SB Nation - Mike Wright

Patriots 17, Bills 10: Week 15 Film Session

Brian Galliford — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:32:47 -0000

Listen. It's a holiday week. I'm on vacation for most of it. There was absolutely no way that I was going to waste my time re-watching the Buffalo Bills' 17-10 loss to the New England Patriots. It's enough that I'm a Bills fan, and therefore subjected myself to that type of performance once. It wasn't going to happen again. I'd like to spend my holidays sane.

Rather than talk about what I saw on the re-watch, therefore, I'm just going to dump the notes I took during the game as it happened live, krytime mind dump style. These notes won't appear in our usual verbose manner; rather, they're copied verbatim, in bullet point form. If you're confused by any of the references or the meaning behind some of the statements, feel free to ask.

Good game planning from Perry Fewell/Alex Van Pelt. Hit 'em where they're missing players. (Guess that only applies to the first drives.)
Richie Incognito is one of the strangest-shaped dudes I've ever seen.
Like what I'm seeing from Geoff Hangartner and Andy Levitre. Both solid players.
Terrible idea to sub in an extra OT on that goal line play. Just asking for a penalty. Bye, TD.

Pretty sad that BUF is so bad on misdirection that Welker can pick up a first down on an end around, 3rd & 2. They've got to know it's coming sometime. Nice play call.
Terrific read by Paul Posluszny on the interception.
Pats are going to have a field day rushing the passer. Belichick always knows how to get pressure.
Holy Lord, Donte Whitner looked awful in deep coverage. Ugly, ugly PI penalty on Moss.
Brady knows how to attack Jairus Byrd - go high. Byrd might never be a good red zone defender.
Man, I like watching Mike Wright play football. Tough dude.
Absolutely no way the Bills will be able to attack NE deep.
Why can't Terrell Owens be used the same way NE uses Moss? That middle route was too easy, and too quick.
Yet another penalty on the DBs. Getting abused.
Aaron Schobel isn't great, but he makes at least one heady play every game.
A quarter and a half in, we have a Lee Evans sighting.
Two holding penalties now on Incognito. Not surprising, but killer nonetheless.
Have to figure out a new way to praise Fred Jackson.
Drive killed by a terrible Ryan Fitzpatrick throw. Good idea, horrid execution - Josh Reed wasn't even open. Throw it away!
Another end around, this time to Matt Slater. So annoying to watch them repeatedly abused by this play.
Laurence Maroney looks fantastic. (Easy to do against BUF.)
PI on Reggie Corner. DBs are complaining, but the calls are legit. TD coming...
... and there it is. Maroney from a yard out.
Didn't like Fewell's decision to kick the long FG. Rather have seen a hail mary; down 14-3 at the half.
Screen pass execution not working - gee, I wonder why? Do you think Belichick might have expected it?
Terrence McGee's shoulder injury looks pretty serious. Might see Ashton Youboty next week, with Corner starting.
Six straight NE run plays. Should have been running more all day.
Shawn Nelson seems to be a focal point of the game plan. Nothing wrong with that.
Come on, T.O. He's losing focus. False start, probably a drive-killer.
Nice heads up play by Jackson, catching the tipped pass from Jonathan Stupar.
Nelson wide open - Fitzpatrick misses him by a good yard and a half. I want a QB. :(
NE three and out. Defense is doing its job; NE looks pretty out of sync, though.
Trent Edwards?!
Hate this move by Fewell. 5 is not your QB. Don't ask him to save the game.
Trent's down. Hobbles off the field. Horrible, horrible decision, Perry.
Surprised there aren't more boo birds - Fitzpatrick back in, Brian Brohm on the sidelines.
Another sack. Absolutely brutal pass blocking.
Josh Reed drops a touchdown. Holy crap. Zero focus from the receivers today.
Another NE three-and-out. Can't blame the D for this loss.
Roscoe Parrish with a 20-yard punt return. Bills ball, deep in NE territory. Might we be on to something?
Beautiful catch by Lee for the TD. First career TD against the Pats. It's about time.
Of course it's Aaron Maybin on the false start. Of course it is. Who else would it be? The blogging gods hate me.
Pats' first third-down conversion of the quarter is a stupid little throw to Welker. Ballgame.

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

John B — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:55:39 -0000

More photos » by Peter Morgan - AP

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The Patriots have offered a number of different defensive looks the past few weeks. Watching the game against the Dolphins two weeks ago, I noticed a subtle move. Vince Wilfork lined up at right end in the 3-4 trying to create a mismatch against the left side of Miami's line. Last week against the Colts New England operated a lot out of the 4-3 with Ty Warren out of the lineup and Derrick Burgess and Tully Banta-Cain at end. Warren is fighting an ankle injury. He's questionable. Whether he starts or not, I think we'll see a few wrinkles from Bill Belichick, changing up the looks on Mark Sanchez.

I would guess we could see Wilfork at end a few times trying to use his power against D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Alan Faneca, who may struggle to contain him. If the left side gets tied up, it will free up edge rushers, such as New England's best, Tully-Banta Cain (3 sacks). Banta-Cain is questionable with a rib injury. I could see Belichick utilizing a look like this to use Rex Ryan's overload blitzes against him. With Warren banged up and Jarvis Green also nursing an injury, we'll see a lot of Mike Wright on the line. Wright has been effective as a pass rusher.

I think the Jets should max protect to keep Sanchez standing. The Pats are probably going to attack him. They've seen on film the rookie mistakes he's made and will try to force more. I'm also expecting eight in the box. Belichick teams try to take away what you do best. For the Jets, owners of the league's top rushing attack, that's run the football. Patrick Chung has also been an effective blitzer from the safety spot.

If the Jets can keep Sanchez standing, they have some decent matchups. Braylon Edwards is a tough matchup for Leigh Bodden. He might need help in the form of Brandon Merriweather and other safeties, which will leave Jerricho Cotchery against an aging Shawn Springs, returning to the lineup from a knee injury and a mix of rookie Darrius Butler and Jason Wilhite. Cotchery always seems to play well against New England. He'll have a good chance to do so again. Dustin Keller should remain Sanchez's primary read, though. It's important not to make mistakes. Keller's a safety valve, and aside from Merriweather and Jerrod Mayo, New England's linebackers and safeties aren't great in coverage.

The Jets did a lot to exploit New England's pass defense in the second half of the first game. This was without Braylon Edwards. As long as they can keep Sanchez upright, they'll have some favorable matchups again. I do not expect this platform to affect Sanchez. Less than a year ago, Mark lit up the Rose Bowl. Obviously, this is a tougher defense, but the pressure of the game won't get to him. Aside from Banta-Cain and Wright, the Pats don't really have any great pass rushers in their front seven. Adalius Thomas and Derrick Burgess have ability but haven't really lit the world on fire this year. The Jets just need to do what it takes to keep Sanchez standing.

Dolphins vs Patriots: Miami's Keys to Victory

Matty I — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:15:20 -0000

I'll take some more of this, please.

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Huge. There's no way around it. That's what Sunday's game between the Dolphins and the Patriots up in Foxborough is. It's huge - for the Dolphins, at least.

A win up in New England would pull the Dolphins within one game of the division lead and give the Dolphins a 4-0 record within the division - which would mean a win over Buffalo later on in the year would give the Dolphins the tie-breaker over the Patriots regardless of how their second meeting plays out in Miami. So let's be real about this game - it's a season-defining game, though at this point I think every game for the Dolphins is critical. But that's what putting yourself in a 2-4 hole does - it magnifies every game from here on out.

So what do the Dolphins have to do to leave Foxborough with a win for the second consecutive time? A lot, of course. But these three factors are among the most important.

Pressure, Pressure, Pressure
This is probably the most obvious key for the Dolphins - and yet it's also the most important. We know how dominant New England's passing attack can be. In my opinion, there is no better duo at the wide receiver position than Randy Moss and Wes Welker. They each have their own strengths and roles and they compliment each other absolutely perfectly.

It's no coincidence that the Patriots have the second best passing offense in the NFL and have been sacked the third fewest times all season. It's also no coincidence that in two of their last three losses with Tom Brady under center, it's been outstanding, relentless pass rushes that have slowed New England's dynamic offense - scoring just 23 combined points in those two games. The two games I'm referring to, of course, are the Super Bowl against the Giants back in February of 2008 and the Pats' week two loss to the Jets back in September. In each of those games, Tom Brady was under constant duress. The Giants got to Brady for five sacks. The Jets didn't actually record any sacks. But if you watched that game, you'd know that the various blitz packages the Jets were sending did enough to force Brady to have to throw the football well before he wanted to.

In those two games, Brady connected on just 55% of his throws and averaged just 5.07 yards per attempt. That's the blueprint the Dolphins will look to follow on Sunday.

To accomplish this, the Dolphins will obviously need big performances out of Jason Taylor and Joey Porter. But it goes beyond just those two. Randy Starks has been outstandthing this year and another big performance out of him would be terrific. Cameron Wake has been quiet since his big week against Buffalo, but I think we might see a little bit more of him on Sunday. I also expect t o see more of those safety blitzes we saw last week with Gibril Wilson and Yeremiah Bell.

The Pats will likely be without starting left tackle Matt Light, which means the Dolphins should have even more opportunities to get to Brady. They can't let those opportunities go to waste.

Pound the rock, but keep Pats honest
We all know the blueprint for what the Dolphins must do on offense against the Patriots. They have got to establish the ground game with Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams against a rush defense that is average at best. The Patriots are allowing 4.5 yards per carry on the ground this season, with is in the bottom third of the league. But teams have been forced to abandon the run against New England because they fall behind early. The Dolphins have got to prevent that from happening by getting the ground attack going early.

Of course, the Patriots know this. Bill Belichick can probably tell us all the exact number of times the Dolphins have ran the football out of every formation - 'Wildcat' included. And with him having had two weeks to prepare for this game thanks to New England's bye week, I'm sure we'll see some looks out of this Patriot defense that nobody has seen all year. But keep in mind that they traded away Richard Seymour prior to the season and Jarvis Green is out with a knee injury, meaning Mike Wright - a player with minimal starting experience - will be starting at the defensive end spot opposite Ty Warren, who is nursing an ankle injury himself.

With that said, though, it's important that the Dolphins do their best to prevent the Patriots from loading up on the run like the Saints and Jets have done the past two weeks. There were times on Sunday when the Jets actually had nine men in the box. That's because teams don't respect Miami's group of receivers nor do they think Dan Henning will call plays for Chad Henne to throw some deep balls.

This week I hope to see Henning give Henne a chance to make some plays down the field, which would help keep New England's defense honest and prevent their two athletic safeties from inching closer and closer to the line of scrimmage. The Patriots aren't exactly loaded in the secondary, either. So there will be plays to be made if Henning just gives Henne a shot. I know we all want to remain committed to the run. But I just don't think Belichick is going to let the Dolphins have a chance to get Ronnie and Ricky rolling. He's going to go all out to stop those two - as he should. It'll be up to Miami's offense to give Belichick a reason to stop loading up against the run.

Make a game-changing non-offensive play
Last week, the Dolphins beat the Jets thanks to three game-changing plays that were made in the other two phases of the game - not on offense. Ted Ginn's two kickoff returns for touchdowns and Jason Taylor's fumble return for a touchdown spotted the Dolphins 21 non-offensive points. This week, the Dolphins need another big play in New England.

There's no way around the fact that Miami's offense isn't nearly as potent as the Patriots are on offense. That's why the Dolphins really do need some kind of huge game-changing play in one of the two other phases of the game. The Patriots are 19th in the league in kickoff coverage, allowing 23.5 yards per return. Prior to last week, the Jets were allowing only 20.5 yards per kickoff return - one of the lowest totals in the entire league - before Ted Ginn and the Dolphins' return unit sliced the Jets up for 299 kickoff return yards on just 6 returns, including Teddy's two touchdowns. So there's no reason why the Dolphins can't get a big play or two to, if nothing else, swing the field position battle and build some momentum.

Defensively, the Dolphins will see a ton of passes fly through the air as Tom Brady is expected to throw the ball early and often against Miami's secondary. To date, Brady has thrown just 4 interceptions so making that big game-changing defensive play obviously will not be easy. But he also isn't afraid to put the ball up for grabs - especially in the direction of Randy Moss. And for the first time in a while, the Dolphins have at least two capable corners who can make a big play. Sean Smith and Vontae Davis both have excellent ball skills. Now I'm not saying I expect some kind of big play - but I wouldn't be surprised, either.

Horse Tracks 10/9/09 - Buckhalter probably out Sunday; Fred Taylor definitely out for Pats

Douglas A. Lee — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:08:04 -0000

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ZAPPA!!!!!!!

NFL Films - Week 5: Patriots vs. Broncos Preview - Video

DB - Preparing for the Elements - Zach Eisendrath
I like this - an awful lot. McD had the team practice in less-than-ideal weather yesterday (and says they'll continue to do so) in preparation for games with nasty conditions (as Sunday could prove to be). This, rather than practicing within the cozy confines of the bubble. I think back to snow games in recent years and what stands out are a couple of horrific losses on Monday Nights - one to the Colts and that idiot kicker Vanderjagt, another to Jokeland and Jerry Porter.

NFLN - Brandon Marshall interview - Video
BMarsh finally opens up, to Michael Irvin in an interview which will air Sunday morning at 9am ET on NFL Network. He admits to having erred in judgment this summer, letting his emotions getting the best of him and failing to follow his agent's advice.

N - Brandon Marshall: "It's exciting to be a Bronco" - Bob Glauber
"The second game of the season at halftime everyone left (the locker room), getting ready to go back out there and I stayed and I sat in my locker, put my head down with a towel over my head. I thought I was the only one in there and I broke down (in tears). I heard a voice and it was Brian Dawkins. He tapped me four times on my back…he said ‘Come on baby.’ And once I heard that, it’s like my teammates are with me…I’m going to get through this. And I think everything is on track, we’re on track. It’s exciting to be a Bronco." – Marshall on being benched vs. Oakland and how the experience motivated him

USAT - Taught by Belichick, McDaniels giving confidence into Broncos - Jarrett Bell
"He always told me," McDaniels said, "'If you feel that's the best way to do something, then you're probably right. Do it that way. Trust yourself and trust your instincts.' "... "One thing it means," he says, "is that there's a lot of people outside this building that really didn't know what was going on the whole time, anyway. This was never about Brandon and I disliking one another. I love coaching the kid. He practices hard. He's got great energy. He's a young kid, getting better."

Y! - Discarded Dawkins becomes Broncos' treasure - Mike Silver
"Having him here is amazing. I’ve never seen anybody like him. You can see his emotion, how passionate he is about the game. It’s wild. He’s so hyped. He’s in his moment, and you love being around him. Most of all, he can play. Guys at 23 aren’t doing what he’s doing." - Champ on BDawk

NFLTA - Dumervil's defense - Video
I'm sure it burns him, but Jamie Dukes says he thinks the Broncos have a "puncher's chance" Sunday versus the Pats. At least Eisen doesn't let him off scot-free...

NFLN - WK 5 Playbook: Patriots vs. Broncos - Video
Theismann loves the Broncos D, while Sterling loves the Pats' no-name guys.

NFL FanHouse - Picking the Brain of Bill Belichick - Thomas George
"There are a lot of impressive things about him. Very smart. The type of person you can give 10 different things to do and ask him about one of them and he will be right on top of it...The type of person who can juggle a lot of balls. And know where they all are." - Belichick talking about Josh McDaniels in a fascinating interview. Thanks to Elizabeth for the link!

SI - Denver Broncos defense in midst of staggering turnaround - Kerry J. Byrne
"the power of the Denver defense is even more impressive when viewed through the pigskin periscope of the Quality Stats that we use to rate teams at ColdHardFootballFacts.com. Quality Stats are those indicators that have a direct correlation to team-wide success."

DPP - Briefs: Dumervil plans on treating Brady like every other QB - Klis & Jones
BDawk missed practice again with a sore knee and shoulder, instead walking through drills. Ben Hamilton and Alphonso Smith were again limited participants.

DB - Legacy Game Sparks Memorable Weekend - Jim Saccomano
Sacco shares plenty of details about the AFL celebration; it goes a lot farther than just old uniforms - sounds like it'll be a great experience.

DB - Week 5 - Thu: McDaniels - Broncos TV

DB - Week 5 - Wed: Transcripts - McDaniels, Orton, Dawkins

NFL - Thursday Injury Reports

LTC - McDaniels gears up for Patriots - Brian Howell

CSG - Coach says Broncos will practice outdoors in any conditions - Frank Schwab

DPP - Q&A: Sneak not seeing much action yet - Jeff Legwold
I'm with this reader and would like to see the Broncos use the QB sneak on short-yardage situations.

DPP - Brady's year of transition - Jeff Legwold

DPP - Analysis: Brady won't get rattled — defense must be solid - Jeff Legwold

DPP - Paige: 5-0 would be a Super sign for Broncos
I'm not sure why previous 5-0 teams have anything at all to do with the Broncos' chances should they win on Sunday, but Woody seems to think he knows...

AP - Bailey relishes increase in passes coming his way - Pat Graham

DB - Tackling Hunger With a Helping Hand - Chris Gentilviso
The wives of several Broncos players worked a shift at a Denver Rescue Mission site Wednesday, serving food to the hungry.

FOX - The truth is sexy ... and so are NFL Truths - Jason Whitlock
"It's comical watching everyone fall over themselves praising Josh McDaniels for Denver's 4-0 start when the Broncos' undefeated start is the No. 1 reason McDaniels should be ripped."

ESPN - John Clayton breaks down the biggest NFL games of Week 5 - John Clayton
"A win or a loss in the showdown won't define McDaniels' start in Denver. The Patriots' former offensive coordinator has exceeded expectations by winning his first four games. His defense, in particular, has exceeded expectations."

CST - Jay Cutler for Kyle Orton: Looks like a QB draw - Neil Hayes

ESPN - Melissa Isaacson on the impact of the Kyle Orton Trade

Patriots News

NFP - Is Taylor's injury a concern in New England? - Matt Bowen

BG - Taylor had surgery today, could be done for season - Christopher Gasper
Don't get too excited; they still have Maroney, Faulk, Morris and Green-Ellis...

BH - Ankle surgery grounds Fred Taylor indefinitely - Ian Rapoport

BH - Mike Wright pays for wrong - Ian Rapoport

BH - Patriots DBs catching on - Ian Rapoport

AFC West News

NFP - Diner morning news: family feud in San Diego - Mike Lombardi

SDUT - Handing out roses - Mike Fleiss
Evaluating the Dolts' roster at the bye.

SDUT - Bye comes at good time for Bolts - Kevin Acee

KCS - LJ says it’s time for offense to move forward - Adam Teicher

KCS - Haley might have help designing Chiefs’ offense - Kent Babb

Y! - Raiders' Russell set up for failure - Charles Robinson

SFG - Raiders Silver and Black Blog : Unspecial teams, Bush, etc. - David White

SFG - Raiders Silver and Black Blog : Russell: Feels fine, no fines - David White

OT - Raiders notebook: Russell dismisses Esiason's criticism - Steve Corkran

OT - Raiders let one get away in Tollefson - Steve Corkran

NFL News

NFL - Thursday injury reports: Texans’ Williams out again

NFL - Carr ready to play for Giants if injured QB Manning can't go

NFL - Mum's the word: Stafford, Lions not saying much about QB's injury

NFL - Burleson likes Hasselbeck's chances of starting for Seahawks

NFL - Bucs S Jackson returns from suspension, could play vs. Eagles

NFL Opinion

NFL - Pick your poison: Defenses trying to adjust to QB protection plans - Vic Carucci

NFP - Rush Limbaugh and the Rams - Robert Boland

SI - What we know 1 month into season - Don Banks

CBS - First-quarter report: Parity a rarity as middle class erodes - Pete Prisco

SN - Rebuilt and rollin': New coaches turn three teams' fortunes - Albert Breer

NFP - Tavern talk: ‘Skins have talent problems - Mike Lombardi

SI - NFL overprotects offensive players - LaMarr Woodley

CBS - Mangini finally gives Browns, fans reason to believe - Gregg Doyel

PFW - Reconsidering Kolb's future with Eagles - Eric Edholm

PFW - Quarterbacks now back in vogue - Tom Danyluk

NFL - Former top picks Russell, Manning square off at Giants Stadium - Gil Brandt

SN - Week 5 picks: Brady a challenge for Broncos' D - Vinnie Iyer

SN - NFL Football Picks
Once again, only 2 Sporting News writers see a Denver win

SI - The Peter King Challenge

NFP - The Daily Jolt's week 5 picks - Ray Gustini

NFL - Safety issue: USC's Mays has skills to pull of an NFL first - Bucky Brooks

PFW - USF safety Allen impresses - College Notes - Nolan Nawrocki

New England Patriots Links 9/29/09 - Ankle Sprain for Vince Wilfork Was All Wright; Not Serious

Marima — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:47:29 -0000

Sammy Morris rushes for a first down on a fourth-and-one play deep inside New England territory.

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Ian Rapoport writes that a source told him Vince Wilfork was diagnosed with left ankle sprain.

The injury, which occurred in the second quarter of Sunday’s 26-10 win against the Atlanta Falcons when DT Mike Wright accidentally stepped on, or rolled over on, Wilfork's leg, is not considered to be a long-term issue. It’s too early to tell if the Pro Bowler could play this Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.

The fact that the injury is not serious is good news on both an organizational and individual level. Wilfork, scheduled to earn a base salary of $2.2 million, is in the final year of his contract.

A serious injury not only would have been debilitating for the defense, it also would have killed Wilfork’s contract leverage.

Shalise Manza Young asserts that risky 4th-down play turned the tide for the Patriots. Fred Taylor thinks it sent a message to the Falcon's defense.

"It pumps you up, in my opinion, from the standpoint of once you execute and once you make it, looking across the field it really (ticks) the defensive players off and you get to put a little smile on your face," Taylor said. "When they’re thinking, ‘Hey, we make this stop, we get to get back on the bench and rest for a while,’ but when you make it you get the last laugh, so to speak."

Ed Bouchette (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) Mike Tomlin spent time between the Super Bowl and training camp studying offenses in the NFL and found one he would like the Steelers to emulate: the New England Patriots.

"I think the great teams are capable of winning in many forms or fashion and playing to their strengths on a week-to-week basis based on a matchup," Tomlin said yesterday. "I thought a great deal about that, frankly, this offseason.

"You study a team like New England, and they walk into a stadium offensively, and week to week they can be whatever they choose to be. They can beat you in three wides, four wides, three tight ends, and it makes them very difficult to prepare for and ultimately beat."

TEAM TALK

Erik Scalavino Baker's TD 'an instinctive play'; plus Monday Notebook.
Patriots Today: Victory over the Falcons. (10.43 min. video)
Bill Belichick Monday Press Conference. 15 min. video plus Transcript.

LOCAL LINKS

Ian Rapoport notes it's the changing game plan that keeps foes off balance and the Patriots hard to plan for.
Jeff Howe notes the banged-up Patriots are preparing for the undefeated Ravens to come to town on Sunday.
Michael Hurley refutes the assertion by a national columnist that Randy Moss has been "dogging it," and says that Moss has been unfairly accused. Good for you, stepping up on Moss's behalf.
Bill Belichick defends Randy Moss and talks about the deceptive way he runs that may look like he's not going as fast as he is. (WEEI Interview at @ the 17.20 minute mark) Moss, Light and Taylor got game balls.
Christopher Price focuses on S Brandon McGowan, who is quickly becoming a big hit with the Pats, and the fans who love his reckless style of play.
Monique Walker and Chris Gasper report the North Attleboro police are investigating an incident involving a Patriots player (Jonathan Wilhite) and a home invasion. Wilhite's agent Jason Chayut said, "There was something, but not anything big. He is fine.’’
Chris Gasper says Fred Taylor is clearly the leader of the running back committee.
Christopher Price notes Fred Taylor is ready and willing to handle a hefty workload, with as many carries as he can get.
Robert Lee offers his Patriots-Falcons post-game analysis.
Tony Massarotti focuses on the 4th-and-1 from the Patriots own 24-yard line, saying that play tells you all you need to know about the state of the football team.
Globe 10.0 Kevin DuPont and Charlie Pierce debate whether Bill Belichick's decision to go for it on 4th down turned the game around. (2.43 min. video)
Mark Farinella notes the Patriots controlled possession of the ball for 39.49 minutes of the game Sunday.
Mark Farinella lists his Falcons-Pats "Hots and Nots".
Steve DeOssie issues his Patriots report card and gives a shout-out to the defense.
Ron Borges grades the Patriots in his weekly report card.
WEEI Patriots Monday: Listen to Tom Brady (20 min.), Chris Baker (8.27), Sammy Morris (11.35), Ty Warren (5.4 min.) and Bill Belichick (36.23 min.)
Karen Guregian reports that two weeks after the first sighting, Jerod Mayo was seen again in the locker room, walking without crutches - and without any noticeable limp. He politely declined to "chat" with reporters.
Dan Guttenplan returns with his Most Wanted List, which includes players and others who have conducted themselves in a terrible manner in the last week. Maroney and Hobbs make the list.

NATIONAL NEWS

Mike Reiss (ESPNBoston) Defensive snaps played by New England defenders: Guyton a constant in both 4-3, 3-4 packages; Postitional Groupings for Patriots offense: TEs were big part of game plan; and Special Teams units better on Sunday: Pat Chung had 2 ST tackles.
Jerome Bettis (SI) Tom Brady back; Rex Ryan might be hurting Sanchez and the Jets more.
Mike Freeman (CBS Sports) After being counted out, Pats alive and well. Back on the bandwagon, eh Mr. Freeman?
Mike Freeman (CBS Sports) Moss' lack of effort could be poison ivy to Patriots. He's convinced Moss is "a dog", doesn't understand why the Patriots put up with it, assumes that it "must privately irritate perfectionists like QB Tom Brady", and isn't buying that Moss had a bad back and was playing in pain on Sunday.
Mike Florio (Pro Football Talk) Heaps on more speculation and innuendo that Randy Moss has been "dogging it." Looks like the "Randy Moss Watch" has been resurrected for the 2009 season. Aaarrgghh.
KC Joyner (ESPN) Ravens-Pats Analysis: Ravens defense vs. Wes Welker. Pats didn't have an answer in 2007, but look for Welker to get the ball early and often this Sunday. (42 second video)
Michael David Smith (NFL Fanhouse) Junior Seau run over by Bull. Seau got up laughing.
Tim Graham (ESPN) Take your pick: Galloway or Lewis? Hindsight is 20-20 Tim.
Michael Lombardi (Nat'l Football Post) Lions return from exile, but other teams may abdicate hope.
Robert Boland (Nat'l Football Post) David Givens vs. the Titans.
George Vecsey (NY Times) When religion is involved, a game is just that.

VIEW FROM BALTIMORE

Jamison Hensley (Baltimore Sun) Ravens to opposing defenses: Take offense. Cam Cameron has his unit firing on all cylinders.
Mike Preston (Baltimore Sun) Next three games will test Ravens.
Mike Duffy (Baltimoreravens.com) Offensive assault emerging: Historically known for their defense, the Ravens are now becoming known on both sides of the ball.

Game Recap: Jets defeat Patriots, 16-9

MaPatsFan — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 22:01:43 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

3 months ago: New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss (81) loses control of the ball after it was knocked away by New York Jets safety Kerry Rhodes (25) as Jim Leonhard (36) pursues during the second quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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It was 9-3 Patriots going into the second half and, on the surface, we essentially had control of the game. The problem? All nine points were off of Stephen Gostkowski's foot which meant our red zone efficiency was crap. And looking at the numbers, that is proven: 0/3.

I remember thinking that if the Jets clean their game up, we'll be in trouble. While we were ahead, it was a dogfight on defense; pressure was the name of the game for this matchup and NY figured out how to get around our pass protection while providing enough protection for Mark Sanchez. Or, our defense simply ran out of gas. Either way, some defensive re-tooling is necessary.

As we've discussed all week, the feeling was Rex Ryan would bring the house and amp up the pass pressure. I think today was evidence of that. Tom Brady was rushed repeatedly. There were times in the first half when Brady's pass protection looked very good, with Laurence Maroney providing a lot of extra protection. That all ended in the second half. The Jets' defense started getting to him. No sacks, but a lot of hurries. And it showed. Brady was overthrowing a lot of balls. But the reception woes weren't necessarily all on Brady; some of the misses were blown routes and/or a lack of communication between Brady and his receivers.

The rushing attack wasn't stellar, but it seemed to provide enough diversity to keep NY on their toes, at least for the first half. El Mo looked good and Fred Taylor seemed to have a couple of good runs that could've broken away. The rushing yardage wasn't stellar, but it was enough to keep things unbalanced. Unfortunately, Brady was never able to hit his screens effectively. Running backs, including Kevin Faulk, were taken out of the game from a reception standpoint.

As hard as it is, let's take a look at the numbers:

Red Zone efficiency - Patriots: 0/3, Jets: 1/3. If ya can't punch it in for six, it's gonna be a long day and that's exactly what we got today.
Passing - 23/47, 216 yards. You can't go under 50% with low yardage like that and expect to mount a crushing aerial attack. This is so un-Brady. And a QB rating of 53.1. Ouch.
Penalties - 11 for 89 yards vs. the Jets 8 for 55. The Patriots' 11 included 3 (2 back-to-back) delay game penalties.
Special Teams - Jets' Leon Washington had four kickoff returns for an average of 31 yards and a long of 43 while our average, split between Maroney and Julian Edelman, hovered at 20 yards. Stephen Gostkowski, usually able to boot it into the endzone for a touchback repeatedly, had only two for four.

Were there any bright spots in this game?

Julian Edelman stepped in nicely for the ailing Wes Welker to the tune of 8 for 98 and a long of 29.
DE's Ty Warren and Mike Wright each had a sack on Mark Sanchez.
Vince Wilfork and Mike Wright were each credited with a forced fumble.
Most of the thing wrong with this game, from the Patriots perspective, are fixable.

I hate to say it, but this one's on Tom Brady. There was pressure, but a lot of bad passes. That's not good for a team that depends on their aerial attack.

Notes and links for Ohio football; if you love Cincinnati-area football, we might have a job for you

Kirkendall — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 20:28:48 -0000

Even though we're a blog that specifically talks about the Cincinnati Bengals, we try our damnest to talk about other area football teams; especially the Ohio State Buckeyes and the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. The truth of the matter is, when the Bengals were recording their worst season since 2002 (2-14), the University of Cincinnati was in the middle of their first BCS season since, well, the BCS started. It didn't just make the season the Bengals were having passable (if that phrase even exists); it was exciting as hell. As was the run the Buckeyes have, save for that one game during the third week of the season; I can't remember the result, or even who we played; in fact, I have no memory of September 13, 2008. If you're remotely a fan of the UC Bearcats, or have this uncontrollable instinct to simply cheer anything related to your hometown, then how are you not excited about the Bearcats? The Buckeyes. Well, we're extremely nervous. In truth, even with the Bengals and Browns, football in Ohio is the best football product in any state in the union; that includes Florida, Texas and California. I'm biased for Ohio football. I don't care. It's the best. So when we have time, or when we start feeling all Swine-Flu sick talking about the Bengals because their season turns into a wreck, we'll talk Ohio football. Now, I know readers might not care; they just want Bengals news and nothing else. I can respect that. So in our Ohio football that doesn't include the Browns posts, we'll keep it short, and anyone wanting to continue, can click on the jump.

(Note: if you have a love for Ohio football, especially the Bearcats and Cincinnati area football, drop me an email. I might have a job for you).

Now, onto links and notes.

Go Bearcats takes a look at the 12 former Bearcats on NFL rosters. They are Conner Barwin (Texans), John Bowie (Raiders), Brandon Underwood (Packers), Brent Celek (Eagles), Trent Coles (Eagles), Troy Evans (Saints), Andre Frazier (Steelers), Tyjuan Hagler (Colts), Haruki Nakamura (Ravens), Mike Wright (Patriots), Antonio Chatman (Bengals) and Kevin Huber (Bengals).

Seven former Bearcat players were released from NFL rosters this weekend: which includes Mike Mickens (Cowboys), Corey Smith (Chiefs), DeAngelo Smith (Cowboys) Digger Bujnoch (Saints), Adam Hoppel (Browns), Manalac (Bills) and Trevor Canfield (Cardinals)

However, Joe Reedy Tweets that DeAngelo Smith was claimed by the Browns.

The Bearcats season kicks Monday (Labor Day) at Rutgers at 4 PM. It will be broadcast on ESPN. Quarterback questions for Rutgers.

Brian Kelly doesn't like opening the season against a Big East team on the road.

Tony Pike and Mardy Gilyard are great offensive players for the Bearcats and likely NFL prospects. However, the Bearcats also have Jeff Linkenbach, a 6'6", 311 pound left tackle.

"He had a great year last year," offensive coordinator Jeff Quinn said of Linkenbach. "Without him as our left tackle, who knows what could have been the outcome of the season?"

The Bearcats' newest defensive coordinator, Bob Diaco, is the complete opposite of Mike Zimmer. Aaron Webster, the team's free safety, says of Diaco. “He’s a real mellow person. You can tell not a lot gets to him. He’s not really flustered when there’s controversy or when adversity hits.”

UC joined IMG College and ISP Stadium Seating to provide Nippert stadium with 10,000 cushioned seats with backs.

"Over the past few seasons more and more fans have come up to us and asked if there was anything we could do about the uncomfortable red seats in Nippert. When we looking into this, the most economical and comfortable alternative was to partner with an outside vendor who could help us solve our fan's comfort issue, and do so at a reasonable price. We tested these types of seats over the last two years and decided to move forward with a mass installation for the 2009 season. ISP Stadium Seating has answered our charge and will serve our fans well this season and for many years to come."

Hopefully 2010 will be a season where seats aren't being used all that much. The seats, "black with a red c-claw on the backs", are being offered as part of a season ticket package for UCATS members.

We Will Always Have Tempe freaked out, as did we all, when the Buckeyes nearly let Navy beat them Saturday. Things don't look good for USC this Saturday.

Defensive back Anderson Russell gave up a long touchdown pass and "frequently misdiagnosed plays". However, Terrell Pryor, who wore eye black with the words "Vick", is a much improved passer over last year.

The Rivalry, Esq calls the Buckeyes performance a disappointing showing, especially when failing to establish the running game.

Navy recorded three 80-yard plus touchdown drives.

Elder, ranked fourth in the nation, beat Colerain, who is ranked 13th in the nation, 20-7. The game was sold out at the Pit, which holds over 10,000 and was broadcast live on ESPN.

The Mason Comets, my old stomping grounds, lost their first game of the season, to Centerville 14-34. That drops the Comets to 1-1. They play their first Greater Miami Conference game in two weeks.

Poll

Would you like a weekly take on all things in Cincinnati (and Ohio) football?

Yes

124 votes

No

108 votes

232 votes | Poll has closed

New England Patriots 53 man roster - some thoughts

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

by Stephan Savoia - AP

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

View full size photo »

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

Offense: 25

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

Defense: 25

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

Specialists: 3

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

Injured Reserve

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

Poll

What do you think of the roster?

Lovin' it!

524 votes

Too early to tell.

722 votes

Hate it.

66 votes

1312 votes | Poll has closed

New England Patriots Links 8/12/09 - Offseason Awards Announced

Marima — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:52:33 -0000

Brady leading the huddle at training camp. Photo courtesy of Chris Parsons.

View full size photo »

Robert Lee notes Belichick won't say for sure if Brady will play against Eagles. Belispeak at its finest.

"We’ll do what’s best for the football team," Belichick says. "Whatever decisions those are, that’s what [we will do] … Some players will play. Some players won’t play. Some players will play more than others."

"I think it’s important for every player to be ready on opening day and be ready for the start of the season and again, I think for each individual player I could answer that question a lot of different ways," Belichick answered.

Mike Reiss lists the Patriots Offseason Program Winners. The winners were rated in a number of different areas among their position groups, with attendance and improvement from last season part of the consideration.

Here is the full list of Patriots winners this year, who will now be parking a bit closer to the facility:

K Stephen Gostkowski

OT Nick Kaczur

LB Jerod Mayo

RB Sammy Morris

G Stephen Neal

S James Sanders

TE Benjamin Watson

WR Wes Welker

DL Mike Wright

TEAM SHOTS

Erik Scalavino says with so many changes, New England's backfield is forming a new identity.

Ask PFW: Prepping for Game Action.

Patriots Today: Brady's latest, hitting the jackpot, training camp updates and more. (9.25 min. video)

Tom Brady Tuesday Press Conference transcript and video (14.18 min.)

Bill Belichick Tuesday Press Conference transcript and video (24.31 min.)

LOCAL SHOTS

Mike Reiss says Tom Brady is ready for Patriots' exhibition opener.
Ian Rapoport offers his take on whether Brady thinks he'll play tomorrow night, "I don’t think it’s like a guest appearance or anything," he said.
Karen Guregian feels the recent vists of Vonnie Holliday and Kevin Carter were for down-the-road replacement concerns. Belichick likes to keep an updated list of players he can call in, to help the team out if needed.
Mike Reiss Patriots Notebook: Nick Kaczur says it's nice to be recognized by the coaches for his hard work in the offseason; Kraft explains the Patriots aren't extending contracts until they know what the rules will be in 2010.
Ian Rapoport Patriots Notebook: Belichick says preseason exhibition game is perfect time for players and coaches to see how they're really doing.
Shalise Manza Young and Robert Lee Patriots Journal: New QB Walter has 'tons of work to do.'
Mike Reiss notes Bill Belichick showed the team footage of last year's pre-season game against the Eagles, and specifically went over the first half, when the Patriots dug themselves a 24-3 hole.
Robert Lee focuses on QB Andrew Walter working hard and looking to gain confidence.
Ben Collins notes rookie Jake Ingram's battle for the longsnapper position against veteran Nathan Hodel.
Ian Rapoport reveals that owner Robert Kraft said he'd bet 1,000 lottery tickets that Brady starts the first preseason game.
Mike Reiss answers his reader mailbag full of training camp, player and position questions. Great insight here as usual.
Mike Reiss offers some bits from Brady after a Q&A session with reporters after Tuesday morning's practice.
Ian Rapoport details Tom Brady's cover and feature story in Details Magazine.

LONG SHOTS

Matt Bowen (Nat'l Football Post) NFL notebook: Brady needs to play in preseason.
Michael Lombardi (Nat'l Football Post) Injuries happen: In the preseason, everyone should play.
Tim Graham (ESPN) Brady expects more than a cameo in Philly.
Charles Robinson (Yahoo! Sports) Brady's return puts more pressure on O-Line.
Jeff McLane (Philadelphia Inquirer) Eagles' Hobbs ready to face former team.
Albert Breer (Sporting News) Brady: Nothing to see here (except this month's Details Magazine.)
Bob Kimball (USA Today) Selected weekend TV ratings - NFL doesn't need trickery to outdraw baseball, any game will do.
Allen Wilson (Buffalo News) Terrell Owens day to day with sprained toe.
Dan Graziano (NFL Fanhouse) Bills may not huddle all year.
Mike Beradino (South Florida Sun-Sentinal) Why are so many Miami Dolphins Players quitting the team?
Mike Florio (Pro Football Talk) Steelers, state police criticized for gun party.

Around the AFC East: Ranking the division's defensive tackles

Brian Galliford — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:00:15 -0000

More photos » by Michael Dwyer - AP

Browse more photos »

It's Friday, which means the bloggers of all four AFC East teams at SB Nation are back at the ranking game. Over the past two weeks, Matty I, MaPatsFan, John B and myself have spent some time ranking the division's running backs and linebackers. Since the conversations surrounding those topics have been excellent, we're continuing the ranking game this morning.

Last week's linebacker rankings were rather dull, considering there isn't much to seriously debate - particularly when considering how evenly matched and ill-tempered the running back rankings were. Today we're making a valiant attempt to get back to even ground. In case you hadn't noticed, the AFC East is chock-full of outstanding defensive tackles. There are big names throughout the division - Vince Wilfork, Kris Jenkins, Jason Ferguson, and the Buffalo Bills' very own Marcus Stroud. The depth throughout the division is also rather terrific.

Head on in past the jump for my rankings, and be sure to check out The Phinsider, Pats Pulpit and Gang Green Nation for rival rankings as well. Then let the debate begin!

1. New England Patriots - Vince Wilfork is probably the most dominant nose tackle in the league. The man is a mountain, and he's blocked like one, too. But it doesn't stop there for New England - they drafted another stout porker in the second round when they snagged BC's Ron Brace to back Wilfork up. Brace has a shot to play 3-4 nose tackle for a long time in this league (unless, of course, Wilfork prevents him from doing so). Mike Wright can moonlight at nose tackle, but he's athletic enough to play end for Bill Belichick as well. The best player and the most enviable depth? Putting the Patriots at the top of this list was relatively easy.

2. New York Jets - Look, I'm just glad that I didn't have to put the Jets at the top of the list this week, as they took my top spot at both running back and linebacker. Kris Jenkins is excellent as the anchor of that defense - just ask Melvin Fowler and Duke Preston. The team brought in veteran Howard Green to back Jenkins up at the nose (which Sione Pouha can do as well), and Green can play a little end as well. This is a big and versatile group.

3. Buffalo Bills - It's quite strange to try to fit the Bills into a group like this because their defensive scheme is so vastly different from the rivals'. In particular, the two schemes call for the biggest personnel differences at the DT position. Buffalo's personnel is lighter and quicker than the rest of the division's tackles simply because they're being asked to do different things. Marcus Stroud is still an upper-echelon tackle in the league, and the unheralded Kyle Williams is solid too. Spencer Johnson offers some athleticism and versatility in reserve, and if John McCargo can finally make good on his vast potential, the Bills will be quite deep at this position.

4. Miami Dolphins - Jason Ferguson has been an excellent nose tackle in this league for a long time, but he's far closer to "relic" status than any other player at the position as well. Ferguson will be fine this year, but in their haste to address their weak defensive backfield in free agency, the Dolphins missed the boat on securing the future at their most important defensive position. (Not that they didn't need to fix their secondary.) The depth behind Ferguson consists of Tony McDaniel, Joe Cohen and Paul Soliai - not necessarily in that order. The depth isn't great, and while Ferguson is an exemplary pro and a great fit for the Bill Parcells defense, it nonetheless places Miami last on this list.