own head coach as well as the first (and only) DC I worked under. Still, I have to admit that I can't begin to fathom coaching against my old mentor and having any success. I'm sure McDaniels is more confident than I am, but when you hold up a mentor as the best coach in the League (and I think McDaniels holds Belichick in this regard), it is hard for me to believe that the butterflys aren't in the gut right about now. McDaniels will do everything in his power to ready this team, and the players won't be intimidated. So may be this really is "just another game".

If Denver wins, they move beyond being for real and become real contenders for a deep playoff run. If they lose, the doomsayers will claim that the Broncos aren't so great after all.

Denver has a two-game lead over SD in the AFC West playoff race. SD has the week off to nurse wounds, then plays Denver, then plays two games they should win (KC and OAK). Denver needs all the padding they can get for their lead in the race.

Win or lose, Denver has already proven that they have a very good team. We should shake off the concerns for how the media folks see Denver, and do what fans of good teams do. Let's focus on the race for the playoffs now, and use this game as an early gauge for how well we might fare. (And let's not forget the revenge factor after a beating last year at the hands of the Patriots. The engineer of that beating is now on our side, so it should be a very interesting game).

Poll

So who's going to win?

Denver

644 votes

New England

112 votes

Too close to call

273 votes

I'm a Patriots fan, and I just came here to screw up your poll.

28 votes

1057 votes | Poll has closed

BFTB Interview: former Chargers FS Rogers Beckett

John (obviousman) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:32:26 -0000

Yesterday I talked with ex-Chargers Free Safety Rogers Beckett. When he was starting alongside Rodney Harrison, Rogers was one of my favorite players. He played smart, he was good in coverage and he could lay a hit almost as well as Rodney (that's a compliment).

The other day I came upon this opportunity to talk to Rogers and I wondered....what ever happened to him? I remembered him being good and then I remember him being gone, and that's about it. A quick look at his stats shows that after starting in San Diego for two seasons he was replaced by....Jerry Wilson. Nobody liked that move when it happened, and nobody likes it now, but it happened.

Beckett went on to have his best season in Cincinnati, but called it quits the next season at the age of 27. So why did it end? In this interview, Rogers answers that question, as well as going into the difference between Riley and Schottenheimer, what it was like to play with Seau and Harrison and the progression of the Safety position in the last decade. Come check it out after the jump.

While you were playing did you consider yourself a Free Safety or Strong Safety?
I played both, but I guess for the most part I'm a Free Safety.

I know you as a Free Safety with the Chargers, but I know once you went to Cincinnati you played as a Strong Safety.
I fit better into the Strong Safety position in Cincinnati.

Do you think it was a case of you being a Strong Safety in San Diego, but the coaches wanted to get you on the field without having to move Rodney Harrison?
I honestly couldn't tell you. I took it to be that San Diego recruited me to be a Free Safety. As opposed to Cincinnati, where I fit their Strong Safety role from how that scheme ran.

Why did your career end at such a young age?
I had a neck injury that I sustained playing with Cincinnati which pretty much caused it to come to an end. It was a herniation in the neck.

Is the neck any better now? Does it effect you in your day-to-day life?
I still have, I would say, complications from it. I have my days, you know. Some days are better than others. I function on a day-to-day basis fairly well.

What have you been doing since you got out of football?
A lot of different endeavors. After football I went back and finished up my Masters in Public Administration. I'm currently doing real estate investment and helping in my community.

It's been pretty active. I've been more busy now, since I left the NFL, than I was when I was there. You know, you get out here and you have to make it for yourself. You get into a lot of different things and just make it work out for the betterment of however it needs to go.

Do you ever have any desire to go back try coaching at the college or pro level?
I have been asked to coach at the college level but at the time I was just kinda tired with football. I have had thoughts about going back into that arena. From that perspective, I've thought about maybe doing training and things like that, in being more involved with kids and showing them what I've learned from playing the sport.

What was it like playing with Rodney Harrison and Junior Seau? What did you learn from being in a defense with them?
Looking at those guys, they were true gladiators of their time. I'm not quite sure if you're going to see football players like them anymore. They were just the type of guys that they gave all they got on every down, whether it was in practice or a game. You can see that through the longevity that they had in their careers. Those guys really loved playing football and it showed when they got on the field. That's why they were great football players and went on to do great things in the NFL.

Sometimes when you're around that you don't realize it until it's gone, but it was great to be in that defense and share the field with two guys that are more-than-likely going to be in the Hall of Fame. It was an honor to play with them and I wish I could've been just as good as those guys, but other things happened.

You were part of the 2001 Chargers team that went 5-11 and lost 7 games by 5 points or less. That was also the only season that Jamal Williams missed significant time due to an injury. Do you think all those close losses and the team's poor record that year had a lot to do with Jamal being missed from the center of the line?
I'm quite sure it did because just looking at his play over the years, the guy controls and demolishes opponents. He really is a factor in the middle. He's been there a long time. He's been with the Chargers now, I would imagine, 10 or 11 years and he's a factor.

He's a Pro Bowl player and every year he comes out and he plays tremendous. I think he bring a lot of energy to the game and that type of dependency that you know, once that guy's in the lineup he's going to handle his business and make it happen. My hat goes off to him, he's doing a great job and continuing to play well at a high level at his age.

During his tenure as the Chargers' head coach, Mike Riley's teams had a knack for losing close games. do you think the way he coached or the way that he ran training camp had anything to do with that?
I really can't say that. I know that when I look back on it, it's a shame that our team wasn't able to put it together where we can go out there and win it for him. I think he was a great coach. I think he had a pretty good approach to it. I just don't think that all the things were in the right place at the time. We had situations with quarterbacking, we had a lot of turnover with our defensive coordinators with Joe Pascale being injured. There was a lot of transition and turnover during that season, and sometimes I think that factored out to play a part in it. What was missing was the continuity of the team because there were a lot of different things going on, and that definitely hindered Coach Riley's efforts in the NFL.

You spent a year playing for Coach Schottenheimer when he was brought in. What was the difference between playing for Coach Riley and Coach Schottenheimer?
Coach Schottenheimer came in with an attitude of "Get it right the first time." He was really hard on you. He was an old school coach.. He's done it this way, he's won doing it this way. So it just was a transition and getting the team to buy into what he was saying and believing in what he was saying.

I think his approach was a little bit different from Coach Riley's. Marty Schottenheimer is a very vocal coach, but he has the records that speak for themselves. He was a good coach. I think you started to see exactly how good of a coach he was in his third or fourth year because he got the Chargers back into the playoffs. I think he did a good job, but sometimes it's just a matter of getting the right things in place and then you build upon it. My hat also goes off to him. He had a way of doing the things that he did and he did them well and I think it showed over time.

What do you miss most about playing?
Mostly I just miss being in the atmosphere. Sundays, being out there playing and putting forth the effort. The camaraderie of being around the guys every day in the locker room and just enjoying it. Looking back on it, sometimes you take things for granted. You don't realize that you truly only have a short window to do this because at a certain point you're going to be too old to do it. It's not like you're not able to do it, it's just that you're too old for the game. It's just a short window that you have to make the best of it and take advantage of all situations.

Did you see We Are Marshall? Did you like it?
Yeah, I actually saw it for the first time last year. We had a 1996 reunion and they did the end portion of We Are Marshall and they had all those guys there from the movie. It was a pretty big atmosphere. The movie was pretty much along the lines of the stories I heard when I went there.

Being in an environment, knowing how much the school means to that community is big. Marshall is almost like a big close-knit family. The city of Huntington, Barboursville and that whole tri-city area bleeds green and white. It was great playing there, I enjoyed it. Hopefully my son and daughter will go there one day and experience what I did.

I've noticed that since that movie came out, there's a lot of colleges and high schools out there that have been taking that motto as their own (i.e."We Are Penn State"). Does that bother you?
That's funny that you say that because I did recognize some other school doing it, but I guess in a way it's just a sense of pride and a sense of tradition that some people want to be a part of. If they can make a tradition out of it, that's great. It just speaks high volumes for Marshall, from the incident and the school as a whole, that it's leaking off into other areas. I just see it as a point of tradition reaching other communities.

Do you still watch a lot of NFL? Who do you root for?
Honestly, I look at it when I get a chance but it's not like I make a point to see it, but when I do have time to sit down and look at a football game I do. I'm just happy to see guys that I've played with and I know personally that are still out there playing and having a good time.

I wouldn't say that I specifically root for any team, I always wish that the Chargers and Bengals do well, but I just like seeing a good football game. Whether it's a good athletic move from somebody on offense or a big hit or whatever from somebody on defense, just to see the talent levels that are out on the field and seeing their abilities. I know what effort they're putting into it, so it means a little bit more to me than to the average guy sitting on the couch that's saying "He should've did this" or "He should've done that." I just like to see good clean hard-nose football. I just enjoy looking at the sport of it at this point. It's not really this team or the other team, just a good game.

Who is your favorite NFL Safety of all time?
My favorite safety of all time is Ronnie Lott. That's who I tried to model myself after. That's why through high school and in college, I wore that number. Growing up, San Francisco was my team. So that was it for me. Getting to that level was the pinnacle of my career. Unfortunately, it didn't last as long as his and I didn't make the accomplishments that he made.

Honestly, I don't know that there's a Safety who has played in the NFL in the last 10 or 15 years that doesn't answer that question with "Ronnie Lott."
I just think, in our generation, that's who the guy was. He played hard and every time you heard the word "Safety" that's the name you were hearing. Him and Steve Atwater. Steve Atwater came to play and he had that hit on Christian Okoye.

The style of play for a safety, when I came up, was a hard hitting safety. Now I think the game has changed to a more athletic safety that can play multiple roles: corner, nickel, safety. An all-around athlete. I think that position has evolved significantly and now when you hear "Safety" you hear "Ed Reed" and every time you see him he's picking off a ball. The game has progressed, the game has gotten quicker. More passes are being thrown and there's higher scores, so the game itself has changed. In the past, it was more of a balance with the running game, where you would grind it out, but it's changed significantly.

Do you have any projects or charities that you'd like to support?
Yeah, actually I've been getting more involved in community activities here in the city of Apopka, where I was born and raised. The association that I'm dealing with now is Orange County Project, which deals with betterment and physical change in the community. The program itself is called South Apopka Safe Neighborhoods. Anyone can go to our website and that site will talk about what we're there for, what our motivation is and hopefully the change we can bring to our community. That's the biggest thing I have going on as far as a community level.

Outside of that I'm just doing business deals on the real estate market with my company Beckwood Real Estate & Development. So those are the two things I'd like to put out there, but I'm more happy about the community effort because I'm really involved, really in the fabric of the community and I see change that I could possibly do myself along with the help of others.

I'd like to again thank Rogers for taking the time to answer all of my questions. I've talked to a handful of ex-NFL players, in person and over the phone, and he was far and away the nicest. No BS, no ego, no anything. You can tell he loved the game and feels like he had a lot more football in him, but you can also hear that same passion when he talks about his community of Apopka, Florida or even when he talks about the Marshall University family. I hope his name pops up one day in terms of coaching, because I think he has a lot to offer the young players of today.

Do you have any thoughts about Bolts From The Blue? Any tips you want to send our way? Whenever you have something to say, don't hesitate to e-mail me directly.

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: Longer Term Love For Boom King Edition

August West — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:22:04 -0000

More photos » by Rogelio V. Solis - AP

Still missed.

Browse more photos »

The Titans and Boom King are in talks for a long term extension. I'm definitely a fan of this move, but it better not preclude Bulluck getting locked up before the season is over as well. Let's make them both happen, Mr. Reinfeldt! (For the uninitiated, here's why Kyle Vanden Bosch is known as the Boom King around here)

Jim Wyatt previews the Titans' QB spot for the upcoming season, and notes that Kerry Collins is the unquestioned starter for the first time since his days with the Raiders.

Some folks are acting worried that it took hours to sell all of the available single game tickets, rather than the minutes it usually takes. I don't see any smoke or fire here, and the slow down is most likely an aberration or a sign of a slower economy than we've had since the Titan came to town.

Follow us through the jump to find out who made Kevin Mawae cry...

William Hayes is ready for a big year, says the Winston-Salem Journal (the paper of record where he played college ball.

The latest Yahoo! Team Report has a lot of info with Mike Reinfeldt and the hallmarks of his style that are starting to emerge in his 3rd season with the franchise.

Make sure you check out the MCM Podcast Jimmy and I did, which previews the Jacksonville Jaguars upcoming season.

Paul Kuharsky talks with Kevin Mawae about the toughest match-up he's faced in the NFL: Junior Seau.

If there's anything you would like to share with the MCM community, please take advantage of the comments, fanshots and fanposts to do so! You can also email me at mcmaugustwest@gmail.com.