SB Nation - Titus Adams

New England Patriots Links 12/16/09 - Adalius Thomas Gets a Good Wrap

Marima — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:48:07 -0000

Titus Adams (left) and Adalius Thomas get all wrapped up in the 'Wrap a Pat' portion of the New England Patriots charitable foundation/Salvation Army Holiday party at Gillette Stadium yesterday.

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Adalius Thomas earned points with Robert Kraft and especially the kids, who adorned he and defensive lineman Titus Adams in gift wrap as part of the "Wrap-a-Pat" portion of the evening. Great photos of the event here.

"It was a little crazy being wrapped up with Titus. He's a little claustrophobic. I'm a little claustrophobic. I found out he's a lot more claustrophobic than I am," Thomas said earlier this evening. "But it was very interesting to see the kids do that. I don't know how much paper it was but that was a lot of paper. I could have used some of that. I need to wrap some gifts when I get home."

"Any time when it's about the kids, nothing else really matters. It's a game that we're playing," Thomas said. "That's truly what it is. But these kids are dealing with the game of life, which is a lot more important than football. You come out here, you try to put a smile on their faces, and hopefully they forget about any problems they may have or anything they may be going through. So if you can come out and lend a hand, spend a piece of your day and give them something to remember for a lifetime, I think that's a great trade-off."

Bill Belichick talks up Bills' WR Terrell Owens and if he's still the same threat he's been in the past.

Well, yeah. Ask Jacksonville, ask Miami. He does a great job on the vertical deep routes. He's obviously big and fast and he can go up and get the ball. But he's also very good on the underneath routes, like what happened last week on a catch-and-run play where he caught the ball underneath, broke a couple tackles, and got the ball in the end zone. He's dangerous. He made a nice play there against Kansas City, but he's also made nice plays down the field. They try to get him the ball underneath. They did that against us in the first game for a 20-something-yard gain, whatever it was.

So he's a guy that can hurt you in a lot of different ways - deep, intermediate, run after the catch. He had a real nice play that got called back against Miami. He had a real nice play where he took a reverse and they had him in the backfield for about a 10-yard loss, and he ended up gaining about 10, 12 yards on the play and broke three or four tackles along the way. I think he's still got plenty of skill.

TEAM TALK

New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills - Broadcast info, series history, team connections and more.
Ask PFW: What's up with A.D., Moss?
Tuesday Conference Calls: Bill Belichick (13:19 min.), Dean Pees (9:09 min.), Nick Caserio (7:52 min.). Plus Transcripts.
Patriots Today: Run game, playoff picture and more. (11:35 min video)

LOCAL LINKS

Mark Farinella employs a lonely voice of reason regarding the press and its biased treatment of Randy Moss. Plenty of players have bad games without getting crucified, including Matt "turnstyle" Light and Tom "Channing Crowder isn't a Patriot?" Brady. But Moss is never allowed the luxury of a bad game or a slump without the old story lines resurfacing.
Chris Gasper catches up with former Patriot WR Troy Brown, who weighs in on Moss and Thomas. Brown believes Moss has too much respect for Tom Brady and Bill Belichick to dog it.
Mike Reiss offers ten things to know about the Bills.
Karen Guregian looks for Brady to go to Moss early against the Bills, even though Buffalo has the NFL’s worst-ranked defense against the run.
Albert Breer sees the Patriots shifting to a running game.
Chris Gasper asserts Wes Welker is the MVP of the 2009 Patriots.
Adam Kilgore looks at the fan portion of the Pro-Bowl voting and notes some of its silliness.
Jeff Howe says winning doesn't cure everything, but a win over Buffalo on Sunday might.
Mike Reiss reports Jarvis Green has seen a heavy workload after missing three games following knee surgery. His four tackles and one sack earned him a game ball Sunday.
Albert Breer offers his final thoughts on the week that was.
Christopher Price answers his weekly reader mailbag, with Randy Moss and Adalius Thomas topping the list. Price believes Moss has too much respect for Tom Brady to dog it and thinks the WR is hurting.
Mike Reiss answers his weekly reader mailbag overflowing with questions, comments and concerns regarding the Patriots eventful week.
Mike Reiss notes Greg Gumbel (play-by-play) and Dan Dierdorf (analysis) will call Sunday's game between the Patriots and Bills, which is the 100th in the series between the teams.
Ron Borges issues his week 14 Report Card, granting a top grade to Welker and not much else.
Steve DeOssie issues his week 14 Report Card, saying it's a good thing they were playing Carolina.
Boston Herald Patriots Notebook: Robert Kraft provided some kind words for both Adalius Thomas and Randy Moss at yesterday's Salvation Army/Patriots holiday party at Gillette Stadium; James Sanders shared the team lead with seven tackles Sunday; Belichick sung the praises of T.O., whose team the Pats will be facing this week; Nick Caserio believes Laurence Maroney is evolving into the type of running back the team envisioned when it drafted him in 2006.

NATIONAL NEWS

NFL Network The Coaches: Belichick defends Randy Moss. (3:39 min. video) Mike Martz and Steve Mariucci defend Bill Belichick's defense of Randy Moss. Nice.
Allen Wilson (Buffalo News) Patriots' commitment called into question.
Nolan Nawrocki (Pro Football Weekly) Moss' effort reflects bigger Patriots problem.
Jeremy Lundblad (ESPN Stats & Information) Statistical guide to the New England Patriots' problems.
Allen Wilson and Ian Rapoport (Sporting News) Patriots vs. Bills Preview.
Rodney McKissic (Buffalo News) Bills' rookie safety Jairus Byrd has nine interceptions for the season.
Don Banks (SI) Draft redux: Re-projecting the 2009 first round Draftt based on season-to-date performances.

Jets Flight Connections 121009

dvdvil — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:15:55 -0000

HC Rex Ryan decided that QB Mark Sanchez will not play this Sunday. Rich Cimini reminds us that he thought of it first.

Fellow rookie and first round pick QB Matthew Stafford will not start either.

Fellow rookie and first round pick QB Josh Freeman is getting ready for the Jets game.

The Buccaneers have their work cut out for them, and having WR Michael Clayton might help.

The state of the upcoming opponent had nothing to do with the Sanchize being inactive. Attached to Dave Hutchinson's article are videos of Rex, Mark and back-up QB Kellen Clemens.

Hofstra product and Tampa Bay HC Raheem Morris knows the Jets just plan to run the ball anyway.

Clemens will get another chance to start, possibly his last shot to show what he can do. WR Braylon Edwards compares Kellen's situation to Browns QB Derek Anderson's experience.

The Jets and the Giants are keeping New York somewhat optimistic.

Former Giants RB Tiki Barber thought Mark would be okay to play.

Speaking of RBs, I once again urge you to vote early and vote often for Thomas Jones for FedEx Ground Player of the Week.

And again, you can send CB Darrelle Revis and other Jets all-stars to Miami by voting them in the ProBowl.

More connections after the jump.

Here is a nice summation of the Jets' clearest path to the playoffs.

ESPN.com says the Jets are in good position with their running backs.

RB Leon Washington is a big bargain. Browns HC Eric Mangini thinks highly of him.

Do the Jets actually have "the best front seven" out of the top five defensive teams right now?

This article names Darrelle Revis as Defensive Player of the Week.

This blogger compares Revis to 1994 Defensive Player of the Year Deion Sanders.

This blogger, for some reason, compares and contrasts the Jets to the Cowboys over the years.

Even K Jay Feely should have a productive Sunday for fantasy football. Pick Thomas Jones for your running back this week, as well as the Jets defense.

This article mentions Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew's no-TD play against New York, as well as his experience with Jets fans.

University of Washington QB Jake Locker looks at Mark Sanchez's decision to turn pro.

Even though Patriots QB Tom Brady recently became a daddy, he still made it to work on time, unlike these guys.

New England activated DL Titus Adams, who used to be on the Jets practice squad.

San Diego activated DT Antonio Garay, who used to be on the Jets practice squad.

Miami LBs Jason Taylor and Joey Porter did not practice.

Bills WR Terrell Owens says, "Just shoot me."

And lastly, here is a video of the Jets defensive players talking about their squad:

Armchair Analysis: New England Patriots defeat Washington Redskins, 27-24

MaPatsFan — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:38:41 -0000

by Nick Wass - AP

3 months ago: New England Patriots cornerback Jonathan Wilhite intercepts a pass in front of Washington Redskins wide receiver D.J. Hackett (18) for a touchdown during the second half of a preseason NFL football game, Friday, Aug. 28, 2009, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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Alright, I am ridiculously late with this one, but I have a good excuse: some guy named Tedy decided to retire and we had to devote like a day's worth of stories to him. Go figure. Anyway, after the jump you will find some fine and insightful analysis by our cadre of armchair coaches. The best part, for me, is reading their analysis because it provokes me to think about the game in a different way.

If I have neglected to post your analysis, please let me know and I'll edit. Enough of my jabbering; analysis after the jump...

From jmm1776, we have our TE analysis:

There were some interesting developments with TEs in this game. Most notably, the TEs were used in the backfield as fullbacks, in a formation I think is called "Full house" (see this link: http://www.mightymitesfootball.org/graphics/page30_1.jpg ). Baker played most of the first half, and Watson played in the second half. The TEs were basically non-existent in the passing game.

Aashray G jumps in with linebackers:

A. Thomas and Mayo excellent as linebackers. I'm starting to really like the idea of the 4-2-5 defense. Mayo will be a star for 10 years. Thomas is ever so solid. I'd still like to see him pressure the quarterback more.

Still no sign of Burgess starting at Linebacker, I think that they will use him solely for pass rush. Guyton looked solid as starter and has made a case for starting duties over P.Thomas.

Run stopping could improve and I'd like to see the linebackers be more aggresive. Otherwise a solid night for the linebackers, but nothing spectacular. Could improve in pass coverage.

ba-shiznit gives us his thoughts on quarterbacks and some additional analysis:

Well, after the first series 3 and out, Tom Brady looked great, hitting Moss for a couple TD's and moving the ball around pretty efficiently. They seemed to be losing steam toward the end of the first half though.

O'Connell looked ineffective under center. It didn't appear the WR's were getting open, but the camera angles weren't focused downfield. Baker tipped an O'Connell pass right to the Redskins D. Lame move for a vet. With the news O'Connell being cut, we can assume Walters will be getting two or three quarters of play in the last preseason game against the Giants. Is it just me alone thinking this, or are there a lot of teams with pretty darn good back-up QB's this season? Seems like there are. The Pats not one of them so much.

Other notes:

Bodden looked a little up and down, letting a couple deep passes go for receptions. Looked much better in the second half.

Vollmer played LT and RT, 1st half, 2nd half, and looked good as far as I could see.

F Taylor looked a little ineffective in his playing time.

Maroney does a pretty good Faulk impersonation catching passes out of the backfield. He actually had an okay night. Not great, but okay. Maroney, as I have thought for the last couple seasons, should be catching passes out of the backfield to get past the line. Our O-line does not create running lanes as well as I would like to see.

Seymore had stopped playing on the play Campbell scooted past him to score a rushing TD. He was only a step or two away from him too. That really chaps my hide. I hope the coaches point that out to him during film review. Later on he did make a sideline to sideline pursuit of a play to make a nice tackle for a short gain. You gotta keep your eyes open every play though. That's how teams stay in the game and score on you, when you're taking a play off halfway before it's over. Irritating.

Wilhite made a nice int, but me and my fellow Patriots fans at the sports bar thought it was a little too soon to start showboat-stepping at the 50 yd line. It's fun to be able to celebrate your first NFL int TD, but that was a bit much. The last 5 or 10 yards it's cool. 40 or 50 yds? C'mon.

Green Ellis continues to impress me. I feel he should stay if it were between him or Maroney being cut. I hope they both stay. Cut Slater. He did make a couple nice deep tackles on special teams, but the penalties and ineffective return game make me say cut him.

I think Chung will keep getting better. He hasn't impressed me much yet, but seems like he will get there sometime this season.

Mike-Dub chimes in with an overall game analysis:

Defense looked OK!... They gave up way to many rushing and passing yards and gave up a score to close out the third quater... CANNOT HAPPEN... Wilhite had a great pick 6... Guyton and Adams both had nice sacks... Adams to allow us to win the game.

The Brady and Moss combination looked great with the 2 touchdowns.

O'Connell did not play well at all with his two picks which is probably partially why he got cut.

Running game didn't do to much but Maroney decent after the passing game opened it up for them.

Chung did not look good at his run backs but had a good punt return at the end of the game.

The OL looked pretty good except for that one play were Haynesworth hit Brady... Thankfully it is only a sore shoulder and is expected to play agaisnt the Bills next Monday.

And Gastowski with the winning FG brought back Adam Vinateri memories.

Overall Brady and Moss looked great while every one else on the offense was eh!...

The defense did not look good with there pass coverage and gave up way to much with the run and needs to get better with that.

And the OL did good except when they let Haynesworth get at Brady.

Hardscores gives us his thoughts on the defensive line:

Well, the first team defense finally let up a scoring drive this
preseason, after 9 successful stops against the Eagles and Bengals.

Stephen Williams, a second-string end behind Ty Warren (read: not
gonna start any games injuries non withstanding), tacked on two sacks
while he was on the field. Practice team-bound Titus Adams also
grabbed a sack. Wilfork was stuffing the middle while he was on the
field, taking two tackles and two assists.

Clinton Portis was completely stonewalled by the first-team defense.
In six attempts, he racked up a total of 8 yards, with a long of 3!
Mason was a bit more productive, average almost 4 YAC on 8 rushes -
including a rather easy dive into the end zone against the goal line
defense.

The back up RBs notched 71 yards on 14 attempts against the backup
line - or 5 yards per run.

I know sacks are a misleading stat, but the lack of any from the
starting defensive line is still disconcerting - 22 passing attempts
and none on Campbell (he had 13 completions). It appears that the line
was a bit more concerned with the run, but it would have been nice to
see Campbell hit as hard as Brady was last night.

Tales from the SunnySide: Le Kevin Smith

Emmett Smith — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:30:09 -0000

More photos » AP

4 months ago: This is a May 2009 photo of Le Kevin Smith of the New England Patriots NFL football team. The Denver Broncos needed more muscle and hustle in their defensive line, and they knew right where to go to get it, acquiring versatile end Smith from New England for a draft pick on Monday, Aug. 17, 2009. (AP Photo)

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The Denver Broncos are officially looking for leadership.

With the acquisition of former New England Patriot Le Kevin (pronounced leh KEE vin) Smith, the Broncos have once more gone for a player who was a leader during his collegiate career. Playing for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Smith teamed with Titus Adams over his last two seasons there to a top-level pair of defensive tackles on a 4-3 line. Smith himself contributed a stellar swim move and 6 sacks to a defensive line that accounted for a total of 50 sacks, the best in the USA, over Smith's senior year in college (2005). NFLDraftScout.com referred to him as the 'high energy leader' of that line. This importation continues a pattern that has carried over since the first of the Josh McDaniels/Brian Xanders free-agent signings was confirmed. Character matters. So does intellect. And, after the bend-and-break defenses of the past few seasons, physical and mental toughness are now flat-out requirements.

Le Kevin is a natural athlete. As a youth, Smith used to challenge other kids to a back-flip contest, often completing 3 and 4 in a row. Now 6'3" and 308 lbs, Smith can still do a back-flip. He should get along well with Marcus Thomas, who can toss a mean back-flip of his own. As a high school athlete, Smith earned letters all four years in track as well as football. He was a three-time state discus champion in Georgia, and a two-time State shot-put champion. Le Kevin is a very, very good athlete. He was also an All-State defensive tackle his senior year at Stratford Academy where he did his prep work. He was named the USA Today Georgia Player of the Year and was also an All-American according to both Super Prep and Rivals.com, playing at defensive tackle. Stratford Academy would win two Class 3A state football titles while he was there.

Smith's college career at Nebraska got off to a shaky start in 2001, though, as he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in August training camp. He also required surgery on his other knee that offseason, but Smith was undeterred. He red-shirted and used the time to his best advantage in the weight room, returning with more bulk and more strength as a freshman in 2002 and earned All-Big 12 honors that year.

His career really took off as a junior, however. He was an All-Big 12 Conference honorable mention as a nose guard. He racked up 43 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 4 pressures, and 11 tackles for loss, while starting all 11 games that year. As a senior, he was even better despite moving to under-tackle. He had the above mentioned 6 sacks and a whopping 12 tackles for loss, batting away one pass and intercepting another while adding 7 pressures. Smith only missed 1 game in his entire college career after returning from his knee injury. Over the course of his career, he totaled 36 tackles for loss, the 7th most in Cornhusker history. The quality of his play earned him an invitation to the Combine.

Combine was just another chance to him to shine. He was measured at 6'3" and 316 lbs. Despite his size, he ran a 4.97 40-yard dash, did 30 reps on the 225-lb. bench press and demonstrated a 30.5-inch vertical jump. He also scored a 9'1" broad jump and ran the 10-yard dash in 1.75 seconds. nfldraftscout.com had him as the 148th-ranked player in the country. The draft, however, didn't agree. He was finally picked in the 6th round, pick #206 by New England.

"He has a little position flexibility," Bill Belichick said after the Patriots selected Smith. "He has a little bit of height to him so he could possibly play some end. I think we’ll start him off a little more at nose tackle. Let’s see how it goes."

New England saw his potential and quickness. Eventually, they moved him to defensive end in the 3-4 rotation although he was used in different looks. He never started; but in fairness, the New England front three is one of the best in the league. Using his speed and tenacity, Smith began to stand out on special teams. He played on coverage units and blocked for returns. He won increased playing time each year, and last season he totaled a career-high 21 tackles. He even picked up Andre Hall's fumble last season in New England. He is capable of playing DT in the 4-3 or DE in the 3-4. His versatility can help him fight for a roster slot in Denver, although he will probably not start.

Some fans feel that this is a slap at our current players. I think that the coaches will tell you that you can't have too much quality at DL, and that competition brings out the best in people. Smith is well known for his voracious work ethic, and that's also something that the Broncos could use.

Beyond the field, Smith has the body of an athlete and the soul of an artist. He likes to paint, draw, and also enjoys photography and architecture. Some of his paintings hang in a Macon, GA hospital. He was even considering an architecture degree, but his practical side won out. He finished his degree in construction management in December, 2005. Smith was named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll in 2003. And his name, which has raised some eyebrows, is a combination of his father's name, Louis, and his mother's name, Kim.

In interviews - here and here - Smith comes across as intelligent, gentle, thoughtful and sensitive - a strange combination in such a large man with such a violent occupation. He loves drawing and loves to cook, making any kind of Southern meal. But that's the kind of contradiction that you often find in men with unusually high intellects, multiple talents and physical skills. They like to be the best at everything that they do, and they try to learn their subjects well, as his history and honor roll achievement shows.

Smith wasn't going to crack a starting rotation that includes Richard Seymour, Ty Warren and Vince Wilfork, especially with backups like Jarvis Green and Mike Wright also finding minutes. He may or may not make the rotation with the Broncos, but he's willing to try. Said Head Coach Josh McDaniels,"We're just trying to improve the football team in every way we can," Broncos coach Josh McDaniels said. "If there's a player at any position that could help us or we feel could improve our depth or talent, at any position, we would take a look at him. He certainly is a guy that we've evaluated and feel like he could fit what we're doing."

John Blake, Smith's position coach at Nebraska (now with the Dallas Cowboys) said, "He really knows the game of football."

Rodney Collins, Smith's coach from high school said,

"Some kids are blessed with [talent] and take it for granted. He was never like that. His conditioning was a sense of pride with him. He was a leader in the weight room as well as on the football field. Everyone looked up to him here, and he was nice to everyone. The kind of guy that everyone wants to be around. Just a big ol' teddy bear."

Obviously, a bear with big, long claws. It will be fun to see if he can claw his way onto the Broncos roster. With his size, skill set and experience, I wouldn't bet against him. Give the man a salmon!

Patriots changes by position: Defensive Line

MaPatsFan — Mon, 18 May 2009 22:23:22 -0000

via www.projo.com

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Vince...he dah man! Drafted 21st overall in 2004, all 325 lbs of Mr. Wilfork has been front and center on the Patriots' defensive line for the past five seasons. Guess what 2009 is? It's the end of his contract. Are you screaming yet? Are you reaching for the hair of the dog that bit you? Fear not - Belichick's smarter than you and most definitely me.

Vince Wilfork - There's little to write here: PAY VINCE!! PAY VINCE!! While he hasn't overtly said it, I'm sure Wilfork is looking to get his contract stuff straightened out sooner rather than later. And unlike many crybabies around the league, he hasn't made a jerk of himself by threatening to stay out of training camp or park in the VP's spot. While NE will, more than likely, make Wilfork happy, Belichick did what any smart coach would do and he prepared for a possible negative outcome by drafting not one but three defensive tackles. Now, I'm pretty sure Ron Brace will be the only one to survive, but it certainly changes things for Vince with a young guy wanting to make a mark.

Richard Seymour - Yet again, we have a star whose contract is up in 2009. A five-time Pro Bowler, Seymour has been a mainstay at defensive end. Even though he's suffered some injuries in the past few years, he's still productive and dangerous. Like Wilfork, Richard needs to be re-signed, although I'd put Wilfork a notch higher on the priority scale.

Ty Warren - Signed through 2013, we have little to worry about here. Ty rounds out the front three nicely and is always somewhere in the fray, either at the top of the tackle list or dang close. He'll be around for a while.

Jarvis Green - One of our main DE backups, Jarvis is signed through 2009. A starter in his own right (and has done so on many occassions), it doesn't hurt to have a guy like him ready and waiting when needed.

Steve Williams, Kenny Smith, Le Kevin Smith, Mike Wright, Titus Adams - These big men all play reserve roles on the defensive line and are frequent special teams contributors. Some may be training camp fodder, but it's always good to have a number of players to choose from.

Ron Brace, Myron Pryor, Darryl Richard - All three drafted in 2009, Ron Brace is the clear leader of this pack and could be the young guy Belichick puts in place to give Wilfork something to think about. Brace was an excellent pick at 40th overall; a great value.

Analysis

It's hard to fault the front starting three given all the success they've had. Through our defensive back struggles, Warren, Wilfork, and Seymour have been as solid as they can be. However, with both Wilfork's and Seymour's contracts coming due in 2009, there needs to be a plan. Always stocking up for the future, Belichick appears to have laid the groundwork for that future.

Are we good with the defensive big men? Do we need a high profile veteran? Can Seymour stay healthy enough fill his former Pro Bowl shoes?